By Akeem Greene
Despite numerous calls for his resignation, the President of the Athletics Association of Guyana (AAG), Aubrey Hutson, has no desire to step down from the position.
The calls came on the heels of the travel fiasco for Guyana’s CARIFTA Track and Field team to reach Nassau, Bahamas over the Easter Weekend.
“While you may get that comment [to resign] from some, they are others who are begging me to stay because…in any other situation like this, you may have had the situation where the whole team did not go, but I ploughed on and there were people in my office who saw what was happening,” Hutson told reporters at the Cheddi Jagan International Airport on Thursday following a grand welcome home to the successful team.
He added, “…they knew we were in an uphill task to get those tickets for the athletes and I am happy that we are able to persevere and get those results that we got.”
However, some athletes arrived mere hours before their events on Saturday last, and some missed the heats altogether and had to conduct time trials.
A resilient group of athletes secured three gold, two silver, and three bronze medals, to go one better than they did last year at the three-day event.
“I am weighing my options right now and if I feel I am a hindrance to Track and Field in Guyana, trust me, I will step away and walk away from Track and Field”, Hutson lamented.
No micromanaging
There is a belief by some members of the AAG that many issues being faced stem from the alleged micromanaging of the association by Hutson.
Currently serving his third consecutive term as President, he dismissed these allegations on the basis of being an advocate for inclusivity in decision-making.
“I have been speaking to some of the same persons who echo such sentiments [micromanaging] and begging them, literally on my knees begging them to start working but everything was left to me and that is what happens…I was literally begging with tears in my eyes that ‘you need to start doing your work’ and it fell on deaf ears.
“I could have pointed a finger but I don’t do that”, Hutson exclaimed.
In June 2021, Hutson was re-elected for a third consecutive four-year tenure when First Vice-President, Sheryl Hermonstine, conceded after four consecutive rounds of voting were tied 5-5.
Other elected Executives were Rtd. Colonel Paul Arthur (Second Vice-President), Dwayne Carter (Treasurer), and Elton Bollers (Assistant Treasurer).
The Committee Members are Keith Campbell, Linden Phillips, Telson Williams, Nial Stanton, and Major Tyron Smith.
Just days ago, Campbell, manager of the CARIFTA Track and Field Team contended that arriving hours before competition deprived the team of potentially more medals.
Furthermore, Campbell indicated to the News Room that the AAG did not give him the national flag prior to departure.
The team returned Thursday to a hero’s welcome after the government funded their return from Nassau through a charter to Cuba.
