CISNOC winding up still possible

Missing money and a threat to wind up the Cook Islands Sports and National Olympic Committee (CISNOC) are not on the national sports body’s annual general meeting agenda tonight, but it’s the most talked about issue in the sports community.

Triathlon president Geoff Stoddart and Taki Anaru have accused CISNOC of stealing sports funds from the Olympic Solidarity programme meant for their code.

The ‘missing money’ plus well documented financial mismanagement at the national sports body and the lack of clear answers from the CISNOC executive board have lead Stoddart and Anaru to threaten legal action to dissolve CISNOC – a final step they say with all other avenues exhausted.

The possible legal action against CISNOC has prompted Oceania National Olympic Committee (ONOC) secretary general Ricardo Blas to wade into the debate and help diffuse the situation.

In a letter responding to Anaru, Blas says that he had hoped ‘cooler heads would prevail’ and the matter dealt with internally.

As that has not happened, and at request of CISNOC secretary general Rosie Blake, Blas has responded to most of the questions posed by Anaru and Stoddart.

“In the event that Geoff Stoddard, Taki Anaru and followers succeed in ‘wounding up’ CISNOC through the CI legal system it would mean the end of CISNOC.

This is not a scare tactic, not a threat, not an attempt to diffuse the current situation. This is real,” says Blas.

“Such irresponsible consideration and or action from any member of the NOC without understanding the consequences places your NOC outside of its current protection clause of being grandfathered by the IOC in 1996.”

Blas explains that there are 12 national Olympic committees considered unique and that the Cook Islands was one of three national sports body in that unique group.

“In Oceania, the NOC of American Samoa, Cook Islands and Guam are part of these 12 NOC who were grandfather after the 1996 decision of the International Olympic Committee that “any countries seeking NOC status must first be recognised by the “international community”.

Initially, it asked that it must be recognised by the United Nations. This is still one of the requirements in terms of recognition by the International Community.”

Anaru explained to Blas that the context of possible legal action was due to the financial mismanagement at CISNOC, which was only revealed after sustained demands from most of the national federations at a special general meeting last year and the ‘disappearance’ of Olympic Solidarity money’.

“This then is the context of possible legal action, as a final step, with all other avenues exhausted and a board who refuse to engage and are not transparent,” says Anaru.

He adds that they’ve noted Blas’s advice of the seriousness of the possible legal action but reserve their position.

Cook Islands News understands that Blas met with Anaru and Stoddart last night in another attempt to diffuse the situation.