Ladies and gentlemen,
Dear athletes and participants of the European Maccabi Games 2015,
In one year the biggest Jewish sports event in Europe will take place in Berlin, a sight of immense Jewish suffering. When the 2.000 athletes enter the opening ceremony in July 2015, they are guests in a democratic Germany, a country in which all citizens have agreed on peaceful behavior towards other countries, the unconditional respect for human dignity and the appreciation of all human beings, no matter what ethnicity or religious origin.
I hope that the Maccabi Games 2015, will stand under the sign of this commitment, visible to all participants. May the EMG2015 contribute to the commitments and convictions, so that the will stay a matter of course in this country.
From my own experience, I know how good sports can be as a catalyst for such human behavior. Especially the dynamics of “mini Olympic Games”, such as the European Maccabi Games, will be kept in the minds not only of the athletes, but also of the spectators, the city of Berlin and beyond its boundaries.
As patron of the basketball competition, it is an affair of the heart to support the European Maccabi Games 2015.
I am looking forward to exciting and fair competitions and wish all participant good luck and most of all unforgettable moments!
Sincerely
Pascal Roller
Pascal Roller (*1976) is a former German International. Today, he is the president of the Hamburg Towers.