As of Tuesday, September 5, 2023

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WILLIAM JOHNSON

#By BRENT STUBBS

#Senior Sports Reporter

#bstubbs@tribunemedia.net

#Bahamas men’s national 1,500 metre record holder William ‘Knucklehead’ Johnson is delighted that there will be a continuation of the cross country invitational in his honour.

#But he’s a little disappointed that his 44-year-old national record of three minutes and 45.72 seconds that he established on May 17, 1983 in Austin, Texas in his senior year at Texas Christian University is still on the books.

#Johnson’s long-time friend and rival Rupert Gardiner is organising the cross country invitational that will be staged on Saturday, October 21, starting at 7:30am at the Queen Elizabeth Sports Center.

#“It’s a good event for the high schools and clubs during the cross country season,” Gardiner said. “I know the University of the Bahamas is having one on September 21, so to come back with the William Johnson Invitational is great.

#“We need to focus a little more on our distance running programme so that we can get more distance runners competing at the international level.”

#This is the sixth year that the event has been staged and Gardiner said they are looking forward to having some participation from Grand Bahama and the Family Islands.

#Johnson, now a fixture as an administrator at St Augustine’s College where he’s also a member of the coaching staff of the Big Red Machine track team, said he’s looking forward to the invitational. “I’m just immensely humbled that the guys would continue to do it, but more importantly than anything else, this cross country season is important for the distance running programme,” Johnson said.

#“This is a good opportunity for the distance runners to get into condition. There was no cross country season in my day, so these kids are fortunate and they should embrace the opportunity to get out there on the weekend and use these events to get in shape. That is what takes you to the next level.”

#Johnson, a former member of the Bahamas Pioneers Track Club, was one of the premier distance runners during his era at AF Adderley that ended with his graduation in 1978.

#A year later in 1979 in Kingston, Jamaica, Johnson captured the gold medal in the under-20 boys 1,500m when he ran 3:57.24 for both the CARIFTA Games and his first Bahamas national record, the latter feat he improved on in Texas.

#In thanking Gardiner and the Silver Lightning Track Club for putting on the invitational, Johnson said there’s been some improvement in the performances of the distance runners, but he would like to see a lot more.

#“The distance running programme is still lagging behind the sprints and the jumps,” Johnson said. “We have had some bright spots, but we’re still lagging behind in the distance programme.

#“We would like to see more participation from the distance runners at the CAC (Central American and Caribbean) and Pan Am Games. Yes, they are at CARIFTA, but we need to see them step it up at the bigger meets on the world stage.”

#As for the 1,500m record, Johnson said while he’s surprised that it’s still on the books, he can’t believe that no Bahamian has won a 1,500m gold medal in the under-20 boys division since he did it in 1979.

#“We’ve had under-17 boys who won the 1,500m and we’ve had under-20 boys who won the 5,000, but none of them have won the 1,500 in the under-20 boys division,” Johnson said.

#“The record is still there, but it should be gone. Hopefully we would eventually see that record eclipse. It’s been around for a long time. It should be gone. There’s no way that it should still exist after 40 years.”

242 Ballers Basketball Club.

As of Tuesday, September 5, 2023

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#By BRENT STUBBS

#Senior Sports Reporter

#bstubbs@tribunemedia.net

#AFTER conducting a successful physical education programme in the Catholic Primary Schools for the past 19 years, Deven Johnson has made the switch to the government schools and has now been relocated to Exuma.

#In his transfer from New Providence, Johnson is now overseeing the physical education programme for primary schools in George Town, Mount Thompson, Moss Town and William’s Town.

#“It’s something that I have to get used to,” Johnson said. “The culture is something different, but I have to adjust to this island life.”

#Johnson’s last posting in New Providence was at St Cecilia’s where he coached the Strikers to a runners-up position against the St Thomas More Sparks in the last Catholic Diocesan Basketball League played three years ago due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

#He noted that having made his presence felt wherever he coached, he’s hoping to do the same in his new role in Exuma.

#“My expectations are pretty high,” he said. “I’m going to try to see if I can implement some things that are not here in terms of sports in the schools and see if I can get an inter-school league here as well.

#“I see some kids here already who have the potential, so there’s a lot of work that I can do to get things going here.”

