I am a member of team 1737R from the International Robotics Academy (IRA) in Almaty, Kazakhstan. I am writing to share a recent experience regarding our team’s qualification status for the VEX Robotics World Championship, seeking guidance and support from this esteemed community.
Background:
During our national championship, team 2745C achieved both the Excellence Award and the Skills Champion title, thereby securing their spot at the World Championship. According to the Qualifying Criteria for VEX Robotics Competition Events, when a team earns multiple qualifying awards, the additional spot typically passes to the next highest-ranked team. As team 1737R secured second place in the Skills Challenge, we were initially informed that we had qualified for the World Championship.
Issue:
A week after the competition, we were notified that there had been a miscommunication and that Kazakhstan was allocated only one World Championship spot for High School (HS) teams and one for Middle School (MS) teams. Since the Excellence Award was won by an HS team, the remaining spot was designated for an MS team. Consequently, our qualification was retracted, and the spot was awarded to team 1737Y, an MS team that ranked fourth in the Skills Challenge.
Concerns:
• Lack of Transparency: The change in qualification criteria was communicated a week after the event, causing confusion and disappointment.
• Inconsistent Application of Rules: The initial information aligned with the standard practice of reallocating spots when a team double-qualifies, but the subsequent change deviated from this understanding.
Request for Guidance:
We seek clarification on the following points:
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Official Qualification Criteria: Is it standard for World Championship spots to be distributed equally between HS and MS teams within a region, regardless of the actual distribution of awards?
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Reallocation of Spots: In cases where a team double-qualifies, should the additional spot be awarded to the next highest-ranked team in the same category (HS or MS), or is there flexibility to allocate it across categories?
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Communication Protocols: What measures can be implemented to ensure timely and transparent communication of qualification criteria to all teams before and after competitions?
We deeply value the principles of fairness and transparency that the VEX Robotics Competition upholds and hope to find a resolution that reflects these values. We appreciate any insights or advice the community can offer regarding our situation.
Thank you for your attention and support.