New CANOC president to be appointed on Saturday

Brian Lewis - SUREASH CHOLAI
Brian Lewis - SUREASH CHOLAI

OUTGOING president of the Caribbean Association of National Olympic Committees (CANOC) Brian Lewis hopes his successor continues to advocate for the granting of associate member status to eight regional territories.

Lewis’ five-year tenure at the helm comes to an end on Saturday when the XX General Assembly of CANOC is held at the Hyatt Regency Hotel in Port of Spain.

The assembly begins on Friday with the ninth CANOC workshop and concludes with the executive board elections on Saturday. Positions being contested are president, first vice-president, secretary general, treasurer and two executive members.

Lewis’ post will be contested St Vincent & the Grenadines secretary general Keith Joseph and Jamaica Olympic Association president Christopher Samuda.

The nominations committee, chaired by Sandra Osborne KC, will provide and manage the voting process to deliver secure results for the elections as well as decisions on the selection of the host for the second edition of the Caribbean Games.

On his exit, Lewis said, “It has been an honour and a privilege to have served as CANOC president. But I must acknowledge the team effort of the executive committee members.

“Secretary general Keith Joseph in particular has been a tower of strength and purpose. Covid-19 made things really tough. But credit to the executive committee, CANOC members, Guadeloupe’s NOC and their president Alain Soreze.”

In October 2018, Lewis, a former TT Olympic Committee president, was re-elected as CANOC president. He was voted in at the organisation's general assembly in Haiti.

Lewis was originally elected to the role in Barranquilla, Colombia, in 2017 since he took over the remainder of Steve Stoute's term after the Barbados official resigned following 17 years in charge.

“I had some big shoes to fill following on from my predecessor Steve Stoute- the first CANOC president. We were able to host the first Caribbean Games in Guadeloupe earlier this year. That was huge for the Caribbean as it took a total team effort.

“We in CANOC continue to advocate for Pan Am Sports to grant associate member status to Anguilla, Turks and Caicos, Curacao, Martinique, Guadeloupe, French Guiana, St Maarten and Montserrat and for a one country, one vote rule.”

This weekend’s assembly will unite 30 NOCs and Commonwealth Games associations of the Caribbean Olympic Movement.

Additionally, as part of the International Olympic Committee’s commitment to the United Nations Sport for Climate Action framework and its support to the Olympic Movement to protect our planet, CANOC will be attempting to minimise the use of paper for its workshop and general assembly, offering instead, as many documents as possible in digital format.

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