IWC - On Sardinia with the Mannschaft
The IWC Schaffhausen ensured a good atmosphere once again in the team in the training camp of the German national football team on Sardinia before the European Championships 2012 in Poland and Ukraine. A watchmaking course enthused the footballers in Geneva before the world championships 2006. This time, focus was on a folding kayak contest made possible by the IWC within the scope of the PR partnership between IWC Schaffhausen and the German Football Association (DFB). Initially, the national players assembled the folding kayaks. They had an exciting race afterwards off the Sardinian coast. The Big Aviator Watch Edition DFB of the Swiss watch manufacturer was the reason for pleasant anticipation among the national team. It is already the third time that IWC Schaffhausen manufactures the "OFFICIAL WATCH OF THE GERMAN FOOTBALL NATIONAL TEAM.
It was a great afternoon at the beach near Porto Cervo on Sardinia when the German national team gathered together for the IWC Team Challenge. The wives and children of the players as well as the coaches of the DFB team were the spectators. Oliver Bierhoff, National Team Manager, talked about an interesting experience: "It has been a physically active afternoon which was a lot of fun and will remain in the best memories of everybody."
Under the guidance of the specialists of Klepper, the leading manufacturer of folding kayaks from Rosenheim, Germany with more than hundred years of tradition, the national players started highlymotivated and highly-concentrated. According to the motto "assemble and depart", a kayak was built in just under 20 minutes suitable for almost any waters. It is stable, unsinkable and non-tilting - and easy to paddle. The environmentally-friendly folding kayak by Klepper is primarily composed of natural materials such as wood, cotton and rubber.
The national players proved with the boat that they are not only familiar with the handling of a football in any situation, but they can also glide over the water when the waves are right. "Our team also proves at other sports activities that they are able to meet interesting challenges in an impressive manner" commented Joachim Loew, Team Coach of the National Team, with a laugh afterwards.
Henrik Ekdahl, Managing Director of IWC Northern Europe, wished the German national team within the scope of the event a good preparation time and great success at the European Championships: "It is a tradition since 2006 that IWC makes it possible that the German national football team can participate in activities within the scope of the World Championships and European Championships training camps which exceed a pure athletic preparation and provide the players with special experiences and new insights."
After a watchmaking course in Geneva 2006 which provided the team with insights into the world of mechanical watches, they had the opportunity on Majorca in 2008 to experience the fascination of flying on a sightseeing flight with a more than 60 years old Ju 52. Now, the national players faced the challenge at the training camp on Sardinia to assemble a folding kayak by Klepper in teams of three and to prove on the ocean afterwards that one can cover a challenging route as quickly as possible with team spirit, discipline, endurance and physical fitness.