Arabian Gymnastics club announces today with a heavy heart that we are withdrawing all 11 gymnasts from the regional finals championships due to the actions of the Southern Region committee headed by Hazel Field.

Hazel and her members have decided to allow a club to enter direct into the finals gymnasts who failed to enter the qualification competition. We feel this is a gross error of judgment.

Furthermore we feel it is totally unfair on ALL gymnasts who worked very hard to qualify but even harder on those that fell short of their qualification score, through either nerves on the day or just unfortunate errors.

The clubs’ Head Coach offered to lead the girls, (some defending Regional Champions), under protest but as long as medals won by any gymnast who had not qualified did not take away from those that had qualified as per the rules, i.e. jointly placed.

He equally said that if the parents felt it was necessary to make  a stand for fairness in sport and to show that rules are rules, he would uphold their decision if they felt they should boycott the event as  a form of protest to what could be seen as cheating.

Due to the serious nature of the situation he felt it only right that 22 adults would possibly have a more level headed approach in discussing the situation and making the correct path forward, than a coach who dearly did not want his girls to miss out but also knew that you have to stand up to principals and fairness to all.

The Head Coach withdrew from the room and the parents unanimously voted that he withdraw their children from the event under the principle that the Southern Region (British Gymnastics) have not acted in a proper and fair way to all clubs and participants.

The decision is in protest of the ruling by Southern Region. As for the said club that has managed to enter its gymnasts without qualifying, although we feel strongly that this is a gross miscarriage of fairness on other gymnasts, we hold no ill will against the club or coaches who in the end have only acted in the best interests of their club and gymnasts, and clearly have succeeded.

To their gymnasts we wish them the very best as our feelings are not directed in any way shape or form to those gymnasts or their club.

We are acting on the interests of not just our gymnasts but also for other gymnasts who qualified through the correct channels and for future competitions

For all parents to vote unanimously says a great deal about this club. Even the parents of gymnasts in the competition who aren’t directly affected and also defending champions all agreed to boycott. This action has been taken to send a signal out to British Gymnastics that they have under estimated the feeling of their customers at their lack of interest in playing by the rules.

The exceptional circumstances given, are deemed not acceptable and good enough reasons to allow direct entry.

Arabian will seek to be reimbursed for monies paid out by the parents on the grounds that entry was done so on the basis that all gymnasts were entered having qualified correctly, as this is now not the case, the club will take no part in the competition and expects a full refund.