The Tribune

AN IAAF delegation has concluded the second site visit to New Providence, the host city of the upcoming IAAF World Relays.

“The IAAF is delighted to be in the Bahamas making the final organisational check up on a brand new competition, the World Relays. With only 204 days to go, we are pleased to see the hard work and dedication that has been shown so far by the organisers. We will work hard to help them as we approach the crucial final straight,” said Bob Hersh, IAAF senior vice resident.

“The IAAF believes there will be worldwide interest in a weekend of sport dedicated just to the relays, which have always been an exciting and dramatic highlight at our World Championships and Olympics. We will introduce exciting innovations in terms of both the event presentation and the television coverage. I am also certain that the world’s best athletes - not only from sprints but middle distances also - will be excited about visiting Nassau in May, where the weather conditions and the support from a track crazy public will help them achieve exceptional performances.”

During the two-day site visit, all matters related to the general organisation of the event were discussed. Visits were also made to the athletes’ hotels and various other facilities, including the main competition venue itself, which is the Thomas A Robinson National Stadium which has a seating capacity of 15,000.

This first edition of the relays is expected to be an historic occasion for the city of 250,000 as it is the first country to host the event and the largest sporting event ever in the Bahamas.

“As the organisers of this important IAAF World Relays we will meet the IAAF expectations,” said local organising committee chairman Keith Parker.

The delegation included Hersh, who also serves as a technical delegate, Alberto Juantorena-Danger, who serves as an IAAF council member and organisational delegate, along with Essar Gabriel, the IAAF’s general secretary.

During the visit, the IAAF representatives also met key figures from the political and business sectors in The Bahamas, who are determined to make the World Relays Bahamas 2014 an outstanding success.

The group also paid a courtesy call on Prime Minister Perry Christie.

Said Minister of Youth, Sports and Culture Dr Daniel Johnson: “We are encouraged that this competition will reach millions of viewers in more than 100 countries, with more than 30,000 spectators, and we see it as a great opportunity to remind the world that the Bahamas is now a major destination for world-class sporting events.”

The IAAF World Relays Bahamas 2014 will welcome over 700 athletes and 300 team officials from more than 40 nations.

“We will ensure that these World Relays not only promote the great sport of athletics, but showcase Nassau, and the entire Bahamas, in the best possible light. With less than seven months left to go, the hard work starts now and we will listen and learn from the IAAF to ensure that the athletes are able to compete at their best in the most comfortable environment on May 24 and 25, 2014,” said Mike Sands, president of the Bahamas Associations of Athletic Associations.