2008 CMAS European Championships

Quite funny but also a very good question. I don't know how many other nations are difficult to precisley define but there must be a few.

Great Britain is no longer a country, but simply an island in the United Kingdom. Politically, "Great Britain" describes the combination of England, Scotland, and Wales, and therefore includes a number of outlying islands such as the Isle of Wight, Anglesey, the Isles of Scilly, the Hebrides, and the island groups of Orkney and Shetland, but does not include the Isle of Man or the Channel Islands. source. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Great_Britain


Team GB is the Great Britain and Northern Ireland Olympic Team. source http://www.olympics.org.uk/contentpage.aspx?page=127

There are many conflicting sources of information on this. This is a good example of why rules for qualifying nations at International sports events is an issue. We could also discuss the United Kingdom, Gibraltar, some commonwealth nations.

CMAS try to use the International Olympic Commitee rules for nations, WAA I believe try to use their own interpretation of what is best for hockey.

Anyway off to a spearfishng comp. for a few days now so definitely my last post this week.

Regards



Keith

__________________
GB National Squads Manager (also Open Master & Ladies Elite)

British Underwater Sports Association President

i would like to suggest that, along the same lines, if aussie and nz both are struggling for numbers to field a team (or perhaps simply for a good laugh), they should then band together to create an "anzac" team representing both.

or possibly south africa could also be included for an "antipodean" team.

canada and america, short of players, or maybe just want to get a stronger team together? you can form Team "great northern american continent"

colombia, spain, think you might get your asses kicked one year, wanna juice up your chances? band together! it's the thing to do. you guys can be "Team Spanish Speakers"


surely, as there are irish players and scottish players, they should develop and send their own teams. then they too can experience the joy that teams from other countries in most other codes savour the world over... they can have a go at beating england too.

__________________
it's more polite on the grating than on the subs bench

In this way Liam, why not a Barbarian team competing also...


to come back on the thread " 2008 CMAS European Championships", do we you know what we will be the type of competition?
-same than Bari's game with many activities
-or just uwh comp.

do we have any idea about how many European teams want to attend this comp?

GG

I agree with Liam when he says that nations should develop their own full team before entering the competition.

Dunky, you make it sound as if CMAS aspires to be as close to the rules of the IOC as possible. There is quit a logical reason for that.

I don't know in the UK, but in most countries, if your federation is not recognized by the IOC, you don't get any money from any government fund. The only way to be recognized by the IOC, is by following their international rules.

So when you say that BOA is completely self funded, does this mean you don't get any governement funds in any way? Great situation to be in. Just hoped we had the same in Belgium.

I like the idea of a baabaas team competing at worlds. If that is a goer, under WAA rules for the good of hockey, then I am up for it... would be nice to take a scratch team through to worlds who play 'beautiful' hockey.

Heres some skinny from NL: a little bird told me that they had spoken to the dutch bond about the situation with CMAS Euros and the WAA tournament in Durban. The bond has apparently said that they will support the players, so that is a refreshing and greatly appreciated stance.
All players that I have talked to would (of course) prefer to be in Durban.

By the way, I bought a lottery ticket the other day and promised myself that if I win the jackpot I will personally ensure that worlds comes to NL next time it is in Europe. Generous of me I thought.

__________________
Faster than a speeding puck...

["I don't know in the UK, but in most countries, if your federation is not recognized by the IOC, you don't get any money from any government fund. The only way to be recognized by the IOC, is by following their international rules.

So when you say that BOA is completely self funded, does this mean you don't get any government funds in any way? Great situation to be in. Just hoped we had the same in Belgium."]

Hello we live in the real world, money from government, you are kidding. being recognised by the IOC means absolutely diddly squat. In fact only a few European countries would actually benefit from an association to the IOC, I am sure you are the minority.

Maybe some of the people here would like to give our Belgium friends a wake up call and tell them who pays for you to go to worlds.

One other thing, it is interesting that you will organise the European championships for CMAS by getting a group together to make sure it happens right, Strange but I thought that was what CMAS was supposed to do, isn't that what you pay your CMAS fees for.

Why would anybody be stuck with having to play under CMAS? does your federation give you so much money that they have bought your soul. Well you could be like the rest of us and pay for yourself then you could play for who ever you want. Now there is a novel idea. Oh and to think then there would be no split in hockey. But alas money talks I guess.

Later Gator

There are alaways rumors of 'funding if fed belongs to OC who in turn belongs to IOC.' It may be true in some feds not certainly not many, but I believe the situation varies considerably by country and even by state/provence/whatever within country; and I also know it can vary by what is funded - junior team development only is one variable.

