Devynne Charlton warms up at the Irena Szewinska Memorial on the World Athletics Continental Tour in Bydgoszcz, Poland.

As of Wednesday, June 7, 2023

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#By BRENT STUBBS

#Senior Sports Reporter

#bstubbs@tribunemedia.net

#After a five-week break to deal with an ankle injury, it was business as usual for high hurdler Devynne Charlton.

#In her first meet since competing at the Drake Relays in Des Moines, Iowa, Charlton lined up at the Irena Szewinska Memorial, this season’s eighth World Athletics Continental Tour in Bydgoszcz, Poland where she placed second in the women’s 100 metre hurdles.

#Her time of 12.64 equalled her season’s best she ran prior to the slight injury, so Charlton was quite content trailing NACAC champion Alaysha Johnson of the United States of America, who touched the tape in 12.41.

#Looking back at her performance after she ran a 12.60 for sixth two days ago in another meet, Charlton said she’s right where she wants to be heading into the remainder of the season. “To come off the plane and run a 12.6 isn’t bad, considering the adjustment you have to make with the time zone, sleeping and eating at different times,” Charlton said. “I’m happy with the performance. I could have executed a little better, but I will take the time.”

#As for her race, Charlton admitted that she still has to work on the middle aspect of her race. Once she can get it together, she feels she will be a force to reckon with this year.

#“The good thing is I have some time to go back to training and work on it,” said Charlton, who noted that she’s hoping to compete in a few more meets in a few weeks before she comes home in July.

#The 27-year-old Bahamian national record holder is the leading candidate for the title at the Bahamas Association of Athletic Associations’ Senior and Junior National Championships from July 4-6, but she know that there are some young hungry contenders on her trail.

#The Nationals will serve as the final trials for selection to Team Bahamas for the World Championships in Budapest, Hungary from August 19-26. While she’s Bahamian over two lined up in the same event with her.

#“These young girls are doing extremely well,” said Charlton, of competitors such as Charisma Taylor and Denisha Cartwright, two of the leading performers. “It would be nice to have at least three of us in the same event at the World Championships.

#“We’ve never done it before where we had three competitors (the maximum a country is allowed) to compete in the hurdles. We normally have two, me and Pedrya Seymour. So it would be nice if we could get three.”

#And like there is a push to get the additional competitors, Charlton still have one thing on her mind. That is trying to get on the podium like she did at the World Indoor Championships in Belgrade, Serbia where she won a silver and duplicated the feat at the Commonwealth Games in Birmingham, England and NACAC Championships in Grand Bahama.

#“I would like to continue where I left off last year,” said Charlton, who also made the finals at the World Championships in Eugene, Oregon. “It would be nice to win a medal there.”

#Charlton has never won a medal at the World Championships or the Olympic Games. But she’s hoping this is her year to shine at World’s before she pursue the Olympics in Paris, France next year.

New York Liberty forward Jonquel Jones (35) gets the rebound against the Seattle Storm as guard Courtney Vandersloot looks on during the first half on May 30 in Seattle. (AP Photo/Lindsey Wasson)

As of Wednesday, June 7, 2023

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#By TENAJH SWEETING

#Tribune Sports Reporter

#tsweeting@tribunemedia.net

#BAHAMIAN Women’s National Basketball Association (WNBA) player Jonquel Jones and the New York Liberty will look to bounce back from this past weekend’s loss against the Chicago Sky.

#The team fell to the Sky 86-82 after blowing a double-digit lead in the third quarter of the game on Sunday.

#However, tonight they will take on the 1-6 Minnesota Lynx at the Barclays Center in Brooklyn at 7pm in hopes of returning to their early season winning ways.

#In their last game, Grand Bahama’s Jones turned in nine points, to go with 6 rebounds and two assists in the loss.

#The Bahamian professional player has had some ongoing struggles since coming back from a foot injury, and is averaging career lows in points per game (9) and rebounds (4) on her new team.

#With the Liberty, Jones is also playing 18.3 minutes per game which is the second lowest of the 29-year old’s career.

#On the defensive end, Jones is averaging one block and 0.2 steals which are also career lows for her so far.

#Despite a rocky start to the season by the forward, her team has enjoyed some early season success, sitting third overall in the WNBA with a 4-2 win/loss record.

#The team sits behind the Las Vegas Aces and Jones’ former squad Connecticut Sun. Her teammate Breanna Stewart, who joined the team after signing in the offseason, is having quite the start.

#The forward is averaging career highs in points with 23.7, rebounds with 10.5, and assists with 3.5. Jones’ teammate has also been on a tear with double doubles as of late, having three consecutive games where she notched double digits in points and rebounds. The Liberty team will look to make big waves in the 2023 WNBA season after turning in a 16-20 sub .500 record last season.

#Following their active offseason in which they acquired Jones in a three-team deal with the Connecticut Sun and Dallas Wings, former 2018 Most Valuable Player (MVP) Stewart and four-time All-Star Courtney Vandersloot, the team is off to a better start.

