Latest update January 17th, 2025 6:30 AM
Juman-Yassin to run for GOA presidency again, but Term limit motion could restrict him
By Calvin Chapman
Kaieteur News – The current head of the Guyana Olympic Association (GOA), K.A. Juman-Yassin, a former Chief Magistrate, has served at the helm of the GOA for over two decades, and recently, he shared with Kaieteur Sport that he will be running for office again at the next elections.
K.A. Juman-Yassin has confirmed he will be running for office again.
A term in the GOA office lasts four years and although Juman-Yassin was last elected since 2016, the dedicated administrator noted to Kaieteur Sport that in keeping with the constitution of the GOA, elections must be held after the summer Olympic Games. However, the Tokyo 2020 games were pushed back to this year, so the GOA would be keeping in compliance.
During the 2016 elections, which was held at the new base of the GOA at Lilliendaal that is still under construction, current head of the Athletics Association of Guyana (AAG); Aubrey Hutson, had nominated Juman-Yassin, while the General Secretary of the Guyana Table Tennis Association (GTTA); Linden Johnson seconded the nomination.
However, there is one issue. Several motions were raised by the Guyana Squash Association (GSA) and passed during the 2016 Annual General Meeting (AGM) and Elections, and the one that sticks out is the motion to limit the reign of any GOA head to three-terms.
Long-serving squash administrator, David Fernandes, confirmed with Kaieteur Sport that this motion was indeed passed but noted that he doesn’t have any idea of anyone who would be able to do the best job for Guyana if Juman-Yassin would be unable to serve again.
However, a legal mind has shared with this publication that the three-term limit could be interpreted two ways and a heated battle could ensue if Juman-Yassin was to be opposed.
The lawyer explained that one way it can be interpreted is that terms can be counted from 2016 when the motion was passed, while others can challenge that it can be interpreted from before which would make Juman-Yassin’s ineligible after being in office since the 1990s.
To date, no one has stepped forward to challenge for the arduous task of running the GOA which includes supporting associations in their quest to produce athletes capable of winning medals at the prestigious, quadrennial, Olympic Games.
Guyana has competed in 17 Summer Olympics and to date has only one medal which was gained in the 1980 Games in Moscow, Russia, by boxer Michael Parris.
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