No arguments about it: Dr. Thomas Bach is Germany’s most powerful and influential sports manager. The 53-year old heads the German Olympic Sports Association (DOSB). He is also Vice-President of the International Olympic Committee (IOC). The Olympic and World champion – Bach won Olympic fencing gold in Montreal – is a sought after manager and business partner, who continuous to work in close alliance with the DFB. He had been a member of the 2006 Organising Committee. Currently, Bach, an attorney in his non-sports life, supports the German bid for the 2011 FIFA Women’s World Cup.
In this installement of the “Talk of the Week”, Dr. Thomas Bach, discusses his vision for 2011, reveals his personal favourite for the upcoming Cup Final between Stuttgart and Nürnberg, and talks about his friendship with DFB-President Dr. Theo Zwanziger.
Question: Mr. Bach, you just finished contributing to the 2006 committee, now you joined the bidding committee for the 2011 FIFA World Cup. You must like football a lot?
Dr. Thomas Bach: As a kid, that’s what I wanted to be, a professional football player. But back in those days, Emil Beck started a tremendous youth programme for fencing in my home town Tauberbischofsheim. So my parents had me take fencing lessons. Well, I won Olympic Gold, so they were not all that wrong, I guess.
Question: You have admitted to be a fan of the 1. FC Nürnberg, who will play VfB Stuttgart in the year’s Cup Final on May 26 in Berlin. Will you be able to attend the game?
Bach: Absolutely, I’ll be cheering in the stands. I feel great abouth this year’s success and I’m very certain: Nürnberg will win the ‘DFB Pokal’.
Question: The DFB has nominated Berlin to be a host city for the 2011 Women’s World Cup. With a capacity of more than 74,000 seated fans, that stadium could be too big for women’s football. Do you agree?
Bach: Just remember the 2006 FIFA World Cup, the great atmosphere, the excitement of the games in Berlin. Wouldn’t it be a great and fitting gesture, if we played the opening game in 2011 at the site of the 2006 FIFA World Cup finale. I am certain that the stadium will be sold out for the opening game of the 2011 FIFA World Cup. Also, playing the opening game in Berlin would be a symbolic gesture. It would send the signal that the entire country feels great about hosting a Women’s World Cup in Germany. In 2009, we will host the European track and field championships in Berlin. It’s just a great stadium for international sporting events.
Question: As the IOC Vice-President, how do you rate the international echo on the 2006 FIFA World cup?
Bach: Germany proved that we love to host major international sporting events. In 2006, Germany had also hosted the World Equestrian Festival, the Hockey and the Handball World Cup. 2007 will be another busy year, as we are thrilled to host even more World Championships in Germany: the Pentathlon in Berlin, the Triathlon World Championships in Hamburg, the Cycling and Gymnastics World Championships in Stuttgart, canoeing in Duisburg and rowing in Munich. As you can see, international sports loves to compete in Germany. The FIFA World Cup has only strengthened our great international reputation. Because of the World Cup, people from every continent saw a peaceful, modern and tolerant Germany.
Question: What goals do you pursue with the DOSB? What is currently on top of your agenda?
Bach: In the not too distant future, we would like to see that sports as a goal of the state becomes a part of the German constitution. We also work on improving the financial basis of the DOSB. Looking ahead to the 2012 Olympics in London, we surely need to improve the performances of our top-athletes. But there are many issues beyond the arenas of competitive sports – social integration, to name just one.
Question: How do you rate the cooperation between your organisation, the DOSB, and the DFB, the German Football Association?
Bach: We strive for similar goals. For instance, we’d like to see people in Germany on the move a lot more. Together with our government, we work on programs to increase the importance of physical exercise among the general public. The cooperation with the DFB and especially the President, Dr. Theo Zwanziger, could not be better. We share a friendship. Our positions on the role of sports in Germany are very similar, indeed.
created by th
[bild1]
No arguments about it: Dr. Thomas Bach is Germany’s most powerful and influential sports manager. The 53-year old heads the German Olympic Sports Association (DOSB). He is also Vice-President of the International Olympic Committee (IOC). The Olympic and World champion – Bach won Olympic fencing gold in Montreal – is a sought after manager and business partner, who continuous to work in close alliance with the DFB. He had been a member of the 2006 Organising Committee. Currently, Bach, an attorney in his non-sports life, supports the German bid for the 2011 FIFA Women’s World Cup.
In this installement of the “Talk of the Week”, Dr. Thomas Bach, discusses his vision for 2011, reveals his personal favourite for the upcoming Cup Final between Stuttgart and Nürnberg, and talks about his friendship with DFB-President Dr. Theo Zwanziger.
Question: Mr. Bach, you just finished contributing to the 2006 committee, now you joined the bidding committee for the 2011 FIFA World Cup. You must like football a lot?
Dr. Thomas Bach: As a kid, that’s what I wanted to be, a professional football player. But back in those days, Emil Beck started a tremendous youth programme for fencing in my home town Tauberbischofsheim. So my parents had me take fencing lessons. Well, I won Olympic Gold, so they were not all that wrong, I guess.
Question: You have admitted to be a fan of the 1. FC Nürnberg, who will play VfB Stuttgart in the year’s Cup Final on May 26 in Berlin. Will you be able to attend the game?
Bach: Absolutely, I’ll be cheering in the stands. I feel great abouth this year’s success and I’m very certain: Nürnberg will win the ‘DFB Pokal’.
Question: The DFB has nominated Berlin to be a host city for the 2011 Women’s World Cup. With a capacity of more than 74,000 seated fans, that stadium could be too big for women’s football. Do you agree?
Bach: Just remember the 2006 FIFA World Cup, the great atmosphere, the excitement of the games in Berlin. Wouldn’t it be a great and fitting gesture, if we played the opening game in 2011 at the site of the 2006 FIFA World Cup finale. I am certain that the stadium will be sold out for the opening game of the 2011 FIFA World Cup. Also, playing the opening game in Berlin would be a symbolic gesture. It would send the signal that the entire country feels great about hosting a Women’s World Cup in Germany. In 2009, we will host the European track and field championships in Berlin. It’s just a great stadium for international sporting events.
Question: As the IOC Vice-President, how do you rate the international echo on the 2006 FIFA World cup?
Bach: Germany proved that we love to host major international sporting events. In 2006, Germany had also hosted the World Equestrian Festival, the Hockey and the Handball World Cup. 2007 will be another busy year, as we are thrilled to host even more World Championships in Germany: the Pentathlon in Berlin, the Triathlon World Championships in Hamburg, the Cycling and Gymnastics World Championships in Stuttgart, canoeing in Duisburg and rowing in Munich. As you can see, international sports loves to compete in Germany. The FIFA World Cup has only strengthened our great international reputation. Because of the World Cup, people from every continent saw a peaceful, modern and tolerant Germany.
Question: What goals do you pursue with the DOSB? What is currently on top of your agenda?
Bach: In the not too distant future, we would like to see that sports as a goal of the state becomes a part of the German constitution. We also work on improving the financial basis of the DOSB. Looking ahead to the 2012 Olympics in London, we surely need to improve the performances of our top-athletes. But there are many issues beyond the arenas of competitive sports – social integration, to name just one.
Question: How do you rate the cooperation between your organisation, the DOSB, and the DFB, the German Football Association?
Bach: We strive for similar goals. For instance, we’d like to see people in Germany on the move a lot more. Together with our government, we work on programs to increase the importance of physical exercise among the general public. The cooperation with the DFB and especially the President, Dr. Theo Zwanziger, could not be better. We share a friendship. Our positions on the role of sports in Germany are very similar, indeed.
