Sport in Germany. Basis-Info: Social Policy. In-Press.

This report describes sports in Germany, explaining that sport is part of Germany's culture. Popular sports are enjoyed by both the public and private sector. Germany has a well-developed club and association sector. One in three Germans belongs to a sports organization. A major feature of sport in Germany is its autonomy. Popular sports begin in school and promote health and wellbeing. The German Handicapped Sports Association promotes sports for people with disabilities. Top athletes are role models for young people in general and young athletes in particular. There is government support for top athletes. The sporting world has to work with the problem of drugs in athletics (doping to boost performance). Sponsorship is becoming increasingly important as a new form of cooperation between the sport and business sectors. The mass media has a tremendous influence on German athletics, both positive and negative. About one-third of European Union citizens are members of sports associations. The European Sports Forum was established in 1991 to create a forum for discussion and information exchange. Germany's involvement in the Olympics has been very politicized over the years for many reasons, and competitive sport has rarely been free from political pressure. (SM)