Berlin plans to withdraw bid to host the Olympic, Paralympic Games

Berlin plans to withdraw its bid to host the Olympic and Paralympic Games, according to information available to dpa.

Following a meeting on Wednesday, which included Mayor Kai Wegner, Senator for the Interior Iris Spranger and Olympic Commissioner Kaweh Niroomand, the Berlin Senate initially declined to comment, but has called a press conference for Thursday.

The decision comes three days before the German Olympic Sports Confederation (DOSB) extraordinary meeting on Saturday, when the body will select Germany's candidate to host the Olympics in 2036, 2040 or 2044. Only Munich and the Rhine-Ruhr region remain in the race.

Under the concept "Berlin+," the city was cooperating with the states of Brandenburg, Sachen and Mecklenburg-Vorpommern.

However, the hopes of hosting the Games took a huge blow after The Left came top in Sunday's election in the German capital.

Elif Eralp, who is poised to become the city's next mayor, said she has "made it very clear" that she considers the Olympic bid and the "many more millions and billions" that are to be spent with hosting the Games "a waste of taxpayer money." She also doesn't see "any benefit for Berlin."

Twenty members of the board of trustees for Berlin's Olympic bid, which includes representatives from politics, business, sports, civil society, and religion, wrote to Eralp seeking dialogue.

However, according to Niroomand, she didn't respond to the letter nor other offers for conversation.

Eralp's statements and refusal to hold conversations has triggered sharp criticism from Bob Hanning, managing director of handball team Füchse Berlin.

"She isn't even in office yet. And to make a statement like that is despicable. It's downright cheeky," he said.

"If you say you want to unite a society and a board of trustees from Berlin asks you for a meeting, and then you respond with such a slap in the face, then that is undemocratic, disreputable and cannot be justified by anything," Hanning raged.

Berlin was running against Munich and the Rhine-Ruhr region. DOSB evaluators rated rival bids more highly than the capital's on Tuesday.

Munich received 87 out of 100 points and Cologne-Rhine-Ruhr 85, with both rated "very good." Berlin scored 74.6 points, earning a "good" rating.