The Tribune

By BRENT STUBBS

Senior Sports Reporter

bstubbs@tribunemedia.net

LONDON, England: In his appearance here at his first Olympic Games, Bahamas Minister of Youth, Sports and Culture, Dr Daniel Johnson is not just spending time watching the performances of Team Bahamas. He’s been engaged in a series of meetings as well.

“We had the Sports Ministers of the Commonwealth meeting last week near the House of Parliament area and we’ve had meetings with some of the sports facilities directors,” said Johnson, who is accompanied by his Director of Sports, Timothy Munnings.

“Next week, we’re going to see the number one stadium in London. We are going to compare and contrast where we want to go with the national facility that we have at home and where we would want to go with enhancing it. So I still have a lot more work to do at my end.

“I have meetings every day for the next several days and then in the afternoons, I will come to the games.”

Based on what he’s seen, Johnson said he’s been very impressed because while some of the facilities are permanent, there are a number them that are temporary. He mentioned the arena where the men and women’s basketball games are being played. That will be taken down, boxed up and shipped to Brazil for the 2016 Olympics.

“This has been a learning experience for me,” said Johnson. “What this means to us is that we don’t have to have everything built. Some of these facilities here at London 2012 are just temporary. So they take them down, put them up and move them around to be used elsewhere.”

Johnson said the national stadium that was a gift from China was quite adequate for what the government wants to achieve.

However, he said he would rather see some diversification, not only in the Bahamas, but throughout the Caribbean.

“For example, I would like to see sailing in the Carifta Games. I mean Carifta is a Caribbean event and all of the Caribbean islands are connected by water,” he said.

“With us hosting Carifta next year, I’ve already told the Caribbean leaders that I will be writing to them soon to inquire as to what else that we can introduce in a year’s time.

“It’s not difficult to introduce some cycling. We wanted to add other things that are currently being done at the Olympics. With Carifta being a regional junior sporting event, it should mirror the Olympics with room for expansion in the Caribbean in terms of sports like table tennis, BMX Biking and golf, which is being introduced in 2016.”

Johnson said he believes the Carifta Games could be the preparatory stage for many other sports outside of the world of athletes.

Munnings, who has attended just about every working session with Johnson, said he’s looking forward to sitting down with the IAAF to discuss the plans for the hosting the first world Relay Championships, scheduled for 2014, at the new national stadium.

“Hopefully we can do that before we leave,” he said. “But we’ve had some very good meetings with all of the other bodies here. We have another one set up with the biggest sporting arena here in London and we will see what’s involved in operating a stadium like the one we now have at home.”

Like Johnson, Munnings said he was just thrilled to have been in the fabulous Aquatics Centre where Arianna Vanderpool-Wallace got Team Bahamas off to a record breaking start with her victory in the heats of the Women’s 100m Freestyle on Wednesday.

“It’s a very exciting performance. I wouldn’t say I’m surprised, but I’m very happy to see that she’s maintained her form that she’s had all season,” he said. “So I’m looking for great things from Arianna.”

As a former member of the Bahamas men’s 4 x 400 relay team that won medals at the IAAF World Championships and the Olympics, Munnings said he’s eager to see what the athletic team does when they come out of the gate on Friday.

“I’m sure that all of the athletes back at the village and those who are here in the stands are excited and motivated because she’s setting the tone for what’s to come,” he said.

“It’s a performance that’s very good for the team.”