#Last season, the team averaged 79.6 points per game and allowed opponents to score 82.0.

#However, the star-studded lineup has their sights set on the WNBA championship.

#With Jones already having an MVP under her belt, the championship would be the first of her career.

#The 11th overall Lynx will have their hands full tonight as the Liberty will try to regroup against them.

Golden Girl Pauline Davis and MP Wayde Watson seated in front of the organisers Sean Bastian and Mark Knowles.

As of Wednesday, June 7, 2023

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#By BRENT STUBBS

#Senior Sports Reporter

#bstubbs@tribunemedia.net

#FOLLOWING a successful trial run last year, Member of Parliament Wayde Watson and his committee are looking forward to the hosting of their second annual Bains & Grants Town Summer Games.

#Pegged for July 24 to August 12, the games will feature competition in basketball, softball and track and field with three age group categories – 18-and-under, 16-and-under and 12-and-under. There will also be competition in the open division.

#Co-ed softball for under-12 and open will be contested during the first week at the Archdeacon William Thompson Softball Park at the Southern Recreation Grounds, according to Sean Bastian.

#The next two weeks will be basketball for the under-12, 13-16 and 17-and-above open groups at the Southern Recreation Grounds with track and field to close out the games at the original Thomas A Robinson National Stadium.

#“Last year was the first time that we did it and we were surprised by how successful it was,” Watson said. “So we are hoping that there will be a lot more excitement for this year’s event.

#“Every night, we hope to get as much of our constituents come out and cheer on the young people in their community. We don’t charge to come in because we want to do this for the people of Bains & Grants Town.”

#This year’s event is being endorsed by “Golden Girl” Pauline Davis, a native of Fleming Street, who talked about how God has blessed her to travel around the world competing for the Bahamas as a track and field athlete.

#“You are blessed and God has a purpose for your life,” Davis the old the young residents of the constituency. “Use every tool at your disposal to become the best that you can become.

#“You may not become a world champion like me or a doctor or lawyer, but we can encourage the other young people who look up to you.”

#Davis said as a barefoot girl from Bains and Grants Town who went on to earn a four-year athletic scholarship, no way in her wildest dream had she even envisioned being the first Bahamian or Caribbean athlete to win an Olympic gold medal in track and field.

#She said if she can do it, there are others who have the ability to do so as well. She said she will be in attendance at the games to encourage and motivate the young rising athletes out of the constituency.

#Watson, a former resident of Bains & Grants Town before he moved to Grand Bahama where he played basketball and began coaching the sport, commended Davis on coming forth and lending her support to the games.

#As they prepare for the games, Knowles revealed that the constituency will be split up into five zones, which will have a manager and coaches, who will be responsible for assembling their teams.

#Those zones are the dillies, star apples, almonds, Guinups and sea grapes. They represent different areas of the Bains & Grants Town constituency.

#“They will walk through the community and tell the residents what the summer games are all about,” Knowles said. “They will then be select their teams.

#“Last year was a trial run. It was successful. Some of the things that we learn from was the public relations wasn’t that strong. We are going to hit the ground earlier and we will be making announcements and giving out flyers.”

#Knowles said although he’s one of the organizers, he will be working hard at trying to get his team ready to compete.

#With the sixth Bahamas Games being a part of the 50th celebrations of the nation’s Golden Jubilee, Watson said they intend to use it a steppingstone for the hype for their games.

#“The Bahamas is a small nation and with the games starting on July 25, we want to make certain that the games are just as successful as the Bahamas Games,” Watson said. “We hope to have our Bains & Grants Town Homecoming as a part of the celebrations to get more people involved.”

#A number of sponsors have decided to come on board and assist the committee in helping to secure the uniforms that the young people will be wearing as their represent their respective zones.

PICTURED, from left to right, are Nikkita Thompson of NACAC and BAAA executives Demaris Cash, BAAA president Drumeco Archer, Tito Moss and Sheldon Longley.

As of Wednesday, June 7, 2023

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#By BRENT STUBBS

#Senior Sports Reporter

#bstubbs@tribunemedia.net

#THE Bahamas Association of Athletic Associations is anticipating a grand affair when they host their Senior and Junior National Track and Field Championships next month.

#The anticipation is brewing over the fact that already seven athletes have attained the qualifying standards for the World Championships in Budapest, Hungary, in August and a few are close going into the NCAA Championships.

#Against that backdrop, the BAAA will host its joint junior and senior nationals over the weekend of July 5-7 at the original Thomas A Robinson Track and Field Stadium.

#The venue, however, could change to the new TAR National Stadium, depending on the progress of the renovations underway for the World Relays next year.

#Tito Moss, BAAA vice president of operations, said they have decided to stage this year’s nationals over a three-day period, starting around 3pm each day.

#And he said it will serve as the trials for the NACAC Under-18 and Under-23, set for San Juan, Costa Rica, July 21-23, the World Championships in Budapest, Hungary from August 19-27 and the Pan American Games in Buenos Aires, Argentina from October 20 t- November 5.

