The Tribune

By BRENT STUBBS

Senior Sports Reporter

bstubbs@tribunemedia.net

With an official three-member delegation, Minister of Youth, Sports and Culture Lanisha Rolle is off to the International Amateur Athletic Federation’s 17th World Championships in Doha, Qatar, to support the nine-member Bahamian track and field team.

“I believe it’s important in 2019 for the Ministry of Youth, Sports and Culture and the Government of the Bahamas to represent our country at the World Championships,” said Rolle on her departure yesterday from the Lynden Pindling International Airport.

“This is a very high level event and competition. It is respected worldwide. It represents unity among nations, so it’s very important for us to show that we are unified as a country and that we are unified with the world and to a great extent, sports is that unifier.

“We have some great athletes like Shaunae Miller-Uibo and like Steven Gardiner. They are going to do great. We know this. They have a record of greatness. So we, as a government, want to be there to support them.”

Although much debate has been ongoing about Rolle taking a larger delegation, while the Bahamas Association of Athletic Associations was denied the full $116,000 that they had expected to receive, Rolle confirmed that she is attending the championships that run from September 27 to October 6 with her director of sports, Timothy Munnings and national track coach Rupert Gardiner.

However, she declined to entertain any discussion about the $25,000 grant presented to the BAAA, which president Drumeco Archer claimed forced them to take out a loan to facilitate the trip to Doha.

The BAAA, with its executive team, management and nine athletes, are already in Doha. It’s not known exactly how many persons make up the BAAA delegation.

Rolle, who is accompanied by her husband and her aide, said as indicated in a press release last week, her aim is to ensure that Team Bahamas give it their very best and that they represent the Bahamas with their all.

“We hope that they are all winners,” she said. “But we want to ensure that we will be there with them all the way.”

As she did when she attended her maiden international trip at the IAAF World Relays in Yokohama, Japan in May, Rolle said she looks forward to interacting with Team Bahamas on her arrival in Doha.

“We’re here to work along and to make sure that sports remain relevant in the country and around the world as it relates to the Bahamas,” said Rolle, who calls this an historic year. “I’m just humble to be a part of history. You will never see 2019 again. This is the first and the last time that you will see the 2019 World Championships. So we’re looking forward to some great performances.

“There’s no pressure for us. They have done great things. Their record speaks for itself and we look for them to give it their best. That is all we could ask for. In the past, they have made us proud and I believe that they won’t do us any less.”

Based on their performances at the championships, Munnings confirmed that the Sports Policy calls for any athlete winning a gold medal to receive $40,000 cash, $30,000 for silver and $20,000 for a bronze medal. “We’re expecting to be paying out some incentive awards,” he said.

In addition to Team Bahamas’ performance, Rolle said she’s looking forward to a wonderful experience as the Bahamas demonstrates that it is a part of sports and it supports the Bahamian athletes moving forward.