Over the years I have had dozens of swimming people tell me not to cross Swimming New Zealand (SNZ). “They will get even with you,” I have been warned. I have ignored their concerns. Bad things happen when no one speaks up. Speaking truth to power always seemed more important than personal safety.

But today I understand the concern. This week I have been involved in helping Eyad prepare an Application to the International Olympic Committee (IOC) to recognise his refugee status. The form required SNZ approval before being submitted to the New Zealand Olympic Committee (NZOC) and on to the IOC.

Included in the form were two swimming sections. The first asked for Eyad’s “National Ranking” and the second his “Primary Sporting Achievement(s)”. To fill in the first I went to the “Take Your Marks” website and discovered that Eyad was ranked 20^th in the 50 freestyle and 23^rd in the 100 freestyle. I would imagine that most New Zealanders would look on that as a reasonable thing to do. But not for Swimming New Zealand it wasn’t. Their view was that because Eyad was a refugee, because he didn’t have a New Zealand passport he didn’t have a New Zealand ranking. They would not approve the form unless that section was left blank.

The real reason of course is that Steve Johns will do anything to screw over anyone who has anything to do with me. The fact that Eyad has been bombed out of his home in Syria, does not have a country he can safely call home, has had family killed by the Syrians, by the Americans and by the Russians is of no interest to Steve Johns. Eyad is coached by David Wright. That is enough for SNZ. How can we make his life even more difficult?

Besides, the racist argument that only New Zealand passport holders can have a national ranking is simply not true. I can think of at least two other swimmers (Lara van Egten and Rhi Jeffrey) that I have coached who did not have New Zealand passports and were ranked by SNZ. I’d love to know what the government makes of SNZ’s decision to freeze out a refugee. It contrasts starkly with the caring concern of Immigration New Zealand. The government thought Eyad deserved refugee status and a work permit and a NZ travel document. SNZ won’t even allow him a national ranking. SNZ – racist bastards I have known.

In order to clarify the situation for the IOC I have added a note to the ranking section of the form that says, “Swimming NZ have said that because of my refugee status I do not have a NZ national ranking. However on the “Take Your Marks” website of NZ rankings I am ranked as follows 100 SC Fr 23^rd, 50 SC Fr 20^th. Let’s see if SNZ appreciate the IOC knowing the truth about those who run the sport down here.

But the problems of the ranking section of the form were trivial compared to the effort SNZ went to in the performance section in order to screw over a refugee coached by David Wright. In the performance section I originally said the following:

That was all true. But it wasn’t good enough for SNZ. They came back and said that to sign the form it would have to say this:

In other words SNZ went back to shortly after Eyad arrived in New Zealand and used those swims as a measure of his performance. Obviously he was swimming a lot slower then than he is now.  Eyad has improved at a hundred miles an hour. But SNZ don’t want the IOC to know about that. Not when there were slower times available that reflected the savage persecution Eyad experienced in his homeland. His home pool in Syria was a bombed out shell left by the Russians. SNZ – racist bastards I have known.

And so, for a third time, I redid the performance section. This is what it says now.

Here again that’s all true. In fact most of those results are available on the SNZ website. But argue they might. This is SNZ remember.

I just think it is sad that overpaid right-wing bureaucrats sit in their Antares Place office and figure its fair-game to pick on a refugee. Almost universally the reception Eyad has received in New Zealand has made me extremely proud of my country. The Waterhole Club, the Millennium Swim School, Immigration New Zealand, The Millennium Pool staff, the NZOC and dozens of others welcomed him with warmth and care. The memory of his blood soaked, racist past has faded as New Zealand has become the place he wants to call home.

But there is always a rotten apple in every barrel. In this case it’s pretty easy to identify. Who else but SNZ. Perhaps those who warned me not to cross Steve Johns and Bruce Cotterill were right. Perhaps they are dead set on getting even no matter who they hurt. SNZ – racist bastards I have known.