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From:TheBahamasWeekly.com Sports
Nassau, Bahamas - It was a very good year. The Helsinki Olympic Games was held in 1952. Queen Elizabeth II went on the throne that year. It was a great year! The Bahamas Amateur Athletic Association, the forerunner of the Bahamas Association of Athletic Associations was formed this year. The Bahamas wanted to participate in the Olympic Games for the very first time. Sure, Sir Durward Knowles had participated in London in 1948 but it was for Great Britian. In order for The Bahamas to have a team we needed to have an Olympic Committee. For that to happen, several national federations who were registered by their international bodies had to get together. The BAAA was formed on May 6th, 1952 in the offices of renowned attorney Alfred Francis(AF) Adderley. With this accomplished the Bahamas Olympic Association was formed the next day, May 7th 1952 with Sir George Roberts as president. The other founding members of the BAAA’s were: C.V. Bethel Gerald Cash Edwin Davies Randol Fawkes Reginald Farrington Joseph Garfunkel Kendal Isaacs Edward Mitchell Fred Moultrie Cyril Richardson Reginald Robertson Orville Turnquest No Bahamian Track and Field team participated in Helsinki that year but Sir Durward Knowles and Cecil Cooke did participate in Star Class Sailing. Historic Feat 25 Years Before Twenty-five years before the founding of the BAAA one Bahamian was large on the athletic scene in the United States. Charley Major had one of the best jumps in the world while he competed for St. Bonaventure University in New York. His jump of 6’5-5/8th in the 1927 Milrose Games was just 5/8” lower than the Milrose Games record. For that he was named the third most outstanding performer of the 1927 Milrose Games. Major was injured prior to the 1928 Olympic Games. Legendary Figures The names of the founders have become legendary in The Bahamas over the last sixty years. As school was named after Mr. Adderley. He died of leukemia on the airplane on the way back from the coronation of Queen Elizabeth II. Cyril Richardson Cyril Richardson, a Sports reporter with The Tribune took over the presidency. He took the first team to The British Empire and Commonwealth Games in July of 1954. C.V. Bethel C.V.Bethel was an outstanding educator and a school has been named after him. Edwin Davies Edwin Davies was the Chief plumber at the PMH. Randol Fawkes Randol Fawkes was elected as a member of the PLP in 1956 and formed the Labour Party. When the PLP was tied with the UBP(United Bahamian Party) after the 1967 General Elections Fawkes, along with Alvin Braynen, threw his support to the PLP giving them a majority. Mr. Fawkes was knighted by the Queen. Gerald Cash Gerald Cash became Governor General of The Bahamas and a school is named after him. He received a Knighthood from the Queen. Kendal Isaacs Kendal Isaacs was the leader of the Opposition in the Pindling years. The Basketball gymnasium at the Queen Elizabeth Sports Centre is named after him. He has been knighted by the Queen. Reginald Farrington Reginald Farrington became involved in the shipping business. His business was Tropical Shipping. Joseph Garfunkel Joseph Garfunkel was a businessman after whom the Garfunkel Auditorium in Palmdale was named. Edward Mitchell Edward Mitchell was the first president of the Bahamas Baseball Association, formed after the BAAA. Fred Moultrie Fred Moultrie was an executive in Bahamas Electricity Board in the forties. Moultrie was also a World War II veteran. Reginald Robertson Reginald Robertson was born in Rawl-Pindi, India in 1892 to Scottish parents and arrived in The Bahamas from Scotland in 1913. He joined Charles Bethell to form Bethel Robertson liquor merchants. Orville Turnquest Orville Turnquest was a twenty-two year old working in A. F. Adderley’s law firm. He became the Attorney General and Governor General. Turnquest is the only living founder of the BAAA. The founding members of the BAAA were quite an able group as we can see. They would be exceedingly happy to see just how far the body has come. Gold medals in every level of competition, from the Carifta Games to the World Championships and Olympic Games! The name placed upon us by a German Sports historian, “The Bahamas, Small Country, Great Athletes”. It is them and the presidents that we will celebrate on Sunday, 27th of May at the new Thomas A. Robinson National Stadium. We hope that you will make an effort to be there for this most appropriate celebration.
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