Bahamas News
Royal Bahamas Defence Force (STRENGTH IS FOR SERVICE, NOT STATUS)
#Bahamas, October 6, 2017 – Nassau – ‘Strength’ can be defined in many different ways, because it means so many different things to different people. But at its most basic meaning, we are usually inclined to think about bodily power…muscles…and the state of being strong. Well if this is the measurement of strength, then Chief Petty Officer James Darling is the walking definition of the word.
Chief Petty Officer Darling joined the Royal Bahamas Defence Force as a member of Entry 24 on May 8, 1989 and has contributed much in his years of service. He has served in various departments such as the Military Operations Platoon (MOP) for some 18 years, Harbour Patrol Unit, Port Security and the seagoing Squadron Department.
He is currently attached to the Training Department which is home for Chief Darling as he has been a part of the fitness world for approximately 31 years now as a competitive bodybuilder. In a brief interview, he recalled how it all began.
“When I was 18 [years of age], I had my first show at a stadium on Bernard Road. Then I made The Bahamas team and we went down to Curacao and that’s where I got my first medal, a bronze medal in the Juniors. That was all in my first year of competing.”
Chief Darling admits that his initial motivation for competing was based on vanity, however, over time, it has developed into something totally different.
“Starting out, the sport was simply just fun and the girls, they always like a good body. But over the years, with every part of my body I worked, I tried to develop it and I became extremely curious about nutrition and what I needed to do to carve my body to look how I wanted it to.”
With a straight face, he said the sacrifices don’t feel like sacrifices anymore and that he stays away from bad habits.
“I eat as healthy as I can and don’t really crave anything anymore. I’ve been doing this for so long now, it’s no problem to not eat things I know I shouldn’t eat, because I eat for purpose and nutritional value, not for how things taste. I don’t drink and I don’t smoke. I don’t live a wild lifestyle, because I know how my body works and responds based on what I put in it.”
He continued competing and managed to rack up 2 championship wins before deciding to use his strength in the service of his country on the Royal Bahamas Defence Force. However, this did not deter him from his bodybuilding pursuits.
“After I joined the Force, I ended up in Military Operations Platoon [now referred to as Commando Squadron] and I hung it up for about 10 years until I went to Haiti for 6 months in 1996 for a United Nations Peacekeeping Mission. When we returned, I had two months off and started working out again and found myself back onstage.”
Some of his national titles include the Bahamas Middle Weight Champion which he won four consecutive years from 1997 – 2000, Mr. Northern Bahamas in 2007 [where he also won Best Poser & Most Muscular], and the Mr. Bahamas overall title which he won six times.
However, his success was not limited to local competitions. He has also seen success in international competitions. In fact, adding to his already extensive career accomplishments, just this year, Chief Darling competed in 3 separate international bodybuilding shows including the 2017 Pittsburg Pro Masters event where he won 3rd Place. Other events this year included the 2017 Toronto Pro Supershow and the 2017 Tampa Pro where he placed 3rd in the Masters.
As he continued to discuss his career, a few names came up such as Sub Lieutenant Delroy Dennis, Chief Petty Officer Greg Fernander (Retired), Chief Petty Officer Patrick Adderley and Petty Officer Kevin Dames, all Defence Force members who also had some experience competing in bodybuilding.
Currently, as the only professional bodybuilder in The Defence Force and in The Bahamas still competing, Darling says he’s grateful for the way the Force has accommodated his training schedule and gave an exhaustive list of names of people who helped him along. There was no way I could list them all.
“The Command has given me the time off which is what I need most to train, make competitions and represent the country and I really appreciate that. There were also people who encouraged me on and off the force. The current Commander Defence Force [Commodore Tellis Bethel], Former Commander Defence Force, Commodore Clifford Scavella (Retired), Commander Michael Sweeting, Lieutenant Commander Whitfield Neely, Force Chief Petty Officer Edgar Brown, Petty Officer Marvin Darville…[list goes on].”
After recalling names of some of the people who positively influenced his life, he was asked about his most memorable job-related experience – the one experience he will never forget, never wants to relive, but will never regret while enlisted on the Defence Force.
“It was all a journey, but if I had to narrow it down, it would definitely be when I was sent to Haiti with CARICOM 3 for the UN Peacekeeping Mission. I was a Marine Seaman at the time doing patrols in enemy territory. That whole experience will stay with me.”
When asked about possibly leaving after 31 years in bodybuilding, he said it’s not something he’s given much thought.
“I’m open to mentoring others, but I have to see that they want it as bad as I did or even more. But that doesn’t mean I’ll stop competing. As long as my body responds, I’ll be competing. I’ll think about leaving the sport, maybe when I turn 70 [joke].”
He then commented on the future of the sport in The Bahamas.
