Ostbelgien is already preparing its sports policy for the next fifteen years. The aim: to develop, starting now, a modern, sustainable sports policy suited to the real needs of the population. Infrastructure, health, youth, volunteering and elite sport: every aspect will be analysed to build the Ostbelgien of 2040.
Sport is no longer limited to pitches or halls. In Ostbelgien it now directly affects health, community life and the region's appeal. Health, quality of life, social cohesion, the attractiveness of rural municipalities and tourism development: sport now plays a central role in citizens' daily lives and in the region's future.
In line with this approach, Minister Gregor Freches has launched a broad study on the development of sport in Ostbelgien. This study aims to define clear priorities for the coming years and to better guide future sports investments.
“If we want to prepare tomorrow's Ostbelgien, we also need to develop our sports policy. Our ambition is clear: giving everyone the opportunity to play sport, close to home and at every stage of life,” Gregor Freches emphasises.
The study, carried out with the Institut für Sportstättenentwicklung (ISE), will analyse the entire sports landscape: amateur sport, competitive sport, clubs, individual activities, municipal infrastructure and movement spaces in schools. Particular attention will be paid to young people, women's sport, and the role of sport as a factor of integration and public health.
In practical terms, existing infrastructure will be analysed in detail to identify future needs: renovations, new facilities or shared-use solutions between municipalities and associations. Sports clubs, federations, municipalities and citizens will be directly involved through surveys and participatory workshops organised in the nine German-speaking municipalities.
This initiative fits fully within the regional strategy “Ostbelgien leben 2040”. The aim is to build a region where sport not only contributes to residents' well-being but also to the area's appeal and the vitality of rural zones.
Ostbelgien also wants to strengthen its cooperation with neighbouring regions. In recent months, several exchanges have taken place with Rhineland-Palatinate and North Rhine-Westphalia on sport, tourism and cross-border infrastructure. The region intends to better connect its sports projects with the dynamics of the Greater Region and the Euregio.
The development of biathlon in Ostbelgien already shows what a coherent strategy can achieve. The qualification of several German-speaking athletes for the Olympic Games
in Milano Cortina 2026 illustrates the region's sporting potential and confirms the importance of sustainable investment in training and infrastructure.
Once the work is complete, a comprehensive report will propose concrete recommendations to sustainably strengthen sport in Ostbelgien. For Gregor Freches, one thing is clear: sport is no longer just about leisure. It represents an investment in health, social cohesion and the very future of the region.