By SAMORA J ST ROSE

Sports Editor

sstrose@tribunemedia.net

MEMBER of Parliament for Central Grand Bahama Iram Lewis, highlighting the need to adequately fund our sporting programmes, said we need to be able to hold training camps ahead of major events so that athletes have a chance to “sharpen their skills and work together, gel.”

“So the fact that the Olympic Games are in Paris this year, I’m hoping that funds will be allocated. We should find funding for those athletes to have training camps in France prior to going to the Olympic Games where they could focus, (this is) very important.

“I live it so I can speak to it. Proper uniforms, funding, counselling, sports medicine, pre-Olympic competition, again, is very important.

In his contribution to the mid-year budget debate last week Wednesday, he said we love to take credit for our athletes’ success “but we need to invest in them on the way up.”

“When are we going to become a serious country about our sports industry? I guess we will have to wait for another new day for that to happen. It must be underscored that youth, sports and culture are three of the major fabrics of our Bahamian identity that requires investment at the highest level.”

Offering special congratulations to indoor 60 metres hurdles world record holder Devynne Charlton, he stressed the importance of finding “ways to really properly reward our athletes.”

“Today we continue to prove to the world that we are indeed a small country with the greatest athletes ever. I want to offer special congratulations to Devynne Charlton who shattered, for the second time in less than a month, the (indoor) world record in the 60 metre hurdles.

“She is now the fastest person ever in the history of that event in the entire globe and that’s commendable. And I’m happy to hear the minister, the Member (of Parliament) for Garden Hills, say that they will revise the sports policy so that we can adequately compensate Devynne and others like her. “And now if we consider what she did, let us ensure that we never forget this amazing feat.”

In addition, he also congratulated the PLP government for recently appointing Chavano “Buddy” Hield as The Bahamas’ ambassador-at-large.

“He is joining the ranks of Rick Fox and my former teammate Chris Brown so, again, it’s a good thing,” he said. He also congratulated renowned golfer Glenn Pratt.

“Mr Pratt is now being inducted into the African American Golf Hall of Fame. “Certainly the first for this entire region and we must commend Glenn for all of his achievements.”

And he added that “help is still needed for Devaughn Robinson and other struggling golfers.”

The former minister of youth, sports and culture said wrestler Shannon Hanna II made history by becoming the first Bahamian to earn an international medal in wrestling “by winning a bronze medal” at the Pan American Wrestling Championships.

“So we are doing it in track and field, doing it in golf, and now even in wrestling,” stated the former athlete.