Its Official - Sands To Contest BAAA Leadership At November Elections

Its not just the Progressive Liberal Party (PLP) that will have a fierce battle to determine its new leader; after weeks of speculations as to who would challenge Bahamas Association of Athletic Associations Interim president Curt Hollingsworth at  the elections set for Saturday 21st November, it was revealed on Tuesday that Bahamas Olympic Association Vice-president and former president of the BAAA Mike Sands will challenge Hollingsworth.
Although it was widely expected, Sands officially announced his intent to seek the office of president once again during a press conference held in front of the construction site of the new Thomas Augustas Robinson National Stadium.
"I have decided to seek the position of president in the upcoming BAAA elections and my decision is based on, but not limited to a new vision for track and field in The Bahamas," said Sands.
Until Tuesday, and although not officially, Hollingsworth was the only person who said publicly that he would contest the president's post.
Meanwhile, Sands said a major part of his goal is to "improve our (Bahamas) standings in the world by providing visionary leadership through experience, with integrity, courage, commitment, empathy, humility and confidence, while serving athletes, coaches, officials and all stakeholders in The Bahamas."
With all eyes in the nation will be set on the leadership race at the  official opposition PLP convention this week, the eyes of the local world of track and field, especially in the Caribbean will be awaiting the outcome of the BAAA elections as Sands has assembled what he calls the "best team" to lead the federation.
Sands officially introduced his team that is comprised of Shervin Stuart seeking the position of first Vice-president, Felix Seymour from Grand Bahama second Vice -president, Laura Pratt-Charlton as Treasurer, Tim Munnings a former Olympian as General Secretary, Don Turnquest a former Secretary of the BAAA will be seeking the office of Assistant General Secretary.
While veteran coach

Rupert Gardiner will vie for Technical Director, Bernard Newbold Statistician, Alpheus 'Hawk' Finlayson Public Relations with Foster Dorsett and Linda Thompson as Special Projects Managers.
While the London Olympic Games is just under three years away, Sands noted that there are a significant number of international competitions annually along the way that Bahamian athletes would be competing in to prepare and qualify for London 2012.
"Significant financial support will also be crucial if our athletes are to continue to excel at the World and Olympic levels and at the same time, prepare our youth, junior and senior athletes to graduate through various programme levels, ensuring we have succession  by always producing talent to represent The Bahamas. additionally, the 'Visionary Team' has ample experience in securing funding," said Sands suggesting that attracting corporate funding is one of the areas most challenging for Hollingsworth and his team.
"The development of track and field athletes would be facilitated by a nucleus of over 100 Bahamian certified coaches who make up the coaching fraternity both in New Providence, Grand Bahama, the Family Islands and those successfully coaching at various universities in the USA," said Sands.
Having been voted out of office last October on a vote of no confidence, Sands said he has been asked by a number of people to return to lead the Federation after a number of programmes have failed in the past two years according to some.
"The present administration has not displayed its ability to effectively manage the affairs of the federation. So I have heeded the call of a number of coaches, council members and athletes to lend my support and experience to develop a team that has the athletes at heart," said Sands.
A 40 page document entitled 'Our Election Platform For A Change In Administration Of The BAAA' with the theme 'Share the Vision' has been distributed to members of the federation and Corporate Bahamas.
Sands said since the vote of no confidence in him, he now has a clear vision to lead the BAAA forward with a strong support team.
From the track and as a former World Champion in the 4x400 meter relay and having a professional career as a Banker and now in project management, Tim Munnings said he can bring to the BAAA organizational and communications skills that have been lacking.
"I have good relations with all of the athletes and what I bring into the team is the experience along with everyone else here. I believe that this team can move the BAAA forward and to the next level," he said.
Munnings who is the son of former BAAA president Harold Munnings said many people in the past had asked him to become a part of the BAAA, but as an athlete at that time he found it to be conflicting.
"I am coaching with some of the younger kids and I still assist with coaching some of the senior athletes.  I have seen the plan that has been designed for the new BAAA and I am excited about the prospects of what can be," said Munings.
"The soccer federation has set a good standard for all sports to follow and I think from the plan that I have seen, once we stick to it and execute, the fans, stakeholders and everyone involved would be pleased with what the sport can become," said Munnings.
Also new into vying for position in the administration of track and field in The Bahamas is Laura Pratt-Charlton who is the proprietor of the Prescription Palour Pharmacy. Her husband Dave Charlton is the founder of the Star Trackers Track and Field Club.  
Charlton said she is happy to be vying for treasurer and that she has been an advocate over the years for transparency and accountability which she can not say she has gotten from the present executives.
"It is my intensions to make sure that our stakeholders, coaches, corporate Bahamas and the government whenever they need to, know what is going on in the BAAA, it would be readily available for them. And the one thing that drives us is the athletes; without them there is no need for us.  We are here to serve the athletes and once we do that, everything else will follow through," she said.
She said the team announced on Tuesday has been "jelling for quite sometime," and that the leader is only as strong as his support cast.
"Sands is a very smart leader who has surrounded himself with people who can push the organization and support him to the max.  This has been proven over the last few years and months working together as a team," said Charlton.
Joining Charlton and Munnings as first timers seeking to become executives of the BAAA is Felix Seymour. He said Grand Bahama and the Family Islands need to have representation on the federation executive board.
"Looking at the members of the men's and women's 4x400 meter relay teams to the World Championships, there were athletes from Grand Bahama and I see this as a step in the right direction,” he said.
“I have viewed the plan which was prepared and I think it is spot on; but it is going to be very difficult and challenging trying to implement a lot of these things.  If we continue to work as we planned to, I think we can achieve as much," said Seymour.