Agency Report –
Germany’s likely next chancellor Friedrich Merz has promised to support the German Olympic body DOSB in a potential bid to bring the Games to Germany, DOSB board member Volker Bouffier told the Sport Bild in an interview published on Wednesday.
According to Bouffier, Merz said: “Volker, count on me!”
The previous German government under outgoing chancellor Olaf Scholz had already cleared the way for a bid, with the 2040 Summer Games being favoured.
After last year’s Paris Games, the 2028 edition is in Los Angeles and 2032 in Brisbane.
Berlin together with the eastern city of Leipzig, the Rhine-Ruhr region, Hamburg and Munich have all declared interest to stage the Games.
Germany last hosted the Olympics 1972 in Munich. Following bids including from Berlin for 2000 and Leipzig for 2012 failed, while bids from Munich for the 2022 Winter Games and Hamburg for 2024 were stopped by referendums.
Merz said after the Paris Games that Germany not only needed convincing venues, but above all a better sporting basis. A bid must be combined with a concept to strengthen popular and school sports, he said.
