Sports

The Nassau GuardianSend an emailJune 8, 2022 224 2 minute readFacebookTwitterLinkedInShare via Email

Training is essential for basketball players on and off the court as well as for those responsible for officiating games. Ensuring that referees in The Bahamas are trained and compliant with all official basketball rules, the Bahamas Basketball Federation (BBF) recently partnered with the Royal Bahamas Defence Force (RBDF) for a FIBA (International Basketball Federation) Referee Training Course. 

The 10-day training session, which accommodated more than 25 participants, was a comprehensive modality mix delivered via Zoom and in-person. Training focused on official FIBA basketball rules and interpretation; levels one to three refereeing; three-person refereeing mechanics; FIBA basketball knowledge; on-court practical and mechanics; and game practical exercises.

RBDF Commander, BBF 2nd Vice President and FIBA National Instructor Freddy Brown explained why the collaboration with the BBF works.

“We generally run the Physical Fitness Instructor’s Training Course every other year and part of that course is for all of our instructors to receive some information about all the sports and to get certified if possible. As the authority of basketball in the country, the BBF was called to conduct this exercise for the RBDF,” he explained.

 The referees in training had to complete a fitness test and on-court practicals, referee/coaches training along with a written online test.

 Referee training participant Aniska Bonaby was grateful for the training, networking, and opportunity to apply skills learned on the court to become an official referee one day.

 “The course was very informative and opened my eyes to new things and opportunities besides just working out. I discovered that you can become a referee for all sorts of sports. Commander Brown informed us that there are opportunities for females in the referee industry. This was timely for me because there are times when you want to branch out and do new things and now the game of basketball as a referee is a possibility,” Bonaby said. 

The course, facilitated by Commander Brown and delivered by a team of seasoned FIBA certified trainers including Terez Conliffe, former FIBA referee and recent FIBA Commissioner; Christian Wilmore, FIBA referee and World Cup referee; Rochelle Kemp, FIBA table/statistician; Christine Cunningham, FIBA table/statistician; Norman Humes, former FIBA referee and commissioner and currently FIBA games director; and Eustacia Smith, certified FIBA referee.

BBF President Eugene Horton lauded the partnership with RBDF for the benefit of Bahamians to gain new skills by becoming FIBA certified.

“The federation prides itself on development and training as we believe in skilled individuals on and off the court. We are happy to assist and look forward to further collaborations,” Horton said.

Upon completion of the rigorous training, each participant is required to referee a minimum of two official games using the FIBA three-person refereeing mechanics.

Goalie battles back from severe knee injuries to play for The Bahamas in Nations League competition

Simba FrenchSend an emailJune 8, 2022 278 4 minute readFacebookTwitterLinkedInShare via Email

PORT-OF-SPAIN, Trinidad and Tobago – Julio Jemison has been one of the top local custodians in goal for The Bahamas in the game of soccer. However, the goalkeeper has had two major surgeries. Be that as it may, he did not let that stop him from getting back between the posts and performing well for The Bahamas. Jemison rose to the top. He’s currently the starting goalkeeper for The Bahamas senior men’s national soccer team, helping them get a victory in the first window of the 2022 CONCACAF (Confederation of North, Central American and Caribbean Association Football) Nations League competition last Friday.

Jemison, an electrical engineering major at the University of The Bahamas (UB), received a message from senior men’s national team head coach Nesly Jean back in March of this year, asking if he was interested in playing on the national team. Jemison answered that call and began training. This past Friday against St. Vincent and the Grenadines, Jemison got a clean sheet as The Bahamas won 1-0.

“Going into that game I just wanted to keep the sheet clean,” Jemison said. “After the 25th minute, we did not concede a goal which was good because we tend to give up one goal in the first 25 minutes. Once we got past that period, the game started to shift. My first big save came in the 28th minute. It helped with my confidence and my drive.”

