The Tribune

By BRENT STUBBS

Senior Sports Reporter

bstubbs@tribunemedia.net

With a mandate to rebuild and revitalise both the New Providence Softball Association and the Bahamas Government Departmental Softball Association, Dwayne ‘Mann’ Stevens said he couldn’t ask for a better start to his two-year tenure as the dual president.

Many doubted his ability to function simultaneously with the fast-pitch and slowpitch leagues, but Stevens and his executive teams not only got them up and running in the post COVID-19 environment, but they completed their championship series around the same time. “The series itself, overall, went very well,” Stevens said. “We had our challenges, especially initially with the executives of the National Sports Authority. I’m somewhat disappointed in their authority when it comes to softball. “I believe it is counterproductive to the sport itself and their whole focus seems to be detrimental to the sport. If they are going to be in charge of the facilities, I don’t think it’s in the best interest of sports to just try to make money from the sports.”

As for the two seasons - BGDSA at the four fields at the Baillou Hills Sporting Complex and the NPSA in the Bankers Field at the same venue - Stevens said they were able to rekindle the interest of many of the coaches, players and fans to the leagues.

“We saw tremendous turnouts from the fan bases during the course of the season, all through the playoffs and right through the championships,” he said.

“When we speak directly to the championships, we had a very competitive series between the Defence Force Waves and the Electro Telecom Invaders in the BGDSA.”

While the Waves surprised a lot of people in getting to the BGDSA ladies’ finals, Stevens said they ran into the well-seasoned Invaders, who repeated as champions.

On the men’s side, the BTC Lasers also repeated as champions, but the PMH Rookies stunned the Royal Bahamas Police Force Interceptors to get into the final.

With the NPSA, Stevens said it was just as competitive right to the very end with two champions coming back from 2019 when the league last played to win another title.

The Sunshine Auto Wildcats clinched the ladies’ crown with a three-game sweep over the Johnson’s Lady Truckers, but it took the C&S Hitmen five exciting games, including the clincher that went down the wire, to take the men’s title over the Cyber Tech Blue Marlins.

“The series on both sides were very entertaining,” Stevens said.

“So all in all, I thank the Almighty God for his blessings on allowing us to have completed some very good games across the board in both leagues.”

While the leagues are over and done with, Stevens said they are planning on putting on a few tournaments just to keep the interest of the sport alive, in addition to staging an end-of-the-year awards party for the respective teams in the NPSA. “We are seeking to honour a cadre of individuals who would have contributed to the continued success and the development of softball over the years,” he said.

“On December 17th, we will recognise an unprecedented number of persons for their contributions, inclusive of players, fans and members of the media, in a grand celebration that will be free of charge for all to attend.”

With another year to go to complete his two-year tenure in both leagues, Stevens said he hopes to erect a wall of fame in the BGDSA and to come in agreement with the National Sports Authority to name the four fields in honour of individuals who would have made invaluable contributions to the growth and development of the league for government workers.

Additionally, Stevens said he would also like to sit down with the acting chairman Grafton Ifill Jr to renegotiate the intended plans by the NSA to include teams in the BGDSA to pay to use the fields that they invested so much time and energy in building from scratch.

“We want to restore, rebuild and revitalise the sport before my predecessors can take it to new heights,” Stevens said. “I’ve been fortunate during my tenure so far to have two sets of executive teams that have embraced the vision and were committed to making the dream a reality.”