Sports and sports facilities for migrants

Integration through sport

Heidelberg is an extremely cosmopolitan city. People from 160 different nationalities live there, and 45,000 people in the city have a migration background. There are numerous initiatives in Heidelberg aimed at improving integration and participation in society by migrants, ranging from language support to healthcare and sports facilities. What better indicator of the success of these measures than when migrants participate in shared activities and experiences – for example by doing sports with others.

Although more and more migrants are signing up to Heidelberg’s sports clubs, many – and particularly non-German women and girls – have not yet found the sports club for them. 

A group of women – mainly women with a migration background – expressed a wish for a women-only swimming session in a covered pool. As a result, Hasenleiser swimming pool now offers women’s swimming sessions every Saturday from 9 am to 12 noon. Qualified instructors are available at the sessions to patiently teach swimming to non-swimmers. Water aerobics and water gymnastics are also offered, and attendees at the sessions can even earn swimming badges.