Miami Marlins’ Jazz Chisholm Jr. plays during Game 1 in an NL wild-card baseball playoff series, Tuesday, Oct. 3, 2023, in Philadelphia. (AP Photo/Matt Slocum)

As of Friday, October 13, 2023

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#By TENAJH SWEETING

#Tribune Sports Reporter

#tsweeting@tribunemedia.net

#BAHAMIAN Jasrado “Jazz” Chisholm Jr underwent successful surgery on Tuesday to repair a nagging toe turf injury that sidelined him during the Major League Baseball (MLB) season.

#The Miami Marlins centre fielder is expected to spend the next three months of the offseason rehabbing the injury that now prevents him from wearing a shoe or running. The announcement came via a post to his Instagram page in which he wrote the surgery was successful.

#The Marlins player had a tough time with the injury bug this MLB season. The 25-year-old was away from the team on three separate occasions throughout the year due to injuries.

#He sustained the turf toe injury on his right foot in a game versus the Cincinnati Reds in early May.

#The MLB star crashed into the wall of the left-centre field at the LoanDepot Park after trying to make a play in the eighth inning to prevent the team’s eventual 6-5 loss to the Reds. He spent more than a month nursing the first of three injuries in what was thought to be a right foot contusion.

#Despite being told he might possibly need surgery for the toe injury, Chisholm Jr opted to return to the Marlins on June 27.

#Less than a month after rejoining the team, he went down again, this time with a left oblique strain that kept him out of action for most of July. The injury occurred after the 25-year-old took a swing at the ball in the top of the sixth inning against the Atlanta Braves.

#Additionally, the MLB’s face of “The Show” video game was out of the lineup again this time briefly as he suffered from knee discomfort in September.

#The last injury to sideline him was critical as the Marlins needed him at the time to vie for a position in the National League playoff race. The Marlins went on to secure a wild card spot. However, they were unceremoniously ousted 2-0 by the Philadelphia Phillies in the best-of-three wild card playoff series.

#The team lost game one 4-1 and got swept after a 7-1 game two loss.

#Chisholm Jr appeared in 97 games for the Marlins this season. He averaged 19 home runs, a team-high 22 stolen bases, batted .250, notched 51 RBIs (runs batted in), and 50 runs scored. The Bahamian was one home run shy of turning in a 20-20 season which would have made him the first Marlins since Hanley Ramirez in 2010 to accomplish this feat.

#The early ending of the Marlins season was disappointing but the team witnessed Chisholm Jr become the first player in franchise history to notch grand slams in back-to-back games.

#The Marlins earned their fourth playoff appearance in 31 years and it was their second time making it in the last four years.

As of Friday, October 13, 2023

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UB Mingoes defender Marc Ville (blue 11) is tackled by an Atlantis University player during their match yesterday in Miami, Florida. The matched ended in a scoreless tie. Photo: UB Athletics

#THE University of The Bahamas men’s soccer team fought to a scoreless tie against Atlantis University in a match that had two red cards and eight yellow cards Thursday in Miami.

#The Mingoes attempted to start the match off very aggressively in the attacking third but Atlantis played a very defensive game.

#Atlantis kept the ball in their first third for most of the half hoping to pull The Mingoes defence apart. The Mingoes didn’t fall for the tactic and remained calm for most of the half.

#In the 42th minute though, O’Bryan Hinds received an unfortunate red card after aggressively tackling an Atlantis player. This resulted in him being sent off.

#The Mingoes held on to a 0-0 tie at the half.

#Into the second half, The Mingoes held their composure despite being down a man and, at the second half water break, were still holding on to a 0-0 despite have four opportunities to score near the box.

#Atlantis picked up the aggressiveness by this time in the match and one player got a double yellow card for aggressive play resulting in being sent off. With the sendoff, the match was even at 10 players for each side.

#The Mingoes were able to relax on defence and attempt to score but time just ran out on them. The matched ended in the scoreless tie.

#Head coach Alex Thompson said the team played with a lot of heart in the match.

#“We had an unfortunate red card in the first half and we played down a man for about 30 minutes,” he said. “They then went down a man which put us at 10 versus 10 in the last 15 minutes.

#“The team executed the game plan really well today, especially on the defensive side. I thought Evelt Julmis, Ronaldo Green and Joshua Johnson were all fantastic today.”

#Thompson added that the team is now laser-focused on the goal for this trip. “The goal now is look forward to Friday and pick up the win.”

#The Mingoes are now 0-2-1 in international play and next play Fort Lauderdale University today in Florida.

Kai Jones

As of Thursday, October 12, 2023

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#By TENAJH SWEETING

#Tribune Sports Reporter

#tsweeting@tribunemedia.net

#The Charlotte Hornets yesterday waived Bahamian big man and former first-round draft pick Kai Jones.

