Godfrey Munroe elected new President of Guyana Olympic Association

Godfrey Munroe has been elected the new President of the Guyana Olympic Association (GOA) following the Electoral General Meeting at the GOA Headquarters, Liliendaal, on Tuesday evening.

Munroe, who replaces K.A. Juman-Yassin as President, defeated Robin Singh 31-4 in the race for the top spot.

Phillip Fernandes, Steve Ninvalle and Christy Campbell will serve as Vice-Presidents, while Vidushi Persaud-McKinnon was elected Secretary-General and Emelia Ramdhani the new Assistant Secretary-General.

Garfield Wiltshire returned unopposed as Treasurer, while Michael Singh was elected Assistant Treasurer.

Attorney-at-Law, Emily Dodson was the Returning Officer.

READ MORE: Motion passed for GOA elections to be held on March 21

Meanwhile, Munroe informed News Room Sport, he will step away from his current position as President of the Guyana Table Tennis Association to fully focus on his new role and allow a new era to form at the GTTA.

The former national player, who previously served as a Junior Vice-President of the GOA, said his main goal will be to charter a course with strategic partners to help move sport forward.

He will serve as President until 2025.

How Juman-Yassin exited 

A new president of the GOA became inevitable after the General Council last June voted in favour of a recommendation by the International Olympic Committee (IOC) in its governance principles to limit the age of executive members of the IOC and its affiliate members of national Olympic Committees.

The IOC has recommended an age limit of 70 years for functioning executive members. Juman-Yassin, who had been in the post since 1996, is 76.

At a special Annual General Meeting last June at its Lilliendaal headquarters to ratify its new constitution as proposed by the IOC, the GOA General Council voted 29-13 in favour of the age limit recommendation.