Torch of the world high school games: NRW ready for the sports highlight!

Torch of the world high school games: NRW ready for the sports highlight!

On April 7, 2025, Prime Minister Hendrik Wüst (CDU) received the torch of the world high school games in Mülheim an der Ruhr. This significant flame was lit in Turin in January during the World High School Winter Games and has started a symbolic travel marathon by Germany since then. The aim is to bring the torch to all venues in North Rhine-Westphalia, where the world high school games will take place in 100 days.

The games are scheduled for the period from July 16 to 27, 2025 and will attract over 8,500 athletes from 150 countries. These students will compete in 18 different sports for medals, including popular disciplines such as athletics, 3 × 3 basketball, wheelchair basketball, volleyball as well as rowing and tennis. The venues include Bochum, Duisburg, Essen, Mülheim an der Ruhr and Hagen, while some events will also take place in Berlin.

the meaning of the torchy run

The torch run has a long tradition and is seen by many as an important start for major events. The Olympic torchy run, which symbolizes peace and friendship, first began in Berlin in 1936 and is worn after the inflammation of the Olympic flame in the Olympics by Greece and the respective country of work. This year the torch for the Olympic Games in Paris will also be lit in the Olympics on April 16, 2024.

The torch is then carried by a breathtaking route in Greece, which ends on April 26, 2024 with the handover to the organizers of the Olympic Games in Paris. For the torchy run in France, which begins on May 9, 2024, around 10,000 torchborn carriers are planned, which will carry the flame for 68 days by a total of 65 areas of the country. The torchbearers include not only athletes, but also committed amateurs and volunteers.

opportunities for North Rhine-Westphalia

The world high school games offer North Rhine-Westphalia the opportunity to present themselves in the global sports community as a potential venue for the Olympic Games. The region is aiming to organize the 2036 or 2040 Olympic Games after a previous attempt by the Rhein-Ruhr region to play the games in 2032 had failed in favor of Brisbane.

The cultural and festival program that will accompany the sports competitions should not only bring together the athletes, but also the citizens in the cities and shows the endeavor to present North Rhine-Westphalia to a modern and inviting picture. The torches and the associated events are more than just athletic highlights; They are a sign of international exchange and solidarity among students and athletes worldwide.