media_artricles :: 2013

Serrette unfazed by General Council meeting

Ephraim Serrette, president of the National Association of Athletics Administration (NAAA) says he is not worried or concerned by the NAAA’s General Council interim meeting today to discuss his leadership.

The NAAA General Council will convene at 3 pm today at the Hasely Crawford Stadium to discuss their discontent with Serrette’s style of leadership.

Clyde Forde, a member of the General Council, has been critical of Serrette and has alleged that the NAAA president has not been abiding by the constitution.

But speaking to Newsday yesterday, Serrette expressed indifference to today’s meeting.

“They could have their meeting if they want. If they are not happy then there is a process. Let them run for election, elections are coming up in November,” he declared nonchalantly.

Commenting on the allegation that he is acting in contravention to the constitution, Serrette said, “It is not about me. There is an executive that runs the affairs (of the NAAA).

Forde is harping on this constitution that we are trying to reform. There is a saying that ‘what got you here won’t get you there’ and we want to amend the constitution,” he continued.

The former national sprinter says the current constitution is out-of-date and accused some of his detractors of doing nothing for the sport.

Serrette, under fire from the NAAA General Council, has also been criticised by the Minister of Sport Anil Roberts who has called on the entire NAAA Executive to resign following their handling of the Semoy Hackett positive drug test.

The NAAA Disciplinary Committee exonerated Hackett, paving the way for her to compete at the recently concluded World Championships in Moscow. The IAAF, track and field’s governing body, have not accepted the decision made by the NAAA Disciplinary Committee and have re-suspended Hackett and lodged an appeal to the Court of Arbitration for Sport.

Asked whether now has been the most challenging time for him since serving as president in 2006, a defiant Serrette says nothing is a challenge for him.

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