Minister of Youth, Sports and Culture Mario Bowleg. Photo: Moise Amisial
By EARYEL BOWLEG
Tribune Staff Reporter
ebowleg@tribunemedia.net
THE outfits Bahamian Olympians wore during the opening ceremony of the Paris Games sparked criticism from many Bahamians, but Youth, Sports and Culture Minister Mario Bowleg defended the attire.
He said the Bahamas Olympic Committee and the athletes felt comfortable wearing the tracksuits, and that was “fine” with him.
“I thought that we looked very well, and we got a lot of praises from persons here who thought that we were unique and different in their wardrobes,” he said yesterday.
The Parade of Nations is a long-standing tradition in which athletes typically enter a stadium behind a flagbearer. This year, however, the athletes travelled on the Seine River in a boat.
Some viewers complained that the tracksuits did not meet the occasion.
“I can’t see what’s wrong with what they wear,” Mr Bowleg said. “I mean, it doesn’t matter what we wear. Once we are represented and we look decent enough and the Bahamian colors are there, we’ll be fine.”
The athletes’ tracksuits resulted from an agreement between the Bahamas Olympic Committee and Puma.
The Bahamas is represented by two swimmers and 18 track and field athletes. The athletics events begin today with a 20km race. On Friday, Ken Mullings and Charisma Taylor will kickstart the country’s participation in the Track and Field events when they compete in the decathlon and women’s triple jump qualifying round.
Comments
ExposedU2C 4 months, 3 weeks ago
How much did the ridiculous outfits cost and who got the juicy contract to make them?
trueBahamian 4 months, 3 weeks ago
People were focused on that? Lol. Really? The Treasury is bare for flagrant abuse of the public purse. Crime is at an all time high. The government gone fishing. No one saying a peep. But, the athletes wearing a tracksuit for the parade of nations is where they draw the line. Lol. This country! Banana banana banana republic!
ThisIsOurs 4 months, 3 weeks ago
It looked like a hastily rushed job to me. I couldnt understand why they had the heavy sweat tops in record heat. They looked like fall weather outfits. But in the scheme of things Lecarthea isnt on the team which makes no sense. I pray God Davis doesnt give a speech anywhere in this century about a Bahamian 16 year old running at the olympics. Because in stark contrast to what he would attempt to relay, it would be an example of the confusion and cronyism that permeates our governance and robs qualified persons of earned opportunities and the country of best performance
sheeprunner12 4 months, 3 weeks ago
Bowleg dem don't give a rat's ass about Bahamian athletes ........ Go and ask the 20 athletes if they feel any real appreciation from MOYSC.
These politicians use these athletes as pawns for their own limelight. The athletes have to scratch and claw for anything that benefits them.
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