A Contribution
FOLLOWING the recent re-election of the chairman and his executive committee it is important to inform other sports of why a federation would decide to re-elect the same people who have so obviously failed to promote their sport. This is especially important for individual sports such as athletics to prevent the same situation occurring in their respective sport.
Under the old athletic constitution his re-election would have been impossible as all the athletes, officials, coaches and individuals involved in the sport would have voted them out.
The Constitution of the athletics federation was changed on the reintroduction of clubs in 1996 with the idea of bringing back the old clubs and promoting athletics through the clubs. Unfortunately the people behind this idea were kicked out before they could fully implement the new policies and a group of self-serving individuals decided that they could benefit from being the people to run the athletics federation. They formed the clubs, or so called clubs, and dictated who they wanted on their committee. They decided that the officials and coaches could not be called clubs and could therefore have no voting rights; they decided that individual athletes not attached to a club could not be allowed to vote either. They basically agreed to keep out anybody they felt would disagree with them or would vote against them.
What has happened is that the few clubs that do now exist, about 3 or 4, are now run by coaches who are paid and only need to work a few hours a week, any change in the management of the federation would mean more accountability and a longer working week for them.
It is not in their interest for these individuals to promote their sport; any new clubs would want the federation to be more active and more supportive, it is better to just leave things as they are.
The decision of the chairman to allow clubs, or so called clubs, to be allowed to vote at the A.G.M. despite the fact they have not participated in 50 percent of the organized competitions, competed with only one of their registered athletes out of 10 and have not paid their annual dues has made a mockery of the whole federation and turned the A.G.M. into a farce.
He has once again decided to change the rules in his favor and argued that 15 competitions be changed to only 9 and that the constitution only says you need to register 10 athletes per club. In effect he is saying if you wish to get rid of me you need to play my game and register 10 clubs with 10 athletes but only one needs to compete and you can then obtain the voted you need to out vote me.
The National Sports Council have recognized the poor state of athletics in the country and appointed an athletics director who now is faced with the task of trying to do all the work of the athletics committee
The Olympic committee brought in an expert on coaching last year who was extremely critical of the athletics committee and despite it being his duty to present this report to the federation at the A.G.M. The chairman told us the report was still with the Olympic committee and could not be tabled or discussed at the A.G.M. - very convenient and again a farce.
The solution to this sad state of affairs is to return to the old constitution of this federation and try to call back all those with the true interest of athletics at heart that could revive the athletics of old. When a gold medalist like Maurice Camille and others are told they are not allowed to attend or participate in an A.G.M. things are truly at an all time low. We need everybody we can get to help with athletics, we should not turn away anyone especially people who criticize constructively.
We must learn from our mistakes and try to rectify them, if the National Sport Council does not call a new A.G.M. for all athletes and officials than we may need to go to the I.A.A.F. and ask them to assist in this crisis.
The lessons to be learned by other sports are I hope very obvious, do not consider any changes to your constitution without a great deal of reflection and consideration. Clubs in individuals sports can be a good means to promote and encourage it but do not allow unscrupulous individuals to take them over and remember how small our country is and how we are all chasing the same sponsors.
I hope the above points are taken seriously, it is meant as a warning to other sports but also as a solution to the very sad state that the athletics federation found itself in.