The Tribune

BY DENISE MAYCOCK

Tribune Freeport Reporter

dmaycock@tribunemedia.net

FREEPORT – The Four Golden Knights, including two sons of Grand Bahama, received a hero’s welcome as they arrived in Grand Bahama on Monday.

Cheers rang out from a crowd of spectators gathered at the airport as Team Bahamas and the ‘Fantastic Four’ gold medal relay team of Chris Brown, Ramon Miller, Demetrius Pinder, and Michael Mathieu stepped on the tarmac.

Minister for Grand Bahama Dr Michael Darville officially welcomed Team Bahamas to Grand Bahama, where they were taken on a motorcade’ throughout the streets of Freeport.

It was a special homecoming for Grand Bahamians Michael Mathieu and Demetrius Pinder as their family and the community of Grand Bahama came to see their hometown heroes.  

The Grand Bahama Port Authority hosted a special luncheon for the team at the Grand Lucayan Resort,

One of the highlights was the re-playing of the men’s 4x400 meter relay gold medal performance at the Olympic Games in London.  

Applause and cheers filled the room as the Miller, who ran the final leg of the relay, crossed the finish line, bringing the Bahamas’ men relay team it’s first Gold Medal.

For their win, the men will each receive a parcel of land in the Chesapeake Subdivision.

Ian Rolle, president of the Grand Bahama Port Authority, congratulated the four men on their gold medal achievement.

“On behalf of the chairman of the GBPA, I would like to extend appreciation to our Golden Knights and special congratulations to our boys from Grand Bahama,” he said.

Minister of Tourism Obie Wilchcombe announced that the Ministry of Tourism will employ member of the relay team as a spokesman and ambassador for Tourism for the next four years.

He also stated that the men will be prominently featured in an ad campaign in January.  

“When you hear our ad campaign….you will hear the voices and see the faces of our Golden Knight as we show and tell the world how proud we are of them,” said Minister Wilchcombe.

He said the Ministry of Tourism also plans to host the Golden Knights to several days at the Bimini Bay Resort and that each member will receive a cruise vacation by a major cruise line.

Minister Wilchcombe described the men’s performance as ‘the most spectacular’ moment for Bahamians.

“What was so important and should be important to all of us is that when we watched the Golden Knights we saw what we all as Bahamians should be doing collectively.

“We saw men who were prepared, trained and went to execute. We saw men who understood the importance of working together.

“You had two from Grand Bahama, one New Providence, and one from Eleuthera - it shows it doesn’t matter where you are from in the country, we are one Bahamas.”