The first two years were altogether frustrating: there was no way anybody would actually understand the concept of an organization not based on power games and struggle over the faded reflection of Olympic gold. I almost gave up.
Brazil has been with the SSA for 3 years already. In the second year, 2009, we managed to found our national organization, the National Strength Alliance (Aliança Nacional da Força, ANF). Nothing happened because of the reasons above. We did organize a few meets, but through the GPC. The GPC is a very nice organization, easier to understand and digest in the local context.
Brazil is a complicated country, deeply divided by equally difficult trends: on the one hand you have the IPF national organization, which is 35 years old in Brazil, is financially stable and exerts substantial control over athletes through the mechanisms involved in a government assistance program called the “athlete fellowship”. On the other hand you have a sort of "everything goes" type of meet, embraced by different local organizations, some of which don't exist anymore.
Athletes were left “orphan”: those who were not willing to go back, or to go to the national IPF organization and those who had nowhere to go. Many of these "orphans" came to us, with a lot of preconceptions that range from attitude to powerlifting rules (or, rather, lack of rules).
As some organizations faded away, others gained the right, before the Ministry of Sports, to grant the athlete fellowship like the IPF BR-branch. The war over athletes got uglier, fueled by a complicated politics involving the government assistance program. The ANF lost many of its early supporters, who admitted that the money involved in the program as too relevant (about US$800,00/month).
The National Strength Alliance (ANF) was too young to claim that right. I must also admit that I was not willing to participate in this dispute. It seemed tantamount to being unethical. We now have “come of age” both to claim the government athlete assistance and other public support grants. What will become of us now depends on these factors as well. It would be naïve of me to simply turn my back on government support in the name of “peace in powerlifting”. There must be another way to peace that does not involve sacrificing the athlete community.
It was my decision to back up a little in 2011 and hold less meets. We are much closer to substantial support, but I believe we need to be cautious. Also, we – and by “we” I mean myself and a varying number of supporters – all have our jobs and commitments. We can’t afford much more.
The news is that we are presently organizing VERY small meets, no medals or trophies, no actual cost, but done properly: sound rules, good referees and good lifting. Which doesn’t mean heavy lifting.
A new culture depends on new minds – not necessarily those involved during so many years in the complicated issues I mentioned above. I have the support of the local Crossfit chapter – good friends. We’ll hold meets there – small, decent, friendly meets.
This is our new “experiment”: how many people are willing to admit that powerlifting is a marginal sport in the good sense, in the sense that it constitutes something that requires years of training for proper appreciation and therefore will hardly become popular? And, therefore, chose to have fun rather than chase an imaginary glory and wealth (where from, I wonder)? We will see, this year.
Marilia
