The Tribune

THE Bahamas Athletic Foundation, a non-profit organisation formed for the development and advancement of athletics, specifically track and field, through scholarship grants to athletes and coaches, provided assistance this past weekend to six Family Island teams to travel to Nassau to compete in the IAAF High School Relays Trial Meet.

The schools represented were Moore’s Island Abaco, LN Coakley Exuma, Central Andros High, North Andros High, North Long Island, and San Salvador High, bringing a total of 14 coaches and 67 athletes.

The coaches were very appreciative that the foundation came to their assistance covering the costs of airfare in excess of $10,000.

Basil Christie said “this is a happy moment for the executives of the LOC of CARIFTA.

From the surplus revenue generated from the CARIFTA Games, we have created the Bahamas Athletic Foundation with a goal of contributing to the development, of track and field in particular, in the Family Islands.

The Foundation has been registered, funded (from the proceeds of CARIFTA 2013) and a website created www.bahamasathleticfoundation.org to which family island teams/coaches/directors can refer to learn about opportunities and to apply for grants.”

The work of the foundation will be extensive, concentrating its resources to improve coaching education and certification, development of talented Family Island athletes and teams, assistance to attend competitions regionally, locally or internationally and supplying equipment and gear.

The Foundation will be inviting sponsors to partner with the organisation, as it is anticipated based on the early response so far, that the need for Family Island assistance is in great demand. Family Island athletes and schools are challenged by limited resources to avail themselves of the opportunities for competition, specialised training and equipment compared to New Providence and Grand Bahama. The coaches from the schools were emphatic, said Mr Christie, in their expression of gratitude for the foundation’s support:

“We would not have been able to come without the assistance of the BAF.”

Contributions were made in 2013 to the BAAA that received approximately 46 per cent of the surplus funds and the Special Olympics was awarded five per cent of the funds to assist its Family Island athlete programme.