The Tribune

By Brent Stubbs

Senior Sports Reporter

bstubbs@tribunemedia.net

As the official chief executive officer of the Bahamas Association of Athletic Associations, Mabeline Miller has an awesome task of disseminating the information pertaining to the day-to-day operation of the sport in the country.

As the mother of one of the island nation’s elite athletes, Shaunae Miller-Uibo, and the husband of the president of the Track and Field Coaches Association, Shawn Miller, she finds herself in a very complex position. But the former two-time assistant secretary is quite content on getting the job done.

She’s overseeing the BAAA Senior Nationals, which is scheduled to be held at the Grand Bahama Sports Complex July 26-27.

“The decision to hold the Nationals in Grand Bahama was a decision that was made by the previous administration,” said Miller, who served then under president Rosamunde Carey.

“We decided to hold the Nationals in New Providence during the even years and in Grand Bahama during the odd years to help with their economy.”

Miller said they have gotten the support from the Ministry of Youth, Sports and Culture and so they decided to push the Nationals back from June to July so that they can better accommodate the athletes preparing for the IAAF World Championships, scheduled for September 28 to October 6 in Doha, Qatar.

Immediately following the two-day nationals, which will serve as the qualifier for athletes wishing to make Team Bahamas, Miller said there will be a one-day trial on Sunday, July 28, for relay teams wishing to make the trek to Doha as well.

“So far Botswana has written us to say that they are interested in coming and this was before we put out the actual invite,” she stated. “So they had to have heard it from somewhere and just tried to find out if we are doing anything so that they can come.”

Already, they have confirmed their participation with four relay teams, inclusive of the men’s and women’s 4 x 100 and 4 x 400m.

The Bahamas had a chance to at least qualify for the men’s 4 x 400m when the fourth edition of the IAAF World Relays was held in its new home in Yokohama, Japan.

However, the team didn’t get to run after Steven Gardiner had inflammation in his Achilles tendon and Teray Smith got injured in practice. By the time the BAAA tried to insert another member, the deadline had expired.

Neither of the men’s or women’s 4 x 100m competed in the relays, which were moved from the Bahamas after the first three took place here in 2014, 2015 and 2017.

The only other team that represented the Bahamas in Japan was the men’s 4 x 200m and they got disqualified in the final.

Miller said they will need at least three countries to compete in the relay event on July 28 in order for any country to qualify from the event.

“We have one and now we are sending the invite out for the other countries to confirm their attendance,” she said. “There is a possibility that we will have some more countries who will come down and participate.”

As for Team Bahamas’ trials, Miller said it’s anticipated that with the Nationals now being held in July, it will give the athletes sufficient time to get themselves ready to compete in their individual events and be rested to contest the relay tryouts as well.

“We have given the information out to the athletes and so we’re looking for them to come in and do their individual event and then to have sufficient time to rest up for the relays,” she said. “For the events that they want to do at the Worlds, it would be good if they can do them at the trials. We have one or two athletes who have qualified in two events, so it’s just a matter of what they will do at the trials to determine what they will do at the World Championships.”

Miller said they have sent out invites for the four relays as well as the mixed relays, which will be introduced to the World Championships for the first time in Qatar.

The mixed gender 4 x 400m relay was first held in a major event at the World Relays when it was last staged in the Bahamas in 2017. The team of Steven Gardiner, Shaunae Miller-Uibo, Anthonique Strachan and Michael Mathieu clinched the title.

The Bahamas, however, did not defend the title in Japan.

Having assumed the role of CEO in the reformation of the BAAA constitution during the last administration, led by Carey, Miller was reappointed to the position when Drumeco Archer took over as the new president.

Miller, who gets to peruse all documents coming into and going out of the BAAA office, said it has been a smooth transition.

“The constitution has certain stipulations as to what the CEO is responsible for. The CEO actually runs the federation, but I give the respect to the president,” she stated. “The president and I communicate on everything as best as we can to ensure that we push the federation forward. He doesn’t do anything without me knowing and I don’t do anything without him knowing. We try to keep the communication level flowing between the two of us.”

Dionne Barton from Grand Bahama serves as the assistant CEO and like the president, she is informed of everything in the event that Miller is not available.

The BAAA is still occupying the office space allocated in the original Thomas A Robinson Track and Field Stadium.

“The office has just been upgraded for the Primary School Track and Field Championships that was held over the weekend,” Miller said. “The ministry upgraded the facility, so it’s just a matter of us transforming it into an office setting to make it a little more official for our guests.”