Greene calls on Athletics Association president to speak out on visa dilemma

Principal of the Princess Margaret School, Dr. Collin Greene, has called on the president of the Antigua and Barbuda Athletics Association (ABAA) Everton “Mano” Cornelius to come to the public to answer questions on the alleged mismanagement by the Association in acquiring visas for the contingent of athletes chosen to represent Antigua and Barbuda at the NACAC Championships.
This call was made on the Good Morning Jojo show on Thursday by Greene after his son and the reigning Sportsman of the year, Cejhae Greene was forced to withdraw from participating at the upcoming North American Central American and Caribbean Athletics Championships in Canada after no visa was issued to the athlete.
 “This is a serious story …  this matter seems to be reoccurring over and over again and something has to be done because I suppose  money was spent to purchase the tickets but that is the least of the matter. You are talking about a person’s relationship with agents, a person’s opportunity to be seen in the public eye, you are talking about a person that would have put aside other income earning opportunities to be in a position to run for Antigua and this foolishness happens?
“The association needs to organise itself. If they had said to me that the application was made and denied then I would have no problem. It wouldn’t be the association’s problem. But it appears to me that the application was not made in a timely fashion.”
Greene, who is a sports enthusiast, went into further detail on the visa dilemma where he says his son had been in contact for over three months, but most recently last month, with the Association sending information to the said officials to finalise the process and was surprised to hear from the Secretary of the Association, Leslie Williams the night before his son would travel after receiving an itinerary from the said organisation.
“Les Williams called me stating that he had some difficulties and he needed me to send my email address so that he can send a form to me to give him some family information in which I told him he needs to be speaking to Cejhae himself who had already told me he sent the same information to Richard Lindsay some time ago.
“I then said to him but wait if you didn’t process the visa application when was Cejhae going to know when he is already on his way to the airport.”
The two officials, Jamille Nelson and Richard Lindsay also did not receive visas and up until press time were stuck in New York City.
Presently, only Priscilla Frederick and 19-year-old, Ramadin Alexander, made the trip to Canada.