Spirits were high as nearly 1,000 visitors took part in activities fresh from watching the German national football side secure their place in the FIFA World Cup round of 16 with a 1-0 win over the United States yesterday.

Atlanta 1996 silver medal winning decathlete Busemann and World Championship bronze medallist pole vaulter Ecker were joined by experienced stunt woman Miriam Höller on the day to encourage participants and try out the activities themselves as part of the German Olympic Sports Confederation's (DOSB) Sportabzeichen team.

Giessen City Councillor Egon Fritz also took part in activities which saw two members from different generations of the same family competing for a €100 (£80/$136) shopping voucher.

"The German Sports Badge is perfect for families that drive sports together," said Höller.

"When three generations - so grandma, grandpa, children and grandchildren - train together and cheered each other, this is a great family experience."

The tour is now in its 11th year and is run by the DOSB to encourage people to get active and take part in physical activity and sports to improve their fitness and earn the German Sports Badge for their efforts.

Nearly 1,000 German Sports Tour badges were handed out in Giessen ©DOSB



Last year saw 808,310 badges handed out and although it was a reduction on the 2012 figure of 843,890, Gisela Hinnemann from the DOSB insisted that numbers are expected to rise again in the coming years.

"The reform of the German Sports Badge and the performance-based allocation of sports badges in gold, silver and bronze was well received," she said.

"The slight decrease is lower than expected.

"We the DOSB expect that despite the demographic changes in the next few years again with the numbers going up.

"Discussions are ongoing with the educational authorities [in the country], so that in the future even more school classes can participate in German Sports Badge than before."

Giessen was the second stop on this year's tour which moves onto Kiel on July 2, Losheim on July 4, Wittenberg on July 11, Freital on July 15 and Regensburg on July 25.

In August the tour stops off in Langeoog and Norderney, followed Duisburg in September.

More information on the Sports Badge Tour can be found here.

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