Moscow Open Games: LGBT Sports' Small Victory
On March 2nd, 2014 the first ever Russian Open Games came to their end. 330 sportsmen from different countries participated in this sports event, organized by the union of gay athletes.
The majority of Muscovites were unaware of this LGBT event: organizers did not publicly announce it in order to avoid accusations in "Homopropaganda". Nevertheless they believe that the realization of such international LGBT event in Moscow is a small victory in itself.
DESPITE & REGARDLESS OF...
Only six out of eight tournaments were held. Prizes were awarded only in five sports events because the sixth tournament - a basketball match - did not come to its end due to a provocation, said Elvina Yuvakaeva, the Chair of the Games' Organizing Committee, in her interview for Deutsche Welle. She clarified that the basketball tournament was interrupted because someone had lit a smoking shell inside the sports hall.
Ski and swimming competitions had to be canceled but on different grounds. In swimming - not a single administration of Moscow's pools was ready to allow LGBT athletes to swim there. By the way - the single accident with a smoking shell interrupted two sports events at once - not only the basketball but also swimming competition. Because the pool (where its administration had given its consent to hold the Open Games' sports event in swimming) was located in the same building as the basketball court.
There were paradoxical difficulties in searching for a suitable sports scene for ski competitions. One would see it was the most accessible kind of sports in Russia during the winter. Organizers decided to cancel ski heats because they take place outdoors and no one could guarantee that minors would not have a chance to see them. So it would be highly likely to violate the so called law "on homopropaganda", explained Yuvakaeva.
ADMINISTRATIVE MEANS IN FUNCTION
The head of the Games' Organizing Committee noted that the refusal to allocate premises to hold LGBT competitions was the main scourge of the Open Games. "We were under the impression that the administrations of all sports complexes in Moscow and its suburbs knew the nature of our sports event and they had been advised to not allow us there", admitted Elvina Yuvakaeva in her interview for the DW.
According to Konstantin Yablotsky, the President of the Russian Federation of LGBT Sports, owners of sports complexes who refused to host the Open Games explained their decisions in privacy by saying that they had been experiencing pressure. "Directors of sports complexes whispered in my ears that the Federal Security Service paid certain interest in this occasion, managers of sports complexes received calls from the Presidential Administration or Municipalities with threats to shut down their establishments if they will allow us there". Alas, it is not possible to prove any fact of pressure because it was done by word of mouth, added Yablotsky.
WITH HEARTS OPEN
On the other hand, the Open Games' organizers stress the fact that they do not have a task to search for those guilty of attempts to ruin the Open Games or to prove their right in various state bodies. Organizers wanted to maintain and keep a positive attitude and it gave good results, noted Elvina Yuvakaeva in her interview for the DW.
"Faced with troubles, organizers did not follow the path of war, but continued to do their best in order to make the Games a reality because they strongly believed that 'eye for eye' strategy was not a constructive way to hold a dialogue", said Yuvakaeva. "What is important is that we could persuade the Games' participants in it. That's why I believe that the motto of the first Russian Open Games - Open Your Heart and Win! - suits them the most and proved to be totally correct".
Open Games' participants said during a brunch organized after the Games' closure that despite all troubles which they had to face with and regardless of all fear which grew bigger with every new provocation, they were satisfied with the competitions. "Most of the participants assessed LGBT Games as certainly positive event", stressing that it fostered their will to go on with sports", stated Elvina Yuvakaeva.
Misfortune with ski heats turned out to be the LGBT Games organizers' victory. Free time in competitions was filled by curling which initially had been planned as a part of entertainment program. Athletes who came to Moscow to join the Open Games liked this kind of sports so much that it was decided to hold a mini-tournament in curling. And this event was done free of any provocation, said members of the LGBT Games' Organizing Committee.
REALITIES AND DECLATATIONS
However, organizers of the first Russian Open Games are not unambiguous in assessment of the Games' result. Formally the Games' schedule was fulfilled on 70 per cent, the event turned out to be somewhat crumpled, constant interruptions of competitions marred our pleasure, complained Elvina. "I can't understand why have we faced such a big resistance, we did everything in the lawful manner", says puzzled Ms. Yuvakaeva. "And it seems quite strange against the background of Russian leaders' statements on absence of discrimination of LGBT community in Russia".
