Our sport traces its origins to the ancient times. But, now we live in the twenty-first century! If we do not notice it, it can end up badly!
At the very beginning our sport was purely amateur, it developed from rivalry between friends. But, now we live in the twenty-first century and it’s time to notice it!
In terms of sports structures armwrestling is young, very young in comparison with many other sports.
But that does not justify anything!
We are all accountable to the kids who are now taking up armwrestling, and not some other sport.
We work and organize competitions for them.
The thing is that it doesn’t really matter if we’ll have fun at next competitions. What’s most important is what we are doing for new generations of female and male armwrestlers.
We are accountable to the whole group of disabled athletes, men and women for whom the sport is often the meaning of life.
We are also accountable to the athletes representing countries in which the government treats armwrestling very seriously and provides it with financial support.
This is a big commitment!
Suckers and amateurs cannot handle that!
The sports federations with traditions longer than ours, provide for the post of president. This is usually a person endowed with respect and trust of athletes, and having a comprehensive vision of the sports discipline. Of course, it’s not always the case and not everything is perfect, but there is such a rule and we also should stick to it.
So let me ask, - What was Fred Roy’s vision of armwrestling?
Can anyone respond? I think only Fred himself is able to do it. Sorry Fred, but I have never come across your statement that would be sensible, not to mention the vision for the development of our sport.
In federations, which may serve us as an example, there are also people who do the so-called “dirty work”, I mean general secretaries and general directors.
The job of such people involves all the office activities of a given federation.
If we advertized such posts, what skills and personal qualities would we require from candidates?
You realize what a person needs to know and what they have to be like to be responsible for the federation, as its official and representative at the same time. You know it.
Can all those who have dealt with armwrestlingiem for more than a year answer the following question: - How many of the required skills and personal qualities does Willi Denemonstier have?
He had a couple of years to show his skills, he’s “prepared” some big events. Was any of them well organized?
Don’t you remember the tents, broken computers, enormous effort of local organizers in Kazakhstan, wasted by the WAF?
Or maybe you liked the Brazilian order?
Our sports structures are subject to the rules of democracy and tenure.
Democracy means elections, in which the persons entitled to select, choose those who have the right to candidate. It’s kind of obvious, but there is one detail.
In the case of global organizations, elections take place first at the level of the parent structures, local, then national, continental and global. That’s the way we choose our representatives, right?
So tell me, why Willy was proposed by Canada?
After all, he’s Belgian, isn’t he? Or maybe he hasn’t reported that?
Why is Willy accepted by the world federation, while the European federation did not want him, and even suspended him?
Is Belgium in Europe? In my opinion - yes!
But if Willy performed his duties properly, we could forget about the geographical aspect.
But he hasn’t performed his duties properly, on the contrary - he is exposing armwrestling to ridicule whenever the opportunity arises.
Armwrestling aspires to join SportAccord.
SportAccord is not waiting for us with open arms! There are many sports that seek to join this organization.
And I don’t need to convince anyone that the membership in SportAccord gives us many opportunities.
Let’s face it – we are in a position of a candidate knocking on the door and asking “Let me in, please”...
I have to admit that I’ve familiarized myself with the correspondence on that matter between the WAF and Fred and Willy.
It is an absolute disgrace!
And what they have been doing to deal with theses fairly simple application documents required by SportAccord... I do not want to be vulgar ... The fact that they there in Lausanne (SportAccord’s headquarters) have not classified armwrestling as a sport for morons right away, shows their great understanding.
Fortunately WAF’s new president is an educated person. You’ll see how Assen handles these issues.
But, if anyone from Lausanne encounters Willy on their way ... We’re done for!
You may ask, why is the article entitled “Willy the Walker”?
Why did I make such a reference to the well-known brand of whiskey, “Johnnie Walker”?
I am convinced that it’s time for a close analysis of WAF’s general secretary’s actions.
You have to, I mean we have to realize that if we let him hold his position - we might as well roll an unlocked grenade across the room.
Why I chose such a title? You know it, and I do not want to write about it, at least not yet.
PeSzy