Benfica this Tuesday criticized the Portuguese Judo Federation, as well as the president of this institution, in support of the judokas of the club and the coach Ana Hormigo, also coach of the eagles.
In a statement, the Reds say: “national judo urgently needs honest availability for dialogue”criticize Jorge Fernandes for “put the ego above the interests of the sport and the country”.
For the citizens of Lisbon, there are threats and pressure from the federated leader, a “Insidious desire to hold Benfica accountable” is “refusal in light of successive attempts at consensus”expressing total solidarity with Ana Hormigo, removed from the post of selector.
“Sport Lisboa e Benfica maintains full confidence in its Olympic judokas, who are not respected in this relationship with the president of the FPJ, with particular emphasis on Telma Monteiro”can be read in the note.
The lack of “strategy to guarantee athletes an Olympic preparation” harms the sport, the club believes, which again criticizes the chairman of the FPJ for being “not a solution for the future”.
Bloco de Esquerda (BE) and PSD have already requested parliamentary hearings on the ongoing dispute within national judo following the conflict between seven judokas, including six Olympic, and the federation.
The Secretary of State on Monday deplored the differences between athletes and the Portuguese Judo Federation, as there are situations in the sport that “need to be clarified”.
“I regret that common sense has not prevailed in the sport and given the accusations made by a group of athletes about the Federation, it is important to clarify some situations”said João Paulo Correia, on the sidelines of a visit to the facilities of Paços de Ferreira, a club in the I Football League.
The government official, who had previously mediated some disputes between athletes and the federation, said “he can’t pretend there isn’t a serious disagreement in the sport”, but believes “it can be resolved”.
In the summer, judokas such as Telma Monteiro, Catarina Costa, Patrícia Sampaio, Rochele Nunes, Bárbara Timo, Anri Egutidze and Rodrigo Lopes wrote a letter accusing the President of the Portuguese Judo Federation, Jorge Fernandes, of oppression, discrimination and threats, on the “unsustainable and toxic climate”.
The federation leader objected, saying that athletes have rights and duties and “cannot denigrate people’s image”, again refuting the accusations leveled at him in the open letter, recalling that with regard to the funds for the Olympic project “there is no money for everyone”.
Source: DN
