“They are not legitimized, they are private individuals”

From November 30 to December 6, Mexico will host the World Kayak Fishing Championship. Romania should have been represented at this competition by the AGVPS group (General Association of Sports Hunters and Fishermen from Romania).

The Romanian delegation went through an inhumane situation: “They took our passports and phones and put us in a small room”

The athletes from our country had, however, an unpleasant surprise in Guadalajara. They were refused entry to Mexico on the grounds that they lacked proof from the organizers related to the accommodation reservation.

Andu Gagiu, the owner of the biggest online fishing television in Romania, explained that the organizers got the date wrong on the official invitation and, instead of going from November 22 to December 6, thus including the official training period, they went from November 30 to December 6.

The fishermen had their passports and phones taken away and were kept in a room for 12 hours. Then they were put on a plane and sent to Madrid. Here is what Răzvan Ghindăoanu, one of the group members, wrote on Facebook:

The saddest day of 2025! I arrived in Mexico full of hope, after 1 year of thoughts and preparations. Happy that we will be participating in the World Kayak Fishing Championship… but the happiness disappeared and was replaced by frustration and helplessness when we found out (after 20 hours of flying and layovers) that we were refused entry to Mexico because we did not have a printed proof of accommodation from the organizer for the official duration of the competition!

We had proof of reservation for the unofficial training days and proof of payment to the organizer (Mexican Fishing Federation) for kayaks and accommodation (€13,500). I had the invitation letter to the Championship. All that didn't matter! They took our passports and phones (like criminals) and put us in a small room where we stayed for 12 hours. Dehumanized and frustrated, we waited, thinking it would eventually work itself out… Wrong! We were put on a plane (without passports and phones) and deported to Madrid (another 9 hour flight).

I am doing this post from Madrid, dressed in the same clothes as Saturday, from 5.30 am. We haven't given up yet (although we're not in a very good mental state) and we hope to be able to come back! When you think you're having a bad day, imagine how we felt!

– Răzvan Ghindaoanu

Member of the Romanian delegation, standing in the airport/Photo: Facebook

Bogdan Herac, president of the Romanian Spinning League: “They slept on the floor, they only received 2 liters of water”

Bogdan Herac, the president of the Romanian Spinning League, who managed to enter Mexico, revealed that, together with Adina Năstase, the Romanian consul in Mexico, they are making efforts for the Romanian athletes to return to Mexico and confirm the bronze medal obtained in 2024.

On November 23, the Romanian team left for Mexico, with a stopover in Madrid. Once they arrived in Guadalajara, our athletes were stopped by the local immigration office, where an inexplicable abuse occurred. Their luggage was fully opened, all documents checked, but they were refused entry visa to Mexico without any official justification, although it was obvious from the luggage that the equipment was intended for participation in the World Championship.

The Romanian athletes tried to explain that they represent Romania and AGVPS at an international competition, but the local authorities did not offer any answer. Furthermore, the members of the group were detained for 12 hours in a room of approximately 6 square meters, guarded by armed personnel, accompanied including for going to the toilet. They slept on the floor, received only two liters of water during this entire period, had their mobile phones confiscated, and were later deported to Spain.

After this deeply traumatic experience, marked by frustration and helplessness, we managed, together with Ms. Consul Adina Năstase, from the Romanian Embassy in Mexico, to take the necessary steps so that the athletes could return to Mexico and continue their mission: that of representing Romania at the highest level and bringing home one of the medals at stake

– Bogdan Herac, president of the Romanian Spinning Leaguequoted by ProSport

Ștefan Popescu, president of the Romanian Sports Fishing Federation: “A hunters' association, it is not the representative team of Romania”

An opposite reaction came from him Ștefan Popescu, president of the Romanian Sports Fishing Federation (FRPS). He revealed that the AGVPS delegation does not represent Romania, not being authorized to participate in the World Cup by the National Sports Agency (ANS).

Popescu stated that he won a lawsuit with the AGVPS and that they are “some hunters, some private individuals”, not some athletes legitimized and authorized by the FRPS.

The respective team is not the representative team of Romania, it is not authorized to participate in the World Championships by the National Sports Agency. The team members are not athletes because they are not registered and authorized according to the law by the Romanian Sports Fishing Federation, they are private individuals.

Moreover, it violates a final court decision, it violates art. 4.4, art. 4.6 and art. 6 para. 1 lit. letter B b of the CIPS statute, which says that in countries where fishing is recognized as a sport, membership is done in accordance with national legislation and you can lose your membership if you lose the right to represent sport fishing in your country.

There, at the International Confederation, Mr. President, although I communicated the final court decision, he does not want to implement it. It holds them and we are the only country in the world represented at the International Sports Fishing Confederation by a hunting associationin the situation where the Romanian Sports Fishing Federation is legally established. That's the whole point

– Ștefan Popescu, president of the Romanian Sports Fishing Federationquoted by Eurosport

Stefan Popescu, Facebook source