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    #21
    Judging Committee
    W6OAT President Rusty Epps
    I4UFH Judge Fabio Schettino
    N6TR Judge Larry Tyree
    PY5EG Judge Atilano Oms
    S50A Judge Tine Brajnik
    UA9MA Judge Gennady Kolmakov
    73 Al 4L5A

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      #22
      Referees:

      4Z4DX dov GAVISH
      4Z5LA ROS BUNYATZADE
      9A1UN DAVOR KUCELIN
      9A5X Darko Martincevic
      9A6A Petar Milicic
      CE2SV(VE7SV) Dale Green
      CX6VM JORGE DIEZ
      DL6MHW Michael Hoeding
      DL8DYL Irina Stieber
      DL8LAS Andree Schanko
      E72T FUAD ARNAUTOVIC
      E74A Edin Gadžo
      EA5Y Salvador Domenech
      ES7GM/ES7A Kristjan Kass
      EY8MM Nodir Tursun-Zade
      F4DXW STEPHANE STEPH
      G0CKV Olof Lundberg
      G3XTT Donald Field
      G4BUO Dave Lawley
      G4IRN John Warburton
      HA0NAR Laszlo Radocz
      HA3LN Csaba Nagy
      HA5X Krisztian Hildebrand
      HB9CAT Marco Zollinger
      HB9DHG Fulvio Galli
      I2VXJ Giorgio Silvio Beretta
      IK1SPR Flavio Precisvalle
      IK2EGL Donato Cardarelli
      IK4VET Andrea Amati
      JH4RHF Jun Tanaka
      K5KG GEORGE WAGNER
      K5NA Richard KING
      KC7V Michael Fulcher
      KU5B Colin Jenkins
      M0CFW(JK3GAD) Kazunori Watanabe
      N2IC Steven London
      N6AN David Hodge
      N6TJ JIM NEIGER
      NP4G Otis Vicens
      NX4N Chris Blake
      OE2VEL Wolf KLIER
      OH1RX Jouko Häyrynen
      OH2KI Jorma Saloranta
      ON5RA Pascal Lierman
      PA3AAV Gert Meinen
      PJ2DX W0CG Geoffry Howard
      RA0AM Leonid Lishnev
      RA9USU Dmitry Zhikharev
      S50R Leo Xhoko
      S53ZO Simon Ravnic
      S57AW Robert Bajuk
      SP4Z Wieslaw Kosinski
      SV2DCD Leonidas Fiskas
      UW8SM Andrii Yanuliavichus
      VE9CB Dave (now VE3KG) Goodwin
      W0YK Ed Muns
      W1VE Gerald Hull
      W4LT Luis Romero
      W6NV Oliver Sweningsen
      W9KKN Bill Fehring
      WC1M Richard ("Dick") Green
      YL2KL Girts Budis
      YO8TTT Alexandru Mancas
      YT7AW Goran Hajosevic
      Z32TO Oliver Tabakovski
      ZL3WW DUSKO DUMANOVIC
      73 Al 4L5A

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        #23
        WRTC 2022 News 16 December 2022.

        WRTC 2022 Committee has defined the behavioral guidelines throughout the event by informing and having feedback from WRTC Sanction Committee.

        The qualification rules decided by WRTC 2022 Organizing Committee in 2018 are based on Area and not on Country and Team Leader has been selected to represent a Selection Area and not a Country.

        So, WRTC 2022 Organizing Committee has decided to NOT USE any Country identification, flags or hymns.

        Participants will be identified with their Selection Area ID.

        During all the official events, including but not limited to, open ceremony, closing ceremony, Competitors and Referee meeting, Contest itself and all other social events, organized by the WRTC 2022 Committee there will not be any Countries references.

