Nine members of the country’s Helsinki World Track and Field Championships squad returned home yesterday to a low-key welcome reception at the Nassau International Airport.
But they are expected to engage in a number of activities during the course of the week.
Minister of Youth, Sports and Culture Neville Wisdom was present for the press conference in the VIP Lounge at the Nassau International Airport where he congratulated team members on behalf of The Bahamas.
“The government of The Bahamas and the people of The Bahamas are proud of you for what you’ve done,” he said. “You all have done an excellent job.”
As usual he addressed each athlete individually and highlighted their achievements and told them that it was because of them that Bahamians have secured a spot on the world stage.
“One of the bright spots in terms of identifying who we are as a people continues to be the wonderful demonstration of Bahamian pride and Bahamian ability that comes from you,” he said.
And while most Bahamians only see Tonique Williams-Darling’s gold medal, and the men’s 4×400 metres relay team, he told women’s national javelin record holder Laverne Eve, 40, that she is a living testimonial to longevity in sport.
Bahamas Association of Athletic Associations president Mike Sands told the athletes that they are now new natural resources from which The Bahamas can pull.
“We boast about not having too many natural resources,” said Sands. “We boast about the sun, the sand, the sea and the people. But there’s one more thing I want to add to that: The sun, the sand, the sea, the people and our natural resources. They are our natural resources,” he said referring to the athletes before him.
Also present at the ceremony was Bahamas Ambassador for Sports Tommy Robinson who emphasised that although The Bahamas is a small country, it has surpassed expectations that larger countries like China and India were not able to deliver. He added of the 198 countries that participated in the championships, The Bahamas placed a staggering 13th. An achievement, he said which is no small feat and worthy of public praise.
“I think that is a magnificent accomplishment. We need to instill in our country the fact that while we are small in numbers, we have great athletes who perform to the best of their abilities. And I want to say to the Bahamian public that we need to appreciate the kind of performance that the team accomplished at the World Championships,” Robinson said.
As the athletes thanked the Bahamian public for their support, “Golden Queen” Tonique Williams-Darling thanked her teammates for the effort they gave in Helsinki.
“I want to say congratulations to everyone because I know they did their very best,” she said. “They encourage me, hopefully, just as much as I encourage them,” she said.
And Avard Moncur who ran a leg on the silver medal winning men’s relay squad also thanked his team members for the support during the championships.
“These guys have just proven to me that through motivation ad support that if we pull together for the country, we can do great things,” he said. “I am grateful for them,” Moncur said.
The remainder of the team that competed at the 10th World Championships are expected to arrive in the country over the next two days to participate in the week-long celebrations, which got underway yesterday, with the naming of a portion of Harrold Road after Williams-Darling.
They are expected to be available for events such as the motorcade, Family Island visits, boat cruise, a national rally and various school visits.
By: IANTHIA SMITH, The Nassau Guardian
