Quote:
Originally Posted by Tan  Liam,
If only it was that easy...
Do you really think the sport will continue to develop if our small community is trying to support two organizations and two World Championships?
Do you think CMAS will let teams enter their tournament in 2009 if they played in Durban in 2008?
Do you really think I could save enough money for two major tournaments in two years...so many shoes so little time ;-) Tan |
The time frame was one of the main complaints/objections Graham voiced to CMAS at the fall meeting when they were about to vote on a city for the first Games. He clearly stated the Commission was not opposed to the idea of the Games or the Games being scheduled, but that 2007 was way too soon.
He suggested 2009 for first Games. The 2007 time frame would follow way too closely to Sheffield WC for uw hockey, so teams could not afford/would find it very difficult to attend the Games - especially the non European federations or 6 of top 9 countries. CMAS just shrugged. I was there and saw the shrug.
The 2006 year had 4 WCs scheduled and held: fin, hockey, photo and skin spearfishing. To host a Games a year later ??????? It is not too bad for individual sports - fin and photo, and skin was never to be part of Games. There are few athletes as compared to the team sports where one team is about 15 persons. In fin, many countries only send 2-3 or even less competitiors to a WC. Photo is limited to 2 photographers.
The on going schedule has been WC in even year and regional in odd year - ie Euros and Southern Hemispheres. There needed to be a time gap to adjust if the Games were to be in odd year, but none was allowed.
And CMAS never understood (may yet not understand) that it is the host federation, not the commission, that organizes and puts on an uw hockey WC. Not only does CMAS not commuicate nor negioate, they don't listen or comprehend.