        The wearing of the official shirts with no country-specific emblems are REQUIRED.
        73 Al 4L5A

        Comment

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          #24
          In my opinion, an absolutely shameful decision, which shows the complete spinelessness of the organizers of the competition.
          This decision does not contribute to the settlement of the issue in my opinion, but only further exacerbates the problem.
          Obviously, the organizers were not satisfied with the refusal of one team to participate in WRTC, due to their newfangled system of scoring and now they decided to humiliate all competitors!
          Maybe they should remove the name of their country from the WRTC name?
          The statement that the participants are not selected from specific countries is an absolute lie, and I've already given above confirmation of this.
          I think the organizers do not understand that their decision endangers the WRTC and I'm sure that many teams will either refuse to participate or violate this bad decision of the committee.
          Let the participants assign some prefixes instead of their call signs indicating belonging to a country.
          You can find a lot of prefixes with the number one, for example.
          And what to do with the sponsor team VE3DZ/UW7LL, which at first was declared as team Bandera, and later as team Ukraine and which collected money from radio amateurs exactly motivating it by that to allow one more Ukrainian team to act in competitions?
          Are they impersonal too? What zone do they belong to?
          I think WRTC in 2023 will be the biggest failure in the history of these competitions and as if they were not the last WRTC.
          73 Al 4L5A

          Comment

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            #25
            WRTC News. IK1HJS Carlo De Mari the president of WRTC 2022 has resigned.

            Carlo is great friend and its not surprise me really.
            73 Al 4L5A

            Comment

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              #26
              WRTC 2022 (2023) very predictably developed into a propaganda circus when mainly contesters from previous Soviet republics wanted to create politics of the event. The first mistake people do is to equalize Ham Radio Contesting with Olympic Games or World Championships in real sports. The reason why Russia has been banned from such events, is of course the huge publicity impact on the global TV audience such events have. Countries may exploit the events for their own marketing/propaganda benefits, and success in Olympics or World Championships for athletes from certain countries, may then end up in a PR success for the country that has used military force against another territory. I can understand theoretically why such boycotts take place, when billion of spectators around the world is watching sportsmen participate.

              However, to compare WRTC with the "Olympics of Ham Radio Contesting" only has one purpose - namely to use the argument that Russian and Belarus contesters should not be allowed to participate at all. However, Amateur Radio Contesting is NOT a PR potential for any country. Even if Russian teams in WRTC 2022 (2023) should win gold, silver and bronze medals, this would never have any influence on overall perception of Russia. Simply because Contesting is not a Real sport with paid athletes, billions of USD in advertisement funding, one Billion or more spectators on TV around the world. To claim the analogy with sports is then just a reason to push own political agendas.

              Amateur Radio is a apolitical and areligious hobby and not a commercial sport activity. Therefore, the fundament for WRTC should be different than for public sports events. Ham Radio is a hobby that has managed to remain fairly non-political for most of its existence. Exceptions and greyline activities did always occur, but the hobby was healthily free from political abuse and manipulation. This started slowly in the previous two WRTC, following the events in Ukraine 2014. I personally witnessed ugly behavior and attempts to politicize WRTC then. Luckily enough, it somehow was controlled. However, following Feb 24th 2022, Pandora's box was opened. Without going into details of who were responsible for inflicting serious damage on Ham Spirit, my decision was very clear. I had applied for a Referee post in WRTC 2022 before the political trick appeared from VE3DZ and UW7LL. A 100% outspoken ambition to use a Sponsor Team as a tool to inject poisonous politics into WRTC succeeded. This team managed to get enough naïve contesters to support them with money, so they could end up as a Political Propaganda Team in Bologna. As soon as this became a fact, I refused to be a Referee in WRTC. Some people invented that I was too outspoken on this matter, and was requested to withdraw as a referee. This is not at all true.

              I simply easily could foresee the development that now subsequently has followed on the WRTC 2022 Reflector. The attempt of getting a political propaganda team into WRTC succeeded, and those behind the trick began to breathe more oxygen, and started the easily predicted push to question Russian participation at all in WRTC. My decision to withdraw as Referee was very logical and correct. I would under no circumstances be part of a Ham Radio event that had developed into a political circus.

              The debate about flags, symbols and behavior rules is doomed to fail. There will be no winners or losers, apart from the fact that Amateur Radio will be a BIG loser due to a noisy minority of Non Ham Spirit Hams, using Ham Radio for their own political purposes.

              My good friend Steve, KL7SB, came up with the only reasonable proposal: Due to the current geopolitical situation, better postpone WRTC two or more years. I would say, just keep the 2022 + 4 years interval, and aim for a fresh restart in 2026. By then, we will have a much better understanding of what has happened, and possibly a realistic chance of bringing together contesters again, without the risk of physical violence or even worse in a presumed 2023 event...

