By TENAJH SWEETING

Tribune Sports Reporter

tsweeting@tribunemedia.net

THE Bahamas Aquatics Federation was hoping to host the 2024 CARIFTA Swimming Trials at the Betty Kelly Kenning Aquatic Centre March 8-9 but, due to ongoing renovations at the facility, the meet will be carried out at King’s College on Western Road instead.

The last chance meet, which traditionally takes place in a 50-metres long course pool at the aforementioned venue, will now relegate junior swimmers to a short course 25m pool due to the circumstances.

Minister of Youth, Sports and Culture Mario Bowleg made the announcement to reporters at the home game of the FIBA AmeriCup 2025 Qualifiers on Sunday.

“That facility will not be prepared for them to have their swimming trials. The federation has been updated on a weekly basis on the progress of this project of the swimming pool and it is their duty to tell the swimming community what is happening,” Bowleg said.

The repairs at both the Thomas A Robinson National Stadium and the National Swim Complex started on November 1 last year.

However, swimmers have not been able to utilise the country’s only 50m pool since last summer and have competed in only short-course meets on the local scene. Initially, the last chance meet had the option to be hosted at home or in South Florida in a long-course pool.

However, logistics did not work out in this regard and King’s College was selected as the venue.

Algernon Cargill, president of the Bahamas Aquatics Federation, expressed concerns about swimmers competing in yet another short-course meet ahead of the CARIFTA Games.

“The CARIFTA Trials are normally held in a long-course 50m pool and it was anticipated that the Betty Kelly Kenning Aquatic Centre would be ready in time for the trials or the team would have travelled to the United States in order to complete the trials.

“It is important to have the meet in a 50 metre pool because CARIFTA is being swam in a 50 metre pool and the 25 metre times do not compare favourably to competing in a 50 metre pool.

“Now that the pool will not be ready for the CARIFTA Trials, we have no choice but to have the meet in the 25 metre pool at King’s College here in Nassau, Bahamas,” he said.

Despite the swimming facility being inoperable as the CARIFTA Aquatics Championships looms, Minister Bowleg said repairs are on target to be completed on time and the pool will be tested this week.

“It is expected for us to test the pool by putting water in the pool on Thursday or Friday of this week and then we will continue moving from there.

“What we want the public to appreciate is that the investment in these facilities is not to rush it but make sure they are done properly so that we don’t have to continue coming back and forth with the maintenance.

“But make sure that we do it right so when we we do the maintenance it is done properly to sustain these facilities for a long period of time,” he said.

The Bahamas is scheduled to host the CARIFTA Swimming Championships March 28 to April 7 in hopes of earning the coveted sixth straight aquatics title.

Although Cargill is confident in the ability of the swimmers to overcome the setbacks, he vocalised his thoughts on the lack of preparation in the 50 metre pool.

“I feel our athletes are gonna go into CARIFTA under raced in that they would not have enough preparation in the 50m pool. That is particularly concerning because we are the five-time defending champions and defending our CARIFTA title here at home. Now that the facility won’t be ready, most of our athletes would not have the opportunity to swim and get ready in the 50m pool,” he said.

“We are gonna be very challenged but nonetheless I feel like our athletes always rise to the occasion and they should be able to continue to defend the CARIFTA crown and be the only country to win CARIFTA six years in a row. We have won it five years in a row and we are hoping that the six-peat will happen this year also irrespective of all of the challenges they have faced,” he added.

Team Bahamas had a record showing at the 2023 CARIFTA Aquatics Championships in Willemstad, Curaçao.

The swim team was greeted by the sounds of sweet Junkanoo music at home after hauling in an historic 85 medals which included 37 gold, 27 silver and 21 bronze.