#In addition to coaching at St Cecilia’s, Joghnson also spent some time at St Francis/Joseph where he coached the Shockers to a number of titles and he also coached the Big Red Machine at St Augustine’s College.

#This year, Johnson also formed the 242 Ballers Basketball Club, which made a successful debut in a tournament in the Turks and Caicos Islands and last month, they captured the inaugural Caribbean Hoopfest title.

#“I started the programme to see if I could get some of these boys off to school,” Johnson said. “The programme has been successful so far because we got three players off to high school and another is now in college.”

#Those players who secured scholarships to play in the US are Maric=an Pickstock, Michael Munnings, Laterro Young, who will all be going to Life Prep, while Jamerolston Vil, who is heading to United International College.

#In his departure for Exuma, Johnson left Mario OPickstock and Bob Hudson to run the programme until he get a chance to return to New Providence to help out.

#Johnson also served as the last president of the New Providence Women’s Basketball Association. He noted that the league will have to conduct elections to establish a new slate of officers.

#In Exuma, he said he will be looking at ways in which he can help to resurrect the women’s basketball programme, especially from what he saw from their participation in the sixth Bahamas GHames in July.

COACH Ricardo Demeritte and ITF Level 2 participants.

As of Tuesday, September 5, 2023

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#THE Bahamas Lawn Tennis Association congratulates coach Ricardo Demeritte who recently participated in the International Tennis Federation (ITF) Level 2 Coaching Advanced Players Course which was held in Trinidad and Tobago in August.

#At the end of this intensive 12-day course, it is expected that the coach would understand and be able to apply the necessary training principles for coaching beginner, intermediate and advanced players and plan the training and competition programme for advanced players. The course was led by the development officer for the Caribbean, John Goede.

#Demeritte shared his views on the course and how he hopes to utilise the knowledge obtained.

#“Heading to Trinidad to participate in the ITF Level 2 – CAP Course, I was extremely nervous due to the setup/schedule of the course.

#“The course is typically 12 packed days filled with many hours on court also in the classroom.

#“It was a lot of information to absorb, process, and test during on-court practicals, pop-up tests, and assignments. I would say that the main reason I was successful in passing the course were my amazing classmates and ITF tutors. They presented information through various articles, discussions, case studies, statistics and real-life experiences in the tennis industry.”

#Three of my biggest takeaways from the course are:

#• The new method to effectively assess, analyse and correct advanced players.

#• Learning about the more efficient and effective ways to create training plans for advanced players.

#• The importance of clear and effective communication between players, coaches and parents.

#“I intend to use the knowledge and tools gained from the course to start a training programme for advanced junior players and also for our collegiate players.

#“I also would like to establish a coaches’ association. As coaches are the most important elements in tennis, it is paramount that we work together to develop tennis at various levels.”

#BLTA President Perry Newton expressed his excitement of another Level 2 coach being added to the coaching pool in The Bahamas.

#“We can only grow and develop our players in tandem with the development and growth of quality coaches. This course is a challenging course and we congratulate coach Demeritte on his successful completion,” Newton said.

#“I am very proud of him. We are also thankful to the ITF for all the opportunities, as we work to develop tennis on all levels.”

BFA officials present soccer equipment to primary school teachers.

As of Tuesday, September 5, 2023

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#THE Bahamas Football Association kicked off the new school year by once again hosting the professional development day for the primary schools.

#The event got started with the BFA presenting to the teachers the format of the upcoming tournament and taking them through the subtle changes to take place.

#After the presentation, the floor was turned over to the local facilitators of the Concacaf initiative, Generation Amazing.

#The project was a collaboration between Concacaf and the Asian Football Confederation which was formalised in 2017 and paved the way for a strategic partnership between Concacaf and the Qatar Football Association.

#The programme is a blended approach of online and in-person learning.

#Generation Amazing will contribute to workshops to produce coach education training for all coaches.

#There are four pillars making up the education component:

#• Concacaf understanding sport for development

#• Concacaf Safeguarding and child protection

#• The role of the coach and facilitating F4 D sessions

#• GA Developing practical football session booklet

#Schools involved: 24

#Kids involved: 25

#per programme

#Age targeted :

#Grassroots (under 12)

#Local facilitators are Kermit Romer, Krystal Evans and Codisha Brown.

