The International Table Tennis Federation included as a full member of the body the Falkland Islands and the decision once again generated a deep debate regarding the sovereignty situation over the Argentine archipelago.
The decision of the Ittf was known after the Argentine Foreign Ministry and the national federation of that sport anticipated their rejection of the initiative that the disputed territory was listed as an independent member.
Speaking to Radio Provincia, the president of the Argentine Table Tennis Federation, Fernando Joffre, revealed the situation prior to what was announced by the ITTF at its last meeting held in the United States days ago: “Since we found out about this request for membership we have been working to prevent it,” the manager warned about it.
“We made contact with the Olympic Committee and the Foreign Ministry and conveyed our rejection in the assembly,” Joffre specified when referring to the speech presented before the international federation designed in conjunction with the political authorities of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
“We sent emails to all the countries of the world to support us ”, Joffre also said and regretted that the order had an adverse result anyway.
“The international federation is interested in having many affiliations, even if those affiliates do not even have athletes”Added the main table tennis leader in Argentina.
“The Falkland Islands are an integral part of the Argentine national territory and there cannot be two federations representing our country”Joffre emphasized next.
As clarified by the president of the national federation, “now is the time for the Foreign Ministry to continue the claim since there are issues that exceed us as sports leaders.”
Finally, Joffre said that “he is not going to join the islands in the South American Confederation”, of which he is part of its board of directors, but warned anyway that “it is not against an athlete from the Falkland Islands come participate in our federated circuit ”.
