G'day folks;
Just a quick update on the
meetings in Brazil. Although we didn't meet in the same fashion
that we did in Ottawa last year, which would have been beneficial
to all of us, we did get some very positive results from the meetings that
we did have.
Mr. Das is no longer the
World Armsport Fed. General Secretary (GS). A very positive step! Mr.
Gussov is no longer Armsport president, a position which is now held by Mr.
Humberto Panzetti. The GS position is now filled by Mr. Frank Bean.
Mr. Panzetti assures us he
is fully committed to the unification process and wants to work out the
details of the process we will follow to fulfill this. He will be in South
Africa to meet with the WAF Executive and will also bring a senior and
junior team.
We are all in
agreement that the Unification championship will weigh heavily on how the
Japanese Federations settle their differences. As per the agreement signed
by both Federations last year, Japan, under the JAWA leadership was to hold
the Unifieds. Unfortunately only days after we signed the agreement and we
were assured that there were no other bidders from the other WAF for a world
championship, Mr. Das allegedly collected a $3000US fee from Mr. Takashi
Sakai and the All Japanese Armwrestling Federation and awarded them the
next year's Worlds. Typically in character for Mr. Das to do things always
on his own without consideration of his Executive or anyone else. The only
positive thing about this is that all countries are heading for Japan for
the 2005 Unified Championships. Japan has to iron out where and how it will
happen and very soon. Mr. Endo and Mr. Sakai hold the key to unifying the
world at this point. They have to come to a compromise!
The European
Armsport Federation (EAF) under the leadership of Mr. Assen Hadjitodorov and
the newly formed Asian Armwrestling Federation (AAF) under the leadership of
Mr. Mukhamedolla Agzamov are already aligned to the unification process. The
other important players are the US and the Russian Federations, who, both
have two organizations each representing them nationally. They to will have
to make compromises for the unified championships. Speaking to Mr. Makhmudov
Mekhtikhan of the All Russian Armwrestling Federation, he assures me that
his people have the resources to make whatever compromises it may take to
work with Mr. Alexander Filimonov and the Russian Armsport Association. The
Americans will have their own problems to overcome.
The process has begun and
it will not stop! There are too many people that want this process to
succeed. Those that participate will be successful. Those that choose not to
will stand back in the dust and watch armwrestling advance!
Yours in armwrestling
Fred Roy
President, World
Armwrestling Federation
