Bahamas Carifta Team Returns with 28 Medals

Hon. Desmond Bannister greets athletes, coaches and stake holders of The Bahamas’ Carifta team as they returned from St. Lucia, on April 14, 2009 (BIS Photo/Kristaan Ingraham)

NASSAU, The Bahamas -- Minister of Youth, Sports and Culture the Hon. Desmond Bannister welcomed a large contingent of The Bahamas’ Carifta team, upon their return on Tuesday, from winning 28 medals and placing third in the track and field meet in St. Lucia.
 
 “Every single one of you here, whether you have a medal or not, deserves congratulations and you will find that Bahamians throughout this country have been following you this weekend,” Minister Bannister said during a welcome home ceremony for the athletes at the Lynden Pindling International Airport VIP Lounge.
 
 Minister Bannister told the team that one of the things that is important to understand is that The Bahamas is looking for young people who are doing positive things. Therefore, thousands of Bahamians, young and old, followed the team’s Carifta journey, he added.
 
 “What I want you to understand is how special it is being on this team, how important it is to this country, what your performances were and how Bahamians appreciate what you as young Bahamians have done for our country; so all of you could be proud of yourselves,” Minister Bannister said.
 
 Minister Bannister commended all the support teams, fans and parents who went with the team to St. Lucia.
 
 “The pride that you saw in The Bahamas in that stadium should mean something to everyone of you,” he said. “Those people didn’t travel that long distance just to beat a drum or to blow a horn or shake cowbells.
 
 “They travelled because of you, everyone of you, and I just want that to sink into significance for you young people in this country.”
 
 He added that The Bahamas has a tradition of winning Carifta in the past and pulling ahead of powerhouses like Jamaica.
 
 “In fact, it was one time that they used to be afraid of us,” he said. “We have to determine that we are going to beat them again. We are going to determine that we are going to beat Carifta again and we have to do the things that are going to make it possible.”
 
 Minister Bannister pointed out that a new stadium is slated to open in New Providence in 2011 and a track will be put down in Grand Bahama this year and other infrastructure work is ongoing.
 
 “You are going to have all the facilities that you need, the question is whether you have the heart to do it and whether you have desire to do it,” he said.
 
 Minister Bannister especially recognised Family Island athletes from Andros, Exuma and Grand Bahama and said that he will live up to his promise to travel to each island and personally present the medals to the athletes attending school there.
 
 “We need more Family Island athletes to come out and make these teams because these teams are representative of The Bahamas,” he said.
 
 Minister Bannister also encouraged the athletes not to “rest on their laurels” and make an affirmation that they will work even harder.
 
 “Let’s show The Bahamas that we are going to make them extremely proud of us and, ladies and gentlemen, as your Minister, I am proud of you, the country is proud of you” he said. “Let’s enjoy that for one day – one day – and then tomorrow let’s get back to work because you have so much more to accomplish in your lives.
 
 “This is not your limit, none of you. Carifta is not your limit.”