Invictus Germany Hosts Their First Sports Festival as Part of the Legacy Programme of Düsseldorf 2023

The first Invictus Germany Sports Festival was held last weekend in Düsseldorf, as a part of the legacy programme from the Invictus Games Düsseldorf 2023.

The Sports Festival was organised by Invictus Germany and saw 250 participants from 8 nations compete at the CASTELLO Düsseldorf arena, with members of Germany’s blue light organisation also invited to participate.

This is one of the first major initiatives of Invictus Germany, a licensed subsidiary of the Invictus Games Foundation, created to honour the legacy of Düsseldorf 2023 and help the recovery of more service personnel within Germany.

The event was kicked off with an Opening Ceremony that featured a message of support from Prince Harry, The Duke of Sussex, Patron of the Invictus Games Foundation and Richard Smith, Chief Operating Officer of the Invictus Games Foundation.

“It is heartening to see the Invictus Spirit thriving so strongly in Germany through the legacy organisation of Invictus Germany born out of the incredible Invictus Games last year.

“It is a development which we fully encourage as we look to build a genuinely global community, sharing understanding and best practice through the use of sport throughout the Invictus Community of Nations, Mr Smith said.

Symposiums were held on the first and second days of the Sports Festival to discuss the topic of ‘Inclusion and Rehabilitation’, before competitions were held over the weekend in four sports – Indoor Rowing, Sitting Volleyball, Spinning, and Table Tennis.

The nations competing at the Sports Festival were Belgium, Estonia, France, Germany, the Netherlands, United Kingdom, United States and Ukraine.

"With this event we experienced another extraordinary event in the state capital almost a year after the emotional Invictus Games Düsseldorf 2023. The weekend has once again taken up the Invictus idea in a sustainable way and once again left lasting impressions,” says Dr. Stephan Keller, Lord Mayor of the state capital Düsseldorf.

Stefan Huss, a former Invictus Games competitor and Manager for the Invictus Germany Sports Festival described the event as “wonderful” and that it created an atmosphere to enhance recovery for the competitors and their friends and family.

You can learn more about Invictus Germany here.