SVG's Joseph to challenge Jamaica's McCook

KINGSTOWN, St. Vincent (CMC):

Keith Joseph, a long-serving executive member of the North American, Central American and Caribbean Athletics Association (NACAC), is to make a bid for the presidency of that organisation at its meeting next July.

The Vincentian sports administrator confirmed his intention to bid for the position this past weekend, following the 2006 Awards Ceremony for his organisation - Team Athletics SVG.

Joseph said that with the expected departure of president Amadeo Francis at the end of his current term, he feels that it was only proper for him to put his name on the slate of candidates.

"We are facing our sternest test in trying to chart a course for athletics and no half measures are going to take us there ... So we need to elect persons who can get the job done in the most efficient and professional way," he said.

Joseph has served as Francis' vice-president since 1999, and believes that it is only fitting for persons who think they are capable to seek higher office whenever the opportunity is presented.

Vacancy

Reports suggest the vacancy at the top would come when Puerto Rican Francis - president from inception - keeps his promise made in 2003 to leave the post after this four-year term.

Joseph, according to early indications, may be coming up against Jamaica's Neville 'Teddy' McCook, O.J., whom reports say will not run as IAAF area representative again, but will focus his attention on the NACAC presidency.

"I recognise the work that Teddy (McCook) has done. He is an experienced man, but while he is an older man, I think maybe my work in athletics in terms of years equals and may even surpass his," said Joseph, who previously held the post of NACAC treasurer.

"My range of sporting involvements I think perhaps is also wider than his. This is not to take away from his work for athletics in Jamaica, but I think he has enjoyed an environment (in Jamaica) that is pro-athletics in any event where athletics would have been 'king of the sport' long before he would have got involved," Joseph said.

Joseph, general secretary of the National Olympic Committee in St. Vincent and the Grenadines (SVG), said that the quality of representation that is required, "Must offer a perspective that is broader than the narrow confines of Jamaica because there is a tendency for this to be the case."

Joseph, a serving vice-president of the Central America and Caribbean (CAC) athletics body since 1993, said his work as both the president of Team Athletics SVG and with NACAC, will serve him well.

Vocal

"Our association (Team Athletics SVG) has been very vocal at meetings at the IAAF. We have also been leaders in a number of initiatives such as calling for coaches and doctors to be banned along with athletes who are found to be guilty of drug abuse.

"We have also been working at the regional level with the expansion of the Right On Track (ROT) programme, which is a developmental initiative started in Trinidad by Hasley Crawford and taken by us through the Windward Islands, and McCook himself was encouraged by us to get on board the Jamaica Olympic Movement so that track and field can benefit more from the Olympic Solidarity Programme, so we have been sharing our knowledge and helping to develop other sporting organisations throughout the Caribbean," Joseph said.

The 53-year-old Joseph, who was SVG's track and field coach to the 1992 Barcelona Olympics, has been technical delegate to a number of international and regional meets over the last decade.

Joseph lived for a period of time in Grenada. He has been credited with helping the development of that country's Olympic Committee and was instrumental in the Spice Isle gaining affiliation to the IOC during that time.

It was also during his time in SVG that the country gained acceptance to the International Olympic Committee and attended their first Olympic Games in 1988.