Minister of State for Youth and Sports, Hon. Byran Woodside has lauded the efforts of local athletes, coaches and sports administrators. In his summary report on the state of sports in the country Minister Woodside spoke to "a new golden age of sports."

"By any standard of measurement, organized sports in The Bahamas is currently in robust health, so much so that our country appears to be entering a new golden age of sports. Such a view is supported by the tremendous international advances in youth soccer, youth golf, youth baseball, youth cricket, youth gymnastics, youth basketball, youth rugby, youth swimming, youth lawn tennis and youth track and field. At the senior level, the same kind of international advances were made in boxing, bodybuilding, cycling, swimming, soccer, and track and field. The accomplishments by all these national teams constitute ample evidence of the progressive work being done by the local coaches and sports administrators of The Bahamas,"

said Minister Woodside.


In a comprehensive report, Minister touched on the challenges that face his ministry, infrastructure projects, incentive grants and he paid tribute to sports luminaries who died in 2007.
Minister Woodside noted the great needs/expectations of those within the sporting landscape here in The Bahamas, one of his ministry's biggest challenges.

Follow up:

"The entire span of my tenure has given me an opportunity to more fully comprehend the magnitude of the demands placed upon any individual assigned to a post such as mine. These demands are often accompanied by expectations which are abnormally high, given that the Minister of State for Youth and Sports is constrained in his capabilities by the legal confines of The Sports Act. At times, such constraints appeared to be of little consequence to some members of the sporting community ion and outside The Bahamas, attributing to the Ministers authority greater than that which they actually possess under law,"

said the minister.
There will be a focus also on sports infrastructure.

"So far as the state of sports facilities is concerned, I wish to advise that without contrived fanfare, months have been expended to evolve long-term plans which rationalize a scheme for replacing demolished stadiums, simultaneously renovating and developing additional indoor and outdoor sports facilities in the Queen Elizabeth Sports Centre, Grand Bahama and in the remainder of The Bahamas.
"From a logical standpoint, all these matters had to be factored into physical planning for such a massive development of the new stadium will only commence within the ensuing weeks, almost three years after the agreement was initially signed for its construction. Development of this facility is directly related to the hosting of the sixth Bahamas Games,"

added Minister Woodside.
The incentive grants for top performances at World Championships and the Olympic Games, will continue.

There will be disappointment felt by the elite performers who were hoping for retroactive grants for feats accomplished before the policy was established. According to Minister Woodside, it was deemed that the cost for this, going all the way back to 1972 would be prohibitive.
There is a starting point for everything. This situation is a difficult one for any government. A total retroactive compensation would go all the way back to 1947 when Sir Durward Knowles and Sloane Farrington won the country's first world title (Star Class Sailing).


The report also paid tribute to fallen sporting stalwarts Tony Carroll of bodybuilding, Godfrey McQuay of basketball, international sports official Arthur Thompson, supreme baseball manager Allan Jackson, and pro baseball player Roy Bethel.

The National Hall of Fame will grow larger in 2008 also, if Minister Woodside has his way.
He's done good. The report is solid in setting the stage for what we all hope comes in 2008.



Source: The Bahama Journal