Dear Editor,
President of the Athletics Association of Guyana (AAG) Aubrey Hutson had more than enough time and adequate resources to ensure that Guyana’s athletes going to this year’s CARIFTA Games would get there effortlessly and without hiccups. Our athletes participating in the 50th edition of the CARIFTA games being hosted in The Bahamas were selected since February of this year. Mr. Hutson received three million dollars from the PPP government through its National Sports Commission and another three million from the Guyana Olympics Association to take care of the CARIFTA team. He must tell us if the funds were enough and why our athletes were without visas and stranded in another country trying to get to The Bahamas. Why was it only days before the start of the CARIFTA games that the President of the Athletics Association raised the issue with the athletes about whether they had visas to travel through Miami?
Why was it only last week that Mr. Hutson started to rush to book flights and did he not know that there are no direct flights from Guyana to The Bahamas? Mr. Hutson’s leadership and conduct are unacceptable and in this regard he must be held accountable. An investigation must take place.
But the President of the Athletics Association of Guyana seems not to be the only culpable party in this national disgrace in an oil rich country. Why no initial involvement of the Director of Sports, and the Minister of Culture, Youth and Sport? Why the Minister’s intervention only after the athletes were stranded? The Guyanese people have endured, long enough, this retarded attitude coming from our high office holders.
The fact remains that we as Guyanese must bear some responsibility for the culture of incompetence that defines our leaders. We have allowed them for far too long to lord over us as if they are unaccountable to the people and are above reproach. We all are involved and we all are consumed in this national and international disgrace of staggering proportions and have reduced our athletes to embarrassing levels and we should not allow this debacle to be swept under the carpet.
Sincerely,
Norman Browne
Social and Political Activist
