The Tribune

By BRENT STUBBS

Senior Sports Reporter

bstubbs@tribunemedia.net

THE National Sports Secretariat, jointly headed by the Ministers of Education, Science and Technology and Youth, Sports and Culture, is broadening their base to include more National Sports Championships this year for High School Sports.

The National Sports Secretariat, formed in 2015, will be hosting a series of National Championships for the third consecutive year. But according to Evon Wisdom, the Sports Unit Director for the Ministry of Education, they have extended the programme to now include bowling and equestrian with judo, fencing and flag football to eventually be added to the schedule.

“Every year we try to do something outstanding and last year was no different with the inaugural National High School Basketball Championships,” Wisdom said. “We felt that event was able to highlight the young men, in particular, playing basketball.

“We had the collaboration of Nike bringing their High School Developmental League here to the Bahamas. We believe it is because of the alliance that we now have with the Bahamas Basketball Federation and we are thankful to the president and all of the vice presidents and we are hoping that we will be able to support them through super gate attendance this year.”

While Wisdom said as the Sports Unit Director for New Providence, Norris Bain has been elevated to that position in Grand Bahama.

Bain served as the past principal and basketball coach at the Tabernacle Baptist Academy. Sherwin Major has moved from Eleuthera to replace Bain.

In another move of coaches in Grand Bahama, Daniel Pratt has left North Andros High and will now be stationed at the Eight Mile Rock High.

Here in New Providence, there were a few changes with Kenny Moxey being elevated to senior master at TA Thompson. Kendal Campbell will replace Moxey in a move from LW Young.  Also, Theodore Hanna has moved from Cleveland Eneas Primary to Government High, Torsheka Cox has also moved from Sadie Curtis Primary to CI Gibson and David Ferguson goes from Government High to RM Bailey.

Over the course of the new school year, Wisdom said there will be a number of National High School Championships, which include the following:

• National High School Softball Championships for girls and boys in October in Eleuthera, chaired by the Ministry of Youth, Sports and Culture.

• National High School Volleyball Championships for boys and girls in November in Grand Bahama, chaired by the Ministry of Education.

• National High School Cross Country Championships for boys and girls in November, chaired by the Ministry of Youth, Sports and Culture.

• National High School Basketball Championships for boys and girls in March in New Providence, chaired by the Ministry of Education.

• National High School Track and Field Championships in March in New Providence, chaired by the Ministry of Youth, Sports and Culture.

• National High School Sailing Championships, dates to be announced in Exuma, chaired by the Ministry of Agriculture.

• National High School Soccer Championships in May in New Providence, hosted by the Ministry of Education.

• National High School Baseball Championships in May in Grand Bahama, chaired by the Ministry of Education.

The new initiatives to be included this year are as follows:

• National High School Bowling League, held in conjunction with Mario’s Bowling and Family Entertainment Center from September to November. Each team will comprise of ten bowlers and will bowl two games per week and will play each other at least twice. Interested schools are urged to contact Leslia Miller-Brice at 326-8012 for more details.

• National High School Equestrian Championships in New Providence for St Andrew’s, Lyford Cay, Windsor Academy, Queen’s College, St Augustine’s College, Tamberley School, The Home School Association and a team from Grand Bahama.

A series of three events will take place. The first test event will be held on Saturday, December 3 at the Mariposa Stables Riding Club and the second on Saturday, February 11 at Camperdown Equestrian Center and the championship will be held on Saturday, April 29 at Camperdown Equestrian Center.

• Judo, under the auspices of the Bahamas Judo Federation, and Fencing, under the auspices of the Bahamas Fencing Association, will be introduced. More details is expected to be released on both events.

There are also proposals for the following:

• Flag football for high school boys will be held either on Friday nights or Saturday mornings and will be held in conjunction with the Commonwealth American Football League.

•  Negotiations are currently going on with Under Armor and Nike to provide sporting gear and equipment for the high school players to utilize during their games.

• Efforts are also being made for the acquisition of a broadcast partner to broadcast all of the events.

• Negotiations are also in place to secure a venue hotel in both New Providence and Grand Bahama for all of the visiting athletes to stay when they travel to the various islands to compete.

• Although Bahamasair has served as the vehicle that has primarily transported the student-athletes over the past two years, Wisdom said they are trying to renegotiate a deal that will make them the permanent National Airline Carrier.

Wisdom reveled that the National Sports Secretariat will appoint a chairperson to deal with each national championships and they will be responsible for forming a committee that will include the president or a senior representative from the core sporting bodies, ie, the Government Secondary Schools Sports Association and the Bahamas Association of Independent Secondary Schools.

Also on the committee will be the presidents or vice presidents of the various sporting leagues, associations or federation, such as the Bahamas Association of Athletic Associations, the Bahamas Basketball Federation and the Bahamas Football Association.

“What we will have is the presidents or vice presidents working together at the national level to ensure that the events are successful,” Wisdom stressed.

“We are not using the model of Jamaica. We are using the model of the United States where you have state associations, which are normally funded by the Federation Government or the board of Education in those states.”

Similar to what is done in the United States where they have their state championships, Wisdom said the Bahamas would host their national championships in the various sports.