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The day of traveling to Toulouse from Hamburg, via Frankfurt started with my plane being delayed because in Frankfurt some climate activists had occupied part of the airport and as such caused planes to land with a delay or even be forced to be redirected to a different airport.
In the end I arrived around 2 hours later than planned to my room at the ENAC, where all the EGC 2024 go activities were scheduled.
The first 2 days were for the Pandanet European Go Team Championship, which was a peaceful and quiet event before the start of the EGC proper. France managed to win the Championship and are now the 2024 European Team Champions.
On Saturday the bad news arrived that due to fires (attacks on the railway stations in Paris) many participants were delayed even for the late registration, and so the late registration had to be postponed until the morning before the first round.
For the European Championship nothing changed as all the participants (the top 32 playing in a double KO) had already arrived and we could start as planned.
Due to this change the first round of the Main tournament was delayed by 2-3 hours. Here all we can say was that this, from my point of view, an acceptable delay and necessary so that almost all delayed participants were able play in the first round. All other rounds started more or less in time.
During the first week I was constantly active for the EC, on Sunday the 4th of August Andrii Kravets 1P was able the defend his title against Thomas Debarre 7d.
And so my personal impression of the first week is (apart from some time to make pictures) restricted to the afternoon and evening programm of the EGC. Durring both weeks I was able to get more impressions and talk with many friends, players and visitors.
One of the major events not being a tournament in the first week was the AGM (Annual General Meeting) of the EGF, here we had to say goodbye to Jean-Yves Papazoglou who was active for 12 years in the role of vice president, also Executive Officer Catalin Taranu stopped being part of the executive board of the EGF.
I asked Jean-Yves to answer a few questions:
1. How long were you active in the EGF board.
2. What were the challenges in the EGF when you started?
3. What goals did you achieve?
4. How was the EGC for you?
5. Hopefully you stay active as goplayer and organiser!
What are your goals now?
1. I was elected as EGF vice president at Olsztyn, Poland in 2013 at the EGF annual general meeting (AGM).
2. The first challenge was to be able to get familiar with all the EGF and Asiatic events to which EGF top players participated. I also represented EGF board at the first EGF professional qualification that was organised at Strasbourg in 2014 and I improvised a speech at the opening ceremony. At that time Ali Jabarin and Pavol Lisy became the first two EGF professional players .Another challenge was to define a new system for the European Championship with 32 players a double knock system. At the first edition , some players were paired twice together . Finding the proper system to avoid it happens was quite challenging and it was first time used at Oberhof in 2017. Still this system is applied and players may only play twice together at the semi finals or finals.
3. I managed the European championships every year with support of Martin Stiassny. During the Covid period , no European go congress was organised, hence the EGC source of prize money suddenly vanished. To be able to run it, players agreed on a minimum of 5000€ prize money and funding was possible thanks to our generous go community who donated via a crowdfunding campaign.Also, due to the worsening EGF financial situation, with Martin Stiassny and Harry Van der Krogt, we managed to limit our expenses striving for a neutral result by 2024. Obviously, a new membership system became necessary to restore a safe financial position . Several proposals were put on the table but up to now we kept the current system with an increase fee per active player. Still more time would be needed to introduce the new membership fee system that the board recently presented at 2024 EGF AGM. Not all members are ready for such a big change .
4. EGC 2024 at Toulouse has been a two years project that is not completely over yet for me as we are still closing our financial sheets and making sure all go material is sent back . The big support of the team of volunteers made it the big success that everyone recognized. Without such a strong confidence from the ENAC school which opened its doors to us, it’s would have been difficult offering a good quality congress.
5. My goals remains to help organizing go events and why not the European championship or any other EGF event. But I would also like to play again go benefiting from all the contacts we made with go teachers and or platforms during the EGC.Also, I started helping the 2025 EGC organisers with a new format where PGETC, Seygo , Pairgo ? tournaments are played on the second week to save two days for the the organisation team thus raising the value of the second week.
Apart from meeting friends, I also met a lot of representatives from all over the world and I was able able to exchanges ideas for both go and cultural projects and exchanges.
Since my first EGC, which was in Linz 1981, I have noticed a shift on several levels of what is needed and important for an EGC both from the side of organisers as well as from players.
So I made a small not representative questionaire about this years EGC.
If you could give a mark out of 10 for the EGC 2024 (0=bad 1-9 and 10=perfect) what would it be?
Could you give a short exânation of your marking.
Notes and remarks are made anonymously by me. Here a few notes and remarks, where I can say my personal note is an 8 for both organisation and location.
As every congress I visited over the years each location has good and bad sides depending on personal priorities, also every year and new EGC the organisation is always confrontated with unplanned and unexpected challenges. In most cases this leads to complaints that can not be avoided.
2/10
many of my students have complained about accommodation and air conditioning, food choices are very limited and expensive. And 2nd week, basically after the main round there is limited to do. Just being honest.
