Carl Hield speaking to the media after his loss.

As of Sunday, July 31, 2022

• Sign in to favorite this
• DiscussComment, Blog about
• Share thisEmail, Facebook, Twitter

#By BRENT STUBBS

#Senior Sports Reporter

#bstubbs@tribunemedia.net

#BIRMINGHAM, England: Before he could get started in his fifth appearance at the Commonwealth Games, Carl Hield was done. His opening match on Saturday at the NEC Hall didn’t last past the first round.

#The 35-year-old Hield, looking to improve on his bronze medal win in 2010 in Delhi, India, was stopped in the first round in his light middleweight bout at 67-71 kilogrammes by Nigeria’s 26-year-old Abdul-Afeez Osoba on Saturday at the NEC Hall.

#Just like that, one half of the Bahamian boxing team is done.

#“The fight was alright at the beginning. I was landing more punches. You could see that he was missing. If he hit, he was hitting my hand,” said Hield of what transpired. “The first hit I got, when I dropped, he came off the rope and hit me and the referee told me to stop turning around.”

#Again Osoba continued the assault as he went after Hield. When he got him for the second time, Hield turned and his feet got caught on the ropes. As he regained his footing, Osoba again kept the pressure on.

#This time, after he got hit from Hield, Osoba countered with a right to Hield’s face that dazed him as the referee stepped in. The ring doctor was called and the fight was subsequently stopped, much to the displeasure of Hield.

#“I should have gotten a caution first and then an eight count,” Hield stated. “It wasn’t like I was on the ground and out of it or I was wobbling all over the place. They just stopped the fight. I’m just disappointed. If you look at the fight, I was winning the fight.”

Carl Hield taking photos with some of the youngsters after his fight.

#It was Hield’s first stoppage in any of his global fights since he’s been representing the Bahamas. Despite his loss, Hield was comforted after the fight by fans who came over to either shake his hand, seek an autograph or take a photo with him.

#Vincent Strachan, president of the Bahamas Amateur Boxing Federation, said while it was a disappointing loss for Hield, his opponent made the difference.

#“Carl was in good shape. He was training for the past three months in the United States,” Strachan said. “But in boxing, one clean shot could end your night and that was what was Carl’s situation, one shot.

#“I’ve seen the best get stopped in one round. It doesn’t mean that it’s the end of your career. There’s always an opponent to come back. He didn’t win the fight and he didn’t go the distance, but I still salute him for what he did out there today.”

#On Sunday, the other member of the Bahamas’ boxing team, Rashield Williams, is expected to fight Jonas Jonas of Namibia. But the 32-year-old Williams indicated on Saturday that he’s still having some problems making the weight after he was entered into the light welterweight division rather than his normal welterweight division.

#Strachan, who submitted the entries, said Williams is preparing to fight and he anticipates that he will “do well”.

http://www.tribune242.com/news/2022/jul/30/carl-hield-stopped-first-round-commonwealth-games/

FROM LEFT: Davente Carey and Lamar Taylor congratulate each other; Zaylie-Elizabeth Thompson and Katelyn Cabral.

As of Sunday, July 31, 2022

• Sign in to favorite this
• DiscussComment, Blog about
• Share thisEmail, Facebook, Twitter

#By BRENT STUBBS

#Senior Sports Reporter

#bstubbs@tribunemedia.net

#BIRMINGHAM, England: In a national record breaking performance in the men’s 50 metre backstroke on Sunday, Davante Carey became the second Bahamian to advance to a semi-final at the 2022 Commonwealth Games.

#But, like co-national flag carrier Lily Higgs, who fell short in her second swim back in the women’s 50m breaststroke on Saturday, Carey could only muster an eighth place finish in his second swim in the evening session for 16th place overall in 25.98 seconds.

#Earlier in the day at the Sandwell Aquatic Centre, Carey emerged out of the heats with the 16th and final spot in the semi-finals in 25.88 to break his own national record that he established at the Bahamas Aquatics’ National Championships a few weeks ago at the Betty Kelly Kenning Swim Complex.

#“It was a great race. It was a little faster than I swam at Nationals so I’m really happy with that,” Carey said. “Sometimes, it just takes that one swim to get on a roll. I was hoping to swim a lot faster, but I’m happy with my PB (personal best).”

