Body Building: Elections postponed yet again
Meeting and elections in another two weeks’s time
There were more empty chairs than members for the second bodybuilding AGM last Saturday and so no elections could take place
Eight members of the bodybuilding association who turned up for the sport’s annual general meeting (AGM) on Saturday for a second time in three weeks, left the venue in anger after the meeting failed to materialise and more importantly, the election of a new executive committee could not take place.
The reason was that turnout was so low that they did not even have the two thirds of members present, required for the process to take place.
Both members of the outgoing executive committee and the members present, most of them seasoned athletes or veterans in the sport, were rather annoyed by this situation and criticized the other federation members for not taking the sport seriously and at heart. One of the most vocal members was veteran bodybuilder Joelen Valentin who said “if after the next fourteen days the other members do not turn up we should make a new start with the small group that we have and we should forget about those who always fail to turn up. It is this group who really loves the sport; the others want to destroy bodybuilding. So we should push on with this small group, we can kiss goodbye bodybuilding in Seychelles. If athletes can make sacrifices to participate in competitions why is it that they cannot sacrifice a few hours in one year to attend a meeting to decide the future of the sport. It shows they are not true bodybuilders, they do not love the sport, or are simply not interested,” remarked Valentin.
He was reacting after the outgoing Chairman, Regis Delorie had informed them that the National Sports Council (NSC) had given the sport a last fourteen days to hold elections otherwise they may lose all their status as a recognized sport federation under NSC. Mr. Delorie said that he was expecting a good turnout specially from those who had criticized his work over the past two years.” I was expecting the room to be packed, specially with those who were not satisfied with the work of the executive committee to come forward and offer to take the helm and carry the sport forward. I am so disappointed,” he told the members present.
But most members present asked the outgoing chairman and his executive committee members to reconsider their decision not to stand again for election. But again no commitment was given by the three outgoing members.
The question remains if there will be enough members in fourteen days to elect a new committee and for bodybuilding to move forward. “Those who do not attend always come up with excuses. They are there for competitions but do not attend meeting that will help to organize these events. If they love the sport, they should understand that it is important to attend meetings otherwise they will always get information through another member and on many occasion not the correct information. So I think in fourteen days members should make the effort to attend the meeting,” said veteran, Joe Gabriel. For his part the current Mr. Seychelles champion, Ziad Mecdachi said that some issues that have happened recently have given the sport a bad image. “But I would like to call on members to make their own minds and not let issues influence them. Come forward and show that they are interested in the sport and we will continue to move forward,” said Mecdachi.
So the third and probably last AGM for bodybuilding will take place on Saturday 26 March.
Source: Today.sc 3-16-16