VI’s Nanjing 2014 athletes announced at Olympic Day celebrations

Olympic Day celebrations at Tortola Sports Club

Olympic Day celebrations at Tortola Sports Club. Photo: BVIOC

The BVI Olympic Committee (BVIOC) announced the 7 athletes who will be representing the Virgin Islands at the Nanjing 2014 Youth Olympic Games in swimming, sailing, and athletics. The announcement and a special presentation of the Sochi 2014 Winter Olympic Games Participant’s Pin were part of Olympic Day celebrations hosted at the Tortola Sports Club on Saturday, June 21.

In his remarks Mr. Ephraim Penn, President of the BVIOC, said, “2014 is a busy year for the BVIOC. In addition to the Sochi 2014 Winter Games that took place in February, there are no less than 4 global games and competitions coming up in which the Virgin Islands expects to participate. These include the Glasgow 2014 Commonwealth Games which take place July 23 – August 3 in Scotland, the Nanjing 2014 Summer Youth Olympic Games which take place August 16 – 28 in China, and the Vera Cruz 2014 Central American and Caribbean Games which take place November 14 – 30 in Mexico. We then have the 2015 Pan American Games in Toronto, Canada and the Rio 2016 Summer Olympic Games which will take place that summer in Brazil.”

“It is an exciting period for the BVIOC Executive board as we continue to see up and coming young athletes make the mark and join the roll call of competitors who have represented the Virgin Islands at major games,” added Penn.

The Nanjing 2014 competitors from athletics include sprinter, Nelda Huggins; 100m hurdler, Deya Erickson; Long Jumper, Kala Penn; 400m intermediate hurdler, Kyron McMaster; and triple jumper, Akeem Bradshaw who all qualified for the second Youth Olympic Games during the 2014 Carifta Games held in April in Martinique.

Sam Morrell will be representing the Virgin Islands in sailing following his success in the 2014 Byte CII North American Championships to become the first VI sailor to qualify for the Youth Olympic Games.

In another first for the VI, Amarah Phillips will be competing in swimming.

Chef de Mission for Nanjing 2014, Mrs. Stephanie Russ-Penn, who announced the athletes said: “These kids will get the opportunity not just to go and compete, but they will have an opportunity to develop themselves because these games are nothing like any other games. It’s completely designed to give them both a cultural, educational, as well as competitive experience.”

Mr. Lloyd Black, Secretary General for the BVIOC, reiterated Stephanie’s remarks by recognising the hard work, diligence and perseverance of the athletes required to make the qualifying marks.

The programme of events continued with the presentation of the Sochi 2014 Winter Olympic Games Participant’s Pin to Peter Adam Crook, the VI’s half- pipe skier. Mr. Paul Hewlett, Deputy Director of the Department of Youth Affairs and Sports, representing the Ministry of Education, Culture and Sports presented the pin to Adam.

Mr. Rey O’Neal, Past President of the BVIOC provided an overview of the Olympic history of the VI which had made its Olympic debut with speed skater, Errol Canute Fraser in the Sarajevo 1984 Winter Games. Adam is the territory’s second Winter Olympian.

Drawing events to a close, Ephraim Penn, President of the BVIOC read out the Olympic Day message from Thomas Bach, President of the International Olympic Committee. He then invited the gathering of over 90 participants of all ages to join in the symbolic Olympic Day run through Road Town before returning to the sports club to collect their Certificate of Participation.

The afternoon set up at the sports club included information desks run by the National Federations for Swimming, Sailing, and Athletics, and the VI branch of the Regional Anti-Doping Organisation (RADO).

The Royal Virgin Islands Police Force, and Lifeline BVI, a privately owned, ambulance and EMT service, ensured the safety of the runners and walkers. Roadtown Wholesale distributed Dasani water and Powerade to participants along the route and at the sports club. Ice and coolers were provided by MBs Ice.

Cleave Farrington, Executive Director of the BVIOC and lead, event organizer, acknowledged several individuals from the community who had volunteered their time to assist with the set up, registration, and marshaling of the event.

Earlier in the day, an Olympic Day run was held in the Valley, Virgin Gorda while the BVI Tri Federation held a children’s triathlon event at Smuggler’s Cove, Tortola.

