Shakespeare was right!
“Uneasy lies the head that wears a crown.”
To be the head of any sports organization in Guyana is no easy task. There are always persons who feel that they can do better; that they should be the boss, not you, and that you are not doing a good job. Ask any association president.
It does not matter whether you were democratically elected or that you enjoy the support of the executive or that the sport has been progressing.
No! Those around you who covet the post that you hold are not interested in all of that. They want to be president. Nothing else matters.
On the other hand there are association presidents who are not doing a good job, who hold on to the post simply because of the benefits to be derived instead of trying to make the discipline better.
Sports administration today is characterised by a “dog eat dog” mentality. It is surprising what some association presidents go through and yet still hold on to the post.
Take Colin Klass for example. Klass is probably the longest serving association president today. Klass came to power following the absconding of several national footballers of Guyana’s senior team to the United States of America at a time when nobody wanted the post simply because they were unwilling to pay the fine FIFA had heaped on the GFF for being unable to control its opportunity-seeking footballers.
Since then, Klass has survived several challenges to his leadership with a skill to be envied by many a politician. Perhaps, having Jack Warner as your cornerman is the key to prevent being knocked out of the lucrative post that is being the head of the GFF.
Today, the GFF receives a grant from FIFA of $250,000, a sum that is considered princely, in the face of what other associations receive from their parent body.
Small wonder that Klass’s position is being targeted. After seeing off Joe Harmon a few years back, Klass was set to face his biggest challenge from presidential advisor Odinga Lumumba. Lumumba, shrewd politician that he is, worked his way from being president of the then lowly rated Alpha United Club to being duly elected president of the Georgetown Football Association (GFA). He was all set to challenge Klass for the post of GFF boss.
But Klass proved equal to the task. He refused to give voting rights to Lumumba’s GFA despite a visit to Warner in Trinidad by Lumumba, who subsequently gave up the GFA presidency.
Klass has remained president of the GFF even in the face of a total rejection of his leadership which happened a few years back when members of the Golden Jaguars football team waylaid him in the wee hours of the morning as he was leaving a hotel in Trinidad and Tobago to return to Guyana following the team’s unsuccessful sojourn at the Digicel Caribbean Cup tournament.
Then there is former president of the Guyana Amateur Boxing Association (GABA) Affeeze Khan who, along with Lumumba and Chetram Singh are the only persons to have voluntarily decided to give up a post of president of an organization.
While the true reasons for Lumumba and Singh abdicating their posts might not be known, Khan has said he was forced to flee from his elected post because he claimed that his life and the lives of family members were threatened. He felt that his life was more important that holding on to a post that was coveted by another. The GABA receives some US$2000 annually from its parent body AIBA.
Khan might have given up the post just in time to prevent an attack on his person but Pretipaul Jaigobin was not so lucky.
The assistant treasurer of the GCB was doused with acid for what he termed cricket related matters.
Jaigobin, it was said had raised questions after the Canadian High Commission decided not to issue visas to a national cricket team leaving for Canada. That and subsequent queries he felt led to his attack. Though he has indicated that he might have some knowledge as to who was behind the attack, Jaigobin, has decided that he will let a greater power deal with his attackers.
Today most association presidents change the constitution almost at will in an effort to stay in power longer.
Years ago elections were held annually. Today it is the norm for association presidents to be in power at least two years, some even for four before elections are held.
The aim, they argue is for them to be given some amount of time to complete projects. The reality is that they are quietly entrenching themselves in the position.
A former sports journalist attached to this newspaper Duane Fowler put it best.
According to Fowler it was all about prestige, perks and profile.
This is what Fowler wrote in his Perfect Point column a few years ago.
“Well if you think our participation at major meets is about the athletes, think again. It’s all about the officials. It’s about the stays at four and five star hotels. Drinking out of the mini bars in nice hotel rooms in foreign lands. Per diems. Room service. Hobnobbing with the elite, while knowing that they have no idea what is going on back home. It couldn’t possibly be about the athletes. Why else would the officials in these delegations outnumber the athletes on most occasions? The various Chefs-de-Mission, Team Managers, Country Representatives and whatever other designations they travel under. No Siree Bob. It’s about the profile, prestige and perks.
“Who really believes it’s out of love of sports and selfless service that keeps them holding on to these positions? Not me. They do because of the profile and prestige it gives them. Oh, and the perks, let’s not forget the perks eh.”
Fowler was spot on.
If you think for one moment that the fight for the GCB top spot is about changing the fortunes of Guyana’s cricket think again.
It is about wanting to represent Guyana at the WICB level. To be a WICB Director.
There are unsubstantiated reports that two persons who were removed from being WICB directors and representing Guyana at WICB meetings are behind much of the infighting taking place within the corridors of the GCB.
Why? One might ask, are there two factions of the Demerara Cricket Board both claiming to be the legitimate body.
Simply because whoever is elected president of the Demerara Cricket Board would have a strong case when it comes to choosing a successor for Chetram Singh.
As it stands the GCB should call fresh elections which it should supervise and validate. The elections should include both factions and the outcome should be final. Nothing else would suffice.
