walked out

[kix_jgn]

I played in our recent national open. during the semifinals, one of the fencers got pissed off with the audience even before the start of their bout. They were teasing her because of an equipment failure on her side of the piste. She walked out and was not even stopped by another coach who happens to be her father. The head coach for that specific event got mad that he tear into pieces the recording sheet (is that how you call it?--where you put the results?) and stopped all bouts left and sent the fencers and the audience home.....what sanctions should be given or what do you think will happen to the fencer who walked out, to the coaches, and to the other players regarding their rank for this month. thank you.

[pkt]

It's a bloody mess when it coems to that.

It sounds to me
1. the ref lost control of the situation: he could have cleared the gym of audience if he really wants to do it, i.e. blackcard the audience...;
2. the fencer who abandoned the match should learn to know the darker side of life better and learn to live with it;
3. the coach who tore up the score sheet should learn to do with less testosterone and use his head more;
4. the audience is very childish and disrespectful and should be balckcarded for unsportsmanlike behaviour.

That said, it's up to the organisers to file a complaint to the USFA and see what sanctions there are... The fencer who walked out could be sanctioned, suspended from participating in tournaments. I'm Cdn, so I don't know if the USFA have a Code of Conduct.

PK

[Strytllr]

Umm,

I doubt the USFA would have much of anything to do with it since it seems that this situation happened in the Philippines...

All in all, I think it's a right bloody mess too. Don't know what should have been done...

[GGK]

Pacifiers all around.

[D'Artagnan1673]

you forgot the diapers.

[edew]

Don't escalate by getting angry. Let her walk out, award her (in her absence) a black card and go on from there.

[Grey]

I would support the Fencer who left. You really have no idea how debased people can get when they want to insult a person. Perhaps its more of a matter of tradition and culture with it being in philipines rather than us or any other country.

[CarlKnoch]

Even though it may seem harsh, I would agree with edew. Black card the girl and lets move on. If the referee thought that the audience was being really poor sports he could have easily done something about it, but he didn't. So he must have felt it wasn't that bad. Black card for the girl and we move on to the next bout.

[dreadfoily]

Sanctions Sanctions, the world wants more sanctions against a poor girl in the Phillipines who was trying to fence. I would like to know what the so-called "teasing" was about, I would like more quotes before I vote on this one.

[Grey]

Ever thought about a scenario where your opposing fencer has at least 20-30 people gathered round the strip to support him? That the referee is being bias in his favour and that your opponent has a very high tendency to scream and shout whenever he is touched or has touched you? More over his supporters are all shouting advice to him and the referee lets it be? Thats about how bad it can be.

[Boo Boo]

Originally posted by Grey
Ever thought about a scenario where your opposing fencer has at least 20-30 people gathered round the strip to support him? That the referee is being bias in his favour and that your opponent has a very high tendency to scream and shout whenever he is touched or has touched you? More over his supporters are all shouting advice to him and the referee lets it be? Thats about how bad it can be.

Been there (although, I have to admit, not with a biased referee...), done that...

As a competitive fencer you have to learn to block these things out and - if it helps - scream louder than your opponent

Yes a referee should keep order on and around the piste, but this fencer was unprofessional. I agree (as much as you can without actually being there..) with edew and Carl. It sounds as though no-one handled the event well at all: fencer, referee and organisers - what a complete mess...

Boo

[Masterurethane]

I support the girl here.

If someone is being ridiculed, you can't expect them to tolerate it, I know I wouldn't. And you can't really stop a person form walking out. So I would have to award the bout to the other fencer, and carry on from there.

Also make the audience feel guilty.

[Kemijaba]

The ref should have done something with the crowd, but there is no excuse for the fencer just to walk off strip. She could have respectfully asked the ref to do something about the crowd or she could have just dealt with it. Like others have mentioned, as a true competitor, you must be able to perform in hostile environments. That's a true test of your skill and mental prepartion IMO. Black card for the girl, and if the audience/coaches are a continuous problem, have the guilty parties in the audience and the coaches removed. Youmust maintain order as a ref.

[Grey]

The "BIAS" Referee comes into play... Thats when your pleas for right-of-way in attacks and stuff becomes called against you... the people jeer at you at the referee pretends it perfectly normal for people to jeer at you. Thats what happened I suppose. Patience is a virtue, staying around to be laughed at is not a virtue.

[MikeHarm]

If all they hafta do is get someone to laugh at you and you'll walk on your DE, once people find out it'll be almost like a free bye for your competitors.

[Kemijaba]

Sorry, maybe it seems harsh, but I don't have pity for someone who can't handle pressure. It's the name of the game...

[Grey]

Mob Mentality can be very demoralizing at times.

[veeco]

I've been in bouts and I have seen bouts where it was clear that one of the fencers didn't want to be there.

Recently for example I was at a tournament and I saw two teammates fencing. It was clear that one of them had the edge and was going to win (he won 15-1, in an epee bout). The other fencer had his wife and kid watching. Yet he didn't give up, and continued on fencing, trying his best. This is what sports is about. You don't give up, ever. You try to do your best. Otherwise why compete?

[blue_falcon]

Originally posted by Grey
I would support the Fencer who left. You really have no idea how debased people can get when they want to insult a person. Perhaps its more of a matter of tradition and culture with it being in philipines rather than us or any other country.

After seeing the aftermath of some disputes (non-fencing related, of course) in the Philippines, I'm actually glad that there was no blood shed in this incident!

But yes, people back there CAN get quite nasty. Problem is, they don't really consider what the possible consequences are of such teasing -- like I said, blood has been shed on the tiniest of premises!

[Kemijaba]

Originally posted by veeco
You try to do your best. Otherwise why compete?

Exactly.