New German sports minister: Olympic bid must be nationwide movement

New German Sports Minister Ronald Rauhe has vowed to make a strong Olympic bid one of his core projects, saying it must become a nationwide movement backed by "sport, politics, business and above all the people."

"For that to happen, a German bid must become more than the bid of a city and a region. It must become our shared bid," Rauhe - an Olympic canoeing champion - said in his debut speech as minister in the German parliament. It came during a general debate on the 2027 budget on Wednesday.

The German Olympic Sports Confederation will decide on September 26 whether Berlin, Munich or Cologne-Rhine-Ruhr should be Germany's bidder for either the 2036, 2040 or 2044 Games. A German bid would face stiff international competition.

Almost €362 million ($421 million) is earmarked for sport in the annual German budget, around €10 million more than the previous year. 

"I am very grateful for this tailwind at the start of my new job," Rauhe said.

He said his aim was for Germany to once again be among the most successful sporting nations in the world. He said he would therefore continue to implement the elite sport reforms launched by his predecessor Christiane Schenderlein, who moved in a government reshuffle.

"Therefore talent can once again become gold," Rauhe emphasized.

He said an Olympic and Paralympic Games in Germany should also act as an accelerator for sporting success in the country. He hoped for "an Olympic generation with children who have role models, with children who have confidence."

The last German Olympics were held in Munich in 1972.

The opposition in the Bundestag criticized the federal government's budget plans for sport. Among others, the Alternative for Germany (AfD) and the Left parties called for significantly more money to support athletes.