#“All of our premier junior and senior athletes who wish to represent Team Bahamas in any of those championships must show up,” Moss stated. “We’ve had an exciting year of track and field thus far and we look forward to these trials being an exciting one to culminate and head into those summer meets.”

#Apart from all of that excitement, Moss said the BAAA’s will host a relay carnival where they have invited some of their NANAC and World Athletic family member associations to participate in their bid to qualify their relay teams for the World Championships.

#“We’ve gotten some commitments from a few countries and as we move closer to the meet, we will reveal a little bit more,” Moss promised. “So in addition to the nationals, we are looking to qualifying some relay teams for some of the major events this year.”

#BAAA’s president Drumeco Archer said looking at the composition of what they will present to the public during the nationals, it’s safe to say that there will be generation of athletes from the past competing mixed with a generation of the new rising stars coming forth.

#“As we see the Anthaya (Charlton), Wayna (McCoy) and Terrence Jones and the Rhema Otabor and Keyshawn Strachan, a few who have transitioned from the junior programme to the senior programmes, we’re delighted to see that there is a passing of the baton from a Jyles Etienne and Shaun Miller to Donald Thomas.”

#Coming out of the CARIFTA Games held over the Easter holiday weekend, Archer said there’s been an immense level of enthusiasm for the sport, and they hope it will spill over to the nationals.

#Demaris Cash, the BAAA’s Special Events Coordinator, said every year they are obligated to put on their national championships and this year is no exception with a number of incentives added for both the athletes and the spectators.

#“We want to encourage all fans to come out,” Cash said. “We are going to add some interesting things to this event. We will have a cultural set up where fans can participate, look at junkanoo pieces and eat some food, enjoy some arts and crafts and the kids will have the bouncing castle.”

#Cash, a former quarter-miler, indicated that there will be a wide range of athletes competing from the newcomers to the veterans, so the fans will have some exciting competition to view.

#Archer said with schools being closed during that period, they hope that the school students, especially those in primary schools, will take advantage of the entrance fee of just $5 for children and $10 for adults.

#“I’m expecting some amazing performances,” Archer predicted. “We anticipate taking one of the larger World Championships teams. I believe this set the stage for what we hope to assemble for the upcoming Olympic Games.

#“I think that the sprints will be returning back to the Bahamas. We have a cadre of sprinters that we have not seen in a decade or two, so that is good for the sport.”

#Mythopoetically, Archer said there’s a “season to born and a season to die,” and so they expect that there will be the emergence of new stars and the return of the old ones at the meet.

#Athletes, who won’t be able to make the qualifying standards for the World Championships, could still earn a berth in Budapest based on their world rankings. which is one of the measuring sticks used by World Athletes to complete their lineups for each discipline contested in August.

As of Wednesday, June 7, 2023

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MARTIAL ARTS – The second edition of the Bassai Bahamas Karate-Do Championships was a success this past weekend at the Kendal G L Isaacs Gymnasium. Photos: Tenajh Sweeting

#By TENAJH SWEETING

#Tribune Sports Reporter

#tsweeting@tribunemedia.net

#THE Bassai Bahamas Karate-Do hosted the second edition of the open karate tourney/Bahamas Karate Championships this past weekend at the Kendal G L Isaacs Gymnasium.

#The day was action packed as competitors clashed in various divisions such as Kumite point fighting, Kata, weapons, kickboxing and the Masters Cup.

#In the second year, the event also honoured the Grandmasters of martial arts Alex Penn, Kenneth Lewis, Frankie Adderley and the late great Basil Rolle.

#Sensei Shawn Smith Sr, chief instructor for Bassai Bahamas Karate-Do International, talked about how impressed he was at this second edition of the Bahamas Karate Championships.

#“I am elated and I thank the Lord for blessing us with such a wonderful tournament today. I am very happy about the turnout of competitors and spectators alike. The tournament in my opinion is a success,” Smith said.

#Sensei Smith was also very happy with the work of the younger karatekas.

#“It was awesome that they came out and performed very well and we had great awards. The young kids are ready and are fighting fiercely in a controlled environment,” he said.

#For the Covenant Masters Cup competition, professor Alfredo Rolle won the kata division with first place after a masterclass performance in front of the judges. Sensei Elrick McKinney was ranked second best by the judges and third place belonged to Master Julian Rolle.

#Rolle, professor at the National Academy of Martial Arts, talked about his win with confidence.

#“It’s some competition out there but I am good at what I do.

#“The competition was in doubt but then after I got out there I had to do what I had to do, putting them behind me and getting to work,” the Master Cup winner said.

#He added that it is always good to compete at a high level because you no longer have to wonder where you are after competing against other greats and you get the motivation to continue.

#The 67-year-old said his win will be a big motivation to his students to get back involved in these competitions.

#In the black belt kata, Antonese Higgs Jr finished first.

#Demetrius Robinson wrapped up second and M Dancer Lightbourne came in third.

