Castrol stepped up its support of the sport of gymnastics by contributing to the 3rd Annual BGPBC-Bahamas Star Gymnastics Invitational. The event is scheduled for April 25-26, 2014 at The Source River Complex (formerly Bacardi Plant) on Bacardi Road.
Castrol’s Country Manager, Wilfred Jack (right), shown making cheque presentation to BGPBC representative, Rufus Swann (left). Photo courtesy of Bahamas Star Gymnastics.
More than one hundred athletes will face off in the competitive meet segment which kicks off on Friday evening at 6:30pm.
Teams from the Bahamas and Jamaica will showcase the best of gymnastics from their respective countries. Among the competing Bahamian teams are Freeport based, Grand Bahama Gymnastics Academy and Nassau based, BDT Flyers of Bahamas Dance Theatre, Nassau Nastics and host club, Bahamas Star Gymnastics.
Two USA Gymnastics Level 10 certified judges from Illinois, Suzanne Carmona and Betty Axelson-McClelland, will officiate the meet. The judges will first host a Coaches Clinic on Friday afternoon, as is the past two years, which will grant coaches and gymnasts an opportunity to gain first-hand knowledge on how to improve their techniques and scores.
Meet organizers note, “we are witnessing a surge in the growth of the sport spurred on by American gymnast’s Gabby Douglas’ historic achievement at the 2012 Olympics.”
Registration for the event has grown from forty five athletes in 2012 to over one hundred this year.
Recording its first year that the event opened enrollment to neighboring Caribbean countries, Jamaica’s High Flyers will be the first non-Bahamian team to participate in the event.
Bahamas Star Gymnastics (“BSG”) and Bahamas Gymnastics Parent Booster Club (“BGPBC”) are both expecting the numbers of competing gymnasts to swell in future years.
At this time, there is no Carifta Gymnastics so Caribbean teams are travelling to the Bahamas for Atlantis Crown, hosted each December on Paradise Island, and to this event in order to give their athletes the opportunity to test their skills against regional rivals.
Bahamas Star Gymnastics praised its contributor, Castrol, for investing in the event and the athletes. BSG’s club treasurer Yasmin Pratt who was on hand to accept the donation delighted, “It’s definitely visionary on the part of Castrol to contribute to this event and serve as the first official sponsor.
A high performing fuel is partnering with a high performing sport. We anticipate that other corporate sponsors will team up for success in future years of hosting this event.”
Bahamas Star Gymnastics opened its doors on Bacardi Road in 2010 with its Starmania Summer Camp and has contributed to the hosting of Atlantis Crown Gymnastics Invitational and other events such as coaches clinics which continue to improve the sports of gymnastics in the country.
