ILLUSTRATED, left to right, Kelsie Johnson, Mike Sands, Valdez Russell, Zoe Gibson-Bowleg, Mario Bowleg, Eugene Poitier, Gena Culmer-Taylor and Drumeco Archer.

By RENALDO DORSETT

Tribune sports journalist

[email protected]

FTX Digital Markets has made a major contribution to youth development and the CARIFTA movement as the nation’s elite junior athletes prepare for regional competition.

The organization announced a donation of $120,000 which includes an allocation of $100,000 to the overall effort to be present at CARIFTA and $10,000 each to the respective federations that will be participating.

The two events will be held simultaneously from April 15-18, with the swimming championships being held in Bridgetown, Barbados, while the athletics will be held in Kingston, Jamaica.

“This is the first giveaway that FTX is going to give as it relates specifically to athletics here in the Bahamas. We are finding ways to make a contribution and support the Government of the Bahamas and their efforts to bring our athletes to the CARIFTA Games” , said Valdez Russell, Vice President of Communications and Corporate Social Responsibility at FTX, “In addition to the funding we will be providing to the Government of the Bahamas, we will also be injecting $10,000 into the Bahamas Swimming Federation and 10 An additional $000 to BAAAs specifically to go towards the athletes and causes that will go to them delivering impressive performances in the coming weeks.”

Russell added that FTX will continue to look for ways to solidify its position in the Bahamian community as a socially responsible corporate citizen.

“At FTX, our commitment is to support Bahamians and the amazing things they do in a meaningful way,” he said. “We are committed to doing our part to make an impressive difference in our communities. We will continue to do so and we will continue to partner with organizations that influence change to improve the quality of life for Bahamians. I hope that when they return to the Bahamas in the next few weeks, they will win all the gold medals possible. »

Youth, Sports and Culture Minister Mario Bowleg said both teams will look to continue their recent levels of success after a two-year hiatus due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

“The Bahamas are the defending swimming champions. It is unfortunate that our water polo teams do not have the opportunity to defend their titles as this segment of the championships has been canceled due to an insufficient number of team entries. Our swimmers are sure to make a splash, successfully defend their title and go home with the title as expected.

“The Austin Sealey Award is given to the most outstanding athlete in athletics championships and the Bahamas have won this award seven times. We look forward to adding another to our collection,” he said. “These accomplishments of our athletes will not go unnoticed and I am happy to know that companies such as FTX have picked up the slack and partnered with the Bahamas government and federations to ensure these teams can make this journey possible.”

Bahamas Aquatics recently named a 36-member team to compete in Barbados. The Bahamas team are hoping to claim their fourth title after winning three in a row before the event was halted for the past two years.

Travano McPhee is the head coach, assisted by Camron Bruney and Andrew Loveitt.

The team leader is Andrea Strapp.

Courtney Barr is the female chaperone and Patrick Ferguson is the male chaperone.

In 2019, the Bahamas scored a total of 889.5 points to win the title with a total of 73 medals – 35 gold, 18 silver and 20 bronze.

Following the CARIFTA trials this weekend, the BAAA is expected to select, ratify and name the final team that will represent the country when the games return to Jamaica.

Practice is scheduled to begin at 5 p.m. Friday and conclude with the final session, starting at 2 p.m. Saturday.

BAAA President Drumeco Archer also thanked FTX for their investment in both programs.

“My heart warms and my soul rejoices to see that through your contributions today, we have invested in the future prospects of Team Bahamas. As we pack our bags with tennis shoes and spikes, with the aquamarine, black and gold uniforms, with the BAHAMAS written across the front of our shirts, we intend to bring abundant returns and a glorious return on your investment.