The Tribune

By BRENT STUBBS

bstubbs@tribunemedia.net

IT’S the thanksgiving season, so rather than ranting and raving about what isn’t going right and what needs to be corrected in local sports, I thought I would just take this time to be thankful.

Thankful for the fact that God has spared our lives to read this column, even though it has a slightly different twist from the norm each week.

We don’t have a public holiday as they do in the United States and people were consumed with the lavish turkey meal, watching football and getting ready for the busiest shopping time of the year.

We have the Goombay Splash Bowl at the National Tennis Centre where two of the top junior players in the Bahamas Lawn Tennis Association will be vying for the girls’ and boys’ titles today.

By the time some of you would have read this, it might be too late to head there as Sydney Clarke and Jacobi Bain will be on the court at 9am this mornng against their Americans foes Leyden Games and Bruno Kuzuhara respectively.

It’s the first time that the Bahamas will have two players in the final in the same event, so we have to be grateful for their achievements, whether or not they go all the way and win.

We should be thankful that there is still the Battle 4 Atlantis that is in full swing at Atlantis where eight of the top division one men’s basketball teams are in competition.

And in Bimini, there are eight teams squaring off in the 2018 Women’s Junkanoo Jam Field, a tournament that was unfortunately moved from Grand Bahama and never went back.

We are thankful that Grand Bahama is still reaping some of the economic effects with the hosting of the Tabernacle Baptist Tournament for high school teams as there are some visiting teams from the United States.

These tournaments, like the others that have been staged here in recent times, give Bahamians a rare opportunity to see some of the future National Basketball Association and Women’s National Basketball Association (WNBA) players.

Let’s be thankful that those tournaments have not been moved from our shores because of a lack of funding, as is the case of the International Amateur Athletic Federation’s World Relays that is going to Japan next April. We should be thankful that the Bahamas has become one of the sporting destinations around the world with at least one major event in basketball, football, track and field, soccer and golf making a stop here.

No doubt, the Bahamas Roadmasters are thankful that not all of the cash prize for their sixth annual Bahamas Half Marathon went into the pockets of the foreign competitors.

Oneil Williams came home from training in Kenya and benefitted by carting off the men’s purse of $5,000, which he said is needed to support his efforts.

Suzy Eneas gave it a gallant effort, but just fell shy of securing the women’s share of the cash that went to Canadian Pascale Dubois, who was here on vacation with her family.

Based on the competition we also saw over the weekend in the Nations League, we’re grateful that the men’s national soccer team did not get shutout - again, finishing in a 1-1 draw on a second half goal from substitute Nesly Jean against Anguilla at the Thomas A Robinson National Stadium.

Afterwards, Dion Godet hinted that he might be stepping down as head coach of the team as he doesn’t feel he’s the one to carry the team to the next level. We are thankful that at least he admitted that the handwriting maybe on the wall and it’s time to step aside and pass the mantle on.

Finally, we’re thankful that on Saturday, the Bahamas Association of Athletic Associations will finally host its election of officers and all of the ranting and raving will cease with the new administration in place. Whether it’s Rosamunde Carey returning or Drumeco Archer replacing her as president, we would be thankful that the delegates get to choose the right leader and that the BAAA can move forward with its vibrant programme.

I’m just grateful that today, I won’t get off on a tantrum, but I can pause to give God all thanks and praise for allowing me to write another objective column. Let’s all just be thankful for whatever state we find ourselves in. This is a good time to be thankful as we look ahead to the festive season that is just around the corner.

In all things, give thanks.