“The Olympics Could Inspire the Entire Region” – DOSB invites North Rhine-Westphalia to a Dialog

• Final dialog forum to discuss a prospective German Olympic bid to be presented by the German Olympic Sports Federation
• Monday, 13 November 2023, from 05:00 PM, at the Merkur Spiel-Arena in Düsseldorf
• Panel discussion with the Mayor of Düsseldorf, Dr. Stephan Keller, Sabre Fencer Leá Krüger, Para-Table Tennis Player Sandra Mikolaschek, LSB Board Member Dr. Christoph Niessen, and DOSB Vice President Jens-Peter Nettekoven.
• Open to all citizens at any time; no prior registration required.

Frankfurt, 7 November 2023 – Why should, or shouldn’t, the Olympic and Paralympic Games be hosted in Germany? The German Olympic Sports Federation (DOSB) aims to discuss these as well as numerous other questions with the citizens of Düsseldorf on Monday, 13 November 2023. The fifth dialog forum on a prospective German Olympic bid is scheduled to take place at the Merkur Spiel-Arena from 05:00 PM to 09:00 PM.

The DOSB’s Dialog Forum will enable the citizens of North Rhine-Westphalia (NRW) to get involved in the planning process of a prospective Olympic bid at an early stage. Jens-Peter Nettekoven, Vice President of the DOSB: “We intend to listen to the people of NRW from the outset and to take their concerns and misgivings seriously. We would also like to know: What ideas are there among the public regarding the hosting of the Olympic and Paralympic Games in Germany? What should the Games look like in order to provide the Rhine-Ruhr region with sustainable opportunities and impetus?”

The Rhine-Ruhr Region Is Ready

North Rhine-Westphalia has a wealth of experience when it comes to hosting international sports events and has a large number of sports venues that would be suitable for hosting the Olympic and Paralympic Games. Most recently, Düsseldorf and the surrounding region hosted the 2023 Rhine-Ruhr Finals. In 2025, the World University Summer Games, the largest sports event to be held on German soil since the 1972 Olympic Games in Munich, will be jointly organized by five cities. “The 2025 FISU World University Games will give us an excellent preview of what the Olympic and Paralympic Games might look like in the future: hosted at multiple locations, inside existing halls and stadiums, and with a focus on sustainability in all facets. The Olympics have the power to create added value for society as a whole – far beyond the Games and the world of sports. If we successfully manage to design the Games in a collaborative and sustainable way, the Olympic and Paralympic Games will be an inspiration to both the Rhine-Ruhr region as well as the whole of Germany,” says Andrea Milz, State Secretary for Sports and Volunteerism in North Rhine-Westphalia.

Focus on Sustainable Opportunities and Prospects for North Rhine-Westphalia

From 05:00 PM to 09:00 PM, attendees of the dialog forum can expect a mixture of up-to-date information on the DOSB process, a panel discussion, and moderated discussion rounds in which attendees will be able to actively participate. Citizens will be encouraged to put forward ideas and critiques on the focal areas of sports, the economy, society, sustainability, and the future.

The event will officially commence at 05:00 PM. After that, the first round of dialog and five supervised exhibition stands will provide an opportunity for the initial exchange of information. Two DOSB presentations on the new bidding process and a look at the Olympic Games of the future will follow from 06:30 PM to 07:30 PM. Dr. Stephan Keller, the Mayor of Düsseldorf, will then welcome the guests before taking to the stage for a panel discussion with Sabre Fencer Leá Krüger, Para-Table Tennis Player Sandra Mikolaschek, LSB Board Member Dr. Christoph Niessen, and DOSB Vice President Jens-Peter Nettekoven. A second round of dialog will take place at the exhibition stands to conclude the event. The event will end at 09:00 PM.

Dialog Results to Form the Basis of a Bid

After stops in Leipzig, Hamburg, Munich, and Berlin, the final DOSB Dialog Forum of 2023 will take place in Düsseldorf, in representation of the state of North Rhine-Westphalia. All of the cities and regions mentioned have accepted the DOSB’s invitation to participate in the current evaluation and dialog process and have expressed their general interest in potentially hosting the event. The results of the various dialog formats are currently being consolidated in the Frankfurt Declaration, which will be presented at the DOSB General Assembly on 2 December 2023.

All of the latest information can be found here.

Please contact hkrapf@dosb.de or pinsker@dosb.de for interview or press inquiries.