With the ninth edition of the “Ball des Sports”, the city association provided physical exercise for the sport and show highlight at the beginning of the year. The four-person organizational team with Gertrud Meyer, Margrit Engbrink, Wilhelm ten Brink and Manfred Lenz put together a program that was well received by the audience. The return of the band Skylab also turned out to be a stroke of luck.
“Get off the stage, into the middle of the hall” – this concept proved its worth on January 17th, 1998.
The dance group of the TV Westfalia Epe got in the mood the guests in the Concordia. Under the direction of Monika Grüber, the children and young people presented a dance that they had rehearsed especially for this evening to brisk samba rhythms. The group also received thunderous applause for their performances from the colorful musical Grease.
The sporting highlight of the festival program was the appearance of Marius Toba. The Atlanta Olympic participant, World Cup and European Championship starter and multiple German champions in various gymnastics disciplines demonstrated muscle strength and body control in his floor exercises and on the pommel horse. He showed his comedic talent in his second appearance in an alpine outfit with leather pants, shirt and hat.
Ulrich Kahlert – alias Ulik – strained the laughing muscles of the audience. With his foray into the world of nonsense, Ulik launched a merciless attack on the diaphragm. He was well received with his actions in the middle of the audience – and no one was safe from Ulik’s jokes.
For election: Anja Siegers was in the 1997 DFB Cup final in Berlin – and on this January 17th, 1998 at the 9th Gronau “Ball des Sports” in the spotlight. The soccer player wasn’t the only new face in the awards for the best athletes in town. Siegers prevailed in the election with almost 70 votes ahead of Tina Niehoff from TV Gronau. It was the second honor in a row for the soccer player. A week earlier she had also been victorious with the women’s Bundesliga team of FC Eintracht in the athlete election in Rheine.
The duel for the title “Sportsman of the Year” between Christian Kloster and Hubert Reischl was continued in the 1997 election. Again the surfer got the happier end. Judoka Thijn Susebeek, another regular in the athletes’ elections in the 1990s, just about secured third place.
The Gronau water polo players had to cede the German championship title to Hohenlimburger SV in 1997. But in the choice of athletes, the title was defended – again in front of the surfers from Drilandsee. The SVG players hadn’t counted on that. There was also only a 13 voices difference between the SVG and the WSCD. For the water polo players it was the sixth success in the Gronau athlete elections.
The results in order of placement:
Sportswoman of the year 1997
– Anja Siegers (soccer, FC Eintracht Rheine)
– Tina Niehoff (athletics, TV Gronau)
– Anja Klöpper (riding, LZRFV Gronau)
– Bettina Gabbe (tennis, TV Grün-Gold Gronau)
– Monika Regineri (Badminton, SG Gronau)
– Rita Drees (Epe, Trabrennfahrerin)
Athlete of the year 1997
– Christian Kloster (surfing, WSCD Gronau)
– Hubert Reischl (running, TV Gronau)
– Thijn Susebeek (Judo Mugen Gronau)
– Jürgen Ohmann (athletics, TV Gronau)
– Markus Wilpert (soccer, ASC Schöppingen)
– Thomas Moritzer (Gronau archers)
– Heinz Regineri (Badminton, SG Gronau)
Team of the year 1997
– Women’s water polo team of SV Gronau
– Mixed surf league team of the WSCD Gronau
– Children’s swimming cup team of SV Gronau
– Arminia Gronau’s U14 soccer players
– Gregor and Claudia Kötter-Orthaus from TSA on TVG
– B1 football junior from Vorwärts Gronau
– 1st badminton team from Vorwärts Gronau
– 1st tennis media team from Vorwärts Gronau
– Male handball B-youth from forward Gronau
– 1st team of the chess club Gronau
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