Home|Sports|The Bahamas, World teams secure wins in cricketSports

Simba FrenchSend an emailSeptember 27, 2022 149 2 minute readFacebookTwitterLinkedInShare via Email

The Bahamas Cricket Association (BCA) resumed local league action this past weekend after being off for the summer. Action took place with the Nations League TwentyTwenty (T20) tournament at Haynes Oval with The Bahamas and the World teams securing victories.

The World team took down Asia by four runs in a close contest that saw them weathered Sandeep Goud’s knock of 130 runs. The Bahamas dominated Jamaica with an eight-wicket victory.

The World won the toss in their match and elected to bat. It was a great choice for them as they were able to amass 226 runs. Most of those runs were scored by opening batsman Kevin Surujlal. He tallied 84 runs, falling just 16 runs short of a century. Surujlal finished with 12 fours and four sixes to position his team on the right path in the 12th over. He had two partnerships of 68 runs. The World was at 136 runs for the loss of two wickets at that point.

Eugene Duff and Kemar Polius made sure they stayed at the crease the rest of the way as they finished with a 90-run partnership.

Duff finished with 61 runs while Polius scored 32 runs as they set a 227 runs target for Asia to chase.

Goud opened the batting for the Asia squad and was able to take them to 172 runs for the loss of three wickets. His knock of 130 runs by the 15th over was a great way to set his team up for a victory. His innings 

included 14 fours and 10 sixes for a whopping 24 boundaries. Unfortunately, the rest of his teammates could not get their bats going as they were all out for 222 runs.

The World sport a 1-2 win/loss record while Asia has a 1-3 record.

On Sunday, The Bahamas dominated Jamaica as the game was dropped to 12 overs. Jamaica won the toss and batted first. The first wicket fell early in the match with Jamaica scoring 36 runs.

Five more wickets fell before the century mark and Jamaica had 96 runs for the loss of six wickets after 11 overs. At the end of the 12 overs, Jamaica had 104 runs – a run rate of 8.67. They were led by Orlando Howell with 25 runs and Kevon Hinds with 24 runs.

The Bahamas got off to a fast start, scoring 17 runs in the first over. They lost a wicket in the next over. National team players Marc Taylor and Johnathan Barry had a partnership of 54 runs before Taylor got out for 40 runs in the ninth over. The Bahamas had 74 runs for the loss of two wickets with three overs left. Barry and Everette Haven led The Bahamas to its 105-run target as Barry finished with 28 runs and Haven scored eight. The Jamaican squad gave up 19 extras.

The Bahamas is now 1-1 while Jamaica is 1-2.

Cricket action continues this weekend with the Lions playing the Pacesetters at 2 p.m. on Saturday. Sunday’s game will pit St. Agnes against the Police at 2 p.m.

https://thenassauguardian.com/the-bahamas-world-teams-secure-wins-in-cricket/

 Home|Uncategorized|Heat back in The BahamasSports

Team’s five-day training camp gets underway today at Baha Mar

Sheldon LongleySend an emailSeptember 27, 2022 133 3 minute readFacebookTwitterLinkedInShare via Email

After a six-year hiatus, the Miami Heat are back in The Bahamas, set to engage in a five-day training camp at Baha Mar.

The team, inclusive of players, coaches, officials and executives, touched down on a chartered Delta Airlines flight about 6:15 p.m. yesterday evening at Jet Nassau at the Lynden Pindling International Airport here in Nassau, The Bahamas. As a sign of it being strictly a business trip, upon debarkation, the team was immediately loaded in shuttle buses and transported to Baha Mar which has entered into a multi-year partnership with the Heat.

FTX Digital Markets, a partner of the Heat, is facilitating the trip.

“FTX is pleased to collaborate with one of our strongest partners, the Miami Heat,” said Vice President of Communications and Corporate Social Responsibility for FTX Digital Markets Valdez Russell. “The Heat play in the FTX Arena in Miami and when the decision was made for them to come to The Bahamas for a training camp, we were delighted to do our part to cause things to happen. This experience is being held in collaboration with Baha Mar, the Ministry of Tourism, and all of our partners who have done an incredible job in welcoming the participants. We look forward to a great week of activities.”

