The Tribune

By ALEXANDER HAWKINS

TOP young Bahamian sailor Paul De Souza is setting his sights on the 2020 Olympic Games in Japan after winning his fifth consecutive Junior Laser Nationals win earlier this month.

De Souza, 17, told The Tribune that he aspires to represent his country in Tokyo as the Bahamas have not won an Olympic medal in sailing “in a while” and he has set himself the challenge of ending this drought.

He expects the likes of Cochise Burrows and Spencer Cartwright to challenge for Olympic qualification along with him, but De Souza said that he would compete as a “one man team” if necessary.

Tokyo holds a special place in the hearts of Bahamians as the country’s first Olympic gold medal was won there in 1964 by Sir Durward Knowles and Cecil Cooke in the Star class. The Bahamas have twice won medals in sailing at the Games, with Sir Durward and Sloan Farrington taking bronze in 1956 in Melbourne, Australia. The last Bahamian sailors to compete at the Olympics were Steven Kelly and William Holowesko in 1992 in Barcelona, Spain.

De Souza has experience of international competitions. He had a “tough regatta” in the Youth World Championships in Malaysia in 2015, finishing 42nd in a fleet of 63 competitors having in the same competition in Canada the previous year finished an impressive 14th against over 100 other competitors. De Souza’s other sailing achievements include being the flag carrier for the Bahamas at the 2014 Youth Olympics in Nanjing, China, as well as being the reigning Laser Junior and Senior Champion of the Bahamas.

A student at St Andrews International School, De Souza told The Tribune that despite his sailing aspirations he “tends to put school work first”. He has missed two Bahamian sailing competitions this year due to clashes first with his SATs and then his BGCSE exams. Although undecided, it is likely that he will attempt to continue his education in Business studies at a college with a strong sailing programme in the United States such as Charleston.

He praised the Bahamas Sailing Association for its “good youth programme”, which provides opportunities for government and private school students. He said that sailing had allowed him to become friends with individuals who he would never have met otherwise. However, De Souza accepts that sailing is a “very expensive sport” and has called for an increase in sponsorship for young sailors who cannot afford to go to international regattas.

He said that the support from his family was critical to his sailing success so far. “Specific coaching pointers” from his father as well as his whole family accompanying him to international competitions have given him the confidence to set his sights on Tokyo 2020.