The Tribune

By RENALDO DORSETT

Sports Reporter

rdorsett@tribunemedia.net

Another new target date has been set for the much maligned National Sports Academy Programme.

Minister of Youth, Sports and Culture Dr Daniel Johnson said the venture will come to fruition this fall with the launch of its first two locations  - at The College of the Bahamas in November and on Moore’s Island in December.

Speaking at the ceremony of recognition for Team Bahamas’ performance at the Rio 2016 Olympics, Dr Johnson outlined his ministry’s preparation ahead of the launch.

“I just came from Abaco, where we have started a track in Cooper’s Town. We are laying a major facility in Central Abaco, Marsh Harbour and putting down a small track in Sandy Point. The highlight is that Moore’s Island will get the first national sports academy that will be open in December of this year. It will come with dormitories, track, soccer pitches, sports science, sports medicine, new coaches all on Moore’s Island in the Abacos in this year,” he said. “You will also hear on November 10 of this year that we are going to open up the National Sports Academy at the University/College of the Bahamas. I want to pre-empt our young athletes  whose career is just about to boom. I’m going to recruit people like Pauline [Davis-Thompson], Chris [Brown] and Debbie [Ferguson-McKenzie]  to come to the sports academy, but our young athletes will be the beneficiaries of a real national sports programme.”

 In July, Dr Johnson announced he will not seek re-election for the Carmichael constituency but boasted of his ministry’s development during his tenure.

“No one, no institution, no ministry and no minster has done more for the development of sports than this little ministry and this little minster. We have pulled 17 international events over the last three years, all have come in on time and under budget and we have five more to go,” he said. “I heard them say I’m retiring, I didn’t say I’m retiring, but you’ll find out.”

In March, Dr Johnson outlined the impact of the NSA Programme and anticipated its launch would be in September.

A group, including Director of Sports Tim Munnings, Rupert Gardiner, Kim Rolle from the University/College of the Bahamas and others toured facilities and observed practices from others around the region in preparation for the NSA.

“This will be a way to get our athletes to stay home and train. We push out about $1 million for our athletes abroad and we can put that into our athletes training here at home.”

He added in the House of Assembly: “The gap we have after high school is also an academic issue. The first NSA location will be at COB because many students will be taking college prep courses and other things to further their education as they train.”

Dr Johnson said the “master plan” of the ministry will see the expansion shift from COB to the Family Islands.

The country has been awarded the honour as hosts of the 2017 Commonwealth Youth Games and Dr Johnson said it is an opportunity to force the improvement of infrastructure in the family islands to coincide with the NSA programme.

“We have identified the spaces on five islands that we will develop - Grand Bahama, Eleuthera, Abaco, and Exuma. The master plan is in place, the land has been secured,” he said.

 “The Bahamas Youth Games is coming next summer.  These islands will have similar facilities, equipment coaching and finally management.

 “The Bahamas Youth Games will be an opportunity for us to test our abilities as hosts and give our athletes an opportunity to compete at a high level and qualify for those teams. We know that even with this present economy this ministry is moving along making things happen.”

 Since he has come into office as minister in May 2012, the National Sports Academy has often been a talking point for Dr Johnson and an integral part of his platform.

 In May 2013, Prime Minister Perry Christie announced that his administration “will begin the process to invest some $10 million in the construction” of multi-purpose sporting facilities in the family islands similar to those in New Providence and Grand Bahama, giving young athletes in those islands more opportunities to develop in competitive sports.

 The formation of the National Sports Academies have also been at the focal point of each budget debate following the success of the “Golden Knights” at the London 2012 Olympic Games.