The Heat, the 2021-2022 No. 1 seed in the Eastern Conference Playoffs in the National Basketball Association (NBA), and the conference runner-up, will engage in an open practice session this morning in the Inagua Room of Baha Mar.

There will be a youth basketball clinic on Thursday, starting at 4 p.m., at the Kendal G.L. Isaacs National Gymnasium. The clinic will move to the grand ballroom of Baha Mar on Saturday morning which will be followed by the Heat’s final practice session which will be open to invited guests and the participants of the youth basketball clinic. The team will depart for Miami Saturday afternoon to prepare for the start of preseason basketball.

Players including Jimmy Butler, Bam Adebayo, Tyler Herro and others, along with coaches, officials and team executives including team president of basketball operations Pat Riley.

The Miami Heat also held training camps in The Bahamas in 2013 and again in 2016. Now, they are back after a six-year hiatus. However, this is the first time for young stars Adebayo and Herro. Butler is a regular visitor to The Bahamas, usually frequenting these shores for offseason training. The only player on the roster who was to the first two training camps in The Bahamas is veteran Udonis Haslem who is entering his 20th season in the league – all with the Heat who drafted him in 2002.

In 2013, when the Heat came to The Bahamas for training camp, they featured established stars in the league such as LeBron James, Dwyane Wade and Chris Bosh, and were on the tail end of a repeat as NBA Champions.

“The enthusiasm and the energy that went into putting this event together, we could tell that we are in for a great week,” said Russell. “We know 

confidently that the team is focused and disciplined for what’s to come. If The Bahamas is where the energy is captured to ensure that they perform at their best, then we welcome that. We’re just glad to have a world championships team back on our shores.”

The team didn’t give any interviews yesterday, but they were welcomed by the sounds of Junkanoo music, along with officials from the Ministry of Tourism, Investments and Aviation, the Ministry of Youth, Sports and Culture and the Ministry of Education. Also present were representatives from Baha Mar and FTX Digital Markets.

Along with the youth basketball camp, Russell said there will also be community activities conducted by Heat personnel. The camp itself is presented by Baptist Health, and comes on the heels of the team’s media day which also took place on Monday.

The team will have two practices per day, Tuesday to Friday, which are closed to the public.

Last season, the Heat advanced to the Eastern Conference Finals but fell four games to three to the Boston Celtics. They are coached by Erik Spoelstra and finished the regular season as the number one seed in the Eastern Conference with a 53-29 win/loss record, two games ahead of the Celtics who entered the playoffs as the second seeded team.

https://thenassauguardian.com/heat-back-in-the-bahamas/

As of Thursday, September 22, 2022

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#THE “Play Tennis Bahamas” programme resumed on Saturday at the National Tennis Centre where kids ages five to 17 years old were instructed in tennis.

#This programme, which has been instrumental in starting many tennis journeys, continues to be a catalyst for the development and growth for The Bahamas Lawn Tennis Association (BLTA).

#In order to provide easy access to the sport that is sometimes considered exclusive, the requirement to pay for tennis lessons has been removed.

#The programme only requires an admin fee of $1 and all tennis equipment is provided and tennis instructions are given at no cost. We are able to offer these free sessions due to the volunteerism of tennis coaches, juniors and players.

#The BLTA expressed thanks to those in the tennis community who continue to put service above self.

#The organisation also asked persons who wish to assist in the programme in any way to email pr@blta. net or join us on Saturdays at 9am at the National Tennis Centre. The programme is expected to run for 6-8 weeks and will serve to introduce youngsters to the sport and hopefully start a fire for further tennis pursuits.

#Last Saturday’s session was sponsored by Fidelity Bank & Trust.

#The BLTA expressed thanks for the support of Fidelity as they continue reaching the kids in the wider community. Under their motto “We’re Good for you”, Fidelity provided oranges and water for the participants and coaches.

