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Post by Chris Kaufman on Sept 19, 2012 18:34:23 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? Not sure, but the armwrestlers DEFINITELY got taken advantage of. There's NO WAY that those rooms were 160 - 200 US Dollars a night. I talked to a guy from my MMA gym that's from Brazil and he said we got screwed. "But it's close to the beach" they said. They didn't mention that there was human SHIITE, jelly fish, and a chance of getting mugged on the beach either. I don't know of ONE person that was satisfied with the way things went. This was my first World's, and aside from the people (armwrestlers) and the armwrestling, it was a terrible experience.
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Post by Vazgen Soghoyan on Sept 19, 2012 19:43:01 GMT -5
How will the new President, Assen Hajitodorov and the committee deal with this situation?[/quote]
I have participated in many Events ( European and World Championships) that Assen Hajitodorov and his group organized and all of them went according to the schedule by Minutes! Well, there were some bad hotels as well, but they did not affected on Armwrestlers focus on the Championship. Personally, I expect a Greatest World Championship in Poland 2013 that will be organized by Assen Hajitodorov and Igor Mazurenko. Assen personally promised that at the WAF president elections. And I think, this is my opinion, that all those negative things of Brazilian hospitality reflected in WAF president elections and as a result of that Fred Roy lost to Assen.
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Post by Michael Bluth on Sept 19, 2012 20:01:50 GMT -5
I should've come along as a translator lol
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Post by Neil Robinson on Sept 19, 2012 20:51:33 GMT -5
Kazakhstan was much better in every way. This was A complete cluster f**k
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Post by Eric Wolfe on Sept 19, 2012 21:18:50 GMT -5
I am shocked that this happened... Attention WAF officials, was it as bad as Vazgen says? If it was, when are we going to hear from you with an explanation of how this happened? Is this one of those things that the Federation is going to just ignore?... And hope just dies down on its own? Did it really take days for guys to get from the airport to their rooms? Was the hotel really a piece of crap and over priced?
I went to the AAA worlds in Sao Paulo a few years agoe.. it was a wonderfull experience with a great hotel, on time buses, and great hospitality.. so , I known it can be done.. what happened!? If it did happen, when will those that got taken advantage of be reimbursed?
If none of this really did happen, then please accept my apoloy for chiming in.. I just hate it when I hear about tales like this, where people we look up to, to do the right thing, have no concern for the well being of others while serving their own self interests.
Please WAF at a minimum speak up and set the record straight! What really happened?, and what will be done about it? Armwrestlers want to know.
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Post by Gary Roberts on Sept 19, 2012 23:26:56 GMT -5
This is terrible news...I wanted to go terribly...and would have found away to enjoy it somehow but if I did make it...I would have brought my wife with me...and to think the entire armwrestling community put their faith and trust into the hosts and WAF...this is kind of scary that we can be talked into traveling accross the world and be duped. I know some places are safer than others but it was lead to believe Brazil was paradise from all I was told. The hosts have a choice where to go...and safety should be paramount. To cut costs for the armwrestlers is one thing...but to still gouge the armwrestlers with price and stick them into an unsafe environment is down right evil. I know Assan will make sure it doesn't happen next year but there should be some safe guards put in place to make sure it NEVER happens again.
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Post by Eric Wolfe on Sept 19, 2012 23:53:53 GMT -5
And compensate these who were dupped for what happened... Unacceptable if true.. I wish Gary was there to film it..
I'm still waiting for someone from WAF to chime in here... If I speant all that money as our national champions did, I would be outraged that WAF has still not sanctioned the host country yet..
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Post by Andy Freeland on Sept 20, 2012 0:33:58 GMT -5
I would like to start with one question:
Were the rates that our armwrestlers paid the correct discount rate that can be expected from booking multiple days in advance?
If someone can give me the name of the hotel ill check it out
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Post by Vazgen Soghoyan on Sept 20, 2012 0:55:05 GMT -5
I am shocked that this happened... Attention WAF officials, was it as bad as Vazgen says? If it was, when are we going to hear from you with an explanation of how this happened? Is this one of those things that the Federation is going to just ignore?... And hope just dies down on its own? Did it really take days for guys to get from the airport to their rooms? Was the hotel really a piece of crap and over priced? I went to the AAA worlds in Sao Paulo a few years agoe.. it was a wonderfull experience with a great hotel, on time buses, and great hospitality.. so , I known it can be done.. what happened!? If it did happen, when will those that got taken advantage of be reimbursed? If none of this really did happen, then please accept my apoloy for chiming in.. I just hate it when I hear about tales like this, where people we look up to, to do the right thing, have no concern for the well being of others while serving their own self interests. Please WAF at a minimum speak up and set the record straight! What really happened?, and what will be done about it? Armwrestlers want to know. So you need WAF officials' opinion to prove my words? You think I lie? Here is a WAF official's story. Assen Hajitodorov arrived in Sao Paulo airport and nobody met him there. He was WAF vise president. After 3 hours a bus came to pick up some armwrestlers and Assen's name was not on that list! But he informed them about his arrival. This is what he told me. And everbody had similar stories. I think WAF is not responsible for this. All responsibility is on Brazilian Federation. The only thing that we can do is, if next time Brazil bids to host the Worlds, all countries will be against that.
