ASAJ president unconcerned as World Aquatics integrity unit seeks grant records

Aquatic Sports Association of Jamaica president Lance Rochester says he is not troubled by questions from World Aquatics’ integrity arm over how the local body has handled its finances.

Speaking to TVJ Sports on Friday, Rochester said ASAJ is preparing its reply to an 11-point request from the vice chair of the investigatory arm of the Global Aquatics Integrity Unit. A two-page letter obtained by TVJ Sports gives the association until July 31 to furnish original supplier invoices and proof of payment for spending linked to World Aquatics Support Program grants for the 2024 and 2025 funding cycles, among other demands.

Rochester said he is confident the required papers can be assembled before that deadline, roughly two weeks away.

“Yes, that is so. We were asked to provide some additional documentation, some supporting material for projects which have been undertaken over the recent past. And I mean, in and of itself, it's not a big deal. We were asked to provide information, we provide it. From time to time, we get asked to provide additional information, and we do so. Um and so, you know, in and of itself, this is not a a big issue for us. We just have to ensure that we pull everything together and have it supplied prior to the deadline, which we are committed to doing,” he said.

The letter also seeks contract agreements or engagement letters for professional services — including coaches, a technical director, an accountant and auditors — plus any further material showing that reported spending was eligible under the World Aquatics support programme.

Rochester said the main difficulty is staffing rather than substance. “If anything, the challenge for this particular task is related to the human resources, the effort that is required. Um as you would know that the ASAJ is heavily volunteer-based as an organization. So, we really have to look at our resourcing for tasks like these and at the same time remain focused on what really matters,” he said.

Re-elected ASAJ president last December, Rochester insisted the probe will not stop his executive from serving its stakeholders.

“Uh at least five major regional events which are taking place. We had athletes returning from the Panama Aquatics Championships. Shortly, we'll have athletes departing to the CAC Games. We're We're entering the Pan Pacific Championships for the first time. That is Jamaica. We're looking forward to events like the Commonwealth Games and the Goodwill Games. So, we really have an action-packed summer of activity for the association across multiple disciplines. And so, while we deal with all our regulatory requirements, we ensure that we remain focused on supporting our athletes as best as possible,” he said.

Last November, ASAJ resolved an outstanding reimbursement owed to Rochester two months after then treasurer Richard Hopkins resigned, citing what he called an untenable leadership situation inside the organisation.