Cottbus celebrates brilliantly: 5th BALTIC sports games inspire thousands!

Cottbus celebrates brilliantly: 5th BALTIC sports games inspire thousands!

Last weekend Cottbus-Willmersdorf experienced the highlight of the year - the 5th OSTSEE Sports Games, which were held from June 13th to 15th, 2025. Around 3,500 athletes and over 10,000 enthusiastic visitors made a pilgrimage to the events, which took place both in the APEX sports park and in the Möbel Höffner parking lot. A great range of sports and entertainment awaited the participants and spectators, as [niederlausitz-aktuell.de](https://www.niederlausitz-aktuell.de/top-artikel/296693/drei-tage-sport-cottbus- Feiert-die-5-ostsee-sportspiele.html) reported.

Midsummer temperatures accompanied the athletes when the opening ceremony began on Friday evening. At 7 p.m., Ralf Braun from Sparkasse Spree-Neiße and Mayor Tobias Schick gave the official starting signal. A darts tournament with 64 participants kicked off. In addition, the swimming cap run and the Sparkasse half marathon took place with 397 committed runners who fought through the heat.

A colorful weekend program

Saturday was full of action and family fun. The Stadtwerke Cottbus Bambini soccer tournament drew eight teams to the starting line, and the AOK family corner with bouncy castles and a climbing mountain offered a true play paradise for the little ones. In addition, over 500 children and young people took part in the school and bambini run.

Volleyball teams competed against each other at the GWC tournament, while the supporting program featured performances by children's musicals, jazz dance clubs and dance clubs. The highlight of the day was the boxing night, where Mayor Schick and his town hall team took on the challenge and came away victorious. Saturday was rounded off with the big OSTSEE party, which ensured a good atmosphere well into the night.

Sporting diversity on the final day

Sunday was dedicated to a wide variety of sports. The RTF Spreewald welcomed around 100 cyclists, and there was a lot of activity at the youth soccer games as well as boccia and beach volleyball. The crowning conclusion was the 2nd OSTSEE Dance Cup, in which 47 groups with almost 500 dancers took part, as well as the BOMMTOWN OSTSEE Triathlon, which brought many sports enthusiasts together.

“The results are consistently positive,” explained Sebastian Grothe, managing director of the city sports association. Project manager Rocco Pietsch thanked over 300 helpers, clubs, sponsors and partners, without whose support this event would not have been possible. There is also great anticipation for next year - the 6th OSTSEE Sports Games will take place in Willmersdorf from June 12th to 14th, 2026.

The enthusiasm for sports in Germany is unbroken. According to sports100.de, there are almost 90,000 sports clubs and around 27 million members in Germany, with football being the most popular sport. It is estimated that 82% of Germans believe that sport has a positive influence on society. This makes it clear that events like the OSTSEE Sports Games make an important contribution - both to promoting sport and to strengthening the sense of community.

Overall, the event in Cottbus-Willmersdorf shows that sport not only brings people together, but also creates joy and many wonderful memories. See you next year!