Last Saturday, the East Flemish champions were honored at Salons Mantovani in Oudenaarde. The greatest honor went to Tom & Marnik Van Gaver from Moortsele, who were crowned as the General Provincial Champion 2023. Undoubtedly a well-deserved victory for father and son, who had a true bumper year in 2023 and sent the competition weekly from pillar to post… Besides Tom, a remarkably large number of other young powerhouses also received flowers and trophies, a signal that pigeon sport is still coveted and often directed by the younger generation! A statement that we must all regard as a bright light in the darkness, despite the declining number of members and the 'downward spiral' that newly elected chairman Bart Piens mentioned in his opening speech.
Indeed, you read that right, East Flanders has a new leader. Somewhat surprising but, to say the least, refreshing! A man of one piece with his heart on his sleeve, that much is certain. Clearly someone who does not shy away from taking the bull by the horns and sharing his unvarnished opinion.
It didn't take long before stones were thrown:
“Although the Saturday releases went fairly normally, the Sunday releases were characterized by bad weather and postponed releases.”
With this, Piens already threw a significant wink at what he criticized later in more detail:
“In the project to put all East Flemish players on equal footing with the surrounding PE’s, we are not always supported. Take the interprovincial agreements as an example, a ball and chain. The current generation demands more free time and especially family time on Sundays. Managing does not work or is blocked by absurd agreements from the past that apparently cannot be escaped from. East Flanders is 59 km wide and 54 km high, but due to all the interprovincial additions, our province has become 70 km wide… Within this context, there are 3 flight lines and 3 interprovincial agreements that have put East Flanders in a stranglehold.”
Piens regrets the increase in the number of complaints, messages, and emails over the past months addressed to the provincial administration and wants to be surrounded by a committee that wholeheartedly goes for more renewal, a modern approach, and more simplicity and control in all its facets. He assures that 2024 “will be a turning point towards planning, persistence, simplicity, transparency, and more controls, with the goal of ensuring sporting fairness between enthusiasts, associations, and provinces.” He assures that he will take measures to promote or cancel any unfounded and/or unlawful decisions of individuals, associations, syndicates, and sectors.
To be continued...
Provincial Champions East Flanders 2023