              The only relevant comparison to the Olympic games should be a copy-paste of the cancelled games 1940 (Helsinki) and 1944 (London). The magnitude of the conflict between Russia and Ukraine (or rather 52 countries supporting Ukraine with weapons and finances) is definitely to be compared with Second World War. Therefore, cancelling Bologna 2023, and trying to restart again (in Bologna) 2026, with the same qualified teams, would be the ONLY feasible way out from this disaster.

              To push for a WRTC in 2023 would be the last nail in the coffin for WRTC. Please do not push that far.

              73 de Mats RM2D (SM6LRR)
              Referee WRTC 2010, 2014, 2018 (and chosen for 2022-2023, but rejected)

              Comment

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                #27
                Hi Mats!
                There is a big difference between the position of the Olympic Committee and that of the WRTC.
                First of all, it is the federations, not the Olympic Committee, that make bans on the participation of Russians.
                In our case, the only federation can be the IARU.
                If the Olympians are allowed to compete they are allowed to compete under the Olympic flag.
                In our case, if we talk about flags, under which flag should the participants compete?
                Participants should participate using the flags of SRR or IARU?
                There are no zone flags.
                To deprive representatives of other countries of the right to compete under the flag of their country is nonsense.
                Of course, the decision to move the WRTC may be a way out in this situation, but the behavior of the organizing committee WRTC does not show any determination on their part.
                Mens without balls.

                At the same time, I would like to point out that the process of deepening disagreements, rather than finding compromises, is currently in full swing.
                There is a feeling that the participants from Russia are satisfied with any decision of the organizers.
                Look at the composition of the WRTC committee:
                Tine Brajnik, S5ØA, WRTC-2000
                President, WRTC Sanctioning Committee
                Velike Lipljene 24
                1311 TURJAK
                Slovenia
                Email: tine.brajnik@gmail.com

                K1DG, Doug Grant, WRTC-2014
                Secretary, WRTC Sanctioning Committee
                56 Steele RD
                Derry, NH 03038
                USA
                Email: DougK1DG@gmail.com

                WRTC Sanctioning Committee Members

                Dan Eskenazi, K7SS, WRTC-1990
                Bob Cox, K3EST, WRTC-1996
                Rusty Epps, W6OAT, WRTC-1996
                Robert Bajuk, S57AW, WRTC-2000
                Jouko Hayrynen, OH1RX, WRTC-2002
                Jukka Kulha, OH2MA, WRTC-2002
                Atilano Oms, PY5EG, WRTC-2006
                Sergio Almeida, PP5JR, WRTC-2006
                Harry Booklan, RA3AUU, WRTC-2010
                Roman Thomas, RZ3AA, WRTC-2010
                Randy Thompson, K5ZD, WRTC-2014
                Christian Janssen, DL1MGB, WRTC-2018
                Michael Hoeding, DL6MHW, WRTC-2018

                Does the WRTC committee have force?
                It certainly does!
                Who from the former Soviet Union is on the committee?
                Only Russians.
                So why accuse the radio amateurs of the Baltic countries?
                They express their position and have every right to do so.
                And now let's see who represents Russia in the committee RA3AUU and RZ3AA/R5AA/P35A.
                Are not those Russians, who fervently supported the decision of the CQ WW committee, destroying the rights of the Russian competitors, and in my opinion, not only Russian, but radio amateurs around the world.
                Look at the list of the WRTC committee there are all the same people who made the decision in CQ WW contests.
                Let's look at the list of participants of WRTC from Russia, and we see that there are the same people, who supported and legitimized these anti-amateur decisions and called everyone else to do the same.
                What are we talking about then?

                Well, everything is clear with CQ WW and their collaborators, but what have other Russian radio amateurs done?
                The idea of creating the Ham Spirit Contest was given, but they completely perverted it by giving it a bright political coloring, often defaming the radio amateurs of other countries.
                I consider both of them as disrespectful and people who by their actions destroy our hobby.
                73 Al 4L5A

                Comment

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                  #28
                  Al,

                  You have a number of valid points. and I will not enter into any deeper debate of disagreement on the few points where we have differing view.

