OLYMPIC MEMBERSHIP?

Our country participates in the world of international sport in the FIFA World Cup, the European Football Championship, the Rugby World Cup, the Commonwealth Games. However, when it comes to the Olympic Games, our athletes compete have no choice but to participate as part of a Great Britain team. Yet over the last couple of weeks we have seen athletes from across the globe competing in the Olympics competing for states, nations, territories and unrecognised peoples and nations. 

Amongst the multitude have been athletes from Guam (population 159,358 in 2010) and São Tomé and Príncipe (Democratic Republic of São Tomé and Príncipe) with a population of 163,784 (in 2010), incidentally Swansea has a population of 232,500 (ONS) and Nauru (population 9,378 (in 2011) and Palau with a population 21,000 (Penarth has a population 20,396 in 2011 census) and Greneda (population 110,000) have been competing.

Now Olympic membership is not about population or political independence as non independent parts of other countries (notably Hong Kong) are able to compete - so why not Wales? Perhaps we need an Olympic Committee to actively press the case?

This would be start, aside from having to deal with hostility from the Westminster Government, a combination of inertia and indifference from the Labour in Wales in Cardiff, and also there would be the issue of self interest from the athletic associations who would no doubt object (perhaps motivated by the prospect of various gongs, trinkets and baubles and other inducements disappearing).

Aside from better sports funding there should be extra funding for education (in England) as an improvement in the educational system in England is necessary as some people (particularly commentators and media pundits) seem to be unable to tell the difference between Team GB (football) and England. Not to mention being unable to tell the difference between a national anthem and the anthem of a state.

At present Olympic Committees (admittedly as yet unrecognised) exist for Catalonia, Gibraltar, French Polynesia, Niue, Kosovo, Somaliland, New Caledonia, Kurdistan, Northern Cyprus, Abkhazia, the Native Americans, the Northern Mariana Islands, Anguilla, Montserrat, and Turks and Caicos Islands. If they can do it so can we, so why not Cymru / Wales?

JUST SAY NO!

The Western Mail (Saturday 10th March) carried an article about the selection for the Team GB football team for the 2012 London Olympics. They tried to pas sit off as some sort of debate over whether players from Celtic nations should be involved. Andrew RT Davies, Welsh Conservative leader at the National Assembly, proved that he clearly does not get it or chooses not too. While Plaid AM for South Wales West, Bethan Jenkins got it spot on.

The continued existence of an independent Welsh international football team, especially through the temporary emergence of a Team GB football team, is non negotiable. The UK Government simply does not get it and is probably incapable of getting it. Why would an English sports minister have the slightest concern about the future of the Welsh national football team? FIFA's word is clearly not good enough, the organisation is tainted with a long and recent history of corruption and some very questionable financial dealings.

 Our Football Association of Wales is one of the world's oldest football associations and is an important symbol of our nation.The game in Wales is undergoing a renaissance at the moment and Welsh footballers and Welsh teams have a higher profile than for a while domestically and internationally - this should not be threatened under any circumstances. The football associations of Northern Ireland, Scotland and Wales have pretty clearly stated (on more than a few occasions) that they are not interested in a Team GB football Team, which bit of NO don't the London Olympic Organisers understand?

WHICH BIT OF 'NO' DON'T YOU GET?

The knowledge that the UK Government has accepted FIFA assurances that Welsh football independence would not be threatened by the creation of the 'British Olympic football team' does not surprise me. Aside form the fact that we are not necessarily dealing with the sharpest tools in the box here, the problem may be made more complicated by the problem of differentiation. By this I mean there are some people who have real difficulty differentiating between British and English - ask someone in Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland and you may get a straight answer, especially when it comes to sport.

Nothing should be allowed to threaten to undermine the continued existence of an independent Welsh international football team, especially the emergence of a temporary Team GB football team. The UK Government simply does not get it and is probably incapable of getting it. I mean why would an English sports minister have the slightest concern about the future of the Welsh national football team? FIFA's word is not good enough, the organisation is tainted with a long and recent history of corruption and questionable financial dealings.

Our Football Association of Wales is one of the world's oldest football associations and is any important symbol of our nation.The game in Wales is undergoing a renaissance at the moment and Welsh footballers and Welsh teams have a higher profile than for a while domestically and internationally - this should not be threatened under any circumstances. The football associations of Northern Ireland, Scotland and Wales have pretty clearly stated (on more than a few occasions) that they are not interested in a Team GB football Team, which bit of NO don't the London Olympic Organisers understand?

WHICH BIT OF 'NO' DON'T YOU GET?

The somewhat incandescent response from the Welsh, Scottish and Northern Ireland football associations to the announcement of Great Britain football teams for the 2012 Olympic Games should not have come as any great surprise to the British Olympic Association (BOA).

The other home nations FA's (outside England) have long made it more than clear that they are absolutely opposed to any suggestion that there be a joint 'British Football Team', and they have justifiably found the tone adopted by the BOA in making the announcement decidedly provocative if not patronising.

There is no new agreement, there was no old one, there is no falling in line and the distinct possibility that hell would have to freeze over before there is one. This is not news the position held by the Welsh, Scottish and Northern Irish FA's is not a new one.

The basic belief that if the other home footballing nations (Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland) rally behind the Union flag for the Olympics, then world governing body FIFA may well in time, perhaps not in the next few years but eventually, decide to make the joint team a permanent fixture, is an entirely sound one.

The risk is too great and the price that could be paid far, far too high, regardless of any muttered assurances from Fifa that any participation in a joint Olympic team will have no bearing on their national autonomy, in light of FIFA's instability is absolutely not worth taking.