The DOSB’s "Sport is Added Value" initiative is to be promoted on social media over the next few months as the German Government prepares its budget,

"Sport provides indispensable added value for our society, wanting to cut funding for the Olympic year 2024 sends the completely wrong signal to all athletes, coaches and supporters of the sport," DOSB President Thomas Weikert said.

"With an extremely small public investment in relation to the overall budget, the sports clubs and associations generate many positive effects for our society, that should be worth every penny to politicians."

DOSB figures claim that the sports budget of the Federal Ministry of the Interior and Community (BMI) is set for a 10 per cent reduction from €303 million (£260 million/$328 million) to €276million (£237 million/$299 million) in the coming year. 

"The Federal Government announced in the coalition agreement that it would create better framework conditions for top-class sport," DOSB chief executive Torsten Burmester said.

"We are currently experiencing that the opposite is the case, the framework conditions are deteriorating.

"As the DOSB, we are committed to having the planned cuts reversed and the campaign is an important part of this,"

The DOSB claim that the cuts will affect competitors preparing for next year's Olympic and Paralympic Games.

They also fear a cut of 20 per cent to the budget of the Institute for Applied Training Science (IAT) and the Institute for Research and Development of Sports Equipment (FES) which provide scientific backup and technical support for elite sport in Germany.

The FES had an involvement in 21 of the 27 medals won by Germany at last year's Winter Olympic Games i Beijing.

"It is important to further strengthen the sports system in Germany so that it can fulfill its services both in top-class sport and in general," Weikert said.

At the re-arranged 2020 Olympic Games in Tokyo, Germany won only 10 gold medals, their lowest total since the East and West re-united in time to compete together again at Barcelona 1992.

At the World Athletics Championships, which finished in Budapest on Sunday (August 27), Germany finished to win a single medal for the first time.

Burmester warned that if Germany is not successful at major international events, then it will affect participation at the grassroots level.

"Top-class sport creates unforgettable moments that reach and inspire millions of people, it creates role models and conveys values that benefit society as a whole, that's why it needs every support,” he said.

The DOSB have already expressed concern about provision for grassroots sport and have warned that no funding is planned for the "Sport Development Plan" announced in the coalition agreement signed in November 2021 between the Social Democrats, Green Party and Free Democrats.

"I have little sympathy for cuts in the area of voluntary services, which will have a significant impact on sport, and in the federal programme integration through sport," Burmester said.

This scheme was to have involved 87,000 sports clubs throughout Germany.

"The planned measures cannot be implemented if the necessary financial resources are not available." a DOSB statement said.

The second and third readings of the draft budget are expected to be put before the Bundestag in November.