The Tribune

By BRENT STUBBS

Senior Sports Reporter

bstubbs@tribunemedia.net

ONCE again Leevan ‘Superman’ Sands is looking forward to coming home and putting on a show for the Bahamian public at the Bahamas Association of Athletic Associations’ National Open Track and Field Championships this weekend.

Once he’s finished competing on Saturday night at the Thomas A. Robinson Stadium, Sands will head to Pompey Square where he will join his cousin entertainer Brandon ‘Sosa Man’ Major in the Summer Explosion II, starting at 9 pm.

It’s an effort for Major, who will also be celebrating his birthday, to continue to add to the documentary he’s producing entitled: “Road to Greatness” on the return of Sands as he recovers from his near career-ending injury at the 2012 Olympic Games in London, England.

“It’s just a way to bring sports and fun together and show the lighter side of Leevan ‘Superman’ Sands that not everybody get to see,” said Sands, who competed for the first time last year since undergoing surgery to repair his right jumping knee while in London at the Olympics.

Ticket prices start at $10 and the patrons will get a chance to interact with Sands and a number of the Bahamian and international athletes who will be competing in the Nationals.

Major, the executive producer of the documentary, said they have assembled some of the top artists to perform during the celebrations on Saturday night.

“The artists who will be performing are all young artists coming up,” Major said. “It’s really a celebration for Leevan Sands on his Road to Rio and it’s also my birthday, so we are looking forward to doing it again.

“The first one was a real success. We had about 6-700 people in attendance. We started out in the balcony, but we had to move it down to Pompey Square to accommodate everyone. So we are just going to set it up there one time.”

Major said the cocktail event will have tight security for those persons who may be concerned about their safety. He’s encouraged everybody to come out just to show their support for Sands, who will turn 35 on August 16 while he’s competing at the Olympics.

“I wasn’t there when he got injured, but I saw the tape of it and I’ve there ever since with his recovery” Major said. “He has adjusted very well coming back from the injury and so I just want to make sure that we can produce this documentary to show the world that he did it.”

With the “Road to Rio” as the theme for the weekend for the BAAA, Major said they want to ensure that the patrons can also assist Sands in the documentary that outlines the odds that he has gone in his comeback.

Sands, who exploded back on the scene last year to get on the podium with a silver medal at the Pan American Games in Toronto, Canada and becoming a finalist at the IAAF World Championships in Beijing, China, said part proceeds from the event will go to assisting an injured athlete to be treated by his doctor, Hank Sloan, who has helped him in his recovery progress in Atlanta, Georgia.

Major, on the other hands, said he will also be assisting a young Bahamian girl, who is developed a rare blood disorder and is seeking financial assistance to help her cover her medical expenses.