Summer games 2032 The Olympics could come to Bonn
Bonn · 14 cities in the state of North Rhine-Westphalia want to host the Summer Olympic Games in 2032. Baseball, basketball and archery events could be held in Bonn.
When Michael Mronz expresses his enthusiasm for the idea of holding the Olympic Games on the Rhine and Ruhr Rivers of Germany, the sparks start flying. Talking to him on the sidelines of the Bonn Marathon on Sunday, he said, “We have a unique concept that fits well with the Agenda 2020 of the International Olympic Committee.” The sports and event manager launched the initiative at the end of 2016. He was inspired by the big idea but has also faced many doubters.
Now the project is taking on form. The planning brochure for the Rhine Ruhr City 2032 Initiative was presented on Wednesday in the Düsseldorf State Chancellery - in the presence of Prime Minister Armin Laschet and representatives from the participating municipalities, including Bonn's Mayor Ashok Sridharan. The brochure does not yet signify an application has been completed for hosting the games, but it is rather a concept. According to the founder of the initiative, Mronz, the aim is to show "the enormous potential of the Rhine-Ruhr region with a view to a possible Olympic bid".
Prime Minister Latschet said he felt the application could be successful if the focus was on sport and the sustainable benefit for the people, and the the dynamics of an Olympics bid could prove positive for structural change in the Rhine area. “This would ultimately benefit the entire country,” advocated Latschet. In the concept, 14 cities would participate with venues.
In Bonn, the baseball stadium used by the Capitals would be considered a possibility. The hall for the Telekom Baskets is also mentioned as an Olympic venue. Says Baskets president Wolfgang Wiedlich, "If the Telekom Dome one day received Olympic blessings, that would of course be a great thing for Bonn and the region." Archery is also planned for Bonn.
Local population should be involved from the start
For critics, the threat of major traffic problems could be a deterrent to hosting the games. On the other hand, Olympic Games provide an incentive to improve the infrastructure - for example through "accelerated broadband expansion and the digitalization that depends on it," said Dieter Steinkamp, managing director of Cologne Public Utilities.
According to Mronz, it is not possible at this stage to say what the mega-event would cost. But he believes it would not cost more then ten billion euros. Ultimately he thinks the figure would be far lower than that.
The ten million people living in the Rhine-Ruhr metropolitan region should be involved right from the start. "It's important to get people involved," says Mronz. In the attempts of Munich to get the Winter Games in 2022 and Hamburg to get the Summer Games in 2024, the majority of the population voted against it.
Where would the track & field competitions take place?
If the vision became a reality: The location for the heart of the summer games, track and field, is still open but Düsseldorf would likely be the top candidate. It was also the start for the Tour de France 2017 with a major event. If a new stadium were to be built for Cologne soccer club, 1.FC Köln, Mronz also brought the idea of this venue into play. The Veltins Arena in Gelsenkirchen could be transformed into a large swimming stadium with temporary pools. Aachen, venue of the CHIO, would be well-placed for the equestrian competitions, and Mönchengladbach suitable for field hockey.
Bonn Mayor Ashok Sridharan said the city would be supportive of the Rhine-Ruhr City Initiative 2032, since the plans call for additional investments in the existing infrastructure which make sense. (Orig. text: Berthold Mertes, Translation: ck)
