The candidates who will contest the Guyana Olympic Association (GOA) electoral Annual General Meeting set for March 14 will be known in the new week.
This is according to Assistant Secretary of the body, Deion Nurse. Nurse told this publication recently that “The nomination forms have been sent out to the members and are expected back in one week, at that time, we will have the details of the candidates.” While the names of the candidates are still unknown, what is unquestionable is that the association will have a new president.
Last June, the affiliate associations/federations voted in favour of ratifying its constitution based on the recommendations of its parent body, the International Olympic Committee (IOC).
During the Special General Meeting hosted at Olympic House, the GOA affiliates made a key change to its constitution which now includes in its governance principle to limit the age of executive members to 70 years.
The associations/federation voted 29-13 to implement the age limit capped at three scores and 10.
The new rule within its constitution, directly impacted incumbent President Kalam Juman-Yassin, 76, from running for the top post again.
The ratification of the constitution essentially eliminated Juman-Yassin who has been at the helm of the GOA for the past 26 years from being reelected.
It will be interesting to see whose names are thrown into the hat for the top post of one of the most important sporting bodies in the country. The GOA’s umbrella bodies will soon determine in large part the direction sports locally will undertake for next few years and beyond as electoral elections of the GOA are imminent.
