The Tribune

By BRENT STUBBS

Senior Sports Reporter

bstubbs@tribunemedia.net

THE Bahamas Telecommunications Company (BTC) has thrown its support behind the Bahamas Swimming Federation and the Bahamas Association of Athletic Associations as they prepare to take their respective national teams to the 2015 CARIFTA Games over the Easter holiday weekend.

As they begin a four-year partnership with the BSF, BTC presented a cheque of $50,000, which will assist the teams going to CARIFTA in Barbados, the Caribbean Island Swimming Championships (CISC) and Central American and Caribbean Amateur Swimming Federation (CCAC) Championships, while the BAAA received $20,000 for CARIFTA in St Kitts and Nevis.

Leon Williams, chief executive officer of BTC, made the presentation which comes on the heels of BTC’s sponsorship of the National High School Track and Field Championships at the new Thomas A Robinson Track and Field Stadium and the announcement of being the title sponsor for the IAAF World Relays, scheduled for the same venue next month.

“Before I make mention of this blue letter day, I’m reminded of the old slogan that BTC used to use a couple years ago and is still relevant today, BTC done done it again,” he said. “We are partnering with the swim federation to sponsor them for the next four years to the tune of $240,000 for a number of events and we’re looking forward to the IAAF World Relays, which we will be sponsoring with $250,000.”

Williams, however, didn’t make any pledges of providing any cellular phones as he did a couple years ago.

BSF president Algernon Cargill said he’s delighted, on behalf of their membership, to execute the four-year deal with BTC in the value of $240,000.

“The support comes at the right time and serves as an immediate boost of Team Bahamas,” said Cargill as they get set to defend their title in Barbados this weekend. “We are of course extremely grateful and appreciative to be one of the organisations recognised by BTC.

“It shows exactly what a private sporting organisation partnership ought to be and what is so special about this agreement is this is prehaps one of the easiest negotiations we’ve had. Along these lines, I would like to recognise Mrs Janet Brown, Mrs Eldri Ferguson and Mrs Carol Barnett, along with David Morley, in making today’s signing possible.”

Cargill said it should be noted that it was BTC who called them after the success of their swimming and water polo teams in Jamaica last year and with their support this year, he said they know they have a tall order to defend the title, but led by Grand Bahamian Joanna Evans, who is also an exceptional academic student at Bishop Michael Eldon, and Margaret Higgs, who now resides in Florida with her family, they are looking for multiple medals next week.

With a coaching staff made up of Andy Knowles, Andy Loveitt, Sarah Knowles and Travano McPhee, Cargill said he’s confident that Team Bahamas’ 36 swimmers will successfully defend their title in Barbados April 2-8.

Apart from winning CARIFTA, Cargill said Arianna Vanderpool-Wallace, also sponsored by BTC, won four individual gold medals at the CAC Games, something that has never been done before by any athlete in any sport in the Bahamas. She also set two games’ records and was joined by Evans, who won two silver medals and collectively won 50 per cent of the Bahamas’ medals at the championships.

Vanderpool-Wallace also captured her first medal - a silver - at the Commonwealth Games, while Evans won the first medal - a bronze - for the Bahamas at the Youth Olympic Games. As a result of her outstanding SAT scores, her grade-point average and her stellar performance in the pool, Cargill said so many universities and colleges in the United States wanted to offer Evans a full athletic scholarship, but she finally settled on the University of Texas where she will compete for the Aggies.

Accepting on behalf of the BAAA, president Mike Sands indicated that the support by BTC is paramount of the success of Team Bahamas.

“The success of our events and our efforts are directly attributed to the support that we as an association and federation receive from corporate Bahamas,” Sands said. “For the past number of years, BTC has been a perennial sponsor and supporter of the BAAA and we’re always thankful and grateful to BTC for heeding the call and coming to our aid to ensure that the athletes have the opportunity that they strive so hard to achieve.”

The annual CARIFTA Games, according to Sands, has been the biggest regional junior track and field championships, which has produced many of the top athletes in the world and is revived by the International Amateur Athletic Federation (IAAF) president Lamine Diack, who has indicated that since coming to his first games in 2002 in the Bahamas, he won’t miss another one and is expected to be in St Kitts and Nevis this weekend.

Team Bahamas, with a 53-member team, is scheduled to depart on Thursday. The team is much smaller than in recent years due to the BAAA policy they implemented this year where only athletes who attain the qualifying standards in the individual events will be allowed to compete.

“The BAAA is very grateful to Mr Williams and his marketing team, headed by Mrs Barnett, Mrs Brown and Mrs Ferguson,” Sands said. “Through sweat and tears, we have come to an amicable agreement and for that, we are eternally grateful in maintaining a strong relationship as we move forward.”