5th European Champs?????????

[Curly]

I've only just noticed that the European Champs are posted on this board as being the 5th..........

now let me see......

Sheffield '93 - 1st
Rome '95 - 2nd
Essen '97 - 3rd
Mechelen '99 - 4th
Poland '01 - 5th (sorry can't spell Bygoshgosh!!)

Kilcock, Ireland - 6th!!!!

I know I'm getting old and my memory is not what it was, but I was at all the above events (and I'm not the only one!!)

I know that the ECA's first was Rome, but how disrespectful of us the athletes to agree to overwrite history. - The Germans won both the Mens and Womens categories in the first ever European Championships held in Sheffield 1993, under the supervision and approval of the ICF.

Also many British helpers and supporters helped stage and run an event that has set a standard in Canoe polo round Europe and the World

Please The SIXTH European Championships will be held in 2003!!!

[TheMasterG]

Good question, I wasn't aware of this.

According to the Europeans website (http://www.canoepolo.ie) :
http://www.canoepolo.ie/europeans2003/Logo3_2K3.jpg

Guess we'll have to wait for the official answer? :confused:

[Mareese]

As far as I remember, the first European's in Sheffield were not an "offical" European Championships competition. It was more of a trial run for the World Champs the following year.

I've no idea why, but I'm pretty sure that was the case.

[Curly]

Trust me I KNOW, that the Sheffield event was a "Continental Championships" - Fully endorsed by the ICF and the ICF polo committee...

curly

[atbarber]

Curly

I have looked at the Europeans website and the Sheffield competition is not mentioned as a 'Europeans' championship. This may have been a ICF recognised pre worlds and not a European competition.

I have posed the question to Carmel Vekins, the technical officer.

Adrian Barber
Europeans 2003 championships Secretary.

[Curly]

Thank you for your interest, but I refer you to my previous post....

The Rome Championships was promoted as the 1st. as a fop to the organisers and the semantics used was that it was the first championships under the ECA.

Obviously the mists of time have been deliberately alowed to close over the caviat, leaving Rome as just the 1st

My point is that this is a political issue that does a grave dis-service to both the successful (German) athletes at the real 1st real championships - and to the organising team in the UK

By the way I still have the T-shirt and comemorative plate from Sheffield....

Sorry to go on, but this is one of my personal gripes!!!!!!!!!

[Tom]

Hi Curly,
It seems that the "1st" European Canoe Polo Championships in Sheffield were not recognised for what ever reason as the 1st European Canoe Polo Championships. It must be quite annoying for all of those who competed in Sheffield not to have the competition recognised as the 1st Euro champs, however policits in sport is an unusual thing.

Unfortunately as hosts of the competition we are bound by the ECA/ICF on this one and are oblidged to call the champs the 5th European Canoe Polo Championships.

Tom Colton.
Competition Organsier