The Tribune

By BRENT STUBBS

Senior Sports Reporter

bstubbs@tribunemedia.net

AFTER watching the successful hosting of the Island Luck Cares Foundation senior and junior boys’ basketball tournament over the weekend in Grand Bahama, Minister of Youth, Sports and Culture Mario Bowleg said he doesn’t see why the same can’t be done in New Providence.

With all major sporting activities put on hold since the coronavirus pandemic outbreak in March, 2020, very few sporting bodies have been able to reactivate their normal sporting functions, based on the protocol measures put in place.

But Bowleg said he had the opportunity to meet with the executives of both the Government Secondary Schools Sports Association and the Bahamas Association of Independent Secondary Schools (BAISS) with the view of resuming competition in 2022.

“It wasn’t so much the return of sports, but what was so amazing was the fact that the student-athletes were happy to know that they could get involved in some type of physical activity that would allow them to get their mental minds and physical bodies in state of being able to compete again,” he said.

“That in itself shows that we want to have a healthy mind and body in this country and sports is one of those vehicles in the country that we need to ensure that persons do not have any mental stress because of the unavailability to perform and live in some type of normalcy.”

As a former player, coach and administrator in basketball, Bowleg said he understands the need to have an active sporting programme, which brings a lot of relief and less stress to those persons who can also benefit from an entertainment and economical standpoint.

“With the event in Grand Bahama, persons were able to watch it online and the student-athletes and coaches were happy to be back on the court, doing what they love, as they entertained the fans,” Bowleg said.

“So with it being properly policed by the COVID- 19 officers, the necessary regulations were adhered to, which means that it can be done,” Bowleg said. “So we’re looking for more associations and federations getting their sporting events off in the next couple of weeks.”

With Grand Bahama getting off the ground this weekend, there have been a few basketball tournaments and other low-key sporting activities in New Providence, which showed the fact that the country is slowly getting back to some type of normalcy.

“GSSSA has presented their proposal and I’ve met with BAISS,” Bowleg said. “They have made it clear their intention to provide the necessary protocols to be able to resume their competitions.

“The associations, which I call the night league, have also done the same, including the Bahamas Basketball Federation. They have been given their approvals from the Ministry of Health, so it’s up to them adhering to the protocols that have been put in place.”

One of the main criteria for their sporting activities to take place is to ensure that the athletes and officials produce negative rapid testing results on a regular basis. “If those rules are adhered to, I’m sure that we will be on the road to having sports returned to its rightful place in the Bahamas,” Bowleg said. “It’s up to those associations who have been granted permission to work on their time frame to resume their activities.

“There’s no blockage for any sporting body to perform. It’s opened, but they must proceed with caution as they work towards getting restarted. So we anticipate that those who have not had any activity yet, will be working towards restarting in January.”

As far as the schools are concerned, both the GSSSA and BAISS may be hampered from the fact that they are working towards a full return of their students in the classroom after the focus before the start of the new school year in September was on virtual classes.