Larry Romany’s ascendancy to T&T Cycling Federation (TTCF) president was delayed when an Extraordinary General Meeting (EGM) on Wednesday night failed to make the quorum of 25. Instead, only 12 members showed up. However, by TTCF constitution, the EGM must be held a week later (same day and time) and whoever shows up will make up the quorum.
With Romany being the only nomination for the post of president, he is virtually guaranteed the position. It comes seven weeks after former TTCF president Robert Farrier resigned citing “other commitments.”
In a conversation with Guardian Media Sports yesterday, the former T&T Olympic Committee president, Romany, said while the failure to meet the quorum was neither a disappointment nor a surprise for him, he is excited to work with the sport.
He said, “I am looking forward to it. I’ve always been interested in cycling primarily because I feel we have a DNA for cycling in Trinidad and Tobago and a DNA for track and field so these are two sports that the people in Trinidad and Tobago have a preponderance for performance in those sports.”
Romany, a sports administrator of 35 years, said when Farrier resigned, he saw it as an opportunity to offer his services. “Cycling is a sport that has all the pieces, all that has to happen is that these pieces have to come together,” he said.
Romany’s involvement in the sport spans three decades. First, he acted a sponsor for the then Stag Warriors in 1985, a club which featured national cyclists such as Gene Samuel, Michael Phillip and Mario Joseph. He would go on to serve as coach of the T&T cycling team between 1991 and 1995 before becoming the vice chairman of racing at the federation for three years from 1994 to 1996.
Romany, who also had a stint as chief operations officer of the West Indies Players Association (WIPA), also spent 17 years at the T&T Olympic Committee (TTOC), feels all the ingredients are present for success in local cycling.
He said, “Now we have a situation where we have all these facilities, we have people who are on the cusp of being great cyclists, you have a federation with people who have been there for a long time and who are really interested in getting it done and I have certain skill sets that would help me direct that path to success.”
Romany, who served as chairman of T&T Pro Football League for 14 years before he severed ties with the organisation in 2017, said he is also looking forward to working with TTCF technical director Erin Hartwell, who has enjoyed tremendous success with the national team over the last 18 months. The EGM will take place on Wednesday, August 28 at the National Cycling Velodrome from 7 pm.