SHELDON LONGLEY
Guardian Sports Editor
slongley@nasguard.com
Chris Brown, arguably The Bahamas’ most decorated male athlete ever, is bringing the region’s top athletes to The Bahamas for the first professional athletics meet to be held in the country in many years.
The Chris Brown Bahamas Invitational, presented by BTC, is set for Saturday, April 13 at the new Thomas A. Robinson National Stadium, about two weeks after the staging of the CARIFTA Games.
Already, the names confirmed to make an appearance are among the top echelon of track and field athletes in the world.
For starters, American Justin Gatlin, once dubbed the fastest man in the world, Caribbean sensation Kirani James, of Grenada, who is the reigning World and Olympic Champion over 400 meters (m), and two-time Olympic Champion in the women’s 200m Veronica Campbell-Brown, of Jamaica, are the headliners.
Those three alone can sell out any stadium on the European circuit. According to Brown who was in town for one day to promote the meet, that is just the start of things to come.
“First of all, I just want to thank the Almighty God for blessing me with the talent with what I possess on the track, and even off the track,” he said.
“I’d also like to thank all my sponsors, the government through the Ministry of Tourism and the Ministry of Youth, Sports and Culture, my staff for the hard work that they put into the staging of this meet, the Bahamas Olympic Committee and the BAAA for joining in, and the host hotel Sheraton.
“I’m definitely putting on a new cap. This event is set to be a great event. The athletes will be looking forward to opening their seasons.
“We’re about to make history in the country, and we look forward to putting on a great event.”
Brown said that he’s definitely not retired, but just branching off a bit into the business of promoting athletic meets.
Some of the local athletes who he said are expected to take part in the meet include current World bronze medalist Trevor Barry, former World Champion Donald Thomas, Olympian Shamar Sands, and The Bahamas’ reigning Rising Female Star in the world of athletics, as recognized by the IAAF last year, Anthonique Strachan, just to name a few.
Over 100 athletes in total are expected to compete.
“This is going to give Bahamians a chance to see world-class performances,” he said.
“This event has the potential to grow and grow, and be a significant and positive event for years to come. We look forward to making it very successful.”
The one-day meet will get underway around 2 p.m. with a junior segment, and the professionals will hit the track around 5 p.m. Listed events are the 100m (male and female), 200m (male and female), 400m (male and female), 4x100m (male and female), 4x400m (male and female), triple jump (male and female), high jump (male and female), 100m hurdles (female only), and 110m and 400m hurdles (male only). ‘A’ and ‘B’ class competitions will be held for all track events, and special exposure is expected to be garnered by selected high school relay teams.
By being on the world stage and mixing with some of the top athletes in the world, Brown said that he was in a position where he had direct communication with many of the athletes, and was therefore able to get their support.
He said that he always had a desire to stage a first-class track and field meet in the country of his birth, and with the multi-million dollar national stadium coming on stream, it presented the perfect setting.
The 15,000-seating capacity stadium recently received a Class 2 certification from the governing body of athletics in the world, the International Association of Athletic Federations (IAAF).
The IAAF arm in The Bahamas, the Bahamas Association of Athletic Associations (BAAA) is lending its full support.
“Our task in this endeavor is a very simple one,” said BAAA President Mike Sands recently.
“Chris came to us with the idea a few years ago, and without hesitation, we said that we would provide the necessary sanctioning and of course our support.
“We are very excited about the prospect of making this a perennial event like other events in the region. We believe that with the support this event will get, it will make it a fixture on the IAAF?and BAAA calendar, and as such, we continue to give our support to Chris.
“We wish you all the best and we hope that this event will continue to grow.”
BAAA 1st Vice President Iram Lewis added that it’s always good when a young Bahamian, especially one as accomplished as Brown – The Bahamas’ national record holder over 400 and 800m – decides to get into the business world with the intention of promoting The Bahamas on the global stage.
“Chris you have really done well for yourself, and as a ‘big brother’, I want to say congratulations to you for everything that you would have achieved.
“You are an Eleuthera native and you have risen to the top of the world,” said Lewis of Brown, who no doubt comes from humble beginnings.
“The national hero who hails from the tiny settlement of Wemyss Bight, Eleuthera, has developed into one of the most durable quarter-milers in the world.
“He is the only runner in the world to advance to the men’s 400m final in the past two Olympics, where he finished fourth both times.
“In addition, Brown has won medals at nearly every major regional and international championships in the past 12 years, culminated by his golden run as a part of The Bahamas’ 4x400m relay team at the London Olympic Games.
“It is a distinct pleasure and really an honor to see what is coming to fruition,” said Minister of Youth, Sports and Culture Dr. Daniel Johnson recently.
“The power of sports is demonstrated today from Wemyss Bight all the way to the world.
“Through the three D’s, desire, dedication and determination, we are seeing the result today. Chris persevered.
“The business of sports is what my ministry is extremely interested in, and today represents us holding hands with Chris Brown in a giant step.
“We support you in what you are doing, from the playground in Wemyss Bight all the way to the podium in London, and now in really becoming an employer, and demonstrating to people the power of sports.
“We congratulate you on making this giant step and we look forward to a successful meet.”
Jerome Sawyer, Bahamas Telecommunications Company (BTC) senior manager of public relations, said that it was their pleasure to come on board and assist Brown with the staging of this one-of-a-kind event.
The total cost of the event is rumored to be in the vicinity of $500,000, and BTC is offering a $50,000 sponsorship.
“Chris Brown is one of our official spokespersons, and even from as far back as London after the Golden Knights’ win, Chris was already thinking of what he wanted to do to promote the sport of track and field here in The Bahamas.
“Certainly, this was just a natural fit for us because Chris is a part of our family at BTC,” said Sawyer.
“Also, we thought it was a natural fit because we want to continue to promote and encourage sports development.
“We firmly believe that sports is the key to the development of many of our young people. We certainly look forward to this event and what it will mean for The Bahamas.”
GVI Associates, headed by Grafton Ifill Jr., will serve as the lead management consultant of the meet, and Dianne Woodside, Women’s Head Coach of The Bahamas’ 2012 Olympic team, has been selected as the meet director. Woodside is a Level Five IAAF certified coach, and the president of The Bahamas’ Track Field Coaches Association.
As far as sports tourism is concerned the impact of such a meet is expected to be tremendous.
The international appeal of the event alone, given the attraction of world-class athletes, managers, coaches and patrons, is expected to bring hundreds of visitors to these shores.
The airline industry is expected to blossom from the staging of the event, and a number of room nights will be generated.
In addition, the revenue obtained by taxi and limousine drivers, and even tour bus operators should be significantly impacted.
Also, with the potential for international media coverage, the new Thomas A. Robinson National Stadium could be showcased to the world, and with that, there will be substantial promotional and advertising opportunities for the Ministry of Tourism.
Half of the proceeds from the event will go toward a grassroots program specifically for helping Family Island athletes to develop and perform at a world-class standard.