By KELSIE JOHNSON, NG Sports Reporter, kelsie@nasguard.com

Despite the ongoing battle in the Bahamas Olympic Association (BOA) as to who should or should not be eligible to vote in the body's General Assembly, one thing is certain - athletes obtaining and aspiring to compete in the Beijing Olympic Games will have the full cooperation of the association.

The dark clouds that loom over the association left many to question if The Bahamas will have full representation at the games which are set for August 8-24 in Beijing, China.

According to former Sir Arlington Butler, the athletes who have secured their tickets for the games will have nothing to fear. However, the claimed mandatory elections, which is scheduled to be overseen by executive members of the Pan American Sports Organization (PASO), is set for May 9. According to Butler, if the meeting is not held, The Bahamas is liable to sanctions. He further stated that the entire Olympic committee of The Bahamas will be de-certified and will not be recognized, and that a committee will be appointed to run the BOA by the IOC.

"There is no worry about the Olympics," Butler declared. "It will be unfortunate because the athletes will not have people who they know and can turn to at that moment, which they will prefer to I am sure."

According to the "executives" of the BOA, The Bahamas' Olympic delegation will be headed by Vincent Wallace-Whitfield, the Chef de Mission, but Butler claims that he is the Chef de Mission.

"I am Chef de Mission of records, for the Olympics and the only reason I have placed myself there, in the event of something happening," said Butler, who continued: "I have no intentions of serving, I have last served as Chef de Mission in 1976 and that's only because Sir Gerald was made acting Governor General.

"Well I can only tell you that I went to the Chef's meeting in Beijing. I was the only delegate accepted at the Chef's meeting in Beijing. The record in Beijing, will show that I am Chef de Mission."

At the last Olympic Games, The Bahamas claimed two medals, one gold and a bronze, and finished 52nd overall.