#BLTA president Perry Newton extended his thanks to the Fidelity team who has partnered with the BLTA in this community-geared programme.

#He stated : “The programme has recorded the participation of hundreds of children over the years and we know sports is a positive medium for the youth. We will never find those tennis diamonds if we do not offer these sessions to the wider population. We hope that many take advantage of these free sessions.”

#The next session of Play Tennis Bahamas will be held at 9am on September 24.

#New entrants are asked to register via email at pr@ blta.net and to come out on Saturday at 8:45am to sign in. There are also wonderful opportunities for adults to learn the sport – tennis is a sport for all ages. Racquets will be provided and players are required to wear tennis shoes on the court.

#The sport is open to all, and the BLTA seeks to remove the barriers to entry and we welcome persons to join in and play tennis.

#It is our hope that every child who wishes to learn tennis will have the opportunity through this programme to pick up a racquet and play tennis. We will continue to foster tennis development in the community as we are not only building tennis players but also building a stronger nation.

http://www.tribune242.com/news/2022/sep/22/shaping-tennis-diamonds-bltas-play-tennis-bahamas/?news

As of Thursday, September 22, 2022

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TAHNAJ THOMAS

BJ MURRAY

#By RENALDO DORSETT

#Tribune Sports Reporter

#rdorsett@tribunemedia.net

#A PAIR of Bahamian minor league baseball players achieved another career milestone with promotions to the Arizona Fall League.

#Pittsburgh Pirates prospect Tahnaj Thomas will join the Surprise Saguaros while Chicago Cubs prospect BJ Murray was named to the roster of the Mesa Solar Sox for the upcoming season.

#The Saguaros include prospects from the Pirates, Philadelphia Phillies, Texas Rangers, Kansas City Royals, and Houston Astros. The Solar Sox includes Cubs, Miami Marlins, Oakland Athletics, Tampa Bay Rays, and New York Yankees prospects.

#The AFL begins play on October 3 in various cities in Arizona. Sixteen of MLB Pipeline’s Top 100 prospects are included on those rosters, including four of the Top 20. Each Major League Baseball team sends six top prospects to the AFL, 180 players in all.

#The games are played in the Spring Training stadiums used by the Mariners, Padres, Cubs, A’s, D-backs, and Rockies.

#The league attracts many of the top prospects in the minor leagues. Late in the minor league seasons, MLB clubs hold a position draft to determine the players who will participate in the AFL. Most are Double-A and Triple-A players.

#The league is designed for these prospects to refine their skills and perform in game settings in front of major and minor league baseball scouts and team executives, who are in attendance at almost every game.

#Several Bahamians have advanced to the AFL in recent history, including Champ Stuart in 2016, Anfernee Seymour in 2017, Jasrado “Jazz” Chisholm Jr, Lucius Fox in 2018 and Chavez Fernander in 2021.

#Fox and his Peoria Javelinas defeated Chisholm’s Salt River Rafters in the 2018 AFL Championship.

#Approximately 60 percent of all AFL participants have reached the major leagues. The league has produced 278 All-Stars, 17 Most Valuable Players, six Cy Young Award winners and 29 Rookies of the Year.

#Thomas recently helped Great Britain to an historic World Baseball Classic qualification and spent his season with the Altoona Curve at the AA level.

#In 37 games this year, he finished with a 5-4 record and three saves. He pitched 50.2 innings, with a 3.02 ERA and 52 strikeouts.

#The 22-year-old 6’5” right hand pitcher, is currently ranked no.29 in the Pirates organisation according to MLB Pipeline, has delivered a series of impressive performances. Thomas was named to the MLB Pipeline Prospect Team of the Week for July 4-July 10.

#Prior to the season, he was one of the club’s non-roster invitees to major league Spring Training in Bradenton, Florida last month. He spent last season at the High A level for the first time with the Greensboro Grasshoppers.

#Murray and his South Bend Cubs claimed the Midwest League Championship series in High A baseball.

#The Cubs closed out the Lake County Captains in game three last night at Classic Park in Eastlake, Ohio.

