For the president of the Ecuadorian Federation, in chess it is normal for a leader to participate as a player | Other Sports | sports

The president of the Ecuadorian Chess Federation (FEDA), Emilio Bastidassurprised with the news that he will represent Ecuador in the next Ibero-American of this sport, which will take place from February 12 in Mexico.

These cases are not unfamiliar in Ecuador, since for Tokyo 2020 Olympics, in the Olympic shooting team, Joselito Padilla, president of the Ecuadorian Federation of that sport, acted as coach in the absence of the official coach, who was accredited by Aruba.

Ecuadorian chess team, such as Martha Iron, Anahi Ortiz Y Kevin Noboa, criticized this resolution that harms them as athletes. Even the representative of the technicians, Jhon Muñoz, said that the manager’s registration for the Mexican tournament had not been technically reviewed.

Bastidas, in an interview with Newspaper THE UNIVERSE, defends its inscription; In addition, he talks about the reasons why he supports his brother, Jaime, to replace him as head of the FEDA.

“In chess, international tournaments are open and the Ibero-American is one of them. When it is hinted that my registration affects other athletes from Ecuador is incorrect, because the event is open; I am registered and Anahi Ortiz and Kevin Novoa will also participate”, says the leader.

Bastidas adds that what Fierro declared to EL UNIVERSO is not true, in the sense that he will use FEDA resources to travel to Mexico: “It is an incorrect insinuation, because it is made with bad intentions. Who is the official player of each country for an international tournament? The national champion, and that is me on my own merit: I participated in the national tournament with the best players in the country, in an open competition, and i’m the only winner. As a champion, the organization pays me for lodging, food, transportation and will even help me with a $300 ticket bonus.”

He reiterates that, as the winner of the tournament, he is “in full right to compete. In chess it is normal for a leader to participate as an athlete and represent his country; It happens in Uruguay, Brazil, and Martha Fierro knows that”.

The president of the FEDA notes that he will not use resources from the entity he presides over, because the tournament is in February and the values ​​corresponding to the Annual Operating Program (POA) they will only be delivered in March to the entire sports system. The Ibero-American tournament does not appear in that project, so if it uses State resources, it would be glossed.

“I have supported Martha Fierro all her life. She is vice president of the International Chess Federation (FIDE), for twelve years she has been a FEDA delegate to all FIDE congresses and in the last six years she has been a FEDA delegate to chess meetings in America. I don’t understand your position”.

Reply to Munoz

The representative of the technical force before the FEDA, John Munoz, questioned that he did not know about Bastidas registration for the Ibero-American. The national leader defends himself by indicating: “He is working with Martha Fierro’s list for the FEDA elections and that is why he says that. In this case he does not apply the technical criteria, because there was a national championship. He is only summoned when the tournament has not been held; there, if it is required to choose one or more representatives for an international tournament, technical criteria apply. In this case, no, because there is a national champion and that is me”.

“Furthermore, I am going to Mexico because the national chess federations are going to meet and they are going to talk about chess projects for all of America, and support from FIDE will be sought.”

Elections

On November 27, 2021, elections were called in the FEDA and these were not held, when Jaime Bastidas and Martha Fierro had been announced as candidates.

The head of the FEDA points out that for this process he hired a notary for $600, paid out of his own pocket, to certify the process, and requested an inspector from the Ecuadorian Olympic Committee (COE). “If they were looking for transparency, why didn’t they hire a notary? Why didn’t they wait for me to commit some illegality so that they annul the elections? There was no illegality and the process was suspended, because we applied our statutes”.

Before the elections, the Ministry of Sports called the attention of the FEDA because it demanded requirements that were not in accordance with what is determined by the Sports Law. Bastidas indicates that the letter of the ministerial agreement (approval of the statute of each club) and the registration of the directory are requested: “They interpret ministerial agreement as a record with a ID number. Our statute says that the representative of the athletes has to be approved by the COE, and the other list says that it is not. That’s the controversy.”

Asked about his interest in continuing to manage the FEDA through his brother, the manager notes: “My brother has merits. I will not be on the list, although I can still apply. In chess there are principles. The work that we have done, and that we have recovered what former President Felipe Delgado left behind, was not recognized by the Sports Minister José Cevallos; he left a gloss of 30,000 dollars that he did not cancel, he left us two trials of two secretaries that had to be covered. Jaime has not been part of the board in my six years of management; he is a FIDE Master with 2,300 ELO (ranting), is coach of the Olympic team, national team”.

“All this work of six years I would like to continue with my brother. It is like when a president (of the Republic) comes out and wants his party to continue at the helm. Of course I want this to stay, and the most suitable person is my brother JaimeBecause he has been by my side. Of course, Martha Fierro deserved it, because she has also been by my side, on merit; but how to know if she is so capable, because the Martha of now is not the same as the one we have known before”. (D)