Commonwealth Day is celebrated on the second Monday in the month of March. This year it fell on 8 March, 2021.
Around that time the primary schools on the island hold their various Commonwealth Day sporting activities, when the different houses within each school compete against each other, and the winning team is rewarded by having its name engraved on the Commonwealth Sports Day Plaque/Shield that was introduced by the Anguilla Commonwealth Games Association (ACGA) in the year 2013.
Before Commonwealth Day, the President of the Association and the Administration Officer held an Information Session at each primary school. One of the things the President (Mr Kenn Banks) spoke about was the number of countries that made up the Commonwealth and British Overseas Territories (72 in total), and the upcoming 2022 Birmingham Commonwealth Games to be held in the UK.
Mr Banks also spoke about the 2018 Gold Coast Commonwealth Games that were held in Australia – and informed the schools about the performances of all the Anguillian athletes especially one cyclist, by the name of Hasani Hennis, who finished top out of all the Caribbean countries in both the Cycling Road Race and the Cycling Time Trials.
To inspire the children to perform to the best of their ability, at all times, Mr Banks chose to tell the story about a virtually unknown long distance runner, by the name of Billy Mills (whose Native American name is Tamakoce Te’Hila), who won the gold medal in the10,000m race at the 1964 Tokyo Olympics to the astonishment of everyone. The story can be found on the following link:
https://www.wbur.org/only agame/2020/05/22/billy-mills-olympic-gold-runner
To further motivate the children, Ms. Carmen Gumbs spoke about Dee-Ann Kentish-Rogers who is now the elected member for district 4, and the Minister of Social Development in Anguilla, as well as a qualified barrister.
At the age of 17 years, Dee-Ann represented Anguilla at the 2010 New Delhi Commonwealth Games, India – in the 800m race – and then again at the 2014 Glasgow Commonwealth Games, Scotland, UK.
Dee-Ann competed in the heptathlon event which is made up of 7 disciplines: 100m hurdles, 200m, 800m, long jump, high jump shot put and javelin.
The children were encouraged to reach for the sky and to never give up trying!
Winning Houses
Omololu International School – Blue House EAGLES
Adrian T Hazell Primary School – Yellow House HUMMING BIRDS
Valley Primary School – Blue House EAGLES
Morris Vanterpool Primary School – Green House SPARROWS
Vivien Vanterpool Primary School – Blue House MARLINS
Orealia Kelly Primary School – Pink House
Alwyn Allison Primary School – Yellow House
– Contributed
