By Akeem Greene
“You know what has been happening- the little internal turmoil in the AAG and its executive- and it is (now a case of) trying to put that together now so that athletics continues,” Aubrey Hutson, President of the Athletics Association (AAG), said.
James Cole, General Secretary of the AAG, subsequently uttered: “We can only have the mess and be surrounded by the mess because we as individuals allow the mess to embody us.”
Regarding the administration of the sport in Guyana, those were the sentiments expressed by two key executives of the AAG.
Speaking with local and regional media outlets over the past week, both individuals painted a clear picture, one that leaves very little doubt about the troubles in Track and Field governance.
A host of internal issues is now public, as both officials went full blast in highlighting the administrative troubles that have engulfed the sport.
Speaking recently to News Room Sport, Hutson described the turmoil as “little,” but a deeper delve into the administration of the sport would reveal quite the opposite.
Huston was suspended from his position due to what many deemed colossal mismanagement that adversely affected the country’s CARIFTA team, which was traveling to and returning from the Bahamas in 2023.
Following Hutson’s suspension, Sheryl Hermonstine, the First Vice-President, became the acting President of the association.
After serving his time out, Hutson effectively returned to the position in July 2024 on the “request” of those who suspended him.
Hutson’s suspension, Cole indicated during an interview on the SportsMax Zone, was not constitutional.
Hutson related to News Room Sport, “When the same people, who did the no-confidence motion, grow to realise that we can’t manage this thing and the best thing to do is to go back and get the man who we know can manage it, they came right here in this same office and asked me to come back, the same people who moved that no-confidence motion.”
Responding to such comments, Cole stated, “It is truth to say”, but as mentioned, it was based on “legal advice” as the correct protocols for suspension were not followed.
When are the elections?
Hutson is currently serving his third consecutive term (a term consisting of four years) as President, and according to him, he “never campaigned for the position” and “the clubs asked” him to perform the role.
And despite the current pushback, Hutson has not ruled out running again, but when will those elections be held?
As mandated by the constitution, the AGM is to be held in December, but no later than January 31 of the following year.
The General Secretary must give at least 28 days of notice in a newspaper circulating in Guyana.
In June 2021, Hutson was re-elected for a third consecutive term after the body held its Annual General Meeting and Election of Officer Bearers at the National Racquet Centre on Woolford Avenue.
Hutson won when Hermonstine conceded after four consecutive rounds of voting were tied 5-5.
Cole revealed to SportsMax that elections could be in February as they will seek a two-thirds majority of the financial clubs on a motion to extend the standing order.
However, Cole informed SportsMax that there had been “no AGM since 2016,” and the Treasurer “is working to ensure audited financial statements from 2023-2024.”
Hutson has vehemently denied that no audited financial statements have been available for the past seven years.
Clarity on “no AGM since 2016”
Cole clarified with News Room Sport that the aspect of “no AGM since 2016” is regarding meetings to discuss financial and other matters of the council as mandated by the constitution to be done yearly.
The two AGMs held primarily served to host the elections.
According to the constitution, “The General Secretary shall present at the AGM the Council’s Report on the working of the association for the year and the report shall be signed by the President and the General Secretary.
This report shall be circulated at the AGM being held and the Treasurer shall present an Audited Statement of accounts of the association to each affiliate and Individual member no later than seven (7) days before the date of the meeting.”
Mismanagement and Micromanagement
Despite contemplating quitting the AAG a year after the 2021 election due to a “lack of functioning executive,” Hutson remained on the job and is now being accused of “micromanagement.”
There is no vehement denial.
“We have some dinosaurs in the system, in terms of people who have been here and don’t want to see sport transition,” he told News Room Sport.
Hutson complained of some non-functioning executives whose duties he would have to shoulder, with a prime example being their inability to operate the Fully Automated Timing (FAT) system.
According to Hutson, he personally bought the FAT cameras in 2015, and was subsequently reimbursed by the Guyana Olympic Association.
He argued that those who were trained subsequently departed, and those who remained did not have a genuine interest in running the system.
As such, he opted to learn the system, which he now operates for the AAG at various events.
Importantly, there is training at the Ministry of Education to have people set up and use the system.
Hutson also highlighted numerous other instances of using his personal funds to conduct business for the council; he was subsequently reimbursed.
“Detrimental effects”
Late last year, Thelson Williams, an AAG council member, penned a letter about the “detrimental effects of the president’s management style on the association.”
“Over the past three years, there has been a noticeable decline in the effectiveness of our operations, the transparency of decision-making, and the overall morale within the association,” Williams stated.
He further elaborated in the letter, “While I must mention that finances are the responsibilities of the elected treasurer, the president is also actively involved in managing the finances of the association. Mr. Hutson is continuously upbraided on matters related to the association’s accounts.
To this end, the financial accounts of AAG have not been audited over many years and as such no audited financial report was ever shared with members of the association.”
Williams added: “At numerous statutory meetings, Mr. Hutson openly stated that the association would borrow money from his business to offset travelling expenses for athletes and other operations of the association and he (Mr. Aubrey Hutson) is usually reimburse from World Athletics grants and other sources of income for the association. To this date, the council members of the AAG is yet to see a financial statement on payments to Mr. Hutson’s business.”
After the CARIFTA Games debacle in 2023, which required government intervention, Hutson told News Room Sport: “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.”
At the moment, there is no public challenger to Hutson if or when those elections are held, or whether he will seek re-election.
One thing is for sure though, don’t rule out the possibility of him being backed to run for a fourth consecutive term.
