Press Release

Braunschweig, January 28, 2025. One of the largest programs to sponsor and promote young sports talent in Lower Saxony is entering its third round: Volkswagen Financial Services (VW FS) are supporting 24 talented sportsmen and women and two teams this year with up to EUR 50,000 each.

The young men and women, aged between 13 and 24, had applied for sponsorship funding from the Volkswagen Group's financial and mobility services provider. The talented youngsters were selected by a distinguished jury that included Katrin Boron, the former multiple Olympic and world champion rower, and Manfred Kehm, Team Leader for Competitive Sports Promotion at the Lower Saxony Sports Association (LSB).

The supported athletes and teams come from all over Lower Saxony, with three competing in Paralympic disciplines. The range of sports represented is broad: primarily track and field, but also gymnastics, swimming, judo, bouldering, artistic roller skating, ice hockey, golf, tennis, badminton, basketball, sport climbing, and wheelchair basketball.

Frank Fiedler, Management Board Member for Risk, Tax and Legal Affairs at Volkswagen Financial Services, stated: "We at Volkswagen Financial Services have been known for dec-ades for our strong social commitment and as sponsors of cultural events, social causes, and sports. We are pleased to be able to support up-and-coming young talents from Lower Saxony through our extensive youth sports promotion program, even in what are economically challenging times. The importance of this commitment is highlighted by the fact that, following Germany's often disappointing performance at the Summer Olympics in Paris, the call for additional support and backing for young talent has become even louder. We are proud to make a contribution in Lower Saxony to revitalizing the Olympic and Paralympic disciplines."

Last summer at the headquarters of the financial and mobility services provider in Braunschweig, Fiedler had given a personal send-off to the track-and-field athletes Laura Burbulla and Phil Grolla (both from the VfL Wolfsburg sports club) as they headed off to the Paralym-pic Games in Paris. Fiedler noted: "The fact that no fewer than two of the athletes supported by us, Laura and Phil, took part in such a major sporting event shows that we are on the right track with our long-term oriented program to promote young talent."

Another example: up until a few days ago when online voting ended, three talents supported by Volkswagen Financial Services were candidates for Lower Saxony's Track-and-Field Athletes of the Year awards, namely decathlete Marcel Meyer (Hannover 96), 400m sprinter Flo-rian Kroll (LG Osnabrück), and 800m runner Tim Kalies (LG Braunschweig).

It is already confirmed that Volkswagen Financial Services will continue this extensive youth sports funding program. The application phase for the 2026 funding year will start in just a few months on June 1, 2025. All further information will be available online on the website sporttalente.vwfs.com.

Program background: Volkswagen Financial Services expanded their sports sponsorship in 2022 and have since been supporting individual athletes and teams from Lower Saxony as part of a major program to sponsor and promote young sports talent. Young men and women between the ages of 13 and 24 are eligible to participate. The program also embraces young talents with physical disabilities. Recognized expenses for funding purposes include costs for trainers and coaching fees, training camps, competitions, travel costs, equipment, rentals, and sportswear. A jury of experts decides on the amount and duration of the funding.

These young talents are being promoted by VW FS in 2025:

• Anna Monta Olek, Judo Team Hannover, judo
• Luys Calin, MTV Braunschweig, tennis 
• Hannah Sofie Loist, Young Grizzlys Wolfsburg, ice hockey
• Finja Hermanussen & Karlotta Budimir, Kanu-Club Limmer, canoe racing
• Maira Banko, TK Hannover Luchse, basketball
• Louis Romeo Quarata, VfL Wolfsburg, track and field
• Sören Seebold, Hannover United, wheelchair basketball
• Max Henri Hermann, TSV Buchholz, artistic gymnastics
• Lasse von Freier, Deutscher Alpenverein Sektion Hannover, sport climbing
• Felix Schütt, SV Harkenbleck, badminton
• Florian Kroll, LG Osnabrück, track and field
• Jonas Körner, Deutscher Alpenverein Sektion Braunschweig, sport climbing
• Svea Funck, TV Jahn Walsrode, track and field
• Laura-Dominika Milos, MTV Engelbostel, table tennis
• Kristin Raddatz, VfL Westercelle, ju-jutsu
• Ricarda Zander, VfL Wolfsburg e.V., artistic roller skating 
• Phil Grolla,VfL Wolfsburg e.V., para track and field
• Laura Burbulla, VfL Wolfsburg e.V., para track and field
• Jasper Pippig, Golfclub Hannover e.V., golf
• Tim Kalies, LG Braunschweig, track and field
• Jasper Till Schröder, RC Blau-Gelb Langenhagen e.V., cycling
• Änna Pannek, Kanu- und Segel-Gilde Hildesheim e.V., canoe slalom• Marcel Meyer, Hannover 96, track and field
• Marcel Meyer, Hannover 96, track and field
• Fabian Schönke, RSC Lüneburg, triathlon
• Team: Turn-Klubb zu Hannover, 3x3 basketball
• Team: SSG Braunschweig, swimming 

Volkswagen Financial Services AG is a wholly-owned subsidiary of Volkswagen AG and, as part of Volkswagen Group Mobility, manages the European financial and mobility services business. The aim of Volkswagen Financial Services AG is to support the sales of the Volkswagen Group brands and increase customer loyalty. The company is a longstanding partner of the dealership network – as a provider of financial services and as an aide and advisor. Its core products include vehicle leasing and financing, insurance, and other vehicle-related mobility products – both for private customers and for individual commercial customers and fleet customers. Through its subsidiary, Volkswagen Bank GmbH, Volkswagen Financial Services AG is also active in the direct banking sector.
More information available at www.vwfs.com.