Bahamas counting on sports to aid Dorian recovery efforts

PARADISE ISLAND, Bahamas — Any concern about whether it was appropriate to be playing sports in the Bahamas while parts of the multiisland nation continue to dig out from devastation following Hurricane Dorian are quickly dismissed by officials.

Bahamians not only want the games, they're counting on them.

One of those events is the Thanksgivingweek Battle 4 Atlantis men's college basketball tournament — during which there will be broadcasts of the islands' famous beaches and not just shots of the wreckage Dorian left behind.

“What has happened is after the storm, the word went out that the Bahamas is devastated,” said Ellison “Tommy” Thompson, deputy director general of the Bahamas Ministry of Tourism and Aviation. “But they were not taking into account that the Bahamas is not one island.”

Tourism officials have gone on an “educational tour” that includes easing concerns visitors might have about appearing insensitive by vacationing here.

“Persons have voiced that,” Thompson said. “But we tell them that the best thing you can to help us is we need you to come down and spend the tourism dollars for us to be able to have funds for reconstruction. If you don't come, you're going to put us in even worse position.”

Participants in the sport

ing events — including the eightteam Atlantis tournament opening Wednesday featuring No. 6 North Carolina, No. 8 Gonzaga, No. 11 Oregon and No. 13 Seton Hall — are assisting recovery efforts. That includes UNC senior Brandon Robinson leading a donation drive and Seton Hall raising money for Bahamian relief efforts.

“I think us and these teams going down there, they’ll bring light to the situation that the Bahamas still needs help,” Robinson said in a recent interview with The Associated Press.

The Category 5 storm hammered the northern Abaco and Grand Bahama islands in September before giving a glancing blow to the southeastern United States. There were 67 confirmed deaths and 282 people still missing as of late October along with $3.4 billion in losses for the Bahamas, according to a recent report.

Dorian also impacted the tourism industry, which fuels the economy of a country with about 700 islands — some within 100 miles of the Florida coast.

It is estimated tourism represents 50% of the country’s GDP with 6 of 10 jobs tied to tourism in a country of fewer than 400,000 people. Thompson said major tourism areas were “not touched and open for business,” including the Nassau capital and the Paradise Island home to the Atlantis resort hosting the tournament.

Yet Thompson said international arrivals fell 7.4% in September compared to September 2018, the year’s first decline. Declines were sharper for “leading” markets like the U.S. (12.5%) and Canada (15.3%).

That’s where sporting events can help. The Battle 4 Atlantis is one of the premier events on college basketball’s early schedule and Thompson estimates it attracts 8,000 visitors and $3 million in economic impact through lodging, meals, shopping and activities.

“In terms of business,” Thompson said, “it’s extremely lucrative for us.”

Jim Black, 53, of Dakota Dunes, South Dakota said his family stuck with travel plans after researching that the tournament area was fine.

“This is our first time to the Bahamas,” said Black, an Iowa State alumnus sporting a Cyclones cap who traveled with his wife, daughter and daughter’s boyfriend. “So we were kind of looking forward to it back in February when we got the tickets. So when (Dorian) happened, it was a little concerning that there might not be a tournament and we’d have to make other plans.

“I’m glad it all worked out.”

Other U.S. college events include the fourteam men’s Junkanoo Jam (which ended Sunday) and this week’s women’s events: an eightteam Junkanoo tournament in Bimini and the fiveteam Bahamas Hoopfest in Nassau.

There’s even a college football game: the Bahamas Bowl, played Dec. 20 in the 15,000seat Thomas A. Robinson National Stadium in Nassau.

Beyond college sports, Tiger Woods hosts the Hero World Challenge (early December) in Albany with a field featuring Dustin Johnson, Justin Thomas, Jordan Spieth and Justin Rose. There are two January events on the PGA Tour’s developmental Korn Ferry Tour there, though the Great Abaco Classic has relocated to Nassau due to Dorian damage.

For many, participating in events inspired ideas to assist the Bahamas or damaged U.S. areas such as North Carolina’s Outer Banks barrier islands.

Conference USA and the MidAmerican Conference, which feed teams to the Bahamas Bowl, have announced $25,000 donations for the Bahamas Red Cross along with $25,000 from the Miamibased Orange Bowl.

For Atlantis, Seton Hall is donating proceeds from October exhibitions to Catholic Relief Services for Dorian relief. Gonzaga publicized a fundraiser for explayer Quentin Hall after his family’s home on Grand Bahama Island suffered significant damage.