Home|Sports|The countdown is on, four weeks to go for Bahamas GamesSports

The Nassau GuardianSend an emailJune 9, 2023 350 3 minute readFacebookTwitterLinkedInShare via Email

With only four weeks remaining to the sixth edition of the Bahamas Games, a common question remains: ‘What are the Bahamas Games?’

After more than two decades of being dormant, this is a question that many young millennials and others who have yet to have an opportunity to participate in or see the games, may ask.

The Bahamas Games, established in 1989 under the then sports minister Peter J. Bethell, was the first of five sets of multi-events games. The following games occurred in 1991, 1995, 1998 and 2001.

The prevailing national conviction was that the extravaganza of the games was a unique factor in nationalizing the tremendous benefits of sports throughout the Commonwealth of The Bahamas. The games also allowed for the discovery of new talent among Bahamians who had the potential to become World and Olympic-level athletes.

The games incorporated various sporting disciplines, enabling athletes from the different sporting federations across our islands or groups of islands to participate and come together. The Bahamas Games were intended to be a joyous national event, meant to uplift, unify and uphold the primary spirit of athletics and sports, encouraging camaraderie through competition and courage.

Just as prominent and more abstract was the reflective evidence that the games generated a sense of national unity and a greater appreciation of the collective charisma among residents of our scattered islands and island groupings. Realizing that while each island possesses its unique brand, it remains grounded in all that makes Bahamians a unique collection of people and proud members of an intimate family of islands.

The Bahamas Golden Jubilee Games will be held from July 7-15. The opening ceremony will be held on Saturday July 8, leading into our national 50th Anniversary of Independence celebrations.

These games will incorporate 16 sporting disciplines held at 16 different locations, enabling persons to enjoy and support the teams and sports of their choice.

The 10 teams forming the individual islands or grouping of islands include: the Abaco Survivors, the Andros Chiccharnies, the Bimini and Berry Islands Marlins, the Columbus Isles Arawaks (Cat Island, Rum Cay and San Salvador), the Eleuthera Adventurers, the Exuma & Ragged Island Navigators, the Grand Bahama Lucayans, the Long Island Sheep Runners, the MICAL Flamingoes (Mayaguana, Inagua, Crooked Island, Acklins and Long Cay) and the New Providence Buccaneers.

The Bahamas Games’ style of competition is modeled after the Olympics. The games will be held over a week, with various events occurring sequentially or simultaneously. The overall score collectively will determine the winner of the games. However, each sporting event will still be awarded based on a first to third-place finisher, with those teams or their representatives being awarded gold, silver and bronze respectively.

One of the important events included with the Bahamas Golden Jubilee Games is the baton tour, which has already started its journey, beginning in Exuma and then to Grand Bahama. The baton will continue to touch each island or a representative island for a grouping of islands until it ends its journey returning to New Providence for the start of the Bahamas Games 2023.

The passing of the baton from one island to the next acts as a signal to all the islands that the Bahamas Games will begin shortly but also acts as a catalyst to inspire both supporters and athletes to bring their ‘A’ game, whether participating or cheering. The baton also reminds Bahamians of the national pledge of allegiance, “…one people, united in love and service”, which is reflected in the Bahamas Golden Jubilee Games’ slogan, ‘Our Nation, Our Islands, Our Games’.

The excitement for Bahamas Games 2023 is building, and everyone can participate and learn more about the games by going to the Bahamas Golden Jubilee Games website: thebahamasgames.org or following, liking and subscribing on social media for Facebook, Twitter and Instagram @thebahamagames or TikTok and YouTube @thebahamasgames.

Every Tuesday, at 6 p.m., the public is encouraged to tune into the ‘Hype Tuesday’ show streamed live on the Bahamas Games’ Facebook and YouTube channels to represent their island and team and show their support who they feel will win the upcoming games.

For more information on how to participate in the games or general information on the games, interested persons can call (242) 322-1029/69 or send an e-mail to info@thebahamasgames.org or bahamasgamessecretariat@gmail.com.

 Home|Sports|Swim nationals set for next weekendSports

Meet serves as an early qualifier for the Paris Olympic Games

Simba FrenchSend an emailJune 8, 2023 342 3 minute readFacebookTwitterLinkedInShare via Email

The Bahamas Aquatics Federation is set to host its 51st national championships at the Betty Kelly-Kenning National Swim Complex. It gets underway on June 15 and wraps up on Father’s Day, June 18.

