PCCF announces The Protest

Today Polish Curling Club's Federation decided to announce on their website a protest against actions of Polish Curling Association and called to boycott the upcoming Polish Mixed Doubles Championships. Below is a translation of their announcement:

For many years Polish Curling Association has not been fulfilling duties it has been called upon to perform. Moreover, their actions harm the image of curling in Poland.

The organization of Polish Mixed Doubles Championships shows the way PCA copes (or rather does not cope) with aforementioned duties, such as organizing national championships, which should be an example for other tournaments and bonspiels in Poland. Instead we have a "PCA standards" - short notice on date and place of the tournament (less than a month before), no regulations, not even a list of participants that are accepted to play. The latter results in situation when competitors have to pay entrance fee without even knowing if they are allowed to participate.

Once again the organization of the championships was entrusted to Polish Federation of Winter Sports. The choice was made under shady circumstancees during a process which nature has not been not revealed. Was it a tender? If yes, why it had not been announced before? The boards of PFWS and PCA are constituted by the same people, which leads to questions about conflict of interests between these two entities. Additionally, the fact that entrance fees are to be paid to PFWS's accounts results in abnormal organizer-subcontractor relationship. Normally a payment for subcontractor is set in a formal agreement and is a fixed price for provided service. Entrance fees from competitors should go to organizer's accounts. The whole situation leads to a question if it is not Polish Federation of Winter Sports who is a de facto organizer of Polish Championships, which would be against national and World Curling Federation's regulations.

The Board of Polish Culing Clubs' Federation decided to call to boycott Polish Mixed Doubles Championships. Let's show that we do not agree with aforementioned actions of Polish Curling Association!

Information about the protest will be delivered to Ministry of Sport, Polish Olympic Committee and World Curling Federation. Let's show that PCA is not a real representative of curling milieu in Poland!

We ask for information about clubs and players that are going to join the boycott.

Last but not least, we would like to emphasize that the protest's goal is not to divide the curling milieu. We understand and respect decision of those not joining the boycott. The purpose of every athlete is to participate in competition and giving it up is a big sacrifice. Therefore the Board of PCCF has not decided to call to boycott Polish Curling Championships and Polish Junior Curling Championships. If there are clubs or teams that decide to boycott those tournaments too, we ask to let us know. For institutions we listed above it will be even stronger evidence for disapproval of PCA among curling players.

We also plan other forms of protest in current season, for example we will collect signatures under petition during tournaments held under auspices of PCCF. We will inform about more details.

The fortune of curling in Poland is in our hands!

The Board of PFFC.