Blackmore lobbied for AAG General Secretary post

Jan 29, 2009 Sports

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– emissary spoke to clubs before elections

By Edison Jefford
Claude Blackmore is one of the most adept politicians in local sport apart from football’s Colin Klass; it is not a mistake that the former Athletics Association of Guyana (AAG) President is now the association’s General Secretary.
Blackmore used skilful lobbying tactics to secure the General Secretary post at the recent AAG Annual General Meeting and Elections after announcing that he will not be seeking re–election to the presidency earlier in the year.
Kaieteur Sport was reliably informed before the January 18 elections that Blackmore was interested in the General Secretary position, a claim he denied when this newspaper made contact with him following the information.
Blackmore had said that while clubs have approached him to‘re–consider’ his decision to not seek re–election, he will think about his options if clubs nominate him on the basis of the need for his services in the association.
In addition, he made it quite clear that he did not speak to any of the clubs about any post prior to the meeting. He said that he “will not go down that line” and he was right, he didn’t, but someone else did for him.
Given the known nature of Blackmore to misrepresent the truth, this newspaper launched an investigation into how he was returned as General Secretary. The facts are astonishing and one can only point to his political adeptness.
Blackmore did not lie when he told this writer that he did not lobby for the post. What he did not say is that someone else, a former schoolmate and coach of a particular club was privy to his intention to contest the post.
This individual, as outrageous as he may be, told this newspaper in no uncertain terms that Blackmore is his schoolmate and as such, he threw his weight behind him. This man was the emissary that shielded Blackmore.
Analytically, it would not be illogical to conclude that when Blackmore decided to demit the office of presidency, he also aspired to ascend to General Secretary and employed political tactics to ensure that he gets the nod.
Bear in mind, these findings are before the elections. When the emissary approached one of the most popular clubs in Georgetown, he was met with such hostility that even the now General Secretary despises the club.
The Head Coach of that club said that he was accused of not supporting the cause to give Blackmore the position. The emissary apparently peddled the idea that a new AAG body cannot function effectively without Blackmore.
In fact, the emissary plainly told this newspaper that the new Executive needs Blackmore for at least two more years. While that may be technically true, ideologically, Blackmore has proven to be selfish with his acquired knowledge.
If Blackmore was selfless, then the argument that he is needed to support the incumbent president, Colin Boyce could not stand in a month of Sundays. According to one maxim, “success is not success without a successor”.
Blackmore does not have a protégé for all his years in charge of the AAG. If that is not an essential failure then the concept of success and failure does not exist. It is, however, explanatory how this particular emissary was lured.
Performance was never responsible for the re–election of Blackmore during his sojourn at the helm of the AAG. He sent uncaring officials on trips, exposed improbable athletes from supporting clubs and kept training private.
The emissary, who knew that Blackmore was inclined toward the General Secretary post even as the latter told the media he is not interested, did not say whether he was promised a trip to Brazil to upgrade his coaching.
It is a shame that lobbyists’ tactics would encourage clubs to plunge athletics into further chaos when the evidence of non–performance is rather glaring. But what is the primary reason for this backward and inert step.
Is it to send officials to the Caribbean to abandon athletes for trips to North America? Is it to send athletes that lost to the best locals on European tours? Is it to refuse exposure of local coaches to prestigious international games?
Is it to refuse hurdles because Guyana has no storing place? Is it to stymie the growth of athletes by not exposing coaches past level III? Is it to ignore the necessity of a modern track and field facility in Guyana?
Those were just a few impediments that happened under Blackmore. There are lots more that will be saved for the sake of editorial space. What is important is the fact that clubs still entrusted him another major administrative position.
A Princeton University Review article entitled ‘A day in the life of a lobbyist,’ classically captures the character of lobbyists when it stated “lobbyists must be adept at the art of persuasion, which is the mainstay of their job”.
In addition, the article went on to state that “lobbying can be direct or indirect”. What the personality in question, Blackmore, employed was an indirect lobbying technique with the use of an emissary to advance his cause.
After eighteen years as AAG President and after not seeking re–election to that infamous position this year, the new AAG General Secretary took his political schemes to new levels, which should frighten Boyce’s administration.

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