By BRENT STUBBS

Senior Sports Reporter

bstubbs@tribunemedia.net

Rommel ‘Fish’ Knowles, a late addition in the race, moved up from the post of secretary general to take over from incumbent president Wellington Miller as president of the Bahamas Olympic Committee.

During the elections on Thursday night in the Paul Farquharson Auditorium of the Royal Bahamas Police Force Headquarters, Knowles won the top spot 15-8 over former Bahamas Association of Athletic Associations’ president Mike Sands.

And Derron Donaldson, one of the six incumbent vice presidents, was elevated to the position of secretary general, winning 15-8 over Tracey Halkitis from the Bahamas Equestrian Association.

Perhaps the biggest disappointment was the fact that none of the persons who ran from the Bahamas Association of Athletic Associations and the Bahamas Aquatic Federation got elected.

There were, however, three new members elected.

Oria Knowles from the Bahamas Baseball Association won 9-8 over Katherine Ramsey-Pierre from the Bahamas Equestrian Federation for assistant secretary, while Charlie ‘Softly’ Robins, the president of the Bahamas Basketball Federation, who got in unopposed as the assistant treasurer.

Robins will assist Darcy Rahming from the Bahamas Judo Federation, who went in unopposed prior to the election.

The other new executive was Dorian Roach from the Bahamas Triathlon Association, who joined returning vice presidents Cora Hepburn, Clarence Rolle, Joseph ‘Joe Moe’ Smith, Robert Butler and Roy Colebrooke.

Kendal Wright, an attorney and noted sports historian, presided over the elections, which saw just one member body, Bahamas Rowing Association, prevented from voting.

There was a heated discussion by its president Jason Williams, who tried to present his points to the membership why he should have been allowed to vote, but Knowles said they were on suspension.

Just Wednesday night on the eve of the elections, Miller declined his nomination to seek his third term in office due to the amended constitution, which only allowed two terms in the same position.

Knowles said it was a decision that cleared the way for him to take over as the new president.

“I’m elated that the assembly thought that I should lead the committee and I’m humble that my president ensured that our association didn’t go to another court battle,” Knowles said.

“But we have a lot of work to do and we’re now the advocate for all of the sporting bodies and we will be advocating for the athletes in trying to increase their subvention by speaking to the government and to get more athletes on subventions.”

Knowles also took the time to apologize to the membership for some of the errors they made, including the issue with the constitution that, had Miller decided to run, could have ended up in a court matter.

“For me that was a very emotional undertaking,” said Knowles of getting Miller to step down and not run. “I’ve had some sleepless nights, but now I can rest. He had such a great heart and the Olympic Movement, so I want to compliment him for that.”

Miller, who was first elected in 2008 and served again from 2013 after the change in the constitution, said the elections went smooth and he thanked Wright for conducting the procedure.

“Just as I expected, Rommel won the presidency and Derron took the secretary position,” he said. “We’ve began this youth movement with Derron when he came in and I believe the new president will continue with that because that is where our future lies.”

As for his decision not to run, Miller said he never second-guess it because it was the right thing to do.

“I didn’t want to allow the Olympic Association to go to court while I was leading it, especially over something as simply as the constitution,” he said. “Once it got to that point, I checked it, the IOC gave me their advice and I checked with two lawyers and they gave me the same advice, so I decided to go.”

Miller said he just hope that other persons who find themselves in the same dilemma to do the same thing and move on.

“President Knowles still wants me to be in the office, so I will be there,” he said. “But I will take some time off to catch myself. It’s been a busy eight years serving as the president.”

Donaldson, first elected in 2013 as the youngest executive at the age of 24, is still on board as the youngest at 29, but now he’s in a totally different capacity as the secretary general.

“It feels the same, but with an elevation,” he said. “I feel the general assembly and the voting delegation have granted me a promotion, now it’s time to perform.”

Donaldson, the immediate past president of the Bahamas Lawn Tennis Association, said he would continue to lobby for the youth movement within the BOC.

“My president at times could be stubborn at times, but he’s been a great rock to lean on for advice,” Donaldson said. “I wasn’t intending to run because I wanted to concentrate on work and family.

“But opportunities only come once and he asked me to be his secretary general, if he pursues the presidency, so we wanted a successive plan to move forward. I feel this will allow us to continue to have a youth voice on the board.”

Here’s how the voting process unfolded:

President – Rommel Knowles 15, Mike Sands 8.

Secretary General – Derron Donaldson – 15, Tracey Halkitis 8.

Assistant secretary general – Oria Wood 9, Katherine Ramsey-Pierre 8, Pauline Davis 5 and Omar Smith 1.

Treasurer – Darcy Rahmning – unopposed.

Assistant treasurer – Charlie ‘Softly’ Robins – unopposed.

Vice presidents – Dorian Roach 15; Cora Hepburn 15; Clarence Rolle 15; Joseph Smith 13; Roy Colebrooke 13 and Robert Butler 12. Algernon Cargill was the last man out with 11 votes.