A BAHAMAS Olympic Committee executive, a Bahamas Anti-Doping commissioner and a sportscaster and national basketball coach are the three honourees for the Bahamas Professional Services Bahamas’ 2024 Awards Gala Banquet.

The three - Derron Donaldson, Petra Haven and Jay Philippe - will be among a list of 40 under-40 most successful professionals and influencers in the Bahamas during the ceremony on Saturday night in the Convention Center at Baha Mar resort, starting at 8pm. 

Deputy Prime Minister I Chester Cooper will be the keynote speaker and Minister of Youth, Sports and Culture Mario Bowleg is expected to be among the list of dignitaries in attendance.

Donaldson is a former tennis player from Grand Bahama, who became the youngest president ever to be elected to serve in the Bahamas Lawn Tennis Association in 2012 at 23 years old and a year later was the youngest ever to be elected to serve on the board of the BOC as the secretary general. 

“Everyone always says you should be happy when they honour you while you are still alive,” Donaldson said. 

“But under-40 doesn’t sound old for some of us. So it’s a great accomplishment and it helps you to keep pressing forward and doing what you are doing. 

“Again, sports is very diverse with sports reporters, sports doctors, sports commentators, coaches, administrators and they all help with the development of our professional athletes. So it’s great to be honoured in such a diverse list of honourees.”

Now 35 and married to Grescheik Donaldson with three children, Gemini, 14, Meli, 19 and Derron, 2, Donaldson said he will encourage those persons who are involved in sports to continue to make their contribution.

“Whatever their passion is, although I represent sports, stick with it,” Donaldson said. “My journey started in tennis at the age of four. I wasn’t the best tennis athlete, but by the age of 16, my mother, Denise Donaldson, made me coach my sisters Danquelle and Samia at the Moon McPhee, as she said she was not paying for additional tennis lessons. “After that, I had a passion for coaching and at the age of 18, I was elected to the Bahamas Lawn Association Council. I always say, parents don’t stop their kids from doing any sports. It’s like a trade. They will have it for life, they can pass it on and they can make money from it and they can go on to travel around the world.”

He noted that just like his father Carrington Donaldson got him interested in playing golf, he wants to advise parents not to punish their kids who are into sports, but are not getting the A grades in education. 

He said once they can strive to do both, it could be their ticket to something bigger and better in the future.

Haven, a former swimmer and soccer player, said she worked really hard, not looking for any recognition, but rather to ensure that she put her best foot forward in doing her job to the best of her ability.

“So it feels good to be recognised and I want to thank The Bahamas for recognising me for doing the job that I love to do.”

Unmarried 36-year-old Haven serves as the executive director for the Bahamas Anti-Doping Commission. She is responsible for managing the education and testing of Bahamian athletes, ensuring that everybody stays clean. Additionally, she is in charge of conducting drug testing for all athletes whenever there’s an international event being staged in The Bahamas. 

As a marketing director, as well, Haven has her own agency where she manages a lot of entrepreneurs in The Bahamas and she assists a number of small businesses to grow their brand.

But, above all, she spends a lot of time caring for her two dogs, Blaze, a cane corso and Bull, a mastiff. In her spare time, she’s in front of the tube watching Netflix. 

Haven, however, would be the first to mention that there’s nothing like maintaining her goal of ensuring that the Bahamian athletes are well versed in the education of doping and are doing the necessary things to stay clean and healthy.

“As a former athlete who played soccer and also swam, as I got older, some people are prone to injury,” said Haven, who has been a member of the commission for the past eight years. 

“So for me, there were no regrets moving from being an athlete to a sports administrator. 

“I’m extremely passionate about managing the processes of anti-doping in sports because sports is one of the areas that has put us on the map and I love to see the development of young athletes.”

Philippe, who coaches the perennial top contenders Sunland Baptist Stingers senior boys’ basketball team in Grand Bahama, said at first he wasn’t aware of the concept and the organisation until he received an email and the congratulatory messages started to pour in.

“I’m honoured and I’m privileged to know that all of my hard work as a mentor is paying off,” said Philippe, who has now excelled to serve as the junior national boys basketball team coach. “As a youngster competing in sports at TG Glover Primary to CC Sweeting Junior and Senior High, I got involved because it was a gateway for me to travel around the world and to get a college degree.”

Now a sportscaster at the Broadcasting Corporation of the Bahamas, Philippe not only gets to talk and showcase the performances of so many young people, but he’s also assisting in their development through coaching.

“So to be able to be a coach at the local and international level is not something that I take for granted,” he said. “I’m extremely grateful and honoured to have been given the opportunity to assist so many people. I’m excited about what is to come.”

With so much focus on giving people their “flowers” while they are either on their way out or have died, Philippe said it’s good to know that they are being honoured for their contribution to sports at such a young age.

“Once you have a passion for something, it’s all about the timing,” Philippe said. “I believe that you have to be passionate about what you do. Whether you get rewarded or not, your passion will allow you to continue to motivate and encourage others to go on. So if you are in the church, school, the medical field, once you are passionate about what you’re doing, things will take care of itself.”

The 36-year-old, who is married to Danielle and has a daughter, Aaliyah Thompson, thanked the organisation for selecting him along with Donaldson and Haven as this year’s sports recipients.