Jemison is set to start once again for The Bahamas this coming Friday when they take on Nicaragua at Thomas A. Robinson National Stadium. He said it was a great feeling being back on the team playing for The Bahamas and added that it was an uphill battle to get back to this point. The UB senior first tore his ACL (anterior cruciate ligament) and medial and lateral meniscus in his right knee in 2016. After bouncing back, he tore the meniscus in that same knee in 2019. After the first injury healed, Jemison was able to play in the FIFA (International Federation of Association Football) Beach Soccer World Cup in The Bahamas in 2017.

“In 2019, I suffered another setback and tore my meniscus in the same right knee. That one was a tough one. Coming back after one was rough but two, it is a different type of battle there. That happened in a game against Turks and Caicos,” Jemison recalled.

The second injury was a tough one for him to come back from. After the surgery, and when the pain medications had wore off, Jemison realized how much of a battle he had ahead of him if he wanted to return to playing sports. The 28-year-old began rehabilitation of the knee a week after surgery.

“I had to get that range of motion back. That is one of the toughest parts – getting that range of motion back. Afterwards, I did strength training as I went from pushing 2-3 plates with my legs forward and back to 10 points. It was, it was embarrassing a little. Everybody else lifting those big weights, and here I was trying to get it in but it was tough. I was up at 5 o’ clock every morning getting some therapy and sometimes I was back again in the afternoons because there was a lot of work to be done,” Jemison said. “After I got most of the strengthening done, then I went into balancing, which is the tricky part of things. I did some single-leg balancing and after that I did some sports-specific movements and that along with the balancing was the scary part.”

Jemison was working hard to get back to his old form when he helped UB capture the Bahamas Football Association’s (BFA) Senior League men’s title for the 2017-2018 season. He had a few down moments, pondering on whether or not he should have returned to the soccer pitch.

“There were a few times when I was like maybe I should just hang it up, call it quits, but I saw myself watching the soccer from home and watching the boys play and I just couldn’t keep still. Watching UB going through its rough period was rough as well because I’m the leader of the team. I helped the guys get through those tough periods. It was tough sitting on the sidelines and watching them go through more tough periods. I was yearning to get back on the pitch,” Jemison said.

It took him a year and a half to get his confidence back for him to return to the field.

“The doctor who did the surgery, Winston Philips, wasn’t convinced that I could have done the things that I’m doing now. He was not sure if I should be able to do that. After he said that, I knew that I had to do extra work in order to get back. I spent more time in the gym. When I started to come back, UB training had started so I would still wake up at 5 a.m. to go to training and hit the gym while they were training,” said Jemison.

The hard work paid off for him as in late 2021, he returned to playing soccer when he suited up for UB when they went on the road to play Johnson University in Kissimmee, Florida.

Jemison started his second straight game for the senior men’s national team on Monday. His confidence is back along with his mental toughness. His advice for those who might have suffered a similar injury is to keep fighting through it although it will be tough.

Sheldon LongleySend an emailJune 9, 2022 190 3 minute readFacebookTwitterLinkedInShare via Email

Bahamian professional baseball player with the Miami Marlins of Major League Baseball (MLB) Jasrado ‘Jazz’ Chisholm Jr. broke out of a 3-for-38 slump, including being hitless in his last 17 at-bats, with a huge performance on Tuesday night, drilling two monster shots over the outfield wall at loanDepot Park in Miami, Florida, to lead the Marlins to a convincing 12-2 win over the Washington Nationals.

Chisholm finished 2-for-5 with two home runs, six RBIs (runs batted in) and two runs scored on Tuesday, leading the Marlins to the emphatic win. The two teams played again last night, but the result was unavailable up to press time.

On Tuesday, Chisholm had a grand slam home run in the bottom of the second to give the Marlins a 5-0 lead and a two-run shot in the bottom of the fifth to give them a massive 12-0 lead.

With the performance, Chisholm had the second multi-home run game of his career, his first career grand slam home run and the first six-RBI game of his career. His previous single game high for RBIs prior to Tuesday’s performance was four, which he had in a 2-for-5 performance against the Colorado Rockies earlier this month.

