Wed, November 06, 2024
Athlete representatives criticise Germany’s Sports Promotion Act
The German government hopes to promote high level sport more vigorously and help place more German athletes at the top. Chancellor Scholz said that a law on the promotion of sports would be introduced in the cabinet on Wednesday to do so. Faeser, Interior Minister, described this as a “milestone,” but athlete representatives disagree.
SPD politician Scholz emphasised that this type of law is the first ever in Germany. It has been clear over the years that other European countries have surpassed Germany in promoting top-class sport.
Faeser said: “For the first time, we are also anchoring the importance of top-class sports promotion for us as a society in a law.”
Faeser worked with organised sports for two years to develop the Sports Promotion Act. This created an independent sports agency. Scholz said: “We need an independent institution that decides unbureaucratically according to sports criteria how funding is awarded.” Starting in 2025, €331 million per year from the Interior Minister’s budget will be used to advance competitive sports.
Furthermore, there are plans for the German Olympic Sports Confederation (DOSB) to sit on the boards of trustees of the sports agency alongside politicians.
However, Athletes Germany, an independent athlete association, criticised this decision, arguing that if the DOSB delegates the athlete representatives, it would contradict the majority will of the athlete representatives. Athlete representatives would prefer placing Athletes Germany within the agency’s supervisory bodies.
Athletes Germany is also calling for the protection of all national team athletes within law: “These include maternity leave, monthly financial support, retirement provision and comprehensive insurance coverage, for example in the event of illness.”
However, Athletes Germany’s president and beach volleyball player, Karla Borger, stated no “significant results” have been seen despite promises.
Athletes Germany invited people to a digital press conference on Tuesday. In addition to journalists, guests such as long-distance runner Fabienne Königstein also dialled in to speak about her concerns as a competitive athlete.
She is self-employed and receives 700 euros a month from the sports aid fund of which 535 euros are earmarked for statutory health insurance. “If things go well for me, I can keep a lid on my expenses,” she said. But if things go badly and she misses races due to illness or injury, as she did this year, she faces a “financial catastrophe.”
Especially since such personal setbacks, which are common in sport, are often accompanied by at least a temporary withdrawal from the German squad system – and the athletes then receive little or no financial support.
Many athletes do not believe that this law will be brought into action.
Maximilian Klein from Athletes Germany said: “The draft falls far short of its potential. There is an imbalance in favour of structural reform and to the detriment of the people in the system. It is primarily about the coaches and the athletes. I am very worried that a historic opportunity will be missed.”
Hölz, Sports Official, said: “Unfortunately, we have big question marks as to whether this competitive Sports Promotion Act will still be implemented in this current government period…perhaps sport unfortunately does not enjoy first priority.”
This was in relation to the budget conflict within Scholz’s government. Clashes over budget could cause Germany’s coalition to subside.
Therefore, questions over whether German athletes will receive the support they deserve and are in desperate need of remain.
