Switching countries

[Aussiebabe]

I might sound a bit contradictory here 'cos I'm really not sure what I think the rules should be. I do however feel a swimmer (or other sportsman!!) if invited to compete for another country should jump at the opportunity, but I would feel for those people left out of a team as a result.

We have a swimmer training with us who is an Australian National age-group winner (3 golds last year at 14) who has been invited to swim in Manchester for Fiji (his mother is fijian) After checking how this would effect possible future of representation for Australia, he's 99% sure he'll accept this invite which I feel will be valuable experiance should he break into the full Aussie squad.

In general however, I think that when people's links to their adopted country are vague to say the least and are only checked up on when they feel their first choice country's team is out of their reach it is pretty disgusting. Maybe if people considered the people who live, train etc and have no doubt about their home country, but lose out because of others with false or mixed alliances a few consciences might be awakened (well we could live in hope anyway!!)

That was definately contradictory, but I guess I draw a distinction between invited & uninvited switching of allegiances (do invitations to swim for other countries ever occur within the UK?)

[swimbabe]

NOW HEAR THIS!

NOTICE TO ALL COMMONWEALTH GAMES COUNTRIES

I hereby declare myself available to compete for you at the forthcoming Commonwealth Games. So please, just send me an invite, like Fiji have done to the aforementioned Aussie lad, and I will be in your team, ready to do my best and try win you some medals. I can do all strokes and distances (have finalled nationally in numerous events) but my best chances are probably in the 400 IM, 200 Fly and 800/1500 Free as not many people enter these, especially at the CG. I am not technically eligible to swim for anyone other than England but remember, as Aussiebabe pointed out, if you "invite" a swimmer to compete for you then that's okay.

I look forward to hearing from you.

[Chris]

But he has a Fijian mother, so he has every right to compete for Fiji !!!

Have you any Fijian relatives? :rolleyes:

[rogant stard]

That's taken the wind out of your sails swimbabe!
But good luck with trying to qualify for England.

[Deaks]

We had a lad choosen once for the GB World Champs SC Team for the 200m Breast, which was great before we informed the ASFGB that he was infact from Northern Ireland and had been picked to represent Ireland at the same competition.

He swam for Ireland...:rolleyes:

[lane4]

That doesn't sound like the ASFGB! Sure you're speaking about the correct governing body Deaks?

[Deaks]

Apologises if I am mistaken. Thinking about it, it could have been the other governing body. He defiently got choosen for both teams though but because he swam for an English Team he was assumed to be british.

[lane4]

Typical blazerati eh!
;)