Olympic Day Message – IOC President, Thomas Bach

Today, people all over the world are celebrating Olympic Day. I am pleased to have this chance to greet you. Because today, together,we are sharing a success story. Like you, millions of other people in their own countries are taking part, regardless of age, sex or sporting ability.

On this day, we remember the creation of our modern Olympic Movement. We are demonstrating the Olympic values of friendship, excellence and respect. For this reason, today is not just about having fun through sport and physical activity. Olympic Day is more than that.

We invite everyone, everywhere, “to move, to learn and to discover”—through sport and beyond sport. It is especially good to see more and more young people taking part. Make full use of all the sporting and cultural opportunities in your community and neighbourhood. Invite other people to join in.

Because that is what is so special about Olympic Day: It doesn’t really matter how you celebrate it, so long as more and more people get to move, learn and discover. That way, we can all help to make our future a better place to live. That is the Olympic ideal.

I wish you all a happy Olympic Day 2014!

2014 Queen’s Baton Relay in the BVI April 2-5

QBR Count down briefing presentersThe BVI Olympic Committee, in its capacity as the local Commonwealth Games Association, launched the one-month count down to the arrival of the Queen’s Baton Relay. The baton and traveling team will arrive into the Virgin Islands from Anguilla on Wednesday, April 2. Two full days of public events and relays will take place in the territory on April 3 and 4 before the Queen’s Baton Relay departs for Jamaica on the morning of Saturday, April 5.

The Queen’s Baton Relay is a special tradition of the Commonwealth Games which take place every four years. The ‘friendly Games’ unite the two billion citizens of the Commonwealth in a celebration of sport, diversity and peace. The XX Commonwealth Games will take place this summer in Glasgow, Scotland.

The baton, which was specially crafted in Scotland, holds Her Majesty the Queen’s message calling the athletes of the Commonwealth to the Games. It is on its journey through 70 Commonwealth nations and territories, travelling 190,000KM over 248 days. Its journey is being reported on BBC News outlets.

The official public welcome ceremony for the Glasgow 2014 Queen’s Baton Relay will take place from 9.00am – 10.00am at the Noel Lloyd Positive Action Movement Park on Thursday, April 3.

The baton will then start its first leg of the relay through the Virgin Islands from the Noel Lloyd Positive Action Movement Park. It will pass though communities in Tortola, Jost Van Dyke, and Virgin Gorda during the course of Thursday, April 3 and Friday, April 4.

The Premier will host a welcome ceremony in The Valley, Virgin Gorda at 8.30am on Friday, April 4.

The Queen’s Baton Relay is a unifying event organized by the Commonwealth Games Association inviting members of the Commonwealth and the Overseas Territories to showcase their country, culture, hospitality, communities, and sports. This year, there is a focus on youth through a partnership between the Commonwealth Games Association and UNICEF.

“This is an occasion for all who reside in the BVI to come together in the spirit of friendship and unity,” said Ephraim Penn, president of the BVI Olympic Committee. “It’s the perfect opportunity to emphasize the Commonwealth Games message of friendly games and sports for all and to harness the current drive towards wellness and health for everyone and to encourage all to come out and take some exercise be it a gentle jog or a brisk walk.”

In an effort to reach out to the children of the territory, the Glasgow 2014 mascot named Clyde, after the river Clyde in Scotland, has been on a tour of some of the public schools earlier this year as part of a project undertaken in conjunction with Hertfordshire County Council

“The mascot was designed by a 12 year old girl and is based on the Thistle which is Scotland’s national emblem,” said Mark Chapman, Chef de Mission, XX Commonwealth Games. “We will be continuing to make presentations to schools on the Queen’s Baton Relay and the Glasgow 2014 Games during the next couple of weeks.”

As a key stakeholder involved in the planning process of the visit of the Queen’s Baton

Relay to the territory, the Ministry of Education, Culture, and Sports endorses the communitywide event:

“At the Ministry, we are doing our part to ensure active participation by our schools and that our youth organisations are at the forefront,” said the Honourable Minister Myron Walwyn. “As the Baton arrives [at] a time when our schools are on Easter break, I am urging all parents and guardians to allow your children to participate in activities scheduled for that day so that your child can witness and participate in this global ceremony.”

