The Tribune

By BRENT STUBBS

Senior Sports Reporter

bstubbs@tribunemedi.net

THE year 2020 was an unpredictable year both locally and internationally with sports being halted since March 12 because of the coronavirus pandemic. Local sporting bodies are now eager to resume competition at the turn of 2021.

Here’s a look at the expectations of some of the sporting bodies as they look for some sense of normalcy in the new year.

BOC President Romel Knowles

While sports are prevalent on the minds of everyone, Knowles said the Bahamas Olympic Committee is more concerned about being each of our brothers’ keepers in the post Hurricane Dorian and COVID-19 era, which has affected more people than sports in general.

“It is my expectation that our top-tier athletes would be able to prepare with such a short window and compete in the greatest sporting spectacle in the world, that being the Olympic Games and represent the Bahamas to the best of their ability,” Knowles said.

“For those sporting disciplines that have regional competition and Olympic qualifiers, it’s my expectations that they too would be able to travel without the hassle of a PCR test, living in a bubble, if you will, in short to return to some degree of normalcy.”

Knowles said from a local perspective, he would like to see high school sports return so that the student-athletes can compete for athletic scholarships so that they can secure a college degree, considering the fact that there are so many people suffering from an economic standpoint.

“My expectations is that Bahamians everywhere will display one love for another like we’ve never experienced before and that we become our brothers’ keepers and that we find our resting place, a bosom of comfort in building, if not a better, a closer relationship with God because it is only Him who has sustained the Bahamas in these most challenging times,” he stated.

Knowles said he’s praying that the economy will also rebound, especially in the tourism sector to pre-Dorian and COVID- 19 where more people are employed and that the young men will “put down the guns and stop the violence and find peace” in their communities. “I know that people would think that I would talk about sports in the twilight of 2020, but the reality is that sports, which was severely impacted globally and locally, is second fiddle to what is happening to people’s lives, losing their earthly possessions and the loss of lives,” he said.

“I think 2020 has put our lives into perspective and that is for us to cherish each other and love each other and protect and provide for each other.”

NACAC President Mike Sands

The North American, Central American and Caribbean has been meeting extensively with the view of formulating plans in the way forward. Sands has been adamant that they can get the job done.

“I greet you with immense optimism for the future because I am confident that we will overcome the pandemic that challenged us throughout 2020 but which, nonetheless, did not dissuade us from marching forward to complete the tremendous work recorded in our latest edition of our weekly Bulletin, “This Week in NACAC”, dated 28 December 2020,” said Sands.

“Just as some of our member federations were steadfast and organised competitions in 2020, we expect that our indomitable spirit, commitment and creativity will enable many more to host events for their athletes in 2021.”

Sands said the athletes in the NACAC region have shown that nothing would stand in their way as they prepare to give a good account at the re-scheduled Summer Olympics in Tokyo, Japan.

“They are also committed to helping us lift our Area Championships, the NACAC Open, to among the best in the world.” he stated. “Our juniors will continue to exhibit excellence at the CARIFTA Games, Pan American Junior Championships and the inaugural Pan American Junior Games.

“Our Commissions and Working Groups have already mapped out the road ahead for their respective mandates and our member stakeholders have understood our collective resolve to maintain our leadership on the field of competition in our sport.”

The former athlete turned public relations officer and president of the Bahamas Association of Athletic Associations said their NACAC Council is extremely proud of the devotion for our sport exhibited by every one of their members in 2020 and they are confident that together, they would establish new milestones in 2021.

“Let us each continue to do our part to eradicate COVID-19 and encourage others to do likewise,” he said.

BAAA President Drumeco Archer

As he reflected on the past season, Archer said the Bahamas Association of Athletic Associations was a part of a generation that witnessed one of the most cataclysmic events of our world history.

“COVID-19 has pervaded our lives from the way we worship, to the way we learn, to the way we do business and the way we interact with each other,” he said.

“For many, our personal finances remain unstable. And our sport has been left irreversibly changed.”

Archer, a former sprinter, said this is the close-up narrative of COVID-19 that has re-shaped our lives and dominated our social and media conversations.

“But look at what God has done for us. In the midst of the pandemic’s raging storm, we continue to find ways to live and press on,” he stressed.

“He reminds us that no matter the situation or circumstance, we are grateful and remain committed to His work. Though some of us have suffered loss and affliction, He continues to perform miracles, allowing us to commune, to train and to compete as He guards us.

“Within our own confinements, He has reminded us of the virtues of discipline, faithfulness, hope, innovation, teamwork and brotherly love within our sporting families. Our training grounds have become our safe house where He has provided protection for us to build and become stronger as He walks with us. He is always with us and I have become more faithful to Him because of what he has done for me and for our sport. We cannot leave anyone behind.”

In return, Archer said everyone should be reminded that they too must be more faithful to God and to do the work that He has called upon each and every one of us to do in our sport.

“I pray that we continue to give more, to love more and to be more of a connected family as we transform ourselves and our sport,” he said.

“Within this realm, our purpose as athletes, coaches, officials, fans and sports administrators is to bless (to give) as you have been blessed (given). Let’s stay committed and be part of the transformation.

“I ask our Heavenly Father that in 2021, He continues to allow his blessings to fall upon each and every one of us; that He infuses our athletes with giftings and mental strength; that He protects the BAAA family and every sporting federation nationally and throughout the world. I pray that He forever sustains us so that we may be used as his vessels to continue his work in glory and in honour.”

