A lot achieved with team spirit: Welser PSV celebrates its 90th anniversary

Thanks to its 1100 members, the Wels Police Sports Club (PSV) is one of the largest in the city. And it has been extremely successful for many years. The most successful athlete in the 90-year history is marksman Mario Knögler, who qualified for the Olympics three times and won gold at the 2005 European Championships in Moscow.

The best-known former PSV athlete, all-around athlete and Olympian Ivona Dadic joined the club at the age of eight. Her long-time coach was club chairman Michael Hager, who is still in contact with his protégé. “She has been injured for a long time, is training in Sweden, I hope that she will be at the Olympic Games in Paris next year,” says Hager.

As a hope for the future in the athletics section, he names hurdler Olivia Benesch. Sprint ace Alexander Penzenstadler, Vice State Champion over 100 meters, sets the fastest times on the tartan track.

With its eleven sections, the PSV offers a wide range from motor sports to tennis, judo and cycling to self-defence training for women. The bowlers play successfully in the Bundesliga, the youngest section is “Petanque”, whose members indulge in bowling on the courts opposite the Stadthalle.

The sports club was founded in 1933 by 72 law enforcement officials, today about five percent of the members are police officers.

“Thousands of young people were able to discover their enthusiasm for sport with us and make social contacts,” says Chairman Hager (69), who was a detective. Nevertheless, the relevance of organized clubs for children and young people is dwindling. “We have to create offers that respond to the changed living environment of our youth,” he says. In some sections it is also very difficult to get younger people to work in the association.

Structurally, there are two major future projects for the club’s home in the Rosenau. A shooting range is planned and the sports center is to be renovated and made energy-neutral.

PSV celebrates its anniversary on September 9th and 10th at the sports facility in Rosenau (Vereinsweg 10). It starts on Saturday at 3 p.m. with a colorful children’s program. The ceremony begins at 5.30 p.m. with reviews, awards and interviews. DJane Solaris will be spinning from 7 p.m. to midnight. On Sunday, the Bavarian morning pint starts at 10 a.m. with live music in the marquee.