The Tribune

By NICO SCAVELLA

Tribune Staff Reporter

nscavella@tribunemedia.net

AN alleged “last minute” issue with travel costs by a Cabinet minister cost a junior national track and field team one day of competition and jeopardised its chances at emerging victorious at a highly anticipated regional track meet two weeks ago, Bahamas Union of Teachers Secretary General John Musgrove said yesterday.

Mr Musgrove, in an official BUT statement, said less than ten days before the 40-member team was scheduled to travel to the 16th Caribbean Union of Teachers (CUT) Track and Field Championships, Director of Youth, Sports and Culture Tim Munnings told BUT executives that the team no longer had confirmed transport to the event because Youth, Sports and Culture Minister Dr Daniel Johnson reportedly “felt that the cost should be (covered) by the Ministry of Education”.

Mr Musgrove said notwithstanding the BUT’s “disappointment of the last minute development,” discussions then led to a “possible agreement” to have the Ministry of Youth, Sports and Culture bear half the cost and for the Ministry of Education “to be approached about securing the other half”. He said the BUT was “assured” that the national team would not be stranded.

Nonetheless, Mr Musgrove said that the “last minute development,” coupled with a subsequent “miscommunication” led to members and coaches of Team Bahamas “being sent to the airport before the new flight plans were confirmed.”

The BUT said it ultimately agreed to pay half the cost of the flight so that the team could get to Tortola, British Virgin Islands (BVI), where the championships were taking place. The BUT said Team Bahamas arrived in the BVI on the evening of Friday, July 15, and were only able to compete the following Saturday, the final day of competition.

The team ultimately placed seventh out of 14 countries, finishing with a total score of 157 points and winning 11 medals.

Mr Musgrove said the Ministry of Youth, Sports and Culture, by an agreement with the Bahamas Association of Athletic Associations (BAAA), was responsible for the travel arrangements. That much was agreed between the ministry and the BAAA “with calls and emails subsequently made between the two parties,” Mr Musgrove said.

Mr Musgrove said a meeting was held on May 5 at the ministry with Mr Munnings, who agreed to facilitate the transport of the team. Mr Musgrove said the only issue at the time was the size of the aircraft - whether it should be a 70-seater or a 120-seater.

“At no time before this, was the Bahamas Union of Teachers made aware that we would have to pay for the flight,” Mr Musgrove said. “The (Ministry of Youth) was made aware of the CUT games months in advance.”

Attempts to reach Dr Johnson for comment were unsuccessful yesterday.

The statement by the BUT comes nearly two weeks after a disgruntled parent told The Tribune that it was a “tragedy” that his son and 39 other young athletes had been “left in limbo” for almost two days not knowing if they would make it to the championships.

Expecting to leave Nassau a day ahead of the meet, the parent said Team Bahamas was left stranded at the Lynden Pindling International Airport (LPIA) when they discovered that they were not booked on their respective flights as they prepared for departure.

The parent said his family and some eight team members who travelled from Freeport, Grand Bahama, were stuck at LPIA from 7am until 4pm on July 13 with no idea if they would make it to the BVI in time for the championships.

The CUT games are a series of events that bring together approximately 700 of the best athletes between the ages of 8-15, along with coaches, from 23 countries in the region, in the spirit of Caribbean unity and friendly competition.