Dramatic changes took place on Friday in the leadership of the International Bandy Federation (FIB). The long-term president of the organization, Russian Boris Skrynnik, was replaced by Norwegian Stein Pedersen, who was a member of the FIB executive committee. The decision on this was made at the congress of the federation in Finland.
«I have suspended my activities as president of the International Bandy Federation,» Skrynnik said. «Another one has been temporarily appointed I recommended Stein Pedersen and practically put him in. This is our man who is loyal to Russia. There will be elections — my (new) position will be known. No one now competes from Russian athletes. I don’t know what will happen next and when our athletes will be able to participate (in international competitions)».
Skrynnik, which since 2009 also holds the post of President of the Bandy Federation of Russia (FHMR), first headed the FIB in 2005. Then the Russian functionary was repeatedly re-elected for a new term. By the way, before him the International Federation was headed by another representative of Russia — Albert Pomortsev, who headed the FIB in 1997-2005.
A world without champions
The departure of Skrynnik, 74, apparently draws a line under the end of the period without competition, which started with the onset of the coronavirus pandemic. After all, not a single world bandy championship has taken place in recent years, and all of them had to be held in Russian cities. Irkutsk was especially affected, which in March 2020 was ready to host the world championship. But first, because of COVID, the teams of Sweden, Finland, Norway and a number of other countries refused to come. The tournament was postponed to October, then to 2021, but due to the ongoing pandemic, it was postponed again. but still because of the coronavirus and the demarche of the federations of the Nordic countries, all the efforts of the organizers were in vain. But it is difficult to blame Russia for this, because in our country everything was done to hold competitions at the highest level of goodwill, hospitality and hospitality.
They hit the sick
I believe that in this situation, the decision to change the leadership of the FIB has become a logical continuation of the anti-Russian policy, biased against the representatives of Russia in all sports. Bandy is a non-Olympic sport and, it would seem, the recommendations of the International Olympic Committee (IOC) over the federation are not entirely powerful. But after all, all sports organizations have been given a strict order to follow a single course. And in such a situation, a person who is out of order runs the risk of being trampled down by his own colleagues, ready to blindly run wherever they look in a frenzied frenzy.
It is clear that Skrynnik could hardly play against himself and the interests of all Russian hockey, but there are options for behind-the-scenes combinations that may well bypass the opinion of the head of the federation. No distrust was supposedly expressed to the FIB President, but he found himself in a position where another step was hardly possible.
What has Russia lost? Firstly, we have one less head of the international federation. Of those who remained, only Arkady Dvorkovich, who heads the International Chess Federation (FIDE), comes to mind. By the way, this sport, like bandy, is not included in the program of the Olympic Games. The loss of a leading position was another blow to the sporting prestige of the country. However, during the period of merciless stencil sanctions imposed everywhere at the suggestion of the IOC, the change of the president in the FIB was probably only a matter of time.
Secondly, this blow is doubly sensitive due to the fact that bandy is our national sport. By the way, many subsequently famous domestic football players began their careers in Russian hockey. And sometimes they combined the game of various sports — football in the summer, and bandy in the winter.It is not surprising that the national teams of the USSR and Russia have been and are the flagship of the world bandy for many years. The teams have 26 victories at the world championships, while the main competitors of the Swedes have only 12. Norway, by the way, has never been one of the trendsetters. Only once did they become third in the world championship. In recent years, the main fate of the northerners is the fight for fourth place with rivals from Kazakhstan, they are not able to compete with opponents from Russia, Sweden and Finland.
Forget about the development of bandy
What will happen to the world championships now? It is difficult to say, because the FIB may well impose sanctions against the Russians. Bandy is a chamber sport and is not developed in many countries. Skrynnik, at the head of the FIB, took a number of steps to promote bandy to the Olympic family. In particular, the geography of the countries participating in the World Championships has noticeably expanded and fans have been able to see such exotic teams as, for example, the national teams of Mongolia and Somalia. And now the world championships may well turn into a semi-closed northern «cabal».
It seems that some key breakthrough in the coming years can be forgotten. And will Russian sponsors still be interested in the development of bandy in the world? As well as the desire of the regions to invest heavily in the organization and holding of the world championships in the country. technical committee of the organization Sergei Myaus, former head coach of the Russian national team.
«This is a loss for the International Bandy Federation «, — said a member of the FHMR executive committee, speaking about Skrynnik's departure. — The FIB kept on it, on Russian finances, world championships, infrastructure. We held competitions with dignity and interest, but this is a trend of the world community. Over time, everyone will understand that this is wrong. The world will understand that competitions without Russians are insipid. This is a temporary political phenomenon.»I know Stein Pedersen. Norway is an interesting country, but they never did anything to promote bandy. They have skis that are used by millions. Pedersen will not develop anything. As for his loyalty to Russia, I don't understand the word «loyalty» «Over time, everyone will be loyal to us. Now there are no world championships for three years — is this loyalty? In words, he can be loyal, but we'll see in practice,» the source of the agency concluded.
Four-time Olympic biathlon champion Alexander Tikhonov spoke even more categorically. «, — Tikhonov told the agency. — Although, you know, there was one — Eivind Vatterdal, who left the post of deputy member of the board of the Norwegian Olympic Committee. He stood for Russia. The only person from all of Norway. And about Pedersen — a bluff that was made so as not to escalate the situation «I don't trust the Norwegians, absolutely! They can be understood, of course, they only worry about Norway. God grant that we have the same thing. Norway doesn't care about rules, human relations, and so on. Only Norway.»
The first decisions of the new FIB leadership will largely determine , whether the new head of the FIB is independent or whether he Ready to dance to the tune of politicians-customers?