For the season, Chisholm is batting .255 with 10 home runs, 37 RBIs and 26 runs scored. He missed some time for hamstring tightness last month and struggled initially in his return but now appears to be back in the swing of things. His performance on Tuesday was the 11th time this season he’s had multiple hits in a game, and as mentioned, it was his second career multi-home run game.

“We’re good. We just came out there and knew what we had to do, and that’s all I can say about that,” said Chisholm to MLB.com’s Christina De Nicola after the game.

Chisholm remains among the team leaders in a number of offensive categories and is regarded as one of the top young second basemen in the league.

As a club, the Marlins have a 23-30 win/loss record – fourth in the National League East Division behind the front-running New York Mets (38-20), the World Series Champions Atlanta Braves (29-27) and the Philadelphia Phillies (26-29). The Nationals bring up the rear in that division with a 21-36 record.

On Tuesday, after grounding out in his first at-bat in the first inning, Chisholm lifted a 3-0 pitch from Nationals’ starter Joan Adon, with the bases loaded, over the wall in center field in the bottom of the second inning for a grand slam home run. Chisholm struck out on a foul tip in the bottom of the fourth, and then connected for his second home run of the day an inning later when he jumped on the first pitch he saw from Nationals’ reliever Andres Machado – an 88.1 miles per hour (mph) slider – and went to left field this time with a runner on base. Chisholm struck out swinging in the bottom of the seventh.

The 24-year-old 

Bahamian is still having a breakout second season in the majors. He has an on-base percentage (OBP) of .310, a slugging percentage (SLG) of .541, and an on-base plus slugging percentage (OPS) of .851. Chisholm also has nine stolen bases, setting himself up nicely for a potential 30-30 season.

Defensively, Chisholm has 68 putouts and 91 assists in 162 total chances this season. He has helped turn 17 double plays and has a fielding percentage of .981. The Marlins’ leadoff hitter is still well on his way to his first career MLB All-Star selection. Fan balloting for the all-star game began Wednesday and Chisholm is expected to get a fair share of votes for second basemen in the National League. The MLB All-Star Game, also known as the ‘Midsummer Classic’, is set for July 19 at Dodger Stadium in Los Angeles, California.

For the Marlins, after their series with the Nationals, they will go on the road for three games against the Houston Astros before traveling to Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, to face the Phillies.

Sports

Simba FrenchSend an emailJune 9, 2022 149 1 minute readFacebookTwitterLinkedInShare via Email

The Bahamas Aquatics Federation has ratified a four-member team to represent The Bahamas at the FINA (International Swimming Federation) World Aquatics Championships set for Budapest, Hungary, in less than two weeks’ time. Competition gets underway on Saturday, June 18 and wraps up on Sunday, July 3.

Competing for The Bahamas at the 19th edition of the championships at the Duna Arena in Budapest, are Lilly Higgs, Izaak Bastian, Lamar Taylor and Zaylie-Elizabeth Thompson.

Sara Knowles is the team’s head coach. Rochelle Bastian is the team manager and Cordero Bonamy is the physiotherapist.

President of Bahamas Aquatics Algernon Cargill said they feel the team will make its presence felt in Budapest.

“We expect the team to do well and we expect to have positive representation. We’re very excited about this team,” Cargill said.

Taylor and Thompson are still collegiate swimmers – Taylor at Henderson State University and Thompson at Howard University. Cargill said this will be good for not only the younger ones but the older ones as well.

“It’s going to be a first-time experience for Thompson and Taylor at the FINA World Championships. Taylor has previously represented The Bahamas at the world short course championships. It’s going to be a good experience for all four members and hopefully we’ll get some semifinals and maybe final swims,” Cargill said.

This is Bastian’s second time swimming at these championships, having represented The Bahamas at the 18th edition in Gwangju, South Korea, in 2019. Bastian and Taylor were in Budapest for the FINA World Junior Championships in 2019. Higgs, Taylor and Bastian were in Dubai, United Arab Emirates, in December 2021, for the world short course championships. Thompson represented The Bahamas in April at the 2022 CARIFTA Games in which she helped captain the team to a fourth straight championship victory. This will be the first time that the 17-year-old represents the country at the senior level.