The public events and the relays are planned to pass through Road Town, Capoons Bay, Carrot Bay, Cane Garden Bay, Great Harbour, Jost Van Dyke, and the BVI Spring Regatta Village at Nanny Cay Marina on Thursday, April 3 and through The Valley, Virgin Gorda, East End/Long Look to include The Sticket, and culminate at the H. Lavity Stoutt Community College on Friday, April 4.

A cultural presentation by traditional musicians, dancers and performers to include Scottish reel dancing will form part of the official closing ceremony HLSCC when the baton is returned to the Queen’s Baton Relay traveling team and the Commonwealth Games Association. The evening will end with a cultural tastings under the tent with samplings of food and refreshments from the BVI and Scotland on sale.

The full itinerary of events, baton route and times will be publicized closer to the arrival date through broadcast, print, and online media, as well as via the BVIOC Facebook, Twitter and Instagram social media accounts.

Mr Rey O’Neil OBE, past president of the BVIOC and BVI Athletic Association and one of the territory’s sporting pioneers noted that Glasgow 2014 will be the seventh Commonwealth Games in which the Virgin Islands will participate, “Our first Commonwealth Games was at the Auckland 1990 games in New Zealand when one athlete went from the territory, Lindel Hodge. Lindel was the first batonbearer when the Queen’s Baton Relay first came to the territory in 2006.”

The Virgin Islands is expecting to send 8 athletes to represent the territory in Squash, Athletics, and Swimming at the Glasgow 2014 Commonwealth Games which take place from July 23 to August 3, 2014.

The last time the Queen’s Baton Relay toured the Commonwealth and Overseas Territories was in 2010 when the baton and traveling team visited the Virgin Islands in March of that year heralding the games in Delhi, India.

The key stakeholders involved in organizing the Glasgow 2014 Queen’s Baton Relay events include the BVIOC as the local Commonwealth Games Association and host of the Queen’s Baton Relay, the Office of the Governor, the Office of the Premier, the Ministry of Education, Culture and Sports (to include the Departments of Culture, and Youth Affairs and Sports), the Royal Virgin Islands Police Force, the H. Lavity Stoutt Community College, and the BVI Tourist Board.

 

 

VI heading to Winter Olympic Games Sochi 2014 and XX Commonwealth Games Glasgow 2014

BVIOC to launch awareness campaign at interactive, multi-sports exhibition

BVIOC PosterThe Virgin Islands will be represented in the half-pipe ski event at the Winter Olympic Games Sochi 2014, and in squash, swimming, and athletics at the XX Commonwealth Games Glasgow 2014. In April 2014, the Glasgow 2014 Queen’s Baton Relay will be in the VI.

The BVI Olympic Committee in collaboration with the BVI Athletics Association, the BVI Ski Association, the BVI Squash Racquets Association, and the BVI Swimming Association will host a free, interactive, multi-sports exhibition at the Tortola Sports Club on Saturday, October 26, 2014 from 8.30am – 12.00pm to showcase these international games, the sports, and some of the athletes who will be representing the VI.

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BVIOC presents Virgin Island 49er sailors, Anderson & Brockbank with Olympic Scholarship

(l-r) Mark Chapman, treasurer, BVIOC, presents Olympic Solidarity funding to Rio 2016 hopefuls, Christopher Brockbank, 49er crew, and Alec Anderson, 49er skipper.

(l-r) Mark Chapman, treasurer, BVIOC, presents Olympic Solidarity funding to Rio 2016 hopefuls, Christopher Brockbank, 49er crew, and Alec Anderson, 49er skipper.

Virgin Island 49er sailors, Alec Anderson and Christopher Brockbank have been awarded an Olympic Scholarship by the BVI Olympic Committee (BVIOC). The combined, fixed $2000 monthly subsidy will assist them in their preparation and qualification for the Summer Games of the XXXI Olympiad, Rio 2016.

The funding comes from the Olympic Solidarity programme that aims to promote universal representation at the Olympic Games. The programme offers National Olympic Committees (NOCs) the possibility to obtain financial and technical assistance for a limited number of elite athletes who are training, and attempting to qualify, for the Rio Olympic Games.
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