President of the federation Algernon Cargill said he expects high quality swims from Bahamian and international swimmers. The boys and girls age groups that will be participating are 8-and-under, 9-10, 11-12, 13-14, 15-17 and 18-and-over.

“This nationals is very important to the federation because it is a qualifier for Paris 2024 Olympic Games and we will see approximately 50 international swimmers coming to The Bahamas to participate in the championships,” Cargill said. “We will see our own international swimmers who will be competing at home and they’ll be excited to swim at home. We are very grateful for Corporate Bahamas for stepping forward to fund these championships.”

Bahamian swimmers such as Olympian Izaak Bastian, Lamar Taylor, DaVante Carey and Lilly Higgs will come home to compete for their respective clubs as well as attain cuts for various meets. Swimmers from Bermuda, the Dominican Republic and the United States of America (USA) will be looking to qualify for the 2024 Paris Olympics Games. The international swimmers will be competing for time and not points or medals.

Taylor holds the national record in several swim events and recently was named the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) Division II Swimmer of the Year. He won three individual NCAA DII championship titles. Carey, Bastian and Higgs are all national record holders. Bahamian swimmers who want to compete on national teams must participate at the nationals unless they are exempted.

The meet is club oriented in that a club is crowned the overall champion. The defending champion is Mako Aquatics Club and they will be looking to win their fifth straight title like The Bahamas’ CARIFTA swim team did earlier in the year.

“It is an outstanding accomplishment to win four straight titles. We operate in a very competitive arena in the swimming community, and we have had a lot of dynamics change in the swimming communities here with clubs combining. Mako has gotten even stronger as well as Alpha because they combined with a part of the YMCA WaveRunners club in Freeport. YMCA was second overall to Mako last year, so Alpha would emerge very strong in these national championships. The Barracudas will pose a significant threat also to Mako’s attempt at a five peat,” Cargill said.

Apart from being an Olympic qualifier, the meet serves as an early qualifier for the CARIFTA Games. The junior swimmers try to achieve the qualifying standards. The Bahamas hosts the championships in 2024.

“We know that all the younger kids are trying to get their CARIFTA qualifying times early, and it is one of the reasons why we do so well at CARIFTA. We’re excited about that and that’s why all of the swimmers are competing,” Cargill said.

After the CARIFTA Swimming Championships in April, a club meet had to be cancelled because the pool was not up and running. Swimmers are currently practicing at the pool and Cargill said that the pool is expected to be functional from now until it closes for maintenance after the Bahamas Games in July.

“The National Sports Authority (NSA) has been working very closely with the federation to ensure that proper maintenance is provided but our biggest challenge would be during these hot summer months to keep that water temperature cool. The automatic chillers that are installed are no longer functional. We’re happy that we partnered with the NSA. We’re having weekly meetings to discuss some of the challenges, and we expect to have the pool working. We’re keeping our fingers crossed that everything goes well,” Cargill said.

The support from the crowd plays a huge role in the performance of the swimmers, said Cargill. They will support their favorite club and reunite for CARIFTA swimming as they cheer for The Bahamas. Cargill described the swimming community as being one of the best supporters of local sports and he expects the crowd to be loud as usual.

As of Friday, June 9, 2023

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#By TENAJH SWEETING

#Tribune Sports Reporter

#tsweeting@tribunemedia.net

#The Bahamas Aquatics Federation will host the 2023 Bahamas National Swimming Championships next weekend. The 51st edition of the swimming nationals will commence from June 15 to June 18 at the Betty Kelly Kenning National Swim Complex. The event will feature age groups of 8 and under, 9-10, 11-12, 13-14, 15-17 and 18 and over. The event will serve as an early qualifier for the 2024 Paris Olympic Games and the CARIFTA swimming championships in April next year.

#Algernon Cargill, president of Bahamas Aquatics, talked about the level of competition to be on display next weekend.

#“We are expecting some extremely high performances especially from our international swimmers coming home to try and qualify for the 2024 Paris Olympic Games,” Cargill said.

#Among the 50 international swimmers expected to return home will include Lamar Taylor, Marvin Johnson, Luke-Kennedy Thompson, Olympian Izaak Bastian, DaVante Carey, and Lilly Higgs. According to the president, swimmers will be coming from the US, Bermuda, and the Dominican Republic to compete.

