SOG ready to represent Gibraltar in Berlin

Special Olympics Gibraltar team arrived in Germany earlier this week where they will be participating in the Special Olympics Games during the next nine days.
The Special Olympics World Games are the world’s largest inclusive sports event. Thousands of athletes with intellectual disabilities compete together in 26 sports. Organisers expect nine days of exciting and inspiring competitions, by athletes and for athletes.
Ahead of tomorrow night’s opening ceremony the Gibraltar team, which includes Twenty-seven athletes, departed from the Rock on Monday to Munich where they have spent a few days acclimatizing in the towns of Oberhaching and Taufkirchen before moving on to Berlin for the opening ceremony in the Olympic Stadium.
The team arrived in Berlin on Thursday evening after a long nine hour ride by coach from their host town base in Bavaria. Their time acclimatising came to an end with a team meal provided by the hosts and a very enjoyable 10-pin bowling session in the amazing facilities of the sports school in which they were staying.
Earlier in the day on Wednesday they were given a tour of the Bavarian Film Studios where such epics as Neverending Story and Das Boot were filmed and the team were allowed to go on various film sets including in the submarine set which provided the backdrop for the film Das Boot.
The team now look forward to settling in to their accommodation in the Park Inn Hotel in the middle of Berlin with initial meetings and training on Friday followed by the Opening Ceremony on Saturday.
Speaking to the Gibraltar Chronicle the SOG media spokesperson Andrew Ramage commented, “after a long, tiring day on Monday travelling from Gibraltar via London, not helped by a delayed flight, the Special Olympics Gibraltar team arrived in Munich around midnight and we’re glad to settle in to their host town accommodation. They had an early start on Tuesday with training sessions in most of the sports followed by a reception and exchange of gifts with the Mayors of Oberhaching and Taufkirchen, where they were staying.
“After lunch the team were treated to a ride in horse and carts through the town of Oberhaching to a reception at Oberhaching town hall. This was followed by a visit to a typical Munich biergarden where the team could relax whilst making cultural bonds with their hosts with good food and drink (non-alcoholic beer only!) and entertainment from a traditional German band and dancers.”