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Boris Becker: auction house auctioned trophies - sports
- 82 memorabilia from the career of Boris Becker are auctioned by a British auction house.
- Among them are sweatbands, but also photos from the early years of the tennis player.
- The British auction house deliberately put the auction into the time of the Wimbledon tournament.
The boy in the photo, nine years old, is standing on a pedestal in front of a tennis court, he holds a small trophy in his left hand, with the right he receives congratulations. Slightly faded, the black-and-white picture behind the glass of a frameless change-picture holder is stuck on a piece of paper, "1st winner of the 1st National German Youngest Tennis Tournament in Bad-Salzuflen", and the date: 29. to July 31, 1977. The writing has faded, the paper yellowed. How much is such a memory worth? So in this special case: purely monetary of course?
The picture is one of 82 memorabilia from the eventful career of Boris Becker, foreclosed until Thursday evening by the British auction house Wyles Hardy & Co. With the proceeds of the online auction Beckers creditors are at least to be appeased. Becker, who must once have been a carefree millionaire as an active tennis legend in an earlier life, was declared bankrupt in June 2017 by a British bankruptcy court for unpaid debts.
The auction house deliberately put the auction into the time of the Wimbledon tournament
In the end, 763 000 euros came together - 150 250 British pounds brought in the auction alone, the replica of the US Open Cup, the Becker won in 1989. A Davis Cup trophy was sold to the Action House for 52 100. A Lotto brand size suit worn by Becker, size XXL, one bidder bought for £ 800, some tennis shoes another for £ 3475. A signed tennis racket, in turn, raised £ 13,400. Naturally, only those who have collected the memories themselves can know the true value of the memorabilia. He hinted that Becker was hanging on his trophies recently Picture on Sunday At this auction, he said, it was just about "hurting me personally, because of course I'm emotionally attached to the trophies." Becker was able to postpone the auction a year ago, arguing that the auction was humiliating. Legally and factually less solid was his claim to enjoy diplomatic immunity as sports attaché to the Central African Republic Representation to the EU in Brussels.
The auction house deliberately put the auction into the time of the Wimbledon tournament, more attention, more bids. They would now even bidders, said auction house director Terry Madden SZ on the phone, which would participate from the audience bank in Wimbledon from the auction. There is a "global interest" bidders coming from over 30 nations, especially the US, France, Germany and the UK. Also Becker is currently in Wimbledon, as a commentator for the BBC.
Beckers insolvency administrator Mark Ford is meanwhile still looking for further trophies, he wants to complete the bankruptcy in the next six to nine months. The money from the auction could help settle at least a small portion of the millions of dollars in debt. So every pound counts, including the 900 that someone has successfully offered for a sleeveless sweater, two sweat bands, and a pair of socks. Or the 800 pounds for the image of the nine-year-old and of his turbulent future still really unsuspecting winner of Bad Salzuflen.
