The Bahamas Olympic Committee (BOC) yesterday ratified the 65-member team that will be traveling to the 22nd Central American and Caribbean (CAC) Games, which will take place in Veracruz, Mexico.
The games are scheduled for November 14-30, and The Bahamas is set to take part in nine disciplines, including swimming, boxing, bowling, athletics, volleyball, judo, sailing, cycling and tennis.
The Bahamas has had success at the CAC games in the past, and BOC president Wellington Miller said that he expects this group to perform up to the same standard, especially in the team sports. Also, for the first time, there was a fitness test conducted to ensure that every athlete was fit to compete.
"We think this will be a very successful team," said Miller at BOC headquarters on Soldier Road. "We are also looking for good performances in disciplines that we don't usually win. We know that volleyball is on a good track; judo and sailing are right there, and we also won a gold in tennis doubles last year. This time we also held fitness tests to ensure that all of our athletes were in top physical shape."
BOC Secretary General Romell Knowles said although the tests were in the team's best interest, there was some conflict over the timing of the examinations, especially among the track and field athletes.
"No longer will we take athletes just for the sake of taking them," said Knowles. "As we all know, the BOC has to add value to our brand and the Puma brand that sponsors us. And it's no secret that we get measured by how many athletes we get on the podium. We have spoken with track and field athletes, and we took into consideration that the fact that track season is closed, but we still maintain a high standard. Some of the athletes thought it was unfair, but the reality is that we have to be ready to compete at the highest level."
Knowles also said that this year's CAC Games would be a perfect opportunity to bring recognition to sports that usually go unnoticed in the country.
"A sport like bowling, although it is not an Olympic sport, it is our mandate to grow all sports," he said. "Those sports that are traditionally not recognized in a meaningful way, we want to provide them with the opportunity to compete abroad and at a high level."
Wellington Miller will lead the team into Veracruz. Cora Hepburn will serve as the chef de mission, Ralph Mckinney as the deputy chef, and Robert Butler will serve as an official. The remaining officials will be announced today.
The team will be as follows:
Bowling: Xynea Johnson, Jonice Lockheart, Lorena McClain, Chamille Rolle, Driskel Rolle, Joanne Pyfrom, Leonardo Davis, Sonith Lockhart, Barry McClain and David Slatter.
Tennis: Kerrie Cartwright, Lareka Russell, Danielle Thompson, Justin Lunn, Devin Mullings, Philip Major and Marvin Rolle.
Boxing: Carl Hield, Godfrey Strachan and Rasheed Williams.
Judo: Cynthia Rahming and D'Arcy Rahming Jr.
Cycling: Anthony Colebrooke, Jay Major and Deangelo Sturrup.
Swimming: Joanna Evans, Margaret Higgs, Arianna Vanderpool-Wallace, Ariel Weech, Elvis Burrows and Matthew Lowe.
Sailing: Michelle Hope, Paul DeSouza and Robert Dunkley.
Volleyball: Gage Smith, Prince Wilson, Renaldo Knowles, Romel Lightbourne, Jamal Ferguson, Byron Ferguson, Javon Saunders, Alton Rolle, Edrick Rahming, Lorenzo Williams, Shenari Hepburn and Shedrick Forbes.
Athletics: Petra McDonald, Katrina Seymour, Adrian Griffith, Jamal Rolle, Wesley Neymour, Ryan Ingraham, Jamal Wilson, Alfredo Smith, Lathorne Collie-Minns and Delron Minnus.
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