Twelve exciting years in voluntary work

Volker Lange

At 100 years old, the Chemnitz Police Sports Club (CPSV) is one of eleven clubs in the city that can look back on such a long history. Given that there are currently 215 sports clubs, this is a remarkable achievement. Volker Lange has been at the helm of the club on Forststraße since 2008. A very eventful time in which the club made headlines both regionally and nationally and survived situations that threatened its very existence. Although his candidature for next year has not yet been finalised, the president still has plenty of plans.

How were the celebrations for the 100th birthday on 17 August? A difficult situation given the current circumstances?
Volker Lange: It wasn't a celebration in the conventional sense. We wanted to commemorate the fact that the association was founded 100 years ago. Under the current pandemic conditions, 50 members and guests were invited.

Sounds disappointed?
We are very disappointed. We had a lot planned and wanted to invite everyone to a swimming festival at the Sportforum. The motto was to be: 100 times 100, meaning that 100 swimmers would each cover 100 metres. An adventure sports festival for families was to take place at the facility on Forststraße. And as the crowning finale, the festive event in the Chemnitzer Hof. All of this had to be cancelled this year. It's very annoying because we were in the final stages of organisation.

What do you want to make up for next year?
We want to catch up on as much as possible, because 100 years is always something special. To have maintained a club over such a long period of time is something special. Founded in 1920, re-established by police officers in 1948, then turned into Dynamo in 1953 and in 1989/90 the club was re-established by police officers and immediately opened to all interested parties - such a moving history must be honoured next year.

100 years of CPSV, twelve of them under President Volker Lange. If you had to summarise, what would you say?
We have achieved an incredible amount. My fellow volunteers deserve a big thank you for that. There were some very nice moments. Among other things, we organised the New Year's Eve run for years, held the Erzgebirgsrundfahrt and brought the German Rhythmic Gymnastics Championships to Chemnitz. We played top-class women's volleyball for many years, one season in the 1st Bundesliga in front of almost 1,000 people. Unfortunately, that overstretched the club and almost cost it its existence.

Why?
We weren't that bad in sporting terms, but the environment didn't justify the 1st Bundesliga. The bankruptcy of our own marketing company, which was founded for volleyball, was with us for years. But as a club, we didn't want to simply file for insolvency. We fought hard for five years and got the club through these major difficulties.

The club was on the brink of collapse?
That was the case and it would definitely have been easier. But we have property: we own the hall on Forststraße. It would have gone to the bank in the event of insolvency. That's why we took the difficult path. I'm proud of that.

Speaking of proud. There were other great moments during your time in office - the Olympics in Rio de Janeiro, for example.
Yes, I was there in 2016 and wanted to cheer on our track cyclists. Which amateur sports club can claim that its athletes compete at the Olympics? And we almost had two. But Max Niederlag had to pull out due to illness. Unfortunately, Joachim Eilers only managed 4th place in the end. But it was an amazing experience that I will never forget.

When Volker Lange was elected President in 2008, his term of office was originally supposed to last four years. That has now tripled. "The four years were set. But we were in the insolvency years of Marketing GmbH. I couldn't stop there. Then my colleagues told me that if you stay, we'll stay and carry on. That was a key point." Due to the pandemic, the elections will not take place until next year. Volker Lange does not know whether he will run again. He would actually much rather make way for a younger person. "The executive committee wouldn't stay together for so long if potential successors were beating down our doors," he reveals with a grin. Yet he still has so much planned for the club. Following the renovation of the hard pitch in 2019, which now has a modern artificial turf pitch without environmentally harmful granules, the natural turf pitch and the athletics facility are to follow next year. "If such a task comes up again, I could imagine a candidature in 2021," says Volker Lange. It would definitely be necessary. "The surface consists of slag, which hardly absorbs any water in heavy rain. The running track regularly floods."

How optimistic are you that such a project can be realised?
If it weren't for the coronavirus pandemic, I would be more optimistic. Corona is currently reshuffling the cards. There's no way we can manage this 1.9 million euro project ourselves as an association. We need funding. I believe that our political decision-makers recognise the social work that our association and the facility do.
A primary school could also use the facility. That would create additional added value for the city. But then came Corona. Annoying. Nevertheless, we have not given up hope. This much can be said: we have done our work and are in the starting blocks. So we can get started.

With around 1,200 members (20 sports in 16 sections), the CPSV is the third largest multi-sports club in Chemnitz after the university sports club and SG Adelsberg. The main site on Forststraße has a grass pitch, an artificial turf pitch, a beach volleyball court and an athletics centre. The three-court sports hall was built in 2001/2002. The club also operates two other sports facilities: a martial arts centre in Kappelbachgasse and the judoka have their home in a hall on Ernst-Wabra-Straße. The club focusses on popular, children's and youth sports. But the CPSV is also home to athletes in the competitive sport sector - the two top sprinters in track cycling, Stefan Bötticher and, until recently, Joachim Eilers.

How do they see the future of the former sports city of Chemnitz, which we would like to be again?
I think the city is doing a good job. It is investing in sport again - in the Sportforum, for example. I think this is the right approach - setting an example with investments. For example, the renovation of the marathon tower, where the Olympic training centre is moving in, or the two gymnastics halls. Of course, I would much rather have a new cycling track (laughs). Because who has two track cycling world champions in the city? We have them!
What worries me more is the economic support in Chemnitz from the sponsors. It's always the same three that are asked by every club. Others should also position themselves. Otherwise, it will become increasingly difficult to have top-class sport here in Chemnitz.

Our final question: Can sport benefit from the bid to become European Capital of Culture 2025?
I think so. If Chemnitz becomes better known, that will also benefit sport. It also improves the city's reputation. I have fond memories of our organisation of the German rhythmic gymnastics championships in 2015. That was so great. The athletes came from Bremen and Hamburg, among other places, and flocked to the city centre in their colourful suits after the competitions. The atmosphere from the Hartmannhalle, which was packed with 2000 spectators, spilled over into the city centre. The young participants were enthusiastic about Chemnitz. I don't see culture as competing with sport. Both can complement each other well if the money is distributed fairly and people are prepared to give something back.