The Congress of the European Volleyball Federation to be held in Brussels took a surprising turn. Some countries left the place in protest, Finland and the other Nordic countries stayed.
The Congress of the CEV, i.e. the European Volleyball Federation, was held in Brussels on Saturday. Russia and Belarus are closed from the sport’s international competitive activities, but the representatives of the countries nevertheless came to the meeting.
After that, the volleyball federations of Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania, Ukraine and Poland left the meeting in protest. Their voting rights were transferred to other countries by proxy.
– The European volleyball family has decided together that Russia and Belarus, which are waging a war of aggression in Ukraine, may not compete with others. But now it turned out that the CEV has allowed representatives of these countries to attend the Congress, and this is absolutely unacceptable. That’s why we decided not to participate in the congress with our closest allies, says the general secretary of the Estonian Volleyball Association Ivar Lilleberg On the website of the Estonian Volleyball Association.
The Finnish Federation remained there. Chairman of the Board of the Finnish Volleyball Association Lauri Inna says that the participation of Russia and Belarus only became apparent to him yesterday during the on-site corridor discussions.
– We had made long preparations with the meeting in mind. Then last night we had discussions with the Finnish Olympic Committee about the matter, and we have discussed the matter with our own government. The situation was certainly unpleasant and surprising, Linna tells Urheilu.
– Then again, there are such principles here that we have had a common front with the Nordic countries. All Nordic countries participated in the meeting normally. In addition, in the morning we received certain information regarding other articles of the rules that Russia is not a member eligible to vote at the meeting. It was an important principled question for us.
Inna also says that there were important issues on the table at the meeting, and Finland did not want to give its voting rights to others with a proxy.
– In a way, our message was that we are no longer dictated by others. Of course, Russia should not come to the meetings on our behalf, but it cannot dictate our representation here. That’s how the interpretation has been made this time.
According to Inna, a very small part of the countries joined the protest, because there were such big issues to deal with.
– Here, unfortunately, the international sports community relies on the rules of the International Olympic Committee in these matters. Of course, we probably have opinions in the other direction, but these are currently the rules by which international meetings have to be implemented.
CEV has been chaired by a Serbian since 2015 Aleksandar Boricic.
Inna says that the decision to invite Russians and Belarusians to the meeting was made by CEV’s management. He has not received more detailed explanations on the subject.
– There is no more justification than just referring to the regulations of the International Olympic Committee, when of course I have asked about it.
Among the significant issues discussed at the meeting, Inna mentions the discussions on how CEV’s administration and management will be formed in the future.
– That’s why Finland had to be there at this point. And mainly the principle that others do not dictate what we do.
The leadership of the Finnish Federation had not held discussions with Russians and Belarusians, and they did not stay in the same hotel.
– Difficult situation. Here we had to make our own solution. However, what is important is that we are specifically influencing and deciding on the policies of international sports, once we have been invited to the place. At that point, it was stated that we would rather be the ones who decide things, when the other Nordic countries were also at the front, Linna sums up in conclusion.