The Tribune

By BRENT STUBBS

Senior Sports Reporter

bstubbs@tribunemedia.net

WHILE the public can look forward to seeing sprinters Usain Bolt and Justin Gatlin put on a show for Jamaica and the United States, the Golden Knights have confirmed that they will be coming home to make their presence felt at the IAAF/BTC World Relays Bahamas 2015.

A week after Bolt and Gatlin announced their participation and two weeks before the May 2-3 event at the Thomas A Robinson Track and Field Stadium, Brown confirmed at a press conference at the Ministry of Youth, Sports and Culture yesterday that he, Ramon Miller and Grand Bahamians Demetrius Pinder and Michael Mathieu will compete for Team Bahamas.

“There’s been a lot of speculation about if we are going to come home and perform,” said Brown, who was at first sceptical if he would participate after his second Chris Brown Bahamas Invitational was cancelled on April 11. “But we will be here and be ready to perform for the Bahamas at the World Relays and I’m looking forward to it.”

The Golden Knights renewed their rivalry with the US at the inaugural World Relays last year, but after suffering an injury in the heats, Miller was unable to contest the final. Without Miller, the team of LaToy Williams, Pinder, Brown and Mathieu ran 2min 58.43sec for the silver.

But Team Bahamas had to play second fiddle to the US team of David Verburg, Tony McQuay, Christian Taylor and LaShawn Merritt who won in 2:57.25. Trinidad & Tobago, comprising Lalonde Gordon, Renny Quow, Machel Cedenio and Jarrin Solomon, picked up the bronze in a national record 2:58.43.

Brown, the elder statemen of Team Bahamas at 36, said the Golden Knights are ready to go head-to-head with the Americans, whom they beat in 2012 at the Olympic Games for the gold medal and again at the Penn Relays last year in Philadelphia.

The World Relays serves as a prelude to the IAAF World Championships in August in Beijing, China.

“Me and my teammates are all healthy. I’ve been training well and we’re looking forward to going out there and stepping out and showing the US and any other country that come towards us that what is in the Bahamas stay in the Bahamas,” Brown said.

“So we are looking forward to redemption and keeping the gold medal in the Bahamas and show the world that we are not just a one-hit wonder as we look forward to defending the home court territory.”

Minister of Youth, Sports and Culture, Dr Daniel Johnson, said he is happy to see that the athletes are putting the country first and are living up to the concept of the relays by coming together collectively as a team.

“This is really a team event, a national event, where we are going to put our best foot forward and show the world why we think it’s better in the Bahamas,” Dr Johnson pointed out. “So we want to let people know that Team Bahamas will be announced this Sunday at 3 pm. I want to ensure the public that our team will be ready to roll and we’re expecting some fireworks in that stadium.”

With the Bahamas Association of Athletic Associations completing its trials this weekend during the National High School Relays at the Thomas A Robinson Stadium just before the team is selected on Sunday, Keith Parker, the Executive Chairman of the Local Organising Committee of the World Relays, said he is waiting with keen interest on who will be selected to Team Bahamas.

“It’s great, just as it was announced that Usain Bolt is on the Jamaican team, this is a tremendous boost for us,” said Parker, who noted that the ticket sales for the event have increased considerably and that they should end up with a sold out two days with the Golden Knights also confirmed to compete.

“I’m sure everyone is waiting to hear about the Bahamian team. One of the things that impressed the IAAF was our spectators, how tremendous they were in supporting the other countries. They cheered loudly and went berserk for the Kenyan world records and so it would be nice to have more Bahamians.

“I don’t know what the teams will be, but I suspect that we will have more teams competing.” Parker, however, stressed that the participion of the Golden Knights will certainly have a tremendous impact on Team Bahamas.

Deadline for submission of the teram is Monday.