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spartacus

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Just read this from IPF president.

"The bad side to all of this is for the past two years, steadily, Mr. Robert Wilks has done nothing but harass the entire EC and accusing me and my fellow EC Members. Important, Mr. Wilks has filed a complaint in Luxemburg in an attempt to force us to bring him back to the EC. As demonstrated by the vote in the General Assembly last year in Orlando, the member federations did not ratify him to become a member of the IPF EC. In his summons before the Luxembourg court, he is requesting in his name, in the name of PA (Powerlifting Australia) and in the name of the OPF (Oceania Region) the dissolution of the IPF.

ilks with PA and OPF are seeking the annihiliation of the IPF as a federation together with an invalidation of all its competitions from 2010 on until now. He is calling for the all the constitution changes from 2009 on until now (these changes have been democratically decided in our congresses) and on the other side he is asking to come back into the EC, which makes no sense, if he wants have the annihiliation. It makes only sense when he wants make pressure on us to bring him back and then he will withdraw the case in the Luxemburg court, what we believe it is otherwise he would not have proposed on one side the dissolution and on the other side that we reinstall him into the EC against the decision of the IPF congress. More information with evidence will follow at the congress.

So you can see that people are working very hard to bring the sport forward and myself who received recently in June the highest decoration in Sport from our Grand Duke over the Minister of Sport, Mr Romain Schneider. We surely do not need Mr. Wilks’s harassment. At the last congress I gave him my hand when I told him if he really wants to work for the sport he can show it to us. But instead he started more and more claims only to make sure we have a lot of work and to make sure we will give up because all of this costs a lot of money.

But he forgot probably that we informed the congress last year that we don’t give up as we have done nothing wrong. He did not tell you the truth why he resigned, but at this congress the truth needs to be brought up if not by himself then by the person who brought up the case in Luxemburg and the reason why he resigned. The IPF Executive has done nothing to remove Mr. Wilks from the IPF EC, OPF or the PA. Mr. Wilks willfully resigned from the IPF EC on his own initiative. We no longer wish to be
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harassed. Therefore, the General Assembly must make the decision to do something. I assume my responsibility if the congress asks me to resign. If you feel that I have done something wrong then I will step away. I will no longer waste my time and money to work so hard on a volunteer basis be be treated like this. I’m not requesting a thank you from the member federations. However, I am surely not requesting to be blamed by a person because of his ego.

It is a regretful that we need to waste our time with all this as we could do a lot of other things. Instead we are wasting working hours to defend ourselves even with cases Mr. Wilks has had no evidence and with cases that should not be a case. Up to this point, he has never respected the decisions of the CAS or the IPF EDC. He has still not paid the amount of 2000 CHF the CAS ordered him to pay to the IPF. So we need to ask the question why this person has any right to open cases against us, but not following the decision of the CAS, EDC, Appeals Commission and maybe the court if the court will not decide in his favour. Last but not least if the members still want me as President I will go forward with all my power to do all to reach our goal and to bring our sport forward. I have never done business with our sport and I have not been a vendor to make money. I have done all to bring the IPF forward where we stand to day since I have been elected in 1999 as treasurer and afterwards as championships secretary and finally as President. I can tell you everything that I have done to make positive changes in this sport and to stop the corruption we had before where the same person has been for a long time a member of that board but never acted in favor to clean up the Federation. Now Mr. Wilks wants to blame me and before he was silent.

Look at his reports. Over the years he has done nothing to bring his region forward. On the contrary he has been fighting with people who have not been in favor with his leadership. Also here we have evidence for all this. At the regional level, RW is an EC member, an EDC, anti-doping. Here we have also evidence. Just have a look at the OPF constitution where you can see that the EC is the EDC and then he wants to teach us that our EDC is not correct. He claims that we have not enough independent people in our committees. He has not any committees as he is all in one. We have evidence where he kicks out people without any hearing and then does not respect the decision of the Appeals Committee. This is how he works and that is why we need to bring all this to an end"

http://www.powerlifting-ipf.com/fil...017IPFGeneralAssemblyMeeting.Agenda9.docx.pdf
 
Gaston and Bob have been at it for a long time now. They are both prickly characters. At the Minsk world championships, Gaston on a few occasions "spit the dummy" over various matters. As with all associations with committees, personalities clash and sparks fly, but the machine marches on, despite all that crap.

Fortunately, life goes on and the membership continues to rise, more so among female raw lifters, which is great to see. I suspect that eventually, equipped lifting will die, just as raw lifting did when equipped started. Or like female bodybuilding.

It's a bit of a shame that the sport is so fractured into many factions. Often, that's because of internal personality conflict. And don't think that splitting off solves the problem. You just end up with more and more federations which dilutes the lifting community. FFS, anyone can get a "world record" if they shop around to find a fed that has just begun or has a small membership (e.g. WABDOL).

Meanwhile, regarding Wilks and Gaston............



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it is more than a spat woody. the IPF is going to vote about whether to kick PA out of IPF.

