Massive Team Withdrawals From 2005 Deaflympics.

From: DeafSportlawsuit.com - Dec 19, 2004

PRESS RELEASE

MASSIVE TEAM WITHDRAWALS FROM 2005 DEAFLYMPICS.

CISS TREASURY TO COLLECT $105,000.00 IN PENALTIES!

There is a big plus related to the staging of the coming 20th Deaflympic Summer Games, which are due to open on January 5, 2005, in Melbourne, Australia.

However, there is a big minus related to the organization of these long-planned and awaited Games.

The big plus is that the Organizing Committee of the 2005 Games is currently showcasing in front of the world the best and terrific Games internet coverage - www.2005deaflympics.com – ever!

The big minus is that, as of today, nearly 21 various teams from 14 countries decided to withdraw their participation in team sports from the 2005 Games competitions.

The nation of Brazil is producing the biggest team withdrawal - it decided to cancel its participation in women's football, men's handball, women's beach volleyball, men's and women's volleyball teams at Melbourne.

According to the CISS regulations, any country that decides to withdraw the team in the final round of the Games shall pay to the CISS Treasury a penalty fee in the amount of $5,000.00 for each withdrawing team.

So, the Brazilians, by withdrawing its five teams, will now have to pay a total of $25,000.00 in penalty fees to the CISS!

Here is the list of other 13 nations that informed the CISS and the Organizing Committee of the 2005 Games that they will not be able to send their delegations in respective team sports to Melbourne next month:

Argentina – men's and women's beach volleyball ( total penalty fee to be paid to the CISS is $10,000.00 );

Canada – men's and women's beach volleyball ( $10,000.00 );

Ireland – women's basketball and men's water polo ( $10,000.00 );

Austria – men's beach volleyball ( $5,00.00 );

Germany – men's basketball ( $5,000.00 );

Ghana – women's volleyball ( $5,000.00 );

Finland – men's beach volleyball ( $5,000.00 );

Israel – men's basketball ( $5,000.00 );

Italy – men's beach volleyball ( $5,000.00 );

Portugal – women's football ( $5,000.00 );

Switzerland – men's beach volleyball ( $5,000.00 );

Serbia – men's handball ( $5,000.00 );

Sweden – women's football ( $5,000.00 );

Thus, the above-mentioned twenty one ( 21! ) teams will have to pay to the CISS Treasury an aggregate of $105,000.00 in penalty fees now or before the start of the Games on January 5, 2005!

According to reliable sources, only Germany ( $5,000.00 ) and Ireland ( $10,000.00 ) have already paid off their respective penalty fees to the CISS. It is possible that other nations have also paid off their penalty fees, but this website does not have independent and verified confirmation yet.

In the event, for instance, Canada does not pay off in full its $10,000.00 penalty fee to the CISS before January 5, then its 15 athletes registered in bowling ( 6 ) , swimming ( 2 ), tennis ( 2 ), cycling ( 2 ), athletics ( 2 ) and wrestling ( 1 ) – will not, in strict adherence to the CISS Constitution Rule 8.2 and Deaflympic Games Regulations Rule 9.G, be allowed to compete for the medal honors at the Games in Melbourne.

Another example is for the African nation of Ghana. This country has to pay $5,000.00 to the CISS now or before January 5, otherwise, this country will not be allowed to field its teams in men's basketball, men's football and men's volleyball at the Games.

It is possible that additional teams from other countries will not make it to the Games in Melbourne.

A word has just been received that the nation of Uzbekistan, due to the lack of finances, is now seriously considering of backing out of its two beach volleyball teams – women's and men's – from the Games competitions.

The most interesting and closely-watched scenario at the coming 39th CISS Congress and Games will be that how Donalda Ammons and her autocratically and incompetently-managed CISS organization will handle the now-controversial issue of USA's participation at the Games.

Namely, will Ammons, with her continual pro-USA views in the CISS structure, play the "policy of double-facedness" or "favoritism"?

That is, on the one side, Ammons is obligating the above-mentioned 14 countries to pay off their respective penalty fees according to the certain CISS Constitution and Deaflympic Games Regulation rules in timely manner. On the other side, Ammons, has, to this minute, failed to force her own USA to pay off to the CISS Treasury the penalty fees related to

a) USA's CISS Constitution Rule 7.1.2-required 10% penalty fee interest from April 1, 2000 to now, which resulted from USA's annual 2000 CISS membership dues non-payment ( USA did not pay a cent to the CISS Treasury for such a membership between January 1 and December 31, 2000! );

b) USA has not paid yet to the CISS its $10,000.00 penalty fee and interest for withdrawal of its 2 teams from the June 27-July 3, 2003 Deaf World Team Tennis Championships held in Poertschach, Austria, pursuant to the Deaf World Championships Regulations Rule 8.C, and

c) the CISS Treasury has not publicly confirmed yet the fact whether USA has already implemented the Deaf World Championships Regulations Rule 9.D by paying off certain amount of penalty fees for the withdrawal of its 6 athletes from the recent October 5-12, 2004 Deaf World Championships in Free Style and Greco-Roman Wrestling held in Sofia, Bulgaria.

Thus, because by September 15, 2004 ( the deadline date for nomination submissions for the 2005 CISS Congress ), USA failed to pay off certain penalty fees to the CISS and it was not in strict observance and implementation of the CISS Constitution Rule 8.2, Ammons' very own nomination for the 2005-2009 CISS Presidency year term should be deemed null and void. For details, click

www.deafsportlawsuit.com/update55.htm

In addition, because by December 1, 2004 ( the deadline date for Final Entry Registrations for the 2005 Games ) USA failed to stringently observe the CISS Constitution Rule 8.2 and Deaflympic Games Regulations Rule 9.G, the participation of the entire USA delegation at the coming Games should also be cancelled!

Let's wait and see as to what will happen in Melbourne at the start of new 2005 year!

Sportingly Yours,

Rafael Pinkhasov Pinchas

www.deafsportlawsuit.com