The Tribune

By RENALDO DORSETT

Sports Reporter

rdorsett@tribunemedia.net

THE National Sports Hall of Fame will be increased by 16 when the 2014 Class is enshrined on Friday night.

During National Sports Heritage Week, which began Sunday, the Ministry of Youth, Sports and Culture announced that the induction ceremony is slated for 7pm Friday at Government House.

The inductees, who are selected based on their contribution to the development of sports in the Bahamas, will include the following: 

Kevin Johnson - Athletics; Percival Andrew Knowles - Sailing/Swimming; Edith Powell - Tennis/Administration; Marina McClain - Bowling; Donnie Martinborough; Ray Minus Sr - Boxing; Harcourt Rolle - Soccer/Administration; Frederick Robert Sturrup - Journalism/Administration; Daniel Sumner - Bodybuilding and Powerlifting/Administration; Franklyn Theodore Roosevelt Sweeting - Baseball; Frederick “Chicken” Taylor - Baseball; and deceased inductees Calvin Cooper - Golf/Administration; Norris Stubbs - Athletics; Allan Jackson - Baseball/Administration; Wilfred Coakley - Boxing/Administration and Bertram Musgrove - Cycling.

The inductees were nominated by persons in the sporting community, federations and stakeholders, according to Minister of Youth, Sports and Culture Dr Daniel Johnson.

“We at the ministry feel that is very important that we recognise and pay homage to those persons that have sacrificed and devoted a good portion of their lives to sports and its development, and by extension to the orderly development of our country,” Dr Johnson said. “We also feel that it is very important to expose these heroes to the up and coming generation of sportsmen and women so that they may integrate some of the life skills of these persons into their lives so that their lives may be further enriched.”

“If you were to note carefully you would see that all of these disciplines are represented in this class, this is no coincidence, the class of 1989 laid the foundation for these inductees just how this class would have laid the foundation for persons that follow this class,” Dr Johnson said.

A full week of activities opened yesterday with a church service at Bethel Baptist Church. This morning, Powell and Martinbourough appeared on the Bahamas at Sunrise and tomorrow, the class will visit the HMBS Sir Durwood Knowles. On Wednesday, their will be a school visit to CR Walker at 9pm followed by a courtesy call at the House of Assembly at 10am and a luncheon at the national stadium at 12:30pm. A public supplement will be produced featuring the class of 2014 on Thursday morning, while Knowles and Sturrup will appear on Bahamas at Sunrise.

The weekend of activities will culminate with the official induction ceremony at Government House at 6:30pm.

Sports Heritage Week originally began in 1989 with the introduction of five of our national heroes - the late great Thomas A Robinson, Sir Durward Knowles, Cecil Cooke, Andre Rodgers and Everette “Elisha Obed” Ferguson.

“The National Sports Heritage Week represents another opportunity for the government to formally recognise outstanding Bahamian athletes, whose achievements may have gone unnoticed, show appreciation to athletes who continue to shine and also encourage younger athletes aspiring to excellence in sports,” he said.

Timothy Munnings, the director of sports, said with the rapid success of the Bahamian athletes, it’s going to be rather difficult to just honour 14-15 persons during each class of induction. He said they will have to revisit the induction and see how they can ensure that they recognise all those athletes who have made their contributions either as an athlete or administrator.

In between, inductions were held in 2003, 2008, 2009, 2010, 2011, 2012 and 2013 with 105 persons honoured.

• The other inductees are as follows:

Class of 2003 - Roderick Simms, Robert ‘Bobby’ Symonette, Sloane ‘Bunty’ Farrington, Charlie Major Sr, Deacon Leviticus ‘Uncle Lou’ Adderley, Kingsley Poitier, Leonard ‘Boston Blackie’ Miller, Anthony ‘Tony’ Curry, Mychal ‘Sweet Bells’ Thompson, Vincent Ferguson, Elizabeth Marion ‘Betty’ Cole and John Sands.

Class of 2008 - Sterling ‘Robert Lloyd Quant, Peter Bethell, Tom Berutti ‘the Bird’ Grant, Dr Hubert Wong, Winston ‘Gus’ Cooper, Winston ‘Tappy’ Davis, Bertram ‘Rolly the Grand Master’ Gray, Dr Bernard Nottage, William ‘Yama Bahama’ Butler, Churchill Tener Knowles, Delroy ‘Roy’ Armbrister, Henry Crawford Jr, Edison ‘Ed’ Armbrister, Betty Kelly-Kenning and Fred ‘Papa’ Smith.

Class of 2009 - Perry Christie, Bradley Cooper, Florence ‘Flo’ Saunders, Cliff Wilson, Alexander ‘Doyle’ Burrows, Richard ‘the Lion-Heart’ Johnson, Dr Timothy Barrett, Glen Wells, Ed Smith, Errol Bodie, Robert Edward ‘Bob’ Isaacs, Samuel ‘Sir Day’ Davies, Percival Wentworth ‘Wenty’ Ford, Edward Leon ‘Apache’ Knowles and Anthony Carroll.

Class of 2010 - Basil Trevor Kelly, Gorman Donald ‘Gomeo’ Brennan, Sharon ‘the General’ Storr, Earl Peter ‘Sweet Pete’ Brown, Leonard John ‘Skeeter’ Dames, Osbourne ‘Ank’ Rahmin, Carl Minns, Cynthia ‘Mother’ Pratt, Douglas ‘Dougie’ Smith, Winnifred Russell-Bethell, Keith Holland Parker, Celestine Albury-Wilson, Percival Andrew ‘Andy’ Knowles and Frederick ‘Freddie’ Higgs.

Class of 2011 - John Antonas, Derek ‘Bookie’ Nesbitt, Margaret Albury, Frank ‘Pancho’ Rahming, Godfrey Kelly, Austin ‘King Snake’ Knowles, Martin Lundy, Gladstone ‘Moon’ McPhee, Arthur Eldon, Anita Doherty, Glenroy ‘Flo’ Saunders, Wilfred ‘Sudgy’ Culmer, Prince Albert Patrick ‘Head’ McIntosh, Sir Gerald Cash and Justice Maxwell Thompson.

Class of 2013 - Captain Hezron Moxey, Leroy ‘Mitch’ Mitchell, Basil Neymour, Phil Smith, Leroy Archer Sr., Rev. Enoch Backford II, Jacqueline Barnett-Bethel, Sir Arlington Butler, Bernard Bostwick, Maryann Higgs-Clarke, Roscoe Davies, John ‘Barrie’ Farrington, Alpheus ‘Hawk’ Finlayson, Earl Eugene ‘Sonny’ Haven, Dr. Norman Gay, Osbourne ‘Goose’ Lockhart, Oswald ‘Ossie’ Moore, Harold Munnings Sr., Kendal Nottage, Garth Rolle and Dr. Gail North-Saunders.