The Tribune

By RENALDO DORSETT

Sports Reporter

rdorsett@tribunemedia.net

The official bid has been placed and now the Bahamas will await the decision from the international governing body for track and field as it seeks to make history in the global athletics community.

The Bahamas became the first country to bid to host the inaugural International Association of Athletic Federations World Relay Championships in 2014.

To that end, general secretary of the International Association of Athletic Federations (IAAF), Essar Gabriel, and Paul Hardy, competitions director of the IAAF, are on a two-day fact-finding mission in the Bahamas to ascertain whether the country has the facilities and is capable of hosting the event which is promised to become a staple on the IAAF calendar.

He explained that during their visit, the IAAF executives have met with stockholders to discuss the Bahamas' bid and also plan to inspect potential venues, including hotels and the new Thomas A Robinson Stadium.

"This has been an extremely beneficial visit for us. We have been able to put faces to names and understand the commitment and the desire for the Bahamas to become a part of history. We thank the Bahamas for their proposal. We will report back on the excellence of the bid and the will to organise. The Bahamas is a country definitely worth visiting," Gabriel said.

"This is a unique process. Of course it is conditional and we encourage you to keep working to present the best possible product. We certainly hope we will be back."

Gabriel explained that the world track and field's governing body wants to add the World Relays to its World Athletic Series, which would be another historic moment for the IAAF.

He also said the Bahamas has already received the attention and aid of the body, which is advising the Bahamian stockholders on how to strengthen the bidding position of the country.

The duo toured the national stadium and also paid a courtesy call on Prime Minister Perry Christie at his Cable Beach office yesterday.

Minister of National Security (and a former track and field star) Bernard Nottage, Daniel Johnson, the minister of youth, sports and culture, other members of the BAAA, other sporting groups and world-class athletes also attended.

Johnson noted the historic impact of the event for the Bahamas and congratulated the BAAA for its progressive nature as an organisation.

"The is an historic event for the Bahamas. This is one of the great sporting powers per capita in the world and this is one of the great opportunities to show our prowess to the world. We are the first to bid and we will be the best to bid. Our potential in athletics is great and a wide array of sports will be on display to the world soon enough. The beauty of the Bahamas is its people," Johnson said.

"I congratulate the BAAAs on its bid. This organisation has been exemplary for decades and their prowess at the administrative level. Athletics has benefited the entire country well and we look for it to continue to do so."

The IAAF Council when it meets in London during the Olympic Games, will make the final decision on which country will host the event.

"We have been dominant in track and field regionally and we look to expand internationally to continue the growth and development of the sport," said BAAA president Mike Sands. "We had a very constructive day of meetings, much was learned and we feel as if we are in a positive position moving forward with our bidding process."

Gabriel encouraged the BAAA executives to follow with an updated bid to the Council with modifications by the end of this month or next month to increase the probability of winning the bid.