Sports President Berit Kjøll hit back hard at former Sports President Tom Tvedt.
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According to Tvedt dan .’s statement criticism of Norway’s commitment to the Paralympics at VG yesterday, the current president of sports was very clear. He thought it was too easy to sit outside and criticize, and asked Tvedt to sweep the door himself.
– Yes, we have a big challenge in parasitism, although we are also successful in some areas. We have seen this for a long time. You can blame me as the responsible chairman of the board, but how about getting inside yourself, Kjøll told VG, with clear references to the former sports president.
– It must be a shame for Norway as a country with an army of 14-16 people, Tom Tvedt told VG on Friday.
Tvedt was president of the sport from 2015 to 2019, before the current president of the sport Kjøll took over the responsibility. A responsibility Tvedt believes he and the Norwegian Sports Confederation have not taken seriously enough when it comes to para-athlete and Paralympic endeavors.
– This shows that you have no strategic commitment in the Paralympic area. The responsibility lies with all of us. From the family, to the Olympic summit. In this area we see that there is no systematics. We missed the opportunity for athlete pairs to participate in the sports community. Individuals lose community, society loses perspective, but first and foremost it is sport and society that loses – because it’s about public health, says Tvedt.
Kjøll didn’t like the way Tvedt attacked.
– Easy with big words and touched by your own ambition, but action always gives the best result. The easiest is to sit outside criticizing, but my experience is that you do better by working well together toward a common goal. The way I experienced that we did in Norwegian sport today – also in the Para sports area.
Birgit Skarstein is probably the biggest parade sport profile. Like Tvedt, he believes that more needs to be done.
– We have the potential to include many more. It’s about purposeful work from time to time. You don’t recruit people for the Paralympics quickly, it’s about building athletes and troops long term. “I believe that we as a winter sports nation have the potential to do even better, and to have more athletes,” Skarstein told VG on Friday.
– Birgit Skarstein is absolutely right that it takes several years to build a strong team and ensure good signings. And that is precisely what we have laid as the foundation for today through the paradigm shift and revitalization of the recently adopted and launched Para strategy, answered Kjøll.
He explained his plan this way:
– It builds on much of the good work that has taken place in the organization over time, but also provides a more robust holistic approach to the practical implementation of the big push with solid partners and authority within the team. Special unions will be able to realize the goals and action plans that have been set, among others through the newly formed application scheme, where money follows actions and achievement of goals is a clear criterion.
Norway started the Paralympics with medals on the first day of competition, when Jesper Saltvik Pedersen took silver down hill.
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