Investigation of financial operations of AAG should be launched

Jan 14, 2017 Sports

Dear Editor,
I shudder to think that when electing a President/Leader of any sports organisation, the factors that go along with being a good President are not taken into consideration. I say this against the backdrop that when Mr. (Aubrey) Hutson was elected to head the Athletics Association of Guyana (AAG), his background was overlooked as a former President of ECDFA (East Coast Demerara Football Association). I guess there were high expectations from the organised clubs that voted for him, but instead after four years in office, there is absolutely nothing that the athletes locally or abroad can boast about.
A careful review would reveal that the sport of Track and Field has declined to the stage where Mr. Hutson can be credited with being the worst President in the history of the sport in Guyana. Mr. Hutson gave a paltry explanation on national television (Edwin Seeraj Show on NCN) last year as to why he micromanages the association, despite having two distinguished gentlemen as Vice-Presidents, namely now Minister of Social Cohesion, Dr. George Norton and Colonel Arthur of the Guyana Defence Force. This I see as gross disrespect and gateway to commit acts of skulduggery. The fact that an elected Treasurer and then an appointed Treasurer called it quits during his tenure justifies my point.
With elections just around the corner, I am hopeful that the eligible clubs would recognise the need to elect a President and council members, who possess the ability to take the sport of athletics to the next level where we once were. This means that Council members must not only depend on accompanying teams overseas (Trips), but must have and display at all times the desire to move the sport forward. During Mr. Hutson’s tenure, there was no development for athletes but an obvious degeneration. No new competitions, no training programmes for athletes to benefit and worst of all no submission of a plan toward the 2020 Olympic Games.
One can safely say that had it not been for the Inter-Services Meet, The Boyce & Jefford Track meet and now the Aliann Pompey Invitational, the sport of track and field would have died naturally. A look back at the South American 10k Road Race is another indication of poor administration; the race attracted the lowest turnout in the history of the race, approximately 43 competitors overall.
There are many issues that Mr. Hutson should clear up before the Elections. For instance: (1) Why the absence of an audited financial statement from the association for the past three years? (2) How was the US$25,000 received from the South American body for the Aliann Pompey Invitational spent?
(3) After almost two months, why are the officials and service providers of the South American 10k race still awaiting payment when the IAAF funding for the race comes to the AAG weeks in advance?
(4) Why was the Masters’ category dropped from the South American 10k race?
(5) Why were the officials not rewarded for the Ainlim 10k race?
(6) Why was an official not disciplined for causing a national team to miss its flight, which resulted in the loss of much-needed finance?
(7) What caused an official to not attend a seminar overseas, which again resulted in loss of finance?
(8) I heard of allegations of a robbery committed against Mr. Huston on Basil Bradshaw programme. What is the status of these allegations and are there any fact in them?
(9) Why has Mr. Hutson moved the office of the AAG from Olympic House to his personal office in Alberttown?
(10) Why has the AAG not received any funding from the IAAF for 2015, which is received in 2016?
With these issues outstanding, it would be a serious misgiving for clubs to re-elect Mr. Hutson as AAG President.
Respectfully,
Local Athletics Coach
(Name and contact provided)

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Investigation of financial operations of AAG should be launched

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