The Tribune

By BRENT STUBBS

Senior Sports Reporter

bstubbs@tribunemedia.net

IN a rematch of the 6th Bahamas Games in July, the Bahamas Softball Federation will stage its 2023 All-Star Tournament this weekend in the Bankers Field at the Baillou Hills Sporting Complex.

The tournament is expected to feature six women’s teams and seven men from islands, including New Providence, Grand Bahama, Eleuthera, Long Island, Abaco, Andros, Exuma and San Salvador, starting at 7pm Thursday and continuing through Sunday when the two champions will be crowned.

According to Jennifer Isaacs-Dotson, the first female elected to serve as the president of the BSF, they are looking forward to a competitive weekend for the fans to enjoy some competitive fast-action.

The tournament is being held in conjunction with the Ministry of Youth, Sports and Culture for their National Sports Month.

It also replaces the BSF’s National Round Robin as there was very few competitive fast-pitch softball played in the country since the Bahamas Games.

“I think after the Bahamas Games, this will give the impetus for our Family Island teams to start playing softball again,” Dotson-Isaacs said. “We know that New Providence is playing an abbreviated season and one or two islands have engaged in some level of competition.

“But we really want to get softball started again. We are going to embark on going into the Family Islands and to see what’s happening with the various associations and to give any assistance that they need in reference to what they need on their particular island.”

Isaacs-Dotson said she’s quite aware that facilities are a major issue for the majority of the Family Islands and they will be working with the Ministry of Sports to see how =best assistance can be provided for the improvement of their fields.

“This tournament is being held in leu of the BSF’s National Round Robin and we hope that we can spark the interest in the game that we experienced at the Bahamas Games. So I think it’s going to be very competitive.”

As it’s dubbed an All-Star Tournament, Isaacs-Dotson said there will be no restrictions on the make-up of the teams competing in the All-Star Tournament, once the players would have played in the respective leagues in the past.

“We liked what we saw at the Bahamas Games and we hope that we can see that same type of comradery during this tournament,” she stated. “We also hope that we can see more of the younger players coming to the forefront so that we can build on the future of the sport on these islands.”

All games are expected to be played at the Bankers’ Field, but Isaacs-Dotson said if the need arises, they will use the adjacent fields at the Baillou Hills Sporting Complex to ensure that they complete the tournament on time on Sunday.