Nearly 4,500 athletes with intellectual or multiple disabilities from Germany and twelve other countries gathered in Saarland, where the Special Olympics National Games took place from June 15 to 20, 2026. This marks it as the largest inclusive sporting event in Germany, where the focus is not on performance but on togetherness. More than 70 Telekom volunteers were also actively involved.
Monday, June 15, kickstarted the event with the first gathering of the Magenta Volunteers at the Saarlandhalle in Saarbrücken. In addition to discussions about the volunteer uniforms and assigned shift schedules, the focus was primarily on sharing previous experiences with the Special Olympics, as Telekom has been an active and official partner of Special Olympics Germany since 2023. Ferri Abolhassan, board member at T-Systems and patron of the event, was also praised the employees’ dedication on the spot: “Your commitment shows what defines us as Telekom: solidarity, responsibility and enthusiasm for inclusion.”
Afterward, everyone headed together toward Ludwigsparkstadion to experience the official opening ceremony, which drew about 16,000 attendees. With the arrival of the Olympic flame, the Games were symbolically opened by a special duo, which also marked the start of volunteer activities along the sidelines of the soccer field.
Among the 27 sports represented, Telekom was the presenting partner for soccer. Both traditional teams (composed exclusively of athletes with intellectual disabilities) and unified teams (people with and without intellectual disabilities) competed in the soccer tournament.
First place in the “Unified Women” category went to Team FSH Soccer Essen, which Telekom had already been supporting prior to the games. Back in May, the team trained in specially branded Telekom jerseys alongside professional players Celina Degen and Anna-Lena Stolze of 1. FC Köln with a focus on ball control and shooting accuracy. The team from Essen was able to demonstrate these skills in Saarbrücken as well, allowing Hiroto Kishi (representative of Telekom’s sports sponsorship) and Laura Nolte (two-time Olympic champion in the two-man bobsled) to award them the gold medals.
The Magenta Volunteers provided active support on the sidelines. Their duties ranged from recording scores to assisting the teams, organizing the water supply and making stadium announcements.
Thomas regularly volunteers at sporting events and sums up his experiences this way: “But what I got to experience last week in Saarbrücken really tops everything I’ve experienced as a volunteer so far.” The warmth, openness and honesty of the athletes inspired the Magenta volunteer and created that special atmosphere for which the Special Olympics are known. Like many of his fellow volunteers, he’s already looking forward to Telekom’s next involvement with the Special Olympics.