#Equipment presented to participants, including president of the NPPPSSA Latoya Sturrup and MOE assistant director Dwayne Higgins.

#Bruce Swan, Technical Director

Bodybuilders earn their pro cards

FROM LEFT: Veteran bodybuilder Jimmy Norius showing off his two professional cards, Serena Salis Decius-Norius on stage and Tarran Knowles with his IFBB Pro cards.

As of Monday, September 4, 2023

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#By BRENT STUBBS

#Senior Sports Reporter

#bstubbs@tribunemedia.net

#Jimmy Norius and Tarran Knowles can now hold the distinction of being the first two Bahamians to earn their professional bodybuilding cards from two different organisations.

#The pair added their latest honours at the IFBB Professional League in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania last week where Norius’ wife Serena Salis Decius- Norius fell short in her bid to secure her first pro card.

#Norius, who clinched his IFBB Elite pro card in 2018, captured the men’s Classic and Men’s Physique as the overall champion. He said he wasn’t surprised when he went on stage and they placed him in the middle and surrendered all of the other competitors around him for their comparisons.

#“When I stepped on stage, they took one look at me and put me in centre stage,” Norius said.

#“They looked at everybody else to determine who got second, third, fourth and fifth.

#“I’m an old dog, so I knew I had the performance to win it,” said the 49-year-old Norius.

#“I just wanted to get my pro card on this site because this would give me a chance to compete in so many more events than I would with my IBFF Elite card.”

#Eventually, Norius said he will have to make a decision on which of the cards he will keep.

#He noted that he would be writing to the IBFF Elite to indicate to them that he would like to relinquish the card and focus on his IBFF League card.

#This was the second event in the month that Knowles has competed in. On August 3 at the Tim

#Gardner Tampa Extravaganza in Tampa, Florida, Knowles took the overall title after he took the men’s physique category. He followed that up with his pair of pro cards in the masters over-35 and over-40 Men’s Physique categories..

#“I felt really good about it considering that I took a different approach,” said Knowles, a 41-year-old employee at Royal Bank of Canada and a personal trainer at Empire Fitness Center.

#“The journey for me was more of a silent one, so you wouldn’t have heard about Tampa because I didn’t announce that I was going to it, nor to Pittsburgh. It was more personal. I allowed my silence to speak for my performances. I just did what I had to do.”

#Knowles, who has been competing in the sport since 2014, won his first pro card in 2019 in Montreal, Canada with his IBFF Elite card. He said he’s thrilled to be a dual pro card holder.

#“I still haven’t absorbed it yet. I think it’s a surreal feeling,” he said.

#“I can actually get the respect because the Pro League is taken at a more serious pace than the Pro Elite.

#“It’s humbling, being able to work so hard for so long and to finally achieve these accomplishments.

#“In staying grounded with God, he has made it all possible. It’s made me realise that anything is possible.”

#Like Norius, Knowles is looking forward to relinquishing his Pro Elite card and just concentrating on his Pro League card.

#He said he is just waiting on his American coach to advise him on when he will make his pro debut so that he can get properly prepared for the competition.

#As for Decius-Norius, she said she will be more inspired as she moves forward.

#“My performance was very good. I was in the middle of the pack on stage and I liked the way my body looked and the way I was able to perform,” she said.

#“I did everything to win. Unfortunately, I didn’t win, but I will be ready for the next show,” said the 39-year-old Decius-Norius.

#“I know I am in great shape and the lady who beat me, she deserved it. I know her.

#“I competed against her before, so I know what I have to do to get my pro card.”

#Her husband and coach Jimmy Norius said he was pleased with his wife’s improvement.

#“She just got out on getting her pro card by one point. We asked the chief judge why and he told us what she needed to do, so we will get her ready for the Caribbean Grand Prix at the Atlantis resort on Paradise Island on November 11.

#As for Decius-Norius, she was proud of her husband’s performance, as well as Knowles.

#“I saw him go on stage two times and he was right in the middle of the stage, so I knew that he was going to perform very well,” she said. “I was even pleased to see how well Tarran performed. He did very well as well. I am proud of both of them.”