#In the senior division for the same event, Ogae Tao Antonese Higgs Sr emerged victorious after executing the best solo martial arts movements.

#Second place finisher was Master Marcus Shadow Rolle. Akash Simmons won the continuous sparring for the lightweight division.

#In the 16-17 division for the boys kata forms, Treyvien Brown placed first in the competition. Johnathan Davis was awarded second place and Osei Mazard nabbed third.

#Brown also collected another first place finish in the 16-17 division for intermediate sparring.

#Mazard this time advanced to a higher position, finishing second.

#Jabari Miller finished on top in the advanced 16-17 boys sparring and Shamar Lewis ended the competition in second.

#One of the main focuses of the tourney was to highlight the Grandmasters while they are alive, according to sensei Smith.

#On Saturday, all of the aforementioned Grandmasters were given their flowers.

#Grandmaster Lewis was acknowledged for being one of the most decorated martial artists in The Bahamas. His accomplishments include the opening of Four Winds Kung Fu in 1972, officiating over 100 international tournaments, and being featured in the Black Belt magazine in 1977. “I would like to thank Master Julian and Smith for the honours bestowed upon me today. I am humbled, honoured and grateful,” Lewis said.

#Grandmaster Lewis said he was pleased with the level of expertise and enthusiasm in the martial arts students and is very proud of the new leaders in the art who will take it to another level.

#Grandmaster Penn received his flowers for accomplishments, including studying karate for over 47 years, being a member of the 1981 Bahamas Full Contact Karate Team, and getting promoted to black belt in 1983.

#“I feel great, it’s an honour to be here. I thank God [because] He has allowed me to be here and to be chosen to walk among these men as the youngest Grandmaster in The Bahamas,” Penn said.

#His advice to the new leaders was to continue the art by maintaining the discipline in martial arts so that the kids can continue to be better persons in their community and life.

#The late Grandmaster Rolle was honoured for his contributions as a former police officer who saw the need for The Bahamas Tong Dojo Karate School of Self Defense in 1967. His school produced individuals such as Master Brian Beckford, Master Julian Rolle and his son Master Haven Rolle.

#Rolle collected the award on behalf of his father.

#“It’s kind of like a culmination of his dedication and service to the martial arts field, mentoring and training children from the ripe age of five until adulthood,” he said.

#He added that it was a grand pleasure to accept on behalf of his father who helped some adults and it proves that everything he taught was the real deal.

#Grandmaster Adderley was the first Bahamian to receive the rank and is an inductee of the Cosmopolitan Florida Hall of Fame. Additionally, he has more than 40 years of experience in martial arts.

#Sensei Smith encouraged parents to enrol their kids into martial arts whether they are troubled or victims of bullying as it will teach them how to rechannel their energy or frustration.

#He emphasised that the martial arts world is about building a community of people that The Bahamas can be proud of.

 Home|Sports|Saunders earns pro card in bodybuilding and fitnessSports

She becomes the 21st Bahamian to reach pro status in the sport; six are retired

Sheldon LongleySend an emailJune 6, 2023 695 2 minute readFacebookTwitterLinkedInShare via Email

A trio of young women from The Bahamas turned in some fantastic performances at the International Federation of BodyBuilding and Fitness (IFBB) Roger Boyce Amateur Classic in St. Michael, Barbados, over the weekend.

Leading the charge was Cara Saunders who became the latest Bahamian to earn a pro card in bodybuilding and fitness. Dorcas Cox and Fania Joseph also had top five results.

There are now 16 Bahamian professional athletes who compete in bodybuilding and fitness and six retired pro athletes. The active athletes are: Jameil Hamilton, Jason Johnson, Endierich Rahming, Rasheed Edgecombe, Lorraine LeFleur, LaKeisha Miller, Chanice Bain, Tammy Stubbs, Angelika Wallace-Whitfield, Tanya Moxey-Cleare, Terran Knowles, Darvin Johnson, Kaif Young, Raynor Ferguson, Jimmy Norius and now Cara Saunders. The six retired pro bodybuilding and fitness athletes are Joel Stubbs, Gena Mackey, Natasha Brown, Dominique Wilkinson, Charles Kemp and James ‘Jay’ Darling.

As for Cara Saunders, she was a double winner a year ago, taking the Northern Bahamas and national titles in overall women’s wellness locally, and this past weekend she had a major breakthrough internationally, as she was able to claim the women’s wellness short class title (up to 163 centimeters) in Barbados.

Saunders held off Kayla Joseph of Antigua & Barbuda and hometown favorite Maria Grimes. In the overall category, Saunders finished second to Jamaican Sherea Clarke.

Cox showed what she could do in the women’s body fitness open category, securing a second place finish. Kara-Lynn Belle, of Barbados, emerged victorious. Cox was second and Ashane Gordon-Morrison, of Jamaica, rounded out the top three.

In women’s bikini (up to 164 centimeters), National Champion Fania Joseph had to settle for a fourth place finish. There was a Bajan sweep in this event as Mikhaila Farier came out on top, Trudi-Anne Bovell was second and Cherise Ashby finished third.

