The Tribune

By BRENT STUBBS

Senior Sports Reporter

bstubbs@tribunemedia.net

MEMBERS of the men’s national volleyball team are thankful for the support they got from Canadian fashion designer Peter Nygard yesterday.

On Sunday, while presenting the “Golden Knights” - Chris “Fireman” Brown, Michael Mathieu, Ramon “Fearless” Miller and Demetrius Pinder (in his absence) - with a cheque for $10,000 each, Nygard split $10,000 between the men’s volleyball team that captured the gold at the Caribbean Volleyball Championships in July in Suriname.

It was the first type of public recognition and accolades that the team received since their victory. The men were saying that they “won the gold at the wrong time,” referring to the fact that the victory got overshadowed by the Olympic Games in London, England, where the “Golden Knights” upset the United States for the gold.

But Bahamas Olympic Committee president Wellington Miller said he was pleased that someone like Nygard has decided to make the contribution to not only the “Golden Knights”, but to the victorious volleyball team as well.

“He gave out $50,000 today for sports. That’s great,” Miller said. “For one man to give that kind of money for sports is very encouraging.”

Shadrack Forbes, the captain of the men’s volleyball team, said it wasn’t so much the money, but rather the support that they have received from Nygard for the past 13 years on his man-made beach volleyball facility.

“We respect him because he’s done a lot for us in the sport,” he said.

Although the men’s team felt that they have not gotten any type of recognition after beating Barbados in the semifinal and Trinidad & Tobago in the final - a feat in the region that is in comparison to the men’s relay team upsetting the United States at the Olympics.

“We pretty much brought it home,” Forbes said. “But we have another tournament next month where we will be the favourite to win it, so we are going to go out there and with the support of Peter Nygard, will try to win another title.”

Tony Simon said Nygard’s contribution was very significant because it’s the first thing that they got since returning home.

“It’s sad because a foreigner had to recognise us,” he said. “But we really appreciate what he has done for us. It’s something that he has continued to do and we look forward to him supporting us again when we get set to travel next month again.”

Along with Forbes and Simon, the other members of the team present to receive their cheque from Nygard were Renaldo Knowles, Ian ‘Wire’ Pinder and Javari Southand. However, Nygard didn’t reveal the exact amount that each player received. He also acknowledged both Byron Ferguson and Prince Wilson, who are now playing professionally in Denmark.

The men’s team is now preparing to travel to Curacao for the 2014 FIVB World Volleyball Men’s NORCECA First Round Group A that is slated to be held October 26-29.