Higgs and Bastian just graduated from university – Higgs from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill (UNC) and Bastian from Florida State University (FSU). Bastian will head to Florida Gulf Coast University (FGCU), pursuing a doctorate degree in physiotherapy.

Cargill will be in Budapest for the FINA Bureau meetings, representing the CCCAN (Central American and Caribbean Amateur Swimming Confederation) region.

Goalscorer Lesly St Fleur shown in action. Photos by Thinq Studio

As of Sunday, June 5, 2022

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The Bahamas men’s national soccer team celebrates.

#By BRENT STUBBS

#Senior Sports Reporter

#bstubbs@tribunemedia.net

#WITH a penalty kick from veteran captain Lesly St Fleur, the Bahamas Junkanoo Boys national men’s soccer team prevailed with an impressive 1-0 victory over St Vincent & the Grenadines on Friday at the Thomas A. Robinson National Stadium in game one of their World Cup Qatar Qualification.

#The team, coached by Nesly Jean, left the following day for Trinidad & Tobago where they were scheduled to play the second leg of their home and away series of matches on Monday. However, they got delayed in Miami, Florida on Saturday because of bad weather.

The Bahamas men’s national soccer team.

#Trinidad & Tobago, known as the Soca Warriors, are coming off a 2-1 defeat by Nicaragua, but, at home, they are expected to provide a stiffer challenge for the Bahamas.

#It was in the 68th minute when centre forward Wood (Peter) Julmis was brought down in the 18-yard box and the referee did not hesitate in awarding a penalty for the foul. St Fleur, the Bahamas’ top goal scorer, calmly tucked the ball in the corner of the goal to add to his legend status. 

#The crowd erupted and the home team held on for the win that pegged the Bahamas record at 4-1-0 in Nations League play.

#The team had a cadre of young players – Omari Bain, William Bayles, Nicholas Lopez, Elijah Mitchell, Michael Massey, Derick Ferguson, Alexiou Cartwright, Jordin Wilson, Vance Wheaton, Kenaz Swain, Miguel Thompson and Cameron Evans – who all earned their first men’s international cap. 

#The team, managed by Larry Minns, are now looking ahead to Trinidad & Tobago. Following that match, they will host Nicaragua on Friday, June 10 and head back on the road to play Nicaragua on Monday, June 13th.

53RD ANNUAL LONG ISLAND REGATTA IN SALT POND

As of Tuesday, June 7, 2022

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Photo Gallery

LONG ISLAND REGATTA

#REGATTA TIME AGAIN: The 53rd annual Long Island Regatta was held over the weekend in Salt Pond, Long Island and was dubbed a tremendous success. In Class A, the New Legend won, followed by Ed Sky in second and the Good News in third. Winning Class B was the New Susan Chase with the Tari Anne second and Old Boy third. And in Class C, Xena won, Slaughter was second and Bul Reg came in third.

#(Photos courtesy of Patrick Hanna)

As of Tuesday, June 7, 2022

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Jazz Chisholm

#By RENALDO DORSETT

#Tribune Sports Reporter

#rdorsett@tribunemedia.net

#THE Bahamian connection in Major League Baseball continues to take centre stage in Miami, Florida.

#After Jazz Chisholm and the Miami Marlins split a four game series against Antoan RIchardson and the San Francisco Giants last week, the Marlins will now host Lucius Fox and the Washington Nationals in a three-game series this week at loanDepot Park in Miami, Florida.

#The Marlins opened with a 3-0 win Thursday night, following by the Giants’ 15-6 win on Friday.

#Miami rallied for a 5-4 win on Saturday before San Francisco concluded the series with a 5-1 win Sunday.

#The Marlins and Nationals begin the three-game series with the Washington Nationals tomorrow night. First pitch is at 6:40pm. Fox was called up to the Nationals from the Triple-A level with the Rochester Red Wings on June 3 and returned to the roster of the big league club for the first time since May 1. He made his historic MLB debut on April 10 and spent 10 games with the Nationals before he was assigned to the Red Wings.