The original of this article: Egor Vinogradov. Open Games in Moscow - a small victory of LGBT sports.// Deutsche Welle, March 2014
English translation presented by Yerdna Bananes
DESPITE & REGARDLESS OF...
Only six out of eight tournaments were held. Prizes were awarded only in five sports events because the sixth tournament - a basketball match - did not come to its end due to a provocation, said Elvina Yuvakaeva, the Chair of the Games' Organizing Committee, in her interview for Deutsche Welle. She clarified that the basketball tournament was interrupted because someone had lit a smoking shell inside the sports hall.
Ski and swimming competitions had to be canceled but on different grounds. In swimming - not a single administration of Moscow's pools was ready to allow LGBT athletes to swim there. By the way - the single accident with a smoking shell interrupted two sports events at once - not only the basketball but also swimming competition. Because the pool (where its administration had given its consent to hold the Open Games' sports event in swimming) was located in the same building as the basketball court.
There were paradoxical difficulties in searching for a suitable sports scene for ski competitions. One would see it was the most accessible kind of sports in Russia during the winter. Organizers decided to cancel ski heats because they take place outdoors and no one could guarantee that minors would not have a chance to see them. So it would be highly likely to violate the so called law "on homopropaganda", explained Yuvakaeva.
ADMINISTRATIVE MEANS IN FUNCTION
The head of the Games' Organizing Committee noted that the refusal to allocate premises to hold LGBT competitions was the main scourge of the Open Games. "We were under the impression that the administrations of all sports complexes in Moscow and its suburbs knew the nature of our sports event and they had been advised to not allow us there", admitted Elvina Yuvakaeva in her interview for the DW.
According to Konstantin Yablotsky, the President of the Russian Federation of LGBT Sports, owners of sports complexes who refused to host the Open Games explained their decisions in privacy by saying that they had been experiencing pressure. "Directors of sports complexes whispered in my ears that the Federal Security Service paid certain interest in this occasion, managers of sports complexes received calls from the Presidential Administration or Municipalities with threats to shut down their establishments if they will allow us there". Alas, it is not possible to prove any fact of pressure because it was done by word of mouth, added Yablotsky.
WITH HEARTS OPEN
On the other hand, the Open Games' organizers stress the fact that they do not have a task to search for those guilty of attempts to ruin the Open Games or to prove their right in various state bodies. Organizers wanted to maintain and keep a positive attitude and it gave good results, noted Elvina Yuvakaeva in her interview for the DW.
"Faced with troubles, organizers did not follow the path of war, but continued to do their best in order to make the Games a reality because they strongly believed that 'eye for eye' strategy was not a constructive way to hold a dialogue", said Yuvakaeva. "What is important is that we could persuade the Games' participants in it. That's why I believe that the motto of the first Russian Open Games - Open Your Heart and Win! - suits them the most and proved to be totally correct".
Open Games' participants said during a brunch organized after the Games' closure that despite all troubles which they had to face with and regardless of all fear which grew bigger with every new provocation, they were satisfied with the competitions. "Most of the participants assessed LGBT Games as certainly positive event", stressing that it fostered their will to go on with sports", stated Elvina Yuvakaeva.
Misfortune with ski heats turned out to be the LGBT Games organizers' victory. Free time in competitions was filled by curling which initially had been planned as a part of entertainment program. Athletes who came to Moscow to join the Open Games liked this kind of sports so much that it was decided to hold a mini-tournament in curling. And this event was done free of any provocation, said members of the LGBT Games' Organizing Committee.
REALITIES AND DECLATATIONS
However, organizers of the first Russian Open Games are not unambiguous in assessment of the Games' result. Formally the Games' schedule was fulfilled on 70 per cent, the event turned out to be somewhat crumpled, constant interruptions of competitions marred our pleasure, complained Elvina. "I can't understand why have we faced such a big resistance, we did everything in the lawful manner", says puzzled Ms. Yuvakaeva. "And it seems quite strange against the background of Russian leaders' statements on absence of discrimination of LGBT community in Russia".
The original of this article: Egor Vinogradov. Open Games in Moscow - a small victory of LGBT sports.// Deutsche Welle, March 2014
English translation presented by Yerdna Bananes