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Post by Eric Wolfe on Sept 20, 2012 0:55:32 GMT -5
Nice approach Andy.. and the bulk Armwrestling rates our pullers paid should be less than what you dig up..
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Post by Vazgen Soghoyan on Sept 20, 2012 0:57:25 GMT -5
And nobody from WAF will reply you. Who? What you think? They have nothing to tell, but sorry. And not for their fault!
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Post by Eric Wolfe on Sept 20, 2012 1:05:01 GMT -5
I never doubt you my hairy friend.. But since I was not there I had to qualify my statement since not all may have had the same experience..
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Post by kyledarby on Sept 20, 2012 1:29:01 GMT -5
My understanding is the hotel is government owned and not open for general tourism. The government recently purchased the property and opened it specifically for Worlds. Contrary to how the site made it appear it was less than desirable accommodations.
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Post by Leonard Harkless on Sept 20, 2012 6:19:41 GMT -5
First off I am not replying as an WAF official. I also was not on the bus list. The bus situation was all over the map. Some like Vaz had to wait horrible times to get a bus and others like myself, even though I was not on the list, had good timing and had to wait only 2 hours for a bus. I make no excuses for Brazil in the bus area but their contract with a bus agency was not honored and had to get another one at the last minute and they did not get it done properly. I know what I am talking about in the transportation area since that was one of my jobs at the 2010 Worlds. Countries show up with no notice that they are coming, planes are delayed, flights are canceled and you still have to deal with it. The 20.00 that is max to be paid is just a drop in the bucket toward the cost of motor coaches driving 80 miles to the venue and the return trip of the same distance. Now on to the venue, I have been in worse. Poland in 2001 was much worse than Brazil but how many of you were there to remember it now? Why do you think that it took 12 years for them to get it back? Do I expect a different result in Poland next year......YES. Everyone has different experiences and that does not make one right or one wrong but the food at the venue for me was great and not expensive. I paid 4.00 for BBQ grilled steak on a stick. When I went into the bathrooms it was fine but again that was just me and my experience. Now onto security, I walked all over the area in a 8 block radius and was alone or with one other person and didn't feel unsafe or threatened. Was I paying attention to my surroundings.....yes but again for me, no issues on this front. I will say that I did my homework and knew that Brazil has some very bad poverty issues so like South Africa (2004) I was paying attention where ever I went. Now on to the beaches, I was on them and did not see any of the things that Chris did, I believe that they happened but there was a lot of armwrestlers on the beach including me and that was not my experience. Now about the hotel, it was not a regular hotel. It was set up as a rental apartment where you bring all that you need with you and you leave it clean when you leave. They had to hire staff just for this event. My room was cleaned every day and I got new towels every day, so why did I get it and others did not.........not all of the staff did its job. Oh and yes they did honor the advertised price. Was this the 4 star hotel that we were led to believe......NO. I didn't expect it to be. I have been going to WAF worlds since 1998 and only in Japan, US and Canada has the rooms been what has been advertised. So I was not shocked that I did not get a 4 star room. Does that make it right......no it does not but I came into it with a lowered expectation. There was a official protest brought to the floor of congress by EAF on the conditions of the hotel, cost of hotel, and the buses. Brazil did answer the questions to the satisfaction of the EAF and that will be in the minutes of congress. Do I think that Brazil will get another worlds in 5 years when they are eligible......depends on who is bidding. Some years like this years congress not many countries are putting in a bid. It takes about 35,000.00 min to host a worlds and you are going to only get back about 12,000 to 15,000 in entry fees. We got the bid for 2015 with no one else wanting it.
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Post by Brent Norris on Sept 20, 2012 10:56:58 GMT -5
The answer is simple. Vote with our dollars. Until any host proves they are providing a safe, clean, and enjoyable environment, don't make reservations. If you go to Worlds just show up. If the so called host hotel (how is it the host hotel if the venue isn't even within walking distance?) isn't a 5 star hotel in a 1st world location, don't stay there. We should expect a 5 star hotel at 3 star prices because of the length of stay and the amount of us. If I qualify and decide to go to worlds, I will stay at non-host hotels out of protest until the Waf shows that they care about abusing the pullers. If you have to make money on us to stay at your hotel deals, you better make damn sure its nice and in a nice location. So we the pullers are the main sponsors of the events by staying at the hotels? What sponsor in their right mind would continue sponsorship after such treatment? Count me out. Find real sponsors, maybe then our sport will advance..
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