#Although athletes will be vying for a chance to qualify for next year’s Olympics, the swimming clubs are all looking to dethrone the defending champions, Mako Aquatics Club. The club has won the competition four consecutive times and will look to add another national swimming championship to their collection.

#Despite being one win shy of having the same number of wins as the CARIFTA swimming team, Cargill believes Mako Aquatics might face some challenges from the Barracuda Swim club and Alpha Aquatics.

#“The Mako Aquatics club is confident that they will defend their titles however I am expecting some stiff and exciting competition from Alpha Aquatics and the Barracudas,” he added.

#In addition to the event being a qualifier for the 2024 Paris Olympic Games, swimmers will have the opportunity to qualify a year in advance of the CARIFTA games which are slated to be held at home next year following the fifth consecutive win this April.

#Cargill expects that local and international athletes will look to qualify early on to get it out of the way and work on improving their times and standards ahead of next year’s major swimming events.

#The championships will get underway at 9am for the first session and will start at 6pm for session two on day one.

As of Saturday, June 10, 2023

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# CHLOE Rounce, who now resides in Florida, will be one of the few Bahamians participating in the US-Kids Golf World Junior Championships in Pinehurst, North Carolina from August 2-6.

# The 10-year-old former Windsor Academy student is now playing on the US Kids Golf Tour, the South Florida PGA Prep Tour and the Under Armor Junior Tour.

# She has travelled home to compete in the series of US-Kids Golf Tour at Baha Mar, organied by Georgette Rolle-Harris of the Fourteenth Golf Academy and sanctioned by the Bahamas Golf Federation’s Junior Golf Association, headed by Gina Gonzelez-Rolle.

# Rounce has qualified and been invited to compete in the Under Armor Junior World Championships in Orlando and the Canadian Invitational at Niagara in July.

# “I hope to win. If I don’t think I could win, then I should not go,” said Rounce about her expectations. “I just have to work on my tournament strategy and my endurance because it’s a very long tournament.”

# Last year, Rounce won the South Florida Drive, Chip and Putt competition in Doral, Florida, which allowed her to qualify for the Copperhead Classic in Tampa and the Jekyll Island Cup in Jekyll Island, Georgia in March.

# She is the daughter of Peter and Ranieh Rounce and the grand-daughter of David and Christine Rounce.. She will be attending the prestigious Benjamin School in Palm Beach in August. Her aspiration is to one day play on the Ladies Professional Golf Association (LPGA) tour.

# A few other Bahamians have qualified to play on the US-Kids World Junior Championships, but have opted to play on the Bahamas Junior National Golf team that will be competing overseas around the same time.

As of Friday, June 9, 2023

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Bahamian graduating half-miler Sasha Knowles posing with Clayton State head coach Chris ‘Fireman’ Brown.

#By BRENT STUBBS

#Senior Sports Reporter

#bstubbs@tribunemedia.net

# HAVING just completed his fifth season as the head coach at Clayton State University, Golden Knight Chris ‘Fireman’ Brown said he could not be prouder of the achievement of his Laker’s track and field team.

# Brown, who joined the Laker Nation in September 2018 as an assistant, said they are still a work in progress, but their work ethic is yielding some fantastic results.

# “We had some outstanding performances, a few records broken and a few events that I was really impressed with,” said Brown, who watched recently as his 25-year-old Bahamian men’s national 800 metre record was shattered by Joel Forbes.

# “We are still a work in progress because we still have a long way to go. Our men’s team finished third for the first time (in the Peach Belt Conference (PBC) and our women finished fourth. We are doing very well, so I’m proud of all of the athletes who came out who were healthy and contributed and to those who were injured and are recovering.”

# As he continues the journey next year, Brown said he’s looking forward to his coaching staff getting to work with the athletes as soon as they come back to school in August to continue where they left off.

#“We’re looking for several individuals to qualify for the National Championships and just looking to continue our success until we get that W (win),” Brown said. “Nothing has changed.

# “I’m just excited because we have a good crop of kids coming in to match what we had there and so it’s going to be a good ride here.”

# Brown, however, will be without the services of the lone Bahamian on the team as middle distance runner Sasha Knowles from St Augustine’s College graduated last month.

