TIROLER TAGESZEITUNG, editorial: “When sport juggles millions” by Peter Nindler

2024-01-03 21:01:05

Issue from Thursday, January 4, 2024

Innsbruck (OTS) – Austria’s sports associations are apparently playing in their own bubble: the public sector, which is financially up to its neck, should still open the box for sports infrastructure again and again. Like now for the floodlights on Bergisel.

Slowly but surely the sport is exhausting public support. The conflict that has now been started by the Austrian Ski Association (ÖSV) with the city of Innsbruck over the financing of a floodlight system on the Bergiselschanze reveals the self-image of sports officials. Or in this case from the ski association. He always sought proximity to the politically powerful at the federal, state and city level. If his wishes are not fulfilled, he will sulk. Should Mayor Georg Willi (Greens) literally step in immediately, even though a 50 percent budget block has been imposed on him so that he cannot distribute any election campaign gifts?

Is the four million euro floodlight system even necessary for two or three competitions a year? The investment would only make sense if the stadium could be used more often beyond sports, which is not possible due to the neighboring situation. Perhaps sport should recognize that because of the challenges caused by the crisis and inflation, public budgets are more than strained and that savings are called for. Tyrol alone will record a loss of 178 million euros in 2024.

Four million for the Bergisel floodlights – but no money to maintain the swimming pools for the general public: the ÖSV has to explain that to the Tyrolean communities. And the 28 million euros for the renovation of the Igler Ice Canal also fit into the picture. For whom? Without athletes there would have been a yawning emptiness along the bobsleigh and toboggan run at the Bobsleigh World Cup in December. High-profile sport looks different. Not to mention popular sports.

Sport itself always defends its seemingly inviolable bubble. Where are the officials – including from the ÖSV – who are finally questioning the inflated system with three sports umbrella organizations (ASVÖ, ASKÖ and Union) in all nine federal states and nationwide? Wouldn’t a bandage be enough? Tyrol spends 425,000 euros a year on this. Indirect profits from sporting events are one thing, what is feasible and sensible is another. This is where sport needs to question itself critically and not always just demand things.