The Tribune

By RENALDO DORSETT

Sports Reporter

rdorsett@tribunemedia.net

With just 93 days left before the “Bahamazing” return of the IAAF World Relays, preparations have begun in earnest as the Bahamas Government and the local organising committee announced the official launch of the third edition of the event.

This year’s signature event for the Bahamas is now scheduled for April 22-23 at the Thomas A Robinson National Stadium.

A joint press conference was held yesterday at the stadium where Bahamas Association of Athletic Associations (BAAA) president Rosamunde Carey led the group that unveiled plans as the event is set to return to the Bahamas.

Carey, who also serves as the CEO of the IAAF World Relays Bahamas 2017,  said the LOC is looking forward to once again producing another world class international event, which rivals other international events hosted in other parts of the world.

“For the third time the Bahamas will host the World Relays. Having proven ourselves as a viable sporting nation, capable of pulling off an event of this magnitude and attracting a whose who of track and field,” she said.

“I look forward to a seamless production of this sporting and touristic event. The IAAF has entrusted the BAAAs and the Bahamas at large with a precious gem which we have successfully nurtured since 2014.”

The only country to host the event since its inception, the Bahamas also successfully won the bid to host in 2019 and have placed bids for 2021 and 2023.

The IAAF opted not to hold a World Relays last year because of the Olympic Games in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.

“We also presented the gargantuan idea of the Bahamas becoming the permanent home of the World Relays so the name Bahamas becomes synonymous with each other. We are the only country to have hosted the event,” she said. “Our citizens and athletes should be proud of this as a major source of exposure to give them an opportunity to shine in their own backyard and compete against some of the best athletes in the world.”

As they prepare to venture into the third event, Carey said Bahamian athletes should have much to prove on the track as well.

“Our women’s 4x4 team set a new national record in Rio and that will be just one of the performances I’m looking forward as I’m excited to see how they mash up the track in 2017. Much anticipation will be placed on our athletes,” Carey said. “Our athletes continue to strive for the best and as small as our nation is, we are chest to chest with the big boys at the finish line in every major sporting event around the world.  We are known to walk quietly but to carry a big stick.  As large as those other countries are and as disciplined and famous as their athletes are, they respect us greatly for the contribution we have made towards sports internationally.  The local organisers of these relays are very excited about hosting once again and of course much anticipation is being placed on the performance of our athletes as many of them will be competing for the Golden Baton.”

Corporate Bahamas would again be called upon to ensure the Bahamas is able to maintain a positive showing as hosts.

Hosting the event will require 500 event volunteers and 100 organising committee volunteers.

“Hosting the relays is a costly venture, therefore we call upon corporate Bahamas to give and give generously to ensure that international standards are met and kept,” Carey said. “The Good Lord loves a cheerful giver and so do we. When we talk about corporate sponsorship we look at the bigger picture which shows that we will once again be hosting the World Relays in 2019 AND we have a reputation to keep intact.” 

Bahamian track and field icon and IAAF council woman Pauline Davis-Thompson is credited as being the catalyst behind the creation of the event and guiding it toward the Bahamas.

“Who would have thought a young black girl from Fleming Street would be on the world stage like this. Who would have thought that she would have been able to convince the IAAF that they needed a new event, that that event should be the World Relays and that it should be held in the Bahamas. She was able to do that because of the village, the Commonwealth of the Bahamas that raised her,” Davis-Thompson said, “I am thankful to serve this great nation and I want you to know that I am constantly representing you the way you raised me to.”

She credited the hospitality of the Bahamian people as one of the main reasons the Bahamas continues to be such an attractive venue.

“This is the third edition of the World Relays being held here and we have been amazing. The world cannot stop talking about you. When the world speaks of the World Relays, they speak of the Bahamian people. They revel at how you encourage and cheer loudly for everyone, you just cheer a little louder for the Bahamas. Because of you, this third edition is going to be better than the rest,” Davis-Thompson said.

Minister of Youth, Sports and Culture, Dr. Daniel Johnson said the event continues to be one of the highlights of the “Sports In Paradise” initiative.

“When I came to this ministry I told people that I am in the business of sports and the tourism business is built on repeat group customers. That’s how we built our industry. We know what we have achieved and that we have great figures that can go around the world. We  also know what we can do on the field and on the stage as hosts. We’re not simply brining an event home, we brought an industry home. The whole idea of Sports In Paradise is to generate revenue to benefit the Bahamian people. No matter how much they complain, 80 percent of every dollar we spend is spent on the Bahamian people. The world spends $7.1 trillion per year on this industry and 45 percent of people that travel do so for sports and entertainment. The return on our investment from the World Relays has now been 5:1”

Minister Johnson said the IAAF World Relays is just one of several marquee  sporting events that will be coming to the Bahamas in 2017, making it the greatest year for Sports Tourism.

“The first one is always the toughest one but it proved our mettle that we could produce a world class even in a global setting for the world to see and realize that Bahamians are for real. Then we did it again. As we go into the third edition, this event, we have improved in every aspect. Everything we have put in we now realized that we’re in the black, we’re no longer in the red, we’re ahead. It’s important because building an industry we are making and paying our way,” he said, “We have something that nobody else has. We are the only place in the world that has ever hosted the most exciting athletic event in the world. Everybody wants it and we have it. This event shattered the glass ceiling for this region in hosting a global sports market.”

In addition to traditional events, the IAAF announced that they would include a mixed 4 x 400 metre relay, which will close out the two-day event on Saturday night.

The mixed relay, comprising of two men and two women, will add to the 2017 programme that will consist of four other relay disciplines, inclusive of the 4x100m, 4x200m, 4x400m and 4x800m for both men and women.

Since the inception of the World Relays in 2014 when 276 men and 194 women from 41 member federations competed, the event has grown with 514 athletes from 42 countries featuring 284 men and 230 women in 2015.

The USA dominated the first two editions, winning the inaugural Golden Baton, awarded to the team that accrues the most points, with 60. The following year, USA underlined their dominance, taking seven victories and tallying 63 points. 

Three world records were set in 2014: in the men’s 4x200m by Jamaica and by Kenyan squads in both the men’s and women’s 4x1500m. In 2015, world records were set by US quartets in both the men’s and women’s distance medley relays.

The inaugural World Relays allowed the top eight teams in both the men and women 4 x 100 and 4 x 400m to automatically qualify for the IAAF World Championships in 2015 in Beijing, China.

The same format will continue this year in qualifying for the World Championships in London, England in August.