Prime Minister Perry Christie makes a point during the a press conference with the Olympic medal winners (from left) Michael Mathieu, Demetrius Pinder, and Deputy Prime Minister Philip “Brave” Davis August 14. (BIS Photo/Peter Ramsay)

The government is committed to scouting for potentially great athletes in the country and preparing them for the 2016 Olympics and other sporting events, Prime Minister Perry Christie said yesterday.

He made the statement during a press conference with the Bahamas’ men’s 4x400m relay team, which won gold at the 2012 London Olympics this summer.

The quartet of athletes–Ramon Miller, Chris Brown, Demetrius Pinder, and Michael Mathieu–paid a courtesy call on the Prime Minister at his Cable Beach office August 14, 2012.

Christie told the gold medalists that the entire nation was uplifted by their victory.

“The grit and determination was evident in that race,” he said.

The Prime Minister also noted the accomplishments of Grenada’s Kirani James, the Olympic 400m champion and that country’s’ first ever medal winner. He also commended Trinidad and Tobago’s Keshorn Walcott on his gold medal in the javelin.

He noted that both athletes are only 19 years old.

This, he said, demonstrated that there are gifted young athletes in the Caribbean and in The Bahamas who must be encouraged in the quest for excellence.

In this vein, the Prime Minister said that the government, through the Ministry of Sports, would dedicate resources to ensure that centres of excellence are created to develop the athletic talents of youth in the country.

He urged the gold medal winners to be role models for Bahamian youth.

“The young people need to see you as much as possible throughout The Bahamas where we are going to create these centres of excellence,” he said.