media_artricles :: 2013

Forde: World Champs team not properly approved

Former secretary of the National Association of Athletics Administration (NAAA), Clyde Forde, says the Trinidad and Tobago team taking part in the IAAF World Championships in Russia was not approved by the NAAA General Council.

Even before the team was selected, Forde, who is a member of the general council, criticised NAAA executive for “their disregard for the general council which is the government of organisation.”

Forde served previously as auditor, trustee, assistant secretary and secretary of the NAAA executive.

On Friday, he said that article 21 of the constitution of the organisation states that minutes from all executive meeting must be sent to the general council and that the executive did not obey that article.

“The executive of the NAAA is only a committee selected by the general council to handle the day to day affairs of the organisation but what they did was contrary of the constitution when they selected the T&T team for the World Games in Russia without the approval or ratification by the General Council,” Forde told the Express.

“We did not receive the minutes of the meeting as enshrined in the constitution, when the team was selected. We are to approve the team and give it the okay but without any approval of the general council, the executive went ahead and selected a team anyway.

“If they had sent those minutes for us when they selected the team, we would have revoked the selection of Semoy Hackett because of the ban imposed by the world governing body for the sport.

“In accordance with article 20 (1) of the constitution, the government and general direction of the association shall be vested in the general council,” Forde said.

“We are to direct them what to do or question them on what they plan to do. The executive cannot make and decisions without the approval of the General Council,” Forde added

When asked about the claims being made by Forde, secretary of the NAAA Allan Baboolal said: “Right now, I have no idea what Clyde Forde said and we need to get all the facts and then the NAAA will make a release but at the moment I cannot comment on what Clyde Forde has said.”

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