|
Post by Vazgen Soghoyan on Sept 18, 2012 17:00:33 GMT -5
So, let's see who is brave enough to discover the Truth of Brazilian style World Armwrestling Championship?
|
|
|
Post by Chris Kaufman on Sept 18, 2012 17:30:42 GMT -5
I'm too tired to vent right now, but I'm guessing this thread is going to be several pages long. ;D
All in all, the ARMWRESTLERS were awesome. EVERYTHING else......
|
|
|
Post by Tim Lewis on Sept 18, 2012 18:40:42 GMT -5
Are you referring to the lack of organization over host hotels, logistics, visas etc??....I heard a lot of people had some pretty upsetting travel stories.
|
|
Herman Stevens
Gold Member
Team Bakersfield / Team Louisiana
Posts: 730
|
Post by Herman Stevens on Sept 18, 2012 19:55:45 GMT -5
I heard the criminal element is taking over and killing motherf*!@(&s out there!!
I'm sure the arm wrestlers aren't complaining about a mismanaged tournament...
|
|
|
Post by Brent Norris on Sept 18, 2012 22:34:31 GMT -5
This won't be the only place this is mentioned. We got shafted by a host that rented out or got paid to have us rent a hotel that was not in normal operation in perhaps the worse part of Brazil. The host was interested in making as much money as possible instead of having us in one of the many nice parts of Brazil. I ask you promoters. Are you interested in our sport growing? Are you interested in exposing our sport to potential sponsors? Or, is it satisfying to take the easy money from a hidden location in a crap area for your profit? You don't have to answer, it's obvious and offensive. You are very disrespectful having world class athletes who train yearly and mostly pay there own expenses to stay in such places. You don't care about the advancement or exposure of the sport. Yet, there are still some nut swingers under you begging for a drop or two...
|
|
|
Post by Alexander Pozdnyakov on Sept 19, 2012 5:16:02 GMT -5
'There'll be no one to help you if anything goes wrong in this place. Each athlete is on their own'. These are the sobering instructions, that were given to us by our team leaders on the very first day. Makes it tough to think about wrestling when you have to watch your every step. On the bright side, even though none of the planned cultural events took place, the crowd was fun to hang out with. I just hope indigestion goes away soon. Talking to many veterans who have been to numerous WAF events, it was clear that this one ranked at the very bottom. One can only be hopeful that the newly elected leadership of the federation will be putting athletes over $$ in the years to come.
|
|
|
Post by Tyson Beauchamp on Sept 19, 2012 12:27:44 GMT -5
Glad no one was , shot , raped, killed. Brazil is crazy.
|
|
|
Post by kyledarby on Sept 19, 2012 12:31:51 GMT -5
I heard some athletes that participated in more than one class pulled back to back with essentially zero rest. Yhis made it difficult for athletes to perform well. This issue was addressed and they were told the classes wouldn't be ran back to back. They were though forcing pullers to drop out of classes or pull multiple matches in a row.
|
|
|
Post by CHRISTIAN BINNIE on Sept 19, 2012 12:58:24 GMT -5
I heard some athletes that participated in more than one class pulled back to back with essentially zero rest. Yhis made it difficult for athletes to perform well. This issue was addressed and they were told the classes wouldn't be ran back to back. They were though forcing pullers to drop out of classes or pull multiple matches in a row. How do you pull back to back at a Worlds? The classes are split up by days. And you can only enter the class you qualified for.
|
|
|
Post by kyledarby on Sept 19, 2012 13:09:17 GMT -5
Masters, grand masters, ultra grand masters. Plus with a lack of participation people jump in to feel vacancies.
|
|
|
Post by CHRISTIAN BINNIE on Sept 19, 2012 13:35:04 GMT -5
AHA!
|
|
Bart Wood
Silver Member
Pennsylvania
Posts: 310
|
Post by Bart Wood on Sept 19, 2012 14:02:37 GMT -5
That sucks spending all that money and having a bad time.2015 will be one your entire family can enjoy worry free.
|
|
|
Post by Marcin Mielniczuk on Sept 19, 2012 14:49:46 GMT -5
remember - next year Poland. Feel free to visit our crazy country
|
|
|
Post by Vazgen Soghoyan on Sept 19, 2012 15:24:51 GMT -5
Listen to my story...
