The local organising committee of the 2017 Bahamas Commonwealth Youth Games last week welcomed Commonwealth Games Australia (CGA) personnel for a tour of the facilities.

CGA Team Performance Manager, Tim Mahon and Youth Programs Manager, Danusia Pietrzak spent three days visiting sporting venues and gaining local knowledge in an effort to ensure a positive Games experience.

This will be the second edition of the Youth Games to be held on a small developing island State, following the success of 2015 Youth Games in Samoa.

“The idea of having a Youth Games in a smaller Nation is to give them an opportunity to grow,” Pietrzak said.

“Just like Samoa, it will be great exposure for The Bahamas.”

With just five months until the Youth Games launch, Pietrzak said the site visit was a significant step to take.

“It was important to meet the organising committee and build on that relationship, while we’re still in the planning process,” she said.

“We wanted to get a better idea of what to expect when we arrive with around 100 athletes in July.”

Almost all sports will be held in the Queen Elizabeth Sports Centre, which incorporates the 15,000 seat Thomas A. Robinson stadium.

The stadium will also use it’s grandeur in hosting the Opening and Closing Ceremonies.

“we got a great insight into the sporting venues,” Pietrzak said.

“their close proximity from one another, makes it logistically a lot easier.”

Away from the main sporting action will be cycling, which will extend outside of the precinct into the Bahamian streets and communities, on a route around New Providence.

“Having the cycling route spread around the island is really important,” Mahon said.

“It’s a way of including the entire island community in such a special event.”

The Games kick off in 142 days 19 – 23 July 2017 with 71 Nations and Territories represented across seven sports.

For more info on the 2017 Bahamas Youth Commonwealth Games, click here.

And here.

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