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[Nov 2] Romanian
gymnastics: The Revolution is close
15 years after the communism went down in
Romania (or at least we like to think so), a new era may start
soon in Romanian gymnastics, finally.
On November 21st there will be election at Romanian Gymnastics
Federation. Their President, Nicolae
Vieru, is the oldest (as age and head position) in Romanian
sport. Last year, at the athletics federation, coaches have
succeeded to remove another "black figure" of older
neo-communists (and dictatorships) in sport. Other Romanian
sports were or still are in turmoil, trying to change the
"old guard"with fresh new faces or at least more
competent leaders.
Adrian Stoica, the RGF General Secretary (the
right hand of Vieru until now) have (shinny) expressed his
wish to be a candidate for the top President position. In
an interview for "Gardianul" this week he said "I'm
thinking very serious about (running for the RGF Presidency
at) next elections. In my opinion, we need a change. I don't
want to accuse Mr. Vieru for incompetence, but , in a democracy,
it's normal that people are changed."
With B&B out of National team, Catalina's
former (and present) coach Matei Stanei being on TV almost
every week (until this year such a thing would not be even
thinkable), we can say that we may see (finally) a long-waited
"Revolution" coming into the Romanian gymnastics.
If the coaches from local clubs may choose Stoica as the new
President, this way they may broke (almost) all the connection's
with the dark past of Romanian gymnastics: hard rule system,
faking ages system, verbal and physical abuses being tolerated
by former President Vieru, pocketing all girls money (from
80's to 1994, then taking the 30% " gift tax" )
and so on. Romanian gymnastics need a new leader with a new
spirit and being more willing to change.Stoica may do the
job, for the moment.
The bad story in Romania is that you still have to choose
among two "bad things" : the older, very bad one,
and a newer one, which is still not good, but not as bad the
very old one. This was the situation in last year Presidential
elections, this is now the situation at RGF election.
I hope that coaches from around the country may get the picture:
if you still want the same old " don't care about clubs"
system, low wages and no real hopes for improvements, then...
vote Vieru again.
He is the one decorated by the neo-communist Iliescu right
in the middle of the faking ages scandal, back in 2002. Then,
last year, between the first and second round of Presidential
elections (the most important, historical moment for Romania
to dump the communists), the Golden Team (excepting Oana Ban,
the only one from retired gymnasts clever enough and having
the dignity not to support those damn communists) made an
appearance at the " VIP Youth Prizes" (crap) show,
mean to support the neo-communist candidate Geoana (helping
him to have another National TV appearance just few days before
elections). The girls shouldn't be there, but with communist
Vieru heading the RGF and pro-communist Belu "owning"
the team at his own wish (and benefit), the team was there.
Thanks God the neo communists have lost the last November
elections, but I doubt the new Government will now support
gymnastics as needed if they keep as RGF President such a
communist named " the last communist dinosaur in sport
" by the independent press.
The Old communist guys support each other and even this year,
during the " hostage crisis" the communists from
Romanian sports (don't be surprised, communists still have
much influence, through their puppets from ROC and federations
like RGF), the National team was taken by Belu at a rally
to " support the return of hostages" -which was
in fact a rally to destroy the (former Opposition candidate
and now the new President) Basescu credibility and push him
to change his pro-US attitude in Iraq (those rallies ended
by asking the President to remove the Romanian troops from
Irak). He didn't do so, but the new democratic Government
have had some very, very dark days. And Belu dragged the Team
to that kind of Rally because he was top paid by ROC and obey
their " advice's".
[It was no coincidence that all the top sports pro-communists
figures made their appearances there.Another neo communists
puppy (he was their candidate for the Mayor of Bucharest),
former tennis champion Ilie Nastase was there in that day,
trying (video footage from independent OTV) to "get arrested"
and making much noise, hoping to help neo communists to start
some riots right at University square.No chance, but their
gestures need to be counted.]
I hope that Romanian coaches who live abroad will support
the changes from their native country; you can, at least make
some phone calls back home to your colleagues and encourage
them to make the changes.
I hope at least some Romanian sport journalists may have the
guts to interview more coaches from local clubs and encourage
them to express freely their opinions; until now, most of
them (and sport journalists, too) were afraid to do so. I'm
not referring at the well known B&B's kiss-in-the @ss
*journalists*, those don't count. But there are still many
others which may have the dignity and want to help our country
to dump the " Old Guys". Their era is gone, we have
to clean the dust (first) and go back to work.
I wish Good luck, Mr. Stoica! in elections
and I'm sure that after you will win the elections, many companies
will (finally) start support the Romanian gymnastics. Until
now, with the bad *management* of Vieru and the bad attitude
of B&B' s, nobody wanted to be connected with them or
being around.This is the real and only explanation why the
top Romanian sport didn't have any sponsor at all.
Romanian Gymnastics News Archive.
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