BSF President Algernon Cargill

Cargill said the Bahamas Swimming Federation’s biggest expedition is to return to normal competition for swimming and water polo.

“The team will travel to CARIFTA swimming, but unfortunately, there will not be CARIFTA water polo next year at the same time as swimming,” Cargill said. “It could happen later but the Barbados Ministry of Health has not approved water polo.

Just as they were poised to win another CARIFTA swimming title in 2020 before the competition was cancelled, Cargill said their swimmers will continue to train with the view of preparing to win the title this year,

With the CARIFTA competition being their focus, Cargill said they are looking forward to placing more athletes in university for water polo and swimming, which is the foundation of their Olympic development.

“We want to have more qualifiers in Tokyo (for the postponed 2020 Summer Olympic Games) in July,” Cargill said. “So far, we have two competitors in Laura Morley and Joanna Evans. We want to have a minimum of four athletes competing in Tokyo.”

And as a FINA Bureau member, Cargill said they want to continue to network globally and develop stronger linkages for The Bahamas and the CCCAN region.

To that end, Cargill has been elected for a second four-year term that will start in 2022.

BSF President Ted Miller

As they prepare for the return of competition, the Bahamas Softball Federation is also gearing up for its election of officers in March and Miller has indicated that he doesn’t intend to seek another four-year term in office.

“For the upcoming year for softball, all indications are that we will find a way to play games. Whether we have fans or not, I don’t know, We’re still trying to work it out,” Miller said. “They are doing it in Major League Baseball and other sports where they are trying to follow protocols so if there is a case, it wouldn’t spread.

“So our heads will come together early this year so that we can devise a plan on how we will play our games.”

Miller said the new president, when elected at the annual general meeting and election of officers, will oversee the new norm. Having committed more than 24 years as an executive of the federation and the past six years as the president, he’s done his share.

“Everyone who I talk to, including managers, coaches and players, are looking forward to getting back to playing ball. The enthusiasm is high. Everybody is eager to get back to playing softball again,” he said. “I don’t know how much the Ministry of Health or the Competent Authority will allow us to operate.

“I know we had a meeting with the Ministry of Education on softball in the schools, but nothing definitive has come out of that. We don’t know what the protocols will be. There’s still a lot of things up in the air, but we hope that everything will be worked out, including our election of officers which will be held at our AGM in March.”

BBF President Mario Bowleg

With the challenge of getting its men’s national basketball team for their next round of the FIBA World Cup Qualifier, Bowleg said the Bahamas Basketball Federation just wants to play some basketball, even if it’s just at the night league level.

“We hope that we get back to some normalcy where we provide the Competent Authority and the Ministry of Youth, Sports and Culture, an idea what the protocols for basketball will be like,” he said.

“We hope we can get some type of competition at the club league *(night league). I know it’s going to be difficult at the high school level, but we believe that based on the protocol provided to us by FIBA, that the association throughout the islands should be able to adhere to those.

“Once we can adhere to those, we should be able to, once approval is given by the Competent Authority and they can see the protocols that we put in place, that we should be able to have some level of play. That’s just our expectations.”

As for the high school level, Bowleg said they hope to introduce some of their skills challenge competitions because it might be able to better manage that way rather than going with the full contact action for the club level.

UB Mingoes Athletic Director Kimberley Rolle

The nation’s highest tertiary sporting body has been preparing for the upcoming season since August, according to Rolle, as athletic trainers Sasha Johnson and Shakeitha Henfield have focused on individual strength and conditioning workouts of their student-athletes,

“We expect that there will be a track and field season, so they have been training and preparing as if there is a season, so we expect them to do well,” Rolle said. “The expectations, as always for track and field, remain high.

“We don’t know, however, if we will travel, simply because of the university’s position on travel and the reality of numbers. As you are aware, the majority of our travel is confined to the Florida area, which continues to be a concern with their rise in their COVID-19 numbers, so we will continue to watch the numbers”

Rolle, however, said their athletes, under coach Ednol Rolle, is very pleased with the trails they held at the end of November and they will participate in a number of local meets as they did in the Bahamas Association of Athletic Associations’ Odd Distance Meet in December at the Thomas A Robinson National Stadium.

However, Rolle is not certain whether their men’s basketball, women’s volleyball, men’s soccer and women’s softball teams will have a chance to compete, but they will continue to train in the view of competing.

“Our focus is on the individual athletes, getting them better each and every day. I’m looking to add to our recruiting class and to really come back strong for the Fall 2021/22 season,” she stated. “We do believe that we will have more of a normal type season.

“For those sports whose interest we peak towards that, but track and field, we feel will do very well for the 2021 Spring season. We are given by protocol, not only the universities and the country’s protocols, but we are engaged in best practices, looking at what other universities abroad are doing and attacking their work. “Obviously, they have a little more funding than we do, so they have more access to testing and that sort of thing. Of course, we have to be guided by everything we do. Our athletic training department has put out a very extensive COVID-19 protocol by which we are governed and today we have no issues with our student-athletes or coaches being confirmed positive, which is due in part to our mechanism that we have put in place.”

With everything in place, Rolle said they are looking towards a competitive 2021- 22 season outside of track and field.