The Tribune

By BRENT STUBBS

Senior Sports Reporter

bstubbs@tribunemedia.net

WHEN the XVIII Pan American Games is held in Lima, Peru from July 26 to August 11, there will be at least one Bahamian making a significant contribution to its success behind the scene.

Wellington Miller, the immediate past president of the Bahamas Olympic Committee, will be leaving town on Sunday to commence his duties as the organizer of six of the 39 sports offered to more than 6,000 athletes from the 41 members of the Pan American Sports Organization, including the United States, Canada, and Cuba.

As a member of the Technical Committee, Miller will have a direct responsibility to oversee the day-to-day operation of boxing, basketball, judo, softball, baseball, and cycling.

“It means a lot that a Bahamian is considered to be in charge of those six sports,” Miller said. “We also perform well on the field of play. Now we can do it sitting around the round table of sports in the boardroom.”

Expected to join Miller in working with their various sporting bodies are Freddie Brown, an international interrupter, in basketball and Mike Sands in track and field as the new president of the North American, Central American and Caribbean Athletic Confederation (NACAC).

At the last Pan Am Games in 2015 in Toronto, Canada, Miller was a member of the coordination committee, which was responsible for making sure that everything was in place before they turn it over to the Technical Committee that runs the games.

“With all of the sports going on, I will be focusing on the six that they gave me to run,” Miller pointed out. “I think it’s a great opportunity for the Bahamas and for myself to have someone to work directly with the Pan Am Games organization.

“Of course we will have Mike Sands there, working with track and field and Freddie Brown, who will be there to work with basketball. It’s good that we have three Bahamians playing crucial sports in the games. That is very important for the Bahamas.”

A part of his portfolio is to ensure that the six disciplines have everything that they need to function during the games, all of the officials are in place and whatever problem needs to be rectified is done so in a timely fashion.

“I’m very happy that I will be able to sit around the table and help to run a major sporting event like the 17th Pan American Games,” Miller stressed. “I look forward to working with everybody, especially the team coming from the Bahamas.”

The Bahamas will be represented in tennis, swimming, athletics, none of which will fall under Miller’s jurisdiction.

“I would have liked to have some Bahamian participate in one or two of the sports that I’m involved in,” Miller said. “But I’m excited that I will be in charge of these sports, even if the Bahamas is not participating in them.

“We have never had three Bahamians involved in the operations of the games before, so it’s still a history-making thing. The Bahamas should feel proud to have three Bahamians involved in the management of the games this year.”

Miller will begin his duties on Monday at 3 pm when he reports to the technical committee meeting.