Press Release 19th May 2025

Discover ball sports talents: BILLA and the City of Vienna support children's sports in the neighbourhood

Making children strong - with sport, games and exercise right on their doorstep: that is the aim of the BILLA neighbourhood games, which are being held this year in cooperation with the City of Vienna. From mid-May to the end of June 2025, BILLA and the City of Vienna are bringing a low-threshold exercise programme to eight Viennese neighbourhoods. Children between the ages of 6 and 10 will complete sporting challenges in the four disciplines of basketball, football, handball and volleyball - directly in sports cages as well as on green spaces and two car parks of BILLA PLUS shops in their neighbourhood. The best participants will qualify for the grand final on 15 June, where Vienna's most talented young ball players will be crowned.

A group of seven people posing with sports balls in front of a BILLA PLUS store. They are holding different types of balls and standing on a paved area. A volleyball net and promotional banners are visible in the background.

From left to right: Roman Tullis (BILLA Partnership Management), Thomas Steinhart (District Head for Simmering), Alexander Poropatits (BILLA Sales Manager), Selina Cakir (sportswoman), Julian Titz (sportsman), Heinrich Himmer (National Councillor) and Michael Payer (Sport Wien). / Copyright: © BILLA / Robert Harson,, Reproduction for PR purposes free of charge

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At a glance

From mid-May to mid-June, BILLA and the City of Vienna are organising eight low-threshold neighbourhood events in Viennese parks, where children aged between 6 and 10 can compete in four ball sports
The aim of the free initiative is to give children low-threshold access to sport and exercise

"The BILLA neighbourhood games show what is possible when you pick up children in their familiar surroundings: genuine enthusiasm, fairness and a new joy in exercise. This gives children in densely populated neighbourhoods in particular easy access to sport," explains BILLA Sales Manager Alexander Poropatits. City Councillor for Sport Peter Hacker also emphasises the importance of the initiative: "The Grätzel Games are an excellent initiative to get our children in Vienna interested in sport and exercise. With the sports of basketball, football, handball and volleyball, we create opportunities to get moving and have fun. Vienna's sports facilities and ball cages will thus become even more places for people to meet and be active!" Sport Wien department head Anatol Richter: "The Grätzel Games will take place at five Sport Wien sports facilities, which fulfils our aim of providing easily accessible and affordable sports facilities for the Viennese. We are proud to support this project and look forward to seeing enthusiastic children at the nine tournaments."

Participation & Procedure

Participation in the BILLA neighbourhood games is free of charge for all children aged 6 to 10 (born between 2015 and 2019). They can register either directly on site or online. At the event, all children receive a personal player pass in which their points are collected at various skill and movement stations from the four sports - basketball, football, handball and volleyball. Scoring is organised by age (U8 to U11) and separately for girls and boys. The top three participants in each category qualify for the Grätzel Games Grand Final. The top three finishers receive a certificate and a medal in recognition of their performance. In the event of bad weather, the event will be postponed in good time.

Vienna National Councillor Heinrich Himmer sees the project as a strong example of successful cooperation: "Such initiatives make a real contribution to health promotion, social participation and respectful coexistence in our city. When children develop a love of exercise through sport and at the same time experience that they are part of a community, then we all benefit. District head for Simmering, Thomas Steinhart, also emphasises the importance of projects such as the BILLA Grätzel Games: "The focus here is not on performance, but on enthusiasm for sport, fairness and team spirit. This is an initiative with heart and mind that conveys important values to young people and shows them how much fun sport can be."

Dates & locations of the BILLA neighbourhood games 2025

(Registration on site or online)

15.05.2025, 14:00 - 18:00 - BILLA PLUS Swatoschgasse 3, 11th district
16.05.2025, 14:00 - 18:00 - Sports ground Konstanziagasse 50, 22nd district
17.05.2025, 11:00 - 15:00 - Youth sports facility Ambrosweg 12, 23rd district
22.05.2025, 14:00 - 18:00 - BILLA PLUS Wienerbergstraße 27, 10th district
23.05.2025, 14:00 - 17:00 - Sport & Fun Halle Leopoldstadt, Venediger Au 11, 2nd district
24.05.2025, 14:00 - 18:00 - Lugner City, 16th district
30.05.2025, 14:00 - 18:00 - Auer-Welsbach Park youth sports facility, 15th district
31.05.2025, 11:00 - 15:00 - Ringelseeplatz/Prießnitzgasse 16 youth sports facility, 21st district