As of Monday, September 4, 2023

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JOHNATHON Lucius

#AFTER advancing to the first round of the playoffs, gamer Johnathon Lucius fell to Peru to end his journey in the International Esports Federation’s (IESF) World Championships this past weekend.

#The Tekken 7 player squared off against Peru’s Sergie Mazter on Friday following his wins against Norway and Iraq one weekend prior.

#Despite a tough loss, Lucius improved on last year’s performance by advancing to this level at the championships.

#Additionally, he helped The Bahamas to be ranked 33rd out of 91 countries for Tekken 7. Although his stint in the competition has now ended, the 25-year-old gamer was grateful for the experience in Iasi, Romania.

#“My overall experience for the World Esports Championships this year has been a learning and exciting experience. I got to compete and socialise with other countries and to be able to share ideas and perspectives with them was the best thing about the event because it’s like a big happy family,” Lucius said.

#The Bahamas placed fourth in their bracket after the Bahamian gamer dropped 0-2 to Peru.

#The latter was represented by Mazter, who finished second in the 2022 Tekken World Tour in the South America Regionals.

#Peru’s gamer also won the 2021 Evolution Championship Series (Online).

#Lucius credited his opponent for his prowess in the tournament and said Mazter threw a game-changing curveball at him during their match.

#“When it came time for the match, I was preparing to go against his best character until he chose an alternative pick that had me change my overall approach to the match,” the gamer said.

#He added that the game plan forced him to make a character swap in the match but ultimately it was not enough to get the job done.

#Despite not advancing further in the World Esports Championships, the Tekken 7 player remained optimistic about his gaming journey.

#“This is not the end for me or The Bahamas in terms of showcasing our skills in Esports to the world. If I can I will show the world that The Bahamas is just as great as any other country,” he said.

#With the 2023 World Esports Championship now in the books for Lucius, he will now prepare for the release of Tekken 8 next year.

#The game is expected to be released January 26 on Playstation 5, Xbox Series X|S, and PC.

#Lucius said the release of the new Tekken game will lead to more opportunities and chances so he wants to simply prepare and see what the future holds.

BAHAMAS Basketball Federation executives returned to office, shown from left to right, are Freddie Brown, Natasha Miller, Latoya Silver, Eugene Horton, Simone Beneby and Moses Johnson.

As of Tuesday, September 5, 2023

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#By BRENT STUBBS

#Senior Sports Reporter

#bstubbs@tribunemedia.net

#WITH a resounding vote of confidence, president Eugene Horton and his entire slate of officers were returned to office as the Bahamas Basketball Federation’s executives for the next four years to complete the job they started.

#Horton, a former president of the New Providence Basketball Association, had taken over during the mid-term of the last executive board when president Mario Bowleg was elected as the Member of Parliament for Garden Hills and subsequently named the Minister of Youth, Sports and Culture.

#Now he’s been mandated to serve for a full four-year term during the federation’s annual general meeting and the election of officers on Saturday in the Ministry of Education’s Conference Room.

#Horton, challenged by Grand Bahama’s junior national boys team coach Quentin ‘Three Ounce’ Hall, won with a landslide 18-1 victory as read by Bahamas Olympic Committee’s president Rommel Knowles, who presided over the elections.

#Joining him on the board are Moses Johnson as first vice president; Freddie Brown as second vice president; Andros’ Brian Cleare as third vice president; Latoya Silver as secretary general, assisted by John Marc Nutt and Simone Beneby as the treasurer with Natsha Miller as her assistant. The other members making up the team are Joemond Jones, Caraon Mitchell, Dereck Smith and Rodney Wilson as officers and Dominique Fernander as the public relations officer.

#Immediately following the elections, Horton said he was delighted to be able to get the process out of the way and now they can get on with the unfinished business that they started.

#“As anticipated, it went smoothly, no major hiccups and we expected these results,” Horton said.

#In the interim, Horton said the focus will be placed on getting his executives together so that they can chart the way forward.

#“We want to be proactive and begin with the end in mind,” Horton said. “To get to the end, we now have to get the national teams together, contact the Family Islands and put figures to make everything happen.

#“Once we get those final figures, we can go out and source some funding.

