… Asks Michelangelo Jacobus

IT is no secret that cycling in Guyana has long been in a state of disarray, specifically on the administrative side of things and along with the empty coffers of the federation.

A new and somewhat dark situation has now reared its ugly head which brings about the headline of this article; Is there a dictatorship at the Guyana Cycling Federation?
As an ardent follower of cycling and sportsman at heart, I truly believe in the development of our young athletes and a positive advancement of sports in general.

Let’s examine the present situation. The Guyana Cycling Federation (GCF) is bound by its constitution to hold General Elections every three years “no later than at the end of March”. In addition the said elections must be advertised no less than 20 days in advance in the official Gazette along with being featured in the printed media no less than twice in that period.

The last time the GCF held its elections was back in June of 2015 when Horace Burrowes (current president) was elected to the helm of the federation; four years later and just about four weeks from June, there is not a murmur of the executive putting plans in motion for the much needed elections.

As a responsible stakeholder in sport, three weeks ago the question of elections was brought up at a cycling meet in the National Park and the response to the question posed was: “The president says when he feels like keeping an election, there will be an election”.

This was uttered by a senior official in the GCF who will be named if the need arises. That statement holds all the idiosyncrasy of a “dictatorial regime”. That statement, coupled with other dubious activities by the current GCF administration, begs the very question.

It is no secret that persons heavily involved in cycling, stakeholders and various club administrators are hoping for a change in the GCF management personnel. To that effect a group of club officials, along with stakeholders of the sport, led by former national cyclist Linden Dowridge, had written to the GCF president and his executive, querying the organisation of elections and other urgent concerns.

However, Dowridge told Chronicle Sport that they were told that Burrowes would respond to them shortly, something which was put off and even when addressed, the glaring issue at hand was not properly answered.

Following the passing of the elections deadline; Dowridge revealed that the group’s next move would be to write to the subject Minister, Dr George Norton who holds the portfolio for Youth, Culture and Sport.

He also noted that they will be approaching the Guyana Olympic Association (GOA) to take up the issue. This is something that Dowridge is apprehensive of as he pointed out that the GOA is notoriously lax in their approach and responsibility to the cycling situation.

Among one of the charges levelled against Burrowes is that he has been heard telling persons that the Union Cycliste Internationale (UCI), along with COPACI (Confederación Panamericana de Ciclismo), has granted him power to do as he likes in regard to cycling in Guyana, something that has not been verified.

It is with a heavy heart and apprehensive mindset that I call on the GCF administration to clear up these questions and move ahead with positivity with regard to constitutional conformity with the best interest of our young cyclists and the development of the sport in mind.