Hurdles champ Jehue Gordon enters NAAA election ring

JEHUE Gordon, the 2013 IAAF (International Association of Athletics Federations) World Championship 400-metre hurdles gold medallist, is throwing his hat into the National Association of Athletics Administrations (NAAA) election race.

Long-standing administrators George Commissiong and Dr Ian Hypolite are the candidates for the presidency. The NAAA elections are set for November 27.

Commissing has been the acting president since February 16, after Ephraim Serrette, who was at the helm for 13 years, stepped down to take up the role as special adviser to Minister of Sport and Community Development Shamfa Cudjoe.

The 30-year-old Gordon, who gained global acclaim when he won gold in Moscow, Russia in a time of 47.69 metres, will be vying for a post of NAAA director on the Commissiong slate.

Other members of Commissiong’s slate include: Paul Voisin (first vice-president), Durly Lucas (second vice-president), Dexter Voisin (general secretary), Michelle Stoute (assistant general secretary), Marlene Roopchansingh-Williams (treasurer), Gordon, Zwedie Hewitt, Cuquie Melville, Jamaal James and Allan Baboolal (directors).

“There is no right time or wrong time to go into administration,” said Gordon, during an interview on Tuesday. “The way how the landscape is, with regard to the way how the world is changing (and) the generations developing, sometimes you create businesses to solve problems.

“In this instance, what I would like to bring to the board is to be more athlete-centred. I think that there is a need for that, and that is the reason why I decided to enter that route.”

Asked if it was his choice to jump in the ring or he had been asked, Gordon replied, “It was my choice. I am part of the national landscape of track and field, and it is my way of contributing to the generation to come, and the future generations ahead.”

About his current track and field status, the hurdler, dubbed “Young Prince”, said, “The status is like ‘we’ll see how the elections go, and then a final decision would be made at that point’. Right now, I am not active.

“I (had) been taking care of my ailing mom, who passed in July. So, I decided to take the time off to be there for her.”

Team TT were unable to earn a medal at the Tokyo Olympic Games, and Gordon will want to see fortunes improve in the near future.

“I would like to see Trinidad (and Tobago) competing for medals again, (and) the athletes happy, motivated and very much supported,” he said. “That is what I’ll like to see going forward.”

Concerning the position of NAAA director, Gordon said, “Everybody on the board has a shared and equal responsibility. Obviously you’ll have a head but everyone has an equal say on the board, as is portrayed by our president George Commissiong.”

Is he keeping active, in terms of training and/or gym work?

“I still do some light work, but I stopped training full-time to take care of my mom,” Gordon replied. “Now I’m in a better state mentally to start back exercising and working out.”