Bodybuilding: SBBPF Extraordinary General Meeting (EGM) |06 November 2023

Members voting to unanimously remove Kisnan Louise as chairman of the SBBPF

Members unanimously vote Kisnan Louise out

• Rodney Henriette heads new caretaker committee

The Seychelles Bodybuilding and Physique Federation is presently being guided by a temporary caretaker committee, following the removal of Kisnan Louise as chairman during the federation’s Extraordinary General Meeting (EGM) held on Saturday at the Seychelles Rugby Union’s Club House at Stad Popiler.

The temporary committee is being chaired by Rodney Henriette, with Marc Ally as the treasurer, while François Ally is the secretary.

The EGM was initiated through a signed petition aimed at getting rid of Louise as chairman for lack of trust, especially for not being honest and truthful with the members, while the sport has remained stagnant for years under his leadership.

Until Saturday when the EGM took place, most members of the previous executive committee had resigned, leaving only Henriette (athletes’ representative), Michael Etienne, Barnsley Antat (gyms representatives) and Joelen Valentin (head of the disciplinary committee) to chair the meeting.

The other previous committee members were Herald Kowlessur (vice-chairman – resigned), Tara De Lafontaine (secretary - resigned), Marty Vidot (treasurer – resigned), Helga Hoareau (events coordinator), Cyril Rabbat, and Jacques-Alain Hoareau (gyms representatives).

Following resignation of the executive committee members, Louise, as head of the SBBPF was advised by the National Sports Council (NSC) to replace the members, especially the secretary as the chairman should not be carrying out all the tasks within the federation.

An instruction ignored since, according to members, the SBBPF was being administered as a personal entity, with the chairman taking all the decisions without consulting the members.

Complaints coming from the floor on Saturday clearly indicated that as a chairman, Louise was not committed to, let alone bothered with carrying out administrative tasks, especially when it came to formalities for overseas competitions.

It was pointed out that there had been cases that local athletes had to compete under foreign teams at international competitions, simply because the chairman failed to give the appropriate written permission which is just a simple formality.

It was confirmed at Saturday’ meeting that Louise had previously received a vote of no confidence from members, but refused to step down, precisely on August 12, this year.

It is worth noting that following a previous story regarding the issues, Louise called this newspaper to deny the fact, claiming that they were all just allegations.

The members highlighted that they believe it was time to take action in order to secure a fair and transparent future for their sport, with the removal of Louise as the best option.

They said the removal of Louise was indispensable for the betterment of their sport and the welfare of its participants.

By signing this petition, they said, they were showing their determination to restore integrity, professionalism, and fair governance to the Seychelles’ bodybuilding and physiques community.

“Let us stand united, with a common goal of ensuring the Seychelles Bodybuilding and Physiques Federation is led by individuals who prioritize transparency, fairness, and the advancement of our sport,” they added.

Saturday’s meeting was in line with, and in accordance to the Seychelles Bodybuilding and Physique Federation (SBBPF) constitution, precisely Article 6, number 2 which states that A general meeting which shall be called an Extraordinary meeting, may be called by the executive committee whenever it is requested to do so by at least 50 percent and above, of the members of the federation.

It is also in line with Article 9, number 14 – Any person appointed to the Committee by that committee may be removed and replaced at any time by the committee.

Other than poor management of the SBBPF, Louise has also been accused of making inappropriate comments in regards to the National Sports Council (NSC), accusing the latter of failing the sport.

In a desperate attempt to remain as chairman – for reasons only he knows – Louise  notified the NSC that two committee members, namely Messrs Henriette and Antat were under investigation by the SBBPF disciplinary committee for false accusations and allegations.

He even went further, advising the NSC that the disciplinary committee will not recognise any meeting that is held without the prior consent from the chairman of the federation and the findings of the disciplinary committee, asking the governing council to ignore the request to attend any meeting for SBBPF unless communicated by the chairman himself.

Regarding the two accused members, based on the ‘supposed’ findings compiled in the absence of chairman of the disciplinary committee Mr Valentin, being the judge, jury and executioner, Louise indicated in his verdict Mr Henriette was to be banned for a period of two years, while Mr Antat was to be out for 18 months.

Their charges or offences include false accusations against the chairman, asking him to resign, and also hosting meetings without the knowledge of the executive committee.

With the presence of two members of the disciplinary committee at Saturday’s meeting, bringing their support towards the campaign to vote Louise out, it is obvious that the report is more or less fabricated, crafted by one person with personal agenda only, and not compiled by the committee as stated.

With Kisnan Louise out of the way, the caretaker committee will be in charge of the SBBPF until early next year when fresh elections will take place to appoint a new executive committee.

Roland Duval