# Knowles, who also competed for the first time in the 4500m hurdles, emerged as the one of three Lakers’ team members named to the Peach Belt Conference (PBC) track and field team of Academic Distinction.

# Knowles had a very decorated career for the Lakers. In her four-year cross-country career, she gathered three PBC Team of Academic Distinction honours and was a two-time D2ADA Academic Achievement selection.

# On the track side, Knowles is a two-time D2CCA Academic Achievement and PBC Presidential Honour Roll selection. She also earned all-conference honours in the 4×400 metre relay in the 2021 Outdoor Championships.

# In her career, Knowles ran the middle-distance races and competed in her first ever Heptathlon in the 2023 Outdoor Championships earning fourth place.

# Earlier this season, Knowles was awarded the Dotty M. Bumbalough & Pat Keene Female Academic Athlete of the Year, which is an award given to a senior student-athlete that earned the highest GPA in the department.

# “It was good. It’s always good to know that you have someone from your hometown out there. We are both from the same place and just hearing another Bahamian out there in practice brings a smile on your face,” Brown said.

#“I’m going to miss her. She was an honour student. I’m so proud of her and her parents and I hope what she gained here will help to propel her as she moves forward in life.”

# In her departure, Brown said he has a few Bahamians in the pipeline, but he declined to reveal any names until they have all of the necessary paperwork sorted out.

# “I’m looking forward to getting some more Bahamians here so that they can continue their success and help to represent the Bahamas on the international scene,” Brown summed up.

# Brown, a native of Eleuthera, is a veteran quarter-miler, having participated in five Olympic Games, earning a gold medal (2012), a silver (2008) and two bronzes (2000 and 2016) in the men’s 4x 400m relay. He also won numerous individual medals in the World Indoor Championships as well as the Commonwealth, Pan American CAC and Carifta Games.

As of Friday, June 9, 2023

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#By TENAJH SWEETING

#Tribune Sports Reporter

#tsweeting@tribunemedia.net

#The Paradise Games Wildcats are aiming to complete an historical feat in The Bahamas Flag Football League (BFFL): winning four straight league titles.

#Recently, women have been making waves in not only soccer and football but flag football as well. The Wildcats started the regular season with some lofty goals and have ticked them off their proverbial checklist along the way.

#The women’s team – the defending champions – wrapped up the regular season in dominating fashion as the first flag football team in history to remain undefeated in the women’s division. Ultimately, the team capped off the regular season as the pennant winners and, as they continue to break barriers along the way, one goal remains: a four-peat.

#The ferocious Wildcats will step onto the Winton Rugby Field for the first time this postseason to take on the Fidelity/Money Maxx Phoenix Fire. Last year, the team’s driving force came behind the passing of the late coach Phillip Rahming. The team dedicated their third title win to the man that had a vision of the Wildcats being more than just a dominant flag football squad in The Bahamas. Now with the “second” season underway, the team is more poised than ever to make flag football history. No team has ever completed four straight title wins in the league.

#Dwight Marshall, the team’s general manager, talked about the mindset they have going into this weekend’s flag football showdown.

#“The ladies are always confident it’s a veteran group and they have been on this stage over and over. Many of them have played in playoffs since they entered the league so they just see it as another challenge…this is just a next step to give themselves a chance to win another championship,” Marshall said.

#Marshall added that the name of the game is consistency for his team, and building on things that need to be worked on after every season. Despite the successes of the veteran squad, he acknowledged that every team has strengths and weaknesses but the way the Wildcats prepare, and how they play, is what sets them apart.

#Overall, Marshall is proud of the feats his team has accomplished over the years and he was also happy about Wednesday’s announcement of NFL Flag Football expanding to The Bahamas.

#“It’s big news, it will provide a lot of opportunities for the ladies I am sure . . . it gives them a pathway to make something bigger out of their flag football careers,” he said. “Hopefully it opens some doors for the ladies who have been in the league [and] it’s very exciting for younger players who are just getting into flag,” he said.

#Despite the numerous milestones achieved by the seasoned women’s team in the BFFL, the late great coach Phillip Rahming had aspirations of his team soaring to heights beyond The Bahamas. The defending champions are accustomed to travelling twice a year to the United States and some of the members have also competed on The Bahamas’ All Star teams in 2017 and 2018.

