The Tribune

By BRENT STUBBS

Senior Sports Reporter

bstubbs@tribunemedia.net

Although most people are eager to resume the full level of competition in the country, Minister of Youth, Sports and Culture Mario Bowleg cautioned the local associations and federations to wait until the all-clearance is given by the Ministry of Health Wellness.

On March 12, 2020, the Ministry of Youth, Sports and Culture had to shut down the first day of competition in the National High School Track and Field Championships at the Thomas A Robinson National Stadium due to the spread of the coronavirus pandemic.

Subsequently, all sporting bodies had to cease their activities and now two years later, a lot of sporting bodies are still on hold, but many are optimistic that they will get the chance to resume competition this year.

As the various sporting bodies look forward to 2022, Bowleg proclaimed that Omicron, the fourth wave of COVID-19, has left a dark cloud over local sports, but there’s still a silver lining at the end of the tunnel.

“My expectations is that based on this Omicron virus, if it’s under control, we will commence sporting activities in all of the various disciplines,” he said.

“If we can get it under control and the protocols that are in place by the Ministry of Health are adhered to, then I could see us getting back to keen competition in all disciplines.

“But at the same time, we have to watch this latest variant because we know that the health of the nation is uttermost important. So we have to watch this fourth wave and see how it is operating before we can say when we will start.”

The disappointing news, according to Bowleg, is sporting bodies may have to push back their projected starting dates until the Ministry of Health is clear on the way forward for sports in the country.

• Here’s a look at how some of our national sporting leaders are approaching 2022:

Greg Taylor Sr, BCA president

After watching the men’s national team return to international competition last year, Taylor Sr said the BCA will be looking forward to building on what they started in November by participating in the ICC’s World T-20 Qualifier in Antigua as they resume international travel for the first time in more than 18 months.

“For 2022, we’re looking to start our cricket league in February, that is if the Omicron subsides,” Taylor Sr said.

“We’re also bringing in an international coach, Corey Edwards, to deal with our youth programme. He will replace coach Andy Moles, who returned to South Africa. “He will come here to deal with our after-school programme by doing cricket in the neighbourhood with the young boys and girls and we will be organising a women’s team to participate in ICC (International Cricket Council) tournaments and also perform a women’s league.”

Additionally this year, Taylor Sr said they intend to do bilateral tournaments, starting with the Cayman Islands and Bermuda during the Easter weekend in April with competition for both the men and women.

“This year, we are looking to do a lot of cricket as we reach out to the international cricketers in the United States to come here or we can go there and play,” Taylor Sr said. “We’re trying to elevate cricket. With the coach coming, we will be able to see some results in terms of our youth development.”

Sam Rodgers Sr, BBA president

With construction still ongoing on the new baseball stadium, Rodgers Sr said a lot of their expectations for the new season will hinge on the completion of the facility, but they are just as concerned about COVID-19. “The first thing on our minds is whether the leagues will get the permission from the Ministry of Health and Wellness to start their season and that would depend on the pandemic,” Rodgers Sr said.

“We also want to see if the baseball complex would be completed to host the Caribbean Baseball Championships in July. We will try to attend two international baseball tournaments in 2022. If all goes well, we will have some local baseball clinics for some of the Family Islands and we will attend the Heritage Night for Jazz Chisholm in Miami in July.”

Algernon Cargill, BSA president

Coming off what he called an exciting 2021 season, in which Grand Bahamian Joanna Evans led the way being crowned the Central American and Caribbean Female Swimmer of the Year after her performances at the 2020 Tokyo Olympics and the 2021 FINA Short Course World Championships, Cargill said they are eager to see what will unfold in 2022.

“2022 will shape up to be just as exciting. The highlight for 2022 will be the World Long Course Championships in Japan and Joanna will be the flag bearer for the Bahamas. She aims to specialise in three events – the 200, 400 and 800 metres freestyles and her goals are to final in all three events,” Cargill said,.

“Unfortunately, except for Arianna Vanderpool- Wallace’s bronze medal in the 2010 Dubai Short Course Championships, the Bahamas has not won a medal at the World Championships, but Joanna is determined to excel.”

One of the projects Bahamas Aquatics will be working on trying to secure is a male relay team for the World Long Course Championships in Japan where the top 12 teams automatically earn a spot at the 2024 Olympics in Paris, France.

“We had a mixed relay team at the World Short Course Championships and they did very well, finishing 12th in the world,” Cargill said. “We understand that this same team will be seeking to compete at the World Long Course Championships. “So in terms of other spectacular meets, we have CARIFTA returning with Barbados again trying to host the championships, which was postponed for two consecutive years because of COVID-19. Hopefully this year, we will have a very successful CARIFTA.”

The Bahamas, of course, is the only country to have won the title in three consecutive years in swimming and water polo before the games were postponed over the past two years. And although they have lost swimmers like Devante Carey and Lamar Taylor, Cargill said they hope to replace them with competitors such as Nigel Forbes and Marvin Johnson.

Bahamas Aquatics is also looking at the possibility of hosting the CCCAN at the Betty Kelly Kenning Swim Club, which would enable the Bahamas Government through the National Sports Authority to improve their facilities.

While all of that is going on, Cargill continues to serve his second four-year term on the FINA Bureau, the highest executive level in the sport. Cargill said it bodes well for the exceptional leadership in the country and the confidence in his peers in the region for allowing him to serve them.

Looking ahead to next year, Cargill said the Pan American Games in 2023 will be held just one week before the World Championships. But he said it’s important for the swimmers to compete in the regional meet, just as it is for the world stage.

Ted Miller, BSF president

With the recent reduction in the COVID-19 cases, Miller said all of their member associations were looking forward to playing some softball in 2022 until they heard about the rapid increases at the end of 2021.

