Agreeing to disagree

Feb 15, 2009 Sports

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The intense battle for the presidency of the Guyana Amateur Boxing Association (GABA) culminated with the incumbent, Affeeze Khan adjudged ‘winner and still champion,’ by a one vote margin over Parliamentary Secretary, Steve Ninvalle.
Naturally, we wish to extend our heartiest congratulations to Khan and wish him all the best in his endeavours. However, we are still constrained to report the facts even as we engage in public debates concerning the performances of the heads of our sports Associations/Federations.
Kaieteur Sport, through the writings of our boxing analyst, Michael Benjamin, has been one of the strong advocates of change, not necessarily in the administrative structure, but in the enactment of democratic policies in GABA and other organisations.
In the run up to election of office bearers, we provided well-researched data as well as the use of shrewd interviewing techniques to provide the reading public with an informed view of the process. Of course, our writings and opinions did not go down well with everyone that read them.
Some persons in the public sphere, after reading the analysis concluded that Kaieteur Sport nurtured some degree of animosity for one of the Presidential hopefuls. What this particular aspirant did not disclose was that he had been given full leverage to discuss his views and projections. He did not say how he chose to pass up on the offer. We can only conclude that he must have felt discomfited by the kinds of questions that were asked during the interviews.
Nevertheless, we are the guardian of democracy and we have a responsibility to our readers to report the news. As such, it behoove us to continue plugging away, providing the kind of information that at least keep our readers abreast of the issues, and sports executives on their toes.
The Presidential position of GABA is extremely important but should not be deemed wholly authoritative. In any democracy, every member of the executive body must feel free to vote on issues they perceive to be in the best interest of all stakeholders. A decision to oppose the views of his/her colleagues ought not to be regarded as dissenting.
It, therefore, came as a surprise when former Secretary, Keith Campbell immediately declined a nomination for the position of Assistant Secretary Treasurer. Maybe the status quo is not as we thought. Even more puzzling was Eustace Cuffy’s acceptance of the Vice President portfolio, even though there were no indications that the democratic changes he craved while serving in the same position that caused him to tender his resignation, have been enacted.
Former treasurer, Dexter Patterson was also nominated for his old portfolio but by then he had already left the meeting, a clear indication that he was just not interested in the position.
Even if the allegations leveled at this newspaper that suggest we were impartial are true, we are still bound by a responsibility to report the news. Imagine our astonishment when at the end of the voting process when our reporter approached the new President Affeeze Khan for a comment and a photo opportunity he was denied the right.
Apparently, still irking from what he perceived to be hostile reporting on the part of this newspaper, Khan bluntly refused to acquiesce to the request.
He subsequently complained to the Sports Editor that Benjamin had approached him in a hostile manner and he refused to speak with him.
Benjamin has refuted this allegation. We spoke with several persons who were on the scene who said that Khan’s recital was not entirely truthful.
As such, we are forced to assume that he is still hurting from what he perceived to be hostile reporting against him and his refusal is simply in retaliation.
Even if we were willing to believe that Khan nurtured no animosity for this newspaper, we would have been harboring some doubts after he chose to confide in another newspaper that his life was being threatened, while bluntly refusing to speak with journalists at Kaieteur News.
He also said that he was seriously contemplating resigning as GABA President because as he put it “he is fearful for his life and that of his family.” Certainly, a report to the police, who are the rightful authorities, should have been in place.
We checked at the Alberttown Police Station. The rank at the desk checked the log book but could find no such report. We are, therefore, left to wonder what really transpired during those so called telephone calls.
Finally, it is imperative that we end with an apt quote attributed to Voltaire. He said “I disapprove of what you say but I will defend to the death your right to say it.”

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