“There’s plenty room for persons interested to get in. It’s easy to get into, but difficult to stay in, because it’s an expensive sport and calls for plenty discipline, having to eat a certain way and take certain supplements.”
He also didn’t fail to mention that he has a son [Jaye Darling], who is also actively involved in the sport.
“I didn’t have a chance to hand the baton down to him, he kinda’ took it from me. I sometimes give him pointers and tips wherever I can, but he trains himself, just like I did when I first started out. He’s currently ‘Mr. Bahamas Men’s Muscular Physique’ and just recently made The Bahamas’ 22-member bodybuilding team scheduled to compete at the upcoming 2017 Central American and Caribbean(CAC) Championships.”
Today, Chief Darling says for him, at this stage of his career, it’s definitely all about his country and it’s this love of country that keeps him going.
“I believe every Bahamian has something they can give back and contribute to our country to make it better. So for me personally, this is what I can give. This is my talent and I feel obligated, like it’s my patriotic duty to represent The Bahamas in the best way I can. The medals are great to come back home with, but I’m not chasing personal status, I’m doing it in service to my country.”
Feature Story: Chief Petty Officer James Darling
By: Marine Seaman Michael E. Turner II (RBDF)
Bahamas News
Dredging Is Not Just About Size — It Is About What Is Being Destroyed, Warns Save Exuma Alliance Regarding Yntegra’s Proposed Rosewood Resort
Save Exuma Alliance (SEA) — a coalition of Central Exuma business owners, tour operators and residents — has warned that the issue of dredging in the North Bay of Sampson Cay, Exuma, is not just about the number of acres being dredged – but what exists within the proposed dredge area. SEA describes the site as an ecological treasure trove filled with seagrass, coral, turtles and abundant marine life.
This comes after foreign developer Yntegra agreed to reduce the scope of its dredging following government warnings that it would impact
The Bahamas carbon credit status, which shows the importance of the marine habitat.
“It is easy to point to other developments and say they are dredging more, but that is not comparing like with like,” SEA said in response to comparisons made by Yntegra. “If one area is largely sand with little marine life, that is very different from what we have in North Bay. Anyone who has spent time there can tell you it is filled with turtles, fish, and — critically — the seagrass and coral that provide essential habitat.”
Miami-based investment group Yntegra is seeking to construct a large-scale Rosewood-branded resort on Sampson Cay. Since its announcement, the project has generated environmental, social and economic concerns among residents and business operators in Central Exuma.
The proposed development includes dredging in North Bay, construction of a substantial seawall that would alter natural water flow, more than 100 structures, two mega yacht marinas, and an industrial dock serviced by fuel and supply ships in an area currently used by swimmers. Opponents argue that the scale and design of Yntegra’s Rosewood Exuma project are incompatible with the fragile ecosystem and cultural character of the Central Exumas.
SEA noted that the government’s Climate Change Unit has also raised concerns about the environmental cost of dredging associated with Yntegra’s Rosewood Exuma project.
“The government has acknowledged that this is an area of significant importance,” SEA said. “While the financial implications are serious, for us here in Exuma this is about more than money. It underscores how valuable this marine ecosystem is — the seagrass, coral and marine life that make Exuma exceptional. This is what attracts visitors from around the world. We should not minimize the concern by comparing this bay to areas that do not have the same remarkable underwater ecosystem. It is simply not the same.”
Experienced boat captain Tito Baldwin also questioned the feasibility of the marine infrastructure proposed as part of this plan. He warned
that the dredging currently outlined would not be sufficient to accommodate the vessels required to service the project.
“It’s going to have to be at least four times larger than what has been proposed,” Baldwin said. “As designed, it is beyond possibility.”
He explained that vessels supplying fuel, construction materials and provisions for a projected 300-person workforce would require significantly greater depth and maneuvering space.
“For supply vessels delivering hundreds of thousands of gallons of diesel, you’re looking at ships with a 10-foot draft,” Baldwin said. “To operate safely, you would need at least 13 feet of depth. That means dredging far deeper than what has been proposed. With currents running east and west in that area, you would also need a much wider turning basin to maneuver safely. As it stands, it would be extremely difficult, if not impossible.”
SEA is urging individuals concerned about the environmental impact of dredging connected to Yntegra’s Rosewood Exuma project to visit www.saveexumaalliance.org for more information. A petition calling for a halt to approvals is also available on the site, with more than 7,100 signatures collected to date.
PM: Project delivers on promise and invests in youth, sports and national development
GRAND BAHAMA, The Bahamas — Calling it the fulfillment of a major commitment to the island, Prime Minister Philip Davis led the official groundbreaking for the Grand Bahama Aquatic Centre, a facility the government says will transform sports development and create new opportunities for young athletes.
