The Tribune

By BRENT STUBBS

Senior Sports Reporter

bstubbs@tribunemedia.net

Bahamas Aquatics' president Algernon Cargill will serve as a member of the FINA Bureau for a second consecutive four-year term.

Cargill was re-elected to serve at the FINA General Congress in Doha, Qatar on June 5. He will once again represent the Central America and Caribbean Region (CCCAN) as one of its two members on the Bureau after being nominated by the CCCAN Congress in Bridgetown, Barbados, at the CCCAN Championships in 2019.

"It's certainly an honour to represent the Americas and by way of CCCAN and The Bahamas on the FINA Bureau," said Cargill from Doha on Sunday. "Being elected for the second term on the bureau means that The Bahamas, the Caribbean and certainly the Americas, have a voice in the policy and major decisions being made by FINA.

During the elections on Saturday, Cargill was joined by Errol Clarke of Barbados on the Bureau as, collectively, they represent the Caribbean area, Central America and parts of South America, giving the region two members on the bureau.

"It also means that in terms of the major decisions that FINA will make, the funding for the sport, also the programmes that FINA will implement, we can introduce our own thoughts and the thoughts of constituents in the development of passing these various policies,” he added.

FINA, the governing global body for Aquatics sports, headquartered in Lausanne Switzerland, is the global administrator for Swimming, Open Water Swimming, Artistic Swimming, Diving, High Diving, and Water Polo.

There are 25 representatives from 209 National Member Federations, representing five continents that serve on the FINA Bureau. FINA and its aquatic disciplines are also a pillar of the Olympic Movement and give a decisive contribution to the success of the Games.

Swimming has been part of the Olympic programme since 1896, water polo became the first team sport in the Games in 1900, and diving made its appearance in 1904. Eighty years later, in 1984, synchronised (artistic) swimming joined the Olympic “club”, while marathon swimming (10km race for men and women) has been included in the Olympic programme since 2008.

According to FINA, Cargill brings a wealth of administrative and sports leadership experience to his second term of the FINA Bureau. He has previously served as Vice President of CCCAN for the English Caribbean, an Executive Member of UANA, the regional governing body for Aquatic Sports, and is also a past Vice President of the Bahamas Olympic Committee.

Although he is the first Bahamian and second representative of the English Caribbean to be elected to this global position, he remains committed to exemplary leadership and paving the way for more CAC citizens to elevate their profile in the global village, particularly given the outstanding results of athletes from the region that have evolved post CARIFTA and the CCCAN Championships to win World and Olympic medals.

"It's certainly an honour to represent the Americas, but even more being a Bahamian and being the president of the Bahamas Aquatics to be able to represent all Bahamians in this global appointment," Cargill stated.

"When I was elected the first time, I understood, but didn't feel the impact of the weight on my shoulders until I actually started to attend the bureau meetings."

In interacting with the echelon of the sport, Cargill said he can ensure the Bahamian and Caribbean voice is heard as a small country.

"As a country, we've had Olympic medalists, world medals in our own Arianna Vanderpool-Wallace, Olympic finalists, outstanding gold medal performances at the Commonwealth Games and certainly lots more to come,” he stressed.

With water polo being developed through the group of competitors in the sport, the Bahamas is being positioned to become a powerhouse in the future as they continue to receive the support from FINA.

"I have earned the respect of the FINA Bureau as well as the 100-plus countries that represent FINA around the world and the work I've done speaks for itself," he summed up.

He thanked his colleagues for the confidence they placed in him in 2019 when they nominated him and the new FINA administration for electing him to serve in Doha.