The National Summer Games begin in Zug in one month

Athletes will compete in 16 different sports in Baar, Holzhäusern, and Zug at the end of May. There will also be a rich supporting programme with well-known names.
 

When athletes from all over Switzerland and abroad come together in Zug at the end of May, it's about much more than medals and rankings, say the organisers. For four days, the National Summer Games will transform the canton into a hub for inclusive sports – with competitions, encounters and a supporting programme that extends far beyond the sports facilities.

Hundreds of coaches, delegations from several guest nations, and numerous volunteers will ensure that the event is a major success. The focus is on people with intellectual disabilities, on their sporting ambitions, and on the question of how fair competition can be achieved for everyone. The event takes on a special significance for Zug, as numerous athletes from the canton will experience a home game in a familiar setting.

What are the National Summer Games?
This is the largest sporting event in Switzerland for people with intellectual disabilities. Around 1,600 athletes with intellectual disabilities will compete in Zug, along with 600 coaches and delegations from eleven guest nations. The games will take place from Thursday 28th to Sunday 31st May, with events being held in the OYM Hall, and an ‘Olympic Village’ will be formed around the events, with food opportunities, partner booths, and a supporting programme on the surrounding grounds. 
Admission to all events is free.

Which residents of Zug are participating?
Fifty athletes from the Canton of Zug will be competing at home in the following sports:
equestrian (Lorena Inäbnit), athletics (Christian Staub), golf (Halldor Omarsson, Hilmir Omarsson, Kilian Zahner, Emily Hamann), pétanque (Martina Krummenacher, Margrit Hermann, Beat Frei, Margrit Lipp, Sara Räber, Hans Kieliger), and swimming (Livia Landtwing, Lucas Madox Bacher, Orly Nimi, Illia Seniehkin, Stefanie Bacher, Patrizia Eggenberger, Barbara Burri, Franca Hegglin, Martin Antener, Marc Kirsten, Reto Keiser, Nicolas Auf der Maur, David Ambühl, Lily Thommen, Ilina Georgieva, Andrea Skocic, Daniela Brand).
The ‘Special Team’ (Zuwebe) of Zug 94 will also be competing in football.

In addition, many other athletes from Central Switzerland are competing: 29 from Obwalden (athletics, basketball, cycling, pétanque, swimming), 14 from Lucerne (equestrian, football, tennis, and table tennis), and 3 from the Canton of Schwyz (golf and cycling).

The Summer Games are about more than just winning.       Photo provided
 

What does the sporting programme include?
16 types of sports will take place in Zug: basketball, bocce, bowling, athletics, cycling, equestrian, football, golf, artistic gymnastics, handball, judo, pétanque, sailing, swimming, tennis, and table tennis. The competitions will be held in Zug, Baar, and Holzhäusern, with many activities for spectators and guests concentrated around the Olympic Village and the OYM Hall.

How is equal opportunity ensured?
Through a system called ‘divisioning’. Before the actual competitions, the athletes will participate in qualifying rounds. Based on these results, they are then divided into groups with comparable performance levels. The performance difference within a group should be minimal. This creates competitions in which everyone has a realistic chance of success.

What are the highlights of the supporting programme?
The opening ceremony will take place in the OYM Hall at 7 pm on 28th May, featuring a welcoming address by Federal Councillor Martin Pfister and a short concert by Marc Sway (9:30 pm).
Players from the EVZ will be sign autographs from 1 pm on 29th May, and Theater Hora will also perform from 4 pm.
The medal ceremony will be held at 5 pm on 30th May, and the Schwiizergoofe music project will perform at 12:45 pm on 31st May The closing ceremony begins at 3 pm.

Who is behind the National Games?
The Special Olympics Switzerland Foundation (Stiftung Special Olympics Switzerland). Active since 1995, it organises competitions in 21 sports and sends delegations to the World Games, the world's largest sporting event for people with intellectual disabilities. The National Games in Zug are preparation for the 2027 World Games in Santiago, Chile.
 

Note:
Tele 1 will broadcast five preview programmes for the National Summer Games: on the 5th, 12th, 19th and 26th of May and 2nd June. The first broadcast is at 6:20 pm each day.

https://www.tele1.ch/national-games-zug/national-games-zug-163891800