Also in Barbados, in the pro segment of the show, Jason Johnson placed fourth among a field of 12 competitors in the men’s physique category, Endierich Rahming competed in men’s physique, Rasheed Edgecombe competed in the men’s classic physique category, and Saunders made her pro debut fresh off winning the women’s wellness short class title.

“Hats off to our athletes for another weekend of hard work, dedication, consistency, determination, commitment and for being goal driven,” said Bahamas Bodybuilding and Fitness Federation (BBFF) President Joel Stubbs. “Great athletes were on display and we were able to walk away with top honors in some categories. Congratulations to Cara Saunders, winner in the women’s wellness short class and as a result, she gained her pro card. Congrats to Dorcas Cox, silver medal finisher in the women’s body fitness (figure) category. Congrats to Fania Joseph who missed the mark and ended up placing fourth in the women’s bikini fitness category.

“In the pro segment, we congratulate Jason Johnson who placed fourth among a field of 12 competitors in the men’s physique category. Congratulations to Endierich Rahming who gave it a gutsy effort as well. Congratulations to Rasheed Edgecombe who again was competitive in a field of fierce competitors in the men’s classic physique category. Lastly, congratulations to our newest pro competitor Cara Saunders who made her pro debut at this event but was not in a top position.

“We say to the rest of you seeking professional status, that the sky is still the limit but to touch and dwell among the stars, you must take your fitness game to another level and achieve. Blessings to all for a job well done.”

The BBFF Northern Bahamas Championships has been cancelled and the novice, nationals and Bahamas Games bodybuilding and fitness will be combined into one event, set for Tuesday July 11 at the University of The Bahamas (UB) Performing Arts Center Auditorium right here in New Providence, The Bahamas.

The Bahamas drawn in Group D in Nations League

 Home|Sports|Charlton runs season’s best, places secondSports

Simba FrenchSend an emailJune 7, 2023 239 2 minute readFacebookTwitterLinkedInShare via Email

Running in her fifth 100 meters (m) hurdles race this season, Bahamian hurdler Devynne Charlton equaled a season’s best performance with a time of 12.64 seconds, placing second at the 5th Irena Szewińska Memorial at Zdzislaw Krzyszkowiak Stadium, in Bydgoszcz, Poland, on Tuesday. It is a World Athletics Continental Tour Gold Level Meet.

Charlton, who qualified for the final after running 13.02 seconds, powered her way to cross the finish line in 12.64 seconds in the final. That is the fifth time she has run under 13 seconds in that event this season.

Winning that race yesterday was American Alaysha Johnson who powered her way to a time of 12.41 seconds. Finishing third was Ireland’s Sarah Lavin who clocked 12.86 seconds.

Charlton ran out of lane three and got off to a strong start. She and Johnson started to pull away from the field by the third hurdle. Charlton kept up with the American until the seventh hurdle when Johnson pulled away a little bit and the Bahamian held on for the second-place finish.

The national record holder in the women’s 100m hurdles first ran 12.64 seconds this season at the Tom Jones Memorial at the Percy Beard Track in Gainesville, Florida, on April 15. She placed third on that day.

The Bahamian was coming off a race in which she ran a time of 12.93 seconds at the FBK Games, another gold level meet, at the Blankers-Koen Stadion, in Hengelo, Netherlands on Sunday. She finished sixth in that race.

Fellow Bahamian Anthonique Strachan has been recording some strong times lately, and this past Saturday, the sprinter clocked a season’s best time of 10.99 seconds in the women’s 100m. She did it at the Racers Grand Prix at the National Stadium in Kingston, Jamaica. This is the second consecutive season in which Strachan, who trains at the Maximising Velocity and Power (MVP) Track Club in Kingston, Jamaica, has run under 11 seconds, showing consistency.

Strachan was second behind her MVP Track Club teammate, Jamaican Shericka Jackson, the 2022 World Championships silver medalist in the 100m and gold medalist in the 200m. Jackson clocked a season’s best 10.78 seconds to win that race. Finishing third was Jamaica’s Shashalee Forbes with a time of 11.07 seconds.

Strachan has run five 100m races this season and her previous season’s best was 11.02 seconds which she did at her club’s meet back in March in Kingston.

The week before her sub-11 seconds run in the women’s 100m, Strachan clocked a personal best time of 22.15 seconds in the 200m at the Meeting International Mohammed VI d’Athletisme de Rabat, at the Complexe Sportif Prince Moulay Abdellah, in Rabat, Morocco, again finishing second to Jackson. Jackson ran a season’s best time of 21.98 seconds at that Diamond League Meet which was held on May 28.

Charlton and Strachan are both expected to be home to compete at the Bahamas Association of Athletic Associations (BAAA) Junior and Senior National Championships, July 5-7.

