Sports Ministry To Investigate Regatta Issue Relating To Gibson

As the guest on the popular Love 97 talk show "Issues of the Day" Minister of State for Youth and Sports Hon. Byron Woodside disclosed that the matter of a race being named in honour of Anna Nicole Smith, will be investigated.

The issue surfaced over the Emancipation Holiday weekend in Acklins. Ms. Anita Collie-Pratt who heads the Acklins Trade and Development Association, the parent organization of the popular annual regatta, informed The Journal that she had requested of King Eric Gibson, the regatta committee chairman, not to allow an "Anna Nicole" race to be staged.

According to Collie-Pratt, King Eric ignored her. Subsequently, Collie-Pratt informed that she removed Gibson from His position of chairman of the committee.

On the radio programme on Tuesday, Minister Woodside distanced himself, the Ministry of Sports and the Government of The Bahamas from a connection to Anna Nicole.

"King Eric is a consultant at the Ministry (Sports). We paid for his trip. He did not advise us of what he was doing…about having a race in her (Anna Nicole) name. The matter will be investigated," said the minister.

It is understood that there will be much discussion about the situation within the Sports Ministry. The situation is not a comfortable one at all. A general view is that if Gibson traveled to the Acklins Regatta in his consultant capacity with the trip paid for by the Ministry, he had an obligation to the Ministry.

The issue has landed Gibson in hot water with both the Ministry of Sports and the ATAD. Collie-Pratt seems to be at the end of the road with Gibson.

"I have extended an olive branch to Mr. Gibson over and repeatedly," she was quoted in Monday's Journal.

"As president (Acklins Trade and Development Association) I appointed him in good faith. I now dismiss him with the uttermost haste," she further stated.

Gibson's relationship with the Ministry of Sports is strained Minister Woodside promised a response following the investigation into the entire Acklins Regatta matter regarding the "Anna Nicole" race.

On other sporting matters, Minister Woodside said that talks are ongoing with the Minister of Education, Youth, Sports and Culture about ensuring that all of the core sports are emphasized in the curriculum of the school system.

"We do recognize the need to strengthen sports in the school system,' said Minister Woodside, stressing the need for discipline and character building.

Baseball is one of the sporting disciplines that will be projected in the schools and in that vein Mr. Woodside praised the National Pony League team of 15-16 aged players who competed recently at the 2007 World Series in Lafayette, Indiana. The team finished 1-3 and The Bahamas boasted some of the better batters in the competition.