The Tribune

By BRENT STUBBS

Senior Sports Reporter

bstubbs@tribunemedia.net

It was a humbling but disappointing experience for incumbent Mike Sands on Saturday as he was ousted as president of the Bahamas Association of Athletic Associations by Rosamunde Carey.

During the BAAA annual general meeting and election of officers at the Ministry of Youth, Sports and Culture, Carey became the first female president of the BAAA, dethroning Sands 44-40 as just about all of her United Purpose slate went in to form the new administration for the next three years.

“I’m disappointed in the final outcome because not withstanding the membership has spoken and they made their choice, so we have to accept it,” Sands said. “I wish the new administration well.”

Carey, a former treasurer in the BAAA, went in with a slate that included immediate past public relations officer Tonique Williams, who also made history as the first female to be elected as the first vice president. The only two members of Carey’s team who didn’t get in were incumbent secretary general Carl Oliver, who was beaten by Drumeco Archer and Troy McIntosh, who lost to Norris Bain.

In his bid to remain in office, Sands put together a slate of officers, who included Curt Hollingsworth as his first vice president. He was beaten by Williams 50-31. Sands, however, said in hindsight, he wished that he would have done some things a little different prior to the elections.

“Hindsight is always 20-20,” Sands said. “I think obviously, one would have had to be engaging as to persons needs and concerns. Sometimes when you are trying to look at the big picture, you may overlook the small things that make up the big picture.

“So when you are trying to please and satisfy as many as possible for the overall benefit of the organisation, what you find happening is that some small things that maybe annoying or disturbing to some is what really makes the difference and I think we found that there were some major, major issues and some small minor issues in certain quarters that made the difference as I reflect.”

Having done all that he felt he could have done to “please” the masses, Sands said there were some people who felt they deserved a trip or something of that nature, that tipped the scale in him being re-elected.

“If you look at our record and I still speak on our record where every national team still travelled, the few persons that, and I don’t know who they are and I refuse to try to suggest, but their level of disgruntlement or their dis-satisfaction or the other, was what made the difference.”

During his tenure in office, Sands said he was confident that they did the best they could under the circumstances.

“Bearing in mind, when you are working as a minority in a situation where there is a majority that feels that they want to go into a certain direction, you have to take charge of certain things and I have been accused of operating aristocratically, but the overall support was not there and obviously it showed in the results,” he said.

“Did we do everything right? The answer is obviously no. Could we have done things differently? The answer is yes. But at the end of the end of the day, the labourers are few, but the harvest is plenteous. So at the end of the end, I am reasonably satisfied that given the climate that we had to operate, I felt that we did a wonderful job.”

Still priding himself of the accomplishment that every national team was able to travel, despite the fact that the BAAA may not have had the funding. But he was concerned with the fact that they may not have been able to mend all of the bridges since the last election in 2012.

“There were persons who stayed in election mode since 2012 up until 2015,” he stated. “They obviously chose not to come on board, but obviously remain undivided for whatever reason. If you look at the opposing slate, they were the exact same persons, except one or two, that would have opposed me in 2012.

“So that should give you an idea of what we were working with. As a matter of fact, I joked with someone in 2012 after the elections that I felt like Obama in the Republic Congress. That never changed. So I was often discouraged, but never deterred. If you look at the persons who ran for office this year is exactly the same persons who challenged me in 2012. So that alone should tell you the challenge I was faced throughout the tenure.”

Is this the end of Sands’ reign? Will he be looking at the possibility of making a comeback in the future?

“Persons have been saying me, and it really wasn’t my intention to be here this long, even though persons have been asking me,” he said. “I tried to make a pact in 2012 with my then opponents, advising that we should do this together so that the transaction can begin,” Sands said.

“By then we could identify persons who can come forth and take the mantle and guide the process. I wasn’t successful in 2012 in doing that and that leads to where we are today. I had indicated to several persons inside my party and on my team, that this is my last straw, win, lose or draw.”

Unfortunately, Sands said he wasn’t successful in being re-elected and he doesn’t know if the current leadership will want, appreciate or accept his experience.

“So at the end of the day, I want to wish them well and I take this opportunity to thank all those persons who supported me, particularly those during the difficult periods and to know that their support has been appreciated,” he said. “I also want to thank corporate Bahamas and all of the other stakeholders for making the road less difficult to travel, particularly when it comes to the finances of the BAAA. For all of that, I’m eternally grateful.”

So what’s next for Sands?

“I’m contemplating that, but I certainly would like to serve in another and a higher capacity whether it is in the region, locally or otherwise,” he said. “So I would not want to hide my ability to contribute to sports administration and just let it go to naught.”