The Tribune

By BRENT STUBBS

Senior Sports Reporter

bstubbs@tribunemedia.net

MEN’S national 400-metre hurdles record holder Jeffery Gibson has been voted in as the new athletes’ representative for the Bahamas Association of Athletic Associations.

Gibson, 24, was the only person nominated for the position and was voted in with acclamation during the athletes’ meeting on Saturday at Zorba’s Café in Port Lucaya, Grand Bahama.

The annual meeting took place during the BAAA Senior National Track and Field Championships that took place on Friday and Saturday at the Grand Bahama Sports Complex.

However, incumbent Leevan ‘Superman’ Sands said he had intended to run for another term in office, but was disappointed in the process of the election, claiming that he wasn’t notified of the meeting.

The day after he captured the men’s national title with his victory in his speciality in 50.51 seconds, Gibson said he was overwhelmed by the vote of confidence from his peers in electing him as the new athletes’ representative.

“I feel grateful. In the past, I always thought about the idea of being the athletes’ rep, but I never took up the challenge. When this opportunity came around, I decided to go for it,” said Gibson, the reigning Pan American Games champion, World Championship bronze medallist (2015 in Beijing, China) and Commonwealth Games silver (Gold Coast in 2018) and bronze (Glasgow in 2014) medallist. “So instead of being timid or holding out, I felt this could be a change that I could make. I know I can bring forth the ideas that we as junior and senior athletes to make it better for us.”

In replacing Sands, Gibson said there were some issues about how he was elected, but he’s not going to focus on what transpired, but rather concentrate on the task ahead of him.

“I just want to ensure that there is no further occurrence of this going forward,” he said. “I know Leevan has been a great athletes’ rep and I would never take away his work or the work that he was trying to do. I’m here for the athletes and I don’t have any agenda or vendetta against Leevan. I just want to focus on making things as transparent as possible between the athletes and the federation and the athletes and the public.”

The Grand Bahamian native said one of the first things he hopes to establish is the constitution to govern the office of the athletes’ rep.

“I know we need to construct a structure as to what are the duties of the athletes’ rep, as well as a manual for the senior and junior athletes,” he said.

“Every year, we have this meeting and certain information is not passed out in a newsletter or to the greater track and field body. There is some information that they do not have preview to, so I want to produce a document where it is laid out and they are aware of all of the options available to them.”

During his tenure this year, Gibson said he also plans on lobbying for a time frame for the athletes’ rep to hold office because he doesn’t feel one year is sufficient to get the job done.

“Not every athlete came to this meeting. We say it’s mandatory, but there is nothing written in place to say it is mandatory,” Gibson said. “In this instance, we had 16 athletes who participated in the meeting.

“Those are the persons who can vote. Those are the persons who say this is who we would like to nominate and who we would like to vote for. That’s why I can see why there have been some issues surrounding my election.”

Sands, 37, claimed that he was unaware of the meeting being called for Saturday. He indicated that there was a meeting scheduled for Thursday with Minister of Youth, Sports and Culture Lanisha Rolle but that didn’t materialise.

The highly decorated triple jumper who earned bronze medals at the Olympic Games (2008 in Beijing, China), IAAF World Championships (2003 in Paris, France) and Commonwealth Games (2002 in Manchester, England), said he advised the BAAA that he would only be in Grand Bahama up to Friday night as he had a family engagement in New Providence on Saturday.

He said had he known that the meeting was going to take place on Saturday, he would have altered his plans as he had intended to run again for the position.

“I truly believe that the manner in which the election was held without notification to me as the sitting athletes’ rep and in my absence was very unprofessional and shows the sad state of affairs and corrupt practices in our system,” Gibson wrote to the BAAA.

He said he was told that fellow athletes wanted him out because he represented immediate past president Rosamunde Carey in her quest to be re-elected against newly elected president Drumeco Archer.

“To be honest, that is not true. I’ve never supported any sides,” Sands said. “I always remained neutral and I was always doing what was right for the athletes. That’s the honest truth.

“If any of you felt aggrieved by anything I did, it was never personal. I’ve been real and respectful to everyone. Some of you I’ve considered being like family.”

Sands said he had developed a passion for the position and had great intentions for future plans. But he assured the athletes that he doesn’t hold any animosity towards Gibson, whom he feels will do a good job in replacing him.”

When he was elected three years ago, Sands had replaced “Golden Girl” Debbie Ferguson-McKenzie. Prior to her occupying the chair, the athletes’ rep was quarter-miler Nathaniel McKinney.