I started my Brazilian adventure 2 months ago. I asked Humberto Panzetti PERSONALLY to send me an invitational letter that I can provide to Brazilian Consulate in LA to get a visa, but he did not wish even to reply me. Later I had to use Photoshop to have that letter.... I sent the Host emails about my arrival info, so they would meet me at the airport and take to the hotel by bus. I asked them to confirm me email. They did not even wish to reply me.... I arrived in Sao Paulo on time....guess what? Nobody met me there! I asked one nice guy from Costa Rica who was seated next to me in plane, to call Mr. Panzetti and ask about where are the person that would meet me, he said that someone was coming soon. After 30 mins, a half sleepy girl came with a poor sign featuring a parrot-armwrestler. She had a list of arriving people. Guess what? My name was not there! It was 8 pm. Then Mauruo came, a ref from Brazil, a nice guy. I asked where is the bus. He said the bus comes at 1 am! I was so mad, but no choice, I had to wait. I said nothing. Then Belarus arrived, South Africa too, then Sweden, Finland. About 50 people. At 1 am I asked where is the bus, they replied it's traffic, bus will come 2 hours later. Everybody were on airport floor. Then the bus didn't come as was promised, and later also. The Me and Terrence Opperman understood that there was no bus coming and we tried to rent our own bus from airport bus office. Guess what? In 17 milion population Sao Paulo airport there was no one bus sceduled at night time! And people who came to meet us were sleeping on airport benches! 8 hours later a bus came finally an took us to the hotel, which was 3 hours far. I watched all the road , there was no traffic on the road, just couple cars... . All that time they lied to us! But they requested to pay a bus fee of $20 before boarding! To pay for the bus that was 8 hours late! This is not everything. When we got to the hotel, there were 2girls at the front desk speaking Portugesse ONLY! 2 hours they were trying to understand 50 tired-crushed armwrestlers to give them room key-cards. No translators, nothing. They brought somebody 2 days later. The hotel room.... . It was half size of regular American low level hotel room with 6 beds! Junior beds! My Sponsor paid $ 1700 for our 8 days stay and we got that nest. To compare, a suite in Venetian Las Vegas costs much less. 8 days they didn't take the trash, did not clean the room, beds, restroom. They just dropped new towels from the door and that's it. And We had to renew the door key-cards every time, because they just didn't work. They said breakfast was included. But the breakfast was so bad that you can hardly call it breakfast. But we had to eat... . Day 1. Opening ceremony. They said nice speeches, gave gifts each other at 9 am, then they found out that tables were built wrong and they had to make some changes. In short, competition started 3 pm. People were just crushed. Venue... . A village club style convention place, with worst food sold + highest prices! Dirty restrooms.
I was at EAF Congress, just watching. The President of Russian Associasion was so angry, he stated that it took 2 days for Team Russia to get from airport to official hotel. They took Russians to a some city hotel, they stayed there doing nothing and didn't know what to expect next. They Brazilians brought them to main hotel according to Russians booking. Team Russian paid $ 50 000 for hotel expences! And such turn-out. Team Armenia slept 12 hours at front desk sofas and after they found them room in neighbouring street motel. But they paid same high prices!
Please do not understand me wrong. I know many Brazilians who are nicest persons, such as Marcio Barboza, Gabriela, Wagner, Mauruo(the ref), but the "president" of Brazilian Federation Paulo I guess his name, and Mr. Panzetti did their best to destroy the World Championship -Holiday for us and to make huge profit on our money. Usually promoters make lower all prices for us, to feel better, but these guys made their 2 year income in 2 days! This is BIG SHAME! After all ,I can say just 1 thing. I call the WAF Member Countries and the new President Assen Hajitodorov; Please, Next time think well before voting for another World Championship in Brazil. This was my impressions form Brazilian style World Championship travel organized by Brazilian Federation's bussinesmen president paulo and former president Panzetti.
|
|
|
Post by A L L E N F I S H E R on Sept 19, 2012 18:24:03 GMT -5
So sorry to hear such horrifying news. It's sick to hear how my friends had to endure such disgusting treatment. All those who got rich, from the event, ought to give the earning back to the athletes.
How will the new President, Assen Hajitodorov and the committee deal with this situation?
|
|