Dear Mr. Verbruggen,
Many thanks for the detailed
letter of 22.02.2013 regarding the perspectives of COMBAT SAMBO inclusion into
the SportAccord Combat Games.
Notwithstanding that SAMBO is
a ‘non-Olympic’ Sport, SAMBO is developing rapidly, and surely for us the
opinion of SpotrAccord is extremely important.
Please, consider that the
members of the FIAS Executive Board will be considering all your
recommendations at the nearest meeting, planned for the 22 of March.
We are completely agree that
there might be some ways how to hold the violence in Sport and to promote all
Olympic values throughout all membership of SportAccord, and we are ready to facilitate
this issue. We hope that after the FIAS EB meeting the overall (common)
decision how to finalize the controversy will be taken and we will advise of it
to You duly.
Staying at your disposal
V. Shestakov
President
N. Lents
SG
Dear Mr.
Shestakov, Dear Mr. Lents,
Thank you again
for your understanding of the situation and the challenges that we face in
securing the IOC Patronage.
As explained
previously, the topic of violence in sports, and the underlying security,
health and safety of the athletes is one of the priority subject on the IOC’s
agenda. The IOC has taken a few steps to evaluate this issue. First, strong
recommendations have been made during the IOC Congress in 2009 as follows: “Protecting the
physical and psychological health of all athletes must be a major priority for
the entire Olympic Movement. Attention must be given to the specific needs of
athletes with a disability. In support of these objectives the IOC and the
other constituents of the Olympic Movement should implement educational
programmes providing information on training methods, gender specific health
protection and injury prevention. Such programmes should be based on IOC
Medical Guidelines and be widely disseminated at the Olympic Games, the Youth
Olympic Games and other major international competitions. Proactive information
programmes should be organised on a nationwide, sport-by-sport basis through
the national and international sporting bodies, the National Olympic
Committees, schools and other educational institutions”. Additionally,
following the Executive Commission in Dubai in 2010, a questionnaire on
“health, security, safety and insurance” was sent to all Olympic International
Federations emphasizing attention paid by the IOC to the following areas: level
of physical exposure, injury surveillance programmes, technical development and
equipment evolution, rules evolution, venue safety and athlete eligibility
checks. The IOC is also working collaboratively with the athletes on this
topic. The athletes have formulated the recommendations during the 5th
Athlete International Forum as follows: « Role of Athletes in
Decision-making Processes : The Athletes’ Forum strongly believes that athlete
involvement in the decision-making process regarding health, safety and
security should be increased. Their role should also be broadened in areas such
as sports rule evolution and event organisation. ».
From our
understanding, significant attention is specifically paid to the rules and the
equipment of a sport and/or a style/discipline. Any rule, style or labelled
event which is seen as potentially not meeting expectations – quite subjective
at this stage – can reflect negatively on the whole sport and/or discipline. As
you can see, this is an ongoing evaluation process, and, as said in my previous
communication, I fully agree that determining the level of violence that we
collectively can/should accept, or not, within the context of future
SportAccord World Combat Games is a topic that deserves a serious discussion.
As part of our future collective approach about this topic, we are considering
appointing a technical expert who may provide us with a critical view in this
analysis. Regarding Sambo Combat, in the current circumstances, this discipline
does not fulfil the IOC expectations on the athletes’ safety. However, we are
committed to working with you to evaluate how we can change the situation for
the future editions of the event.
Regarding the
quotas, I want to thank you for confirming the use of the
overall quota for FIAS delegation including 96 athletes. Regarding the details
of the FIAS sports programme, we would be grateful if you can confirm the categories
for the Sambo Sport discipline as soon as possible. As confirmed during the
operational meeting in January, the deadline to communicate the sports
programme to the Local Organizing Committee was set for the end of the first
week in February. As you have not confirmed the categories by the deadline, we
had to assume that the categories for the Sambo Sport discipline would be
similar to those in Beijing in 2010, and had to include this information in the
programme sent to the Local Organizing Committee.
We look forward
to cooperating successfully with FIAS on all these questions
With kind
regards,
Hein Verbruggen
Dear Mr.Verbruggen,
Many thanks
for your letter of 14 of January’2013.
