It may not be quite on the scale of the US presidential election but the race to become president of the Bermuda Olympic Association concludes tonight.

Incumbent Peter Dunne is hoping to fight off the challenge of Katura Horton-Perinchief in a rare run-off for the top job, with 24 votes up for grab from the 22 national sports governing bodies that are BOA members and two from the Athletes’ Commission.

Despite facing a battle to keep his position for the next four years, Dunne feels a contested election is good for the health of the organisation.

“Choice is always a good thing for the membership, it’s as simple as that,” Dunne said.

“It’s a very healthy part of the process and I like the idea that this is not an inherited or guaranteed position. It’s healthy for the organisation and that’s my main interest.

“I will be surprised if all the votes go to one person but my goal has just been to present what I’ve done and what I will continue to do in the next four years if elected. I hope that resonates with these organisations.”

Dunne has had just three years in the role, instead of the usual four, after the Olympic Games in Tokyo was delayed for a year, and while some would view that as a time disadvantage in being able to drive through policy, he believes BOA members will have felt significant change.

“I’m not great at tooting my own horn, but there have been changes that the sports organisations will feel,” Dunne said.

“The BOA has an open door and it is there to facilitate the progression of athletes and sports organisations and not to serve as a filter or a hindrance,” Dunne said.

“I’ve been talking to a number of the sports organisations specifically in the context of this election and my message is that they are the experts and we want as many of their athletes to get to these various Games as possible.

“We should be the slip-and-slide that has already been pre-moistened so they can go as fast and as easily in the direction that they want.

“People understand what I have been focused on and that is to make sure the technical expertise of each individual sports federation is not only recognised but respected. We recognise that they are the experts and that we need to constantly looking out for the interests of our federation members and not the BOA. We are a members’ organisation so our interests should be completely aligned with theirs.”

In advance of the Tokyo Olympics, a number of athletes were denied the chance to participate through the denial of universality spots, which are typically places given to athletes who did not qualify outright, but in Paris this year, triathlete Tyler Smith and swimmers Jack and Emma Harvey were all allowed to accept the universality position, and Dunne is pleased that is something that happened on his watch.

“Accepting universality has been a big issue previously with some sports in Bermuda, but that has now been simplified,” Dunne said.

“If the national federation, the international federation and the Games say there is a spot for you, you should go, full stop.

“How many swimmers did Bermuda send to Tokyo, none? That was policy, not a coincidence. I’m not taking all the credit for the change, as the reason we had athletes swimming in Paris was because of better communication between BASA [Bermuda Amateur Swimming Association] and BOA, but that is a first step.

“There are other sports that in the past have been offered spots at major Games that we have put a questionable eye on and my approach is that should change.

“When I talk to other countries in the region about our processes they have always been amazed that we would not send every possible athlete. I don’t know any people who say we should send fewer people and the purpose and role of the Games is about more than going out to get medals.”

With the changes to the acceptance of universality comes a larger Bermuda Olympic squad and while that means more money for the BOA to find, Dunne knows there are solutions to financial puzzles.

“A bigger team does not cost us that much more and financial things are the easiest to solve,” Dunne said.

“The goal is well defined. This year we needed $100,000 to cover the added cost of the Olympics, so we raised it.

“There is always a reluctance to talk about money or it’s seen as a problem, but to me it’s an opportunity. With my colleagues in the Caribbean and South America, who I talk to regularly and reach out to for advice, they are impressed that our Olympic logos are on aeroplanes [BermudAir] and Butterfield & Vallis trucks.

“That is not someone just writing a cheque, that is someone embracing our product in a prominent way. So when someone says it’s going to cost money next year to send a whole team to Junior Pan Am Games, I say let’s make a plan, figure out how much we need and get the job done.”