Shawn Pouchet is new Aquatic Sports of T&T boss

Former swimmer Shawn Pouchet was elected the new President of the Aquatic Sports Association of T&T (ASAT&T) when the association held its Ordinary Congress at the Bamboo Room, National Cycling Centre in Balmain, Couva, on Saturday.

The 44-year-old Pouchet, who was a losing candidate for the First Vice President under the Jason Wickham-led Aquatic Alliance in 2021, takes over the reign from outgoing president Lindsay Gillette after beating rival candidate Alicia Cassimir, 23-17.

The other members of the new ASAT&T board include Paul Newallo (First Vice President); Stephen Mendoza (Second Vice President); William Carr (Third Vice President); Dinnora Gil (General Secretary); Robyn Le Blanc (Treasurer); Marlene Blair-Belfon (Assistant Secretary/Treasurer); Wickham (Community Relations Officer); Kamimura Alexander (Marketing and Promotion Officer); and Gresha Gonzales (Ordinary Member). The new executive will serve a four-year term.

This new executive will be managing under a new constitution with a four-year term of officer replacing the election of officers, which used to take place annually. Several of the officers will sever two-year terms in the first instance, and in 2026 it is expected that a new four-year term will start for those officers.

Under the new constitution, the aim is to avoid having all ten positions contested at once.

Commenting on his appointment, Pouchet, the Managing Director of the Blue Dolphins Swimming Club, congratulated his fellow executive members and said that they were all excited and eager to lead the sport.

Pouchet added, “We had a strong team of people come forward and run a very good campaign, and we are very happy that the membership of the sport voted for a change in leadership.”

“We may be new faces as members of an executive, but the team is a vastly experienced one with a lot of expertise, which we will definitely be using over the next four years of our term in office.

Going forward, Pouchet said, “We are going to engage the membership a lot, and our intention is to be very transparent and bring a new level of professionalism to the executive.

“We aim to be progressive, innovative, transparent, and fair with the needs of our athletes, as we have said, and with the Carifta Swimming Championship to be held in T&T at the National Aquatic Centre in Couva next year, the new executive will be working on getting the Local Oragnising Committee (LOC) together as soon as possible.”

ASATT NEW Executive Board

President: Shawn Pouchet bt Alicia Cassimir 23-17

First Vice-President: Paul Newallo bt Ronald Corke 23-17

Second Vice-President: Stephen Mendoza vs Ryan Smith 20-20

3rd Vice President: William Carr bt Fabian De France 29-11

General Secretary: Dinnora Gil bt Keisha Celestine 23-17

Treasurer: Robyn Le Blanc bt Tricia Correia 21-18

Assistant Secretary/Treasurer: Marlene Blair-Belfon bt Frances Sampson 23-16

Community Relations Officer: Jason Wickham bt Arlene Hamblin-Paul 27-13

Marketing and Promotion Officer: Kamimura Alexander bt Raymond Garcia 27-13

Ordinary Member: Gresha Gonzales bt Johann Jerry Lovell 30-10

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