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Last Updated: Feb 13, 2017 - 1:45:37 AM |
Bahamian basketball star, Jonquel Jones accepts this special award from Tourism Minister the Honourable Obie Wilchcombe during her special appearance with NBA player, Buddy Hield at the closing out ceremony for the Bahamas Goombay Summer Festival at Taino Beach on Thursday night. Left is Betty Bethel, head of the Grand Bahama’s Tourist Office. Pictured right is artisan Chastity Capron, who created the gift item.
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FREEPORT, Grand Bahama – The 2016 Ministry of Tourism’s sponsored Bahamas Goombay Summer Festival closed out in grand style at Taino Beach on Thursday night with hundreds of persons both foreign and locals getting an opportunity to meet and greet our outstanding Bahamian Basketball stars.
West Grand Bahama natives Chavano “Buddy” Hield and Jonquel Jones whose rise to the National Basketball Association (NBA) and the Women National Basketball Association (WNBA) have excited Bahamians throughout the country made a special appearance on stage Thursday night.
Tourism Minister the Honourable Obie Wilchcombe was on hand to make a presentation to the two athletes, a special gift, created by artisan Ms. Chastity Capron which focused on their rise to basketball stardom.
Both athletes were well-received by the large crowd assembled, who were also entertained by local musicians and Junkanoo Groups and Marching Bands.
Ms. Jones, who took to the platform first thanked Bahamians everywhere for the “Hero’s Welcome” she has received. The Holmes Rock native and sixth round WNBA draft pick is a star player with the Connecticut Suns.
Then came Buddy Hield, the former six-foot-five-inch guard from the University of Oklahoma and one of the most decorated players in college basketball history, winning a number of honours this year, just this week adding the ‘Big 12 Athlete of The Year’ honours to his collection.
Tourism Minister the Hon. Obie Wilchcombe greets Buddy Hield on stage at the close out of the Goombay Summer Festival in Grand Bahama on Thursday night.
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The Eight Mile Rock native was selected sixth overall in the NBA draft by the New Orleans Pelicans. He also thanked Bahamians for their tremendous support over the years and asked that we all keep him and Jonquel in our prayers.
Tourism Minister the Honourable Obie Wilchcombe told the gathering that “I want all the young people here tonight to pay attention to those two athletes. You saw them this evening and you heard they said very few words, but they are the most humble individuals that I know and they are exactly where they are tonight because of hard work.”
Continuing the Minister said that they have made it to the WNBA and the NBA because they worked hard, they practise hard and they gave all that they could to play at the level that they are playing now.
He said, and now they go to the pros and in the pros they have to prove themselves -- but one thing for sure, over the last year we have been so excited, so thrilled and so overjoyed by their performances, and that they made all Bahamians proud.
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