A former chairman of the Ghana Athletics Association (GAA), Mr. George Haldane-Lutterodt, has dismissed claims over supposed irregularities on his nomination and endorsement for presidency at the abortive congress of the GAA.
Following his nomination and endorsement for the GAA top post by the Chairman of the Ghana Athletics Coaches Association (GACA), Mr. Anselm Nyavedzi, a group of coaches under the GACA umbrella petitioned the GAA to investigate the process and duly disqualify the athletics enthusiast.
In the view of the aggrieved coaches, the unilateral move of Nyavedzi was illegal, contravening Article 3 of the constitution of the Ghana Athletics Coaches Association and Article 15.1.d of the constitution of the Ghana Athletics Association.”
But Mr. Haldane-Lutterodt told the Times Sports yesterday that the claims and timing was not a surprise to him, adding that, “it was just a repeat of what happened in 2014 when I contested for the position.”
Recounting incidents of the previous elections, Mr. Lutterodt said his candidature was contested not only in Ghana by people against him but went as far as writing to the International Associations of Athletics Federation (IAAF) which cleared him before contesting.
Although he failed to give details because some of the issues were in court, he said the timing was suspicious and was an attempt to put him in a bad light.
“As to why these concerns are coming up now is a big surprise to me. What would have been the situation if the election had gone on in December 2018, its original date?”
“I can confirm to you that this is a grand scheme to divert attention from the real issues on the ground. These are a group of coaches loyal to some of the candidates but I will urge them to desist from that for the issues in court to be sorted out to pave the way for the election.”
He lamented the current state of the sport in the country and hoped that there would soon be finality with the litigation to return athletics to its glorious past.
BY ANDREW NORTEY
