Thousands cheer on flag-bearers Sören Seebold and the German team in a grand celebration.
In a significant display of leadership and representation, Sören Seebold, a resident of Volmarstein and a prominent wheelchair basketball player, served as the flag bearer for the German team at the Rhine-Ruhr 2025 FISU World University Games. Accompanied by Taekwondo athlete Anya Kisskalt, Seebold led "Team Studi" consisting of 305 athletes into the Schauinsland-Reisen-Arena in Duisburg during the opening ceremony, which was attended by 20,000 spectators and millions watching live broadcasts.
The opening ceremony, a historic and emotional event for the region and the university sports community, saw Heide Ecker-Rosendahl, an Olympic champion and Universiade gold medalist, carry the flame into the arena. Six athletes, including Sonja Greinacher, Sarah Wellbrock, Max Hartung, Mathias Mester, Karla Borger, and Alexander Wieczerzak, received the flame from Ecker-Rosendahl and lit six fire towers that framed the stage.
Sören Seebold, who has not yet won a World Championship medal in wheelchair basketball, expressed excitement and nervousness in a press release, looking forward to the upcoming competitions and time with international athletes. The German team, however, faced a defeat in the 3x3 wheelchair basketball match against Spain, with a score of 6:19.
The Rhine-Ruhr 2025 FISU World University Games saw a variety of performances, with artists Ayliva, Montez, Querbeat, and DJ Topic taking the stage, accompanied by the WDR Funkhausorchester. Despite the loss in the basketball match, the German team was particularly cheered as they entered the stadium with over 150 nations, and Anya Kisskalt confirmed an exciting feeling during this moment.
Seebold's role as a flag bearer at the Rhine-Ruhr 2025 FISU World University Games symbolizes honor, unity, and the spirit of competition. It underscores the recognition of Seebold’s achievements, his representation of athletes with disabilities, and the visibility given to adaptive sports at a major international university sports event. This symbolic position reflects Seebold’s status as an outstanding athlete in the German university sports landscape, highlighting both his athletic distinction and his role in promoting inclusive sports such as wheelchair basketball.
In the spirit of inclusivity and sports diversity, Sören Seebold also showed his passion for basketball, dreaming of the day he could compete in a World Championship game alongside other popular sports like football and basketball. During the Rhine-Ruhr 2025 FISU World University Games, he wished for a chance to challenge international basketball teams and potentially inspire more individuals to join wheelchair basketball in the future.
