14 March 2011, 13:56
Mykola Tomenko: The State Committee for Television and Radio Broadcasting and Directors of the First National TV Channel ought to apologize to the National Biathlon Team and their Fans
Mykola Tomenko, Deputy Chairman of the Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine, is convinced that the State Committee for Television and Radio Broadcasting and directors of the First National TV Channel ought to apologize to the national biathlon team and their fans. He made this statement, commenting on the situation with the broadcasting of the World Biathlon Championship in Ukraine.
M. Tomenko stated that issue on training of the National Biathlon Team for the World Championship that finished yesterday in Russian Khanty-Mansiysk is quite demonstrative to explain the difference between the mere declaration of the authorities concerning sport support and real actions to provide it.
The Deputy Chairman emphasized that the National Ukrainian Biathlon Team which is one of the strongest in the world failed to receive state support in its trainings. As an example, M. Tomenko announced that official of the Ministry on Science and Education, Youth and Sport managed to purchase not the most expensive biathlon shooting cartridges in the world for training only which appeared to be good-for-nothing. Moreover, according to him, the Ukrainian Embassy in Russia and its consular agencies "resolved that it is not a remarkable event, thus the National Team does not deserve any support while the Championship is held."
However, M. Tomenko believes that it is most cynical that despite numerous appeals of the fans and officials and the public appeal of Inter-Faction Group "Healthy and Sporting Ukraine" to the State Committee of Television and Radio Broadcasting of Ukraine, women and men relay were broadcast by the First National Channel after 3 a.m.
Still, Mykola Tomenko informed that according to the information of the press service of the Organizational Committee of the World Championship, more than 110 states managed to provide live broadcast of the contests, not to mention EuroSport and other specialized sport channels. "Despite such ‘respect´ of our authorities and representatives of the state news channel, our men team occupied the third place in relay-race, while women team occupied the second place in women relay-race, having won bronze and silver medals respectively", Deputy Chairman reminded.
"Thus, the State Committee for Television and Radio Broadcasting and directors of the First National TV Channel ought to apologize to the national biathlon team and their fans, at least from ethical considerations, as they showed total disrespect and indifference on the part of the state", M. Tomenko summed up.