Joining Ivan Klasnić on the panel were Liz Schick (President of the World Transplant Games Federation), Dagmar Neukirch (State Secretary in the Saxon State Ministry for Social Affairs and Social Cohesion), Gudrun Manuwald-Seemüller (Managing Director of World Transplant Games 2025 Dresden GmbH), Frank Ullrich (Biathlon Olympic champion and Chair of the Sports Committee in the Bundestag), and Dirk Hilbert (Mayor of Dresden). They all fielded questions from the attending journalists.
The speakers emphasized the importance of the international sporting event in raising awareness about organ donation. According to Mayor Dirk Hilbert, the World Transplant Games are a perfect fit for Dresden, as the city is known for its contributions to medicine, sports, and culture. Additionally, they hope for a boost from the Dresden City Festival, which will take place from August 15 to 17, 2025. Gudrun Manuwald-Seemüller, Managing Director of World Transplant Games 2025 Dresden GmbH, highlighted Germany’s donor numbers. Around 8,500 people are on waiting lists, while only around 1,000 organ donors are available, making Germany one of the lowest-ranking countries in Europe in this regard. Manuwald-Seemüller hopes the World Transplant Games will encourage more people to engage with the topic of organ donation.
Our first press conference, held at JOYNEXT Arena, was a great success. Not only did local and regional media cover the World Transplant Games 2025, but also major national outlets across Germany.
