The Bahamas Bowling Federation (BBF) ratified a small team, led by former national champions Driskell Rolle and Sonith "Kemosabee" Lockhart, to travel to the Pan Am Sports Festival.
The bowling competition is being held in Puebla, Mexico. The festival started on July 11 and runs until the end of September. Other members of the bowling team are 2013 and 2014 finalist at the nationals Jonice "Joy" Lockhart and first-time national team member, Royal Bahamas Defence Force (RBDF) Officer Byron McClain. Also traveling with the team is coach/delegate Ryan Davis.
The bowling competition will get underway on July 17 and will conclude on Sunday, July 20. The team left on Monday and arrived safely in Mexico yesterday.
The team has an awesome task to accomplish. It must finish in the top tier of the tournament in order for The Bahamas to qualify for the bowling competition at the 2015 Pan Am Games, to be held in Toronto, Canada next year.
"Notwithstanding there will be other opportunities for The Bahamas to qualify, we certainly would like to 'punch our ticket early' to this prestigious competition," said BBF Public Relations Officer Clayton J. Gardiner. "The team is quite aware of this and all members and the coach are confident that they will accomplish this."
The team will be bowling singles, doubles and mixed doubles. In speaking with Jonice Lockhart about the tournament, she felt that it was a good team and expressed confidence that they would do well. Coach Davis also was in agreement with Lockhart and he sees no reason why The Bahamas cannot perform well at this festival. Coach Davis pointed to the past performances on the world stage, and sees The Bahamas as an emerging power in bowling.
Sonith Lockhart is the most experienced bowler in the group, and he will have to assist, where necessary, to ensure that bowlers are on 'their games', concentrating on throwing good shots. Sonith Lockhart has travelled quite extensively, representing the country in the sport bowling. He knows that he has to lead the team. When asked about the team's chances in Mexico, he acknowledged that he must set the example for the team. He expressed complete confidence in his teammate Byron McClain, stating that he is a good listener and is receptive to suggestions if he has to adjust his game based on lane conditions.
When asked what kind of averages they must post in this competition, Lockhart said that he must average about 215, Officer McClain around 205 and the ladies should be around 200 if they are to be competitive. Well, time will tell whether those averages will be enough.
Teams from Colombia, the Dominican Republic, Mexico and Puerto Rico will all be at this festival, looking to book their tickets for the 2015 Pan Am Games.
The BBF extends special thanks and appreciation to the Bahamas Olympic Committee (BOC) for playing a part in facilitating the trip to Mexico. The federation also wishes to thank BTC, Ernst & Young, Baha Mar and the RBDF for allowing their employees the time off to represent The Bahamas at the international competition.
The president of the Bahamas Bowling Federation is Yule Hoyte.

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