OCI and new body fall out

Neither the newly formed Athletic Association of Ireland nor any of its constituent members will be present when the annual general meeting of the Olympic Council of Ireland, is held in Dublin this evening.

In an escalation of the well-documented problems in the relationship of the Council and BLE in recent years, an invitation for the athletics fraternity to attend the meeting has been withdrawn.

The original invitation was issued to BLE prior to the historic meeting on November 6th when the NACA joined their long-time rivals on this side of the border and the Northern Ireland Athletics Federation, in a new structure for the administration of the sport on an island-wide basis.

Subsequently, the OCI was officially informed of the setting up of the new body and that - in accordance with a decision taken by the executive committee of the Athletic Association of Ireland - Nick Davis, Michael Quinlan and Chris Wall, who formerly represented BLE on these occasions, would now constitute the AAI delegation.

It was, apparently, at this point that the OCI decided to reappraise their relationship with the new organisation and in subsequent correspondence, are understood to have pointed out that, pending the drafting of a constitution at the end of a two-year transition period, the AAI had no legal standing.

In response, the athletics authorities said that in the interim, the AAI would be operating under the rules of, and with express approval of, the International Amateur Athletics Federation, and that this provided their legitimacy.

Later, separate invitations were sent by the OCI to officers of the NACA and NIAF but, pointedly, not to representatives of the old BLE organisation, to attend the a.g.m. as observers. As such, they were not empowered to speak during the meeting and, having taken advice on the matter, they declined to accept.

Now, the OCI is embarked on the somewhat bizarre course of having its a.g.m. without a representative of the first and most important of all the Olympic family. And the element of irony is accentuated by the fact that later in the evening Ronnie Delany will be honoured by the Council for his achievement in winning the 1,500 metres championship at Melbourne in 1956.

A statement issued last night by the AAI said: "In the midst of the goodwill and worldwide recognition afforded to the Athletic Association of Ireland, there is, regrettably, some very unhelpful, negative reaction at local level. This Association regrets the decision of the Olympic Council of Ireland not to grant membership to the single most important sport within the Olympic movement.

"The Association considers membership of the OCI to be its right and is at a loss to know why, having been confirmed as members of the IAAF, they are treated so negatively by the OCI. Why has the Olympic Council decided to treat the Association in this way - was it an error, in their eyes, to bring about unity?

"It is regrettable that the positive achievement of unity which has been universally accepted, should be viewed in such a negative way by the Olympic Council of Ireland.

"The Association encourages all its Olympic hopefuls to continue with their preparations for Sydney as the Executive intends to give approval, in accordance with IAAF rules, to all our members achieving the internationally set and approved standards."

The reopening of old scars ought not detract from some important business on the agenda for this evening's meeting when the OCI president, Pat Hickey will report on the advanced stage of preparations for the Games in Sydney.