Filc may try, he will challenge Chmelar

Today, in a time of global crisis, money is harder to find. Paradoxically, in sport certain projects are beginning to take shape – whether it was the reform efforts of the so-called “Tokos group” or the creation of a sports policy concept – but the state’s options seem to be shrinking. How do you intend to resolve this?
“I’ll put it the other way around – in the 13 years since the unfortunate decision by finance minister Brigita Schmögnerová, when sport was stripped of lottery revenues, the real amount of money has decreased by 55 percent. This has affected every sports federation. Perhaps it was even a strategic decision, because in a way it prevents the federations – who are losing part of their funding – from being able to agree on a common course of action. Everyone is guarding their own piece of the pie. When we, the so-called Tokos group, started trying to reform sport, the finance minister’s pledge was that over five years the money going into sport would double – but only on the condition that the reform would bring clear rules, which would then also be applied elsewhere.”

Let’s return to the divisions within the sporting movement – it seems as if there are two blocs, which was apparent both during the financing reform proposed by the Tokos group and in the preparation of an umbrella organization. Won’t these two blocs also show up in the election for president of the Slovak Olympic Committee?
“It may happen, but it will depend on how the people with the ballots perceive the argument I’m making. If the smaller federations fear that the system might deprive them, and since there are significantly more small ones who can outvote the large ones, then we can’t move forward. The essence lies in the legislation I mentioned – let’s guarantee the smaller ones that they will lose nothing, provided we succeed in moving things ahead.”

(Interview with Ján Filc)