“An absurdity” – German basketball boss complains after World Cup triumph
The German basketball players are world champions. This is actually impossible. At least that is the prediction of the German funding system. Basketball is ranked 26th out of 26 sports there. The table becomes even more absurd when you look at number one.
basketball President Ingo Weiss has absolutely no understanding of the potential analysis system (PotAS) in top German sport. “For me it is an absurdity that we have PotAS. An institution that certifies that German basketball has no potential. What happens? We will become world champions and win European Championship bronze with the men and also have successes with the women’s national team and the junior teams,” Weiss told the German Press Agency.
With the 83:77 final victory over Serbia, Dennis Schröder’s team achieved the greatest success in German basketball history in Manila on Sunday.
The analysis is part of the elite sports reform, in which the federal government’s funding will in future be distributed more based on expectations of success and medal chances. In the PotAS table of summer sports associations, basketball is in 26th and last place with 46.94 percent. The German Athletics Association, which has no medals at the World Cup this summer, has the best chance of winning medals and is rated at 80.73 percent.
Loss of 250,000 euros
“Things are going excellent for us, even though PotAS has not certified any potential for us. As a result, we lose 250,000 euros a year, which hurts us,” said Weiss. The 59-year-old suggested putting the money into German athletics instead of PotAS. Then it might be a better investment.
Olympic discus champion Robert Harting had already clearly criticized the system on Sunday evening. “If basketball players are now invited by the BMI or a similar political level, then that must necessarily be the death of the PotAS system,” wrote Harting on Sunday on Portal X (formerly Twitter). “You can’t shape sport in the political administration style,” he complained.