#In April 2021, when the Marlins hosted the Giants for a three game series it marked the first time a Bahamian player and a Bahamian coach shared the same field in an MLB game.

#“We’re closing the gap,” Richardson told Evan Webeck of Mercury News following the most recent series, “The Jazz Chisholms of the world inspired me as a player. It was really important to keep going because I wanted them to have a visual of someone playing professional baseball. I wanted them to see that hey, this is real for people like me. That’s really where I found inspiration.”

#Chisholm also added that seeing Richardson break through to the Major League level served as an inspiration to what was then a group of teenagers as they prepared for a professional baseball career.

#“(Richardson) definitely did do that. I have to give him that for sure. He definitely gave us the hope to believe that we can make it. He’s the one who inspired all of us that’s coming up right now,” Chisholm said of Richardson’s impact, “He was basically a big brother.I didn’t have all the money in the world. I couldn’t afford to keep getting wood bats that were gonna break. … The easiest resource was to ask him.”

#On April 27 this season, Chisholm and Fox became the first pair of Bahamas-born players to appear in the same Major League Baseball game since 1961 when the Nationals Park in Washington DC.

#According to the Elias Sports Bureau, the only other pair of Bahamians to play in the same game were Andre Rodgers and Tony Curry, who faced each other six times during the 1960 and 1961 seasons.

#“Just to do it with Jazz means a lot. We spoke about this moment from when we were kids when we started playing baseball,” Fox told the Washington Post following the historic game, “I don’t take it as pressure, I take it as pride, I get a lot of support from the people back home. And just making it at this level is a big deal for us. So I’m proud of what we’ve done so far and looking forward to doing many more great things in the future with this game.”

#Both players were members of the 2015 International Signing Class.

#“He’s just like a big brother to me. The love I have for Lucius is just like anyone else who’s my blood,” Chisholm said about Fox before he reflected on the moment, “I feel like, for us, it’s super important. Just to show the kids that anybody could do it. We always go back, we always go home and talk to the kids and be like, ‘Bro, we’re from the same place you are.’”

#There are currently 24 Bahamians in the minor league baseball system.

#“We’re just a small country that really loves people and loves each other and that’s why we play the game,” Richardson said. “I’m really excited I get to watch these young people go after their dreams and be bold about it, because that just wasn’t the case 10 or 15 years ago.”

Connecticut Sun forward Jonquel Jones (35) is guarded by Las Vegas Aces guard Chelsea Gray (12) and forward Dearica Hamby, right, during a WNBA basketball game in Las Vegas on Thursday, June 2, 2022. (Steve Marcus/Las Vegas Sun via AP)

As of Tuesday, June 7, 2022

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#By RENALDO DORSETT

#Tribune Sports Reporter

#rdorsett@tribunemedia.net

#JONQUEL Jones concluded May with a season low scoring effort but opened June with season highs in three consecutive games to earn WNBA Eastern Conference Player of the Week honours.

#It marked the 12th time in Jones’ five-year career that she won the award and the first since September of the 2021 season.

#Jones finished with 25 points, eight rebounds, a season high six assists and three steals in the Connecticut Sun’s 93-86 win over the Seattle Storm Sunday night at Climate Pledge Arena in Seattle, Washington.

#After failing to reach the 20-point barrier through the first nine games of the season, including back-to-back nine point (May 28) and eight point (May 31) games, Jones has scored at least 20 points in the last three games.

#During the week of May 30-June 5, Jones averaged 19.3 points, 8.8 rebounds, 2.8 assists, 1.5 steals and 1.0 blocks in 29.4 minutes per game.

#Prior to Sunday’s contest, she finished with 20 points on 7-9 shooting and seven rebounds in a win over the Las Vegas Aces on June 2, followed by 24 points on 6-8 shooting and seven rebounds in a 92-88 win over the Phoenix Mercury on June 3.

#The Storm led by as many as 13 points in the first half, had a 63-53 lead late in the third quarter and 67-61 going into the fourth quarter. Jones added a layup to cap and 8-0 run and give the Sun their first lead since the game’s opening basket.

#After a Storm basket, the Sun went on a 17-2 run to put the game away late in the fourth.

