President of the Athletics Association of Guyana (AAG), Aubrey Hutson has slammed an article appearing in another section of the local press which claimed that his association is bankrupt and assured that such is will never be under his watch.
“There are certain sections of the media that like to take the AAG to task, and is normally very critical but some of them are unwarranted. I’d like to say that the statement (the headline of the article) of itself is libelous. I want to state clearly that the Athletics Association of Guyana will never go bankrupt under the presidency of Aubrey Hutson”.
An article appearing in Friday’s edition was headlined “Athletics association bankrupt after hosting South American Junior Championships”.
“We at the AAG will continue to make wise and prudent financial decisions in the dispensation of the mandate of our athletes and these decisions sometimes can be reflected in the meets we attend and how many persons we send to those meets. Our whole approach to athletics will always be hinged on our financial capabilities of carrying out those tasks,” Hutson declared.
Hutson labeled as “ironic” the fact that his association was criticized in the past for hosting awards ceremony at the YMCA when that was done as a money saving option to send athletes abroad, and is now being blasted for hosting the South American U-20 Championships which exposed 50 athletes to an international competition.
The AAG president scoffed at claims that some senior athletes’ hopes of gaining qualification were dashed because of Guyana’s nonparticipation at weekend’s South American Senior Championships in Paraguay.
Hutson explained that while it would have cost an additional US$4000 to US$6000 to send a team of athletes to the SA Senior Championships, much needed money will be saved as the same group of athletes will have two good opportunities on home soil to qualify at the upcoming National Senior Championships and the Aliann Pompey Invitational meet.
The SA U-20 Championships cost the AAG an estimated $26 Million and while the association has some outstanding debts Hutson assured that all will be cleared in due time.