10) Proposals

Constitution Amendments

Motion #1 (IPF Executive)

Motion regarding the Exclusion of the Oceania Powerlifting Federation (OPF), Powerlifting Australia (PA) and Mr. Robert Wilks from IPF and its activities:

WHEREAS the background to this Motion is set out in an Explanatory Note;

AND WHEREAS OPF, PA and Mr. Wilks will be provided with an opportunity to respond to such allegations at the General Meeting;

MOVED that the General Assembly conducts a vote to exclude OPF, PA and Mr. Wilks from the IPF and its activities.

Explanation

A. Introduction

1. For the reasons set out below, the IPF Executive Committee (EC) considers that it is in the best interests of the IPF to exclude the Oceania Powerlifting Federation (OPF), Powerlifting Australia (PA) and Mr. Robert Wilks (being the President of the former and CEO of the latter) from the IPF and its activities.

2. For the last two years, the IPF and its EC have been subject to a persistent campaign by OPF, PA and Mr. Wilks. This campaign has involved inundating the IPF disciplinary bodies with claims (that the IPF EC considers to lack any merit), taking the IPF to the Court of Arbitration for Sport (unsuccessfully) and subjecting the IPF and the members of its EC to abusive and intolerable comments. The campaign culminated earlier this year in a court action in Luxembourg in which the PA, OPF and Mr. Wilks are seeking the annihilation of the IPF as a federation together with an invalidation of all its competitions since 2010.

3. The members of the IPF EC have unanimously concluded that it is not in the best interests of the IPF to maintain, as part of the IPF, PA, OPF and Mr. Wilks, all three of whom are seeking to dissolve the IPF and expunge part of its sporting history and whose actions are diverting resources and time away from the important mission of governing and developing the sport of powerlifting.



B. Facts

4. OPF is the Regional federation recognised by the International Powerlifting Federation (IPF) in charge of the Oceania continent.

5. PA is the IPF member responsible for powerlifting in Australia.

6. Mr. Wilks is the President of the OPF and the CEO of PA.

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7. The motion to exclude OPF, PA and Mr. Wilks from the IPF and its activities is based on the following elements:

7.1 On 25 April 2017, OPF, PA and Mr. Wilks filed a petition before the Luxembourg courts requesting the following in particular:

“Pronounce the dissolution of the [IPF], retroactively to the day of its registration, otherwise secondarily starting from the upcoming day of judgement, otherwise more secondarily at a date set by the upcoming judgement; secondarily, confirm, otherwise pronounce the nullity of the statutory modifications adopted by the [IPF] since its registration in the Company and Trade Registry of Luxembourg on 21 December 2007, otherwise secondarily confirm, otherwise pronounce the nullity of the statutory and regulatory modifications adopted during the general meetings held during the years 2010, 2011, 2013, 2014 and 2015, in particular those listed hereinabove sub III. B), and retroactively invalidate all of the competitions that were organised by the [IPF] since 7 November 2010, and in particular those listed hereinabove sub III. C);” [emphasis added] In the petition, the OPF, PA and Mr. Wilks allege that the IPF has not fulfilled a number of formal technicalities such as the publication of certain details in the Register of Commerce, including the list of the IPF members and changes to the Constitution. They also claim that IPF has breached its Constitution by implementing changes to the Constitution in General Assemblies that did not fall on a fourth anniversary of 1998. On that basis, the OPF, PA and Mr. Wilks have requested inter alia that the Luxembourg court order the dissolution of the IPF, the annulment of any amendments to the Constitution voted upon at General Assemblies not falling on a fourth anniversary of 1998 (even though they were accepted by the required two-thirds majority) and the invalidation of IPF competition results since November 2010. The IPF has instructed Luxembourg counsel and is currently in the process of defending itself against this claim.

7.2 On 8 September 2016, in a letter that was sent in copy to the members of the Executive Board of the International Olympic Committee (IOC) and the Executive Committee of SportAccord, Mr Wilks, President of OPF and CEO of PA, accused the IPF and its EC and members of refusing “to act properly, in accordance with the Constitution of the IPF” and also made a series of criticisms against the Ethics and Disciplinary Committee (EDC).

7.3 Mr Wilks initiated proceedings with the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) against the IPF on 3 December 2015. These proceedings were dismissed on 14 June 2016 for lack of jurisdiction. Mr Wilks has not to date paid the contribution to the IPF’s legal fees that he was ordered to pay by the CAS.

7.4 Within a period of less than two years, PA and OPF have filed at least 14 complaints with the EDC, all signed by Mr. Wilks, targeting mostly members of the IPF EC. In summary:

a. On 16 December 2015, PA filed one complaint with the EDC b. On 6 January 2016, PA filed five complaints with the EDC c. On 19 October 2016, PA filed two complaints with the EDC d. On 19 October 2016, OPF filed four complaints with the EDC e. On 13 June 2017, OPF filed one complaint with the EDC; f. On 15 August 2017, PA filed one complaint with the EDC.

7.5 To date, seven of these complaints have been decided by the EDC and, in all seven instances, the complaint was dismissed. PA has recently filed. 7.6 In the same period, only two complaints have been filed before the EDC by other members/regions.