#Following the announcement of the country as the first Caribbean nation to join NFL Flag, Wildcats defensive captain Jayde Knowles talked about the excitement from a team’s perspective.

#“We are more than ecstatic that NFL Flag Football Bahamas has established more opportunities for our youth to receive scholarships, but more importantly the possibility of a future Olympic team in the sport that we love is phenomenal and gives us more reason to continue striving to be the best in the region,” Knowles said.

#With Sunday’s semifinals looming, Knowles added: “We are continuing to break barriers, reach new heights, and make history when you think of women’s flag football in The Bahamas you will never forget the Wildcats standard.”

#Fans can witness the Wildcats’ quest to make history this Sunday at the Winton Rugby Field starting at 1.10pm.

As of Friday, June 9, 2023

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Joel Forbes

#By BRENT STUBBS

#Senior Sports Reporter

#bstubbs@tribunemedia.net

#CHRIS ‘Fireman’ Brown said he was surprised that it took 25 years for his Bahamian men’s national 800 metre record to be broken.

#Meet Joel Forbes, considered a “late bloomer,” who only started competing in the sport seriously at the age of 19. He just shattered Brown’s mark of one minute and 49.54 seconds that he ran on August 17, 1998 at the Central American and Caribbean Games in Maracaibo, Venezuela.

#Forbes’ record-breaking feat came at the NAIA Outdoor Track and Field Championships in Marion, Indiana. The junior at Cumberland in Tennessee ran 1:49.32 to ink his name in the Bahamas Association of Athletic Associations’ (BAAA) record books.

#“Going into the championships, I had an idea that I would break the record,” said Forbes, who, like Brown, also ran the 400m. “At our last chance meet in Cleveland, Tennessee, I was close to the time, so that showed me that I had a chance to do it.

#“Even when I ran at Conference, my coach told me that I have the ability to break faster than the national record. When I did it, I was so happy. It was an unbelievable experience for me.”

#Brown, who admitted that he’s never met Forbes, could only smile when he heard about the performance after Forbes did it with splits of 53 in the first 400m and 56 in the last lap of the race.

#“I was like wow. Finally, somebody went under 1:49.5,” Brown said. “That was impressive. I was excited to know that somebody out there has that fire and spark to go for it. It was a record that was there forever, but records are meant to be broken.

#“So I’m extremely proud of him. I can truly say that as a Bahamian who ran the event, it was good to see someone else who was able to join me in running that fast. I hope that one day we can clash, or at least I can be around to see him perform.”

#As a youngster growing up at St John’s College, Forbes said he got to run for the Giants’ track team, but it wasn’t until he was enrolled at the University of the Bahamas that he found himself venturing over to the Thomas A. Robinson Stadium to train and compete.

#He joined Quick Step Athletics Track Club, headed by Clinton Smikle and the rest was history.

#“I was trying to get a track scholarship and so I went out there to train and to see what I can get worked out,” Forbes said. “I had a school lined up in Alabama, but the same time I was trying to get in, they fired the head coach.

#“After that fell through, things worked out at Cumberland and I went there and I worked extremely hard. I knew that I was on to something once I started competing there.”

#On his late entry into competitive track and field, Forbes said it wasn’t something that his parents, Delores and Wellington Forbes, pushed for him or his brother, Joshua Forbes. In fact, he said after he secured the scholarship to Cumberland, he’s gotten all of the support that he needs.

#“In our family, we haven’t had anyone running track in college,” Forbes said. “So they are not only surprised, but they are happy to see how I am excelling in it. I’m just happy that I can do it.”

#As a young boy growing up, Forbes said he heard about Brown and so when he got a chance to break the record, he was extremely thrilled because he was an idol that he looked up to, although he never got a chance to meet him in person.

#“He called me after I broke the record, and we had a good talk. He encouraged me to continue to hold my head up high and continue to excel,” Forbes said. “Looking at it now, it was a big accomplishment and to hear him compliment me was something that I will really cherish. He said he was proud of my performance.”

#Smikle said when Forbes joined his club, he was running 2:21 in January 2018. A year later, Smikle said Forbes became the national champion, running 2:02. Following that, he dipped under two-minutes with a time of 1:57. So Smikle said he saw the progression.

#“He’s a really hard worker. Once he puts his mind to doing something, he goes out there after it,” Smikle said. “I feel that there’s still more left in the tank for him. I expect that he can run under 1:55.”

