The Tribune

By BRENT STUBBS

Senior Sports Reporter

bstubbs@tribunemedia.net

FOR the 10th consecutive year, the Ambassadors Track Club will honour their president and head coach Fritz Grant in their annual Fritz Grant Invitational at the original Thomas A Robinson Track and Field Stadium on Saturday.

The event is slated to begin at 10am and will honour mothers on the eve of Mother’s Day. “We are still working on the sponsorship for this one, so the club is putting this one,” Grant said. “We are looking to make it a family affair so we are inviting the mothers, grandmothers and aunties to come out and support the event.

“We are having competition from all of the age groups to the open division, so we want the family members to come out and support their athletes.”

With the Bahamas Association of Athletic Associations’ North American and Central American and Caribbean (NACAC) Youth national team selected over the weekend, Grant said they are looking to see them in action as well as those athletes wishing to make the other national teams, including the IAAF World Youth Championships and the IAAF World Championships.

Quarter-milers Ramon Miller and RaShan Brown, who is based in Atlanta, Georgia, are expected to lead the list of senior competitors lined up to compete in the meet.

“We are looking to have all of the local clubs participating because we know that most of the elite athletes are on the circuit and the collegiate athletes are competing in their college meets,” Grant said.

“We are still looking for it to be a high calibre event. We are looking for some outstanding performances from the clubs participating. So we want to put on a very good show for the fans when they come out.’

The meet should serve as a prelude to the BAAA Junior Nationals, scheduled for the weekend of June 16-17 and the Senior Nationals, set for June 23-24 at the Grand Bahama Sports Complex.

For Grant, he’s excited about the fact that the Ambassador’s Track Club, one of the oldest clubs in the BAAA, is continuing to honour him in the manner that they are doing.

“It’s just about giving back. You develop the skills of the athletes from one year to the next and you try to put the team together to compete,” Grant said.

“It’s a blessing. I look at it as a blessing. I get to contribute to the development of the Bahamas and being able to give the young athletes the opportunity to develop their skills.”

Grant, who has worked diligently with Desmond Bannister and Fritz Grant in the club before he took over, said he’s encouraged when he sees the development of the athletes as they improve.

“This is where we get to see the development of the athletes,” Grant said. “Being able to develop their skills through the support of their families and friends, they give you that drive.

“With the opportunities of gaining scholarships, it’s unlimited. With the success that the club has had over the years, it’s something good. I just want to encourage the public to come out and see some high level of competition from the youth to the elite athletes.”

Grant said they anticipate that the competition will be fierce with all of the clubs expected to participate. The action will begin with the 4 x 100m metre relays and end with the 4 x 400m relays.

The Ambassador’s Track Club, with about 30-40 members on their roster, are looking forward to making their presence felt. “It’s a blessing. It’s an opportunity to share. It’s a whole lot of things to do in developing these young athletes,” Grant said.