The Tribune

By BRENT STUBBS

Senior Sports Reporter

bstubbs@tribunemedia.net

MINISTER of Youth, Sports and Culture Mario Bowleg likes the direction sports is heading in the country, but he admitted that there’s still some more work for the federations and associations to do to get it to where it should be.

Mr Bowleg’s comments came in the aftermath of Prime Minister Philip ‘Brave’ Davis’ Cabinet shuffle on Sunday. Mr Bowleg, however, was one of the ministers who remained in the same office since the Progressive Liberal Party was elected in 2021.

With a vote of confidence from Mr Davis in what he’s done so far, Mr Bowleg said he’s been given the mandate to continue what he started and he’s looking forward to the last half of their term in office.

“The whole idea is to ensure our administration puts ourselves in a position to fulfill the promises that we made to the Bahamian people,” Mr Bowleg said. “He wants to make sure that every member is carrying out their mandate so that we can ensure that the promises we made are carried out.”

Looking back at his tenure so far in office, Mr Bowleg said he’s pleased with what his ministry has accomplished, but he pointed out that there’s still a lot more to be done.

“We have the return of the World Relays coming up next year and so we want to make this the greatest one ever held,” said Mr Bowleg of the sixth edition of the global event that was first held here in 2014, 2015 and 2017 before it was moved to Yokohama, Japan in 2019 and last staged in Chorzow, Poland in 2021.

“We know that all of the countries affiliated with World Athletics are expected to come down here because this is a qualifier for relay teams for the Olympic Games in Paris, France. So we want to make sure that we do what is necessary to pull it off.”

Additionally, Mr Bowleg said Bahamas Aquatics will be hosting the CARIFTA Swimming Championships over the Easter holiday weekend with the view of clinching their sixth straight title.

As they’re doing now with the repairs to the Thomas A Robinson National Stadium in preparation for the World Relays, Mr Bowleg said they are also doing some renovations to the Betty Kelly Kenning Swim Complex for CARIFTA.

Off the playing arena, Mr Bowleg said his ministry is finalising plans to pass the Youth Policy as well as update the Sports Policy, which are on the books, but need to be revisited to provide a more vibrant programme in the country.

Mr Bowleg, the immediate past president of the Bahamas Basketball Federation, took the time out to congratulate Eugene Horton, who was returned as president with a full four-year mandate after taking over the last two years of Bowleg’s term in office.

“I think they have done a tremendous job over the past few years in taking the federation to the level where it is right now,” said Mr Bowleg, who was on hand to watch as the men’s national basketball team advanced out of the Pre-Qualifying Tournament in August in Argentina to the Qualifying Tournament in July for the 2024 Olympic Games.

“I hope that they can continue that upward progress in moving basketball to the next level.”

However, Mr Bowleg said there are some federations and associations which still have some fine tuning to do to get their sporting disciplines to where it should be in the country.

“We are expected to have a Sports Conclave before the end of the year,” said Mr Bowleg, who noted that Director of Sports Kelsie Johnson-Sills is working on the details.

“We want to be able to give the various sporting federations and associations the necessary tools and skill sets to be able to manage as a business so that we can see the improvements from the grassroots to the elite level.”

Without getting into their affairs, Mr Bowleg said he would like to see all federations and associations review their constitutions to make sure that they are covering all of the areas that they need to be successful. 

“There are some things that these sporting bodies should have changed a long time ago, but we will make sure that when we meet with them, they all do what they have to, to be able to come on line with each other,” he insisted.

“We want them to control their own destiny, but there is still some work that they all have to do and as the entity in the country to help facilitate that, we will provide the means to assist in whatever way we can.”

There’s a lot of work to be done, but Mr Bowleg said he and his ministry are up to the task in getting the job done.

He just encouraged all sporting bodies to join them on the ride to the finish line.