By TENAJH SWEETING

tsweeting@tribunemedia.net

THE New Providence Sports Council is seeking funding urgently as sports associations make preparations for the sixth edition of the Bahamas Golden Jubilee Games.

WIth the games being only four months after a 21-year hiatus, sports officials are beginning to have some concerns with the lack of funding so far as the country looks to host the multi-sport event.

According to members of the different sports associations at a press conference on Saturday, they have not received any funding as yet despite the draft for the Bahamas Games expected to be held in early April.

James Price, president of the New Providence Basketball Association, talked about some of the financial concerns the council has discussed up to this point.

“We are faced with too much situations over the Bahamas Games, we have players they are overseas, they want to know if you are gonna pay for them to come in [if] you have accommodations for them to stay we need to know where these funds are supposed to come from,” Price said.

Price added that he does not see where the NPBA can fund the tickets for athletes when they are costing between $1,200 to $1,500. He also had concerns over ordering uniforms for July’s games because if they are ordered too late they won’t arrive in time for the New Providence sports teams.

The president of the NPBA was not the only one who had concerns about funding for his sport.

Sam Rodgers Sr, president of the Bahamas Baseball Association, said the association was looking at bringing in top baseball athletes but first they would need to import baseballs from Puerto Rico which will take 7-8 weeks. However, they have not received any funds as yet to do so.

“Funds really should have been dished out a few months ago, it’s very important right now for us to make sure, if the Bahamas Games will go on funds have to be issued in short order in order for us to be ready and prepared,” Rodgers Sr added.

Shirley Mireault, of the cycling association, said they put in their budget on time due to requests from the islands to help in preparing their local athletes for cycling as well as providing them with helmets but to no avail because they have not received funding up to this point either.

Among the urgent needs for funding to proceed with preparations for the games, the New Providence Sports Council is seeking accommodations, transportation, and that the New Providence sports team receive the same rights and privileges as athletes from the other islands.

At February’s conclave held by the Ministry of Youth, Sports and Culture, the financial committee had not yet decided whether or not the New Providence Sports Council team would be allowed to live in the Games Village. The committee said that they would make a decision on the living accommodations for the New Providence teams by the next conclave.

The different sports associations in The Bahamas are hoping to receive funding for the sixth edition of the Bahamas Games soon as the games are expected to commence July 7-15.

The games will include softball, basketball, track and field, lawn tennis, swimming, soccer, volleyball, beach volleyball, bodybuilding and powerlifting, boxing, cycling, baseball, youth Olympic sailing, regatta sailing and golf.