Hi all!
First of all, I couldn,t accept the nice and surprising invitation from the Latvian organizers to be part of the veterans tournament in WC 2005 RIGA, since I was occupied at the same time with the 5th Floorball World Ladies Championships in Singapore.
All problems like Bjarne Rytter writing about and ower also mentioned about things can be handled moore propearly if the ITHF had a President and a CB.
Outside fo this CB should you have a COMPETITIONS and RULE commette.
Inside this ITHF body you can prevent many problems in the future.
So, you need a functioneng and ELECTED Organization to prevent bigger problems in the future.
The CB can work out an " Organizations Manual " that all organizers must/should sign and follow. If you want to do real sport of TH ( and I,m convinced Totaly, that,s possible!) you must start an ITHF CB with President AS SOON AS POSSIBLE.
It,s not good to organize so many World Champinships without a CB and President for the ITHF.
I bilieve it,s possible. with persons that are in the Executive committe.
Just do it!
Till the end I must congratulate Hans Österman, Sweden, for his new World Championships Titel.
Best regards: Cz.András
For those who would like to hear again the game-music from Riga:
www.trefik.cz/stiga/riga2005/music/track1.mp3www.trefik.cz/stiga/riga2005/music/track2.mp3www.trefik.cz/stiga/riga2005/music/track3.mp3
Well, I can say I hate that music. After sitting right in front of the very loud speakers for 2 days I was just when hearing it on Sunday midday...
Quoting the official WCh website:
"Playing system is described for each category. These systems may be changed only if real number of participants will be dramatically different than number of registered players."
This happened in Riga as there would played just half of players as it was first planned in group E. So the rule was known before the tournament.
I‘m back at my computer after few days of holidays.
The results pages are updated for all categories with best offence / defence stats.
I have to disagree with you Trygve on a couple of points:a) the schedule actually said that there would be placement matches in team competition, we the norwegian team can also blame ourselfes for not more actively seeking informationb) the breaks - I actually think that it is well done to host such a big event with so little breaks as happened. Regarding breaks in the long group play it was in my opinion absolutely necessary with such breaks because of the long way to the toilet.
Hi Espen & Trygve!
I think that both of you are right.
The team-competition is one of the places where the information had to be found actively, maybe the best thing to do would have been to publish it on the main screen and then number the "team-table-groups". But im sure that the ITHF-commitee will be aware of that when they‘re doing a WCh evaluation.
The breaks in between may be difficult to remove. Maybe it would be better to schedule them on the playing - then players could prepare their minds before the break is coming. Gathering all the results, picking up pucks from the floor and so on will probably be needed anyway. ( Some players might also need the toilet in between )
Mr. Bernstein is giving me the creeps. With almost no Stiga experience or skills or understanding of the sport, he has become our leader (?) and will now try to change the sport...
No good comment!
So far he and the other 4 are only members of Executive Committee. Decisions are made by Delegates‘ Conference and there Steven‘s opinions only count for one vote. Another opinions which are good to have, BECAUSE they go another way.
P.S.: I want to say that DC should take part in the vote of the exact positions of the 5 members of EC - in accordance to the wishes and skills.
sorry: in accordance to THEIR wishes and skills.
I don‘t think this silly racistic example of Madagaskar makes sence:
There is no really unexperienced group from any country which wants to change Table Hockey. The north american table hockey community has it‘s own experiences with playing. So we can hear their ideas and discuss about it.
I personally think we‘ll keep most of the existing rules with the good feeling of having prooved that they are reasonable.
Even when people from madagascar started playing tablehockey their opinion may be as good as any opinion. It is important in a democratic system that all people have the right to express themselves.
All members of the executive commitee were elected at the DC. That means that if anyone opposes the election they should talk to their national association and make their opinion heard there.
If anyone has a something important to contribute to the community then they can come forward (and should do it without being afraid someone would start attacking them!!!). The community can then by democratic means decide whether its a good or bad idea.
DEMOCRACY IS IMPORTANT
All the best,
Peter Orum
Chairman,Danish Tablehockey Union - www.dbhu.tk
Petter Bengtsson wrote: "Peter and me asked both Intars and Pierre about the possibility of sharing the bronze medal. And they both agreed to it, even though Intars was not very happy about it."
