Germany's Elite Sports Receive Funding Increase Of $11M From Interior Ministry

German Interior Minister Thomas de Maiziere has announced that "elite sports funding will be increased" by €8M ($11M), according to SPORT1. However, last year officials calculated that elite sports "would need a funding increase" of €38M ($53M) to continue competing at a top level. Despite this difference of €30M ($42M), German sport officials "are happy about the increase." German Olympic Sports Association (DOSB) Elite Sports VP Christa Thiel said, "It's a good thing and the amount corresponds roughly to the deficit that we detected in project funding." The increase "will largely go toward project funding." German Athletics Federation (DLV) President Clemens Prokop said, "It basically is a positive signal." Last year, Thiel, who chaired the DOSB's internal commission, said that elite sports needed an additional €38M. Thiel: "It was only an overall number, which was supposed to highlight the complete demand." It "has not been decided yet what sports will benefit from the funding increase" (SPORT1, 3/13).