#“I think the first half was the hardest part,” Jones said in her post game availabilit. “Just getting our bodies to really be locked in and just getting to that game level.”

#After they won three of four on the road trip and five or their last six, the Sun now lead the WNBA’s Eastern Conference at 9-3, one game behind the Las Vegas Aces (10-2) for the best record in the league.

#“I feel like in the past, we knew that we were a pretty good team. We knew that when things were going well for us, we were going to win a game. And I feel like we didn’t really know how we were in terms of adversity, because in the past we would separate a little bit or things just wouldn’t feel the same, like that chemistry would kind of just go away,” Jones said.

#“And so I feel like this stretch that we just played, it showed us that we can win ugly games, that we can come back from deficits and still be able to stay in the game and win.

#“And so, it’s a good character builder for our team for sure.”

#Jones leads Connecticut in scoring at 15.6 points and one block per game, and is second on the team in rebounds per game at 8.3.

#The Sun return home to the Mohegan Sun Arena in Uncasville, Connecticut Wednesday night in the first of a four-game homestand when they host the Indiana Fever.

As of Tuesday, June 7, 2022

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Anthonique Strachan (File photo)

#By BRENT STUBBS

#Senior Sports Reporter

#bstubbs@tribunemedia.net

#As Jamaica’s two-time double sprint champion Elaine Thompson-Herah went on to post a meet record in the women’s 100 metres at the Wanda Diamond League Meeting in Rabat on Sunday, a technical error left Bahamian Anthonique Strachan watching in disbelief in the starting blocks.

#Competing in the fourth leg of the 12-event series around the world in the Wanda Diamond League determined by points, Strachan was lined up in lane eight of the race. However, at the start of the gun, she remained in her position as the rest of the field took off.

ELAINE Thompson-Herah of Jamaica celebrates her win in the 100-metre women’s race during the Diamond League athletics meeting in Rabat, Morocco, on Sunday. (AP Photo/Mosa’ab Elshamy)

#“I’m okay. It’s just that the speaker in my lane wasn’t working and I didn’t hear any of the commands,” said a somewhat disappointed Strachan after the race in the Prince Moulay Abdellah Sports Complex in the capital city of Morocco. “It was just a technical error.”

#There were no glitches for Thompson-Herah, who pulled away from the field midway through the race to breeze through the finish line in 10.83 seconds to lower her previous meet record of 10.87 that she established back in 2017.

#Ivory Coast’s veteran sprinter Marie-Josee Ta Lou took second place in a season’s best of 11.04, while Jamaican Natasha Morrison was third in 11.22, also a season’s best.

#For Strachan, who came into the race having ran a lifetime and season’s best of 10.99 earlier this year, it was not the outcome she anticipated.

#“I’m very upset about it because I had planned to go out there and run relatively good, but stuff happens. That’s all I could say,” Strachan said.

#“This was supposed to be my last meet before the Bahamas Association of Athletic Associations Nationals (in June), so I don’t know. I will have to speak to my team and see.”

#The 28-year-old Strachan is currently training in Jamaica as part of the Maximising Velocity and Power Track and Field Club (MVP Club), which now includes Morrison and Shericka Jackson, two of her training partners.

#In addition to running her lifetime best of 10.99 in Kingston, Jamaica on March 26, Strachan has also produced a season’s best of 22.55 in her specialty in the 200m on April 23, which was shy of her personal best of 22.32 that she recorded on June 22, 2013 in Nassau.

#In securing some of her fastest times across the board this year, Strachan has even moved up to the 400m where she clocked a season’s best of 52.84 on April 2. She has a lifetime best of 52.24 that she ran on June 11, 2016 in Montverde, Florida. The double sprint 100-200m champion at the International Amateur Athletic Federation’s World Junior Championships in Barcelona, Spain in 2012, the same year that she got Rising Star Athlete of the Year honours.

#Strachan, who has gone through her share of adversities with injuries, is still looking forward to making her first global final as an elite or senior athlete. She has qualified for the World Athletics, formerly the IAAF, World Championships in Eugene, Oregon in July.