Speaking at the Grand Bahama Sports Complex on February 12, the Prime Minister said the project represents more than bricks and mortar
— it is an investment in people, national pride and long-term economic activity. The planned complex will feature a modern 50-metre competition pool, designed to meet international standards for training and regional and global swim meets. Davis said the facility will give Bahamian swimmers a home capable of producing world-class performance while also providing a space for community recreation, learn-to-swim programmes and water safety training.
He noted that Grand Bahama has long produced outstanding athletes despite limited infrastructure and said the new centre is intended to correct that imbalance, positioning the island as a hub for aquatic sports and sports tourism.
The Prime Minister also linked the development to the broader national recovery and revitalisation of Grand Bahama, describing the project as part of a strategy to expand opportunities for young people, create jobs during construction and stimulate activity for small businesses once operational.
The Aquatic Centre, he said, stands as proof that promises made to Grand Bahama are being delivered.
The project is expected to support athlete development, attract competitions, and provide a safe, modern environment for residents to access swimming and water-based programmes for generations to come.
Angle by Deandrea Hamilton. Built with ChatGPT (AI). Magnetic Media — CAPTURING LIFE.
The Bahamas, February 15, 2026 – For the better part of three years, Bahamians have been told that major Afreximbank financing would help transform access to capital, rebuild infrastructure and unlock economic growth across the islands. The headline figures are large. The signing ceremonies are high profile. The language is ambitious. What remains far harder to see is the measurable impact in the daily lives of the people those announcements are meant to serve.
The Government’s push to secure up to $100 million from Afreximbank for roughly 200 miles of Family Island roads dates back to 2025. In
its February 11 disclosure, the bank outlined a receivables-discounting facility — a structure that allows a contractor to be paid early once work is completed, certified and invoiced, with the Government settling the bill later. It is not cash placed into the economy upfront. It does not, by itself, build a single mile of road. Every dollar depends on work first being delivered and approved.
The wider framework has been described as support for “climate-resilient and trade-enhancing infrastructure,” a phrase that, in practical terms, should mean projects that lower the cost of doing business, move people and goods faster, and keep the economy functioning. But for communities, that promise becomes real only when the projects are named, the standards are defined and a clear timeline is given for when work will begin — and when it will be finished.
Bahamians have seen this moment before.
In 2023, a $30 million Afreximbank facility for the Bahamas Development Bank was hailed as a breakthrough that would expand access to financing for local enterprise. It worked in one immediate and measurable way: it encouraged businesses to apply. Established, revenue-generating Bahamian companies responded to the call, prepared plans, and entered a process they believed had been capitalised to support growth. The unanswered question is how much of that capital has reached the private sector in a form that allowed those businesses to expand, hire and generate new economic activity.
Because development is not measured in the size of announcements.
It is measured in loans disbursed, projects completed and businesses expanded.
The pattern is becoming difficult to ignore. In June 2024, when Afreximbank held its inaugural Caribbean Annual Meetings in Nassau,
Grand Bahama was presented as the future home of an Afro-Caribbean marketplace said to carry tens of millions of dollars in investment. What was confirmed at that stage was a $1.86 million project-preparation facility — funding for studies and planning to make the development bankable, not construction financing. The larger build-out remains dependent on additional approvals, land acquisition and further capital.
This distinction — between financing announced and financing that produces visible, measurable outcomes — is now at the centre of the national conversation.
Because while the numbers grow larger on paper, entrepreneurs still describe access to capital as out of reach, and communities across the Family Islands are still waiting to see where the work will start.
And in an economy where stalled growth translates into lost opportunity, rising frustration and real social consequences, the gap between promise and delivery is no longer a communications issue.
It is an inability to convert announcements into outcomes.
Angle by Deandrea Hamilton. Built with ChatGPT (AI). Magnetic Media — CAPTURING LIFE.
-
News6 days agoPolice Commissioner Honoured with Distinguished Civic Service Award at TCHTA Star Awards
-
News6 days agoFlow TCI powers Inter-High Track and Field Championships
-
Health1 week agoTCI Hospital Celebrates Successful “Heart Strong TCI” Initiative During Heart Month
-
Health7 days agoChile becomes the first country in the Americas to be verified by WHO for the elimination of leprosy
-
Caribbean News2 days agoJamaica Joins Afreximbank Agreement, Strengthening Africa–Caribbean Partnership
-
Bahamas News6 days agoDredging Is Not Just About Size — It Is About What Is Being Destroyed, Warns Save Exuma Alliance Regarding Yntegra’s Proposed Rosewood Resort
-
Education5 days agoMessage from Hon. Rachel M. Taylor, Minister of Education, Youth, Sports & Culture
-
News18 hours agoRights Without Justice: How Weak Enforcement Fails Women and Girls