The Tribune

By BRENT STUBBS

Senior Sports Reporter

bstubbs@tribunemedia.net

NEWLY appointed Minister of Youth, Sports and Culture Michael Pintard said the Frank 'Pancho' Rahming National Primary Schools Track and Field Championships will remain a staple event on the local sporting calendar.

Pintard, in his first official outing since becoming a minister in the Free National Movement government, was speaking during the ceremonies yesterday at the original Thomas A Robinson Track and Field Stadium.

He said the meet will continue because the focus is on the development of the young athletes.

"We are here because we love you, but we also recognise that you are our future," Pintard told the participants from the various schools across the Bahamas who are competing in the meet that will close today.

"We want you to know that we are turning to you for answers to questions that generations in the past have not yet been able to answer. We are relying on you to answer some of the questions we have not been able to answer."

Pintard advised the youngsters to participate in the spirit of friendship with all of the young people who come from all of the other schools in the Bahamas. We want you to continue to prepare for these kinds of games with the discipline that you have shown in the past.

"We want you to continue to prepare for these kinds of games with the discipline that you have shown in the past," he said. "And while only three may get medals, you are all winners. So we want you to hold your heads up and be proud of the work that you are doing at your school that has allowed your teachers to select you to participate in these competitions."

Through athletics, Pintard assured the youngsters that they can develop discipline and, if they can all work together, they can ensure that the whole team does well.

"And in competing, we want you to compete in fair play because later in life, it is important for you as it is now, to play by the rules," Pintard said. "And so we want you to be fair in the competition. We want you to respect the outcome of the competition.

"It isn't always that we are pleased with how things turn out. But it is important that we show respect for all of the officials that are here today, respect for the coaches that continue to guide you and mature you and give you good advice."

Pintard further advised the audience that his ministry would continue to support the meet just as they would with all of the meets as they have done over the years.

"We believe that sports is a national development tool that to the extent that we can guide our athletes, not just to become elite athletes, but to develop healthy lifestyles in respect to where we are building a stronger and healthy country," he charged.

"So I wish to pledge my support to this competition and, in so doing, I'm pledging the government's support in this competition and to say to all of the Family Island teams coming in that we appreciate you and we will be meeting with you to develop all of the facilities on your respective islands."

After making his speech, Pintard presented his first share of medals to the girls 1,200 metres category B. The winner was Jasmine Mackey of Yellow Elder Primary in four minutes and 18.90 seconds. Chinara Grant of St Anne's was second in 4:33.00 and Lilly Comacho of Queen's College got third in 4:38.74.

"It was a pleasure and it felt really good because one of the dreams was to win the gold medal," said Mackey, a 10-year-old sixth grader. "I am so happy that I got the medal from the minister."

Also present to give some remarks during the ceremony was Olympian Ramon Miller. He said he remembered competing in the meet when it was known as the Ovaltine Meet. He congratulated the organisers for continuing to keep it alive.

Miller congratulated the organisers for continuing to keep it alive and he wished all of the athletes every success as they compete in the meet. He said he hopes that one day he can see some of them excel to the status as an elite athlete like himself.