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The WPC and IPF Butt Heads in Australia? | Powerlifting Watch - Check the website for replies
To follow is a statement that was issued by Paul Nay, President of CAPO Powerlifting Australia, Inc.; who is affiliated with the WPC and GPC. Since Powerlifting Watch reports both sides, we contacted Mr. Wilks for a reply statement. Mr. Wilks did issue a statement; and so it is now up to the readers of Powerlifting Watch to read both statements and decide for themselves. Dear members,
You may not be aware but over a long period of time I have worked very hard to have all of our CAPO Powerlifting events held at excellent venues for us. I have been working even longer on being able to build a relationship with Victorian Weightlifting Committee so we can have some of our events held there. This had been achieved up until a very short time ago.
Mr. Robert Wilks and his followers (committee members) at the IPF in Australia have taken it upon themselves to organize it so that CAPO cannot hold any other events at the Weightlifting Centre at Hawthorne after our State Championships have been completed on the 16th of May 2010. This has come about due to a change in elected officials at the Weightlifting Center a few months ago, the previous committee had no problem with us paying for the use of their venue and they enjoyed our competitions. Since Mr. Robert Wilks had a meeting not long ago with the new Weightlifting Committee suddenly their intentions to allow us to hold future events has changed. The committee has the choice to do that as it is their venue to manage and we at CAPO respect their choice.
I will endeavor to provide our National championships on the same date at a venue to be announced ASAP once a suitable place is found. There are people in Melbourne that are doing their best to find such a venue and I say thank you them from our members and myself.
I am letting you all know about this situation as it was bought to my attention by IPF lifters who will remain nameless as they cannot believe what Mr. Wilks has done this to the sport of Powerlifting (not to CAPO), it shows how narrow minded some individuals are, and that they cannot see that this action has just divided the sport even deeper instead of raising the rich competitiveness of our sport. This is a sad move for Powerlifting in Australia as those at the helm of the IPF federation are in the business of putting restrictive limits on all powerlifters in this country. It’s a shame they can’t see the bigger picture of all federations holding events at the Victorian Weightlifting Center. This would be a great move for all lifters in our Country as it is a great venue to compete at.
I urge all lifters that receive this letter to have a good long think about what has taken place as this letter goes to not only powerlifters of all federations in this country but also overseas.
Kindest regards,
Paul Nay
President
CAPO Powerlifting Australia Inc.
Affiliated with the WPC and GPC.
Mr. Wilks' Reply:
Thank you for this invitation to clarify a few matters Mr.Talmant.
The situation in Australian sport is that the Australian Sports Commission (ASC) controls & recognises the various non-professional sports in this country, some 80 in total. The ASC only recognizes one body per sport & in Powerlifting that recognized entity is Powerlifting Australia Ltd. Powerlifting Australia Ltd.is also affiliated with the IPF. One of the essential requirements of the ASC for recognition of a sport is that there is a programme of involvement by the sporting body with the Australian drug-testing agency ASADA, that including in & out-of-compettion testing, the provision of athlete Whereabouts data, suspensions for doping violations & so on. There is also a requirement for mutual recognition across Australian sports of suspensions & other aspects of anti-doping measures.
CAPO is a body which thus does not have ASC recognition. It does not have any anti-doping infrastructure or programme. CAPO maintains as members and office-bearers a number of people who have current suspensions from periods when they were in Powerlifting Australia & failed ASADA drug tests. CAPO also has as active members individuals who have had publicized criminal convictions for drug & other offences. CAPO advises that it is affiliated internationally with the WPC & GPC.
The Hawthorn Weightlifting Centre venue referred to by Mr. Nay is leased by the Victorian Weightlifting Federation, which is the state affiliate of the Australian Weightlifting Federation. The Australian Weightlifting Federation, like Powerlifting Australia, is recognized by the ASC & maintains an anti-doping programme & involvement with ASADA. Also like Powerlifting Australia, the Australian Weightlifting Federation faces sanctioning up to de-registration by the ASC if it does not strictly follow the anti-doping rules that exist in Australian sport.
I cannot speak directly for the Australian Weightlifting Federation, but in the context of the Australian sporting system it was obviously simply untenable for the Australian Weightlifting Federation to have any involvement with entities or individuals which are in breach of a doping policy of any recognized sport. The mutual recognition requirements have the effect that persons suspended because of a positive test in Powerlifting are also effectively suspended in Weightlifting (and every other ASC recognized sport), also we understand that use of a facility by athletes can have the effect that those athletes are brought under the doping rules of the body (in this case Australian Weightlifting Federation) ultimately controlling that facility. It is hardly surprising then that the Australian & Victorian Weightlifting bodies were unable to continue any involvement with CAPO.
When members of Powerlifting Australia first heard of CAPO's use of the Hawthorn Weightlifting venue the general reaction was one of disbelief, as the situation with ASC recognition & anti-doping rules is well known. Our understanding is that the the bookings with CAPO were made by local officials who were not aware of CAPO's standing, or lack thereof. It was simply inevitable that the involvement of CAPO with Australian Weightlifting would be short-lived, no matter who the particular office-bearers in Weightlifting might have been at a particular time, the issue behind this is a fundamental one in Australian sport.
The overall situation is that Powerlifting Australia remains the dominant federation in Australian Powerlifting, is recognized by the ASC & has an ASADA standard anti-doping programme. This matches the IPF's anti-doping programme & involvement with WADA. The only division in Australian Powerlifting is on the issue of drugs & as CAPO' s athletes choose to be uninvolved in drug-tested competition their separation form the Australian & world sporting mainstream will remain.
