Discussion: IOF License required for SkiO World Champs / World Cups

Just received this from the IOF...

Dear all,

IOF Council have decided to implement an Athletes License system starting with the Ski orienteering season 2015-2016. Please follow the link below to read about the system and implementation.

Note! Athletes and Member Federations that are active in the Ski Orienteering World Cup 2015-2016 should pay extra attention since the first Competition start in 26th November 2015. Special arrangements have been planned to make it possible to handle application forms and payments at the World Cup Events this season.

http://orienteering.org/athletes-licence/


Distributed to:
IOF Athletes’ Commissions All
IOF Member Federations All
IOF Commissions All
IOF Council All
IOF Event Advisers All
IOF Office All


Best regards,

David Wästlund
Sports Administrator
tel +46 70 216 33 32

Fee is 30 euro, in case you were wondering

I won't be applying myself but it appears that the payment will need to be a wire transfer to the IOF bank. I think this might be common in Europe??? but every time I have tried a wire transfer from here in the USA it has been a royal pain. The sending bank ALWAYS wants way more info than is provided which takes time and effort to collect plus, the fee for the transfer itself is about $25-$30-----almost as much as the license itself.

I know I'm preaching to the wrong people but, like I say, I won't be applying so it doesn't matter to me. But, for those that will be, it sure would be nice if the IOF would accept paypal or a credit card.

From the quick read I had, the national federation are the ones who have to actually pay the IOF.

I would be willing to make a bank transfer from my Swedish bank and take a payment through paypal instead, if that worked out okay from OUSA or the Ski-O team's point of view.

That being said, when I did wires from the US, it was never painful just a bit expensive. That fee surely varies from bank to bank.

The IOF statement I've seen says that online payment should be up and running in time for the foot and MTBO World Cups next northern spring (as I understand it, they're still working on integrating a payment facility into IOF Eventor).

The International Olympic Committee (IOC) expects all recognised sports federations to have a regulation framework for athletes.

In before kofols.

Let the IOC sort out athletics.

If they can.

So what exactly is this going to do other than get more money for the IOF? and again making it harder for individuals not from the major nations to compete in the (not)World Cup? Some federations dont even pay for the entry fees for WCs (or WOC) so why would they pay what is essentially another entry fee tax? Putting more financial pressure on the athletes themselves.

What a f'en joke IOF - just ring up Sweden, Finland, Norway and WCfinalland (Switzerland) and say "Hey we would like a bit more money, give us $xx and rest assured 98% of the WCs will be yours"

Fly'n - as I quoted above, it ticks a box for the IOF that orienteering is a real sport - because all the REAL sports have excessive bureaucracy, it's how you prove that you're serious.

Sorry, I'm not sure after reading IOF website and rules-PDF: does the applicability to "Senior World Championships" imply "WOC and WMOC", or only WOC?

Only WOC (and World Cup), not JWOC, WMOC or regional championships.

(And we'll know we've made it to the big league of sports when somebody somewhere offers me a bribe in exchange for my vote on something).

I'd buy you a beer to vote how I want, but it mightn't change much.

@Juffy, The whole licencing system is not bureaucracy. It is a simple control mechanism which is good for sport. Fee is another issue, it could be valid only for professional teams and individuals.

What exactly does it control?

It is a simple control mechanism which is good for sport.

Would love to have an example of a control mechanism which is good for a sport WITHOUT adding to the bureaucractic overhead of said sport. First person to say "ISOM" gets a front-row seat at the next IOF mapping conference.

What exactly does it control?

In order to ensure that the rules are being followed, it is important for each athlete to make a promise that he/she will obey them. And such a promise has no credibility if it is not accompanied by a payment.

So, it's like a deposit -- meaning if you don't break any rules for the license term, the fee rolls over to the next 12-months...

[/snark]

Almost what JJ said. This part could be more specified in the rules. You don't need to pay to make a promise that you will not break anti-doping rules. Same with orienteering, if IOF can't handle the system without the fee than this is bureaucracy because you are taxing more or less self-financed athletes. Simple user account which already exists in Eventor and tick box (Terms) would be good enough. And if the system imply that you must obey the rules than there must be a clear evidence which IOF rules and what is the sanction for breaking them.

Many sports pay to break anti doping rules; orienteering would be quite the trend setter in paying to not break anti doping rules.

What exactly "athletes confirm that they will respect and follow the IOF rules" means? Do we have same policy for IOF representatives, do they need to pay to work at IOF office?