AQUATIC Sports Association of Jamaica (ASAJ) President Martin Lyn appears to be harbouring very little thought about being re-elected later this year, though he concedes there is much to be done to restore confidence in his leadership ahead of those elections.

With his administration being rocked by one controversy after another last year, Lyn says he is more focused on steering the aquatic sport’s governing body down a more positive path this year, with continued advocacy for a pool at the western end of the island topping his agenda.

“Yes, it is an election year but the reality is you just do your job and not worry about the election time. We have a whole year in which many different factors can come to the fore but the reality is that [our] most our important goal is to ensure our swimmers have opportunities,” Lyn told the Jamaica Observer.

To begin with, Lyn pointed to the installation of a new pumping system for the 50-metre pool at the National Aquatic Centre as a step in the right direction, after the much-needed fix they desired was delayed for over two years.

“The infrastructure will be greatly helped by the new pumping system, so we can start 2023 on a very positive note and can now look forward to other infrastructure changes at the National Stadium pool,” he said.

“And of course, we will continue to see if we can get another pool elsewhere in Jamaica to help the western athletes — so that definitely will be one of the goals for this year,” he added.

Lyn and his administration have been heavily scrutinised and criticised for their failure to fulfill key obligations, particularly those which involve representation, or the lack thereof, at major events on the international stage.

Chief among their foul-ups was having Olympian Keanan Dols and rising star Kito Campbell compete at the FINA World Championships in June without a coach or physical therapist in attendance.

They were also taken to task for the late ratification of a team for the 16th FINA World Swimming Championships (25m) in Melbourne, Australia, in December, which resulted in Jamaica being a no-show at that event. A representative was also absent from the Extra Ordinary Congress to vote on FINA’s new constitution and the re-branding of the world governing body.

A number of issues were also raised within its officer core and council members.

Still, Lyn, who explained that qualified athletes to the short-course championships declined to attend due to other obligations, viewed things in a positive light.

“It was a very positive year for the most part. We were able to send many teams, almost simultaneously, to different parts of the world to represent Jamaica in aquatics, and that shows the depth we possess — from the junior Carifta level all the way up to World Championships, Commonwealth Games, and of course the inaugural Guadeloupe Games as well so those were good for us,” he argued.

On that note, Lyn said more efficient team selections and securing sustained sponsorship will be significant targets on the growth path for his administration this year, as both parents and coaches have over the years been asked to foot expenses for overseas assignments. However, they are reimbursed on some occasions.

“We are still fighting for sustained sponsorship since our recovery from COVID-19. Some of our sponsors have come back on board and so we are looking forward to a better 2023,” Lyn declared.

“The most important thing for this year is really to bring on more sponsorship and to ensure that our team selections are done in a more timely manner. The selection committee was a little tardy in doing certain selections and so this year we want to definitely ensure that the selection committee has the names of the athletes to represent us at the various levels, as early as possible,” he said.

Finally, the president expressed delight at the country’s prospects for overwhelming success at various championships later this year, particularly the Goodwill Games which is coming to Jamaica’s shores for the first time.

The Central American and Caribbean (CAC) Games and Pan American Games are also sighted for top-level representation, complemented by regional events such as the Carifta and CCAN Swimming Championships.

“So it will be a packed schedule regionally and internationally, but in addition to that we really want to ensure that the local meets are also on and well-organized so that our athletes can have more exposure to competition — which translates to better times,” Lyn ended.