Vedrørende Herre-VM
Endelig, etter mange dagers forvirring og rykter, har den offisielle bekreftelsen fra F.I.P.J.I.P. kommet: Det blir ikke arrangert Herre-VM i Tahiti 23. - 26. oktober 2014.
Det begynte med urovekkende artikler i lokale aviser, fortsatte med en viss politisk maktkamp og en - i norske øyne - uforståelig frykt for ebolasmitte. Sistnevnte er også den offisielle årsaken til at man har besluttet å ikke arrangere Verdensmesterskapet i Tahiti 23.-26. oktober.
Videre forklaringer og løsninger er enda ikke blitt presentert. Det eneste F.I.P.J.I.P. skriver i sin kunngjøring er at VM ikke avholdes i det oppgitte tidspunkt og gjennom nevnte vertsnasjon. - Hvor veien går videre er uviss: Endelig avlysning eller kun utsettelse? VM i Tahiti eller flyttes det til et annet land?
Et Verdensmesterskap på andre siden av jordkloden krever svært mange forberedelser, medfører mange dilemmaer og gir økonomiske utfordringer utenom det vanlige. Skuffelsen er tilsvarende for coach Jack Schillemans og hans menn. Norges landslag med Roger Johansen, Youssef Taoubane, Ronny Gudmundsen og Benny Bel-Lafkih skulle etter planen reist til Fransk Polynesia 17. oktober sammen med en mindre delegasjon.
Nå gjenstår jobben med å kreve tilbake penger og finne motivasjon til nye utfordringer. F.I.P.J.I.P.s kontrollkomite jobber nå for at nasjonene får tilbakebetalt sine utgifter i forbindelse med flyreise og overnatting. Mer informasjon vil gis om få dager, og senest under Europamesterskapet for kvinner 26. - 28. september. Her vil president Claude Azema i det internasjonale forbundet selv være til stede.
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Bakgrunn
De nordiske forbundene gikk i forkant av den offisielle bekreftelsen ut med et felles brev, også offentliggjort i sosiale media, for å utøve press mot F.I.P.J.I.P. Brevet gjengis i sin helhet i det følgende:
RE. THE 2014 PÉTANQUE WORLD CHAMPIONSHIPS FOR MEN
As members of F.I.P.J.P. we would like to express our profound concerns regarding the latest events surrounding this year’s World Championships in Tahiti. With this letter we would like to clarify what these concerns are, and pose a few questions that we would like F.I.P.J.P. to promptly answer.
Our first concern relates to Tahiti’s possibilities to make demands to F.I.P.J.P. of the kind expressed in their letter, which essentially demands that the Championships being postponed to June next year or Tahiti will resign as organizers. While the Tahiti government and federation’s presentation of this matter as an ultimatum (rather than as a discussion) is in itself a cause for serious concern. We are further troubled by the fact that F.I.P.J.P. did not turn to its member federations for consultation as well as final decision on how to solve the situation.
From what we now have been able to read in different media, such as La Dépêche and Radio1, F.I.P.J.P. has already, through President Azéma, agreed to postpone the Championships and is now considering three options:
1) run the Championships in June 2015,
2) run the Championships in September-October 2015 or
3) cancel the Championships.
Our direct question to F.I.P.J.P. on this matter is therefore:
· Why has FPJIP agreed to postpone the World Championships without consulting the member federations?
Second, according to the letter sent September 3rd from President Azéma to the President of the Polynesian Federation, Azéma confirms and agrees to the demand of postponing the Championships. According to the same letter the Tahitian President shall have no doubts that Azéma will keep the member federations informed and reassure them that the Championships will take place in Papeete under better conditions. Our questions to FIPJP regarding this is:
· Why has this information still not reached the member federations?
· Why was the information about postponing the Championships revealed in the press before member federations had been informed or consulted?
Third, we are concerned by the link made between the cancellation of the World Championships and the latest outbreak of the Ebola virus in a limited number of African countries. As Azéma himself stated to La Dépêche before the Tahitian demand was placed – there is no trouble arranging the Championships with health controls. He even stated that: we “should not give in to the [Ebola] psychosis” (“il ne faut pas céder à la psychose”, La Dépêche, 2 sept. 2014). The World Health Organization, further, does not advice against travels to Guinea and the other infected countries – and their citizens are allowed to leave their continent. Therefore, and considering that there is no available evidence or advice from any international organizations to cancel events with African participants due to the Ebola virus, we believe that the member federations have a right to be informed on what is the actual reason behind the decision to cancel/postpone the Championships. We therefore pose the question:
· What is the reason for postponing the Championships?
Finally, the decision made by F.I.P.J.P., following the demands from the Tahitian government and federation, have serious repercussions for the member federations. Not only are the sportive consequences for the athletes, who have trained and prepared themselves for a long time, but the federations have also directed time and recourses towards preparation, planning and journeys.
· We therefore urge FIPJP to reconsider its decision to postpone the Championships.
If this demand cannot be fulfilled we ask that:
1) F.I.P.J.P. should work to have the Championships arranged somewhere else during 2014.
2) All money paid, for plane tickets, hotels etcetera, should be refunded to the member federations immediately and without any charges.
3) If the Championships should be postponed and played in Tahiti at a later occasion, this should cause no extra costs for the member federations. Any extra expenses following this transfer should be paid for by the Polynesian organizers.
Due to the repercussions for F.I.P.J.P. member federations from the decisions now made, accountability and transparency regarding this matter is essential. We therefore ask that F.I.P.J.P. promptly responds to our questions – in a manner accessible to all member federations.
Best Regards
Mrs Signe Hovind
President, Fédération Norvégienne de Pétanque
Mrs Ingela Eriksson
President, Fédération Suédoise de Boules
Mr Jari Nieminen
President, Fédération Finlandaise de Pétanque
Mr Lars Friis
President, Fédération Danoise de Pétanque
