– entity locked out of UCI
Embattled Guyana Cycling Federation (GCF) President Horace Burrowes is facing heavy criticism for independently positioning himself as a candidate for the South Zone Area Vice President position at the upcoming Pan American Cycling Confederation (COPACI) Congress, scheduled for February 25, 2025. This move, seen as bypassing established protocols, comes at a time when the GCF is grappling with significant internal challenges and unresolved leadership issues.
A COPACI press release dated January 15, 2025, confirmed Burrowes’ candidacy for both the South Zone Area Vice President position and a role on the COPACI Management Committee. This announcement has sparked concern within the local cycling community, given the federation’s current inability to convene functional meetings or make collective decisions.
Attempts to obtain clarification from Burrowes regarding his decision to present himself at the COPACI Congress were unsuccessful. Similarly, enquiries from this publication directed to COPACI about their awareness of the GCF’s administrative turmoil and the proposed establishment of an interim management body have gone unanswered.
GCF General Secretary Mark St Claire stated that no meeting or selection process had been held to determine a representative for the COPACI Congress. This revelation indicates that Burrowes’ actions were not sanctioned by the federation’s executive body.
Adding to the controversy, St Claire also disclosed that neither he nor other members of the Interim Committee currently have access to the Union Cycliste International (UCI) database, as login credentials appear to have been changed. This development has effectively locked the GCF out of crucial resources, such as the ability to print racing licences for cyclists, casting doubt over the viability of the 2025 cycling season in Guyana.
The GCF’s internal issues date back to November 2024, when Vice President Nigel London resigned, citing political and ethnic discrimination against the organization by government officials. The federation subsequently failed to meet the quorum at the General Council level, further deepening its leadership crisis.
In an effort to address these challenges, the GCF convened an extraordinary general meeting on January 18, at the National Racquet Centre in Georgetown. The meeting aimed to resolve the leadership impasse and devise a plan to ensure the continued development of cycling in Guyana.
Burrowes’ action has been widely criticized as that of a “one-man show,” and displaying little regard for the established governance processes of the GCF or the welfare of the sport and its athletes in Guyana.
