The Athletic Association of Guyana (AAG) has tipped President’s College Physical Education teacher and International Association of Athletics Federation (IAAF) level one coach, Keith Smith, as the likely replacement for the late Ken Elexey.
Elexey served the AAG as junior vice-president and chairman of the Finance and Fundraising Committee until his death two Saturdays ago. He was laid to rest last Thursday at Stewartville, West Coast Demerara.
Sources close to the AAG told Stabroek Sport that Smith was nominated and elected by the association’s council at the last council meeting on Saturday to fill the post of junior vice-president of the AAG.
“Smith was nominated and elected at the last council meeting,” the source said, adding that the AAG council can elect officers as they see fit during any year that is not an election year. President of the AAG Claude Blackmore, confirmed Tuesday that the AAG had an election on Saturday. The AAG’s election to elect officer bearers is held every four years. The last election was held in 2005.
Smith is currently serving his third year on the AAG council and is also a committee member on the Finance and Fundraising committee. He told Stabroek Sport Tuesday that the new post would be challenging.
“Well it’s of course a challenging assignment I must take up. I have been around athletics for about two years now,” he said, adding that he has, however, been involved in sports administration for a long time.
Smith completed his IAAF level one coach’s certification course seven years ago. The President’s College teacher also completed a course in sports administration in 2002.
Apart from his AAG council assignment, which includes overseeing athletics in schools between Annandale and Anns Grove, Smith also managed a President’s College sports team on a trip to Barbados and manages football on the East Coast Demerara.
Asked about any pressure on him to fill the apparent gap left in the AAG with Elexey’s passing, Smith said that he can handle the work and maybe his experience in the field influenced his nomination for the post.
“I don’t think that there is any gap that I won’t be able to fill,” he said. He stated also that Blackmore will convene a special meeting where he will be fully apprised of the post and the assignment made official.
