The Tribune

By BRENT STUBBS

Senior Sports Reporter

bstubbs@tribunemedia.net

CALLING it a “Christmas gift,” Bahamas Association of Athletic Associations’ president Drumeco Archer gladly accepted the wrapped package of the North American, Central American and Caribbean Championship title they received from the eight-member team that competed in Nicaragua over the weekend.

Archer and the BAAA executives, along with NACAC president Mike Sands and Timothy Munnings, representing the Ministry of Youth, Sports and Culture, hosted a welcome reception for Team Bahamas at the Sapodilla Restaurant on West Bay Street.

Among the athletes present were Keely Deveaux, the silver medallist in the under-13 girls’ pentathlon, Jamiah Nabbie, the bronze medallist in the under-15 girls’ heptathlon, Demian Brice, fourth in the under-15 boys’ heptathlon and Kamron Henfield and Jonathon Higgs, who were fourth and eighth respectively in the under- 13 boys’ pentathlon.

Simultaneously, a celebration was held in Grand Bahama for the remainder of the team. Kenny Moxey Jr, the bronze medallist in the under-15 boys’ heptathlon, joined Grand Bahamian native Keyezra Thomas, the gold medallist in the under-13 girls’ pentathlon and Phebe Thompson, who was fourth in the under-15 girls’ heptathlon.

Clarita Hall, who assumed the manager’s job after Neko Demeritte was unable to travel, is also from Grand Bahama. She was assisted by Kenny Moxey Sr, Kenrid Munroe and Holly Riley- Woodside from Andros.

Team Bahamas accumulated a total of 26,787 points to win the overall title over seven other countries.

Their nearest rivals were host Nicaragua with 25,125. Costa Rica finished third with 25,097.

“This is a Christmas present for all of us, an early Christmas present,” Archer said as he congratulated the team. “I don’t know if there is any country in the world that can be compared to the Bahamas.”

Archer said Team Bahamas’ performances was just an indication of what the Bahamas has to offer and he’s looking forward to these athletes continuing to make the national teams in the future as they carry on the legacy that has been created over the years.

In his capacity as the NACAC president, Sands said the people in Nicaragua treated Team Bahamas with first class once they arrived after undergoing a huge challenge in flying out of Miami, Florida. He said the people were astonished and even intimidated by the size of the Bahamian athletes, including Moxey Jr, who stood taller than he was and was only 14.

And although he told them that he couldn’t openly cheer for them in his role at the championships, he was able to encourage them to put their best foot forward when he met with them during a practice session.

He too said he was extremely proud, especially as the NACAC president of their accomplishments.

Munnings, who spoke on behalf of Minister of Sports, Mario Bowleg, who was unable to attend as he was in a Cabinet meeting, said Team Bahamas’ performance speaks volumes for the success that stemmed from past national teams. “Who doesn’t know that through sports you can travel around the world,” said Munnings, a former quarter-miler who represented the Bahamas in various countries, but not Nicaragua.

“So through sports, you are travelling to places that many people will never get to go.”

In welcoming them to their mega resort, Gandhi Pinder said her mother and proprietor Elaine Pinder would be very proud of their achievements and that was why when they were asked to host the event, they didn’t hesitate.

Pinder, a member of the Bahamas Journalism fraternity, took the opportunity to invite each member of the team present at Sapodilla to come to the microphone and introduce themselves and tell the audience about their experiences at the championships in Nicaragua.

Deveaux, a student of CH Reeves Junior High School, said this was her second national team, but she enjoyed this one because she made some new friends. She also noted that she’s going to add the 400m to her repertoire of the 100 and 200m. Deveaux earned her silver with 2,550 points behind Thomas’ gold medal performance with 2,616 points.

It was always Nabbie’s dream to make a national team and the Queen’s College student said as she hopes to follow in the footsteps of her role model, Shaunae Miller-Uibo, she will concentrate on the 100 and 200m right now.

With 3,560 points, Nabbie earned the bronze medal, while Thompson was fourth with 3,490 points.

Brice, whose forte is the long and high jumps, said he enjoyed the trip because the people treated them so nicely and he “did my best” in representing the country “as best as I could and help my team.”

He came in fourth with 4,478 points as Moxey Jr took the bronze with 4,729 points.

Henfield, who specialises in the 100 and 200m, said he was delighted to have represented Team Bahamas. He was fourth with 2,804 points and Higgs was eighth with 2,560 points.

Higgs, a 12-year-old eighth grader of HO Nash Junior High, was a gold and silver medallist in his specialties in the 100 and 200m respectively after he placed eighth overall with 2,560 points. He said he liked the competition and how “my team cheered for me.” One day, he said he hopes to make it to the Olympics.

Bahamas Coaches Association president Shaun Miller said not because COVID-19 came, that it was the end of track and field in the Bahamas.

“These kids just showed the whole world that we’re back and we’re here,” he said. “So I’m asking them to continue to support track and field in the Bahamas because we put a lot of time and energy into it.”

Miller, whose own daughter Shaunae Miller-Uibo was once a product of the NACAC Age Group Championships, lauded the coaches and the parents for the countless hours they sacrificed to achieve the success they did at the championships.

“This just didn’t miss and happen. These kids spent their time, the parents spent their time, the coaches and the administrators spent their time in the evenings for years and now this is the end product,” Miller said.

“I’m so proud to call these athletes a part of our federation. I don’t think you understand what you bring to the table. In time, you will be the ,man. You don’t have to be afraid to say that you feel entitled. This is the platform that the federation lays out for you, so continue to make us proud.”

Although he didn’t get to travel with the team because of personal reasons, Demeritte said with the athletes assembled for the championships, he had every confidence that Team Bahamas would perform exceptionally well.

He said he was in constant communication with the coaching staff before and during the meet to ensure that they were all on the same page as it pertains to ensuring that the athletes were primed and ready for the task ahead of them.

Munroe, one of the coaches in Nicaragua, said he was very proud of the athletes and he thanked the Bahamas Coaches Association and the BAAA for selecting him as a coach. He said he had a really good time interacting with the other coaches. He said the experience was great.