Eleuthera Gym in 09 could open Scholarship opportunities

About four months ago the minister of Youth, Sports and Culture, Desmond Bannister and his delegation traveled to Eleuthera  in an effort to locate a site to build an indoor gymnasium.

The minister recently disclosed that the community recommended that an ideal location to build the gym is near the Twin City Park, Palmetto Point. He noted that this would be the most likely place, however, other sites  throughout Eleuthera are still being considered.

Bannister said that the exact location could not be announced as yet but the Ministry of Works is expected  to have all of the designs and surveys completed before July 2009 with construction set to commence soon thereafter.

He further stated, "We are waiting for information from the Ministry of Works. They are researching that area (Twin City Park) and when we get that information we will move ahead. It will take them a while to get that information. They have to consider certain things, such as the likelihood of flooding because when a hurricane passed through there some time ago that was a problem".

"The ministry has, within its budget, the funds to build indoor gymnasiums on three Family Islands and we would like to see one built in Eleuthera. We came to this decision based on the hidden talent that is found in Eleuthera and the success of the athletes from Eleuthera," added Bannister.
Opportunities are now out there for Eleutheran student athletes who aspire to play the sport of their choice on a collegiate scholarship. The College Of the Bahamas recently announced that an athletic scholarship program is  now in place and that Family Island students would be given as equal an opportunity as the New Providence based high school students.

The minister noted that the indoor gym would facilitate in the nurturing of Eleutheran high school student athletes so that they can become top candidates for COB scholarships.

"For far too long our Family Islands have not received what New Providence and Grand Bahama have gotten. It is time the Family Islands get the same facilities. The gym would give Eleutherans better opportunity to excel. Bimini recently got their indoor gym. We feel as if an indoor gym would also assist with the basketball and other programs down there. We have a standard design for the gym which would include a basketball court, concession areas, changing rooms and meeting rooms. The plan from the Ministry of Works has not been approved by cabinet so I can not talk about it in full detail," underlined Bannister.

Sean Bastian, Assistant Athletic Director at COB will assist with scouting talent throughout The Bahamas. "Before anything, academics must be stressed because student athletes are exactly that...students then athletes," stressed  Bastian. "In order to be eligible for a scholarship a student must have maintained a grade point average of 2.0 in senior high school and must maintain that while at COB to keep their scholarship. I am excited to know that this new initiative would give Bahamian high school athletes an option to stay home and experience that same type of experience that they would at a U.S. college."

By: The Eleutheran - Sports Writer