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Tourism Minister Applauds Sunland Athletic Achievements
By Simon Lewis
May 14, 2015 - 10:32:15 AM

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TOURISM MINISTER, the Honourable Obediah Wilchcombe is pictured (first right, first row standing) with members of the winning Senior Boys Basketball Team of Sunland Baptist Academy. (BIS Photo/Andrew Miller)

FREEPORT, Grand Bahama – Minister of Tourism the Hon. Obediah H. Wilchcombe on Wednesday congratulated the students and staff of Sunland Baptist Academy for their athletic achievements.

The Member of Parliament for West End and Bimini, Mr. Wilchcombe was the keynote speaker at a special assembly called to recognize the achievements of the winning Senior Boys Team, and the Under 17 Boys Basketball Team who were runners-up in the recent ‘Obediah Wilchcombe/Derek “Bookie” Nesbitt 2015 Basketball League.’

Dubbed the Sunland Baptist Academy Stingers, the Minister while congratulating the squads, also recognized sprinter Brianne Bethel, a 16-year-old student who is making waves in track and field as the top athlete in the 100 and 200 metres in The Bahamas. She was also a member of the Bahamas women’s relay team competing in the recent World Relays held in New Providence.

He told the assembly that he was extremely happy to be there, being from Grand Bahama, himself, and committed and dedicated to seeing young men and women excel and become their very best.

He recalled as a young man growing up, having to sneak into Sunland in the evenings to play basketball and the challenges many faced back then with finding suitable places for sports and recreation.

Minister Wilchcombe went on to congratulate Chief Executive Officer of the School, Bishop Godfrey Williams, for his vision in purchasing the institute and helping to move our nation and our people forward, inspiring a new generation.

Mr. Wilchcombe said he was in the stands two weeks ago watching our Bahamian athletes perform at the World Relays.

“I was there among the thousands of Bahamians celebrating the success of The Bahamas, seeing our young people on the centre stage, watching our young people perform, believing in themselves, because there was a time that we did not believe that we could.

SUNLAND-BAPTIST-ACADEMY_1.jpg
SUNLAND BAPTIST ACADEMY Under 17 Boys Team. Minister Obie Wilchcombe (centre) participated in a special assembly at the school on Wednesday. Both Senior Boys and Under 17 Boys squads recently competed in the ‘Obediah Wilchcombe/Derek Nesbitt 2015 Basketball League.’ The school’s CEO Bishop Godfrey Williams is third left. (BIS Photo/Andrew Miller)

“There was a time we did not believe we would have the Golden Girls or the Golden Knights. We did not believe that gold medals could hang around our necks and we could be Olympic champions. And, who thought that this little country that many didn’t know of would be able to achieve such,” the Minister said.

He then touched on the performance of Brianne Bethel at the World Relays and how the young sprinter felt about her performance. The Minister recalled telling someone sitting next to him at the relays that she was going to be one of the great champions.

According to Mr. Wilchcombe, “the story of life is, in defeat, you win. If you want to be a good winner you must know how to lose, and sometimes defeat causes you to find yourself, because success has a difficulty: it creates egos! It causes you to believe that you are better than anyone else.”

He reminded them that God gave them those talents, and each of them is gifted, every single one.

Turning to young Brianne Bethel the Minister said that “her talent will lift her to the horizons beyond and she will cause dreams to come true.”

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