Lothian: Today’s AGM will go ahead

President of Table Tennis Jamaica Godfrey Lothian says despite threats from nine clubs to protest at today’s annual general meeting (AGM) and election of officers for the next four years, the elections will go ahead as planned.

The AGM is scheduled to take place at the University of Technology. Registration will begin at 9 a.m. and the AGM to commence at 10 a.m. Lothian said that protesters are free to air their grouses but warned that security will be on hand to ensure protesters remain within the confines of the law and did not disrupt the day’s proceedings.

“The election is on. It is a democracy, if one wants to protest they can. You can’t stop people from protesting but we will ensure that security is there. So they can stay outside and protest,” he said.

Some members/clubs had written to the president on February 4 requesting the postponement of today’s AGM. In the letter, the clubs cited concerns over a special general meeting on January 28 in which there were changes to the new constitution. The changes include a name change for the association from the Jamaica Table Tennis Association to Table Tennis Jamaica and term limits for presidents that would see future leaders serving up to three four-year terms. However, they argued that they are yet to get a suitable response from Lothian and are willing to stage a protest if the AGM was allowed to go ahead.

But Lothian countered that all the issues with which his detractors have concerns with were voted on at the special general meeting but that his opponents were being sore losers following their defeat at that meeting.

“If they have concerns these can be dealt with internally. One of their concerns is the number of clubs. We had 40 odd clubs in 2017-2018 and it grew to 105. But these clubs have paid up and have been registered and they have their documentation. Their problem is that we went to the special general meeting on the January 28 to adopt the amendment of the constitution and the motion was carried. But all the people who are now crying were at the meeting and they voted and lost, so why they didn’t protest then but are now crying? It’s because they lost,” he said.

All efforts to reach challenger Karen Lyn or other members of her team were unsuccessful.