Basel Committee adopts new start for the Roger Federer Arena

A first, secret meeting was harmonious and purposeful. On the third floor of an office building near the centre of Basel the year Hans Furer had initially asked a handful of personalities from Sport, politics and culture to the table. Behind closed doors, there was a lot to discuss and to realize an old dream: The Roger Federer Arena. Now!

The history is almost as long as the Vita of St. Jacob's hall, which was opened in September 1976, and now, finally, is to be renamed. the Roger Federer was not yet in the world, and no man would ever come up with the idea to give the multi-functional hall on the Brüglinger level once a new name.

On 8. August 1981 was born Federer, some twenty years later, the Munich Steiner launched his tennis career that would lead him to the athletic Olympus: 20 Grand Slam titles, 99 ATP tournament victories, for months, the world number 1. Federer was and is until today the Champions League in Tennis, a brand that radiates around the globe. In its proximity to the Basel filmmaker and six-time Oscar comes most likely winner Arthur Cohn.

The political defeats to the halls-renaming in time-lapse: 2012 deposited, the then district administrator Hans Furer is a postulate in Liestal. The Grossrätin Martina Bernasconi moved a few days later in the Grand Council. They demanded that the St. Jakob hall in the Roger-Federer-Arena rename. The concern failed in both parliaments.

the next start-up Martina Bernasconi took on 7. February 2018 – a few days earlier, Roger Federer had won the Australian Open. Arthur Cohn lobbied for a name change, but he, too, was on the political stage, no Chance.

A few questions

The arguments from the opposing camp: In Switzerland, it is customary to give personalities after their death, the appropriate honor in the Form of naming for places, streets or avenues. For more controversial issues on the table: What came when Roger Federer destroyed after the active career, his reputation? What is the response of other lenders in the sport of tennis or in Basel on the Label, "RF", behind the among other things, the major Bank Credit Suisse is? Holds a different financial institution, such as UBS, its General Assembly is still in a Roger-Federer-Arena?

These and similar points have been clarified, the initiators around Hans Furer, in the meantime, carefully. Since the first meeting in January 2019, the Komiteé has come – to stay in the language of sport – a lot of sets and premium games.

to launch A pair of signatures

The body is determined, under the Banner of "Roger Federer Arena now!" in Basel, a people's initiative. In the next few days, the creators want to collect signatures of voters of persons within 18 months, it needs 3000, so a doable task.

Parallel to this, a Petition is started, so that all who are excited by Roger Federer, the world sign. The Petition has also been written in English. Moreover, a Crowdfundig on the Internet is to ensure the necessary start-up capital. A Superstar such as "RF" has its price.

the organizers of The Swiss Indoors, including Roger focal forest, and see no disadvantage, if the Arena has a different name. Also, the management of the St. Jakobshalle. Whether the parties would welcome the name change, they were still open. For the ninth Time Federer has won the Swiss Indoors tournament in Basel in the hall, in which he had stood as ball boy awesome.

Hans Furer is optimistic that he can this time force a referendum. However, the mills are grinding in Switzerland, known to be slow. Everything works according to Plan, is likely to be the end of 2020, the ballot of the people fact. Very possible that Roger Federer has announced by then long since his resignation – which helps the project more than harm.

(Basler Zeitung)

Created: 21.03.2019, 13:44 PM