Nedan följer ett meddelande från TWIF:s ordförande Anton Rabe gällande Coronakrisen som på ett eller annat sätt drabbar ett stort antal människor världen över. Rabe uppmanar till lugn och att följa direktiven som gäller under denna oroliga tid.
Dear Tug of War Family,
Whilst we all struggle individually and as groups in our respective countries and communities with lock down of various intensities subject to the spread of the Covid-19 virus, I wish to re-iterate that we are not alone in this fight against an unseen global enemy.
Yes, we are in isolation and we need to stay home to limit social contact. In this isolation we are also strong because the better we isolate and break contact, the better us as individuals, the community and the collective will be. For many of us, we have been in isolation for many weeks, and for many of us it will still be many more weeks which seems like a lifetime. Fact is, that nobody know at this stage for how long the lock down will have to be maintained with different intensities in different countries. For that we must trust our leaders and medical experts.
But, we have also learnt from this experience. Suddenly it is not essential to fly or drive to meetings or have a hard copy of an agenda or minutes of a meeting. We can do it online. We do it electronically and in many inventive ways using apps and related tools.
As TWIF we will also have to adapt. We have already been forced to cancel our annual congress. The first time in 60 years. We will find ways in the coming weeks to deal with key governance matters such as finances and related issues we can approve on an electronic voting type basis. The detail will be communicated soon.
We will also have to adapt our international competition calendar which will have an impact not only on TWIF events, but also at national and at club level. Many sports and icon events such as the Olympics, Wimbledon, Formula 1, football and rugby leagues, etc had to be postponed and/or cancelled. This includes the postponing of the 2021 World Games to July 2022 which was communicated very recently. We will have to adapt and we will have to find compromises. Each and everyone of us will have to chip in our little bit.
So, although the world as we knew it will never be the same, my message to you all is to stay calm and to stay positive and to abide by the directives issued in your respective countries. Let’s take the good out of this and be stronger as a collective when we re-convene in the future.
We WILL get through this. Be part of the solution and let’s collectively “flatten the curve”.
Regards
Anton