#Murray hit .545 for the series capped by last night’s 1-3 performance with a run scored in the Cubs’ 7-4 win.

#In a game one 11-8 loss, Murray finished 3-4, including a double, and scored two runs. The Cubs won game two 4-3 and Murray doubled again en route to finishing 2-4 with a run scored.

#The 22-year-old infielder has made a successful transition to High-A baseball and his progression within the Chicago Cubs organisation.

#Since the start of July, Murray is one of only two players in the Midwest League with a batting average over .300 and an on-base percentage over .400.

#In 56 games with South Bend, Murray hit .273, slugging .406, with a .794 OPS, with 51 hits, 22 runs scored, eight doubles, five home runs, 28 RBI and eight stolen bases.

#Murray began his 2022 season at the Low-A level with the Myrtle Beach Pelicans before he was promoted on June 14. In 39 games with the club, he hit .305, slugged .461 with a .902 OPS, 39 hits, including three home runs, 11 doubles, 31 runs scored and 25 RBI.

#Major League Baseball will test several new rule change initiatives in the AFL prior to its debut at the MLB level.

#The pitch timer coming to the Major Leagues in 2023 (15 seconds with bases empty, 20 seconds with runners on) will be implemented during this year’s Fall League campaign, as will the larger bases and restrictions on defensive positioning (minimum four infielders on the dirt, two on each side of second base).

#The AFL will also use the Automatic Ball-Strike System (ABS) Challenge at Salt River and Chase Field games. Batters, pitchers and catchers can challenge a ball or strike call immediately, and the call will be determined by the ABS system.

#Each side has three challenges per game, and a successful challenge is returned to the club.

http://www.tribune242.com/news/2022/sep/22/thomas-murray-named-arizona-fall-league-rosters/?news

JONQUEL JONES (AP)

As of Thursday, September 22, 2022

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#By RENALDO DORSETT

#Tribune Sports Reporter

#rdorsett@tribunemedia.net

#Just days after her WNBA season came to an end, Jonquel Jones returns to international play with Bosnia and Herzegovina at the FIBA Women’s Basketball World Cup.

#Jones and her side are among the top 12 women’s national teams in the world, competing at the tournament September 22 to October 1 in Sydney, Australia.

#BIH will play in Group A that also includes Belgium, China, Puerto Rico, Korea, and USA. They open competition against Puerto Rico today at 2:30pm, followed by a Friday matchup against China, Saturday against Korea, Monday against Belgium and Tuesday against the United States.

#At the end of the Group Phase, the top four teams of each group will advance to the Final Phase.

#A draw will determine the pairings of the Quarter-Finals.

#The two best-ranked teams of each group (group A and group B) will be drawn against the two teams ranked third and fourth of the other group.

#The USA has won the World Cup 10 times, followed by the Soviet Union with five while Brazil and Australia have each won once.

#Jones delivered a series of spectacular performances en route to leading BIH to World Cup 2022 qualification. Jones led BIH to a 1-1 record and was named TISSOT MVP and a member of the All- Tournament team at the World Cup Qualifying Tournament last February in Osaka, Japan.

#She averaged 25.5 points, 10.5 rebounds, and 4.5 assists per game while shooting 52 percent from the field and 44 percent from three.

#In game one, she finished with 15 points, five rebounds, five assists and two steals in a 96-64 loss to Canada.

#In the tournament clincher, she finished with 36 points and 23 rebounds in an 87-82 win over the host country. She shot 14-24 from the field, 2-6 from three-point range and also added four assists in 39 minutes.

#Jones continues to lead BIH to a series of milestones for their national team programme. She led the team to an historic fith-place finish at Women’s EuroBasket 2021 and continued that dominance at the Eurobasket 2023 Qualifiers last November.

#She finished with 30 points and 17 rebounds in an 80 -64 win over North Macedonia and a career high 44 points and 22 rebounds in her team’s 87-81 win over Belgium. BIH enters the World Cup ranked at no. 26. The 2022 season ended on a disappointing note for Jonquel Jones and her Connecticut Sun last Sunday when they were defeated by the Las Vegas Aces 78-71 in game four of the WNBA Finals.

