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Poll: Hamburg keener on Olympics than Berlin

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Poll: Hamburg keener on Olympics than Berlin
Berlin's Olympic stadium for the 1936 games. DPA

As Germany's capital and biggest port vie to make the country's 2024 or 2028 Olympic bid, a poll on Tuesday showed that majorities support the projects in both cities, although Hamburgers are more enthusiastic.

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The Forsa survey, commissioned by the German Olympic Committee (DOSB), found that 64 percent of Hamburgers and 55 percent of Berliners support having the games in their cities. 

Residents polled in both cities have shown increased approval for the games since the last survey. A poll in September found that not even half of Berliners wanted the games, with 48 percent in favour, while 53 percent of Hamburgers said they supported having the games.

Across Germany and even internationally, Berlin is seen as the forerunner with nearly half of Germans surveyed in December saying they expected Berlin to win the bid.

Berlin mayor Michael Müller launched a campaign in January to garner more support for the games, with the slogan 'We want the Games! Berlin for Olympia!'

"The figures show what we increasingly felt in recent weeks for the Olympic and Paralympic Games in Berlin: A clear majority of Berlin wants the games," Müller told rbb on Tuesday. "Berlin, as a cosmopolitan, international metropolis, has a very good chance."

The city has pledged to put €2.5 million towards the games and to use the same Olympic Stadium built under Adolf Hitler for the 1936 Games, while Hamburg has promised to build a brand new stadium.
 
Still, the growing support shown in polls has not deterred members of the 'NOlympia' movement in both cities from trying to gather their own support in fighting the Olympic bid.
 
"We have huge doubts about wisdom of the Olympics," said Hamburg NOlympia blogger Dirk Seifert. "But we want to first discuss, for example, how we can prevent the increases in rent during the games."
 
If Germany secures an Olympic bid, it would be the first time the country had hosted the games in 52 years. Germany previously hosted in Munich in 1972 and in Berlin in 1936.

A special group of the DOSB is set to make a nomination on March 16th and the DOSB must formally confirm a decision on March 21st.

The International Olympic Committee will make its own decision in 2017. 

 

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