The Tribune

By BRENT STUBBS

Senior Sports Reporter

bstubbd@tribunemedia.net

MEMBER of Parliament Wayde Watson said one of the alternative ways of helping to deter some of the crime in his inner city community is to stage their inaugural Bain and Grants Town Summer Games.

In honouring living sporting and community legends Cynthia ‘Mother’ Pratt and Fred ‘Papa’ Smith, the games are slated to take place from Monday, June 27 to Saturday, July 30.

Competition in three popular disciplines will take place between five zones in the community - Dillies (polling divisions 1 and 4); Almonds (polling divisions 2 and 9); Star Apples (polling divisions 3 and 5); Guineps (polling division 6 and 8) and Blue Marlin (polling divisions 7 and 10).

While softball and basketball will be played at the newly refurbished Southern Recreation Grounds, track and field will be contested at the original Thomas A Robinson Track and Field Stadium.

According to sports director Mark Knowles, they are anticipating having more than 400 participants from within the community participate in the games that will consist of a 12-and-under division for skills development, 13-16 age group for exposure and opportunity and 17-and-above ages for open and co-ed competitors.

He noted that the game is designed with four major objectives in mind:

1. The objectives of the games are to provide an environment for physical sporting development for the constituents of Bain and Grants Town.

2. To provide opportunity for the constituents to showcase their skills and talents in sports.

3. To promote sportsmanship, leadership, teamwork and self-confidence.

4. To promote camaraderie within the town communities of Bain and Grants town.

Watson, a former basketball player who went on to coach at every level from high school, night league and the national team before he ventured into politics, said as a young boy growing up in the community, he remembered the talent that emerged to represent the Bahamas at the CARIFTA Games and Caricom basketball.

“I’m hoping that this initiative or this programme, will facilitate getting us back to the level that we used to be at,” Watson said.

“This initiative is very important to me. This is a passion for me.

“I would like to see our community transformed using basketball and softball and using track and field in this first year as an opportunity to showcase our skills and talents.”

Additionally, Watson said he’s hoping that the event will help to bridge the gap that has divided their community over the years and bring it back to the glory days when they played with the bicycle hoops, spinning tops and shooting marbles.

Versatile female multiple sporting star Cynthia Pratt, a former MP who became the Deputy Prime Minister and is now the Acting Governor General and Fred Smith, a talented basketball/softball/player player, coach and administrator, were both selected by the committee because they were born and raised in Bain and Grants Town and they continue to give back to the community.

In thanking the committee for selecting him, Smith said he’s delighted that he was selected to be honoured as he expressed his gratitude for the community that helped to raise him as he played basketball on the Priory Grounds with Pratt and John Todd, just to name a few.

“The late Vince Ferguson had a vision, as the president of the Bahamas Basketball Association, to take basketball into the communities, so we had a Priory team and we had a Fox Hill team” Smith recalled. “We had different teams in different areas and they brought us all together. I know this is just a Bain and Grants Town community initiative, but this is a very good thing. It takes the youngsters off the streets and puts them on the courts or on the field.

“Let’s take the guns out of the youngsters’ hands and put the balls in their hands, put basketball, baseball, gloves in their hands. If they want to shoot something, let them shoot hoops, basketball.”

Smith said he longs for the days when he returns to watch and participate in sports where they can return to the stands when families came out in droves and support those persons participating and not hearing so much of the profanity that has been a deterrent to so many persons who want to come out.

The games, according to Watson, are intended to be an annual event held during the summer months. He said hopefully, it will spin off into an island community competition where the other constituencies will come together and compete in some friendly competition.

Sean Bastian, one of the coordinators, encouraged both the public and private school physical education teachers and coaches to use the games as a recruitment process as the University of the Bahamas will definitely make it a priority for their Mingoes Athletic Department.

Persons interested in participating in the games are urged to contact Knowles at 467-9203, Diasti Delancy at 801-1469 or Patricia Burrows at 426-6818 for more details.