It’s that time of the year in Guyana’s sport administration that could be aptly described “the silly season”.
Elections are in the making for positions on the several national governing bodies in the year’s first quarter which often result in most of the choices arrived at making no sense whatever development-wise.
It is often a mad scramble for votes as most of the individuals vying for positions, wheel and deal, barter and generally indulge in whatever means necessary.
The great majority of these opportunists couldn’t care less that their primary objective should be the development of the competitors and teams, coaches and lesser officials who mean well for the disciplines they want to serve.
It all about making overseas trips to competitions, conferences and meetings to capitalize on the resulting allowances from these expedition and misusing funding from parent world ruling bodies and sponsorship.
This weekend all eyes will be on the Athletics Association of Guyana (AAG) elections, being one of the few national ruling bodies with lengthy four-year terms for its officials.
It is also one of the most abused of national ruling bodies by people of the aforementioned category over the years.
Incumbent President Aubrey Hutson is going for a second straight four-year term, tomorrow, despite a period of continued stagnated development and frustration for stakeholders who mean well for the discipline.
Among the nominees for positions on the executive is businessman Colin Ming, whose credentials stand him heads and shoulders above everyone, as the best candidate for president.
Yet he is merely listed among an excessive number of contenders for vice president.
In helping build a family business into a highly successful conglomerate, Ming’s qualities are the requirements needed to jerk athletics from the doldrums of underdevelopment to an acceptable level necessary for success on and off the track.
Business like any other of life’s undertakings, is not predicated by luck. Hard work, commitment and a drive to succeed are the prerequisites which made Mings’ Products and Services the success story it has become during its long existence.
However, getting things done for the good of athletics has been the non existing quality of the sport’s decision makers for so long, Guyana’s standing among Caribbean countries success-wise, is almost non-existent.
In the halcyon days of yesteryear when we produced Commonwealth champions and attracted world class competitors, the likes of Olympic gold medal sprinters American Harrison Dillard and Jamaica’s Don Quarrie to compete here, the administration of athletics was done by y individuals of calibre and sincerity
Ming could have been the one the steer the AAG in that direction of administrative competence as its leader as, apart from his influence and connections to generate funding for the sport, given his business acumen, he has a heart of gold whose love for the sport is deep as they come.
For more than two decades Ming has been consistently providing financial support for athletes’ competitive and academic needs.
From the 1990’s when he took Atoms sprinter Kwame Caesar under his wing, to current Carifta medalist prospect Kenesia Phillips, Ming’s benevolence is not for anything in return but simply due to his big heart.
Squash players and ex national boxing champion Gary Sinclair have also been beneficiaries of his support.
Being part of a motor racing family, Ming’s interest could have been focused entirely on the discipline for society’s elites, which is why athletics should be grateful for his attention.
So, when he agreed to have his name nominated to serve in an AAG executive position, the presidency would’ve been ideal.
As it is Hutson has only former javelin competitor Shen Fung to compete against for the association’s top post.
The sudden recent flurry of AAG functions for coaches, officials and the likely promises to voting club members behind closed doors, must have resulted in Huston getting his foot in the door for another term, with an unjustified nomination.
It obviously didn’t matter that his tenure was another four years of depressing failure where lack of money, victimization, cronyism and general unprofessional behavior, resulted in the sinking aspirations of athletes from all levels.
From all appearances, Hutson has been obsessed with micro managing every detail of the association’s operations relative to the perks at stake.
No replacement for the deceased general secretary Shanomae Blackmore was had, and he made his intentions clear by relocating the association’s headquarters from free accommodation at the Guyana Olympic Association (GOA) place in Kingston, to his personal business office.
In meant Hutson has been solely responsible for designating officials to travelling teams and to the international conferences from which the monetary allowances are a huge enticement.
Complaints that the AAG Council existed only in name, were not surprising.
At one race meet in 2013, foreign-based visitors were aghast to observe Hutson manning the gates, working the microphones and controlling the bar proceeds.
Such was his obsession with being in total control it resulted in disastrous consequences when he botched the flight arrangements for the 2014 Junior Carifta Games that resulted in the entire team minus one U.S based member, missing the event, including multiple Games gold medalist Cassie George.
It was just another instance of athletes missing overseas competitions due to glaring negligence.
These days George, who became Guyana’s most decorated 14-year-old Carifta medalist, is at the crossroads of her career.
Lack of interest in her welfare by the national ruling body after a sojourn in the United States has left her career in steep decline.
The same can be said of Kadecia Baird, the country’s highest achiever at a Global meet, and other promising competitors who left these shores for America.
Hutson couldn’t or wasn’t interested in using his cozy relationship with the GOA, to solicit financial support systems for these athletes, given the resources the Olympic association has in store for development.
Yet he has received unbridled support from club representatives for a second term at the helm at the expense of a more resourceful Ming. It is not that the people, who he says feel he did well, need their heads examined.
They are the ones who want to continue feeding at the trough.
Incoming United States president Donald Trump has promised to “drain the swamp”.
In Guyana’s case it is well past time to weed out the parasites in sport.
