JUDY Simons will challenge Bermuda Olympic Association chief John Hoskins for the presidency next month.

Simons, who is currently the Secretary General of the BOA, told the Mid-Ocean News this week that she felt "the time was right" for her to challenge for the BOA's top post.

Hoskins has been involved with the BOA for many years and has been the President for the past eight years.

But he warned that there was much work involved with being President of the association.

"It takes up a lot of your time. For instance in 2010 there are four Games to go to as well as two big congresses. I imagine I am out of the office for six weeks a year (involved with BOA business). In 2010 you will have the Commonwealth Games in India (see Page 11), the Olympic Youth Games in Singapore, the Winter Olympics in Vancouver as well as the CAC Games (in the Puerto Rican city of Mayaguez). These days the work involved with being the head of the BOA gets more and more and you need to do it properly."

The Annual General Meeting of the BOA will be staged on December 10 but it is only every four years that officials are voted in. "This will be the end of my second term as President," said Hoskins adding that there are three posts that are voted on ¿ the President, Vice President and Secretary General.

Simons said that there are 18-20 affiliates that get a vote for the officers of the BOA.

"I felt the time was right to put my name forward. I think I have a lot to offer and I am well known in the sporting and charity circles and I have also been president of numerous organisations. Hopefully my colleagues in the Olympic world will agree with me. I have been involved with sports since I was seven years and this seems to be the natural thing to do now."

Simons came into the BOA when she was a representative of hockey and then a member in her own right.

"Joan Taplin had stepped down and the president at the time, Austin Woods, asked me to come in," she said.

Hoskins took over from Woods as president in 2000 and Simons stepped into the General Secretary's position. In fact both Simons and Hoskins just returned from the Commonwealth Games Federation General Assembly in the Gambia last week. BOA member Phil Guishard, who has also been the Chef de Mission of many of Bermuda's Olympic teams, also went to that General Assembly.

Simons said: "I want to build stronger relationships with our own national governing bodies ¿ I would like to see the BOA get more into the public light and I want to have a better working relationship with the public sector and Government. I think partnerships are very important."

Bermuda has not had a large number of BOA chiefs.

Sir Howard Trott was the first president and his reign lasted from the Berlin Olympics in 1936 to 1958. He was followed by Chummy Hayward from 1958 to 1972 when Reggie Cooper took over until 1980. Dr. Gerard Bean then took over the post until 1986 and he was followed by Yeaton Outerbridge who was only in the job for two years before Austin Woods took over from 1988 to 2000 when Hoskins became President.

Hoskins said that some countries have term limits for their Presidents.

"I think that may be a good idea. Perhaps have 12 years as the limit so you can get in and do some of the things you have planned."

And he said it is also a good idea for other members to be changed from time to time. "It is always good to have new blood coming in," he added.

The BOA was formed through the keenness of local swimmers and the initiative of men such as John King, Chummy Hayward and Jim Murray.

A move to obtain recognition from the International Olympic Committee was started in 1934 and final approval of the formation of the Bermuda Olympic Committee was received on February 13, 1936. An invitation to take part in the 11th Olympiad in Berlin was received shortly after that final approval.

The Bermuda Olympic Association is one of 199 National Olympic Committees worldwide.

The BOA is composed of:

President: John Hoskins

Vice President: Michael Cherry

Secretary General: Judy Simons

Treasurer: Carol Bromby

Athletes' Commission: Nick Kyme

Members: Stanley Douglas and Phil Guishard

Members in their Own Right: Pat Lake and Jordy Walker

Technical Committee: Chairman ¿ Michael Cherry. Members ¿ Stanley Douglas, Nick Kyme, Pat Lake, Jordy Walker and Lee White

Athletes' Commission Committee: Chairman ¿ Nick Kyme. Members ¿ James Collieson, Patrick Singleton, Graham Smith and Tamika Williams

Acting Office Administrators: Phil Guishard and Debby Saltus

Website Administrator: Joy Nash