#Also in the event was Lamar Taylor, who won his heat in 26.12 for 20th place overall.

#“I felt good. I knew I was walking into that heat with the fastest time, but that doesn’t mean anything. Anyone could win the race,” Taylor said. “I just had to stay focus and swim my own race and try to get back for the semi-final.”

#He didn’t het back for the semis, but Taylor was back in another event where he placed third in his heat of the men’s 100m freestyle for 23rd overall.

#“It was a little off my best time, but it was still a pretty good swim,” Taylor said. “I really felt it my last 50m when my arm started to give up, but it was still a pretty good swim.”

#Two other Bahamians also competed on Sunday, but neither got out of their heats.

#Katelyn Cabral was fourth in her heat of the women’s 50m butterfly in 29.58 for 34th overall.

#“It was my only race of the day so I was focusing on  it all night,” Cabral said. “I went in it with a good mindset to be aggressive and that was what I did,” she stated. “It wasn’t the time I expected, but I think I left it all in the pool, so that’s all I could ask for.”

#And Zaylie-Elizabeth Thompson had to settle for seventh in her heat of the women’s 200m breaststroke in 2:51.09 for 13th overall. Still she was quitter pleased with the effort.

#“I’m pretty happy with the time, considering my training was predominantly freestyle,” she said. “I’m happy to see that I’m still able to put up a pretty good time. I’m, happy that I was able to compete for the country and still finish strong.”

#The quest for the first finalist and possible a medal will continue on Monday with a number of Bahamians will be back in action, including Cabral in the women’s 200m backstroke; Izaak Bastian and Luke-Kennedy Thompson, both in the men’s 50m breaststroke; Rhanishka Gibbs in the women’s 100m freestyle; Davante Carey in the men’s 100m butterfly and both Lilly Higgs and Gibbs in the women’s 100m breaststroke.

http://www.tribune242.com/news/2022/jul/31/carey-breaks-his-national-record-commonwealth-game/

Rashield Williams and Carl Hield in Birmingham.

As of Sunday, July 31, 2022

• Sign in to favorite this
• DiscussComment, Blog about
• Share thisEmail, Facebook, Twitter

#By BRENT STUBBS

#Senior Sports Reporter

#bstubbs@tribunemedia.net

#BIRMINGHAM, England: Despite having to overwork himself to shed 11 pounds to make the weight, Rashield Williams gave it a gallant effort in his light welterweight match at the 2022 Commonwealth Games, but was a little too weak to withstand Namibia’s Jonas Jonas.

#One day after the other team member Carl Hield was stopped in the first round of his boxing bout, Williams went the distance, but lost 5-0 on points to Jonas on Sunday at the NEC Hall. It was match he felt he could have easily won if he was at full strength.

#“It was a good fight. He was a tough guy. He was the former champion. He did his part and I did my part,” said Williams, who had to fight back in the last two rounds after losing the first of three minute three round bout.

#“Although I had to lose the weight because I was put in the wrong weight class, I did my best. I’m proud of myself.”

#The 32-year-old Williams said he spent the past three days starving himself from eating food and drinking water, while dehydrating using the sauna and running as much as he could. Unfortunately, the 21-year-old Jonas was much better prepared.

#“I didn’t want to just make this a vacation trip, so I had to go out there and do my best,” Williams said. “I’m okay now because I can eat. I’m satisfied with my performance. I’m glad I came out healthy and no damage was done to my body.”

#As the shorter of the two competitors, Williams found himself in a tough situation where he had to hold off the attack of the taller Jonas. Although he took the fight to him, he didn’t have the stamina to stay toe to toe with him and it caused him the decision.

#Still reeling from his disappointing first round stoppage on Saturday, Hield discovered Sunday morning when he got up that his left ankle was swollen from a slip in the ring during his bout and had to be treated by the polyclinic in the games village at the Hilton Hotel.

#The 35-year-old Hield’s ankle was bandaged and he revealed that he will have to continue treatment at the clinic until he leaves the games at the end of the week.

http://www.tribune242.com/news/2022/jul/31/rashield-williams-loses-points-after-shedding-poun/