Mike Hack: I am hopeful that we can stage the competition next year in Australia

The 2021 Cycle Speedway World Championships are scheduled in Adelaide, Australia. The ICSF’s General Secretary hopes the event will be possible to run Down Under, but he also works on a plan 'B’.

Konrad Cinkowski (Twój Portal Żużlowy): Within less than a year, the ICSF World Cycle Speedway Championships will be held in Australia. How big the chance is that you will be able to run this competition in Australia?
Mike Hack (ICSF General Secretary): I am hopeful that we can stage the competition next year in Australia. Many people should have been vaccinated by then and I feel that will remove the biggest barrier to people travelling in eleven months time.

– What if the pandemic will stop but the restrictions remains? Australia intends to keep a quarantine until the end of 2021.
– Clearly, the decisions of the Australian government could rule out staging the championships. We will have a better idea in five or six months time, the same time as when we made the decision this year to postpone the Championships.

– What solution do you consider if Australia won’t be an option? Organization of competition in the UK or Poland or total cancelation of the championship?
– Those are options to be considered and agreed by the three main federations at the January meeting.

– What if Aussie Team won’t be able to come to Europe? Worlds will be held without them?
– My personal view is that we shouldn’t stage a World Championship tournament, if the Australians are either unable to stage them in Australia or come to Europe in 2021. But, it’s up to the three main federations to agree how we progress this matter. It’s worth noting that ICSF decisions are made by a majority vote of the three main federations’ delegates. The ICSF General Secretary compiles the agenda, chairs the meeting, participates in the debates and provides factual information, but doesn’t have a vote, unless it’s a casting vote in the event of a tie.

– When can we expect official statement about the Worlds?
– After the ICSF World Council meeting in January. I will contact the ICSF members shortly after this Sunday’s deadline for agenda items, with an agenda and we will arrange a mutually suitable date and time for an online meeting in January.