McCook

UNDER THE instructions of president of the International Association of Athletics Federations (IAAF), Lamine Diack, Jamaica's Teddy McCook will run to head the region's athletics. McCook confirmed yesterday he would be running for presidency of the North America, Central America and the Caribbean (NACAC) region in June.

"I don't have much of a choice to run - win lose or draw," McCook said yesterday at the launch of the Jamaica International Invitational meet at the Hilton Kingston hotel.

McCook, who is presently the Area Representative for NACAC, said president Diack made it clear to him at the Carifta Congress in Turks and Caicos last week that he wants him to run for the area rep post and president of the region.

This, according to McCook, is part of a move to get the region in a similar direction as others where the region's head is a representative on the IAAF Council.

Presidents

At present only NACAC and Africa, who will within a few months join the band, don't have their presidents as Area Representatives.

And, according to McCook, that is why "he (Diack) is asking me to run for both positions".

"If I become president and Area Rep, then we will be in line with the other regions," McCook said. However, McCook is facing a challenge from current vice-president of NACAC, Keith Joseph, of St. Vincent and the Grenadines.

McCook, however, remains positive.

"There are people who came to me and said they are going to be supporting me, but you never can tell until you get the vote there," he said. "Based on the general feeling, I am not in what you call a campaign mood, but I feel quite comfortable that I will get the support."

According to McCook, the persons who are not with him are the ones saying, "my great concern is Jamaica and not the region, it is so untrue", he said while claiming some Jamaicans said similar things.