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GOA Financial Report amplifies Hutson’s poor performance
By Rawle Welch
Labeled as being one of the most important members of the Guyana Olympic Association (GOA), the Athletics Asociation of Guyana (AAG) has set January 22 as the date for its Annual General Meeting (AGM), which will elect new office
Aubrey Hutson
bearers to serve the next term.
This entity which has been the sole provider of bona fide qualifiers to the biggest sporting showpiece on Planet Earth called the Olympics will attempt to elect a new executive to run the affairs of athletics for the next four years so there is high anticipation as to who and who will be elected to office.
This is so because despite its importance as an affiliate of the GOA, many observers conclude that the current executive failed to position the sport to the level where it ought to be and are calling for change within the Body.
The incumbent President according to observers has done a poor job in advancing the development of the sport both in terms of its performance on the sports index and providing hope for our hard working athletes who make huge sacrifices to make the endeavour a career. For instance, AAG President, Aubrey Hutson has not added anything to the sport’s Calendar of Events in his four years at the helm, which shows that he lacks innovation.
This observation of Hutson’s below-average performance in office was amplified even further with the release of the GOA’s Financial Report during its AGM last December.
Hutson’s failure to tap into the huge financial resources of the GOA received a scathing review by one commentator, who even questioned whether the entity possessed the ability to construct programmes to draw down on the available reserves or was it just a case of coldness towards the sacrifices being made by young athletes.
Whatever the reason (s), an assessment of the current performance of the executive over the period is below average at best.
There needs to be an injection of personnel, who in addition to having the sport and athletes development at heart are also equipped with the requisite knowledge of what is required to transform the depressing outlook that hovers over the sport.
The current status quo cannot continue, there needs to be the fruition of new thinking within a new executive, one that involves the creation of modern programmes geared at producing elite performances, while the materialisation of collaborative action must be a priority as well.
Guyana at best is one hour away from Trinidad and Tobago and between three and four hours apart from the athletics capital of the world, Jamaica, and despite these short distances, we have not been able to forge a strong connection with these two countries that are well respected within the international athletics community.
What does this say about the seriousness of our administrators? It simply portrays a lack of genuineness on their part and even more devastating, a clear disinterest in the real development of our athletes.
The focus seems to be to reward assistants and coaches with overseas trips in exchange for their loyalty, all at the expense of the main stakeholders, who are the athletes.
The world has now become a global village with the sharing of experiences and expertise just a click away and we know that our athletes are competent enough to get the required knowledge of their rights.
Therefore, the time has arrived for them to be consulted by those who will vote via the secret ballot on their behalf. A secret ballot is in itself a covert means of electing public officials and is logically open to speculation.
It is a critical meeting, one that ought to determine consensus as to who their choice should be and not be reliant on the preference of someone who might have been rewarded for his or her allegiance at the expense of the athletes’ hard work and dedication.
Hutson, during his tenure failed to provide the kind of leadership that many had anticipated and the time is nigh for those who have the interest of the sport at heart to stop the bleeding, before the sport slips into comatose and subsequent death.
Athletes have echoed sentiments of frustration whether it is a missed opportunity to showcase their potential or questionable selections and the way to stop this is to elect an executive whose track record symbolise representation and respect for the most important stakeholder, the athletes.
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