#Colebrooke missed final

#At the Music City Track Carnival at the Vanderbilt Track Facility in Nashville, Tennessee on Sunday, Samson Colebrooke, who also has qualified for the World Championships, had to settle for 15th place in the men’s 100m.

#Colebrooke, who has ran a season’s best of 10.02 on April 9, clocked 10.61 for eighth place in the last of two heats.

#Cejhae Greene of Antigua had the fastest qualifying time of 10.06, followed by Jamaica’s Ackeem Blake in 10.08.

#In the final, Blake got to the finish line first in a personal best of 9.92 with Greene coming in second in a season’s best of 10.02. American Kendal Williams also posted a season’s best of 10.05 for third place.

Simba FrenchSend an emailJune 7, 2022 174 3 minute readFacebookTwitterLinkedInShare via Email

PORT-OF-SPAIN, Trinidad and Tobago – The Bahamas senior men’s national soccer team has an unusual schedule for this window of the 2022 CONCACAF (Confederation of North, Central American and Caribbean Association Football) Nations League. That schedule has the team playing four games in 10 days – two at home and two on the road. That calls for players need to recover quickly and for any minor injuries to be dealt with expeditiously. Dr. Sandeep Goud is the one overseeing that aspect as the team’s doctor.

The Bahamas finished playing Trinidad and Tobago last night and caught an early flight this morning to head back home to play Nicaragua at the Thomas A. Robinson National Stadium on Friday. It is an unusual first window due to the onset of the FIFA (International Football Federation) World Cup in November in Qatar. Goud’s role is to ensure quick recovery of the team and to mend injured players back to good health.

“Normally there is a whole recovery after games with ice baths, nutrition and stretch, but all of that is jeopardized by having to travel the next day. It is taking a little toll on the players but we are trying to do our best and have a strategy in place so they are fully prepared for their next game,” Goud said.

The team is young and that is working out for them. So far, everything has gone smoothly as players have been healthy and are ready to play again.

“Having no big injury is a plus,” Goud said. “Injuries take time to heal and with less than 72 hours between two games, it is a little too much and the body doesn’t have sufficient time for recovery. We’re focusing on nutrition in terms of recovery as well as other rehab strategies such as ice baths. It is really helping them to recover and get fit for the next game.”

The team is not staffed with a team chef so Goud said that he instructs the players about the importance of good nutrition in order to fuel their bodies.

“Certain foods like fatty foods interferes with your recovery – your body inflammation system. At the same time because you are in competition you stay away from alcohol, maintain the right amount of hydration and electrolytes so that you flush out all the metabolic waste. All of these play a crucial role in making sure within the limited time that they have, that they come back to their best form to perform,” Goud said.

CONCACAF has been mindful not to schedule games in the middle of the day when it is very hot. So far, The Bahamas has played both of its matches in the evenings when the temperature is cooler.

“Although the heat aspect is taken away from it, there’s still a lot of humidity and they still sweat. Hydration is key and there are clear guidelines and enough data as to how often you have to hydrate and what you need to hydrate from. While we are lucky that the games are in the late evenings, the heat aspect is minimized but the sweat, the salt loss is still the same, so we haven’t arrived yet. We do have a fair amount of nutrition that we take care of in terms of protein, electrolytes, and the pregame and postgame recovery as well,” Goud said.

Competition has resumed but the COVID-19 virus is still ever present. Testing is done on a regular basis to ensure the safety of the team.

“It is important that we test because of how the strain is currently, and even though all the players have been immunized, we have to monitor them. It’s still something that can jeopardize the team since it’s a team event. We have steps in place where if somebody is symptomatic, we make sure that they quarantine and are tested, and if found positive they are away for about a week or 10 days. We retest them with an antigen, and once it is negative, they come back,” Goud said.

FIFA has clear guidelines for international teams which basically aligns with what the Ministry of Health and Wellness has put in place in terms of screening, quarantining and returning to play.

The team has two more games remaining in this window. Goud is looking to ensure that the team is recovered, healthy and ready physically for its next match.