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A peaceful sports festival, hardly any incidents: The organizers of the Federal Wrestling and Alpine Festival (ESAF) are extremely satisfied.
Switzerland has a new wrestling king and many new Confederates, as the winners at Switzerland’s largest sporting event are called. The joy is not only great among the famous wrestlers, the organizers of the ESAF 2022 in Pratteln are also satisfied.
Legend:
“We were able to create good conditions for the sport,” says Thomas Weber, OC President of the ESAF.
Keystone/Peter Schneider
“It was a really great party. The work of the last six years is well received by the people. We were able to create good conditions for sport, »said Thomas Weber, OC President and Government Councilor in the Canton of Baselland (SVP). Pratteln and the Basel area could have shown themselves from their best side.
It was super cool, a great party. The Schwinger family has come together here.
There is also a lot of praise from the wrestling fans: “It was very nice. It’s impressive what kind of facility they’ve built out of the ground here,” says one festival visitor. Another man says: “It was super cool, a great party. The Schwinger family has come together here.”
Legend:
Visitors to Pratteln were also enthusiastic about the festivities around the wrestling arena.
Keystone/Urs Flueeler
Markus Lauener, Chairman of the Swiss Wrestling Association (ESV), also looks back on the ESAF with a smile on his face: “It was a very attractive wrestling sport.” And as far as the organization is concerned, there are only words of praise from the chairman of the Schwinger: “It was great what this region – from the point of view of the Schwinger a peripheral region – got on its feet.”
Legend:
Markus Lauener, ESV chairman (right) is extremely satisfied with the organization of Pratteln.
Keystone/Peter Schneider
In the run-up to the event, there were also critical voices about the Pratteln venue. But the community has proven that it makes sense to hold the ESAF in a new location every three years – despite the enormous effort, Lauener is convinced.
After the success in Pratteln, my humility increased even more. But of course we’ll do it.
Jakob Kamm, OC President of the next Federal Wrestling and Alpine Festival in Mollis in the canton of Glarus, also observed the huge event attentively. Of course he now feels a lot of pressure after the success in Pratteln. But thanks to the values from wrestling, he can withstand that well.
“Respect and humility”, with these virtues he wants to tackle the organization of the ESAF 2025, says Kamm and adds: “After the success in Pratteln, my humility has grown even more. But of course we’ll do it.”
In the run-up, the safety concept of the ESAF in Pratteln gave a lot to talk about. During the festival, however, he was never worried, emphasizes Weber. “We observed it well.” The area was monitored with around 30 cameras and the flow of people could be guided well.
Legend:
Controversial appearance: the association “Russkij Basel” at the ESAF move.
SRF/Sedrik Eichkorn
After the ESAF move, pictures of a Russian costume group caused some unrest. One of the participants was spotted with an embroidered “Z” on the chest, the symbol of Russia’s war of aggression in Ukraine. Read more about this here.
The wrestling festival began on Friday afternoon with the acceptance of the flag at Pratteler Schloss and a subsequent parade with around 4,000 participants.
In addition to the sporting competitions, the festivities around the arena probably attracted several hundred thousand people. In the meantime, the ESAF has reached a dimension that ESV chairman Lauener also views critically: “Here the area was limited, also because of the railway lines. That has certain limitations. We have to take that into account in future federal events.”
It had too few toilets, that was a big problem.
In Pratteln, for example, this was shown by the crowds in front of the toilet facilities – and the problem with the many “wild pissers”. “There weren’t enough toilets, that was a big problem,” sums up an ESAF visitor, and a woman says: “It was great, but too big for me. I actually prefer to go to smaller wrestling festivals.”
With a sneering congratulations on the “worst idea of the day”, the arena speaker considered the festival visitors who had violently gained access to the space under the stands to pee wildly. They cut a power line in the process, he said.