#While the men’s national basketball team is now on the verge of becoming the first team sport to advance to the Olympic Games, Horton said their focus will be on trying to get the women as well as the junior boys and girls teams to the level that they can be a formidable force on the international scene as well.

#“That’s one of the things we want to put in place,” Horton said.

#“The coaches selection committee is going to be important to put the right people in place for our national teams. Once we have everything that’s needed, we hope to ride this wave of the men’s national team and contact sponsors and try to get everybody on board.”

#National Team Success

#Johnson, who serves as an assistant coach on the men’s national team, thanked the delegates, who expressed their faith in voting for him to return to the board. He said he’s very thrilled to be back.

#“There’s no rest for the wary. We want to meet urgently,” he said. “I think one of the biggest things for us is to build synergy among all of the associations, seek out talent. Also to get our national teams moving, dealing with the coaching selection committee, get that rolling and get the coaches for several junior teams as well as senior women.

#“We want to balance the scale now. The men have started to excel, but we don’t want to leave anybody behind, so the balancing act will commence and we hope that we are able to bring everybody up to a level of supremacy.”

#With the men having advanced as the champions of the Pre-Olympic Qualifying Tournament last month in Argentina, Johnson said they are now preparing the team for the Qualifying Tournament in July for the Olympic Games in August in Paris, France.

#“The team hasn’t stopped celebrating since,” Johnson pointed out. “But they know that the preparation has begun, players have started to play in their leagues (in Europe) and the NBA players are getting ready.

#“We’re thrilled to see where we’re at. We’re going to try to see how best we can add a few pieces. Information will come a little later. But I think we’re good where we’re at. We have a good nucleus. Putting one or two more pieces in there could really mean something special for the Bahamas in having a team sport in the Olympics. So we’re looking forward to making things happen.”

#Since the success of the men’s team, coached by Chris DeMarco and led by NBA players Buddy Hield, DeAndre Ayton and newly acquired Eric Gordon in Argentina, Johnson said they have been seeking the assistance of so many other players with ties to The Bahamas, but the federation knows they won’t be able to acquire all of their services, but they will go after those they can include.

#As for the other national teams, Johnson said the executives will announce shortly their plans for the other national teams in their quest to get them the best opportunity to follow the men on the global stage.

#Family Island Development

#Cleare, the lone Family Islander selected, said he’s just as elated to be back to continue to help in the development of the Family Islands.

#“One of my goals is to make sure that the Family Islands get assistance, especially technical assistance,” he said.

#“I would like to see the coaches and referees in the Family Islands become certified, so that when the national teams are chosen in the future, we can get coaches from the Family Islands to be on the teams.

#“The coaches on the Family Islands may not be able to deal with the Xs and Os, but they can get the opportunity to sit on the bench and get the exposure with teams travelling abroad and they can bring that to the Family Islands and share with their counterparts.”

#As the chairman of the Andros Sports Council for the sixth Bahamas Games in July, Cleare said he was extremely proud of how Horton managed the basketball competition and he was even more impressed with the financial report presented.

#“We need some basketball clinics on the Family Islands,” said Horton when asked how they can get more exposure for his counterparts on the islands.

#“The basketball clinics on the Family Islands need to be structured.

#“So we’re going to seek professional help in setting up those clinics, making sure that the proper fundamentals are given to the kids on the Family Islands. I always thought that the Family Islands have the best athletes.

#“We’re bigger and stronger and once we get the technical assistance that is needed, we will produce some high quality players.”

#At the end of the Annual General Meeting, Horton presented Jurell Nairn with a token of appreciation for the role she played in assisting the federation in the past.

As of Monday, September 4, 2023

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#By TENAJH SWEETING

#Tribune Sports Reporter

#tsweeting@tribunemedia.net

#WITH the Bahamas Government Departmental Basketball Association (BGDBA) season winding down, the undefeated Bain and Grants Town Cybots dropped the Police Crimestoppers 88-81 this past weekend.

#Both teams came into Saturday’s game at AF Adderley Gymnasium unblemished in the loss column, looking to gain the advantage ahead of the looming postseason. The sixth-seeded Airport Authority Avengers also handed a loss to the 1-10 Customs Taxmen.

