Sports associations should not attend GOA elections

Dear Editor,

I request all sports associations who will be participating in the Guyana Olympic Association elections later in the month not to attend that event, so they would not cast a vote which effectively blames Mr K Juman Yassin, President of the Guyana Olympic Association for Guyana’s failure to medal at the Rio 2016 Olympic Games.

We all are aware by now that a campaign against Mr Juman Yassin was started some weeks ago, which has support from others including a member of the National Sports Commission. Govern-ment should not have any say in the GOA’s elections.

I stood up as an independent observer from the sidewalk with absolutely no affiliation to any political party, sports association, etc, because it is my personal belief that all stakeholders must shoulder responsibility for the decline of sports in Guyana and the fact that we did not medal at the Rio Games.

There is an urgent need for the transformation of sport in Guyana, and it is the responsibility of the Minister of Sport, Dr Rupert Roopnaraine to gather all the stakeholders under one roof and  come up with a master plan.

Yours faithfully,

T Pemberton