Three-city friendship between Waterford, Ireland, St. Herblain, France, and St. Ingbert plans international youth olympiad 2023 in France
A delegation from St. Ingbert, together with representatives from Waterford, Ireland, was invited to St. Herblain – the medium-sized town and the Irish city have each had a partnership with the French town in the Loire-Atlantique department for more than 40 years. Mayor Bertrand Affilé and the chairman of the department "Le Carré international," Sébastien Royer, had invited their friends to revive an old friendship.
The plan: As part of the 2024 Olympics taking place in Paris, St. Herblain is organizing a "Partner Cities Olympiad" one year earlier, in 2023 – with participants from France, Germany, Ireland, Romania, Bulgaria, Spain, Israel, and Senegal. In all these countries, the French city maintains contacts with partner cities. "It will be a colorful celebration with many young people, lots of sports, and many languages. The fun is the focus, but sporting competition will not be missing either. And there will be no shortage of good food and drink," says Albrecht Hauck, Deputy Mayor for Associations, Sports, Demography, Tourism, and Culture in St. Ingbert, who had accepted the invitation to the partner city together with Peter Gaschott, chairman of the partnership committee. Both felt a bit uneasy before the trip, as the active relationship with France had somewhat waned in recent years. But all concerns proved unfounded: upon arrival at the hotel, they were warmly welcomed by the Irish delegation. At the private dinner that first evening, any potential ice between Germans, French, and Irish was already broken – no doubt helped by one or another glass of wine. "It is incredible how friendly we all treated each other," Hauck recounts.
The chemistry is right – now it's time to start planning. A three-city friendship is the best foundation for an inspiring exchange between young and old. Everyone involved agrees: "We want to live the partnership. All citizens should benefit from it and bring it to life," says Hauck.
Youth Olympics 2023
The next concrete plan: the 2023 Olympiad. Interested clubs whose youth would like to experience the great opportunity of an international sports event are already being sought. The disciplines will be determined based on expressed interest—no one should be left out. Clubs organizing a trip to St. Herblain will be supported by the city administration with organization and any language barriers in communication and will receive a subsidy for travel costs. Accommodation and meals in France will be provided. A unique and cost-effective opportunity to compete at an international level. Further information about the Olympiad can be obtained by interested clubs from Kathrin Lorscheider (responsible for clubs, sports, and town partnerships), Tel.: 06894/13-771, Email: klorscheider@st-ingbert.de.
“Participation in such an international tournament is a great opportunity for young people to travel abroad, engage with a foreign language, and get to know new people, countries, and cultures — all in person,” says Albrecht Hauck with enthusiasm. If enough participants register for the Olympiad, there will be nothing standing in the way of similar events in Ireland, Germany, and France. And for those concerned about language barriers or unfamiliar territory: often, things turn out best when you have many reservations! And within a group, everyone finds the support they need.
This first event after a longer period of “radio silence” is intended to be just the beginning of many more opportunities for intercultural exchange. How long relationships established in this way can last is demonstrated by the example of the Hochscheid-Reichenbrunn e.V. music club, whose members have been in intensive and personal contact with the members of the Comité des Fêtes in St. Herblain for many years. Regular and mutual visits are firmly scheduled in the calendar here.
Interested clubs or individuals can obtain further information from Albrecht Hauck, email: alhauck@st-ingbert.de, tel. 06894-6208
