By RENALDO DORSETT

Sports Reporter

rdorsett@tribunemedia.net

THE Bahamas men’s national team foreshadowed what the country can expect from its budding beach soccer programme, a competitive play at a high level, ready to challenge the best in the region.

In a friendly to officially launch the opening of the center, the home team lost 6-5 in extra time to Jamaica on Saturday afternoon.

The Bahamas got out to a quick 3-1 lead after the first period, however the visiting Reggae Boyz staged a valiant comeback effort to take the lead with four minutes left to play in the third period, 5-3.

Before a raucous home crowd, the Bahamas staged a late period rally of their own with two goals to tie at regulation, including a controversial penalty in the final seconds of the game to send the game into overtime.

In the overtime period, Rohan Reid scored the winner for the visitors, his third of the match to complete a hat trick.

The facility located just west of the Sir Sidney Poitier Bridge, Malcolm Park North, is the first of its kind in the region and was declared officially open by the Minister of Youth, Sports and Culture Dr Danny Johnson.

“It is a great time in Bahamian history,” Johnson said. “Now that the Bahamas has set the mark in the new sport, we expect to dominate in beach soccer within the region. The stadium will benefit the Bahamas in many ways in the future.”

In their last international beach soccer appearance, the 2009 Confederation of North, Central American and Caribbean Association Football (CONCACAF) Beach Soccer Championships, the Bahamas finished sixth overall with losses to the United States and Costa Rica.

The Bahamas was the only team to represent the Caribbean Zone at the qualifier, something regional football represtatives hope to improve on with the opening of the facility.

“The Bahamas has set the pace for the region and national teams from around the Caribbean have already expressed interest in coming to play here,” CONCACAF representative Horace Burrell said.

“This facility will certainly make the Caribbean very proud. I know I will have the support of President Webb in ensuring that the Bahams is the host of many competitions in the future.”

Gordon Derrick, president of the Caribbean Football Union, said the Bahamas should look forward to both the product on the field and the opportunities for sports tourism.

“Given that the country’s main economic driver is tourism and the fact that beaches are one of your selling points, I think this is a no brainer. This facility will only ogle well for the future development of sports tourism guided by the BFA,” he said.

“As you try to bring the tourists here, not only to enjoy not only the hospitality, but also the recreation here at this wonderful facility.”

The Bahamas Football Association expects the development of beach soccer to add a new dimension, officially, to its national programme.

With the assistance of FIFA’s initiative to grow the sport of soccer in the Caribbean, the BFA applied for the construction of the beach soccer facility, which they hope will provide the Bahamas with a much better opportunity to qualify for the World Cup as opposed to the challenge of advancing in regular soccer on the grass surface.