Sports legend Thomas A. Robinson, who was hailed yesterday by Prime Minister Perry Christie as a "great Bahamas hero", died early Sunday morning after a long battle with cancer. Robinson, affectionately known as "Tommy", passed away shortly before 7 a.m. at Princess Margaret Hospital when his heart gave out. He was 74. Christie said Robinson's death represents a great personal loss for him as he was one of Christie's oldest and dearest friends. "Far more than for me, however, Tommy's passing is a great loss for our nation," Christie said in a statement.
"As the pioneer of international track competition for The Bahamas, Tommy was the elder statesman of Bahamian athletics. He was a sporting hero of truly legendary status. He was in a class by himself, revered by all." Robinson became a household name after the 1958 Commonwealth Games in Cardiff, Wales, where he was the sole person to represent the country. He won the gold medal in the 220 yards and the silver medal in the 100-yard sprint. Christie said Robinson's performance represented a "singular moment in our life as a people." Robinson also medaled at the 1962 and 1966 Commonwealth Games.
He won silver in the 100 yards at both games. Robinson was also the first Bahamian track athlete to participate in Olympics in 1960 and in 1964 he became the first Bahamian to make it to the finals of an Olympic track event. "It is also a matter of great pride for us as a nation that the first world record ever achieved for The Bahamas was set by Tommy Robinson, when he set the world record in the 300 meters at an indoor track event in Canada," Christie said. The stadium at the Queen Elizabeth Sports Centre, which was built in 1981, was named after Robinson.
The government also named the new national stadium in his honor. "Thomas Augustus Robinson is an icon for the ages now. He will continue to stand as a singular example of the greatness that can be attained in any area of human endeavour, be it athletic or otherwise, when natural talent is harnessed to discipline, courage, determination and patriotic responsibility," Christie added. Tall Pines Member of Parliament Leslie Miller, who trained under Robinson, said the country lost a gem. "Tommy was no doubt the greatest single track and field athlete in the history of The Bahamas," Miller said in a telephone interview with The Nassau Guardian.
"I compare him to the great Sir Sidney Poitier. While he was on the stage making The Bahamas so proud on the big screen, Tommy Robinson was doing likewise in track and field." "He was even a greater human being than he was an athlete. He inspired pride and joy and class in all of the athletes who came after him and his passing is a deep, deep loss for all Bahamians, both black and white," Miller added. Free National Movement (FNM) Leader Dr. Hubert Minnis also paid tribute to Robinson yesterday. "Throughout his life Tommy displayed great humility and grace," Minnis said in a statement.
"He was always approachable, and made himself and his immense expertise available to the hundreds of young people who were drawn to him. He was recognized internationally wherever he traveled, and was afforded the highest courtesies, yet always maintained the common touch. "Today, 56 years and two days after this national hero made history for our country in the 1956 Melbourne Olympic Games, we cherish the memories left by this outstanding son of the soil," Minnis added. Christie said in recognition of Robinson's "uniquely important contribution to the history of sports in our nation", there will be a state-recognized funeral for him. Details of the state-recognized funeral will be announced in due course by the Cabinet Office.
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