The Tribune

By RENALDO DORSETT

Sports Reporter

rdorsett@tribunemedia.net

THE third National High School Championship for the academic year is set to be staged in Grand Bahama in joint partnership between various ministries and local governing bodies for track and field.

Hundreds of student athletes will take to the nation’s second city April 11-13 to participate in the meet to be hosted at the Grand Bahama Sports Complex.

The Grand Bahama Amateur Athletic Association (GBAAA) in conjunction with the Bahamas Amateur Athletic Association (BAAA), the Ministry of Youth, Sports and Culture and the Ministry of Education, Science and Technology is hosting the meet.

GBAAA President Iram Lewis said it is fitting for the nation’s top athletes to highlight their scholastic seasons at “track and field country.”

“Let me express my gratitude to the government for recognising the importance of the nationals in bringing it to the level it is expected to be at and for bringing it to Grand Bahama. Grand Bahama is known as track and field country and we endeavour to show the Bahamas and our partners why we are deserving of that name,” he said.

“We expect improvements to be made to the facilities and the compound to be outfitted with the necessary equipment and décor  in order to meet the appropriate requirements and produce proper atmosphere. Time is short so with that in mind we expect all of our key stakeholders to get onboard to ensure that we have a magnificent event.”

Lewis said the meet will be indicative of his administration’s theme “turning Grand Bahama around through sports.

“Grand Bahama welcomes the track and field community. We will certainly see more participation from Grand Bahama schools. We will see fan support because Grand Bahamians turn out in droves for sporting events, especially when it comes to our youth,” he said, “The energy we will generate will definitely make this an event to remember.”

Co-Chairman of the event’s Local Organising Committee, Roy Colebrooke, said the joint partnership between the various organisations would ensure the host island has a productive showing.

“We believe that we have assembled an LOC who can deliver one of the best games we have ever had in Grand Bahama. We believe that partnering the BAAA and GBAAA - all of our services, needs, competition venues will be up and running and  our logistics will be on time,” he said, “It is very important to us to ensure that we meet budget and we deliver the best games ever and we are set out to do just that.”

One of the country’s top junior sprinters, Devine Parker of  St. Anne’s School and Bahamas High Performance Athletics said she felt honoured to have the meet hosted in her hometown.

Parker has dominated the Under 18 girls 100m and 200m all season long and is expected to be one of the leaders of team Bahamas in medal contention at the upcoming CARIFTA Championships in Grenada.

“To have nationals in my hometown Grand Bahama is something to be proud of,” she said, “To be able to go there and compete amongst my competition through the Bahamas is a great feeling. To the people participating I wish you guys all the best to come out, do your best and make yourself proud.”

In 2015, the St Augustine’s College Big Red Machine won six of the divisional titles to finish with a total of 957.50 points. The Comets ended up with 813.50, while Grand Bahama’s Tabernacle Baptist Academy got 317.50 and Bishop Michael Eldon Warriors had 280.50. North Andros High turned out to be the big surprise, collecting 273.166 to hold off the CR Walker Knights, who had 243.

Minister of Youth Sports and Culture, Dr. Daniel Johnson said “nation building” is the larger goal of the meet and similar competitions.

“This is apart of our national development. This is not just a meet. This is a growth idea and if you do it properly you change the direction of the country. It will force us to fix these facilities. We have booked these events because it will force us to upgrade these facilities,” he said, “This years event will be held in our second city of Grand Bahama with a view of creating economic activities to the Grand Bahamian communities.

As for the travel logistics for the visiting teams, Dr. Johnson said: “The Ministry will be assisting as much as possible with facilitating the teams to be in Grand Bahama.”

Only qualified athletes will be invited to compete at the nationals to ensure that there is maximum representation from family island schools. An exemption will be allowed for five males and five female athletes who would not have achieved the qualification standard.

“Many of our athletics talent are not always located here in the capital,” Director of Sports Tim Munnings said, “We just want to give the best an opportunity to compete against the best no matter which island they hail from.”

Iconic sprinter Pauline Davis-Thompson, who also serves as first Vice President of the NACAC Region and councilwoman for the IAAF, offered her support behind the meet’s shift to Grand Bahama.

“Often Grand Bahama is left out of the picture and I am hoping this venture is something that continues. I am hoping Grans Bahama can host this every other year among other things, not just the High School nationals,” she said,  “At times we seem to forget the Bahamas is not just New Providence. I know the crowd is going to come out and I am excited for the young athletes for their opportunity to go out there and get it done.”