What's another 300,000 for the CBBI

Wed, Feb 25th 2015, 09:34 AM

After investing more than nine million dollars into an event that is not even fully Bahamian, and pumping millions more into the hosting of major sports tourism events such as the International Association of Athletics Federations' (IAAF) World Relays, what's a measly $300,000 to give to a local hero for the staging of an athletics meet that rocked the country and the Caribbean region two years ago?
That's the question that national hero Chris Brown is asking, and the position that he finds himself in, trying to secure funds from the Government of The Bahamas for the second Chris Brown Bahamas Invitational (CBBI).
The name Chris Brown itself might not be as attractive as franchises such as the Miami Dolphins or the Miami Heat, or his event might not be as far-reaching as the world relays, but when one looks at the caliber of athletes he attracted to these shores two years ago, and those promised to make an appearance in 2015, the CBBI is just as appealing as major meets in Europe.
In defense of the government, Brown said that the prime minister himself has personally approved endorsement and has given his support, but trying to get
details of that support from the Ministry of Finance has been like one big circus.
He has been trying for over a week to meet with high ranking officials in the ministry, but to no avail. No one from the ministry was available for comment yesterday.

"They had a week to get everything in place but they keep giving me the run around," said Brown. "To be here from Monday to Monday and still not see anyone, to me it's a total run around. If you are going to tell me no, just tell me no. I haven't heard anything from anyone in the Ministry of Finance in that regard, so for now the meet is cancelled. Right now, I'm just prepared to move forward."

Brown said that there is still a possibility that the meet can come off, but officials in the ministry would have to put the pedal to the metal to get the ball rolling, as the one-day meet was scheduled for Saturday April 11 at the Thomas A. Robinson National Stadium - a little more than six weeks away. He said that the time has expired for him to put their feet to the fire.

"Here I am going through all the right channels, and still I have nothing to show for it. The prime minister said that he is endorsing the event, so I don't see why it is taking so long for these guys to carry out the orders of the PM. I was at the point where I was just waiting to hear how much I was going to get. I was told to come back and when I came back, everyone was in meetings.

"This is the same treatment that I was getting from day one, and this is a new week. I can't keep going in circles like this. I have to get ready for my season. With the PM giving the green light, I don't think that it should take this long to get back to me to let me know what would be allocated."

The inaugural CBBI was held in 2013 after the 2012 event was pushed back. Last year's event was cancelled due to ongoing repairs and renovations to both the original and new Thomas A. Robinson stadiums ahead of the world relays. Brown lost money each year with the cancellations and even with the event being staged in 2013, and he stands to lose more money this year. This year's event was expected to cost between $400-500,000. The money Brown was expecting to receive from the government and the private sector would have been sufficient to fund the meet.

"I'm frustrated and lost for words right now. To know that I was on the frontline carrying the banner of this country for all of those years on the track, and then to turn around and get kicked in the butt, I'm at a total loss for words," said Brown.

"This meet has a nice price tag on it, but the bottom line is, it's not anywhere near the millions of dollars that these other events would cost. It's a high-level event that was coming at a great price to the Bahamian government. This event is a 100 percent Bahamian event, it's not a foreign entity coming into The Bahamas. We want to talk about we believe in Bahamians and want to assist Bahamians, but here is a Bahamian who is trying to do big things and not getting any assistance. I'm not into making money, just trying to inspire the next generation of Bahamians.

"Here in this country, Bahamian young men are portrayed to be so negative. Bahamian young men are stuck with this stigma of not doing anything - just being portrayed to be menaces to society. Here I am trying to bring a product to the Bahamian people, trying to make the younger generation see that you don't always have to pick up a gun or do a crime, and it seems to me that their intentions are to make me frustrated.

"The system that we are living in today is forcing the young men to turn to a life of crime. I could just imagine what they are going through on a daily basis. Not to say I support what they do, but if you go out there for assistance and get turned around a million times, it becomes very frustrating. For me, it is very frustrating and very disappointing."

When one looks at the names that were coming to this event, the athletes who were here in 2013, the cost of such a meet in Europe could be well into the millions. Through his personal relationships with world-class athletes, Brown is in a position where he lure them to The Bahamas at minimal cost - that's when one considers appearance fees and prize money.

LaShawn Merritt alone, an Olympic Champion and two-time World Champion over 400 meters (m), is in a position where he demand well into the five figures in appearance fees. He was just one of the mega stars here for the inaugural CBBI in 2013.

Also making appearances were former World and Olympic Champions Veronica Campbell-Brown, Justin Gatlin and Kirani James. Two others, David Oliver and Jehu Gordon, along with Merritt, went on to win world titles at the 2013 Moscow World Championships. Brown's relationship and rapport with the athletes aided in his ability to put on a top class meet in 2013 with minimal cost to the government. He was hoping for much of the same in 2015.

"I was hoping and praying that this would be a successful event. I know that the Bahamian public wants the meet, and I know that the IAAF is in support of it. Agents, coaches ad athletes are all in support of the event. Everyone was excited because they know what kind of product they saw in 2013," said Brown. "When you going to meets in Europe, you have to pay top dollar for airfare, accommodations and transportation. Here, Bahamians were getting a top notch meet in their own backyard, so I know the public was waiting patiently for it.

"The fact of the matter is that I'm not getting the same support that all of the other events that are coming into the country are getting. I've read and heard about events that are coming into the country that are getting full support. My event is barely getting any support at all, and when you look at the caliber of athletes that I am bringing here, it matches the caliber of any high-level meet in Europe. To me, you are just showing me how you see this event going forward in the future, if at all."

As it stands now, it's not entirely dead in the water as far as the meet coming off is concerned, but it appears grim at best.

"If these guys decide that they want to sit down at the round table and decide that they want to support it, then that's fine with me, but as of right now, it's cancelled," said Brown. "I'm all open if they want to do something with me and this event, but right now, it appears that I am basically on my own.

"There was a lot of positive feedback from the private sector, but it still wasn't going to be enough, and I didn't want to take anyone money without knowing that I have the government's support on this event. This is a national event and a sports tourism event. If the government can't endorse it and put their support behind it, why do I need to take corporate citizens' money when I know that I can't come close to what I'm looking for?".

Brown said that he is still training on a regular basis in preparation for the 2015 season, and that planning and preparation for the Chris Brown Bahamas Invitational hasn't taken anything away from his training schedule. He assures the Bahamian public that he is well-conditioned, and will be in top form to represent The Bahamas well at major international events this year.

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