Particle.news
Download on the App Store

DOSB Advances Olympic Bid as Dispute With Federal Government Over Funding Law Intensifies

Delegates backed a weighted evaluation matrix, setting a September decision plan, with concerns over state control in a proposed elite‑sport agency dominating talks.

Overview

  • Thomas Bach urged delegates to proceed with a German Olympic and Paralympic bid, signaling active support after previously voicing doubts.
  • Members approved a roadmap and scoring matrix with only one opposing vote to evaluate Berlin, Hamburg, Munich and Rhein‑Ruhr before an extraordinary vote in Baden‑Baden next September.
  • DOSB leaders warned the Sportfördergesetz draft lacks an explicit autonomy guarantee and could be read as granting the state a veto in the planned Spitzen­sportagentur, raising IOC sensitivities.
  • Staatsministerin Christiane Schenderlein said politics would step back as the agency operates but outlined “clear consequences,” including fewer federal training centers and a focus on medal‑prospective sports, citing budget oversight constraints.
  • Internal frictions persist over voting rights and Berlin’s handicap without a referendum option, and DOSB members will submit formal feedback on the law’s governance provisions to Schenderlein in the coming days.