Returning Home From Japan
In face of the earthquake, the tsunami and the mounting threat of a nuclear disaster, everyone in DanceSport expresses deep solidarity with the people in Japan. All the more so since IDSF athletes and officials were there when nature unleashed its most devastating powers on 11 March.
Three days later, nearly all of them have been able to at least start on their journeys back from Tokyo. The German contingent has safely returned already (here). Franz Allert, President of the German DanceSport Federation, posted on the IDSF facebook wall yesterday.
"We all watched the distressing events in Japan and I hope that all couples and officials returned in the meantime save and well."
Franz Allert
Many of the Tokyo Grand Slam participants had to cope with massive delays of their flights, and some had to take alternative routes after their flights had been cancelled. IDSF Vice-President Lukas Hinder, who was able to return to Switzerland yesterday, reports that it took him and Daniele Tondon twelve hours to get from their downtown hotel to the Narita airport.
IDSF President Carlos Freitag and Sports Director Marco Sietas could still be in Tokyo, after they held the Adjudicators' Congress there on Saturday, 12 March. An e-mail message from President Freitag confirms that they, too, are now setting out to fly back to Spain.
Solidarity With Japan
IDSF urges all visitors to worlddancesport.org to donate to the Red Cross relief efforts in Japan (here).
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