#Jones had a 2022 season to remember following her 2021 MVP campaign. She was named to the All-WNBA Second Team, the All Defensive Second Team, and received her fourth WNBA All-Star selection, voted a starter for a third time.

#Jones led the Sun in points (14.6), rebounds (8.6) and blocks (1.2) per game. Jones hit a plethora of career milestones this season, moving into first all-time in blocks (270), third all-time in rebounds (1,633) and sixth all-time in points (2,657) in Connecticut Sun franchise history.

http://www.tribune242.com/news/2022/sep/22/jonquel-jones-leads-her-team-fiba-world-cup/?news

As of Friday, September 23, 2022

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#UNIVERSITY of the Bahamas Mingoes striker Ronaldo Green scored two goals over two matches on opening day of the Bahamas Football Association’s season over the weekend.

#The Mingoes drew with Bears FC 1-1 in the opening match and blanked the Baha Jrs FC 2-0 in the second match at the Roscow R.L. Davies field Sunday.

#Green scored early in the first match against Bears FC but The Bears responded with the equaliser.

#Against Baha Jrs FC, Green scored easily on a penalty kick to put The Mingoes up 1-0.

#Morgan Wood, on a brilliant attack, was able to find the back of the net for The Mingoes and put them up 2-0. The defence was then able to hold back a few strikes to hold on to the 2-0 score.

#The Bahamas Football Association opened the season with a jamboree with sides playing 15-minute halves with a brief intermission.

#Assistant head coach Alex Thompson said that overall he was pretty happy with the team’s performance at the jamboree.

#“We’ve been working on some things in preparation for our upcoming trip and it was good to see the habits that we have been working on be consistent in the matches,” he said.

#“We have a few more freshmen added to the squad and they performed pretty well. It’s a building process but it’s good to see them coming in and functioning within the system and the team.”

#Thompson added that chemistry within the team is thriving as they play more together. “Midfielders stayed connected, our backline was consistent and kept the ball well and our front three worked hard as well,” he said. “We gave them some specific instructions for the matches today and they carried them out.”

#The Mingoes are expected to play in two matches this weekend in South Florida against The Fort Lauderdale University Eagles.

http://www.tribune242.com/news/2022/sep/23/ub-mingoes-ronaldo-scores-two-goals-opening-day/?news

As of Friday, September 23, 2022

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KACY Lyn Smith and Chicago M had four faults in a time of 67.91 seconds to place 9th out of 26 in the Open 1.30m Jumpers at the 2022 Devon Fall Classic. Photo: Kind Media LLC

#SOMETIMES the road to success involves taking a step backward, as Kacy Lyn Smith discovered after falling short at the FEI North American Jumping Championship for Juniors/Young Riders earlier this summer.

#The first step was to give her horse, Chicago M, a well-deserved rest. Then at the beginning of September Kacy Lyn and Chicago returned to the ring at the Swan Lake Quentin Fall Classic Show to ride in the Low Juniors Division.

#At 1.20m, the fence heights were considerably lower than the pair’s usual competition level, but it was the refresher they needed.

#“[We] did the Low Juniors to sort of get us back into the ring after Young Riders,” noted Smith. The “step back” paid off: with rebuilt confidence, the pair finished 1st and 2nd in their two classes, winning overall Division Champion.

#Back in the groove, last weekend Smith and Chicago M returned to the higher, more technical courses at the 2022 Devon Fall Classic in Devon, Pennsylvania. As there were no 1.30m Amateur classes Smith opted to ride in the 1.30m Open, competing in good company against the likes of former USET team member and Pan-Am bronze medallist Laura Chapot, and other notable professionals.

#Nonetheless the pair did well, riding a fast, aggressive first round in a time of 67.91. A rail down at fence 9 cost them four faults and a place in the jump-off.

