Graham leaves CISNOC

Robert Graham is insisting his departure from the Cook Islands National Olympic Committee (CISNOC) has nothing to do with the internal issues surrounding the organisation.

Issues of the deferral of the committee meeting by secretary general Rosie Blake, ahead of her departure to London for the Olympic Games, have caused tensions in the organisation, but Graham insists he is not leaving because of that.

”It has nothing to do with the tensions at CISNOC – the opportunity came and I took the opportunity,“ Graham said.

Based at the deputy prime minister’s office until the end of the Pacific Leaders’ Forum, Graham is now managing the Telecom Sports Arena (TSA) and BCI Stadium.

The former CISNOC sports manager said he wanted to remain in sports management and feels his experience would be useful to national federations interested in his help.

”If national federations still want help I don’t want to waste my experience. I have a wealth of knowledge in sports management so I don’t want to waste that knowledge and I’m willing to help them out.

”The first priority is managing the facilities and getting them to a standard where national federations can use them, communities can use them as well and making it accessible to everybody,“ Graham said.

Graham will move into the TSA at the completion of the Pacific Leaders’ Forum.