“There is no way to do without an arbitrator”: how the conflict develops between Drachev and members of the board of the RBU

In the Russian biathlon, a scandal continues to develop, the reason for which was the disagreement between the president of the Russian Biathlon Union (RBU) Vladimir Drachev and several members of the organization’s board.

Sergey Chepikov and Sergey Tarasov refused to participate in the next meeting of the board, which discussed the format of the extraordinary reporting and election conference. They noted that they did not support colleagues who spoke in favor of an early change of power.

“In my opinion, if there are any complaints, then they can be discussed within the union. We decided the moment on the coaching staff. Biathlon is a sport of courageous people, defenders of the fatherland, so it’s unpleasant to see some kind of disagreement. This is wrong, ”RIA Novosti quoted Chepikov as saying.

The rumors that Drachev called on the regional federations to boycott the upcoming elections added fuel to the fire. The fact is that voting will not take place if 25 out of 50 representatives of organizations are not present. The president himself did not comment on this information, stressing that he does not have time for another debate with board members. In addition, it is not yet known whether he will take part in the meeting scheduled for July 11.

“Now I am making sure that our national team begins centralized work, there are a lot of questions. Many federations are in such a situation that they urgently need to prepare. But it’s easier for us than summer sports, ”said Drachev.

On the eve of the SBR, it was suggested that the federations supporting the incumbent president could indeed refuse to participate in the vote. However, board member Andrei Levunin urged them not to.

According to the head of the Biathlon Federation of St. Petersburg Dmitry Vasiliev, the alleged call of Drachev suggests that the functionary has something to hide.

“It is clear that his song is sung, but he can’t even leave beautifully without losing his dignity. If you want to confirm your legitimacy, then you should not call for a boycott, but, on the contrary, try to win in an open, honest and competitive struggle, convincing the regions that you have chosen the right path, ”quoted Vasilieva News.ru.

Two-time world champion Dmitry Yaroshenko commented on the scandal in the RBU. He admitted that it was unpleasant and at the same time ridiculous to observe the development of the situation, and expressed bewilderment that the parties could not come to a common denominator.

“This circus - and this is precisely the circus - is tired of everyone. I see this situation so that there is no way to do without an arbitrator. Both the board and the president do not want to step aside. And it turns out that the situation is stalemate that coaches are not approved without the president’s signature, and the board recommends other specialists, ”Yaroshenko said.

Perplexity about what was happening was expressed by the famous coach Alexander Privalov. He recalled that before such conflicts could not be considered.

“When this constant controversy is going on between the members of the SBR, I look and think: what have we come to? How could this all happen? They all pour mud on each other, such things say horror. When I worked, it was just the joy of the activity. The team was all right, everyone respected each other. There was friendship, so there were results. No one was out of work, ”Privalov said.

A few days ago, a press release appeared on the official website of the RRF, which confirmed that the reporting and election conference will be held on July 11. In addition, it was explained that the decision to hold early elections was influenced by the actions of Drachev, which led to "an administrative collapse and a catastrophic state of affairs." The statement was signed by First Vice President Aleksey Nuzhdov, Vice Presidents Viktor Maigurov and Yuri Vekshin, as well as board members Ivan Cherezov and Levunin.

Subsequently, it disappeared, and the organization explained his hit on the site as a technical error. Moreover, according to another version, the request to remove the press release came from the Minister of Sports of the Russian Federation Oleg Matytsin.

Dissatisfaction with the Drachevs began to grow back in April. First, the media had a letter on behalf of reputable functionaries, coaches and former biathletes. They linked the poor results of the team with the irrational actions of the head of the RRF, and also accused him of inability to establish relations with both Russian and international biathlon organizations.

In late April, the union’s board initiated early elections. The reason for this was a sharp criticism of Drachev against candidates for the coaching staff of the national team.

For two months, the parties continued to exchange mutual reproaches. So, Vasiliev criticized the functionary for a sharp deterioration in the financial situation of the SBR.

“How could financial activity in the RRF be brought to such a state? For two years, a disaster just happened. I don’t remember that. Even in the most difficult 90s, when there was no money at all, there wasn’t such a disgrace as it is now, ”Vasiliev complained.

It is worth noting that the conflict worries not only representatives of the Russian biathlon. The International Biathlon Union (IBU) said that they are closely following the development of the situation, but do not intend to intervene in it. And the Ministry of Sports expressed hope that soon the parties will be able to resolve the differences.

Extraordinary elections of the head of the SBR will be held on July 11 in Khimki. Privalov was appointed to the post of observer. The list of candidates for Drachev’s place will be formed after June 26.