#Forbes thanked Smikle for taking the opportunity to work with him.

#While home for the summer, Smikle said he will be working with Forbes to get him ready for the BAAA’s National, scheduled for July 5-7 at the Thomas A. Robinson National Stadium.

#Forbes noted that if the opportunity presented itself, he would definitely like to represent the Bahamas on any of the international meets this summer. He said he is also prepared to run the 400m and will be willing to run on the 4 x 400m relay team.

#“I’ve had a long season. I’ve been running since August with Cross Country and I’ve been racing just about every weekend since up to nationals,” Forbes said. 

#While he’s enjoyed a wealth of success in the 400m, having held the Bahamian national record and won numerous individual medals as well as several as a member of the 4 x 400m relay team, Brown said the 800m has been an event that he’s not settled himself in.

#“I would like to challenge him,” said Brown, who has not quite finished competing although he’s now serving full-time as the head coach at Clayton State University in Atlanta, Georgia.

#“It won’t be this year because July is too quick, but if he gives me until the trials next year, I would be prepared to compete against him and to see how far I can push him.”

#At this stage in his progress, Forbes said he’s willing to face a challenge from any Bahamian who is willing to line up against him, even his idol, whose national record he just recently broke.

As of Friday, June 9, 2023

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#By BRENT STUBBS

#Senior Sports Reporter

#bstubbs@tribunemedia.net

#AFTER missing out on the opportunity to advance in the men’s 100 metres, Terrence Jones made sure he secured his berth into the final of the 200m at the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) Outdoor Championships.

#On day one of the four-day meet at the University of Texas’ Mike A Myers Stadium in Austin, Texas, the Texas Tech junior clocked a personal best of 20.03 seconds for second place in his heat and seventh overall to clinch one of the nine spots in the final today when he will run out lane nine.

#PJ Austin, a senior at Florida, posted the fastest qualifying time of 9.89.

#Jones, a native of Grand Bahama, also contested the 100m where he placed fourth in his heat in 10.06, for 11th place overall, denying him an opportunity to compete in the sprint double final.

#Earlier this year, Jones posted another lifetime best when he tied Derrick Atkins’ Bahamian national record of 9.91 that had been established with a silver medal at the World Championships in Osaka, Japan in 2007.

#The ninth and final spot was timed in 10.04 by Udodi Onwuzurike, a sophomore at Stanford, while Austin assured himself of a chance for the double threat by turning in the fastest qualifying time again. This time in 9.89.

#Jones’ teammate, freshman Antoine Andrews in his debut at the championships, placed seventh in his heat for 22nd place overall in 14.30.

#Wanya McCoy, who missed out in advancing to the championships in their regional competition two weeks ago, got a chance to help Clemson clinch their berth in one of two finals of the relays today.

#In the 4 x 100m, McCoy and Jones clashed on the final legs for their respective teams in the same heat. While Jones and Texas Tech took the tape in 38.20, McCoy and Clemson came in third in 38.72. However, Texas Tech moved on with the second fastest time, while Clemson fell short in 11th place. Louisiana State University had the fastest qualifying time of 38.06.

#McCoy then ran the lead off leg for Clemson as their 4 x 400m relay team booked their ticket to the final today. Their time of 2:59.78 for second in their heat placed them fifth overall. Florida had the fastest qualifying time in a faculty and meet record with a time of 2:58.62.

#Also in competition today will be Shaun Miller Jr of Ohio State. He was one of the 24 competitors competing in the men’s high jump final. He has a season’s best of 7-feet, 2 1/2-inches or 2.20m and a personal best of 7-3 3/4 (2.23m).

#The women’s semifinal events were set for Thursday with the rights to advance to Saturday’s finals when the meet concludes.

#Among those who were expected to compete are Nebraska’s junior Rhema Otabor in the javelin; Tennessee’s senior Charisma Taylor in the 100m hurdles and both the long and triple jumps; Kentucky’s freshman Anthaya Charlton in the 100m and Tennessee’s freshman Javonya Valcourt in the 400m.

#Megan Moss is also expected to run a leg on Kentucky’s 4 x 400m relay team.

 Home|Sports|The countdown is on, four weeks to go for Bahamas GamesSports

The Nassau GuardianSend an emailJune 9, 2023 251 3 minute readFacebookTwitterLinkedInShare via Email

With only four weeks remaining to the sixth edition of the Bahamas Games, a common question remains: ‘What are the Bahamas Games?’

