Two years ago, Marc Buchholz (photo), then still in his position as head of the sports department of the city of Mülheim an der Ruhr, had to cancel the International Badminton Championships of Germany just under a week before the start of the tournament due to the Corona pandemic. Therefore, on the day of the semi-finals, now as Chief Mayor, he was all the more pleased that the most significant tournament for the German Badminton Association (DBV) can take place this time. “You can’t imagine how happy I am to now open the YONEX GAINWARD German Open after two years,” said Marc Buchholz in his welcoming speech.
He pointed out that the city of Mülheim an der Ruhr is “actually set” when it comes to badminton – after all, the German Badminton Center is located here, including the national base and the YONEX Badminton Boarding Internat.
In this context, he looked ahead to the year 2025, when the Rhine-Ruhr 2025 FISU World University Games will take place in Bochum, Duisburg, Düsseldorf, Essen and Mülheim an der Ruhr. The fact that the badminton competitions at the third largest multi-sport event in the world will be held in the Westenergie Sports Hall – and thus where the YONEX GAINWARD German Open is based – is precisely because of this: Mülheim an der Ruhr was awarded the contract because the city is the main location for badminton in Germany.
