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During the working meeting in Prague, participants faced several major issues and decisions they had to make will influence development vectors of HMBIA and World Championship in HMB “Battle of the Nations”. Among them, there was a question concerning regulation of the formation of National Teams.

According to the HMBIA, the issue was ripe. During the years of the Association and the World Championship in HMB “Battle of the Nations” existence, applications from ethnic minorities have been repeatedly reviewed and accepted, which led to the appearance of such National Teams as Quebec, Friesland, Scotland. Applications were accepted due to a number of objective reasons. However, all members of the Association understood the need to revise the policy.

Summit participants voted on three variants of the National Teams issue solving:

1. Allow participation in the World Championship in HMB “Battle of the Nations” only to the National Teams of the countries recognized by the United Nations (according to the rules of the International Olympic Committee);

2. Leave the situation as it is, i.e. allow national minorities form their National Teams;

3. Allow formation of the National Team to countries within the scope of their historical borders.

The vast majority of those present at the summit voted for the first option, namely to follow the regulations of the International Olympic Committee. Summit participants explained their choice by the fact that HMB sport enters the international arena and becomes a par with other popular sports, so the decision to follow the world’s leading sports organizations was quite obvious and logical.

Thus, from now on only National Teams of the countries recognized by the United Nations (UN) can participate in the World Championship in HMB “Battle of the Nations”.

Fighters of the former independent National Teams will be able to become members of the National Teams of their countries on a universal basis. An argument here is that any country holds qualifiers and their results help to form the National Team. Those tournaments are open to participants, and all the men have equal rights there. If the fighter is really stronger and better prepared, he joins the National Team.

Notice that fans are free to support national minorities in the National Teams with their flags or slogans.

Katherine Koda

HMBIA News