Home|Sports|15 inducted into National Sports Hall of FameSports
Legends rewarded for their hard work and dedication to their sport
Simba FrenchSend an emailNovember 17, 2022 667 2 minute readFacebookTwitterLinkedInShare via Email
A total of 15 more sports icons were inducted into The Bahamas’ National Sports Hall of Fame on Wednesday, as the Class of 2022, including The Bahamas’ ‘Golden Girls’. The induction was done in a ceremony held in the Andros Ballroom at Baha Mar.
They were rewarded for their hard work and dedication in their respective disciplines, giving service locally and
nationally at a high level for decades.
Making up the Class of 2022 are Lorenzo “Ray” Minus Jr. (boxing); Stephen Larrimore (boxing); the late Ivern Davis (squash); Everette Johnson (softball); Sidney “Bobby Baylor” Fernander (softball); Charles Franklyn Adderley (martial arts); Raymond Wilson (volleyball); Perry Thompson Sr. (basketball); the late John Terry Wildgoose (basketball); Maxine Darville (bodybuilding); Frederick Laing (basketball); Dr. Patricia “Patti” Symonette (volleyball); Monique Leary (bowling); Golden Girls Pauline Davis-Thompson, Eldece Clarke-Louis, Savatheda Fynes-Coke, Debbie Ferguson-McKenzie and Chandra Sturrup (track and field); and Wellington Miller (sports administration).
Minister of Youth, Sports and Culture Mario Bowleg spoke about the achievement of being inducted to the hall of fame.
“To be inducted into the hall of fame is to be honored as one of the greatest in sports, not only in the arena of sports, but in the development and growth of sports for all of us. As a country, we must appreciate the work that these inductees have done to bring The Bahamas to the forefront for sporting achievements regionally and globally,” Bowleg said.
Bowleg spoke about the inductees’ hard work, the effort that they put into their crafts to be what they are now – hall of famers.
“To be great at sports, one must have the necessary characteristics and be passionate about what you do; being present and consistent in the daily process. One must be optimistic, even against the greatest odds and be resolute in achieving your goals. Each person being celebrated this evening has showcased greatness in their respective discipline,” Bowleg said.
Wilson spoke on behalf of the Class of 2022.
“We, the Class of 2022, thank you for being here. We thank the Ministry of Youth, Sports and Culture for what you have done and we, the Class of 2022, will leave you with this – the journey continues, march on Bahamland,” Wilson said.
Wilson also spoke about Minus fighting for a world championship belt three times and reminisced about where he was when the Golden Girls won the women’s 4×100 meters (m) relay gold at the 2000 Sydney Olympic Games.
President of the Bahamas Olympic Committee Romell “Fish” Knowles told the inductees to wear the title hall of fame proudly.
“These are some of the finest sports icons in the history of The Bahamas. Their inclusion into the National Sports Hall of Fame is deserving. If you were to interview each inductee, you would appreciate his or her story. Their journeys are all diverse but you would find a singular most prolific thing as an athlete, which is adorning our national uniform and the raising of our Bahamian flag and hearing our national anthem gives one a sense of pride comparable to nothing else in the world,” Knowles said.
The Bahamas National Sports Hall of Fame came into existence in 1989 with six inductees. Those inductees were Thomas A. Robinson (track and field); Sir Durward Knowles (sailing); Cecil Cooke (sailing); Andre Rodgers (baseball); and Everette “Elisha Obed” Ferguson. Since then, the list has grown to almost 200 inductees.