THE Anglican Sports Council has paid tribute to Bahamian athlete Tommy Robinson, who died last year.
Mr Robinson was a sports icon for the Bahamas, who represented the country in four consecutive summer Olympic Games, starting in 1956.
At the 1958 British Empire and Commonwealth games in Cardiff, Wales, he won gold in the 200 yards dash and silver in the 100 yards dash.
He again won silver in the 100 yards in the 1962 and 1966 British Empire and Commonwealth Games. He won gold at the 1962 Central American and Caribbean Games.
The Thomas A Robinson stadium was named in his honour - and was first opened in 1981 before being rebuilt and reopened in February last year.
He died on November 25 last year from cancer. He was 74.
The Anglican Sports Council said: “Mr Robinson, as we all knew, was an athlete of the highest calibre. He was a pace setter determined to put The Bahamas on the map of world athletics and make us all proud.
“Not only did Mr Robinson make his Bahamaland proud by his achievements but he made his God and Church proud. Mr Robinson sought in everything he did to put God first and never once did he fail to acknowledge from whom his strength and success came.
“Many of us have been touched by Mr Robinson’s life in some way or the other. Some of us may not have known him but we know what he has done, for others of us he was a father, grandfather, brother, uncle, cousin, friend, coach or mentor, maybe even a hero, but whatever role Mr Robinson played in your life I am sure without a doubt that the impact will never be forgotten.”
The council paid tribute to his work in Anglican sporting events.
The council said: “For the Anglican Youth Department and The Anglican Diocese, Mr Robinson will always be remembered for his participation in the Anglican sporting events especially the Anglican Track Meet.
“In October of this year, The Anglican Youth Department hosted its 7th Annual Track & Field Meet in honour of our very own Thomas Robinson who himself was an Anglican. “Upon contacting Mr Robinson informing him of this decision to honour him at this event, he was most proud. However, due to the decline of his health at that time, Mr Robinson was unable to attend the meet but kept tuned into what was going on at the stadium.
“On Sunday, November 25, Mr Robinson’s church saw it fit to dub that day Mr Thomas Robinson day and honour Mr Robinson and the youth of the church for their performance at the Anglican Track Meet. However that morning, God saw it fit to call Mr Robinson to run another kind of race and he peacefully went to meet his maker.
“As Mr Robinson has begun to run his new race in glory with his Lord and Saviour, I want to encourage all of us with the words of Mr Robinson, ‘Run and don’t look back, run and hold your head high, run as if you have already won the race, run and know that you are a winner just because you tried’.”
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