Finding the right formula for getting team sports in the country the financial assistance it needs is sitting high on the agenda of the Bahamas Olympic Committee (BOC) for next year. The executive members are hoping to find the right solution for the squads, especially the men's national volleyball team whose success in the region has relatively gone unnoticed. BOC Secretary General Romell Knowles said it is hard to give team sports the financial assistance, or the national recognition that they deserve. As a result, he made a public appeal to Corporate Bahamas yesterday, asking for financial assistance for these national squads.
"I know the commitment it takes to be an excellent volleyball player," said Knowles yesterday when the team made a courtesy call on the executives. "It is indeed my pleasure to welcome you to our facility and let you know that we have been watching the progress of volleyball over many years. I think that, perhaps, this is the most talented team that we have assembled in a very long time. We are aware that there are some financial challenges when it comes to team sports and so, this morning we are here making an appeal to Corporate Bahamas.
We are asking persons to make a contribution and assist our national teams, especially the volleyball squad which has been making a lot of strides and a lot of progress over the last several years. Not only is volleyball doing a good job on the hard floor, but they have been making strides in beach volleyball as well. They ought to be commended. These are some very talented young men. We need to encourage them by giving them our full support. "I want to ensure you, on behalf of the executives of the Bahamas Olympic Committee, that they do have our support. Unfortunately, some of their championships don't fall under our umbrella. I know you will qualify for the Pan Am games and that is where we will take on all of the expenses.
I think we will for the CAC games as well. We must find a formula for these other championships such as the world qualifiers and championships, to make sure that you can continue to train and bring home the gold like you have been doing for the country. Anything short of a gold right now goes unnoticed. You went unnoticed before and we want to change that." The senior men's national volleyball team is on a high note, winning two gold medals this year.
They won at the regional tournament for English-speaking Caribbean countries, held in St. Croix, the U.S. Virgin Islands, and then most recently, they captured the gold medal in the first round of the International Federation of Volleyball (FIVB) World Championships qualifiers for this region. This is the first time, in the history of the sport, that The Bahamas has earned that distinction. The team was eliminated in the third round of competition three years ago and now looks to improve upon its showing at this level.
The first round of competition was staged in Curacao. Any financial assistance offered will be appreciated as the Bahamas Volleyball Federation (BVF) gets set to host the second round of qualifiers. Apart from that, the governing body for the sport in the country still has to field teams for the junior girls and boys, for their respective regional competitions. Other competitions, such as youth tournaments, are also planned.
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