Howard Walker, Staff ReporterTHE PRESIDENT of the Jamaica Hockey Federation (JHF), Mark Lindsay, resigned his post with immediate
effect on March 11 after board members found it impossible to work with him because of several inadequacies in the arrangements of the boys' team to the Junior Pan Am Games in Cuba last month.
In a press release, Lindsay said "as president I took full responsibility for the entire matter, hence my resignation."
In his letter he outlined five reasons why he stepped down:
1. Incorrect calculation of money for accommodation of the Under-21 team to Cuba.
2. Members of the Board felt that I did not handle the matter of the outstanding money for accommodation for the team appropriately.
3. It is felt that the names of Jamaica and the federation were badly tarnished.
4. A third party covered the outstanding amount and at no time was the Board made aware of how the matter was being dealt with.
5. Some members of the Board expressed the view that they could not continue to work.
Dinsdale Laing, the honorary
secretary, has assumed the role of
acting president as dictated by the
constitution and approved in a vote at an emergency Council meeting held on March 12.
US$3,000 more needed
Laing told The Gleaner that the cost of the trip to Cuba was $1.7 million
and after the miscalculation, it was
revealed that US$3,000 was still required.
He refused to name the "Good Samaritan" that came to the rescue and covered the outstanding amount without the Board's knowledge.
"I don't think the third party would want his name known right now," said Laing.
Laing, 45, the man now in charge said: "A presidential election is due in November 2006 but the Constitution states that we can have election anytime once somebody has resigned".
At a emergency meeting last night, Laing said that the date would be two months after the resignation, but he wanted it a little earlier.
When quizzed if he was up for
election, Laing said "it depends on my family".
Laing, a past student of Munro College where he started his playing days, said there were many inadequacies and "a number of the arrangements to get the team going were not to the approval of the members of the board.
"I think it was more communication than anything else. The members didn't like how it was handled. It would have been extremely difficult to work with him," said Laing, a former national player while representing Blackhawks and Circus Circle and Munro Old Boys before retiring in 1992.