 Home|Sports|The Bahamas drawn in Group D in Nations LeagueSports

Simba FrenchSend an emailJune 7, 2023 162 2 minute readFacebookTwitterLinkedInShare via Email

The Bahamas Senior Men’s National Soccer Team knows who they will face in the 2023-2024 Confederation of North, Central American and Caribbean Association Football (CONCACAF) Nations League after the draw was held last month.

The Bahamas remained in League B which is the second tier out of three leagues. They are in Group D with Guyana, Antigua and Barbuda and Puerto Rico. It is a tough group for The Bahamas which is the lowest ranked team in the group.

The highest ranked team in the group is Antigua and Barbuda, according to the latest FIFA (International Association Football Federation) World Rankings. They are ranked at number 133. The Bahamas is ranked at number 203 while Puerto Rico is ranked at number 166 and Guyana comes in at number 170.

League B has 16 teams that were evenly divided into four groups. The teams in Group D will play each other twice for a total of six games – three at home and the other three away for each team. The group winners will be promoted to League A, and fourth-place finishers will be relegated to League C.

The schedule will be announced later.

The Bahamas has played all three countries with matchups against Puerto Rico and Guyana in 2021.

The Bahamas, Puerto Rico and Guyana were in Group F in the CONCACAF World Cup Qualifiers in 2021. Puerto Rico and The Bahamas battled in June that year in Mayaguez, Puerto Rico with the home team taking advantage of The Bahamas and coming away with a 7-0 victory. Guyana and The Bahamas played in neutral territory in Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic, in 2021 with Guyana winning that battle 4-0 as the world, in sports, battled back in the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Antigua and Barbuda and The Bahamas played in The Bahamas at the Thomas A. Robinson National Stadium in October 2018 with the visitors winning 6-0.

The Bahamas will be looking to return the favor against those three teams.

The Bahamas finished third in League B Group C action in the 2022-2023 Nations League competition. They finished with four points with a 1-4-1 win/loss/draw record in the group. The win and the draw came against the St. Vincent and the Grenadines with the win coming with a 1-0 scoreline at home at the Thomas A. Robinson National Stadium. That group also featured Nicaragua and Trinidad and Tobago.

 Home|Sports|Top talent coming home for track nationalsSports

Mega event set for July 5-7 at Thomas A. Robinson Stadium

The Nassau GuardianSend an emailJune 7, 2023 212 6 minute readFacebookTwitterLinkedInShare via Email

The fantastic times and exceptional distances recorded by Bahamians track and field athletes this season are all set for an exciting culmination at the Bahamas Association of Athletic Associations (BAAA) Junior and Senior National Championships, scheduled for July 5-7 at the original Thomas A. Robinson Track and Field Stadium.

The three-day meet, which will feature The Bahamas’ best junior and senior athletes, was launched yesterday at a press conference at the new Thomas A. Robinson National Stadium. The event will get underway at 3 p.m. each day, and according to BAAA President Drumeco Archer, there is still a chance that it will be moved to the new stadium which is undergoing repairs ahead of next year’s world relays.

On day one of the nationals, the featured events on the track will be the heats and finals of the 100 meters (m) and the heats of the 400m races. The heats of the short and long hurdles and the 400m finals will be held on day two, and the finals of the short and long hurdles finals, the finals of the 200 and 800m events, and the relay carnival will wrap up the competition on day three.

The meet is a qualifier for the North American, Central American and Caribbean Athletic Association (NACAC) Under-18 and Under-23 Track and Field Championships from July 21-23 in San Jose, Costa Rica; the Pan American Under-20 (U20) Athletics Championships; and the 19th edition of the World Athletics Championships set for August 19-27 at the National Athletics Centre in Budapest, Hungary.

Team Bahamas is expected to be well represented and athletes must compete at the nationals in order to be considered for any of the aforementioned teams.

“Every year, the federation is tasked with putting on its national championships and this year’s event is expected to be grand. We want to encourage all of the fans to come out and support the athletes,” said BAAA Special Events Coordinator Demarius Cash, the meet director for the nationals.

Cash said that there will be a cultural set-up at the nationals, complete with everything Bahamian from arts and craft, music and food and drinks. There is also expected to be a corner for children with a bouncing castle.

“The cultural village that will be on display, that kind of feature, is so important to the preservation of things Bahamian, and in this 50th anniversary of independence, we celebrate one of the pastimes of this country which is track and field,” said BAAA President Archer. “We are looking forward to the public coming out and supporting this event.”

As far as the action on the track is concerned, BAAA Vice President of Technical Operations Tito Moss said that all of the elite senior athletes and promising junior and collegiate athletes are expected to be home to compete.

“We are looking forward to an exciting championships as all of our junior athletes and the premier senior athletes are expected to be here,” said Moss. “We have had an exciting year of track and field thus far and we are looking forward to this trials being an exciting one, heading into the summer meets.”

One of the breakout stars in Bahamian athletics this season has definitely been Terrence Jones, a junior at Texas Tech University. Jones, who competes in the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) Division I Outdoor Track and Field Championships this week, has already equaled the Bahamian national record in the men’s 100 meters (m) this year, and is the NCAA Division I champion in the men’s 60m indoors.

