The Tribune

By BRENT STUBBS

bstubbs@tribunemedia.net

WHILE interviewing coach Rupert Gardiner on Silver Lightning’s second annual William ‘Knucklehead’ Johnson Cross Country Championships that was held over the weekend, something came across my mind.

I asked Gardiner if he remembered who won the battle between himself and Johnson when they both competed in the distance races for CC Sweeting and AF Adderley High Schools respectively. He couldn’t answer.

What he did remember was that Johnson was clearly the better competitor on the track, still holding the Bahamas national record in the men’s 1,500 metres. Gardiner, however, felt he got the better of the two on the road, having secured a number of titles, including the Model Bakery Mile.

If there’s one thing to note, they both held their own for their respective schools.

That brings me to my observation.

Have you ever visited the offices of our local high schools and noticed the amount of trophies they have on display from winning various sporting competitions? In most cases, they are just placed there and no credit is given to the athletes who would have secured them.

How many schools have kept records of the accomplishments of their athletes and teams? This could be a good project for a department to undertake to produce the list, even if it’s just for records sake.

By the same token, how many schools have instituted their own Hall of Fame or awards recognition banner. This is another project that could be developed with the view of creating a Wall of Fame for those current students to remember the accomplishments of those student-athletes who would have paved the way.

I remember one year that Gardiner, then a physical education teacher at CC Sweeting, hosted their inaugural Hall of Fame. At the time, the event heightened the spirit of the performing athletes and even the student body.

They didn’t produce another one and not too many local schools have followed in putting together such an elaborate event until now with the Alumni Association of St Augustine’s College getting set to host their first Lighthouse Awards and Gala on November 24 at the British Colonial Hilton.

A number of persons will be honoured.

Among them are Shaunae Miller-Uibo as the rising star, Alpheus ‘Hawk’ Finlayson as the spotlight athlete, Oscar Francis, posthumously for sports, Maryann Higgs-Clarke for one of the alumni achievement awards, Eugene ‘Geno’ Nairn for the lifetime award and the Cargill Family for the legacy award.

So many times, especially on the various social media networks, there is so much dialogue about who were and are the greatest athletes in the country, but there is nothing to document it.

Efforts like these could produce a start because at least the schools that the majority of our athletes would have excelled at before they went on to prominent international success would have some information in their database.

We’ve seen and heard about a number of our athletes being celebrated by their various high schools and colleges/universities in the United States.

Arnold Bain Jr, a stellar track and field athlete turned basketball administrator, is the latest as he will go into the 2018 Class of the Howard University Hall of Fame in November too. In most cases, we brush aside the achievements of our athletes, only celebrating them in the moment.

But could you imagine the level of achievement we can accomplish if most of our athletes are recognised for their feats.

World Junior Judo

Championships

The Bahamas Judo Federation, led by D’Arcy Rahming Sr, should be commended for the stellar manner in which the International Judo Federation’s World Junior Judo Championships is progressing at the Atlantis resort on Paradise Island.

Rahming Sr said it took a lot of faith and a lot of integrity to have been able to pull off the event that will continue through Sunday.

It’s not one of our traditional sports, so it was so encouraging to see the sport taking the spotlight at the global level with more than 500 judokas from over 70 countries here competing.

Obviously, the competition is at another level for the Bahamian competitors, but by hosting the event, they are getting the exposure to the point where the federation can get the recognition that it deserves in changing the mindset and the landscape of sports in the country.

Too many times, we feel that sports in the country is only geared towards the traditional sports like basketball, softball, volleyball, swimming and track and field.

But this is certainly a breakthrough for judo and as such, they should be commended for the effort.

The medals may not come here at home, but moving forward, this should inspire the competitors and those coming behind them to take their training to another level for future international competitions, whether here or abroad.

One thing is for certain, the Atlantis resort has turned out to be a fabulous venue for the championships. Visitors have given the facilities high marks as it provides a complete package with hotel accommodations and both training and competition at the same venue.