Unfortunately, the pandemic of COVID-19, which puts so much pressure on all countries of the world, will generate many changes in all aspects of everyday life. Recovering from this crisis will be quite difficult, but not impossible. Fanciers, who were looking forward to another competitive season, ask themselves a lot of questions about organizing competitions with pigeons this year, but we need to know that nothing is lost. A final variant, proposed by the National Sports Committee of the National Federation of Pigeon Fanciers of Romania (FNCPR), is the category “Ace 2020” and a reserve competitions plan, consisting only of competitions organized on the territory of Romania, if it will not be possible to exit outside the borders.

The management of the National Federation of Pigeon Fanciers of Romania, showing that it does care of its nearly nine thousand members, has devised three scenarios for organizing pigeon competitions this year, under the conditions caused by this pandemic.

Three proposed variants for the 2020 Championship

Depending on the evolution of the crisis caused by the New Coronavirus and the decisions of the authorities, three variants for this year’s championship were unanimously proposed and approved by online vote. These are the following:

1. The exit outside the borders will be possible by 15^th – in which case it shall return to the regular championship in accordance with the RNS in force. The flight plans will be modified accordingly.
2. The exit outside the borders between June 16th and 10 of July – CNS proposes a championship variant that includes as many categories as possible from the current RNC, the decision to be validated by the CD and subsequently by the Council of Presidents. The flight plans shall be amended accordingly.
3. Exit outside the borders after July 11^th – in which case a reserve flight plan will be used, which will contain 12 competitions and a single category, “Ace 2020”, consisting of 10 races, for “Old birds”, “Yearlings” and the same for “Fancier” category. The flight plans can be modified and duplicate races can be added with the consent of the CNS, without exceeding the number of 12.

As can be seen, the measures are particularly relevant and have been thought through gradually, so that we are not put in the situation of not having any pigeon competitions at all.

“There’s a very good chance we’ll compete this year, even if a little later”

Of course, the feeling has to be positive, and we still have to hope that things will get back to normal very quickly. Until then, with countries’ borders closed, “Ace 2020” becomes a variation to accept and appreciate. “I believe, and I hope, that we will be able to organise flights across the border. Maybe a little later, but I hope we can still manage to have a full 2020 season- under these conditions. There are also some pesimist fanciers, but hope must be preserved. A plan of competitions only inside the country is also very good, because it’s still much better than nothing. I have told the fanciers of our association to have the pigeons ready because it is possible, for example, to skip the training period and start directly with official stages. We talked to a lot of them and told them not to eliminate the pigeons, not to start diminishing their number of fliers, because there is a very good chance that we will compete this year, even if a little later. Returning to the category “Ace 2020″ is a good option. In this time of crisis, it is very good than not at all,” said Remus Cernatoiu, president of the Columbophile Olt Association.  An air of positivity also exists in the Sibiu Columbophile Association, whose members would not say no to a championship in this format. “What is proposed to us by category Ace 2020 is auspicious. Under the current conditions it is perhaps the most likely of the variants. I have also been involved in this, as a member of the National Sports Committee, and I think it is a suitable solution for the present times. Fanciers in Sibiu County would be quite satisfied to be able to compete at least in the country. They can’t be very excited, but it would still mean something, than not to fly their pigeons at all,” said the president of the Columbophile Sibiu Association.  Known for the fact that for them the competition season means Extreme long distance stages, Moldavian fanciers, for the most part, wouldn’t say no to a plan of competitions inside the country. “The new Coronavirus has caused a global pandemic. We can no longer speak of fads, pleasures or other comments. The geographical position of our county is not a convenient one for a plan of competitions inside the country, but what more can you say in this situation? Fanciers hope to be able to organize at least a part of the competition plan, and if it will be even more difficult, at least we can compete in a national Extreme lomg distance race,” said Costel Irimia, president of the Bacau Columbophile Association.

On the other side of the country, in the West, we meet again a specific area for across the border competitions, and a season with stages only in the country would be a total novelty, but still a positive aspect, than not to compete at all. “This proposal is a welcome precaution, but I am a little more optimistic and I think we will be able to organise a great deal of the competitions in the flight plan. But if we can’t get out of the border, even if we don’t manage to do some of the competition categories, it’s still going to be good. We will organise races towards the North, and some of the fanciers will qualify to make the norm for Middle distance category. The important thing is to compete even under these conditions, which is why this option, Ace 2020,  is a suitable one. However, I think there is a chance that we will have a fairly complete 2020 season,” said Daniel Pîslă, president of the Columbophile Caraş-Severin Association.

The chances of having a competitive season this year are quite high, but we have to consider the scenario in which the races will have to be organised in the country only. According to the FNCPR statement, the associations have to draw up a reserve competition plan and send it to the National Federation by April 14. However, let us hope that the situation will change much for the better, both for people’s health, and for the peace and joy of fanciers.