Wheels in Motion

Today at Berria English:

The wheels have been set in motion

The Spanish Supreme Sports Council is to lodge an appeal against the existence of the official roller skating team of Catalonia. Another five federations are seeking to compete officially

J. O. – DONOSTIA (San Sebastian)

Without anyone realising it, the Catalan Roller Skating Federation has joined the International Federation. Approval was obtained in a meeting of the International Federation on Saturday and the presentation was made yesterday. However, the moment the Spanish Supreme Sports Council (CSD) found out that Catalonia could have an official skating team, it got down to work. Juan Antonio Gomez-Angulo, the Spanish Junior Minister for Sports, said yesterday that the CSD would be filing an appeal against the approval, and announced that it would be sending letters to all the federations that belong to the International Federation.

With these letters the CSD aims to get Saturday’s approval suspended. The decision is provisional at present and the International Roller Skating Federation (IRSF) will have to give make it permanent on November 26 in Fresno (USA). In a repetition of what happened with the Basque pelota team of the Basque Country, Spain now wants to influence the vote of the other international federations. The CSD said yesterday, “We are going to explain to them that according to Spanish regulations it is impossible for Catalonia to have an official team and they are going to be asked not to admit Catalonia."

What is hard to understand is why territories and regions like Puerto Rico, Northern Ireland, Wales, Scotland, Hong Kong, Taiwan and even Palestine are allowed to compete in different international events under their own flags but not Catalonia or Euskal Herria, hmmm...

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