Recently in this space, we put forth the suggestion that the Ministry of Grand Bahama, with support from Corporate Grand Bahama, should plan an event to celebrate the success of Grand Bahamians at the Rio Olympics.

From five competitors, Grand Bahama registered a bronze medal, a second final representative and a national record achiever.

We refer to Alonzo Russell and Michael Mathieu who ran on the bronze medal team, and Demetrius Pinder who was also listed among the quarter milers in Rio for The Bahamas; Donald Thomas who made the final of the high jump; and Joanne Evans who adjusted national swim marks into records.

In Grand Bahama, we have set the standard for saluting our sports heroes. It is a new trend in terms of the grand nature, and it is indeed fitting that the tributes to those outstanding young men and women who make the island proud, be made in kind. As expressed previously, Grand Bahama should not be satisfied with its sports icons being celebrated in the capital island of New Providence.

We should honor our own.

It was quite remarkable, the way in which Grand Bahamians responded to Women’s National Basketball Association (WBNA) player Jonquel Jones and National Basketball association (NBA) signee Buddy Hield. Our Olympians are worthy of the same treatment.

Mathieu is a staple part of the national men’s 1600 meters relay tradition. Russell and Pinder have joined him at different times on Olympic, Commonwealth Games and Pan American Games medal teams.

Thomas is a former world champion (2007) and has been a gold medal winner in the Pan American Games, the Commonwealth Games, and the Central American and Caribbean Games. He is one of the more highly decorated Bahamian athletes of all time.

Evans was one of our great junior swimmers and looks to be on the way to a tremendous senior career. Our Olympians have done quite a bit to enhance Grand Bahama and have been doing their part to recapture the general magical era the island was known worldwide for.

The suggestion here is that the Ministry of Grand Bahama checks into the schedules of our Olympians in order to find out about their availability on island. Whenever the time is right, they should be given their just due in the island they call home.

We at The Freeport News extend congratulations to the Olympians, their coaches, families and friends who support and encouraged them.

Source: Freeport News/Guardian