7/10
The EGC had a very good concept together with the venue. If we add a very well working promo and website with a great design, we get a very good congress. The organization team clearly tried their best.
However, there were troubles with air-conditioning in the playing rooms and sometimes not enough food options. Pairing of the tournaments was also far from ideal.
6/10
I feel like the event did not meet the expectations.
Though the marketing effort and venue were great. I love that there were many sponsors, shops, advertisement for future events, etc, which are great for the Go community and its economy. And also, the fact that it was one of the biggest EGCs ever.
However, regarding the organisation, lack of AC was a huge discomfort not only for European players, but especially for the Asian people for who I feel ashamed the most.
Moreover, the small amount of prizemoney and the discussions I’ve seen lately left me with a bitter feeling about the direction of European Go. If not France to give a strong signal and to be a model, then who else?
Maybe Poland, next year. I really think they’ll do a better job.
I respect the efforts of everyone involved and I know it wasn’t easy, hats off, but they should had considered to manage finances better.
The fact that it was so heavily advertised and had so many sponsors was not directly linked to better playing conditions, additional venue features, or decent prize money.
Main reasoning on their part was that they tried to make everything convenient. Well, I don’t think 10euros extra for registration, similar to a beer price in city centre, would have been a problem. And with 10euros x 1500 people they would have had 15k euros for decent prize money (and not only for top players, but 4/5 and 5/5 wins, top kids, top female, lottery, etc, Korean style of prizegiving)
Of course, this is a simplistic calculation, but that’s how they should have thought. It makes more economic sense and is better in terms of increasing the number of players and their interest in the game.
Talking about convenience, there was no bottled water to buy. The bar was probably on profit too because most of the drinks were served in bulk or in cheaper formats—like boxed wine, beer, and tea in plastic cups. I know maybe they subventioned like some cents on the singular drinks served in cans, but still.
6/10
The location itself was pretty bad, far from everything. It can be ok if the organizing team makes sure that there are enough food and drinks options which we had not. By the way, this coupon idea for the bar was the worst idea ever. Also there was not enough tables so more often than not we had to eat on the grass. The playing rooms were decent even though there was an AC problem at the beginning. The opening ceremony was dull and too hot (no AC). On the bright side, it ran smoothly, no delays except on the first day. Every event (at least the ones I participated in) went well. Obviously it is always nice to see all my friends again and that remains the best part of every EGCs.
7/10
The EGC had a very good concept together with the venue. If we add a very well working promo and website with a great design, we get a very good congress. The organization team clearly tried their best.
However, there were troubles with air-conditioning in the playing rooms and sometimes not enough food options. Pairing of the tournaments was also far from ideal.
8/10
Based on my personal experience I would give an 8 maybe. I thought the European Championships were well organized, despite some inconveniences that were out of the organizer's control (such as no food and drinks in the playing area and problems with the AC). Apparently there were some hiccups with the pairings of the main tournament, but I was not affected by that. I also thought everything on the side (communication, the bar, borrowing go material, ...) was well thought out and organized. I think a lot of top players are overly critical and that you guys did a good job, thank you for that and well done 😉
8/10
My favourite Congress was Leksand (Great community of the players, caused by many locations where we came together), followed by Saint Petersburg (incredible city, so much to see outside the Congress). Thus, I would rate Toulouse at 8.
8,5/10
if it weren't for the heat, I would have given it a 10.
But since it was hot, and the air conditioners in the game areas did work, but they did it in a strange way (they turned on automatically when the temperature in the room reached a certain level), so my rating will be 8-9. I should note that such an air conditioning system was also a surprise (unpleasant) for the organizers and I saw how Loїс was worried about it.
As for the other aspects, I think everything was very well organized. The food was pretty ok (a minus - that the supermarkets were far away), and the location of the venue was also nice (it was easy to reach the spot even if you live not in the territory because transport system is good in Toulouse and busses were coming in time). And the whole atmosphere was great with lots of people ready to help you in case you have any questions or doubts.
10/10
Every EGC is unique and deserves a 10.
10/10
Accomodation was great near the venue, in campus. The meals were also good. The place was big enough for all tournaments and for side events
A few more marks were given all 7 to 9 without comments or more or less repeating the
given comments above. The average score given in the not representative questionaire for the EGC2024 is a solid 7.5 points.
To all the organisers I can say you did a good job and handled all challenges in a proffesional way.
It would be a good idea, if you can make the planning for this EGC and your evaluation available for future EGC-organisers.
My conclusion, in the over 40 years that i visited tournaments both as player and organiser/volunteer, there is a shift from family holiday, meeting friends and GO to GO, results and meeting friends.
For almost everyone now the tournament results as players (especially in the top groups and the EC) and meeting friends are important.
Hopefully we all meet again next year In Poland Warsaw 2025..