Following
your request, we are kindly confirming that we would keep of Overall Quota for
the FIAS delegation, including 96 athletes within the Program of the
SportAccord World Combat Games to be held in St.-Petersburg in 2013.
At the same
time, concerning the position of FIAS on exclusion of Combat SAMBO from the
sports Program of the SAWCG-2013, we have to take a collegial, decision at the
nearest FIAS Executive Board meeting.
In
accordance with the decision of FIAS EB we would finally fix: the competitions
format on SAMBO, including the categories, time-schedule, times and sessions
(18-19 October).
To discuss
this issue in details and to adopt the correct decision by the FIAS Executive
Board, we would be obliged a lot if you could kindly provide the corresponding
materials, regarding the precise reasons and criteria, connected with the
exclusion of COMBAT SAMBO from the Program of the forthcoming SA WCG 2013, to
be submitted to the members of the FIAS Executive Board for their
consideration.
Hoping for
further fruitful cooperation,
With best
regards,
V.Shestakov
FIAS
President
N.Lents
FIAS
Secretary General
Dear Mr.
Shestakov, Dear Mr. Lents,
Thank you for
your positive answer and above all for your understanding of the challenges we
face in securing the IOC Patronage. The IOC situation is indeed sensitive for
both our organisations, as on one hand, SportAccord is faced with the pressure
of securing the IOC Patronage from the IOC – for promotional, sponsorship and
credibility purposes – in the interest of all participating IFs, and on the
other hand, FIAS is applying for IOC recognition in 2013, which of course
requires you to carefully handle the situation from a strategic standpoint. I
have no doubt however we will be able to progress this discussion positively.
I fully agree
that determining the level of violence that we collectively can/should accept,
or not, within the context of future SportAccord World Combat Games is a topic
that deserves a serious discussion. We will make sure we put this on the agenda
of our next plenary session, during which we will invite the IOC to present
their perspective on the subject. In any case, you will be receiving further
technical information and explanations way before then.
Finally, I
conclude from your non-answer on the topic of quotas that you want to maintain
the same numbers for FIAS as previously shared with our team, which we take
note of.
With kind regards,
Hein Verbruggen
Dear Mr. Verbruggen,
Thanks for the letter
specifying the details and your personal considerations that are undoubtedly
valuable for us and as we strongly believe your recommendations are based on
your vast experience which we always have been following for many cooperative
years up till now inclusively.
From the very beginning the SA
multi-sports projects appeared as very effective and competitive events at a
very high level under the IOC Patronage, that allowed the “non-Olympic” sports
and disciplines to be improved and promoted worldwide. SA multisport events are
becoming more and more popular to the significant benefit of all Stakeholders:
the SA members partners and sponsors, hosting cities, and of course the
SportAccord itself.
Following these noble
objectives we would like to provide all possible support for the benefit of
Your multisport project – the SAWCG .
At the same time the
withdrawal in SAWCG 2013 edition of Combat Sambo one of the most spectacular
disciplines, was a success during the 1st WCG in Beijing can
negatively influence the success of the overall event, especially because of it
would be staged in the cradle of this sport – in Russia (St. Petersburg).
The Aspect of violence in
Combat sports discipline is a very delicate issue and the absence of clear
criteria and arguments by which this or that discipline can be excluded from
the program endangers the whole concept of the Combat Games project.
Without having been explained
in proper transparent way to FIAS today, tomorrow any of the 15 participating
IFs could suffer respectively from any subjective decision.
We consider that the upper
mentioned issue is a concern of all the IFs- the SAWCG stakeholders, and
therefore the FIAS is kindly asking you to hold a special session to discuss
this pending issue with the participation of all 15 Ifs involved in order to
find the proper solution for future Concept of our common event - SAWCG.
Awaiting your kindest
response,
Sincerely
Vasily Shestakov
FIAS President
Nikolay Lents
FIAS Secretary General
Dear Mr. Shestakov,
Dear Mr. Lents,
Thank you for
your feedback, which we will be sharing with the IOC in the context of the
conditional IOC Patronage to our event. As previously mentioned, we will
communicate further technical reasons for this decision from the IOC, when the
information is being received following our request. I cannot tell you when
this will be concluded however, but we will ensure this is done within
reasonable delays.
