The Deutsche Sporthilfe foundation has presented a comprehensive reform proposal aimed at revitalizing Germany's elite sports system, citing declining medal counts despite rising costs. The 13-page position paper, unveiled in Frankfurt am Main, outlines far-reaching demands including increased basic funding for athletes, reform of coaching positions, and consolidation of federal training centers.
Max Hartung, board member of Sporthilfe, emphasized that the foundation aims to play a more active role in shaping sports policy rather than simply distributing funds. "We don't just collect money and give it to the athletes. We want to participate in the design," Hartung stated during a media briefing. The proposal calls for increasing monthly basic funding for the Top Team from €800 to €1,500 and for the Potential Team from €700 to €1,000, citing higher living costs and elite sports requirements.
The foundation argues that limited resources should be used more strategically to create "high-end infrastructure" rather than simply seeking additional funding. Karsten Petry, another board member, noted that German sports are in "continuous decline" in terms of medals despite increasing expenditures. The proposal suggests bundling and strengthening existing federal training centers to create more effective support systems for athletes.
Under the title "Daring More Performance - For Tomorrow's Elite Sports," the foundation makes its first concrete suggestions for making the system future-proof after more than ten years of stalled sports reform efforts. The plan emphasizes the need for accessible youth sports systems, independent nomination processes, and professional coaching positions at properly equipped Olympic training centers to ensure genuine elite development.
Hundreds of demonstrators gathered at Berlin's Brandenburg Gate on Sunday evening, forming a sea of lights with mobile phone torches and lighters to protest for diversity and against racism. The rally came just days after German Chancellor Friedrich Merz made controversial comments about...
Former German Defense Minister Karl-Theodor zu Guttenberg has firmly rejected media interpretations suggesting he supports softening the Christian Democratic Union's so-called "firewall" against the far-right Alternative for Germany (AfD). The CSU politician told Deutsche Presse-Agentur in...
Berlin police deployed approximately 130 officers in a major operation to secure the eviction of a partially occupied residential building in the city's Mitte district near the Federal Intelligence Service and Natural History Museum. The operation, which has now concluded, saw police officers...
MUNICH — Knorr-Bremse AG, the German manufacturer of braking systems for trucks and trains, announced on Monday it has agreed to acquire Dutch digital services platform TRAVIS Road Services International B.V. The deal, valued in the mid-double-digit million-euro range, represents the latest...
Thyssenkrupp Marine Systems (TKMS), Germany's largest naval shipbuilder, made a strong debut on the Frankfurt Stock Exchange Monday, with shares trading significantly above initial expectations. The stock opened at €60 per share, far surpassing analyst forecasts of approximately €36, and...