                  Yes, the acceptance of the harassment of Russians in CQWW is disgraceful. Both by those behind the treatment that ends up with:

                  - Good to have Russians as QSO cattle. to make WW contests more interesting than the initial WPX, where Russians were not valid contacts for points and multipliers

                  - But make sure that Russians are not eligible for awards (not even electronic PDF awards) and plaques. If a Russian (God Forbid) wins a plaque, the guy should take his hat off, bow in front of the whole audience and gladly hand over that plaque to the next in line, who is not Russian. Simply nonsense.

                  And by those Russians that allowed this "bad compromise" to appear. If I was a representative of CQWW CC, Russian or non-Russian, I would never agree to remain a member with such a decision taken. I would proudly step down as a clear sign that I disagree with bullying treatment of one or two nations. I do not accept radio racism at all.

                  I disagree that Ham Spirit Contest gave a bright political coloring. Yes, it is not ideal to have two contests competing against each other, but one is the result of the other. If CQ had realized that Russians are needed for a good CQWW, and Russians should be treated equally (without Radio racism), then Ham Spirit Contest would not have existed. Until the rules of CQWW are the way they are, I will not work CQWW (of own simple self-respect). I can not even believe my eyes that serious Russian contesters disgraced themselves by working this clown contest, with the existing discriminating rules. But that is their problem.

                  Yes, I sincerely repeat my opinion, that WRTC 2023 Management should take a serious thinking during the holidays, and try to picture how WRTC will look like with these inbuilt very negative political tensions. I am extremely happy that I had the guts to take the decision to withdraw, and I think a lot of other guys will think twice after appearing in Bologna, with this awkward situation in front of them. Somebody need to step up here, and take a courageous decision, otherwise Ham Radio contesting will have a decade-long desert walk at least... I do respect that our Italian friends have a very troublesome situation, both with COVID and now this, but after all, WRTC is not ruled by IARU. They need to work within the framework of the organization they have. Together with the sanctioning committee, they must show decision-making capabilities of world class....

                  Merry Christmas and Happy New Ham Spirit Radio Year!

                  73 de Mats RM2D (SM6LRR)
                  Last edited by RM2D; 12-24-2022, 11:54 PM.

                  Comment

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                    #29
                    It is interesting that the WRTC organizing committee is silent as if nothing is happening.
                    I think in this situation, or you need to give up politics, or since the politics, then the only policy, which can be followed by the representatives of the organizing country is not to allow the participation of participants from Russia.
                    73 Al 4L5A

                    Comment

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                      #30
                      Message from Tonno, ES5TV:
                      Dear participants and organizers of WRTC,

                      I have been patiently waiting for ca half a year now for the organizers of WRTC to understand the serious concerns of many teams regarding the participation of entrants from the terrorist state using terrorist symbolics and to follow many international sports organizations. We are witnessing daily next to our borders the most appalling atrocities and senseless murders of innocent civilians committed by the russian nazi regime supported by large share of russian population including many ham radio operators. We see known hams openly supporting the genocide in Ukraine, composing kill lists and threatening the rest of us with nuclear attack. Many others simply feeling no shame for what their country is doing.

                      Still I was trying to find a way for WRTC to happen and made the most reasonable proposal of russian teams competing under neutral flags as in many other sports. Looking at the twisted mindset of some of them, even that would be very hard for many of us to accept but it would be a compromise to try to save our games and avoid obvious conflicts.

                      By now it has become clear that the organizers of WRTC have instead started to prohibit the entrants from the rest of the world to use their national symbolics. That is unprecedented and outrageous. It is spitting into the face of our suffering Ukrainian friends and the rest of the free world entrants.

                      To me it is clear that there are two options here - the organizers see nothing wrong in the russian agression in Ukraine and are not able or ready to condemn it or they are under the influence of russian money which is even worse. One way or the other, it becomes impossible for me to participate in this event. When we come we proudly carry our flags like we have always done in WRTC. The organizers are killing the idea or WRTC as ham radio olympics and those games should never happen in this way. The spineless attitude of the organizers is a shame for the whole WRTC idea and concept. I also find it surprising and sad that the Sanctioning Committee is not able to step up here.

                      In case this most cynical approach is maintained I will be forced to withdraw from this competition and believe many other entrants will step up against such mockery of WRTC history and future and announce their withdrawal as well. We still have time to set this right.

                      73
                      ES5TV
                      73 Al 4L5A

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