By TENAJH SWEETING

Tribune Sports Reporter

tsweeting@tribunemedia.net

Bahamasair, the national flag carrier, is now officially on board with NFL Flag Bahamas and will sponsor Team Bahamas for the Pro Bowl Games scheduled for February 1-4 in Orlando, Florida.

Three teams will represent the country this weekend for the first time at the NFL Flag Football Championships and go head-to-head with clubs from Australia, Brazil, China, France, Germany, Ghana, Japan, Mexico, New Zealand and the United Kingdom in tourney play.

The major announcement came yesterday morning at the Bahamasair Administrative Office on Blake Road.

Tracy Cooper, managing director of Bahamasair, was overjoyed to have the national flag carrier support this latest sporting initiative. “This is indeed a very special occasion. Any time that we can have corporate and government combining to help our youth out and, in this case flag football, it is indeed a good occasion and Bahamasair as one of its sponsors for Team Bahamas, Dallas Cowboys and Bahamasair at the tail end, this is indeed a good occasion. We are here to celebrate any accomplishments that our children can have,” Cooper said.

Team Bahamas will have adult and youth representatives. The latter will be co-ed and team members aged 8-12.

NFL Flag Bahamas has hit the ground running since their inception last June. The historic announcement made The Bahamas the first Caribbean country to join the organisation. After the announcement, they have hosted multiple clin- ics for youth and officials to be well versed in all things related to NFL flag football.

With plans heading in the right direction, president of NFL Flag Bahamas Chris Prudhome is looking forward to the imminent success of Team Bahamas on this journey.

“As we navigate the path forward towards progress, our vision to expand NFL Flag Football and the NFL Flag brand in The Bahamas is clear. I have confidence in the support of all relevant stakeholders to turn this vision into a reality.

“The NFL is all about teamwork, nothing happens on the back of one person. We look forward to celebrating the success of our team as we strive to make history,” the NFL Flag Bahamas president said.

Prudhome added that the talent level that exists within The Bahamas is quite vast.

“The Bahamas boasts extraordinary sporting talent and we believe there is a significant contribution it can make to the NFL. We are committed to bringing our expertise to nurture Bahamian talent, ensuring that The Bahamas has a stake in the game of flag football and football overall,” he said.

The NFL Flag Football Championships at the 2024 Pro Bowl Games will feature teams of different tiers in flag football, including youth, adult and international clubs. There will be more than 250 teams participating in the flag football tourney for the first time ever.

Team Bahamas will be adorned in national colours and uniforms also include the star of the Dallas Cowboys. The trio of teams are hopeful to bring home championship hardware, according to head coach Tito Bethel. He added that the team will definitely leave their mark and is looking forward to being greeted by the sounds of Junkanoo music in the airport when they return with the championship trophy.

Minister of Youth, Sports and Culture Mario Bowleg said the moment is an historic one and he is expecting great results from Team Bahamas. “Today marks an historic moment not just for The Bahamas but for the entire Caribbean region. We stand on the premise of an incredible journey as The Bahamas becomes the first Caribbean country to compete in the NFL Championships at the Pro Bowl. “This is not just a momentous occasion but it is a testament of dedication, perseverance and talent of our athletes.

“As we prepare to face against teams from Africa to Japan, we do so with the sense of excitement, determination and immense pride that we will come out on top like we always do,” said Bowleg.

Minister Bowleg thanked the Fox Foundation, Black Gold Trucking, Prudhome and NFL Flag Bahamas as well as Bahamasair. Additionally, he expressed gratitude to George Kittle, who plays for the San Francisco 49ers, for his donation of cleats to the youth participants of Team Bahamas.

Justina Thompspn, who will play for Team Bahamas, is grateful for the opportunity to be a part of something special.

“It feels good to be at this point where in The Bahamas most people do not have this opportunity to do this type of stuff and travel around the world and get scholarships. “So we are excited to be in this position to play,” she said.