The Tribune

By BRENT STUBBS

Senior Sports Reporter

bstubbs@tribunemedia.net

WITH the fourth Commonwealth Youth Games all set for the Bahamas next year, the Bahamas Olympic Committee is making sure that they are properly prepared for all challenges they will encounter when the more than 1,000 athletes from the majority of the 71 registered countries come to compete.

On Monday, BOC president Wellington Miller, along with Stan Smith, the ambassador at large for human rights in relation to matters involving agencies of the OAS, as well as the representative of the Bahamas in the UN in regards to human rights, will be participating in week-long activities in London, England, in relationship to the human rights aspects of hosting the youth as well as the Commonwealth Games.

“We will be going to let them know that the Bahamas is ready and willing to host the Commonwealth Games next year,” Miller said. “They asked if we had any agenda bill in the Bahamas and I was able to tell them yes, the Bahamas Government just passed the gender bill on Friday. So I will be enlightening them on that.”

During their visit, Miller said they will get a capsule of what transpired in Glasgow, Scotland at the last Commonwealth Games, as well as a preview of the Commonwealth Youth Games in the Bahamas in 2017, and the Commonwealth Games in the Gold Coast in 2018.

“The human rights is a big part of the Commonwealth Games and so while we are there, they will be pushing it,” Miller said. “While we are in London, we will be relying on the high commissioners to help push the Bahamas and the games that we will be having.

“We will be attending courses on the Human Rights Convention, the human rights of a child and the human rights on mega sports to see how that blends and make sure that we have all of that incorporated in our games. When I get back, I will be bringing the message back to the CEO of the games so that he can make sure that it is implemented.”

By coming on as a late host of the Commonwealth Youth Games, Miller said they want to be able to set the template for other nations to follow in putting on such an event as they intend to work directly with the disabilities and ensuring that they too feel a part of the games.

“As the games go on, we expect to have Northern Ireland come to see how it is being done and we also expect to have people from the Gold Coast come to see how it’s being done,” Miller said. “This is a very powerful event that we will be attending next week as we promote the Commonwealth Youth Games and getting people ready and letting the rest of the Commonwealth know that the Bahamas is prepared to host the games.”

Smith said the initiative by the BOC is in keeping with the agenda that the United Nations is doing.

“During major sports events, there’s significant policies that increase,” he said. “Sex trafficking, human smuggling and money laundering. What they want to do in these games is address these policies as well as those that affect athletes, especially children athletes and all of the various problems that arise around sporting events in relations to children.”

Smith said they hope to find ways to effectively utilise the policies with the inter agencies such as the Ministry of Social Services and the Ministry of National Security and the Royal Bahamas Police Force.

BOC secretary general Romell Knowles, who serves as the CEO of the Commonwealth Youth Games, said their committee is working diligently to ensure that these are the best games held on this side of the world.

“In the coming weeks, the committee will make an official announcement on our progress, but I can tell you that 41 countries have expressed an interest. Obviously the Commonwealth has 71 countries and we expect that if we don’t get all 71, we will get close to 71.

“So right now, we are still exploring the sports programme. We are in discussions to get beach soccer for the first time in the games. Those discussions are preliminary, but they are ongoing. And we are reaching out to the seven sporting disciplines for their support.”

In their bid package, while beach soccer was added as an extra sport, Knowles said they sold the games on the idea of having participation in judo, boxing, swimming, track and field, rugby, tennis and road cycling. There is a cap of 1,000 athletes between the ages of 14-18 years, who will be divided among the seven disciplines.

Knowles publicly thanked Prime Minister Perry Christie for his visionary leadership in helping to seal the deal during the bid process.