NASSAU, The Bahamas – Minister of Youth, Sports and Culture Charles Maynard said, on February 25, 2012, that for a nation of about 350,000 people, The Bahamas has more athletes per capita in more disciplines excelling on the world stage than any other country in the world.
“This creates real opportunities for The Bahamas to extend an invitation to the world to practice, compete and enjoy the best of the Islands of the Bahamas,” Minister Maynard said at the Opening Ceremony of the Thomas A. Robinson National Stadium. “Our sports name recognition coupled with our geographical location, climate and amenities such as the redeveloped LPIA (Lynden Pindling International Airport), Atlantis and Baha Mar Properties sets the foundation; but we realised that other components were equally important.”
Minister Maynard added that The Bahamas has “real sports credibility and a reputation for playing fair. Bahamian athletes have soared to the highest heights and have done so without the use of performance enhancing drugs, he said.
“To ensure that we maintain this impeccable record the Government of the Bahamas in 2009 brought legislation and established the Bahamas Anti-Doping Commission, led by Dr. Jerome Lightbourne, to put in place the necessary regime to ensure that we operate in accordance with the rules of the World Anti-Doping Agency,” Minister Maynard said.
In less than two years, he pointed out, the Commission has established the structure to; provide educational programmes for athletes, coaches and parents, and conduct regular testing of local and visiting athletes.
“I am please to report that through the efforts of the Commission, The Bahamas is officially in compliance with the World Anti-Doping Code,” Minister Maynard said.
The Bahamas also needed a competitive marketing edge, he continued; so the Government established a Special Unit with in the Ministry of Tourism, headed by Mr. Tyrone Sawyer, that has an annual budget of two million dollars to promote and facilitate the visits of groups, teams and leagues for training and competition.
“Over the last three years this Unit has executed a variety of events – ranging from Sunfish Sailing in Grand Bahama, Junior Tennis in San Salvador, Little League Baseball in Abaco to gymnastics at Atlantis,” Minister Maynard said. “We are now officially seen as one of the best Sports Tourism destinations.”
Key to the sustained growth of this sector is state-of-the-art facilities, Minister Maynard said.
“The Government is spending over 50 million dollars in and around this site, starting with the commissioning of a comprehensive master plan of the 400-plus acres around this stadium,” Minister Maynard said. “The IBS group – a Bahamian Civil Engineering group, whose principals Nick Dean and Kevin Sweeting – completed the design of a multi-use sports and recreation compound in record time.
“We are now well into the execution of phase one of this master plan, which has created a lot of what you would have seen on your way here and a lot of what you cannot see that makes this stadium functional.”
Minister Maynard added that by the end of next month, work will begin on the new state-of-the-art Internationally Certified Hot Rod complex.
“I am also proud to report that final drawings are being completed for the new multi-field Andre Rodgers baseball complex and in the not so distant future we expect to see that facility, as well as a new multi-field Churchill Tener Knowles Softball complex rebuilt better than before,” he said.
The final “piece of the puzzle” lies in the management of the facilities, Minister Maynard said. The Government passed the Sports Authority Act and New Sports Act to ensure that a dedicated agency was established to manage and maintain the facilities as well as properly market all events in the future, he added.
“As of February 1, 2012, the National Sports Authority began their work, led by Mr. Leroy Archer,” Minister Maynard said. “They are mandated to oversee the final outfitting of the stadium, the completion of phase one of the sports centre re-development, the scheduling of future phases, the upgrades of the existing facilities and the eventual oversight of facilities in Grand Bahama, Abaco, Eleuthera and other Family Islands.”
Minister Maynard said that the “guiding light” for all of the initiatives is Prime Minister the Rt. Hon. Hubert Ingraham. The Prime Minister has given the project his focused attention from 2007 to present day, Minister Maynard added.
“In advancing his vision for a modern Bahamas, he has made sports tourism and sports development a significant part of this revolution” Minister Maynard said. “Despite tough economic times our athletes, our facilities nationwide and our sporting programmes have remained a major priority, and for this, Sir, we thank you.”
By ERIC ROSE
Bahamas Information Services
