Sports in Germany
Germany is a sporting nation. The 2006 FIFA World Cup demonstrated Germans well known passion for football, but also their ability to celebrate a stunning party with friends from all over the world. The German Football Association (DFB) has over 6.5 million members in 26,000 clubs nationwide.
However, sports in Germany reaches far beyond football. There are numerous top-ranking professional leagues. Most of the international Handball elite play in Germany, the Basketball League (BBL) draws more and more stars and the Ice Hockey League (DEL) is an established brand. And let's not forget German leadership in international competitive fields, such as Formula 1 racing, field hockey and winter sports.
Germany has repeatedly proven its status as a world-class host. Many international sporting events are held at its stadiums, arenas and rinks. In 2011, Germany will host the Women's Football World Cup and the hope is that its national team will successfully defend their title. The 2009, IAAF Athletics World Championship was successfully held in Berlin's Olympic Stadium and the Ice-Hockey World Championship 2010 drew record numbers of spectators in the three German host cities.
The success of its teams, venues and organizations are but natural outcomes for a country with a strong sporting tradition at the most fundamental level. The true backbone of Germany's sports culture is its over 90,000 sport clubs with no less than 27 million members and over 2.7 million volunteers who act as coaches, referees and organisers.
