Mail su motivi sanzione KBA/KABA/EGF

Riportiamo il testo di una mail informativa del Presidente EGF relativamente alle sanzioni da parte della Federazione Europea, e delle Associazioni Coreane KBA e KABA, nei confronti di uno dei più forti giocatori europei, che in seguito alla decisione del Consiglio EGF non è stato ammesso alle selezioni 2014 dei primi Professionisti Europei.

---------- Forwarded message ----------
From: Martin Stiassny
Date: Sun, May 25, 2014
Subject: About Ondrej Silt
To:...

Dear friends,

you got in the past several e-mails from different authors, here are some information on this still pending case.

Description of the actual situation:

a) Since November 2013 Ondrej Silt is a “persona non grata” in Korea, for KBA (Korean Baduk Association) and KABA (Korean Amateur Baduk Association), on all their activities in Korea connected with Go. The reason for this reaction of the Korean Go-organisations is Ondrej’s behaviour during his last participation in the Korean Prime Minister’s Cup in October 2013. This punishment starts at once, unlimited. After the event EGF got an official mail about the case from Korea, letting it open, which consequences EGF will take.

b) In the months November 2013 till February 2014 several contacts with Korean officials happened (Beijing, Tokyo, Hangzhou, Guangzho), where this case always was a theme. Korean officials waited on an excusion-mail of Ondrej. Of course I apologized on behalf of the EGF for the different troubles. In January I got the information that the punishment for Ondrej has been reduced from lifetime to two years by KBA/KABA.

c) Based on this last information the EGF executive-board decided on its meeting in the UK to exclude Ondrej for two years (2014/2015) from the process for certifying “EGF Professionals”. The letter sent to Ondrej is attached.

d) In the meantime we got the official confirmation from Korea that they are still waiting on the apologizing letter from Ondrej. The reduction from lifetime to only two years was an option linked to this excusion. As Korea hasn’t got any e-mail or spoken apologizing from Ondrej the lifetime punishment is still valid.

e) So finally the EGF executive-board decided in March 2014 assuming Korea has reduced the punishment from lifetime on to two years for Ondrej. Our EGF reaction should fit with the Korean decision, that’s why we decided for an EGF punishment till end of 2015.

Sorry to say that the whole case is still not finished. Korea is still waiting on Ondrej. This is also a problem for the EGF and for all players in Europe.

What happened in detail in Korea ? Several severe things, otherwise KBA/KABA won’t have reacted so heavy ! I don’t want to describe details, especially because of respect on Ondrej. You know, Internet never forgets, that’s why the EGF so far on this case has published no details, or you can say "nothing". Main things happened at the end of the KPMC, when I had already left Korea. Jon Diamond, the Britisch Go-president, took the role of the EGF at the spot, many thanks again to you, Jon. Jon was in contact with Korean officials and Ondrej. If you really need to know more details Jon won’t mind if you contact him.

If you look at the letter sent from the EGF to Ondrej you see easily, that the “EGF-punishment” is limited on the Pro-qualification process, nothing else. So Ondrej can become European Champion, participate and win the next Grand Slam Tournament, can earn Bonus-points, represent Europe in events if not in Korea, and so on.

But the question still must be answered: Why an additional punishment by the EGF ?

Well, in the first quarter of 2014 we had to invite players for the Pro-qualification-tournaments. No question, because of his EGF-rating Ondrej would be a strong candidate for being invited. But assuming that he will be one of our two new EGF-Professionals, which is not so far away from reality, how could we (EGF) explain this to Korea ? In the executive-board we have a common sense, that the certification for Pro by the EGF is not only a paper with a confirmed strength and a special status, but also a position where the Pro represents Europe, doesn’t matter if the Pro likes this role or not.

Like written in many mails of different authors especially the Pro-organisations in far-east are looking on Europe and are interested in our “EGF-Pros”. Maybe they want to invite them, but at least they would like to get an interview with them. Additional we have since more than two years the commitment of KBA that Pros certified by EGF will have the chance to participate in Korean Pro-tournaments.

Here’s an overview about the (improving) Go-connections between the EGF and Korea:

n Korean Prime Minister’s Cup
n Samsung Cup
n School-children tournament in summer

n Kidocup Hamburg

n European Champions League (WBaduk)

n Broadcasting Qualification Games (WBaduk)

n European players as Insei at BIBA, sponsored by KABA/KBA (Fredrik, Dusan)

n Korean Pros at the EGC and at some other tournaments in Europe

n Gifts of KABA to EGF at the EGC (clocks for example)

n Pro-Tour in the summer visiting several European Go Summer Camps

n Korean teachers in Europe (Hwang Inseong, Yoon Young-sun,... )

Probably I forgot some more projects.

Last not least we have at the moment 4 European Professionals, certified (members) by (of) KBA, Alexandre, Svetlana, Diana, Mariya. They for sure are very interested in good contacts between Korea and Europe as well.

Additional: Korea becomes more important in the coming two years because the IGF-presidency changes from Japan to Korea in July 2014. Ms. Hajin Lee will then be not only our interface to Korean Go but also our new IGF secretary.

So I hope you understand the EGF-position, not to risk new problems or to endanger existing, brilliant connections between European and Korean Go. It would have been simply impossible to put Ondrej in such a special position as one of our most honourable players in Europe while this case with Korea (we assumed two years) is running. Finally – we had to do something for protecting the very good contacts between Korea and Europe, helping a lot of European players with this (time-limited) EGF executive-board decision.

Of course I am still in contact with Ondrej. He is on copy of this mail. He accepts this EGF decision. Personally I guaranteed Ondrej that he can apply for becoming Pro in 2016 or later.

I will meet Ondrej in Hamburg very soon again, trying to convince him that we all need his letter to Korea about an excuse.

On behalf of the EGF executive-board

Martin Stiassny

P.S.: Now I answer the questionnaire Michael Marz sent:

Could the EGF please state:

- what Ondřej has been blamed for?

*** several severe points behaviour 2013 KPMC, don't want to explain in detail

- what is the exact punishment, i.e. what means 'international' tournaments in this context?

*** no sentence in the punishment-letter on any international tournament. Look at the attachment. Only restriction on international events would be of course that the EGF would not nominate Ondrej for any event in Korea in the years 2014 and 2015

- What is the reasoning? Has a specific rule been violated? Such a big decision can hardly go without explanation? (Please do not get me wrong, I do not criticize the ban, I just want to understand how the judgement correlates to the case,)

*** it has something to do with big trouble (and damage) in the hotel in Incheon. Please don't force me to explain more.

- Who took the decision? We do not have a sports tribunal, so who was it?

*** EGF executive-board decided, because we have no appropriate sports-tribunal

- Were their escalation instances such as the Appeals Committee or the board?
*** No
Were they called?
*** No
If so, what did they decide? (I think this is important. At last year's EGC I became a member of the Appeals Committee for a special case to confirm a referee's decision, but the referee refused to take a decision, so there was nothing to review.)

- If there was no escalation instance, can/will this be even brought to the AGM to confirm the decision?

*** Not in plan to bring the case back on the desk in Sibiu. Hoping that the case will be more unstressed than actual, after an e-mail of Ondrej to Korea we hope on.

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+ Martin Stiassny
+ President European Go Federation: martin.g...@gmail.com
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