There were times when a head of the sports department at the Federal Ministry of the Interior, when he just heard the name German Olympic Sports Confederation (DOSB), shouted into the phone so excitedly and angrily that a very smart smartphone turned the volume down. For the benefit of interested and amused listeners. The time of loud, dissonant tones, of mutual accusations, of shining above all in the discipline of incompetence, ended with the resignation of Alfons Hörmann as DOSB President.
His successor Thomas Weikert managed to end the crisis of trust within his own company, the serious dispute with the government and the open exchange of blows with the International Olympic Committee. Above all thanks to his conciliation, which goes far beyond reconciliation.
Overdue elite sports reform
Nowadays they are no longer so nice at the DOSB. There is no question of shouting. But the DOSB’s rejection of two draft bills from Federal Interior Minister Nancy Faeser’s office on the major issue of sports development and the long-overdue elite sports reform not only documents a major rift, but also enormous discontent.
The central association and the Federal Ministry of the Interior are far apart on the key questions about the future of organized German sport. They accuse each other of being to blame. Some people, whether in the government district or in the Frankfurt DOSB headquarters, probably feel like screaming.
It would be appropriate for both parties to remain silent in view of this fatal defeat in the undoubtedly complex art of sports politics. Above all, the rift is causing serious damage to sport, whoever is responsible for it.
The phase of ignorance during the pandemic, when the government largely ignored constructive, easily implemented exercise programs for children and seniors without the risk of infection, seemed to be over. Not least because the DOSB leadership was said to have a direct line to the center of power due to its proximity to the SPD. If it existed, it must have been cut. Berlin now decides on essential sports issues according to its own wishes.
Teeth grinding
The member associations of the DOSB may appreciate the resistance of the umbrella organization in the next few days, as it bares its teeth for the first time. Organized sport will signal solidarity to the outside world, complain about the traffic lights, doubt their reliability, complain about an increase in bureaucracy and demand coordination on an equal footing. But things have been rumbling internally for a long time.
Michael Reinsch, Berlin Published/Updated: , Recommendations: 4 Michael Reinsch Published/Updated: Recommendations: 3 Michael Reinsch, Glasgow Published/Updated: Recommendations: 4
At this moment, asking the question about the chance of hosting the 2036 Summer Olympics in Germany may seem secondary at first glance. Secondly, it is compelling: Without the unity of sport and politics, without a commitment from the Interior Ministry, or better yet from the Chancellery, the intended application, the process that has long been underway, will only burn money.
