Imago/Funke Photo Services
Romance of the dilapidated: sports facility in Essen-Heisingen
It is characteristic of dealing with federal politics with sport and its almost 29 million people organized in the German Olympic Sports Confederation (DOSB) that they are consistently ignored as a domestic size. Around eight million club members alone hold a sporting volunteering and provide sociopolitical services that make up for a – unfortunately never concrete – equivalent in the billion dollar area or otherwise: with money. The latest deep blow primarily for the “little sport” and its enthusiasts: When distributing the so -called special fund of half a trillion euro for investments in the outdated infrastructure of this country, the sports sector did not appear in the first version of the draft laws. Of the numerous – approximately 231,000 – land on land, dilapidated and urgently needed sports facilities, one does not seem to have heard anything in political Berlin – and therefore nothing of the problems, of which the approximately 86,000 sports clubs and the countries responsible for basic sports are depressed.
Reason enough that the umbrella organization of sport, which is normally extremely long -hauled, hardly affected, is now stirring against the ignorance of the new federal government. In an internal circular that jW All employees of the DOSB, the heads of all sports associations, the Olympic base and athletes representatives are asked to strongly make up for it and use their personal contacts so that the 500 billion euros for civil purposes do not flow past sport. “A special fund without sport is a gestured opportunity for our country,” is the core message, which in the next few days and weeks by sport at all levels is to be addressed to politics. »Of course, the DOSB has the talks with the federal government and the parliament. But together we are stronger and louder. Therefore, we would like to start a common campaign that requires the help of all people involved in sports. Use your networks, speak and write your members of the Bundestag, your members of the state parliament, the federal government and the state governments. Ask your interlocutors to work for sport and to accept it in the special fund, «says the Rundmail.
A concerted domestic action that has not been seen by the umbrella organization for a long time and which is accompanied by the media: »We will also support the public debate as DOSB and extend the public debate with media activities. In addition to classic interviews, we will start a social media campaign to make the added value of investments in the sport ‘understandable’.
The need for action is acute. Not only objectively because of the immense investment traffic jam at the sports facilities, which, depending on the survey, should make up for a total of at least ten or twelve billion euros up to over 30 billion euros. Whether and to what extent the organized sport is benefited from the Federal 500 billion euros for the infrastructure or even taken into account, is now a kind of gold sample for the credibility and effectiveness of the DOSB as the chief lobbyist of sport. This scope seems to have been recognized in the sports center, you try to set all levers in motion.
With the »Sportmilliarde« contained in the coalition agreement of the CDU/CSU and SPD, at least a mini success was achieved. Although everyone knows, who is only reasonably familiar with the sports facility: With this sum, there is little to be aligned, which is why the left in the previous Bundestag made the application that the federal government should provide one billion euros a year for this segment for 15 years. The “Bundesmilliarde” for the entire legislative period until 2029 remained. At the same time, it is about giving this money to the countries, municipalities and associations as unbureaucratically and efficiently as possible and thus achieving a quick, visible and noticeable effect.
Christian Raffer from the German Institute for Urban Studies in Berlin had what the mayors want jW made clear at the beginning of the year. In an analysis in 307 cities, municipalities and counties on the sports facility situation, those responsible on site were also asked what form would be the case in which financial support would be best. »Three out of four municipalities would consider it useful to improve the financial situation on site thanks to the national aid. This would enable the municipalities to deny the renovation and repair of their sports facilities from their own budget. This solution is clearly favored in the cities and municipalities compared to a call for a new special sports renovation program by the federal government, «says Christian Raffer. »To improve their basic finances that would mean opening up new scope for the municipalities in an unbureaucratic way. On the other hand, funding programs of the federal government with often complicated and lengthy applications are considered a second choice. “