#Cybots vs Crimestoppers

#On Saturday night, the Cybots and Crimestoppers had identical 10-0 win/loss records for the season. The game started out evenly matched between both squads from the opening tip, with no team giving an edge early on. At the halfway mark of the opening quarter, the score was 5-4 favouring the Cybots following a two-pointer by Cordero Pinder. The first period of play ended with the score tied 20-20 going into the second quarter.

#The Cybots’ Georgio Walkes got the second quarter started with a quick steal followed by a three-pointer to create separation between the teams. With the clock at the 5:43 mark, Keithan Gray converted on a three-pointer to lift the Cybots to a 10-point lead.

#The Bain and Grants town team was able to take advantage in the second period and went into the second half up by 12 points (46-34).

#Able Joseph, of the Cybots, was instrumental in the team’s win on Saturday. He led both teams in scoring with 25 points on the night on a scorching 65% shooting clip. Joseph also grabbed down 10 boards with six coming on the defensive end and four on the offensive end.

#Pinder and Walkes also complemented Joseph’s efforts on offence. Pinder put up 12 points to pair with five rebounds and six made free throws.

#Meanwhile, Walkes ended his night with 14 points alongside six rebounds and three steals.

#In the second half, the Cybots remained in the driver’s seat with all cylinders turning on offence and defence. The team culminated the third quarter up by 9 points (64-55).

#Michael Furley Bain Jr led the charge for the second-seeded Crimestoppers.

#Despite the team coming up short, he scored a team-high 23 points to go with five rebounds and nine free throws.

#In the final period of play, the Crimestoppers narrowed the Cybots lead down to as little as seven points. Following a timely jumpshot by Batchlette Lafleur, the score was 86-79 with 0.29 seconds remaining in the ball game.

#However, Cybots’ Brian Bain converted on back-to-back free throws to ice the game and seal the win for the BGDBA’s leading team.

#Sonny Miller, a Cybots player, talked about the big win as the regular season comes to an end.

#“For us it was a very good game and one we had circled on the schedule because we know whenever we meet them, they are well coached and prepared so we use that game as a measuring stick to see how ready we really are because our goal is to win it all,” Miller said.

#With the final BGDBA regular season games to be played tonight, Miller gave insight into the team’s mindset ahead of the playoffs.

#“We are going after what we lost last year for the first time in four years and that is the championship that the Panthers are holding onto now,” he said.

#The Cybots player added that the team is putting in the necessary work and are not taking any team for granted. The ultimate goal is to be the first team to reach nine wins.

#Taxmen vs Avengers

#The sixth-seeded Avengers claimed a win against the Taxmen 87-76. The Avengers obliterated the Taxmen in the rebounding category. The team collectively grabbed 61 rebounds compared to 39. Avengers were also active at free throws where they converted 17/24 on 71% shooting. Rus-Shon Strachan powered his way to a game-high 26 points and nine rebounds.

#The final games of the BGDBA season will feature the Police Royals against the Bahamas Department of Corrections Challengers.

#Also, Avengers will face Royal Bahamas Defence Force (RBDF) Rampage. The games begin at 7pm.

 Home|Sports|Walcott promoted to High-ASports

Bahamian prospect receives promotion at just 17 years of age

Simba FrenchSend an emailSeptember 6, 2023 202 2 minute readFacebookTwitterLinkedInShare via Email

Less than a year after signing a professional baseball contract with a substantial signing bonus with the Texas Rangers, Bahamian Sebastian Walcott has impressed his club to the point where he has been promoted to High-A in Minor League Baseball (MiLB).

Walcott got the nod at just 17 years of age. He is coming off playing in the Arizona Complex League (ACL) at rookie-level baseball for the Rangers, and is the first minor leaguer for the Rangers to play the full season at 17, since Michael De Leon. De Leon did it in 2014 when he was promoted from Low-A to Double-A Baseball.

Walcott is now playing for the Hickory Crawdads in the South Atlantic League. They sit in third in that league and second in the south division with a 65-55 win/loss record on the season. The Bahamian made his debut on Sunday, and he was in the lineup as the designated hitter in a 9-0 trouncing by the Crawdads of the Greensboro Grasshoppers (65-58).

