Joseph Chris Fernandes and George Nathaniel Cave, AA, were accorded the honour for their outstanding contribution to the association and sport.

The recipients can now attend general meetings and congresses and voice their views but will not have a vote.

Fernandes and Cave joined the short life membership list, which before had just Barry Massay, Martin Stephenson, Justice Rudolph Harper and David Nedd.

“It’s a pleasure to be recognised and to accept the award,” Fernandes said. He added: “Our company will always try to help.”

Fernandes pointed out that he has sport background, playing football at division one level and hockey at the national level, thus is a committed sports person who follows the game in any discipline.

“I believe one way to fight the scourge of drugs is sport. It’s the only answer,” Fernandes contended.

Despite the award, Cave disclosed that he would continue to be critical of the AAAG, which he asserted was in “crying need” of sustained help.

Cave who was offered the Competitions Director post but recommended another person instead, urged athletes to continue their education, observing that too many of them neglect their education.

As AAAG president, Claude Blackmore handed out awards to three competition officials who had 100 per cent attendance at events and an athlete whom he considered Most Improved.

The officials are Dianne Johnson, Orin Abel and Shanamay Blackmore, while the athlete was Jennifer Chichester.

Three spouses were also recognised with bouquets for supporting their husbands who were involved in sports. They are Desiree Fernandes, Juliet Denny and Donna Blackmore.

Earlier, Rawle Green of Bedford All Stars received his second Senior Male Athlete-of-the-Year award, which he won two years in succession -- the first in 2001, after being runner-up in 1998. This year he shares the honour with Andre Blackman of Police Sports Club.

Nyota Peters of Upper Demerara schools received the Senior Female award, while Cleveland Forde of Rising Stars Track Club was presented with the Junior Male. Michelle Vaughn of Atoms Athletic Club was not present to uplift the Junior Female trophy.

Blackmore presented a report on the association for the past year, a year he described as the “high point” of his tenure as president although it was the “most challenging” in recent times, in which, however, policies had begun to pay “dividends”, especially with Aliann Pompey producing gold at the Commonwealth Games in Manchester.

“The high point of the year was Aliann’s gold. She had been representing Guyana for three years before delivering,” Blackmore said.

The athletics boss reported that the Track & Field Committee was most active, organising some 12 competitions for the year, with four others being cancelled because of the upsurge of violent crimes. Overseas athletes actually reported here for two competitions but they were called off. Some 13 teams were sent to overseas competitions.

A Gold Squad, which was created after the Junior National champions, included Cleveland Forde and Tai Payne.

“These athletes were able to hold their own in international meets,” Blackmore said.

Blackmore also pointed out that of the five persons nominated for National sports awards for performances last year, four placed, with Pompey being voted Sportswoman-of-the-Year and Cleveland Ford the Junior Sportsman-of-the-Year.

But a major setback of the year was finances, an area that took up most of the effort of the association. And the AAAG received no travel tax waivers from the government for overseas tours.

The association, however, received $150 000 from the National Sports Commission and US$614 from the Ministry of Culture, Youth and Sport.

Blackmore disclosed that South American confederation, CONSULDATLE, assisted in travel with US$5 000, while the world body, IAAF, gave US$7 000 which was used to purchase equipment, including a public address system that was used at the ceremony.

National Coach Dennis Smith trained 16 young leaders, but the AAAG head pointed out that the body had reached the stage for paid staff, and not only secretarial personnel, but in important areas.

Blackmore singled out Senior Vice-president Neville Denny for special mention for work done in the association.

A minute’s silence was observed for the late vice-president, Bertram Hamilton, who Blackmore said was not a “trip-oriented” official.

President of the Guyana Olympic Association, K. Juman-Yassin, delivered the address entitled “The Umbilical Cord of Sport,” pointing out that sport has become so important in the world today that it affects everyday life.

Juman-Yassin declared that there was no real amateur in sport and as such it needed to be approached professionally.

The GOA called on the Ministry of Finance and Ministry of Culture, Youth and Sport, to give the criteria for travel tax waiver, which sporting bodies once enjoyed.