Indoors, he came within a hundredth of a second of his own NCAA record, running 6.46 seconds this year and outdoors, he has run sub-10 seconds in the 100m twice, including tying the Bahamian national record of 9.91 seconds. In the 200m, he has run 20.05 seconds, becoming the second-fastest Bahamian all-time over that distance.

Jones is one of nine Bahamian athletes to qualify for the Budapest World Championships so far, and he has done so in two individual events (men’s 100 and 200m). The others are Steven Gardiner (men’s 200m and 400m), Alonzo Russell (men’s 400m), LaQuan Nairn (men’s long jump), Anthonique Strachan (women’s 100m and 200m), TyNia Gaither (women’s 200m), Shaunae Miller-Uibo (women’s 200m and 400m), Devynne Charlton (women’s 100m hurdles) and Charisma Taylor (women’s triple jump).

In the relays, the women’s 4x100m relay team is currently in the top 16 teams in the world, thereby holding on to a qualifying spot and the other teams are close to cracking the elite group of world level qualifiers.

The qualifying period for the worlds closes at the end of the month, and there are other Bahamians who are close to the required times and distances.

In the men’s 100m, Clemson sophomore Wanya McCoy ran 10.10 and 20.41 seconds in the short sprints this year, and just might be the stiffest competition for Jones. The standards for the worlds are 10 seconds flat and 20.16 seconds respectively.

Gardiner has re-established himself as the man to beat in the men’s 200 and 400m, and in the latter, Alonzo Russell has stepped forward as a challenger this season. Russell has run the three fastest times in his life in the men’s 400m this year, highlighted by the 44.73 clocking he had at the Tom Jones Memorial Classic in Gainesville, Florida, in April. He is now the joint fifth-fastest Bahamian of all-time in that event, tying Troy McIntosh’s former national record. Junior national record holder Wendell Miller, coming back from an injury, could also pose a threat in the men’s 400m.

Stepping up to the 800m, Joel Forbes is the new man on the scene, taking down a 25-year-old national record. The 24-year-old Cumberland University junior ran 1:49.32 at the National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics (NAIA) Outdoor Track and Field Championships for a second place finish in that event two weeks ago, erasing Chris Brown’s national record of 1:49.54.

Texas Tech freshman Antoine Andrews, just 20, has emerged as arguably The Bahamas’ best in the short hurdles. In the long hurdles, Shakeem Hall-Smith will be aiming for another national title and will be challenged by a bevy of young hurdlers.

In the jumps and throws for the men, strongman Keyshawn Strachan who was once the world leader in the men’s javelin is recovering from an elbow injury and hopes to compete, Nairn will be in action in the men’s long jump, Kaiwan Culmer will be a force to reckon with in the men’s triple jump event and the high jump is always competitive with the likes of Donald Thomas, Jamal Wilson and Shaun Miller.

In the men’s decathlon, Kendrick Thompson and Ken Mullings continue to rack up World Rankings points and inch closer and closer to the qualifying standard for the world championships.

In the female short sprints, 29-year-old Anthonique Strachan is quietly having her best season and is expected to be challenged by Anthaya Charlton, the younger sister of Olympic and world championships finalist Devynne Charlton who has run four tenths of a second faster than she ever did in the women’s 100m this season.

With Miller-Uibo out of the 200 and 400m events, recovering from giving birth in April, some new talent is anticipated.

Charlton should reign supreme in the women’s short hurdles and could be challenged by a trio of women who have each run under 13.10 seconds this year – Charisma Taylor, Denisha Cartwright and Gabrielle Gibson.

In the women’s jumps and the throws, Rhema Otabor in the women’s javelin, Taylor and Androsian Tamara Myers in the women’s triple jump and Anthaya Charlton and Taylor in the women’s long jump are some of the athletes to look out for. Taylor, who has already qualified for the world championships in the women’s triple jump, is close to qualifying in the women’s 100m hurdles and long jump events as well.

Those are just the seniors. The juniors are expected to be just as competitive with a number of young stars rising to the forefront this year and making names for themselves in track and field.

On the senior side, apart from the stringent qualifying standards, athletes can also qualify for the world championships by their World Athletics rankings, by wildcard entry (reigning world champion or 2022 Diamond League Champion), or as the current area champion from his or her respective area championships.

BAAA President Archer said he anticipates that The Bahamas will field one of its strongest teams, for that global meet, in many years.

“When we look at the composition of what we will be presenting over the course of the junior and senior nationals, we will see that a generation of athletes under 30 years of age will be competing, and so succession is something that we are incredibly proud of and we can see that there is a passing of the baton from one generation to the next. That’s a direction of the sport that is indicative of progress,” said Archer. “I am expecting some amazing performances. We have always talked about small country with great wonders and I think that The Bahamas has become a producer of track and field talent, and because of our focus and the attention that we have given to our sport, through the support of parents and family members, and the government and the corporate community, we are indebted to each and every one of you that has made track and field what it is today. There will be the emergence of new stars and the return of old ones at these nationals and we invite everyone to be there.”