Kind Regards,
Robert Wilks,
CEO Powerlifting Australia Ltd.
To follow is a statement that was issued by Paul Nay, President of CAPO Powerlifting Australia, Inc.; who is affiliated with the WPC and GPC. Since Powerlifting Watch reports both sides, we contacted Mr. Wilks for a reply statement. Mr. Wilks did issue a statement; and so it is now up to the readers of Powerlifting Watch to read both statements and decide for themselves. Dear members,
You may not be aware but over a long period of time I have worked very hard to have all of our CAPO Powerlifting events held at excellent venues for us. I have been working even longer on being able to build a relationship with Victorian Weightlifting Committee so we can have some of our events held there. This had been achieved up until a very short time ago.
Mr. Robert Wilks and his followers (committee members) at the IPF in Australia have taken it upon themselves to organize it so that CAPO cannot hold any other events at the Weightlifting Centre at Hawthorne after our State Championships have been completed on the 16th of May 2010. This has come about due to a change in elected officials at the Weightlifting Center a few months ago, the previous committee had no problem with us paying for the use of their venue and they enjoyed our competitions. Since Mr. Robert Wilks had a meeting not long ago with the new Weightlifting Committee suddenly their intentions to allow us to hold future events has changed. The committee has the choice to do that as it is their venue to manage and we at CAPO respect their choice.
I will endeavor to provide our National championships on the same date at a venue to be announced ASAP once a suitable place is found. There are people in Melbourne that are doing their best to find such a venue and I say thank you them from our members and myself.
I am letting you all know about this situation as it was bought to my attention by IPF lifters who will remain nameless as they cannot believe what Mr. Wilks has done this to the sport of Powerlifting (not to CAPO), it shows how narrow minded some individuals are, and that they cannot see that this action has just divided the sport even deeper instead of raising the rich competitiveness of our sport. This is a sad move for Powerlifting in Australia as those at the helm of the IPF federation are in the business of putting restrictive limits on all powerlifters in this country. It’s a shame they can’t see the bigger picture of all federations holding events at the Victorian Weightlifting Center. This would be a great move for all lifters in our Country as it is a great venue to compete at.
I urge all lifters that receive this letter to have a good long think about what has taken place as this letter goes to not only powerlifters of all federations in this country but also overseas.
Kindest regards,
Paul Nay
President
CAPO Powerlifting Australia Inc.
Affiliated with the WPC and GPC.
Mr. Wilks' Reply:
Thank you for this invitation to clarify a few matters Mr.Talmant.
The situation in Australian sport is that the Australian Sports Commission (ASC) controls & recognises the various non-professional sports in this country, some 80 in total. The ASC only recognizes one body per sport & in Powerlifting that recognized entity is Powerlifting Australia Ltd. Powerlifting Australia Ltd.is also affiliated with the IPF. One of the essential requirements of the ASC for recognition of a sport is that there is a programme of involvement by the sporting body with the Australian drug-testing agency ASADA, that including in & out-of-compettion testing, the provision of athlete Whereabouts data, suspensions for doping violations & so on. There is also a requirement for mutual recognition across Australian sports of suspensions & other aspects of anti-doping measures.
CAPO is a body which thus does not have ASC recognition. It does not have any anti-doping infrastructure or programme. CAPO maintains as members and office-bearers a number of people who have current suspensions from periods when they were in Powerlifting Australia & failed ASADA drug tests. CAPO also has as active members individuals who have had publicized criminal convictions for drug & other offences. CAPO advises that it is affiliated internationally with the WPC & GPC.
The Hawthorn Weightlifting Centre venue referred to by Mr. Nay is leased by the Victorian Weightlifting Federation, which is the state affiliate of the Australian Weightlifting Federation. The Australian Weightlifting Federation, like Powerlifting Australia, is recognized by the ASC & maintains an anti-doping programme & involvement with ASADA. Also like Powerlifting Australia, the Australian Weightlifting Federation faces sanctioning up to de-registration by the ASC if it does not strictly follow the anti-doping rules that exist in Australian sport.
I cannot speak directly for the Australian Weightlifting Federation, but in the context of the Australian sporting system it was obviously simply untenable for the Australian Weightlifting Federation to have any involvement with entities or individuals which are in breach of a doping policy of any recognized sport. The mutual recognition requirements have the effect that persons suspended because of a positive test in Powerlifting are also effectively suspended in Weightlifting (and every other ASC recognized sport), also we understand that use of a facility by athletes can have the effect that those athletes are brought under the doping rules of the body (in this case Australian Weightlifting Federation) ultimately controlling that facility. It is hardly surprising then that the Australian & Victorian Weightlifting bodies were unable to continue any involvement with CAPO.
When members of Powerlifting Australia first heard of CAPO's use of the Hawthorn Weightlifting venue the general reaction was one of disbelief, as the situation with ASC recognition & anti-doping rules is well known. Our understanding is that the the bookings with CAPO were made by local officials who were not aware of CAPO's standing, or lack thereof. It was simply inevitable that the involvement of CAPO with Australian Weightlifting would be short-lived, no matter who the particular office-bearers in Weightlifting might have been at a particular time, the issue behind this is a fundamental one in Australian sport.
The overall situation is that Powerlifting Australia remains the dominant federation in Australian Powerlifting, is recognized by the ASC & has an ASADA standard anti-doping programme. This matches the IPF's anti-doping programme & involvement with WADA. The only division in Australian Powerlifting is on the issue of drugs & as CAPO' s athletes choose to be uninvolved in drug-tested competition their separation form the Australian & world sporting mainstream will remain.
Kind Regards,
Robert Wilks,
CEO Powerlifting Australia Ltd.