#However, the initial time was still fast enough to place the pair as the fastest of the non-clear rounds and finish in 9th place out of the 26 competitors.

http://www.tribune242.com/news/2022/sep/23/equestrian-bahamas-kacy-lyn-smith-and-chicago-m-9t/?news

As of Friday, September 23, 2022

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KEVIN Colebrooke

#By BRENT STUBBS

#Senior Sports Reporter

#bstubbs@tribunemedia.net

#THE Ministry of Youth, Sports and Culture is mourning the loss and reflecting on the life of its former senior officer Kevin Colebrooke, who also served at one time as the acting director of sports. He died at his home on Friday, September 16.

#Colebrooke, 68, was married to Cora Bain- Colebrooke, the permanent secretary in the Ministry of Youth, Sports and Culture. He has one daughter, Kristen Colebrooke, a member of Bahamas Aquatics.

#As a former track and field athlete, Colebrooke graduated from St Augustine’s in Raleigh, North Carolina, in 1981 and joined the public service as a sports officer at the Ministry of Youth, Sports and Culture on March 2. He served for 38 years eventually being promoted to deputy director of sports and subsequently sat in as the interim director of sports.

#Minister of Youth, Sports and Culture Mario Bowleg said Colebrooke honestly pursued the profession to which he aspired, and when he faced challenges in realising those aspirations, he painstakingly created the framework for achieving them in whatever the capacity of his service.

#Working under the supervision of the late Winston ‘Gus’ Cooper in the newly minted Department of Sports, Bowleg said Colebrooke consistently exhibited such a constructive approach throughout his years of productive service. “In such a regard, Kevin also proved himself to be another revolutionary figure in national development through sports. For in his extended tenure with my Ministry, he himself, serving as the liaison officer for a number of national core sport associations and federations, among which were golf, table games, rugby, swimming and the Royal Life Guard Association,” Bowleg said.

#“His ultimate focus centred on Swimming/Life Guarding however, no doubt a reflection of his keen interest in the propagation of that sport in a country two-thirds of which is comprised of water but as much two-thirds of its youth unable to swim.”

#Colebrooke’s passion for growing the sport of swimming is reflected in his joyous acceptance of his assignment to dedicate himself to representing the interests of the Department of Sports by understudying all aspects of the construction of the Betty Kelly Kenning National Swim Complex at the Queen Elizabeth Sports Center in 2010. “In assuming such a demanding task, he inhabited the construction site from start to finish, resulting in him becoming intensely familiar with all the many complexities of that facility’s three computerised infrastructure, all its systems of operation and all best practices in an ordained maintenance programme,” Bowleg said.

#“Equally as nationally notable is that Kevin was more than supportive of the decision by the late Betty Kelly Kenning, a genuine nationalist who maintained her pledge to construct the National Swim Complex, undeterred by the escalation in the cost of completing the project, from the initial $3.5 million to $5 million and then to $7.5 million.”

#Bowleg said Colebrooke’s determination to complete the project emanated from his personal experiences and exploits as a member of this country’s first national swim teams in the early days of the 1940s.

#“Likewise was Kevin in Kelly-Kenning’s confidence when she eschewed kinetic lobbying to instead construct the swim complex on a private school property some miles to the east, away from the densely populated centres surrounding the Queen Elizabeth Sports Center,” Bowleg said.

#“Conclusively then, in the course of his superlative career, Kevin played a major role in the organisation and execution of every Bahamas Games held in 1989, 1991, 1995, 1998, and in 2001, and was actively engaged with the planning of the Golden Jubilee Bahamas Games scheduled for 2023.”

#Colebrooke was also provided the impetus for the Bahamas to host the Junior Commonwealth Games in 2017. “Also, he implemented a number of developmental programmes at the National Swim Complex and provided the framework for many others, Bowleg said.

#According to Oria ‘Big O’ Wood, another senior sports officer in the Ministry, Colebrooke worked hard to ensure that a swim programme was initiated at the Betty Kelly Kenning swimming complex and carried out his duties to the best of his abilities. She remembered Colebrooke as being “stylist, playful, meticulous and blunt.”

