Sure, that's why it is a SportsAccord event.



Because the Olympics or their sponsors deny those countries or because the countries find that they cannot send any meaningful participants?!



This contributes to making them an international but not a world-wide event. So calling it SportAccord International Mind Games would be ok but SportAccord World Mind Games is not.

I think the number there was fine for the intended type of event.

Somebody should quickly tell Major League Baseball they can't run the World Series anymore!

Yes, and why don't they invite the Japanese?

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Patience, grasshopper.

SportsAccord is formed to act for (at least) all countries of a mind sports that are members of its international federation. That includes Argentina as much as New Zealand. It does not matter whether Argentina has a 7d but it suffices that it is IGF member.

The Olympics use qualification criteria, which a participant has to meet.

Realistically, for go, there are only four countries in the world that can field a meaningful team. So this event is slightly more open than the Olympics, on that count.

In the other disciplines, there are similarly only a limited number of countries that can field a strong team, which are different countries from the ones in go. So all in all, the event is very much like the Olympics in that respect.



That is the most laughable assertion I have seen in a long time.

Any Japanese player is welcome to try their hand at joining the 30 teams that compete for the World Series.

If the sole route for Westerners to compete in the international titles was to enter the professional associations in the Asian nations, I would view that as fair.

With my limited knowledge of baseball, I suspect Japanese baseball teams are closer to "earning" their own spots in the World Series than Western players are to earning a spot in these tournaments.

I would like to see South Americans be given the maximum opportunities to compete, just as I would like to see the US be given an opportunity if the shoe were on the other foot. But we're talking about how distribute what we were given as a gift, not what we earned from "a position of strength".

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Occupy Babel!

This thread is going downhill. Nevermind.

I just want to state, that I am glad that IGF advocated for regional teams. America's, Europe, Asia-Oceania (maybe this can be opened to African players as well somehow). It is unfortunate though that they did not succeed. As a member of a federation which is itself associated to IGF I approve of this policy and I believe this should be continued, hopefully with more success next time. I am particularly glad that EGF did achieve sth. tangible in this respect.

Best,
Tapir.

Yes, but those flags and anthems are not connected with distinct cultures at least 1000 years old...

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Tactics yes, Tact no...

Found the web page for those interested. I hadn't seen it before.

http://www.sportaccord.com/en/multi-spo ... ontent=658

The point is: Most countries were not even given a chance to qualify to the SportAccord World Mind Games.



No. For the Olympics, they have a chance to qualify.



It is very sad that you consider it a joke.

EDIT: Oops, confused IMSA and GAISF,

Hm, they write "all formats will be free from luck elements". Does this imply komi bidding? SCNR.

Former GAISF, not IMSA.

And this event is very much in accordance with the mission of SportAccord.

The SportsAccord statutes say:

"
Article 2. Objectives

2.1 The objectives of SportAccord are

1. to promote sport at all levels, as a means to contribute to the positive development of
society;

2. to assist its Members in strengthening their position as world leaders in their respective
sports;

3. to develop specific services for its Members, and provide them with assistance, training
and support;

4. to increase the level of recognition of SportAccord and its Members by the Olympic
Movement stakeholders as well as by other entities involved in sport;

5. to actively support the organisation of multi-disciplinary games by its Members;

6. to be a modern, flexible, transparent and accountable organisation;

7. to organise, at least once a year, a gathering of all of its Members, and of other
stakeholders of the sport movement, preferably on the occasion of its General Assembly;

8. to recognise unconditionally the autonomy of its Members and their authority within their
respective sports;

9. to promote closer links among its Members, and between its Members and any other
sport organisation;

10. to coordinate and protect the common interests of its Members;

11. to collaborate with organisations having as their objective the promotion of sport on a
world-wide basis;

12. to collect, collate and circulate information to and among its Members.


2.2 Other objectives may be defined by the General Assembly.




Article 3. Non-discrimination, representation of women

3.1 SportAccord and its Members reject all forms and means of discrimination against individuals,
groups of people, organisations or countries on grounds of ethnic origin, gender, language,
religion or politics.

3.2 SportAccord supports a fair representation of women in sporting activities and in the management
of sport.
"




******************************************************************

Article 2.1.1 affirms the event from SportsAccords's own perspective. Article 3.1 can cast doubts only with respect to grounds of politics, which would be SportsAccords's own politics in this case...

That's a really interesting point. If the are coordinating through the IGF, it would seem that any IGF member country should be able to send a "team." The IGF doesn't have continent members, right?

But there is a limit of 30 players, so this limits the number of teams to about 6. IOW, presuming a country-wise representation of players, any IGF member country should be able to QUALIFY for sending a team.

Unfortunately, it all comes down to this explanation.

SportAccord allowed the go event (within the larger mind games event) a total of 6 countries. This is simply the result of how much space and how much money is available.

Given those constraints, and given the relative strengths of different countries, I think it is obvious that China, Korea, Japan and Taiwan should get a spot. Those four countries are, quite simply, way ahead of the competition.

That leaves two countries. Again, given relative strengths and player populations, the US is an obvious candidate, as it can field several professional level players. There are several other countries that could likewise field a team of professional and near professional level. Russia and Romania are obvious candidates.

I think the current solution with the EU as a "country", and with the option of "guest" players is about as open and fair as you're going to get within those constraints.

It's not such a convincing argument. For me, if there 5 countries, and 1 continent, then something is wrong. Added to which, the EGF doesn't represent the EU, it has no right to create an EU team. I'd prefer the winner of the European Team tournament to go, even though that would make the performance of the team slightly poorer, it would certainly save 1000 euro on the creation of an extra event. Lastly, of course, how do we expect the rest of the world to feel at being left out? So all in all, I stand by the restrained "slightly distasteful" remark, but good luck to the team.

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North Lecale

Yeah. I guess the only other option is to say, effectively, CJKT and "everybody else" and call everybody else "World" or something. Then there would have to be some kind of qualifying process or tournament for the World team.