Spanish lie in a response to Azerbaijani hospitality

...April 20 of 2008. Happy head coach of the Spanish team Paulo Usoz gives interview to mass media representatives. His team has defeated the Azerbaijani team by a score of 3:2 in a determined fight, however, not without the referee mistakes, as was seen, and got a right to play in the Beijing 2008 Olympic Games. The coach is glad and satisfied, however, he does not forget to make a couple of compliments addressed to the rival and organizers of the contest, which, he thinks, was perfect.

Who could ever imagine at that time that within a month Usoz will say quite the opposite things? As soon as the information about positive results of the doping test for two players of the Spanish team was made public, the statements of the head coach and other representatives of the team became defamatory and false.

"Everything, which occurred in Baku, was dreadful", thus the coach changed his mind completely, "They have done everything to defeat us, but they could not manage. I suspect that the story of doping was their last attempt to get to the Olympic games".

This is not the most terrible and blatant announcement, voiced by the Spanish side. Now judge yourself about the fantasy of the ungrateful guests:

"Four of our hockey players were poisoned with gas, flowing to their rooms via the conditioning system".

"The players complained that they were not able to sleep due to constant phone calls to their hotel rooms".

"Some of our players fell bad after they drank water, offered by the organizers".

"Our girls fell victims of sabotage: banned substances were added to their food".

Isn't it dreadful? It can be used as a script for a mystic thriller. And now let's clarify whether the Spanish side has grounds to make such announcements.

Let's begin with the fact that all team members of the qualification tournament were suggested to choose between two hotels-Crescent Beach and Absheron, approved and ratified by the Federation of International Hockey (FIH). Yet the Spanish team made its own decision to stop in the Park Inn hotel.

The guests from Spain rejected the translator services, offered by the Azerbaijani side, not speaking of food? They rejected almost everything that organizers could propose them and thus in line with the FIH charter released them from the responsibility for everything which could happen to them in Baku. Therefore, it is surprising to see their smear accusations addressed to Azerbaijan's Field Hockey Federation, as they have fully rejected its help.

Even if we imagine that some of the announcements are true, a question arises: why did not they make an official appeal to the FIH representatives during the tournament? Why did not they appeal to the head doctor of the tournament, who is neutral and Swiss by nationality? The answer is that the Spanish have made it up after their tour to Beijing was endangered.

But what is their purpose? Do they really hope that the officials of the federation and World Anti-Doping Agency would believe their tales? Fortunately, the April hockey tournament was not the first large international contest in Baku and the previous ones were held on a high level and received numerous compliments of the visitors.

Another nonsense: this was Azerbaijan, that demanded to take doping test from the hockey players. Absurd! Why should we demand the thing that is envisioned by the regulation of WADA independent experts? The doping test following each game was passed by two players from both sides and the results of all analysis, except for two Spanish, did not arise any suspicions.

...Well, now we should wait for the declaration of the results of the B-doping test. It should be reminded that under the FIH rules, if doping tests of over than one sportsman are positive, the whole team will be banned.

Anyway, whatever the end is, the Spanish lie will not remain unpunished. It would be magnificent if punishment comes immediately and Azerbaijani players and coaches are called back from vacations urgently. There is no need to explain for what purpose.

/Day.Az/