7.7 Mr. Wilks, President of OPF and CEO of PA, has persistently made inappropriate and offensive comments in respect of the IPF EC and other IPF officers or bodies, in particular:

- He referred to “IPF Executive’s record of deceit and underhandedness”;

- He stated that “the E&DC operates as a rubber stamp for Mr. Gaston Parage and his cronies”;

- He mentioned that “some (not all) members of the executive committee place their personal interests above those of the IPF, the athletes and the sport of Powerlifting”.

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- He claimed that the EDC proceedings “are demonstrably riddled by delay, secrecy and a reasonable apprehension of bias”.

- In respect of the IPF Secretary General, he said that “it appears that he deliberately lied and/or misled PA, the OPF and [him]”. He also referred to an alleged “abject failure […] to comply with obligations imposed upon him” by the IPF Secretary General.

C. Regulatory basis

8. Pursuant to art. 7.2.3 of the Constitution, the General Assembly has the power “[t]o suspend and take other sanctions against the IPF national member federations or regions for any violation of the IPF Constitution or By-Laws or other applicable rules or regulations where competence is not explicitly reserved for another organ, body or committee of the IPF.”

9. Moreover, art. 102.2 of the Bylaws sets out that “[n]o National federation shall remain a member of the IPF if the General Assembly by at least two-thirds majority of votes cast decides that it is not in the best interest of the IPF for that national federation to remain a member.”

10. Without limitation, the elements above show that OPF, PA and Mr. Wilks (1) are seeking to annihilate the IPF or, in the alternative, erase a significant part of its sporting history, (2) have subjected the IPF and its EC to significant litigation before state and arbitral courts as well as internal disciplinary bodies and (3) have been willing, through Mr. Wilks, to make abusive and inappropriate comments about the IPF, its EC and members (including before important stakeholders such as the IOC and SportAccord).

11. These actions are harmful to the IPF. In particular, they divert its resources away from the sport, impede the proper functioning of its bodies and negatively affect its image. Ultimately, it is not in best interests of the IPF to be associated to entities that are seeking its elimination.

12. On the basis of articles 7.2.3 of the Constitution and 102.2 of the Bylaws and on the basis of the applicable Luxembourg law, the IPF EC considers that the OPF, PA and Mr. Wilks should be excluded from the IPF and its activities.

13. The OPF, PA and Mr. Wilks will be given an opportunity to respond to the elements described above at the General Assembly in Pilsen, Czech Republic, on 12 November 2017, following which the General Assembly will be requested to vote on whether to exclude OPF, PA and Mr. Wilks from the IPF and its activities. Such a vote will require a two-thirds majority of the votes cast.
 
Dont fret. It's like when a union tells the employer that they want a 50% increase in wages. Its a bargaining point, something to get them to the table.

Just like what Bob did to make a move to disband the IPF. That won't happen, but the glove has been thrown on the table so they have to respond. It's all politics, which is a shame, but it happens in every organization. Just look at the shit storm in the IOC, not to mention what happened to the Brazilian officials (2 arrested for corruption). That won't stop Brazil from competing. You have to have a state sponsored drug cheating scandal to do that, or piss of Trump (remember the Russia boycott way back when).

They would not only lose Aus but all of oceania, and that won't happen. Too many members there. If they did, they would have someone else step in and start a new organization that would then be IPF approved/affiliated. Zero effect on lifters, aside from having to get a different looking membership card.

Bob and Gaston have been poking each other for years.

I hear that chicago mix popcorn is best.
 
Well, PA is out of the IPF now. Who's stepping up to take their place? They have to be drug-tested, and to have more members than I could fit in my garage.
 
Well, PA is out of the IPF now. Who's stepping up to take their place? They have to be drug-tested, and to have more members than I could fit in my garage.

If the whispers are true I don’t think either of those will be an issue
 
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It will be interesting to se if there are many competent enough, without a lot of baggage, that can resurrect a decent IPF affiliate federation.
 
Well, PA is out of the IPF now. Who's stepping up to take their place? They have to be drug-tested, and to have more members than I could fit in my garage.

Wow this is going to be interesting, hopefully a good fed can rise up from this.

Seems it's all over Reddit too - I think you got a mention on Reddit Kyle - is that you who was asked to take down pictures from your website: https://www.reddit.com/r/powerlifti...orward_a_motion_to_remove_opf_pa_and/doe49jn/
 
wilks is confident of winning appeal though; I think he got a few votes of member nations. :D

I am amazed powerlifting ever got govt recognition in the first place.
 
I presume his appeal would be to the Council for Arbitration of Sport. The one he's already lodged 14 cases with, and 7 of the 7 determined so far he lost.

He lodged a bunch of cases to both dissolve the IPF and try to become part of its Executive Council - at the same time - and lost them. They had one vote and he was out, along with the rest of PA. Basically, they played chicken, but he was riding a moped and they had a truck.

Support him or oppose him, you have to face the reality that he's out as the IPF-affiliated guy in Australia.
 
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