By Treiston Joseph
With the Athletics Association of Guyana (AAG) elections slated for later this month, Coach Lyndon Wilson, who is part of one of Guyana’s powerhouse clubs in the Guyana Police Force shared what he would like to see coming out of the next administration that will run the sport.
“Well whoever will be the next president, I will like them to have more input in the clubs and somehow get the clubs involved at their meetings so they can share and understand what the clubs are going through, that is the missing link in running the AAG.
“The clubs need to step up their game and the AAG has to play a role in it just like how the IAAF plays a role in countries or the IOC, same thing the AAG needs to play a role in the clubs not only organise meets for them,” Wilson reasoned.
Whether the President, who is currently Aubrey Hutson, remains the same or the presidency changes, Wilson identified one characteristic he would hope to witness from the next leader of the sport.
“One of the main things is now that we have a track in that the next president or if it remains the same start lobbying for us to hold a Carifta Games here. I could remember a few years ago I was at one of these congresses and they said that once Guyana have a track they will give it as soon as they apply to host the games.
“It may not be right away or in 2017, but let’s look at around 2019/2020… we can host it because I went to little Grenada who host the Carifta before not much you have to put in just the logistics,” Wilson mentioned.
Nevertheless, Wilson is committed to playing a role in athletics regardless of the outcome of the elections later this month, but also believes corporate input needs to be an area of focus for the AAG.
“I am willing to give my energy to athletics, it’s a game I love because at the end of the day it’s mainly an individual event, the coaches put in what they have to and then the athletes go out and execute but what I need to see more of is more corporate input…all over the world Universities give their athletes scholarships and the University of Guyana needs to start doing that.
“Some of our athletes want to go forward with academics, but don’t have the financial backing and as a result fall by the wayside so we need to look at that,” Wilson pinpointed.
Meanwhile, Wilson did not reveal who the Guyana Police Force will be voting for, but hinted at the possibility of running for the president of the association sometime in the future.
“I’ve been receiving calls and hearing names called which I don’t want to say on television, but a lot of people are campaigning and I’m asking myself some these people that are campaigning what are their interests? If I want to run for the presidency, which I would not at this time around, but for the next four years I would go around athletics, help athletics… so when if you want to run you have to be around athletics and have some insight not just your business tactics because if you don’t know what is going on in the sport then it doesn’t make any sense,” Wilson stated.
The AAG’s elections will be held on January 22 where nine clubs will have the opportunity to either re-elect or elect a new president for another four-year term.
