TTO Volleyball elects lawyer first woman president

PORT OF SPAIN, Trinidad, January 16, 2017 - Members of the volleyball fraternity elected its first woman president in attorney-at-law Nicole Selvon when the T&T Volleyball Federation (TTVF) held its annual general meeting (AGM) at the Central Regional Indoor Sports Complex, Chaguanas, on Saturday night.

Selvon was elected unopposed after incumbent president Daymain Stewart decided not to contest after a turbulent four years in office.

The newly-elected executive board will manage the affairs of the sport until 2020 according to a mandate from 21 of the 28 clubs registered with the organisation and voted at the AGM.

Selvon said she was elated and happy to serve, “Of course, I am elated not only to be the president of TTVF but to be the first female president. It certainly is an honour. This means that there is the added burden, in a positive way of course, of additional responsibility to do well for all women in sport administration. The progress or success of any sport is always dependent on the human resource capacity of those saddled with the responsibility of administrating that sport and the sportsmen and women that make up its membership.”

She added, “My focus will be on bringing a professional and transparent approach to the administration of volleyball in Trinidad and Tobago, taking into account the input of all stakeholders, remembering always that my first priority and concern would be the interest of those who play the game”.

An attorney-at-law with ten years experience both in the private and public sector she noted, “I have worked with the Ministry of Sport and Youth Affairs and also collaborated with SporTT on various initiatives. I have been involved and around the sport of volleyball for some years now. I believe that I have very good administrative skills, but more than that I have a vision for volleyball that will put the sport on the correct footing. I have on my executive persons who have been involved in volleyball at the highest levels and all areas including administration, management, coaching and marketing”.

Selvon pointed out that the membership can look forward to a fresh approach to volleyball from a new perspective. Transparency, frequent consultation with the membership and all stakeholders on matters affecting volleyball, honesty in financial affairs, and a genuine interest in the advancement of volleyball in T&T.

Selvon, who hails from Maracas, St Joseph said, “Very soon our executive would layout our immediate, short term and long term goals for volleyball. I expect that the success of my presidency and the success of my executive would be judged by the extent to which we execute and implement those set goals, being mindful of what we have inherited and the financial resources we are able to secure from both the public and private sector”.

Deon Hutchinson, who was very vocal for change to come about in the sport and who was elected as second vice president said that, “Most people would not understand how Team Revolution changed our slate. For now the answer is: God is in control not us and, while his objective was to become president, Nicole has his full support and we intend to take volleyball to greater heights as a team.”

Since 2016 both Vaughn Martin of Technocrats, a former national player and Hutchinson, the headcoach of Westside Stars club began a campaign advocating for change in the sport’s management.

Hutchinson said to the fraternity following Saturday’s AGM, “Your persistence and insistence for fairness and equality, have caused a paradigm shift in volleyball in Trinidad and Tobago. Let there now be healing, unity and purpose. With such a united front like never before. Volleyball 2017 is off to a great start.”

The election which was conducted under the constitution of the FIVB, the world governing body constitution, was supervised by Cristobal Marte Hoffiz, the president of NORCECA, former T&T president Mushtaque Mohammed and the NORCECA co-ordinator Arateide Caceres Hernandez.

The executive board will also include Saleem Ali and Nolan Daniel, who will be the Tobago representative.

Published by Trinidad and Tobago Guardian