Minister of Sports expresses condolence on the Passing of Phil Smith.

Veteran national Sportscaster Phil Smith, 51,  passed away suddenly at Doctor's Hospital in Nassau on Sunday December 28th. Smith who had an ongoing a several year battle with Kidney disease, reportedly died as a result of heart complications. He is survived by his wife and three children ages, 17, 22 and 24.

Minister of Sports, Desmond Bannister issued the following Message of Condolence in relation to the passing of Smith:

On behalf of the Government of The Bahamas, the Ministry of Youth, Sports and Culture, and the entire local sporting community, I wish to extend profound condolences to the family members and colleagues of the late Phil Smith, joining with countless sports enthusiasts who came to rely so much upon his authoritative voice for an accurate depiction of the state of sports in The Bahamas.

As this country's pre-eminent sports journalist, Phil Smith embodied all that is good about Bahamian sports, inspiring in athletes and spectators alike, the notion that they all shared an equal stake in the growth and development of The Bahamas as an international Sports Power.

So firmly did Phil Smith believe in such a proposition that many were his personal sacrifices to connect national federations with their best international players so as to ensure that The Bahamas would field its strongest national teams to represent the Commonwealth of islands he so fervently served. In respect of such long-term and outstanding efforts, he became an important commodity, possessing a pool of knowledge that readily made him a Bahamian icon, well- known throughout local and international circles.

While Phil Smith was to become one of a select number of Bahamians to master the art of sports journalism, he also managed to achieve widespread recognition for the social graces which he practiced, as a knowledgeable expert in his field, as a fine gentleman and as an exemplary role model for all those young men and women smart enough to benefit from his legacy and to emulate his desire to be of meaningful service to the national sporting community and to The Bahamas as a whole.

My ministry is convinced that Phil Smith has been a shining example to the youth of The Bahamas, as much by his contribution to national development through the use of his medium as by his steady display of honesty, integrity and respect for the athletes, coaches and officials he covered for almost 30 years.

Much the same can be said about his days as an outstanding athlete at St. Augustine's College where he functioned as offensive cog in the Big Red Machine's championship basketball and softball teams. He continued his path of excellence as a valuable member of the Bain Town Flyers Basketball Club.

In such a regard, I have requested the Sports Department of my ministry to provide me with a number of recommendations to perpetually commemorate the memory of Phil Smith in such a fashion that his life will continue to serve as a beacon for the youth of The Bahamas, especially those who demonstrate an avocation for sports journalism.

To the immediate and extended family of Phil Smith therefore, I ask them to take exceptional pride in his life contributions, particularly in the countless lives he so richly blessed by his affinity to practice and preach honesty and fair play. I am confident then, that his many good deeds will long outlive the relatively short period of his temporal journey among us. Eternal rest grant to him, Oh Lord.