Mr George Gomez, executive director of the Gambia National Olympic Committee, has clarified that Ms Beatrice Allen had withdrawn her nomination when her name was put up for the position of fourth vice president of Association of National Olympic Committees of Africa (ANOCA).

Reports monitored on Nigerian media had it that the Gambia Softball Association president, who doubles as first vice president of the Gambia National Olympic Committee was elected as deputy president of the African Olympic body during a two-day quadrennial General Assembly held in Abuja, Nigeria, between July 6 and July 7, 2009.

According to Nigeria's Times Sport, Ms Allen, who also serves in the executive committees  of the International Olympic Committee (IOC) and International Softball Federation (ISF), beat three other female contestants to the post. However, Mr Gomez, who also attended the congress as a zonal representative, said Ms Allen never contested at all. "Beatrice's name was on the candidature list for the fourth vice present, but she withdrew her nomination before the election. So she was not a candidate for election," Gomez told Observer Sports yesterday. Times Sports  also reported that the two-day congress, which was attended by the 53 member-nations of the African Olympic family, was marred by bad politics and lack of transparency, but George Gomez said these claims were baseless.

"I was there as a zonal representative. ANOCA presented all their reports, including their statement of accounts and auditor's reports and there was no defiant voice. So the claim that there was no transparency is baseless," he  concluded.