Congratulations poured into the Bahamas’ 2013 CARIFTA athletes yesterday following their outstanding performances this past weekend.
The team’s medal count totalled 31, putting it in second place behind Jamaica. According to officials, eight of The Bahamas’ medals were gold, 10 were silver while the remaining 13 were bronze.
In a release Tuesday, Free National Movement (FNM) Leader, Dr. Hubert Minnis applauded the Bahamian athletes for making us all proud.
“We acknowledge and celebrate all the hard work, discipline and sacrifices made by the athletes,” he said.
“It is my hope that each participant walked away from the games with a sense of accomplishment and satisfaction that their months of training paid off.”
Dr. Minnis added that the successful participation in and hosting of the CARIFTA games is an excellent example of the kind of teamwork “we need to make our nation great.”
“The motivation of our talented athletes to aspire for greatness is the foundation upon which their success is built. That foundation is strengthened further by the outstanding support of parents, coaches, school administrators, volunteers, friends and families,” he said.
“Additionally, the tremendous outpouring of support from the business community, Bahamians who attended the games and those who tuned in via radio and television placed the final polish on this experience for our athletes.”
The FNM leader went on to extend congratulations to leaders and staff of the National Sports Authority, who made a “tremendous effort to ensure that the stadium was ready and fully functional.”
“We understand that there were some deficiencies but we trust that the leaders of the Authority will use this experience as a benchmark to perfect every other event going forward. We support them and the contributions they make,” Dr. Minnis said.
“Once, again I am delighted to congratulate all members of the team for their impressive performances and wish them continued success in their athletic careers.”
Next year’s CARIFTA Games are slated to take place in Martinique.