Bahamian collegiate athletes and elite athletes training overseas are expected to begin arriving in town from as early as next week.

Once again, the BAAA Junior and Senior National Championships is set for July 5-7 at the original Thomas A. Robinson Track and Field Stadium, with a possibility of the venue being changed to the new stadium.

 Home|Sports|Christiansen repeats as chess championSports

Simba FrenchSend an emailJune 5, 2023 225 4 minute readFacebookTwitterLinkedInShare via Email

For a second consecutive year, Grandmaster (GM) Johan-Sebastian Christiansen has emerged as champion in the Orjan Lindroth Memorial Chess Tournament open category. The 2023 tournament was held at Breezes Resort. It began on May 31 and wrapped up on June 5.

In the competition, the players played nine intense rounds over four days. It featured players from nine countries including The Bahamas, Spain, Norway, Serbia, the United States of America (USA), Cuba, Canada, the Cayman Islands and Jamaica. The tournament utilized the Swiss system which is similar to a round-robin tournament. Cash prizes were awarded to the top five finishers in the open category and the top three finishers in the 1700 and under category.

The highest placed Bahamian in the open category was Dr. Kenville Lockhart who ended up 11th.

The 1700 and under category was won by Jamaica’s Angelus McDonald. Avian Pride, who was the best local player in that category, placed second.

Christiansen, who is Norwegian, was tied with Spanish GM Jose Jiminez with eight points, but won the tiebreaker. He said he was happy to be back and defend his title.

“I was playing at my top level,” Christiansen said. “I was lucky to play good chess and was able to come out with a very good score. I had to come back and defend my title and I was able to do so against a stronger field with more grandmasters.”

Christiansen will be looking to win a third title next year. Finishing third place in the open category was GM David Nieto who scored 6.5 points.

McDonald, who won the 1700 and under category for Jamaica, said he was happy for the competition but wished some other players did not withdraw from the tournament. The Jamaican finished with eight points, looking to move up from his ranking of 1640. He was undefeated and finished with two draws.

“There were some good players in this tournament but I fared well. The victory feels good but I was expecting to play against some other players. They did not show up. The quality was decent but there was more who were left out that was going to make it interesting,” McDonald said.

The 19-year-old is hoping to play in the open category in the future as he looks to move his 1640 rating past the 1700 mark.

Placing third in that category was Jamaican Christopher Murdock with 6.5 points.

Lockhart was the best local player in the open category, finishing 11th with a score of 4.5 points. He said he has a long way to go in the game of chess and is ready to embrace the challenge.

“My play could be better and I have quite a ways to go in my chess career,” Lockhart said. “I enjoyed the competition with our counterparts from Jamaica and playing against grandmasters. The last few days was a real look at how chess should be in The Bahamas. I think this will give us a good push going forward.”

Pride came away with seven points and missed out on winning that section by a point. The 15-year-old said he enjoyed playing in the tournament.

“It was a difficult tournament for me but I tried my best in every game. The best match for me was on Saturday when I played against Terrence Lindo from Jamaica. It was the first time playing against persons from different countries and it was a good experience,” Pride said.

Noah Albury was one of the youngest players in the open section and had the lowest rating – 1482. It did not stop the 17-year-old from putting on a show as he finished 16th out of 24 players. The St. Augustine’s College (SAC) student scored 3.5 points that he had to work hard for.

“Everyone who I played against were better than me. The first day was my best day as I won one and lost one, but it was a battle,” Albury said. “The loss was against a very tough opponent but I feel I played well. The category was tough but I was not scared because I knew I was going to do well.”

The 17-year-old opened the tournament on a strong note as he took down the highest ranked player in The Bahamas, Franklyn Gibson, who has a rating of 1895. Albury is a Candidate Master (CM) elect which means that he can elevate to the CM title but he knows that he has a long way to go.

The wife of the late Orjan Lindroth, Amanda Lindroth, who was a sponsor of the event, enjoyed seeing the level of competition that was on display. There were six grandmasters who played.

“My husband would have been thrilled with the participation level and the quality of chess played. He loved the game and love thought and learning. This certainly was an example of that,” Lindroth said.

The event was hosted by the Bahamas Chess Institute and president of the Bahamas Chess Federation (BCF) Candidate (CM) Kendrick Knowles played. Although he did not perform like he wanted to, he said he was happy with the fierce competition that was on display. He scored 2.5 points for an 18th place finish in the open division.

“It was the vision of Orjan Lindroth to bring in as much international masters to help the sport grow. It was a successful event although it was long and hard. I thought I played some of my best chess but the results would not show that. Hopefully I will play better when I am not the president,” Knowles said.

There were two women in action in the open category and there were five in the 1700 and under category. A total of 33 percent of the arbiters were women.

The title sponsor of the event was Scotiabank Bahamas Ltd.