A proud moment for The Bahamas

thenassauguardian editorial

Nassau, The Bahamas:

Bahamians the world over are no doubt still basking in the glory of Friday’s Olympic gold medal performance in the men’s 4x400-meter relay.

All activity virtually came to a standstill on Friday afternoon as Chris Brown, Demetrius Pinder, Michael Mathieu and Ramon Miller ran what seemed a perfect race, stunning the mighty U.S.A, which had not lost the men’s 4x400m race in decades. The Bahamian men’s team also set a national record.

It was a proud moment for The Bahamas.  And it could not have come at a better time. The win lifted the spirits of the entire nation.

Still reeling from the economic impact of the ‘Great Recession’, deeply concerned about the troubling crime rate and greatly polarized following a bitterly-fought general election, Bahamians were more than ready for the unity and hope that the impressive win by the relay team brought.

It was the first and only medal for The Bahamas at the 30th Olympic Games.  It was also the first Olympic gold medal for Bahamian men on the track.  And it places The Bahamas as the third fastest nation in the event, behind the United States and Great Britain.

It should also be noted that The Bahamas achieved another first at the London Olympics, when Arianna Vanderpool-Wallace became the first Bahamian to make an Olympic final swimming event, the 50m freestyle.

The Bahamas is no stranger to Olympic medal performances.  Friday’s gold medal continued an impressive streak of at least one medal for The Bahamas at six straight Olympics dating back 20 years.

For such a small nation we have had tremendous success in sports on the world stage.

The success shows that we are a small country but we can achieve great things with hard work, focus and determination.  The men’s 4x400m team also represents a shining example of discipline, determination and perseverance — at a time when male role models are lacking.

The government invests a certain amount in the country’s athletes, and should be commended for doing so, but no one would argue against the view that more needs to be done to support our existing athletes and encourage more participation.

Sports is good for communities.  It promotes good health, it can prevent antisocial behavior, and it helps build confidence in children, among many, many other benefits.

As a small nation with limited funds, we may not have the resources needed to jumpstart the nation’s sports program right now, but perhaps it is time for a serious public discussion about how we fund and encourage athletics in The Bahamas in the future.

We have world-class sporting facilities.  In addition to figuring out how we can generate revenue and visitor arrivals from these facilities, we also need to identify how these facilities can best benefit our current and future athletes.

While a number of corporate citizens regularly support sports programs, the private sector should become even more involved in the support and promotion of sports in our nation.

Our Bahamian athletes have shown that the investment is one that is worthwhile.

Aug 13, 2012

thenassauguardian editorial