PM calls for reforms – self-service and cover-up in Canadian sport

The most important facts have been on the table for several weeks. As parliament in Ottawa convened the Canadian Ice Hockey Association’s board of directors and televised news reports shortly after the hearing in late July.

Over the years, the association has quietly responded to allegations against players and coaches in only one way: to pay damages to the victims, but in return, forcing them to maintain complete confidentiality. As in the case of a young woman sexually assaulted by several junior national players in 2018 and the equivalent of approximately three million euros was obtained. The money was drawn from the large pot in which each active member pays his or her annual fee. There are more than 600,000 amateur players in the homeland of the sport. Highest among juniors.

“Business As Us” for Chief Financial Officer

CFO Brian Cairo said it was no more than “business as usual”, as he told the parliamentary committee. He understands the displeasure of parents paying fees for kids playing ice hockey. But this is just common practice.

This attitude is exactly what an anonymous informant – a former board member – reported a few days ago. At the highest level, people are quite lax about money and have apparently been giving themselves tangible assets like big-screen TVs, home cinema systems, iPads and stuff over the years, not just.

Quote: “You have a credit card and you can spend thousands of dollars on wine and food every month. While traveling for the Association stays in the best hotels and gets invited to parties in the Presidential Suite of the hotel where the CEO lives.

Justin Trudeau: “We hope for reforms”

A few days ago, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau reacted to the revelations of such a self-serving mentality with an outspoken statement: “It’s hard to trust anyone in the Canadian Ice Hockey Association. It’s absolutely unacceptable. Here’s why.” We have put our financial aid on hold. We expect reforms, transparency and accountability. Seeing how this culture has permeated the highest levels of this organization, I can understand why so many parents, so many Why are all Canadians who are proud of our national sport absolutely disgusted.

Canadian Rob Koehler, director general of the “Global Athlete”, a globally active sporting organization, has been watching with concern for some time what is going wrong. The misbehavior of athletes and the indifference of officials is not limited to ice hockey alone. In other federations too, one governs in the manner of a class.

He told Deutschlandfunk: “We have over 500 gymnasts, hundreds of bobsleigh and skeleton drivers, boxers and footballers. We demand an independent judicial inquiry. There was something like this in Canada when Ben Johnson tested positive in Seoul in 1988. It changed the world.”

Victims and insiders are silent

There is a deliberate underestimation of education by the unions. The tactical tactic used to silence victims and insiders who know the situation requires them to sign non-disclosure agreements as soon as they receive any compensation.

A muzzle frenzy that Kohler explicitly criticizes: “We saw some commitments made by employees of sports federations, who recognized the complaints, but were kicked out. When they received severance pay, those were Some are pressured to sign like this. It is very worrying that they remain silent about their knowledge of abuse. This is completely wrong. We know of one case where someone was raped Sufficient money was offered to keep quiet about it. However, this person has not signed the explanation.”

The pressure from the public is as great as it is now, as the ice hockey federation has darkened the number one game: there are no fundamental results yet.