Athletics association in leadership turmoil

| 24/10/2016 | 30 Comments

(CNS): A successful legal challenge has put the Cayman Islands Athletics Association leadership into turmoil after the elections were stayed by the courts by an injunction that was granted until administrative and financial records have been handed to the executive. Local attorney and member of the association, Harold Delroy Murray, filed the legal action to temporarily stop the annual vote for the ruling committee citing allegations about membership rigging and financial irregularities.

Murray suggested in an affidavit to the court that members had been recruited to the association without properly paying fees by the executive members running for re-election. The lawyer states in the court documents that there is a danger that the new committee could be elected by invalid members.

A number of issues have been plaguing the association in recent months but much of the trouble has been overshadowed in the sports headlines by the massive FIFA corruption scandal and its impact on the Cayman Islands Football Association and Jeffrey Webb’s very public downfall.

But earlier this year Dalton Watler stepped down as the domestic track and field boss after a mess up with paperwork prevented Cayman’s top athletes, Ronald Forbes and Kemar Hyman, from competing at an important IAAF meeting.

There have also been allegations that after local sprint hero Cydonie Mothersill stepped down as president of the CIAA, which receives a healthy subsidy of more than $135,000 from government, she received a lucrative coaching contract with the association.

In addition, allegations of sexual abuse on young athletes perpetrated by a coach from the US associated with the organisation has caused concern across the community.

Cayman 27 has also reported that Sports Minister Osbourne Bodden had raised his concerns that Bernie Bush, the MLA for West Bay and former CIAA president, is planning to run for election for the association. Bodden has suggested that it is inappropriate for a politician to hold such a position, while Bush in turn has accused Bodden of interfering, suggesting he was the one who drove Dalton from office after the Forbes fiasco.

See affidavit regarding the legal action in the CNS Library.

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  1. Anonymous says:

    I guess Mr. Murray didn’t realize the Cydonie Mothersill only resigned from her post as acting President of the association and not from the 1st VP position a post which she still holds and technically, according to the constitution, she is the acting President.

    The current executive members have disrespected the wishes of the paid membership in so many ways and now they’ve basically created fictional members.

    It will be very interesting to see how this progresses especially knowing full well that NO receipts were ever issued to any paying members during the night of the 2015 AGM. I know this as a fact because I still have my membership form which was only signed by the treasurer and funds collected. When asked for a receipt, the response was I wrote the information in my book.

    II should also be considered that during the evening of the 2015 AGM, a quorum of 20 members were not met and the 1st VP, Cydonie, was running around outside soliciting athletes to become new members so that the quorum easy met and the meeting could get started without having to push it over to the other week.

    I truly trust that this situation is sorted out as quickly as possible as to not have an adverse effect on our athletes; the same ones who were so wrongly kicked to the curb and continuously shamed by the entire Executive of the CIAA and the husband and wife team.

    All one hve to do is ask the athletes and the club(s) who were singled out by the husband and wife team who were treating everyone disrespectful.

  2. Pigs in a trough says:

    You only mentioned one sexual abuse case, there are others as I understand that have not been reported! Its not just the CIAAA BUT also the Dept of Sports. Do they have a sexual abuse policy? Have any of their coaches been trained to identify if one of the kids they care so much about is being abused? Didn’t think so. Sound bad , but everybody has a hand in this! Put it unda dat CAYMAN PROVERBIAL RUG.

  3. Bernie Mac says:

    CIOC next Bernie old boy. Better put the pot on, some books need cooking.

  4. Anonymous says:

    funny how a high official also has a company to bring in tournaments on the ruse of building tourism. Double dip on the payroll? Come clean; if they want to do private business then get out of government and struggle like the regular person. Nope want the gravy of both worlds. Never ends.

  5. Anonymous says:

    Mothersill’s husband is a convicted doper and she has no conflict of interest? This garbage lays firmly at the door of the Lodge. You people disgust me.

  6. Anonymous says:

    Good job Coach Murray for doing something! he wouldn’t have done this if the Association had just provided the information requested which should be available for member and public knowledge! I say Audit them ASAP!

  7. Anonymous says:

    I commend Murray for finally taking action against this association. I have for one sat in many meetings for the CIAA over the years where they have been asked by the members a number of questions from expenses to how athletes are selected. But we never get an answer or response. Its a Joke! THE CIAA needs to start over with a new Board and not the old President from West Bay returning as when he was VP just year before last, you hardly saw him and he never attended CIAA member meetings! Its sad it has come to this but it was time the CIAA answer to its members and athletes.