After more than two decades of being dormant, this is a question that many young millennials and others who have yet to have an opportunity to participate in or see the games, may ask.

The Bahamas Games, established in 1989 under the then sports minister Peter J. Bethell, was the first of five sets of multi-events games. The following games occurred in 1991, 1995, 1998 and 2001.

The prevailing national conviction was that the extravaganza of the games was a unique factor in nationalizing the tremendous benefits of sports throughout the Commonwealth of The Bahamas. The games also allowed for the discovery of new talent among Bahamians who had the potential to become World and Olympic-level athletes.

The games incorporated various sporting disciplines, enabling athletes from the different sporting federations across our islands or groups of islands to participate and come together. The Bahamas Games were intended to be a joyous national event, meant to uplift, unify and uphold the primary spirit of athletics and sports, encouraging camaraderie through competition and courage.

Just as prominent and more abstract was the reflective evidence that the games generated a sense of national unity and a greater appreciation of the collective charisma among residents of our scattered islands and island groupings. Realizing that while each island possesses its unique brand, it remains grounded in all that makes Bahamians a unique collection of people and proud members of an intimate family of islands.

The Bahamas Golden Jubilee Games will be held from July 7-15. The opening ceremony will be held on Saturday July 8, leading into our national 50th Anniversary of Independence celebrations.

These games will incorporate 16 sporting disciplines held at 16 different locations, enabling persons to enjoy and support the teams and sports of their choice.

The 10 teams forming the individual islands or grouping of islands include: the Abaco Survivors, the Andros Chiccharnies, the Bimini and Berry Islands Marlins, the Columbus Isles Arawaks (Cat Island, Rum Cay and San Salvador), the Eleuthera Adventurers, the Exuma & Ragged Island Navigators, the Grand Bahama Lucayans, the Long Island Sheep Runners, the MICAL Flamingoes (Mayaguana, Inagua, Crooked Island, Acklins and Long Cay) and the New Providence Buccaneers.

The Bahamas Games’ style of competition is modeled after the Olympics. The games will be held over a week, with various events occurring sequentially or simultaneously. The overall score collectively will determine the winner of the games. However, each sporting event will still be awarded based on a first to third-place finisher, with those teams or their representatives being awarded gold, silver and bronze respectively.

One of the important events included with the Bahamas Golden Jubilee Games is the baton tour, which has already started its journey, beginning in Exuma and then to Grand Bahama. The baton will continue to touch each island or a representative island for a grouping of islands until it ends its journey returning to New Providence for the start of the Bahamas Games 2023.

The passing of the baton from one island to the next acts as a signal to all the islands that the Bahamas Games will begin shortly but also acts as a catalyst to inspire both supporters and athletes to bring their ‘A’ game, whether participating or cheering. The baton also reminds Bahamians of the national pledge of allegiance, “…one people, united in love and service”, which is reflected in the Bahamas Golden Jubilee Games’ slogan, ‘Our Nation, Our Islands, Our Games’.

The excitement for Bahamas Games 2023 is building, and everyone can participate and learn more about the games by going to the Bahamas Golden Jubilee Games website: thebahamasgames.org or following, liking and subscribing on social media for Facebook, Twitter and Instagram @thebahamagames or TikTok and YouTube @thebahamasgames.

Every Tuesday, at 6 p.m., the public is encouraged to tune into the ‘Hype Tuesday’ show streamed live on the Bahamas Games’ Facebook and YouTube channels to represent their island and team and show their support who they feel will win the upcoming games.

For more information on how to participate in the games or general information on the games, interested persons can call (242) 322-1029/69 or send an e-mail to info@thebahamasgames.org or bahamasgamessecretariat@gmail.com.

 Home|Sports|Davis grateful for GSSSA sports calendar completionSports

Simba FrenchSend an emailJune 9, 2023 41 4 minute readFacebookTwitterLinkedInShare via Email

For the first time since the 2018-2019 school year, the Government Secondary Schools Sports Association (GSSSA) was able to complete all of its sporting disciplines after the COVID-19 pandemic canceled events and modified the calendar. The president of the association, Varel Davis, was very happy to see competition completed in all their disciplines.

