Media Room

Wolfgang Schnellbügel has died—an obituary by Peter Franz Thürl

Wolfgang Schnellbügel made lasting contributions to the promotion of international sports retail outlets and the international sports goods industry. He was a multilingual MBA graduate, certified wholesale trader, and export merchant who made the goal of his work with Sport 2000 to represent, strengthen, and expand the vital interests of independent European sports goods retailers at home and abroad through dialog with the relevant industries, and to each party’s benefit.

After working in China from 1984 to 1998, Wolfgang Schnellbügel held various positions at Sunflex Sport GmbH + Co. KG in Nuremberg, finally as the head of marketing and sales. He was the division manager for Nord-West-Ring International in Mainhausen from 1999 until February 2001. After a brief period as managing director of Sport 2000 Deutschland, he continued working in Mainhausen as the managing director of Sport 2000 International and Sport 2000 International Marketing AG from 2006 until stepping down in 2015.

The funeral was held on January 6, 2020, at the cemetery at his French residence. There, Marius Rovers and Andreas Rudolf of Sport 2000 International spoke along with Robbert De Kock, president and CEO of the World Federation of the Sporting Goods Industry, about Wolfgang Schnellbügel’s significant achievements in developing and expanding Sport 2000 to make it Europe’s second-largest associated group of sports retail outlets. They also recognized his service as Honorary Director of the Board for the World Federation of the Sporting Goods Industry, a position he held until his death.

Wolfgang Schnellbügel was an influential figure in the international sports goods sector. We cherish his legacy and will always remember his lasting impact on the industry. Our deepest sympathies are with his wife, Christine, and his son, Frank, who were lovingly by his side during his four-year battle with ALS, a disease that attacks the muscles.