The Tribune

By BRENT STUBBS

Senior Sports Reporter

bstubbs@tribunemedia.net

WHILE there were no normal activities to commemorate the Fox Hill festivities on Tuesday, Pastor Robert ‘Bob’ Brown took the opportunity to recognise the achievement of some of the legendary basketball players in the community.

The event was staged on the Fox Hill Parade and was attended by Bishop Carl Rahming, pastor of St Paul’s Baptist Church, Progressive Liberal Party chairman Fred Mitchell and Free National Movement’s candidate John Pinder, the latter two who will be contesting the seat for Fox Hill that will be vacated by MP Shonel Ferguson in the upcoming general elections.

According to Brown, a former sprinter who went on to become one of the top powerlifters in the country, the whole purpose was to remember the legends in the sport of basketball. He was joined by his brother, the Reverend Anthony Brown, another former basketball player, who assisted in the event,

“We took the time out to recognise Reuben ‘Cheetah’ Knowles, Reggie Demeritte and Ed White, just to name a few of the former outstanding players, who passed away,” Brown said. “We also recognised those still alive like Kermit ‘Pa’ Rolle, who scored 68 points in a single game and Patrick ‘Soft Touch’ McKenzie, who played for the Fox Hill Nangoes and the Fox Hill Saints. We wanted to recognise them for their contribution to the sport.”

Although there have been so many players who played on the various teams that represented Fox Hill in the New Providence Basketball Association and the Bahamas Government Departmental Basketball Association, Brown said they wanted to make a start and Fox Hill Day turned out to be the ideal time.

“I felt very good that we were able to have a small ceremony like this to recognise these guys on Fox Hill Day,” Brown said. “We had to comply with the COVID-19 restrictions and so we didn’t have a large ceremony. But I’m glad that we were able to pull it off by honouring some of the legends out of Fox Hill.”

Brown said in the future, they intend to organise persons out of Fox Hill in other sports like track and field like MP Ferguson, William ‘Knucklehead’ Johnson and Lavern Eve, who were some of the athletes who excelled in the past.

“We had so many athletes who excelled in so many sports in Fox Hill, but a lot of them have not gotten the recognition that they deserve,” Brown said. “We only honoured a few in basketball, but we have some more to do in the future.”

During the ceremony, Pastor Emnsy Charles and members of Macedonia Church of East Street performed special music for those in attendance.