After fin became Olympic acknowledged, CMAS encouraged all feds to join their OC (Olympic Committe or NOC, National Olympic Comm). USA did so. Dues are really nominal - were $25 now $100 USD/year. But we get absolutuly zero in return.

The only possible funding WAS for fin, and we were never successful in applying for money. We were told specifically do not apply for uw hockey or any other sport that is not Olympic. And now all funds go thru the national governing bodies for the Olympic sports - zip for fin.

USOC is divided into 4 groups: Olympic/Pan Am sports; community based sports (ie YMCA, etc); disabled/para olympic sports; and emerging sports - called affiliated sports - USA is in Affiliated along with about 4 other sports.

So, everyone will now say, wow lets be Olympic. Last time I looked, to apply required 75 countries playing and at WCs. When fin succeeded in application, the number of 50. And current IOC president is on record saying no NEW summer sports. And from my view of Olympic 'stuff,' wow it removes all the recreation and amateurism out of sport. It is no longer fun.

__________________
Carol Rose

Oh Deeperone, I would stronly advise you to get to know people before you judge tem.

I think you have suffered from a lack of oxygen. If you really think this is about money, you are barking up the wrong tree.

Together with quit a large group of players, we invest a small fortune of our personal money into uwh.
Nonetheless, this doesn't stop us from getting money from our federation so we can expand our sport. So students and less fortunated people can also enjoy the sport. So we can grow our sport and look what happened: in the last three years we managed to build 7 new clubs and got our national team up and running again!

If your immediate reaction is that we think of getting money for ourselves, than I seriously think you have quit an egocentric view on life.

So yes, we do get money from our federation to do promotion campaigns, purchase demo materials and invest in our national team. Yes that money is mainly coming from our governement and YES only because our sport is recognised by the IOC.
But besides that, we also keep investing ourselves.

How did we do all this? By lobbying like hell with our federation president, governement institutions and showing we are taking steps to grow our sport.

If you don't have that situation, I am deeply sorry, but don't judge us for caring about our sport and finally taking it forward.
And anybody who wants to give me a wake-up call, can send me a PM, I'll be more than happy to give them my number.

"Hello we live in the real world, money from government, you are kidding. being recognised by the IOC means absolutely diddly squat."

"Maybe some of the people here would like to give our Belgium friends a wake up call and tell them who pays for you to go to worlds."

ummm deeperzone

2002 the spanish government gave 24,000 euros(not lire or drackma),yes euros to a squad of 12 to play for spain.
just for interest 7 still play internationaly and a plantation of uwh clubs were set in spain which is growing consistantly


there is money in every gov,persistance and presentations and media hype plus hard to work to get at it.

so deeperzone do you like tea or coffee after your wake up call.

(awww liam this sarcasim business is just too hard for me,maybe you could give me a few tips)

__________________
top of de mornin to yeh

I am not sure that this is really relevant to this thread but had to say it anyway:
I do think that a lot of people are missing the point around the whole CMAS vs WAA thing.
I do know for a fact that the WTD was very excited about the original proposal around the CMAS games. However the WTD and the UWH commission were not excited about how CMAS continued to orgnaise it against their recommendations i.e. when, where, format etc.

It now seems to have escalated to a point where neither party is willing to compromise and work together on a plan. It is a shame that it is got to this point. So we are now looking at two rival competitions going ahead at the same time of year. Everyone knows that this can't be good for the sport. (WAA WORLD CHAMPS vs EUROS) I know a lot of players that would be interested in playing in the CMAS games if they were run professionally and organsied in a realistic manner i.e. not in the same continent every year, not a knock out tournament and as many teams as possible allowed to participate. I know that CMAS were talking about only having the top 8 countries participate in the CMAS games. This would mean that going off current rankings that France would have been the only country that played in Bari that would have actually been qualified. I am not saying the rankings will stay as is by any stretch of the imagination and it would be great to see countries such as Turkey who came 2nd in Bari in the top 8 at a true world class UWH tournament. It does however seem to me that CMAS do not have the best intentions of the smaller UWH countries in mind when they talk about their CMAS games and it is these smaller countries that seem to be supporting the CMAS games.

I know that a lot of the smaller countries are not able to attend non CMAS events as they will loose their funding. It will be a great shame not to have countries like Turkey, Spain, Belgium and Italy etc in Durban next year. I do however have to say that Australian players along with many other countries have had to completely fund their own trips for years. Personally I do not regret a cent of the 10’s of thousands of $ I have spent, because above all else I love to play. So where there is a will there is a way…so I hope that the money reason is not the only reason some countries will not be attending the World Championships in Durban.