    • annonymous says:

      While it is absolutely right to ensure no irregularities are taking place. It seem to be all about prestige and power for some running for office from both team…They saying is when you digging a hole for others…dig one for yourself. So I hope it doesn’t back fire.

      Murray is an honest man as far as i know, but really need to really stop walking around in Jamaican colors, boasting about Jamaica. Yes we know JAM has Fab athletes and are very happy for them. He did this when he was on the CIAA Board in the past and at local track meets presently when announcing.

      I have no issue whatsoever with any new Caymanian supporting the country they originally hail from, but there is a time and place.

      Mothersill need not be on the board in many’s opinion, due to what many feel is conflict of interest. Mothersill especially due to two conflicts of interest….one of which I cannot speak to at this time.

      The one I can speak to is…she cannot expect to be Vice President and Acting President and…. also be Technical Director. She should not be on the executive period if she is the Technical Director, because the paying position she holds answers to the executive she was heading up…albeit acting but she was the VP.

      I have nothing against her personally outside the conflict of interest, She has represented our country very well. for Bush it is not ideal. seeing he is also on the CIOC but there is nothing in CIAA constitution that says otherwise so…until then….

      As a supporter of sports, I wish all the backstabbing would stop. Track has so much potential…of all the sports in Cayman. It must be the only one where you don’t have to go out searching and trying to hold the interests of athletes…they come out willingly due to primary schools track meets. It is so easy to find track athletes to train. This is a huge plus for the sport.

      I truly hope and trust they can ban together and get this association running as it should.

  8. Anonymous says:

    Another example why we need strong, corruption fighting laws for all voluntary organizations.

    It is interesting to see how many organizations opposed the laws overseeing them – including the churches.

    We also urgently need strong election laws with financial accountability for all candidates / parties contributions, not just during the campaign, and open expense accountability.

    Corruption wherever it occurs must be fought.

  9. Veritas says:

    Is all this any different to what we have in the Civil Service which is plagued with suspensions for wrongdoing. To the outsider there is a common theme with all these problems which will never go away as it cannot be deported.

    • Anonymous says:

      Don’t compare this mess to the Civil service who is finally dealing with its bad eggs.

      This Association is not part of the Civil Service which is probably why it’s in a mess just like CIFA.

      • Veritas says:

        7.06 am Taking an average of 3 years to bring court action against the bad eggs is not dealing with the problem. Little wonder that Government has never had the nerve to have an independent audit of the Civil Service, almost every department reviewed by internal audit has proved to be a disaster.

    • Anonymous says:

      To Veritas Outsiders have also been known to ‘ go away’ leaving us with problems that they created and refusing to return to deal with them.

  10. Anonymous says:

    All these sports associations need to be thoroughly investigated as their leaders have used their coffers as their personal piggy-banks. This is the reason those at the top never want to step down. XXXXX As they all receive Government subsidies the Auditor General ought to audit them all.

  11. Anonymous says:

    ozzy should bring in some driftwood to sort this mess out……..

  12. Shhhhhhhhhhhhhhh. says:

    Looks once more like nobody wants to work for an honest living anymore. When I finally lie in my coffin, I will be face up, not down, because I will not need to look away from anyone!

  13. Anonymous says:

    Wow! Between this and the CIFA mess, how are the Cayman Islands expected to field athletes to compete successfully at regional and international levels??!! Politics and Cayman-style crab-in-a- barrel mentality plague anything involving Caymanians. Sickening!! I bet if expats ran these organizations we would see progress and success!!

    BTW, to whomever it matters, my families are Caymanian since the 1700’s!!

  14. Anon says:

    Sounds contentious. Ultimately, it is the athletes who will suffer from the CIAA’s actions or inactions. They need to sort themselves out quickly.

    Former National Athlete.

  15. Anonymous says:

    What about the basketball program?

  16. Anonymous says:

    And yet, Cayman continues to frown upon neighboring countries who manage to turn out top athletes. In Cayman everything is about politricks and selfishness and never about anything of quality

  17. Anonymous says:

    Way to go Bernie. Use the Chewbaca defense on um!!

  18. Track Star says:

    What about the funds given to the Cayman Invitational organizers by CI Government and sponsors that were not used to pay athletes and vendors? How could Mothersill be hired as National coach and elected CIAA president given the scandals and pending lawsuits surrounding herself and immediate family?

    The entire CIAA board needs to be replaced immediately and there must be a full audit going back ten years at a minimum.

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