Source document: https://docs-lawep.s3.us-east-2.amazonaws.com/1697646677052.pdf (Bahamas)
Bernard Jonathan Nottage heeded a call that only stout-hearted men are in- vited to hear, mankind’s need for administrative competence and athical management.

His genetic inheritance pre-disposed him to accept such a call- ing, confirming the words of a Shakespearean protagonist that some men are born to lead.

Not surprisingly, he influenced athletics in The Bahamas, and then the world.

Affectionately known as BJ, he attended Government High where he concentrated in athletics.
As a talented school boy sprinter for St. Bernard’s Sporting Club, he participated in the 1962 Central American and Caribbean held in Jamaica and his 4 X 100M Relay team earned a Bronze Medal.. Nottage pursued higher studies in medicine at the University of Aberdeen in Scotland where he continued to participate in athletics, becoming both a champion sprinter as well as president of the Scottish Universities Asso- ciation.
He also continued his international athletics career, competing at the 1966 Commonwealth Games in Kingston, Jamaica, the 1967 Pan Am Games in Winnipeg, Canada and the 1968 Olympic Games Mexico City where his 400M Relay team established a Bahamian record of 39.45secs, a standard that stood for a quarter of a century.

Nottage returned home in 1974, quickly becoming re-engaged in athletics, chairing the Organizing Committee of the 1976 Carifta Games.
This was the first international athletics event to be held in The Bahamas and its success- es surpassed all expectations.

He became president of the BAAA shortly after those successful Games and re- mained at the helm until 1989.

Within that period he raised the standard of local athletics to the world level with Frank Rutherford winning the Bronze Medal at the IAAF World Indoor Championships in 1987.

In 1982 B.J.
In 1982 B.J.

became the first Bahamian to win the presidency of a regional sporting body when he was elected President of the Central American and Caribbean Athletics Confederation.

During his eight year tenure the Con- federation was able to significantly improve the sport in the region and to establish a technical and coaching edu- cation program, which has since been adopted by the International Track & Field Federation.
At the 1986 IAAF Congress in Athens Nottage was presented with the IAAF Veteran’s Pin, the first for a Bahami- an.

At the 1987 IAAF Congress in Rome he led the fight for the IAAF to restrict each country to one vote , a giant step for the sport.

At that same Congress he also led the fight to standardize the age of juniors to under-twenty for boys and girls In 1988 he was elected co-Vice President, of the newly formed North American, Central American and Caribbean Area Association.
He was also Chairman of the Organizing Committee of the 2005 CAC Senior Athletics Champi- onships when Prize Money was awarded For the first time in a regional championships.