“The softball season starts in late February or early March and some don’t start until May and with all of the safety protocols in place, Miller said they hope that things will return to some sort of normalcy so that they can hear “play ball” again.

The federation, however, is mandated to hold its election of officers at their annual general meeting before the middle of March and while a date has not been set as yet, Miller said he doesn’t have any plans to be re-elected.

“I’m hoping that some enthusiastic persons will be willing to take it up,” he said. “I am willing to stick around and help whoever wins in whatever capacity, but I don’t intend to run again.”

With the Bahamas Games on the horizon, Miller said the associations are gearing up for their participation in that as well as the National Round Robin Championships, but all of that will be dealt with by the new administration.

There is also an invite for the Bahamas to participate in the Canada Cup, but that too is up in the air. Everything he said will be based on how things pan out with COVID-19 and the restrictions imposed by the Ministry of Health and Wellness.

Eugene Horton, BBF president

In stepping up to take over from Minister of Youth, Sports and Culture Mario Bowleg as the new president of the Bahamas Basketball Federation, Horton said he and his executives have a meeting planned for next week to finalise their plans for 2022.

But in outlining some of their expectations for the new year, Horton said their first priority will be “to have a safe start to basketball in the country and ensure that all protocols are being followed.”

He also noted that the federation is looking to partner with corporate Bahamas to secure funding for their events as well as to stage a potential “Coaches Retreat” as they work with the New Providence Basketball Association and the New Providence Women’s Basketball Association in organising basketball in New Providence before they switch their attention to the Family Islands.

“We also want to organise youth development (mini-progammes), identifying programmes, activities, tournaments and placing on a centralised calendar.”

The federation, according to Horton, also has some major events on their agenda, including the second window of the FIBA Men’s World Cup 2023 Qualifiers in February, the second window of the Under-16 tournament in April, the national 3-on-3 basketball tournament with August 31 as the target date for the championships in all divisions as well as the Bahamas Championships during the Heroes holiday weekend in October.

Drumeco Archer, BAAA president

With this month being the start of its 2022 calendar year, Archer said the Bahamas Association of Athletic Associations is still optimistic that they can enjoy a competitive and successful season.

“The Odd Distance Meet is still tentative for January 8. We have not gotten any cancellation, although a discussion with the Commissioner of Police and the Ministry of Health is in order coming off the Christmas break,” Archer said.

“But I’m looking forward to a very, very exciting junior programme. We’ve had an off season that has prepared the athlete sufficiently well to tackle yet another season,” he said. “There are athletes who have missed two material years of competition for the most part, where we didn’t have any national high school track and field championships and BAISS and the GSSSA were both cancelled.”

Once their programme can get back on track, Archer said the BAAA should have another banner year at the junior level with the throwers and sprinters expected to lead the charge for the country in the much anticipated return of the CARIFTA Games over the Easter holiday weekend in Jamaica.

“Jamaica has always been the flagship of the CARIFTA Games with the Bahamas being in its perennial second place and we’re going to be in Jamaica,” he said. “So I believe that is going to be an exciting time as the Bahamas shows that it can pack a punch equal to the proportion of Jamaica.”

With the World Championships scheduled for June in Eugene, Oregon, Archer said he anticipates that reigning Olympic 400m gold medallists Shaunae Miller- Uibo and Steven Gardiner will emerge once again as the cream of the crop in the new stadium.

”Our senior programme continues to show signs of hope in our hurdles with Devynne (Charlton) and the long and triple jump with Tamara (Myers), Kaiwan (Culmer) and LaQuan (Nairn), so I’m expecting some really exciting performances from the Bahamian athletes.”

In addition to the prestigious World Championships, Archer said there’s the Commonwealth Games in Birmingham, England in August for their athletes to participate in. He commended the government for their support rendered so far and looks forward to the future once everyone is safe and healthy.

Perry Newton, BLTA president

Notwithstanding the resurgence of COVID-19, Newton said they are optimistic that the Bahamas Lawn Tennis Association will continue to experience growth similar to that witnessed in 2021.

“This year we are planning on fielding boys and girls teams for both the World Juniors tennis competition as well as Jr Davis Cup and Jr Billie Jean King Cup teams,” Newton said.

“The athletes are looking forward to competing and we are hopeful that we will have results similar to that of our Under-12 girls team that qualified for the finals after finishing 2nd in their qualifying event in 2021.”

Newton noted that there are many opportunities for growth as they plan to host several coaching courses throughout the year both here on Nassau and in Grand Bahama. The key will be growth through development.

He also noted that this year’s annual general meeting is scheduled for January 29.

So the first quarter of 2022 will be very important for the association as we have significant financial obligations in preparing four teams to travel with an estimated cost of about $17,000, as well as our other fiscal responsibilities due in January rounding their 2022 first quarter cost to an estimated $25,000-30,000.

“The BLTA’s number one priority is safety, and this is spread across all of the islands, Grand Bahama Tennis Association, Eleuthera Tennis Association, and the Abaco Tennis Association,” Newton said.

“This isn’t a tennis issue as all sports, and all aspects of our society have been impacted by COVID-19 so we understand the importance of preaching protocols and endorsing vaccination. Notwithstanding COVID- 19, it is important for sports and tennis to continue to move forward and be able to host tournaments, athletes have the ability to train, and training seminars be held.”

Further, Newton said the association is also planning to return our ITF International Junior Tournaments, Junkanoo Bowl, and Goombay Splash Tournaments, as well our COTECC U14 International Tournaments.

“We will be expanding our Play Tennis Programme into the communities, this allows us to reach those children who are not able to make it to the programme at the National Tennis Centre,” Newton said.

“This also fills a request by the Minister of Sports who would like to see more tennis within communities. It is a good formula because being in the community makes the transition into the school system a little easier.”