By BRENT STUBBS
Chief Sports Editor
btubbs@tribunemedia.net
A 35-member team, representing New Providence, Grand Bahama, Eleuthera and the United States, will carry the Bahamian flag at the 2026 CARIFTA Artistic Gymnastics Championships.
The championship, hosted in The Bahamas for the first time, will take place at the Kendal Isaacs Gymnasium from November 13-15 and will feature five visiting countries including Trinidad & Tobago and Jamaica.
Cora Hepburn, president of the Gymnastics Federation of the Bahamas, said yesterday at a press conference at St Augustine's College that not only will they be ready to host their guests, but Team Bahamas will be putting on a show for the world to see.
Joining Hepburn in making the announcement of Team Bahamas were Dr Miquela Rolle, federation vice president, Ashley-Aria Knowles, federation vice president and Alia Elliott, one of the team's national coaches.
They were joined by some of Team Bahamas, which came from Airborne Gymnastics, Bahamas Star Gymnastics and Paradise Elite Gymnastics.
The other members of Team Bahamas will come from the Island Dance and Gymnastics in Eleuthera and the Island Elite Gymnastics in Grand Bahama.
"I am excited with The Bahamas being the host for this third CARIFTA," Hepburn said. "We have 35 gymnasts, who made Team Bahamas.
"We have a motto in the Gymnastics Federation where if our gymnasts perform and they perform at their best, we will celebrate. If that success didn't bring a medal, we would still celebrate because we are here to make sure our gymnasts are comfortable, they feel safe in their environment."
Team Bahamas will be competing from Level 1 to Nine with competitors from as young as seven and as old as 16, according to Hepburn.
Elliott said their goal is for Team Bahamas to build on their foundation by being able to "execute their routines as well as they did or even better than last year."
She noted that Team Bahamas got 44 medals, with at least 25 of them being bronze, so they want to go even higher and secure more gold.
"Our children have trained diligently and they train consistently, so the goal is to simply win," Elliott stressed. "Our children are deeply talented, our team is diverse, it is strong and naturally talented."
According to Hepburn, a panel of nine judges are expected to be on hand to officiate at the championships, which will be determined by the team's points spread, although the individual medals will also be up for grabs.
"Our theme this year is CARIFTA in Paradise," said Knowles, who also serves as the marketing director for the Local Organising Committee. "This represents more of the beauty of our islands. It represents the spirit of the Bahamian people, the excellence of our athletes, the warmth of our hospitality and the ability to welcome the Caribbean to our home."
By the time the championships are done, Knowles said they want every athlete who competes, every coach who attends, every official who participates and every visitor who arrives to experience something special.
During the three days of competition, Brahmin JerQuavia Henderson, who is hoping to qualify to compete in the 2028 Olympic Games in Los Angeles, California, will be making a special appearance.
Dr Rolle said they are encouraging corporate Bahamas to join those who have already made their contribution to assist in pulling off the championships.
"More corporate sponsorship is going to be more helpful and beneficial to the games," she said.
Tickets for the championships will go on sale as early as next week. The federation, however, said they will make the announcement next week of the cost and where they can purchase it.
Hepburn said this is the first time that The Bahamas will host the championships and she assured the public that it is an event that they don't want to miss.