Newly instated president of the Guyana Amateur Swimming Association (GASA) Alex Graham says he believes he has the necessary skills and requirements needed to bring the sport up to scratch.
“There is some particular experience and skill that I have that I believe are needed in developing the sport. I believe that a significant portion of what GASA needed to do is build its image, market its product and my skills in that area are very good,” Graham said.
The head of Tagman Incorporated, a public relations company, Graham’s tenure will run for two years from January 1, 2011.
It will end December 31, 2012.
Graham was elected at the association’s Annual General Meeting (AGM) last October, succeeding Phillip Walcott who chose not to run for a second term.
Dr. Karen Pilgrim and Colin Beaton are the only two returning members of the previous executive.
Pilgrim, the previous secretary is now a vice president while Beaton is the treasurer.
Other members on the committee are Maria Blackman (secretary), John Perreira (VP), Nicola Perreira (assistant secretary/treasurer).
Graham says what he feels will play a fundamental role in the development of the sport is the way the association markets its product. Speaking with Stabroek Sport at his Charlotte Street office yesterday, Graham said that he has identified a number of changes that he hopes to bring to the sport.
However, Graham said that he is disinclined to specifically outline his plans at this point in time as they have not yet been discussed with the new executive of GASA.
According to Graham, the association is scheduled to have its first statutory meeting this Thursday as opposed to last Thursday when the meeting was originally scheduled for. Graham said he has major plans for raising the sport of swimming in Guyana, but stressed that it will a collective effort. He stated that he wants to ensure that once progress is made it will be seen as something achieved by the association and not by one particular individual. He also noted that there are some aspects of the body’s constitution that he will be looking to change in order to ensure a better operational institution.
Graham was previously a vice president of the association but had resigned due to other commitments.
He was also a former president of the Silver Shark Swim Club.
According to Graham the expansion of the operational clubs is also one of the issues that he intends to tackle during his tenure.
“We need to ensure that the base from which the association draws its swimmers is broadened. We need to increase the number of clubs that we have,” Graham said.
However, Graham acknowledged that this is “easier said than done” as this is a target that has been attempted multiple times before by a number of his predecessors.
Graham also acknowledged that finance was an area where the association was struggling for sometime and said that he has plans to attack this situation as well.
Graham says that all plans for the association will be ratified this Thursday at the meeting.
