Athens-Skopje name dispute hits sporting world

04-08-2017

The European Handball Federation (EHF) opened proceedings against the Greek Handball Federation. [Marc/Flickr]

The Greek ministry of foreign affairs said on Thursday (3 August) that Macedonia violated a 1995 interim agreement after they started playing a handball match wearing jerseys with the name ‘Macedonia’ printed on them.

During the Women’s 17 EHF Championship in Skopje on Tuesday (2 August), the Greek national team left the court after 32 seconds of their scheduled match against the home team in protest at the fact that team officials were wearing clothing with the name ‘Macedonia’ displayed.

The European Handball Federation (EHF) opened proceedings against the Greek Handball Federation following the match and the Disciplinary Committee found that the team had an obligation to play the match according to the regulations of the EHF.

It excluded the Greek federation from further participation in the event and the Greeks were also fined €25,000 after their appeal was rejected.

Brussels refutes claims that it will make UK sport teams wear EU flag

The EU this weekend scolded the British tabloid press for claiming it is demanding that its flag be flown at sporting events and displayed on team shirts.

The interim agreement

The Greek ministry of foreign affairs reacted to the EHF’s ruling and backed the decision of the Greek handball team.

Athens stressed that Skopje violated the ‘interim agreement’ which was signed in New York in 1995 and formalised bilateral relations between the two countries.

It said that according to the agreement, the former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia (FYROM) can only enjoy membership of international federations under its provisional name.

“Once again, it turns out that FYROM, after joining any international organisation, is trying to break the Interim Accord and impose its constitutional name,” the Greek ministry said in a statement.

New Macedonia PM signals willingness to tackle row with Greece

Macedonia’s new Prime Minister, Zoran Zaev, has signalled a possible shift in the country’s sour relations with neighbouring Greece, which have blocked Skopje’s efforts to join the European Union and NATO.

Comments

6 responses to “Athens-Skopje name dispute hits sporting world”

ayapi says:

04/08/2017 at 21:37

That staff on EHF that unethically pretended they don’t notice the former Yugoslavians abusing the name Macedonia to promote irredentism are patronizing Greek hating bigots.

I would happily support the Greek team leaving the lead entirely and banning EHF staff from visiting Greece in protest of the fine.

ayapi says:

04/08/2017 at 21:39

Hey EHF what did the SLAVS that you ridiuclously claim are “ethnic” Macedonians mean by the giant Alexander statue in ancient Paeonia? Greek hating evaders.

Alex Sapkar says:

05/08/2017 at 03:26

Elefterios, there are no positives with the modern Greek nation claiming to be ancient Hellene and then using that to deny anyone else in the region any heritage.
Now the fact that you are using those examples and that you have made up your mind that all Macedonians are Slavs – one would then (if they didnt understand the topic) look at your statement and say ‘yep, fair enough’ BUT for those that want to know the truth, if I were to assume like Elefterios has – that all Greeks are left over Ottomans, then can you imagine Ottoman Turks trying to be Hellene (etc)?
So my good fiend Elefterios, in the past you have failed to answer all the real questions but have managed to resort to personal attacks. The questions are very simple, when Demosthenes said that the father of Alexander the Great -Philip- ‘was not a Hellene but a cursed Macedonian wretch’ – was he a liar?
when the ancient Athenians called Alexander the First ‘a friend of the Hellenes’ – were they all liars?
Did Modern Greece acquire the part of Macedonia in 1913 for the first time under the Bucharest treaty?
No wonder the English Museum is refusing to give the ancient marble statues back to Athens – their answer is simple – ‘we didnt take them from Greece or Greeks, there was no Greek or Greeks at the time that they were made. we took them from the Ottomans who were occupying Athens at the time’
Now if you are going to personally insult and attack me from that snobby suburb that you supposedly live in – please find different words because I am bored with your attacks.
Alex (ander) the Great

- ayapi says:
  
  06/08/2017 at 11:29
  
  Hilarious. On cue a former Yugoslavian shows up trying to portray himself as an ancient Macedonian.
  
  Dear Alex-ski
  
  Sorry to break it to you but you Slavs in Skopje are mostly descendent’s of ethnic Bulgarians. You, and your lowlife foreign apologists, lost the argument the second you turned into “ancient Macedonians’ right before our eyes.
  
ayapi says:

06/08/2017 at 11:32

For someone that claims to speak for history you seem to be having a hard time remembering events in your own lifetime Skopian.

“We do not claim to be descendants of Alexander the Great.”
– Skopje Ambassador to US Ljubica Acevshka, Jan 22 1999

“We are Macedonians but we are Slav Macedonians. That’s who we are! We have no connection to Alexander the Greek and his Macedonia”

– President Kiro Gligorov Toronto Star, March 15, 1992

‘We are not related to the northern Greeks who produced leaders like Philip and Alexander the Great. We are a Slav people and our language is closely related to Bulgarian”

– Gyordan Veselinov, Skopje Ambassador to Canada, Ottawa Citizen Newspaper, February 24 1999

Alex Sapkar says:

07/08/2017 at 05:10

Hello Ayapi,
You dont realise how right you are!!!
Indeed, these slavophones from Skopje have said – and will keep on saying – things as you mentioned above. Same as you Greeks would, just to denounce the Ancient Macedonians. Now, anyone reading who is not familiar with the real problem must understand the following – even without historical or educated knowledge, just by visiting Macedonia one would realise that there are many ethnic groups – such as Ottoman Turks, Roman people that were brought over by the Romans and Ancient Macedonians and so on…..who do not have any link to the slavs.
However, reading any comment by Greeks one is asked to believe that prior to the invasion of the so called Slavs, the territory of Macedonia was completely barren of people. and furthermore, if not for the Greek hilarious and stupid attitude towards the Ancient Macedonians – these slavophones you mention would have sold us out long ago…
So with that, I thank the Greeks for sparking the unification of all of us Ancient Macedonians over the world! That battle has just begun!!!
And you have not responded anything relevant to my questions.
Here is another one just for you – The whole world knows that the territory of Macedonia was politically divided in 1913. when you Greeks say that Macedonia is ‘Greek’ have you got territorial pretense with the republic of Macedonia and Bulgaria?
Now if your statement were really true – why dosent Greece claim the whole territory but instead are hell bent on only keeping the part that was politically divided and given to them by the greater powers at the time – and then with childish attitude, denying that the other parts of Macedonia exist?
So yes, you are right about your comments but the general reader should understand the following – under the state of Yugoslavia, Macedonian (in the 20’s/30’s) was forbidden to be spoken. And yes, we do have people that claim to be ‘just slav’ but we also have people who are simply Macedonian and others like me whos family for generations, have claimed to be descendants of the Ancient Macedonian people. Unlike Greeks, we dont mind if there are slavs who did migrate into this area 1000 years ago and maybe even Hellenes who might have migrated across as well. But just like Australia, America and Canada, people have just simply become ‘Australian’, ‘American’ ‘Canadian’. We ancinet Macedonians have nothing against the Slavs, the modern Greeks, the ancient Hellenes, or the Bulgarians….We are not like the modern Greeks who are offending the common sense of all by claiming to be pure.
Your simplistic argument that all Macedonians are slav is riddled with holes and its as simple as me saying – just because the Ottomans (for 550years) were in what is today ‘Modern Greece’ that you are all really Turks and have stolen the Hellenic culture, language etc – and that you are simply all Turks.
Best wishes on your journey to enlightenment.
Thank you for supporting the Ancient Macedonians..

Alex (ander) the Great

Athens-Skopje name dispute hits sporting world

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