The Tribune

By BRENT STUBBS

Senior Sports Reporter

bstubbs@tribunemedia.net

ANOTHER distinguished group of 16 Bahamian male and female personalities will be inducted into the Ministry of Youth, Sports and Culture’s National Hall of Fame.

The Class of 2014 Induction will be held during the National Sports Heritage Week December 7-12 with the actual ceremony being held at Government House.

This will mark the 8th induction since the initial ceremony was held in 1989 when sprinter Thomas Augustus Robinson (deceased), sailor Sir Durward ‘Sea Wolf’ Knowles, sailor Cecil Cooke (deceased), baseball player Kenneth Andre Rodgers (deceased) and boxer Everette Elisha Obed’ Ferguson were all enshrined.

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

“It is our intention to continue to recognise these sporting figures, who have set standards that we are still trying to achieve and in some cases, standards that we would have achieved,” said Tim Munnings, director of sports, who himself was one of the outstanding athletes having competed in track and field as a member of the men’s 4 x 400 metre relay team.

“The accomplishments that they made are significant in their time. So it is important that we continue to recognise their achievements and hopefully provide some hope and incentive for the younger athletes who are competing today. At least they have something to attain.”

During the induction ceremony, the honourees will be draped with the aqua jackets and presented with their plaques. Governor General Dame Marguerite Pindling, Prime Minister Perry Christie and Minister of Youth, Sports and Culture Dr Daniel Johnson are expected to head the list of dignitaries.

This year’s inductees are:

Frederick Sturrup (sports journalism/sports administration), Percival Knowles (swimming/sailing), Franklin ‘Cinderella’ Sweeting (baseball), Daniel ‘Danny’ Sumner (bodybuilding, powerlifting and sports administration), Kevin Johnson (track and Field), Donald ‘Donnie’ Martinborough (sailing), Marina McClain (bowling), Ray Minus Sr (boxing and sports administration), Harcourt ‘Rip’ Rolle (soccer and sports administration), Edith Powell (tennis and sports administration), Frederick ‘Chicken’ Taylor (softball and baseball), Wilfred Coakley (boxing and sports administration); Norris Stubbs (track and field), Allan Jackson (baseball and sports administration), Calvin Cooper (golf and sports administration) and Betram ‘Coybow’ Musgrove (cycling).

Coakley, Stubbs, Jackson, Cooper and Musgrove will be honoured posthumously.

Kevin Colebrooke, the chief sports and recreational officer at the ministry, who is coordinating the Heritage Week, said it’s important for the public and the younger athletes in specific to be able to appreciate where sports has come from and who are some of the movers and shakers over the years.

“All of the persons being honoured have a story to tell,” Colebrooke stated. “This is a way for us to give them an indication of who these persons are and what contribution they have made to the development of sports over the years. A lot of these persons, some of our young people don’t know or ever heard of them.

“There are people like Edith Powell, Marina McClain and Donnie Martinborough, who would have made some significant contributions, not just locally, but internationally, but a lot of people don’t know that they did. The Hall of Fame, we hope, will provide them with that opportunity to get to know a little more about them.”

The Heritage Week is scheduled to begin with a church service 7:45pm December 7 at Bethel Baptist Church, Meeting Street.

On Monday, December 8 at 6:30am, Powell and Martinborough are expected to represent the honourees as they appear on Bahamas at Sunrise.

On Tuesday, December 9, the honourees will visit the Royal Bahamas Defence Force base in Coral Harbour where they will get to view the new HMBS Sir Durward Knowles ship.

On Wednesday, December 10, a luncheon will be held for the honourees at the Andre Rodgers National Stadium.

A publication of the supplement, featuring the Class of 2014 will be published and displayed at the CR Walker Secondary High School.

Then on Friday, December 12 at 6:30am, another appearance will be made on Bahamas at Sunrise by Percy Knowles and Fred Sturrup.

The 6:30pm induction ceremony will wrap up the week at Government House.

• 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.