Unsporting Practice in Thailand

[Thairider]

I have posted below the problems that foreigners have with getting UCI licences in Thailand. A problem that the UCI willfully refuses to acknowledge. Now we have more evidence of malpractice which 100% breaches UCI rules and the Olympic Charter at the Thai Cycling Association:

1. Licences should be issued to overseas riders living in a country other than their own. This year the Thais have asked foreigners to pay 5 x more than locals for this licence (breaches Article 3 of the UCI Constitution). They have also asked for evidence of residence. One rider paid the full amount, produced evidence (ie House book and visa stamps) as required but was refused a licence.

2. A Race in Thailand that awarded UCI points had a number of foreigners on the podium (photographic evidence) however the result submitted to the UCI was not the same as the actual result. There were no foreigners in their listing to the UCI, thus denying UCI points to overseas riders and garnering more points for themselves.

3. A non-Thai rider and UCI licence holder won two time trials held under UCI rules. The evidence that we have is the time that he was given was doctored so that the win went to a Thai rider not a foreigner.

4. A rider with half Thai nationality was given slower times in a UCI track meet for the 200m than he actually recorded so that he was unable to contest the finals against 100% Thais.

Make of this what you will. I am putting the evidence together in a dossier to present to the UCI. But so far Brian Cookson is refusing to get involved in this serious issue. Why?

 

[Thairider]

I just received a personal email by someone who pointed out the following: However, there is ONE thing to add here. The head honcho at the Thai Cycling Association (TCA) is a police general who knows nothing about the sport. I have been warned that crossing such people in Thailand is not a wise idea and that is why many foreigners do not complain about the treatment they have received/are receiving at the hands of the TCA.

 

[wirral]

Yes, inform the UCI, but also put it out anonymously on social media and ask official media to report it. Cheating in everything and anything possible is a national pastime in Thailand (e.g. in Malaysia and Singapore, "Don't Thai to me = Don't lie to me) and the heads of Thai sport associations are always very influential who are completely above the law.

However, they hate being called out and embarrassed on their cheating. Make it public and it will be reined in. It will never stop though, it is the national culture to bend the rules. Also, cycling is being heavily pushed by the current military administration, which is ultra-nationalist, so don't expect everything to be done by the rules.

Expose the cheating is the way to go. It sounds as if it is not very subtle.

 

[Anonymous]

Thanks for the errudite reply.

 

[avanti]

Sometimes you just have to accept things the way they are. In my state one needs to belong to two associations (one national and one local) to race in local and state championship races. hate the idea but not many riders care.

 

[Thairider]

Evil prevails when good men do not speak.

 

[Boeing]

Two Words make it worth the hassle: Bar Girls

 

[fatandfast]

I will say that this thread makes me smile from ear to ear. Really?? This is a problem? The UCI has let people get licenses all over for as long as I can remember. To contest national championships could be an issue, but otherwise it's a non-issue.
If you enter a pro race in Australia, N.America, Europe or Africa you will get you a$$ handed to you. You can be a "pretend pro" with payment to some corrupt agency but it's just a piece of paper in the end. I remember early in my racing days of meeting people who were either professional Cat 3 or 4's and wanted the feeling of being a winner so they sandbagged. At the other end guys would get licenses in S.America and then try and race Core Sates or the eqiuv.. They should have just mailed their money to some racer because they couldn't last any part of a mile in a pro race. I am unsure if the talent pool in Thailand but I would guess that there are some fast people like everywhere else.
If the UCI was smart they would have a couple of wild card teams for the Tour de France or Tour of California, lets say just allow anybody regardless of license status to join the race..lets say..250,000 euro enter fee. The pretend racers would be eliminated before the end of the first day of racing...netting the promoter a cool half million. Not to mention the belly laughs that the crowds would get seeing some Homer Simpson wanna-be racer get smoked.
I really don't see loose licensing criteria in Thailand being a threat to Thais or anybody else.

Many baseball fans will remember when LL baseball tried to ban Asian players from the LL World Series that is held in the US. Basically if you can't beat them, ban them didn't work in that case either.

If a group of officials write down a bogus time from a rider, you got a bigger problem than licenses.

 

[Thairider]

Re:

I will say that this thread makes me smile from ear to ear. Really?? This is a problem? The UCI has let people get licenses all over for as long as I can remember. To contest national championships could be an issue, but otherwise it's a non-issue.
If you enter a pro race in Australia, N.America, Europe or Africa you will get you a$$ handed to you. You can be a "pretend pro" with payment to some corrupt agency but it's just a piece of paper in the end. I remember early in my racing days of meeting people who were either professional Cat 3 or 4's and wanted the feeling of being a winner so they sandbagged. At the other end guys would get licenses in S.America and then try and race Core Sates or the eqiuv.. They should have just mailed their money to some racer because they couldn't last any part of a mile in a pro race. I am unsure if the talent pool in Thailand but I would guess that there are some fast people like everywhere else.
If the UCI was smart they would have a couple of wild card teams for the Tour de France or Tour of California, lets say just allow anybody regardless of license status to join the race..lets say..250,000 euro enter fee. The pretend racers would be eliminated before the end of the first day of racing...netting the promoter a cool half million. Not to mention the belly laughs that the crowds would get seeing some Homer Simpson wanna-be racer get smoked.
I really don't see loose licensing criteria in Thailand being a threat to Thais or anybody else.

Many baseball fans will remember when LL baseball tried to ban Asian players from the LL World Series that is held in the US. Basically if you can't beat them, ban them didn't work in that case either.

If a group of officials write down a bogus time from a rider, you got a bigger problem than licenses.

Off course, Thai officials are still turning a blind eye to the fact that they are preventing athletes from racing by not issuing them licences. The UCI Constitution states quite clearly that Federations must operate on the basis of non-discrimination etc. I wonder what would happen if the French or Swiss Federation started trebling the licence fees for women or immigrants. It would soon be stamped out!!