Härtel on Olympic bid: "Time is running out"

Thomas Härtel, President of the Berlin State Sports Association and also Chairman of all 16 German state sports associations, has sharply attacked the Federal Government regarding a possible Olympic bid. There was "no clear statement from the Federal Ministry of the Interior or the Federal Government as to whether it would support the DOSB in this," said the 72-year-old on "Sportspitze.de", "we are running out of time in every respect. My fear is that we will be left without concrete results at the end of this legislative period." Anything that does not reach the Bundestag by the autumn will no longer be decided before the 2025 elections.

The Federal Ministry of the Interior (BMI), which is responsible for sport, pointed out in response to a question that Minister Nancy Faeser (SPD) had made it clear at the DOSB members' meeting in December that she supported the strategy process that had been initiated jointly with sport, the federal government and the interested states and cities. This joint responsibility also included financial responsibility. The two sides are in regular contact in a spirit of trust.

In addition to a lack of commitment to the bid for the 2036 or 2040 Games, Härtel also criticized the BMI for its lack of expertise in the wake of the now withdrawn "Sports Development Plan": "In our federal state, the responsibilities for sport are varied and complicated: Municipalities, districts, states and the federal government - all are somehow responsible for sport. Those responsible at the BMI should actually know this," said Härtel.

The "Sports Development Plan", which was to be signed at the second Movement Summit on March 12, is "nothing more than a string of things along the lines of "make a wish"," said Härtel, "but it lacks a superstructure, a classification. This draft is therefore not suitable as a general basis for a sustainable development plan." With the development plan, the BMI should make an impact. "And this proposal was a total failure," said Härtel.

The BMI explained that work on the development plan was continuing. "In doing so, we are aiming to first seek coordination with those involved at federal level before we then approach our partners in the federal states, at local level and in organized sport," a spokesperson said. The working groups had presented convincing results in their respective subject areas.