Two years ago, young sprinting boys from the Moore's Island all Age School, under the guidance of Rev. Anthony Williams, their coach, made a huge splash on the national scene, when they dominated their relay events during a Bahamas Association of Athletic Associations (BAAA) high profile meet.
They subsequently traveled to the prestigious Penn State Relays in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania and impressed yet again. Today, the sprinting program has become almost as synonymous with Moore's Island as its "fishing village" reputation. Prior to the emergence of the dynamic young track hopefuls, Moore's Island was more noted for its flats, the habitat of one of the largest bonefish populations in The Bahamas. A nearby reef is famous for sharks.
Jutting out of the water, just 28 miles off the western coast of mainland Abaco, Moore's Island is the residence of some 1,000 people. It's small, just seven miles long and nearly four miles wide, and one of the delightful spots in the Abacos. Like many other communities in The Bahamas, Moore's Island is historically linked to African slaves. Its first population of note was made of a group of 'Free Blacks'.
During the early part of the 19th century, life in Moore's Island was centered around farming. The great hurricane of 1932 reportedly wiped out the farming sections and residents leaned heavily on the sea for subsistence, thus the beginning of the fishing legacy. Now, a different element of history is being crafted for the island.
The new minister of youth, sports and culture, Dr. Daniel Johnson, has promised that a quality sporting facility will be constructed in Moore's Island, beginning in June of this year. That announcement immediately served notice of a bright future in sports for Moore's Island. If indeed, the minister sees to it that his promise is fulfilled, he would have accomplished something kind of politically amazing and most interesting.
When one considers that the island is part of the North Abaco constituency, represented by a man who was prime minister of this country for three terms in the last 20 years, it is puzzling that Rev. Williams and his young charges had to train on the hard road and a small grass area throughout.
Former Prime Minister Hubert Ingraham could have made something positive happen for the young athletes. Couldn't he? Perhaps a sporting facility was in his plans. He is gone now though, from the post of prime minister and he looks to be departing politics altogether. So, if the youth, sports and culture minister very early in his tenure, ensures that Moore's Island gets a new sporting facility, such a development would be a huge boost for Dr. Johnson and his Progressive Liberal Party (PLP) government.
A new facility in Moore's Island would be a prime example of the 'Investing in Bahamians' theme of the present central administration. The view here is that Dr. Johnson is off to a good start.
To respond to this column, kindly contact Fred Sturrup at sturrup1504@gmail.com.

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