The Tribune

THE Bahamas Olympic Association’s (BOA) fourth and current president, Sir Arlington Butler, can be considered the country’s keeper of the Olympic flame. 

Throughout his tenure, which began in 1972, Sir Arlington has been active at many levels in the international Olympic organisation, working within the Bahamas and the region so that athletes with Olympic potential receive the benefit of good training as well as the best in training equipment and facilities. 

Sir Arlington looks back at the efforts of the founding members and acknowledges that through their belief in certain ideals the BOA was formed 50 years ago. “The eight founding members were Sir Durward Knowles, Sir Gerald Cash, A F Adderley, James Robertson, Godfrey Higgs, Chris Brown, Eustace Myers and Jamaican Sir Herbert McDonald. Eustace Myers was the catalyst who brought about this entire concept,” he said.

“At the time, Jamaica had an Olympic association and Myers had a relationship with Sir Herbert McDonald, of Jamaica. They were able to get things in motion. Myers was an officer and a good contributor to the Olympic movement. To him we owe a debt of gratitude.” 

Sir George Roberts served as the Association’s first president, beginning in 1952.

Sir Arlington also reflects on the growth the BOA (now Bahamas Olympic Committee) has achieved over the past 50 years. He has high hopes for its future achievements and its continued involvement in the development of Bahamian society. He recalls a moment that launched the desire to further develop the Association. 

“The first time we competed under the auspices of the Bahamas Olympic Association was in 1952 in Helsinki, in sailing,” he said. “Mr Eustace Myers was the chef de mission in charge of the team. The team included Sir Durward Knowles, Sloane Farrington, Kenneth Albury, Godfrey Higgs, Basil Kelly and Basil McKinney.” It was at these Games that Sir Durward Knowles and Sloane Farrington won the country’s first bronze medal in the Star Class sailing event.

“So here it is, we started out as a small organisation with one competitive sport – yachting. Now we have world-class athletes in the disciplines of tennis, basketball, swimming, softball, boxing, athletics and sailing. Imagine having track people that are recognised and are household names around the world. To have been the only country in the world with four female athletes that ran under 11 seconds in 2000. These accomplishments can only be attributable to association coaches, parents and support structures, and the athletes’ sacrifices over the years that contribute to these kinds of results.”

The BOA is responsible for funding athletes’ travel not only to the Olympics but also to the Central American and Caribbean Games, the Pan American Games and the Commonwealth Games. Sir Arlington has acknowledged that the Association has received invaluable support from the government, local businesses and the generosity of private citizens from the beginning such as Mr Myers, Sir Durward and Alexis Nihon. Well known attorney and politician, Paul Adderley, served for many years as secretary to the association. 

Sir Gerald Cash also gave generously of his time and finances, serving for many years as the Association’s Vice President under the first president. After his presidency, Dr Norman Gay was a key member of the executive, feeling that it would have been unfair to have deprived the Association of his expertise.

A successful funding drive to finance the 2000 Olympics was spearheaded by Wendall Jones, Al Jared and Franklyn Wilson. “I am proud to say that the Bahamas has been represented at every major Games since 1975,” Sir Arlington said.

In addition, the local Association sees to it that coaches and other support staff receive continuous training. “We feel proud of what we have done for the benefit of sports in this area - in arranging high level courses and ensuring the upkeep of government athletic facilities. We intend to continue to do this.”

The Association is also proud of its facilitation of athletic subventions, sponsored in part by the International Olympic Committee. “We try to have in hand sufficient funds to send a team in advance, so that we never disappoint an athlete. This commitment is supported by the fact that the International Olympic Committee also funds six athletes from each participating country for each Games.

“We have been fortunate to have government grants, the benefit of our savings and the donations from private citizens. In the early days some committee members took out mortgages to fund some of our teams. This speaks to the level of commitment on the part of some of our Association members. Fortunately at present we are in the black. The people who are there are committed because they belive they can help the development of the country.

“We had an unfortunate incident in 1966, on the way to Puerto Rico. A basketball team was selected and promised the opportunity to travel. They were at the airport and were unable to travel because of lack of funds. I promised myself at that time, along with other committee members, that we’d never let that happen to another team. We worked until we got ourselves into the black and on sound financial footing. I have the kind of determination that I would go door-to-door to raise money if it came to that. The athlete must never be concerned about whether or not he’s going. Once he qualifies to compete, he ought to be able to go.” 

Sir Arlington says that, for him, the Olympics have been a source of several unforgettable moments. 

“The 1996 Olympics in Atlanta was notable simply because no one expected the Bahamas to emerge with the silver medal in the (women’s 4 x 100m) relay event.”

He was also present in Sydney when the legendary ‘Golden Girls’ made history. He remembers that there were so many leaders of the sports world expecting to see the Americans beat the small countries. For him this victory was a special moment. “When we heard the anthem played and saw the flag floating over the stadium, that was a fantastic experience. These athletes have brought the country a lot of glory.”

As the BOA marks this 50-year milestone in its growth, Sir Arlington sees the Association establishing more programmes and assisting in the building of better athletic facilities in the Family Islands.

“I don’t believe people should rely entirely on the government for this. They can only do so much financially. So the financing must come from the community, and from the individuals who are involved.” He urges all Bahamians to remember the purpose of the Olympic Games. “The concept of the Olympic movement is, after all for the benefit and glorification of sports.”

• The Tribune is following Team Bahamas in the build up to the Olympic Games in Rio de Janeiro and will be reporting from Brazil this summer. The ‘242 on the Road to Rio series’ will appear every Monday and Thursday.