In that game, Walcott went 1-for-4 with a run batted in (RBI). His only hit came in the top of the first when he hit a double to left field that brought home Cody Freeman. The Crawdads went up 4-0 at the end of that inning and never looked back.

The Crawdads returned to action yesterday against Winston-Salem Dash in the first round of playoffs, but no score was available up to press time.

In the 35 games he played in the ACL, Walcott sported a batting average of .273, an on-base percentage (OBP) of .325 and a slugging percentage (SLG) of .524. He hit seven home runs and had 19 RBIs. He also had nine stolen bases in the ACL. Walcott had a short stint in the Dominican Summer League, playing just nine games before moving on to the ACL.

In his season in the Dominican Summer League, Walcott had a batting average of .253, an OBP of .338 and a SLG of .827.

The 6’4’ infielder came into the league as one of the top 20 international prospects from the Major League Baseball (MLB) international signing period. He signed on the dotted line with the Rangers in January of this year. He has drawn comparison to Miami Marlins’ outfielder Jasrado ‘Jazz’ Chisholm Jr., a Bahamian. Walcott is currently the 64th rank prospect on MLB’s top 100 list and the number three prospect on the Rangers list.

Walcott is the fifth player at age 17 or younger to play a full minor league season in 2023, joining Nelson Roda (Los Angeles Angels), Ethan Salas (San Diego Padres), Colt Emerson (Seattle Mariners) and Tai Peete (Seattle Mariners).

 Home|Sports|Johnson says men’s basketball team will keep buildingSports

Simba FrenchSend an emailSeptember 6, 2023 138 2 minute readFacebookTwitterLinkedInShare via Email

Taking down basketball powerhouse Argentina twice, on their home floor, will garner some attention for Team Bahamas. The Bahamas senior men’s national basketball team finished with a perfect 4-0 win/loss record at the FIBA Olympic Pre-Qualifying Tournament in Santiago del Estero, Argentina, in August, winning that tournament and punching their ticket to FIBA Olympic Qualifying Tournaments in the summer of 2024.

The Bahamas won the gold medal game, 82-75, over Argentina led by Chavano ‘Buddy’ Hield, Eric ‘EJ’ Gordon and DeAndre Ayton – three players out of the National Basketball Association (NBA).

One of the team officials courtside in Argentina was Moses Johnson who was an assistant under Head Coach Chris DeMarco and who was recently elected as the first vice president of the Bahamas Basketball Federation (BBF). Johnson said that the team is still celebrating, but is also preparing for the 2024 tournament.

“Preparation has already begun. The players have started to play in their respective leagues and the NBA players are getting ready. We are going to see how best we can add a few pieces. Information will come a little later. We will try to do some things. I think we are good where we are at. We have a good nucleus and putting one or two pieces in there can mean something special for the first time for The Bahamas by having a team sport in the Olympics,” Johnson said.

The Bahamas’ offense was led by Gordon who averaged 20.3 points per game. Hield was close behind at 19.8 points per game and Ayton averaged a double-double with 15.5 points and 13.8 rebounds per game. Travis Munnings averaged 11.5 points per game and Franco Miller Jr. averaged 10.8 points per game to round out the scorers with double digit averages for The Bahamas.

There has been other NBA names that have been thrown out there who can play for The Bahamas, including the Golden State Warriors’ Klay Thompson, the Cleveland Cavaliers’ Evan and Isaiah Mobley, who are brothers, and the Minnesota Timberwolves’ Naz Reid. DeMarco is an assistant coach with the Warriors and could be another voice in Thompson’s ear, along with Klay’s brother Mychel who has been a part of the national team program for quite some time now.

Without letting the cat out of the bag, Moses responded to the possibility of having any of those players available next summer.

“The realistic expectation is that we will not be able to get all of those guys,” Johnson said. “We will look at the expectation of trying to get a few of them based on circumstantial evidence of their ties here in The Bahamas such as being here in the summers and residences here. We will try to see how best we can get them. The realistic aspirations are that we will not be able to get everybody but the ones that we will get will be able to take us over the hump.”

Advancing to the Olympic qualifying tournament is the furthest the men’s basketball program has ever gone. Johnson is confident that the 2024 Summer Olympic Games in Paris, France, could be a reality for Team Bahamas.