The Tribune

By BRENT STUBBS

bstubbs@tribunemedia.net

IT’S not how you start, nor how you get there. Most importantly, it’s how you finish.

• The Finish Line, a weekly column, seeks to comment on the state of affairs in the local sports scene, highlighting the highs and the lows, the thrills and the spills and the successes and failures.

AFTER taking a couple weeks off to relax, it’s good to be back from vacation. But I’ve noticed that it’s still sports as usual. Nothing changed. Still the package includes a little bit of everything, including some controversy. After all, that is what sports is all about in the Bahamas.

THE WEEK

THAT WAS

Everywhere you go, people are talking about the Bahamas Association of Athletic Associations’ election of officers, scheduled for next Saturday during their annual general meeting that will take place in the conference room of the Ministry of Youth, Sports and Culture.

For the first time, a female will be running for the top post of president as former treasurer Rosamaude Carey goes up against incumbent Mike Sands. Over the last few weeks, both candidates have introduced their slate of officers, who will be contesting the various positions.

Today, we take a look at the candidates and let you decide in a poll before the elections, who you think will win. You can submit your answers to bstubbs@tribunemedia.net by Wednesday and we will publish the results in the next edition of this column on Friday.

The one problem that I have with elections like these are the fact that once the president is elected, it’s more a domino effect with just everybody on their slate being elected after the other side normally abstains from any other position. Let’s hope that is not the case in this election because I feel there are some competent persons on both sides who can make a valuable contribution.

As it stands now, Sands will be seeking another three-year term under the banner of “One BAAA.” He will be challenged by Rosamunde Carey with her “United Purpose” slate.

One BAAA vs United

Purpose

President

Mike Sands (One BAAA) vs Rosamunde Carey (United Purpose)

Sands has been there and done it as an athlete and administrator, including public relations and president. I haven’t heard that he dabbled into any coaching, but I’m sure he will be quick to clarify that position. His opponent too has proven her abilities, first joining the association as a council member and eventually to treasurer.

While Sands has the advantage, having competed as an athlete in the Pan Am, Central American and Caribbean, Commonwealth and Olympic Games, both have given to the sport by getting their children involved.

First Vice President

Curt Hollingsworth (One BAAA) vs Tonique Williams (United Purpose)

Hollingsworth, who made an impact in Grand Bahama before he came to Nassau to take up his vice principal position at St Anne’s High School, was a former council member of the GBAAA and president of the GBSSAA. He also served as a vice president and the interim president of the BAAA.

In Williams, he will be faced with an acclaimed international superstar who became the first Bahamian to win the Olympic women’s 400m in Athens, Greece in 2004 and the World Championship title in 2005 in Helsinki, Finland. The national record holder has served in the past administration as the public relations officer before stepping down. That role has helped to groom her to work in that area of the first two editions of the IAAF World Relays.

Second Vice President

Norris Bain (One BAAA) vs Troy McIntosh (United Purpose)

Nobody can argue about Bain’s exploits on the basketball court, having won six Hugh Campbell Basketball Championship titles as coach of the Tabernacle Baptist Falcons. He has served as a council member of the GBAAA and has worked on a number of projects out of Grand Bahama.

McIntosh, one of the top two international athletes out of Abaco, has excelled up the ranks as the first Bahamian to crack the 45-second barrier, eventually producing a personal best of 44.73 seconds in the men’s 400m. He has ran on numerous 4 x 400m relay teams, including the squad that captured the bronze medal at the 2000 Olympics in Sydney, Australia. He is making his introduction to the executive level of the BAAA.

Drumeco Archer (One BAAA) vs Carl Oliver (United Purpose)

Having seen him in and around the sport over the past few years, one would have thought that Archer was an executive of the BAAA. But the former junior track star has done sufficient work behind the scenes on the legal side and in public at various meets to assume that he was doing what he was elected to do.

