William Paats

Friedrich Wilhelm Paats Hantelmann , better known by his internationalized short name William Paats (born January 12, 1876 in Rotterdam , Netherlands , † August 28, 1946 in Asunción , Paraguay ), is considered the pioneer of football in Paraguay and was the founder of the first and also most successful football club in the country, Club Olimpia .

Life

William Paats decided at a young age to cross over to South America , where he hoped that his respiratory disease would improve his health. At the urging of his godfather , who was also called William Paats and worked as a consul in Buenos Aires , he first came to Argentina . At the age of 18, he accepted the invitation of Enrique Plate, who was known to his uncle and was on the board of directors of Banco Mercantil de Asunción . The young Paats worked there as a business graduate , accountant and translator .

In 1899 he joined a Masonic Lodge and began working as a physical education teacher at the turn of the century . In this capacity he organized a soccer game between English officials and Paraguayan employees of the railway company operating in Paraguay. His uncle sent a ball and an air pump from Buenos Aires.

In 1902 Paats founded the country's first football club, Club Olimpia, and in 1906 he was one of the founding members of the first Paraguayan football league, Liga Paraguaya de Fútbol . Later Paats was also involved in the founding of various other associations and organizations. For example, in 1924 he was involved in the formation of the touring and automobile club and in 1943 in the founding of the Christian Youth Association.

Web links

• Un hombre multifacético (Spanish; article of August 27, 2006)