The association was able to get baseball, softball, cross country, basketball, track and field, volleyball and soccer completed this school year with champions crowned in the junior and senior divisions. This year, the body celebrated its 29th anniversary.

Davis said that she did not know what to expect after missing so much time and that this was some of the student-athletes first time competing for their school.

“The year went extremely well, I could not have asked for a better year. It went extremely well despite coming back after years off,” Davis said. “The last time some of these student-athletes did any sporting activities was in primary school or junior high school so I thought that the level of play might pose a problem. We started with baseball and softball while in the past we started with volleyball. I think the change was good and the coaches had the student-athletes prepared.”

Davis said she was grateful to the Minister of Education and Technical and Vocational Training Glenys Hanna- Martin for seeing the need to get the kids back to competing. She noted that the minister sat and watched the kids play almost every discipline. Davis said she was also happy to see the support the kids got from fans.

“After meeting with Hanna- Martin and the sports unit, the want, and the need for these kids to get back in some activities was there. She wanted high school sports to begin. It was a blessing to see how the kids responded. If you looked at the gyms and the fields, it was well supported by the administration, teachers, students and parents, especially basketball and track and field. Track and field surprised me because it was the first time in a long time that the west side of the stadium was almost filled. The comeback was exciting and it was great to see the kids enjoying themselves and having fun again,” said Davis.

She commended the coaches for their hard work in ensuring that it was a competitive season.

“We learned that anything is possible. Once we got those kids back into training and preparing them for their respective sports, that made the difference in the level of competition. I loved that the level of play straight across the board was even. We saw teams tied with the same record at the end of the season and a tiebreaker had to be determined in some instances.”

She thanked Hanna- Martin, Minister of Youth, Sports and Culture Mario Bowleg; Dr. Virginia Romer, president of the New Providence Association of Principals of Public Secondary Schools; Director of Education Dominique McCartney-Russell; Floyd Armbrister, consultant in the Sports Unit of the Ministry of Education and Technical and Vocational Training; parents; teachers; administrations; principals; coaches; and student-athletes for a successful year.

Looking ahead to the 2023-2024 sports calendar, Davis said that she expects it to be better than it was this past year as they prepare to celebrate their 30th anniversary.

“The student-athletes are enthused and are already asking when the new season starting back. They are ready to get back into sports. I love what I saw this year. We always try to be better than the previous year. We have a lot of plans for the student-athletes and the general public to get involved. We are going to let persons know what our plans are for the upcoming sporting calendar,” she said.

The association wants to add new sports to its calendar but it needs to be done in the right fashion where there are facilities and coaching.

“The problem with that is we don’t have the bodies to coach some of the new sports. We support anything to help develop our kids because not all of them want to play the current sports that we have. Any news sport that is introduced to the GSSSA, we welcome it and sometimes the issue is finding facilities or coaches to assist with these other sports that will be introduced,” said Davis.

One nagging issue Davis said they experience is payments for coaches and officials in a timely manner. She hopes to get the issue rectified soon.

“We are hoping that it is resolved going forward in terms of the timeline in which we are paid,” Davis said. “This year was an improvement, and we are getting better as things have changed in the sports unit. Going forward we pray that it does not be a nagging issue. It has been plaguing us for a very long time. I think it will be better going forward in terms of payment issue.”

Davis congratulated all of the champions in the various divisions. In baseball, the A.F. Adderley Tigers won the junior boys division and R.M. Bailey Pacers won the senior boys. The H.O. Nash Lions won the junior girls softball title while Doris Johnson Mystic Marlins won the senior girls title. In basketball, the C.I. Gibson Rattlers senior girls and boys won the championships. The junior boys basketball title was won by the D.W. Davis Royals while the C.H Reeves raptors won the junior girls title. The C.R Walker Knights won the senior division while the Raptors won the junior division for the track and field championship titles.

In volleyball, the Knights and the Rattlers lifted the senior girls and boys championship trophies respectively. In the junior division of volleyball, the Lions won the junior girls title and the Royals won the junior boys title. The final sport of the year was soccer in which the Knights were crowned the senior girls champions and the Government High School Magic won the senior boys champions. The Lions won the junior girls soccer title while the Anatol Rodgers Timberwolves are the junior boys soccer champs.

The Knights and the Lions ran away with the senior and junior divisions in the cross country championships, respectively.