Mr.Bengtsson you misunderstood me. I did not agree about sharing, I just explained (especially I addresses it to Mr.Ostlund) that in case you will not play the most probably Ostlund will be on 4th place as he is lower in round-rank.
That what you called "agreed" was my weakness to tie you both to TH and make you play for 3rd place.
Dear Peter , Petter and all all all. J just woul like to add some things.
Before WCh I tryed to listen to all suggestions and coments about organising the WCh to make it real comfortable for all players and accordind to traditions. I have never heard from players or federations any small protest or suggestion not to play bronze match. It would be not a problem to make two kompletts of bronzw medals for open, or for all categories.
I offered both players to play just 1 game or eaven just overtime till 1 goal. Both refused to play for reason I can not be angry-like all we they just wanted to see the final from beginning till and. After final Peter or Petter suggested to play the much but it was to late-everybody was hungry and wanted eat.
So I decidet not to give the bronze medal on the ceremony before clearing the situation. But I also agree with Hans as champion-they both are grate players reaching the semi‘s and I was happy to invite them to podium and have all 4 best world players together.
You played great Petter. I enjoyed when we spoke after your thrilling comeback on the Czech kid. I was so happy for you to win it that way. And semifinalist at a WCh is truly a lifetime achievement and is a result of your obvious dedication to becoming a great player.
Steve has been playing table hockey for over thrty years and has seen things done in different ways. he has been a chmapion a number of times and he knows what it takes, although not on Stiga, so it is difficult for him to believe there is only one way to do things. His first tournament was in the 1970‘s at the old Statler Hilton Hotel in New York City. Please understand that a different perspective sometimes is a good thing. I want you to understand what I am about to say. Steve was asked to offer his advice as to how handle this unfortunate situation. So he did. Sometimes he can say things i a better way just like all of us. Let me say that this in no way should take away from your achevement and I for one am proud of both you and Peter and I learned alot watching you both. I will only say ths one last time and that is that tournament organizers deserve to make such a rule as a bronze medal match and players should adhere to their wishes. I wish you guys had and none of this would have happened. Perhaps the good of this is that this rule will be clarified for good now. Petter, Steve is a good guy and has done so much for TH in North America and he has some good insights, although maybe that isn‘t obvious to you right now, I hope that this will all blow over. Enjoy your victories as much as I enjoyed wtaching them. You deserve it.
Thanks from Germany for both a wonderful weekend and tournament in Riga to the organisation team around Romans Blumentals!
Special thanks to Vladimir and Stanislav Kraus!! Especially Vladimir had to tolerate many questions while he did a stressful work.
Some of those questions were the result of one thing I want to critisise:
The mode of some things was not (or not well enough) published. Two examples: Mode of placement play-offs and the fact that there were plament matches for those nations which lost the quarter finals. We Germans asked just providently whether we were ready. (And we nearly “won” that match because the Norwegians allready were gone.)
At least what seems the logical answer to the discussion about the bonce medal match:
The organisers decided how to play the tournament. So Peter and Petter did a kind of insurgence. In future ITHF will be responsible for those questions. There will be rules so that those arumentations should belong to the past.
BUT as Magnus wrote before: We play a gentlemen’s sport with many unwritten rules! In Germany we think we should maintain this to a certain maybe the largest possible extent. Table hockey playing worked many years with easy precepts. And that’s what makes our game unique and adorable in sporting dimensions – or funky as we call it in Germany!
We think ITHF’s executive committee has ful power to decide about Peter’s and Petter’s rank. But the insurgence they did was a adorable and sportsmanlike one and they who decide about it should pay regard to that in respect for Table Hockey.
Kind regards from Germany, Tim
Thank you very much, Hans. Although I know that some players could feel it in other way during the weekend. I had some crisis and no smile at my face and answering just "I do not know, sorry" to few questions when at the same time putting results into my computer and checking all those results written in an opposite way on small labels. I must again appreciate the help of Intars Zubeckis!
So I want to say sorry for those short answers. At the same time I have to say that I have enjoyed the WCh. Although I had to leave the building at the time of Open play-offs.
Well, for me it is now the time to think about playing at the next WCh in Moscow. After helping with 3 WChs, it could be a good idea to make some change
Thanks for the result, Hans.
I will update the result pages later today with some more pictures of players and pictures from the competition.
The games were played, of course
I miss those results. At the same time I miss last results from Open final and semifinal. The results were not 1:0. I work on it.