On a more
personal note, I want to explain that, as difficult to accept as it may be,
those types of decisions simply cannot always be strictly objective and
rational, and always leave room for what may appear to be subjective
considerations. The IOC, however, sees themselves as independent and sovereign
on the subject of those appreciations, and I know, will not appreciate too much
questioning of their expertise, especially considering that fighting violence
in sports is a topic which has received overwhelming consensus amongst their
members. In this regards, I would have considered more appropriate to accept
the decision that has been taken, and work with us and the IOC collaboratively
and patiently with an objective to find an acceptable solution for post-2013
editions. From my perspective, the contrary can only have negative consequences
for FIAS, but also for all of us collectively as we endeavour to obtain the IOC
patronage for the overall benefit of the event.
I confirm
herewith that we will not organise a Plenary Session to discuss what is
essentially a bilateral matter of a concern to FIAS and SportAccord only, and
that the meeting being planned for January 22-23, technical by nature, will not
be a platform during which this subject will be discussed. We will discuss
subjects of relevance to all, in all transparency and with constructive
intentions, following the agreed agenda.
I must however
insist on a related topic: I had, on several occasions, strongly suggested
that, in the context of this decision, you should communicate to our team by
November-end how you would like to reallocate the quotas of Combat Sambo to
other disciplines which, to my knowledge, has not been done. This is therefore
an urgent appeal for your to communicate your decision on the matter before the
program is fully finalized, which will happen in the next days.
In conclusion, I
would like to recommend that, in consideration of the overall benefit of the
IOC patronage to all WCG participating IFs, FIAS accepts the decision that has
been made, and, based on the technical reasons to be communicated in the near
future, works with us on a possible solution for post-2013 editions. Many
thanks for confirming your intentions in that regard, as well as on the
previous point related to the reallocation of your quotas.
With best
regards,
Hein Verbruggen
Dear
Mr. Verbruggen,
Thank
you for your letter regarding the SAMBO Combat discipline. We were happy to
learn that corresponding description documents had been submitted to IOC for
the review. Hopefully, we may have their recommendations and comments long
before the SportAccord Combat Games, which we evaluate highly for the
development of SAMBO. The importance of SAWCG 2013 for us as a SportAccord
member and participant of the forthcoming World Event, encompassing the mixture
of 15 Combat sports is vivid.
Following
your advice we communicated with our EB members on the possibility of exclusion
of the Combat SAMBO, and correspondingly informed our National SAMBO
federations affiliated to FIAS.
As
a result we have a unanimous position of FIAS leadership and national
federations that the Combat SAMBO discipline is a very important integral part
of our sport and we are not ready to accept the decision on its exclusion from
the SportAccord Combat Games 2013 without being presented a clear reasons
behind this.
We
would be very obliged if you can provide us with the list of criteria,
according which, the sports with the elements of violence are defined, and
specific data within these criteria considered for evaluation of Combat SAMBO.
Also we would like to understand what kind of expertise was involved to take
the decision.
We
kindly ask you to provide us with upper mentioned information in order to
undertake relevant efforts to bring the discipline in compliance with the
requirements in order not to lose one of the most attractive sports disciplines
for our Combat Games.
We
acknowledge that the Combat Games is a property of the SportAccord association
with the 15 IFs being major stakeholders of this important event.
All
these federations inevitably must be involved in essential decision making for
these Games major issues and, especially, it refers to content the overall
program of the Games. We consider that the transparency in the decision making
process always has been an objective of SportAccord association and it is very
important for the success and future prosperity of the Event.
Therefore
for the benefit of the SA Combat Games we propose to convoke the Plenary
session for all 15 Combat sports federations involved in the Games prior to the
meeting on operational issues (planned on 22 of January) in order to discuss
and approve overall sports schedule of the Games, cultural program, as well as
other related terms and activities
Still
hoping for the better,
Staying
at your disposal
V. Shestakov
President
N.Lents
Secretary
General
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