#Timothy Munnings, who was then hired as the director of sports, said the Department of Sports at the ministry lost a valuable member of the team when he demitted office. He referred to Colebrooke as a dedicated public servant for over 30 years, whose knowledge and experience played an integral role in the operation of the Ministry as a whole. “Even in his retirement, Kevin remained willing and available to assist and joined the Bahamas Games organising committee to lend his expertise to this major national sporting event,” Munnings said. “Kevin was also a lover of the water and focused much of his energy in ensuring that both the Betty Kelly Kenning Aquatic Centre and the South Beach Pools facilities were functioning for all those that wanted to swim and was the driving force to attract international universities to the pools for winter training.”

#The Tribune Sports Department extends its condolences to the Colebrooke family.

http://www.tribune242.com/news/2022/sep/23/former-senior-sports-officer-colebrooke-dies-68/?news

As of Friday, September 23, 2022

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#By BRENT STUBBS

#Senior Sports Reporter

#bstubbs@tribunemedia.net

#IT was the second straight lopsided victory for the Queen’s College Comets, but their senior girls’ softball team still feel they have not yet produced their best efforts so far in the Bahamas Association of Independent Secondary Schools 2022 season.

#The Comets, coming off a rout over the Kingsway Academy Saints in their season opener on Tuesday, pulled off their second abbreviated victory with a 13-1 decision over the St Andrew’s Hurricanes yesterday at their home field at Queen’s College.

#“We played as well as we could, but I felt we could have played better,” said catcher Jada Wallace, who batted fourth in the line-up for Queen’s College. “Our opponents got a lead on us, but I felt we could have made better plays in coming back for the win. I just think we could have done better than we did today.”

#St Andrew’s struck first in the top of the first inning when M Mayard got on base on the first hit of the game and scored on A Clarke’s run-producing single for a 1-0 lead.

#Shortstop Ciara Bowe, batting third, ripped a two-run single to plate second sacker Raashi Lyons and first sacker Shanaz Demeritte. Bowe then scored on Wallace’s grounder down the third base line. Wallace then stole second and third before she came home on an error for a 4-1 lead. The Comets went on to score five more runs to put the game out of reach at the end of the inning.

#After turning a double play to stop the Hurricanes from scoring in the second, third sacker G’Shan Brown came through with a fly ball to centre field for a lead off in-the-park home run. The Comets would go on to score three more runs to extend their lead to 13-1.

#Left fielder Jasmine Smith joined Lyons, Brown and Bain in scoring two runs apiece.

#Right fielder Atony Taylor and centre fielder Presconique Cooper also made their contribution by scoring a run. “We played good, but we just had a few funny hits here and there,” Brown said. “At the end of the day, we could have done better. But it’s still a good team. We will go back to practice and work on our mistakes.”

#With only one run on their ledger going into the third inning, the Hurricanes left two runners stranded on base as the Comets came up with the defensive stopper to halt the game via another 10-run rule.

#Mickiela Bain, who picked up the win on the mound, echoed the same sentiments as her team-mates.

#“Our team performed okay, but it wasn’t to the best of our ability today,” Bain said. “Some of our players were a bit shaky because of some mistakes we made at the beginning. Next week at NAC (Nassau Christian Academy) we hope to play much better.”

#Yiorgo Coyle, the head coach of St Andrew’s, said despite suffering their second straight loss, he was pleased to see some improvements from their opener against the St Anne’s Blue Waves on Tuesday. “This is a teaching year, not a coaching year,” Coyle said. “Two weeks ago, we were learning which hand to put the gloves on. This is quite positive. We had about six ladies on base and we scored a run in the first inning. It was positive.”

#Against the Blue Waves, Coyle said they faced a really good pitcher, but against the Comets, they had to deal with a well-rounded defensive team that put up a lot of runs.

#Riner Smith was the losing pitcher, but her batterymate Sara Claire had her share of problems, using the catcher’s shin guards that kept coming loose throughout the game.

