Bach's pledges: Credibility, sustainability, participation

Dr Thomas Bach, president of the German Olympic Sports Confederation (DOSB) and a fencing gold medallist in at the 1976 Games in Montreal, is running for the highest office in global sport. D-Day is 10 September in Buenos Aires at the 125th IOC Session. In our interview of the week, the 59-year-old spoke to DFB.de editor-in-chief Thomas Hackbarth about the election campaign and the countdown to the vote for IOC president.

DFB.de: Thomas Bach, are you jealous of Jacques Rogge?

Dr. Thomas Bach: Why should I be?

DFB.de: When he was elected in 2001, the IOC President only faced two rivals, Kim Un Yong from Korea and Canadian Dick Pound. But you're up against five other candidates: Sergey Bubka, Richard Carrion, Ser Miang Ng, Denis Oswald and Ching-Kuo Wu.

Bach: That's not quite right. In 2001, at the start of the Jacques Rogge era, there were in fact five candidates in total. But as a general point, I'm fighting the election for my ideas and as an individual seeking a personal majority, not as a contest against rivals.

DFB.de: Nevertheless, six candidates for president is an Olympic record.

Bach: It doesn't surprise me. The candidates began jockeying for position back at the 2012 Olympic Games in London, so it was predictable.

DFB.de: The IOC has imposed strict conditions on the election campaign. You're not permitted to visit any IOC member, and gifts are naturally forbidden, as are other forms of publicity. How have you been able to advance your case since announcing your candidature?

Bach: The decisive elements in this instance were two strictly formal procedures: first, outlining my programme by letter to all IOC members, and then in early July the personal presentation to IOC members in Lausanne. On top of that, I've talked to a very large number of the IOC members at conferences and sports events.

DFB.de: The vote will be held at the 125th IOC Session in Buenos Aires. You've known most of the 100 voting members for decades. In the circumstances, how can you win anyone new over to your side?

Bach: Just because you've known and valued someone for a long time doesn't necessarily mean you can automatically count on the vote of a fellow IOC member. This election campaign is very much about individual authenticity. The programme and the individual have to match precisely.

DFB.de: Here's a short question on a very big subject: why do you want to be the head of world sport?

Bach: My election programme includes a couple of headline thoughts encapsulating a number of topics. One headline is dedicated to “credibility" and “integrity", both for sporting competition as a whole and for the organisation. Another central topic is sustainability at the Olympic Games, extending from the hosting bid phase right through to the programme at the Games themselves. Participation, by which I mean greater involvement from IOC members, is another extremely important subject to me. We want to continue developing the idea of a Youth Olympic Games. And at the grassroots, we need to renew our efforts to encourage young people to take up sport.

DFB.de: More than 30 years ago, Willi Daume took on Juan Antonio Samaranch but never stood a chance. Even today, is it still more difficult for a German to be elected?

Bach: I don't believe that at all, and between you and me, if it actually was the case, I wouldn't say so (laughs).

DFB.de: With the exception of Avery Brundage of the USA, all ten IOC presidents so far have come from Europe. However, the Games belong to the whole world. Will that damage your chances of winning?

Bach: No, that won't be a factor. The IOC isn't as strongly influenced by the continental blocs as many other sporting organisations. My programme is entitled “Unity in Diversity". And that's what I stand for personally too.

DFB.de: Ricardo Carrion, a Puerto Rican banker, and Ng Ser Miang, who organised the first Youth Olympic Games in 2010, are seen as your strongest rivals.

Bach: As I've said, my aim is to win a majority for me as an individual, and that's what I'm focused on. I'm not concerning myself with the other candidates.

DFB.de: What did you make of the protests which accompanied the Confederations Cup in Brazil?

Bach: In every case, major sports organisations need to persuade the people of host nations about the benefits brought by hosting a World Cup or indeed the Olympic Games. For example, construction of the Olympic Village in Rio de Janeiro will boost the housing sector, and will create dwellings within the reach of less well-off citizens. Major sporting events significantly help in strengthening a host nation's infrastructure. It brings about the momentum needed for innovation. And let's not neglect the soft factors. A World Cup or Olympic Games creates an extraordinary feeling of togetherness. They’re like a glue for society – as we ourselves here in Germany recently experienced for ourselves at the 2006 World Cup.

DFB.de: From a purely financial point of view, can major sports events pay for themselves these days?

Bach: As is well known, the operating budget for an Olympic Games regularly finishes at breakeven, and often produces a profit. You certainly can't count an ongoing airport expansion project as a cost of a World Cup or Olympics. But major events like this act as a catalyst to complete infrastructure projects in a manageable time frame.

DFB.de: What's your view of the Olympic Football Tournament, which doesn't always attract a great deal of attention in Germany?

Bach: I'm at least hoping a Germany team might qualify for the Games again, and that German football brings its undisputed qualities to the Olympic Games as well as elsewhere. In this respect, I'm delighted Horst Hrubesch has declared qualifying for the Olympics as a target for his U-21 team.

DFB.de: Wrestling is battling to retain its status as an Olympic sport. What's your position?

Bach: Wrestling, squash and baseball/softball are the three disciplines being put to the vote. A great deal will depend on the presentations in Buenos Aires. Only one of the three disciplines can be included in the programme for 2020.

DFB.de: In the spring, the German Bundestag [parliament] responded to a DOSB and DFB initiative and approved numerous changes affecting voluntary, part-time and non-vocational work. The tax-free allowance for trainers and coaches was raised by €300 to €2,400 annually, and the tax threshold for income from sporting events was raised by fully €10,000 to €45,000 a year.

Bach: That was a good day for sport, the right decision by our politicians, and more than anything else a sign of appreciation for voluntary work. For volunteers and part-timers, the main thing is often less the remuneration and much more a desire to be respected for their work. Under the umbrella of the DOSB, almost 8.8 million people undertake voluntary, honorary or community commitments. This underscores the immense importance of voluntary work, not only for sport to function, but also for reasons of solidarity and social cohesion. Volunteers deserve huge recognition for this. We mustn't stop trying to make it easier and easier for volunteers. The coach or trainer should be in the sports hall or on the football pitch, not wasting time at a desk filling out forms.

DFB.de: What's your schedule prior to the vote in Buenos Aires on 10 September?

Bach: After I arrive in Buenos Aires, my first appointment is the IOC Executive Board meeting. The IOC Session itself opens on 6 September with the vote for the host city for the 2020 Olympic Games. On top of that, I'll certainly be talking to my colleagues one last time. The election campaign only ends on 10 September.

DFB.de: To all intents and purposes, the votes are already cast. Franz Beckenbauer has said he'll pray for you, so it's in the bag, isn't it?

Bach: (laughs) I'm thrilled by the support I've received from Franz Beckenbauer, but also from football as a whole, from DFB president Wolfgang Niersbach and league president Dr. Reinhard Rauball. I'm very grateful for that.