[www.inewsguyana.com] – Chairman of the Development Committee of the Athletics Association of Guyana (AAG), Wayne Walcott has penned his displeasure with President of the Athletics Association of Guyana, Aubrey Hutson.
In a letter to the media, Walcott highlighted that his confidence in Hutson’s leadership is totally “shattered”.
Earlier in the year, Distance Coach, Leslie Black expressed his no confidence in Hutson as well, pointing out that Hutson was “doing his own thing”.
Below is full copy of Walcott’s letter:
Dear Editor,
It is time for the Executive body of the Athletics Association of Guyana (AAG) re-evaluate the management approach of Mr. Aubrey Hutson relative to the affairs of the AAG. The Development Committee of the AAG has been tasked more than a year ago to prepare a Master Plan for the AAG. This very Committee, of which I am Chairman, has worked tirelessly to complete about 92 percent of a draft document that only lacks the estimated costs to rehabilitate identified existing facilities and/or construct a High Performance Centre in Linden.
Estimated costs for site rehabilitation were not done, since it was the opinion of the Committee that it was better for the Executive of the AAG to be familiar with the contents of the proposed Master Plan before proceeding further. In other words, feedback from the AAG Executive was necessary at that juncture of the Master Plan preparation. The said Master Plan was submitted to Hutson since April 9, 2013. A subsequent correspondence naming this document was forwarded to Hutson on March 12, 2014.
Hutson and I met in April 2014 and during that meeting, he indicated that he would distribute the said document to other members of the Executive for their review and recommendations, but to-date, he has not done so, and that is of major concern.
I am forced to conclude that by his inaction it appears as though the President has no intention of apprising the other Executive members of the AAG as regards the work completed by the Development Committee. Given articles in Sunday April 27, 2014 Stabroek News and most recent photo opportunity with the Sports Minister as if to say athletics is going places, that is further from the truth, it is not progressing.
In addition, this level of his neglect has left me aggrieved and has completely shattered my confidence and trust in his leadership to implement sound structures with systematic and measurable scientific interventions to improve the quality and performance of our many gifted athletes locally.
I was also speechless to read that Hutson had the gumption to say in another article in the Kaieteur News on April 28, 2014, that a “genuine and comprehensive approach needed for real development”, given he already has a copy of the proposed Master Plan prepared by the Development Committee of the AAG. It confirmed that he has no respect for the document the Committee worked tirelessly to prepare.
Hutson’s competence is brought into question with the handling of this situation, which is aimed at the development of track and field in Guyana. He has failed to effectively utilise the existing technical personnel with the AAG. This could further mean that he does not even have a basic understanding of what it takes to develop a sustained programme, high performance initiatives and sports medicine.
Cc: Director of Sport, Minister of Culture, Youth and Sport, Minister of Education, Guyana Teachers’ Union.
Respectfully,
Wayne Walcott
Chairman, Development Committee
Athletics Association of Guyana