#Coyle acknowledged that while they have some work to do, his team is just happy to be playing softball again. He noted that they were so excited that they were even taking team photos after the game.

http://www.tribune242.com/news/2022/sep/23/softball-qc-comets-senior-girls-win-2-straight/?news

LET’S Swim Bahamas coaching and support staff are pictured above. Photo: Rufiner Saunders

As of Friday, September 23, 2022

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#By BRENT STUBBS

#Senior Sports Reporter

#bstubbs@tribunemedia.net

#IN relaunching its water safety programme for primary school students, Let’s Swim Bahamas is eager to get more Bahamians learning the importance of being able to swim in an archipelago surrounded by water.

#Let’s Swim Bahamas, led by the husband/wife team of Andy and Nancy Knowles, showed a documentary to a number of invited guests on Tuesday night at Harry Moore Library at the University of the Bahamas.

#It provided an opportunity for sponsors, stakeholders and the general public to get a chance to view what has taken place in the programme since its inception in October, 2008 with the Thelma Gibson Primary School as its pilot project. Before taking a break because of the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020, the programme had already spread its wings to more than 10 schools and with its relaunch, the Knowles and its team is out to reach all of the government primary schools in New Providence.

#Zane Lightbourne, the Minister of State in the Ministry of Education, said the programme is super important for the development of the nation, especially considering the amount of drownings that took place during the summer months when the children were off from school.

#“This was the most active drowning season. I don’t know what is happening, but it seems as if every other week you tune into the news, you heard about someone drowning,” Lightbourne said. “So it tells us the need for people to water safety skills and be able to learn to swim because we are surrounded by water.”

#While they won’t be able to cater to all of the students, Lightbourne said they are making a stab at a big chunk of it. He said the young children in their schools look forward to the programme.

#“We have to catch them at an early age so they can develop the habit of learning how to swim before they get too old and venture into other things,” Lightbourne said. “It’s like riding a bike. Once you learn how to do it early in life, you can get to do it for the rest of your life.”

#Lightbourne said he was more touched over the testimony of Rufiner Saunders, a parent, who in the document claimed that she was fearful of getting into the water even when she took her children to the beach. He noted that like Saunders, who eventually got over her fears and did some swim lessons with Let’s Swim Bahamas, she is now assisting the programme, while her children continue to excel as swimmers.

#Bahamas Aquatics’ president Algernon Cargill, who was featured in the documentary, said they are just as excited about the programme because it not only teaches the youngsters how to swim, but it also serves as a feeder system for their national programme. “Andy and Nancy have done an excellent job over the years in teaching Bahamians to swim and Bahamas Aquatics fully endorses the programme and we support Andy and Nancy in their endeavours,” he stated.

#The programme has also benefitted the Bahamas Yachting Club, whose president Laura Lowe and her husband, Jimmy Lowe, were on hand to show their support of the Knowles and their crew of volunteers.

#“We’re absolutely supportive of Let’s Swim Bahamas because it gets more persons involved in swimming, but it also benefits our programme too because we already have one of the swimmers who was referred to our youth sailing programme.” Lowe said.

#“This programme is teaching youngsters how to learn how to swim and I’m loving it. It makes a big difference because we need to provide avenues for more persons to be able to learn how to swim.”

#Lowe said their summer programme is similar in nature in that they also cater to the majority of competitors from the public schools, at least 70 percent, so it’s a plus that they work together for the benefit of all involved. Lightbourne said the documentary was well put together as it showed the commitment of the organisers and the participants to excelling in the programme. He noted that he was even more keen to see that the children involved are more disciplined with their academic pursuits.

#Parents are only allowed to pay for their swim gear. All other aspects of the programme, including their transportation to and from their school to the swim facilities at the University of the Bahamas and St Andrew’s School, are provided free of charge as well as their one-hour lessons each week.

#The Knowles indicated that the documentary will be shown at a national level on television. However, persons interested in learning more about the programme can visit the website – www.letsswimbahamas.com – for more information.

http://www.tribune242.com/news/2022/sep/23/lets-swim-bahamas-relaunched/?news