The Tribune

By BRENT STUBBS

FOR years, we have complained that our elite Bahamian athletes have not been treated fairly and there was and is the possibility that we could and would lose some of them to other countries.

We’ve reached that point where another of our talented athletes has migrated to another country. It was revealed that Women’s National Basketball Association forward/centre Jonquel Jones is now a citizen of Bosnia and Herzegovina.

While there has been no official communication to the effect, Jones reportedly made a request to the Bahamas Basketball Federation and was subsequently granted her release to compete for Bosnia and Herzegovina, a country on the Balkan Peninsula in southeastern Europe.

It seems like a simple transition and a process that all parties concerned didn’t have a problem agreeing to.

Jones, a native of Grand Bahama, is not the first high-profile athlete to retreat to another country and she probably won’t be the last based on the way we treat them when they have attained their stardom.

Bosnia has qualified to compete in the FIBA Women’s Eurobasket, scheduled for Serbia and Latvia June 27 to July 7, with a chance to advance to the 2020 Olympic Games in Toyko, Japan.

The Bahamas, having just competed in the Centrobasket in Manati, Puerto Rico where they finished fifth, is not in a position to qualify for the Olympics, at least not in 2020.

But further than that, it seems to be more of a financial consideration that tipped the scale in Jones taking her talent from the Bahamas to Bosnia as a player on the international scene. Could we end up seeing more players, or athletes for that matter, make that giant leap from our tiny shores to the bigger world in the United States or Europe?

Earlier this year, there was the claim that quarter-miler Steven Gardiner was contemplating changing his allegiance from the Bahamas to the United States after he applied for his green card.

Gardiner, a native of Abaco, was embattled with the Bahamas Association of Athletic Associations over an inquiry into why he refused to run in the heats of the men’s 4 x 400 metre relay at the IAAF World Championships last year in London, England.

The IAAF has since exonerated Gardiner and he’s now cleared to continue to compete without any hinderance. Could you imagine if he had abandoned the country and moved on?

A few years ago, promising Davis Cup tennis player Ryan Sweeting left the Bahamas and took advantage of his American citizenship. However, it didn’t pan out to any tremendous success as it would had he opted to stay with the Bahamas.

But for various reasons or the other, athletes find themselves in a dilemma where they are forced to make a decision and obviously there will be more of this discussion in the future.

As a country, we have to ensure that our athletes are treated fairly and they are properly compensated for their efforts in the sporting arena as they proudly carry the Bahamian flag across their chest.

No longer can we just sit back and say we “love our athletes” and their achievement but, on the other hand, we’re not showing them just how much we “value and appreciate” their accomplishments.

The Bahamas is only a small nation, but we have some great athletes and with the handful that are succeeding, we need to ensure that they are comfortable in this environment that we call home.

Farewell Zervos

It’s going to be hard to walk into The Tribune newspaper, especially after coming from a trip overseas to cover a sporting event and not hearing Tony Zervos calling me into the library to get a complete run down of what transpired. His last words in parting, each and every time we conversate about an international event, was always the same: “You should write a book about your experience.”

And each time he said it, I promised him that I would “dedicate it to him.” Now I have to fulfil my obligation.

Zervos, probably the oldest member of staff at age 81, passed away this week after a long illness. But he will be remembered for his gentle touch and dedication to the job.

I remember when I first met him, he made sure that I was aware that he was one of the first bowlers in the country to have rolled the historic 300 game. He produced the facts at the time to prove it. One of the other things that I remembered about this astute man is his witty sense of humour. He was very passionate and knowledgeable about any and every topic you discuss.