If it wasn’t an event as serious as the Presidential elections of the Guyana Olympics Association (GOA), one could easily dismiss the drama surrounding today’s ballot as this country’s equivalent to Comedy Central.
Out of the clear blue sky, the joke of the year is that baseball could influence the outcome for the most powerful administrative position in Guyana.
Yes, America’s favorite pastime activity for which you can bet your last dollar none of the officials voting today have ever seen a live game as it is non-existent in the country, has a representative from a so-call baseball association running for the GOA Presidency.
To quote late cricket writer Tony Cozier, it is a case of not knowing whether to “laugh or cry” at the deplorable state of skullduggery Guyana’s sports administration has descended to.
To make a long preamble short, Robin Singh, President of a Guyana baseball association is in the running to challenge Guyana Table Tennis Association (GTTA) President Godfrey Munroe for the GOA’s top position, which will finally have a new leader after more than 30 years.
It is understood a pre-election vote will be done by the GOA Council members to approve or disapprove the legitimacy of this baseball ruling body which has nominated Singh, after an objection was made by GOA Executive Committee.
This Council comprises 23 representatives from the GOA affiliated sports ruling bodies in the country and if the baseball organization is deemed legit the said association would sink to a new low.
It would be more impossible than finding a needle in a haystack to discover any baseball facility or clubs in the country or any documental proof of any executive election for this organization, because none of the lot exists.
Yet it seems no big deal to allow this charade to play out at a time when the GOA needs to at its serious best as Guyana’s presence at the Olympics and other International Olympics Association (IOC) competition events, slips deeper into non-relevance and our performances continue to embarrass the nation with every passing year. It also reflects a lot on the credibility or lack thereof of the bodybuilding ruling body, second required nominator for Singh.
Outside of his so-called position as head of Guyana’s baseball, Singh has zero experience in sports administration, much less success in any such position. Thus, it is akin to having hell freeze over for him to turn the GOA around to help our struggling competitors via their national organizations to come close to, or even matching Guyana’s single Olympic medal performance achieved 42 years ago over a 74-year period.
In contrast Munroe checks the boxes in almost every regard as the ideal leader to replace K. Juman Yassin after more 30 years of stagnated progress.
His tireless work as a longstanding head of the GTTA, has resulted in Guyana emerging as the leading English-speaking Caribbean country performance-wise in recent times. At the last Central American and Caribbean Championships, the country notched two third places in the men’s and women’s team competitions.
In was the best display by the non- Central American teams which battled the traditional strong units from those countries. As a result Guyana’s display came close to the halcyon times when we were a minor powerhouse at Regional level .
The emergence of leading players including Chelsea Edghill who became the first Guyanese to qualify for the Olympics in 2020 along with the talented Shemar Britton among others, have boosted the GTTA’s image under Munroe.
In addition, the Caribbean ruling body is so impressed with the association’s competence it awarded the local body hosting responsibilities for the Caribbean championships currently being staged at both senior and junior levels.
Munroe’s pedigree surely has been aided by his experience as a former player and including accomplishments as national junior champion.
He could become the first competitor to lead the GOA and break the tradition of societal personalities running the body, and in most cases, into the ground, in the past.
It is a no-brainer to conclude that former players are best equipped to influence success on the fields and arenas. And who better understands the struggles sportspeople in Guyana have to endure to exist, much-less succeed at the highest levels internationally? It couldn’t be the opportunists, rather quality administrators of Munroe’s ilk who would better utilize resources provided by the IOC and influential enough to acquire more otherwise for the much needed facilities, coaching, competition, international and local, to take our competitors game to higher levels. Munroe’s quality integrity surely would’ve aided his success in the boardroom and at the venues.
The despicable practice of trips for the boys and family at the Olympics and other high-profile competitions and functions under the IOC umbrella, that has characterized the GOA leadership of the past has to end.
A new, fresh beginning could start with Munroe at the helm.