Oliver, who can pride himself on being the greatest athlete to come out of Andros, has held the position of general secretary, a role he took on after he completed his competitive career. In addition to his front office contribution, Oliver has helped the men’s 4 x 400m relay team win the gold at the World Championships in Edmonton in 2001, the bronze in 2003 in Paris, France, the Commonwealth Games’ bronze in Manchester, England in 2002 and the Olympic Games bronze in 2000 in Sydney, Australia.

Assistant General Secretary

Stephenie Rahming-Taylor (One BAAA), Mabeline Miller (United Purpose)

She has had an extensive sting in the BAAA, serving for a number of years as a member of the Bahamas Assocision of Certified Officials (BACO). But while Rahming-Taylor has also served as a council member, she has helped to develop programmes extensively on just about every island that she has been posted as a Family Island administrator.

Miller, on the other hand, has worked as the assistant secretary general of the BAAA, a position she will be seeking to fill once again. To add to her claim of fame, she is the wife of coach Shawn Miller and the mother of rising international star Shaunae Miller, the reigning IAAF World Championship women’s 400m silver medallist. She has also travelled on a number of national teams as a team official.

Philippa Arnett-Willie (One BAAA) vs Sharon Gardiner (United Purpose)

As a former sprinter, Arnett-Willie has represented the Bahamas at the CARIFTA, CAC, World Championships and the Olympics. She is the incumbent treasurer, who sat in office during a turbulent period when the BAAA had to send more international teams off to compete. Gardiner, although a virtually unknown figure to the national level, has served as an executive of one of the track clubs.

Assistant Treasurer

Laketah Charlton (One BAAA) vs Mildred Adderley (United Purpose)

Charlton has spent a great deal of her time as a member of BACO and has also served as a member of the management team of the CAC Jr Championships in 2014.

Adderley, a parent of three talented young men, has been one of the driving forces behind the Roadrunners Track Club. In fact, she was just honoured on Saturday night during their 26th Annual Gala Awards Banquet for her tremendous contribution to the club.

Public Relations

Bianca Bethel-Swayer (One BAAA) vs Phillip Grey (United Purpose)

As a freelance writer, Bethel-Sawyer goes into the election having wet her feet as the senior director of communications for the second IAAF World Relays. However, she is a newcomer to the executive board of the BAAA. She brings a savvy for social networks that is going to be vital to the sport.

Grey, likewise, is also a novice to the BAAA executive level, but the club executive has demonstrated the charisma and articulation that is needed to disseminate the information for the sport.

Special Projects

Anya Dorsett (Nassau) and Wayne Smith (Family Islands)

One BAAA vs Dexter Bodie (Nassau) and Sandra Laing (Grand Bahama) - United Purpose

These are two positions that could easily be filled by any members of both slates because all four individuals have been around the sport long enough to make an impact.

Statistician

Rupert Gardiner (United Purpose) vs Tyrone Burrows (Independent)

Gardiner, a former distance runner, has served as a national coach on numerous teams, including working as the coordinator for the Golden Girls 4 x 100m relay team after he helped the CC Sweeting Cobras to shine during their heyday as a government school powerhouse. Burrows has played an intergal role as a national coach and has been an asset as well as the statistician in the past. So this could be one of the critical positions during the elections.

Technical Director

Frank ‘Pancho’ Rahming (One United)

He currently stands alone and based on the time and energy that Rahming has put into the role over the years, it’s no surprise that there are no challengers. Rahming has certainly made his presence felt in providing the necessary data that has made the BAAA a vibrant sporting body over the years.

The elections are just about a week away and so it will be interesting to see who emerges as the president and whether or not their entire slate is selected, or will there be a mixture of the persons vying for the various positions. Only time will tell.

Congrats Teddy

Sweeting

While the BAAA gears up for its elections, the Bahamas Baseball Federation completed their process over the weekend with Teddy Sweeting moving up from the post of secretary general to take over as president from Craig ‘Salty’ Kemp, who opted not to seek another term in office.