#KITESURFING - The decision to include kitesurfing in the 2016 Olympics is a big mistake, a leading expert in the sport has said.
Amit Inbar, who represented Israel in windsurfing at the 1992 and 2000 Olympic Games, told news agency Reuters that kitesurfing is "10 times more dangerous" than windsurfing, and that the International Sailing Federation (ISAF) has failed to appreciate that.
"People have died in kitesurfing," he said, claiming that 130 people had been killed in the sport worldwide. |I'm really scared that we are going to see some very bad accidents."
Meanwhile, Israel's sailing head Yehuda Maayan claims that the vote among the ISAF board to cut windsurfing from the Olympics in favour of kitesurfing was marred by "language difficulties" experienced by the Spanish delegate at the meeting.
As previously reported on Afloat.ie, windsurfing stalwarts Spain surprised many by joining the 19-17 vote in favour of the new discipline, which was supported by Ireland's John Crebbin.
A two-thirds majority would be required by the windsurfing lobby to overturn the decision at the ISAF’s annual general meeting in Ireland this November.
Reuters has more on the story HERE.