#The announcement was made by Mitch Kupchak, the team’s president of basketball operations and general manager, just two days removed from the centre/forward’s public request for a trade via the X social media platform.

#Jones made headlines for some questionable actions in the National Basketball Association’s (NBA) offseason and the latest news appeared to be the final straw for the Hornets organisation.

#Before the Eastern Conference team’s latest announcement, Jones was at risk of facing a maximum fine of $150,000 or possible suspension after he tweeted his desire to be traded on Monday night.

#“I have officially requested to be traded from the Charlotte Hornets. #GOATLIFE” he posted.

#The move sparked discussions as it went against Section 18 of the National Basketball Players Association’s (NBPA) Collective Bargaining Agreement (CBA).

#The CBA states that any player or, for clarity, any player representative or person acting with authority on behalf of a player who publicly expresses a desire to be traded to another team shall be subject to a fine and/or a suspension.

#Prior to the 6-foot-11 player’s trade request, the Hornets had announced that Jones would not be joining the organisation’s training camp which began in October due to personal reasons.

#Additionally, they said he would be away from the team indefinitely and were unable to give an estimated timetable on his possible return to team activities.

#“Kai Jones will not participate in training camp due to personal reasons. There is currently not a timetable for his return to the team. “Out of respect for the personal nature of the situation, the Hornets will not have any additional public comment regarding the matter at this time,” the Hornets statement read.

#The organisation made the call in this regard after Jones displayed some odd behaviour on social media during the NBA offseason.

#It started in September when the centre/forward went on Instagram Live and was sweating profusely and spoke in an incoherent manner. He then turned his attention to teammates Lamelo Ball and Brandon Miller, who he publicly criticised on the X platform later in the month.

#The sudden chain of events for Jones has been bizarre to some as the Bahamian big man made waves this July in the NBA Summer League after dunking over the 2023 no.1 pick Victor Wembanyama.

#In his tenure with the team that drafted him as the 19th pick in 2021 out of Texas, he averaged 2.7 points per game and two boards in 9.1 minutes per game.

As of Thursday, October 12, 2023

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#By TENAJH SWEETING

#Tribune Sports Reporter

#tsweeting@tribunemedia.net

#THE impending repairs of the Thomas A Robinson National Stadium will pose a problem for upcoming sporting events, including the ninth edition of the HomeTown Lenders Bahamas Bowl.

#According to Minister of Youth, Sports and Culture (MOYSC) Mario Bowleg, the stadium’s overhaul, beginning with the Western Grandstand, starts November 1 per the government’s agreement with the Chinese government.

#Additionally, the renovations ahead of next year’s World Athletics Relays in May, will also interrupt the Concacaf home national soccer matches set for November 18 and November 29.

#The stadium’s facelift will begin with the roof of the Western Grandstand which is expected to be replaced with a new one. With the majority of the construction being done to the Western area of the venue to start the project, that portion of the stadium will be shut down.

#The national soccer games were expected to get underway next month for the respective teams at the event’s advertised venue but, now with repairs set to start, that may be in jeopardy.

#“We know we are not going to be dealing with the field but definitely the Western Grandstand will be shut down and so we will probably have to see how we could use the Eastern Grandstand along with the field as most of the construction is gonna start on the Western Grandstand,” Bowleg said.

#The venue’s repairs are expected to continue well into next year with the expectation of being completed by March ahead of the World Relays and CARIFTA Swimming Championships.

#Despite the potential alternative of utilizing the Eastern Grandstand along with the field for events, the ninth Bahamas Bowl set for Saturday, December 16 is at risk of being canceled.

#“There is a way we believe we can work it out but in some cases and some other events we will probably have to cancel it, for example the bowl game calls for ESPN so that might not look too good with a lot of construction going on at the same time,” the minister said.

#The government recently allocated $10 million to bring both the national stadium, which was gifted to The Bahamas from the People’s Republic of China in 2011, and Betty Kelly-Kenning National Swim Complex up to par for next spring’s sporting events.

#“We were preparing the stadiums for the World Relays and CARIFTA which would allow it to be presentable and safe enough for those games that’s where the $10 million was allocated for

#“However, the Chinese government is gonna be coming so The Bahamas may not use any of its $10 million and the Chinese government may end up funding the entire repairs which is what most likely will happen

#“This was a gift given to us so it is now up to them to repair the building that we felt was not up to proper standards from day one,” Bowleg said.

#The 2024 CARIFTA Aquatics Championships are scheduled for April and the World Relays will get underway May 4-5.

‘Junkanoo Boyz’ confident ahead of Concacaf Nations League matchup vs Antigua & Barbuda

The Bahamas Football Association has announced a 21-member senior national men’s soccer team ready for action against Antigua and Barbuda on Saturday.

As of Thursday, October 12, 2023

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#By TENAJH SWEETING

#Tribune Sports Reporter

#tsweeting@tribunemedia.net

#THE Bahamas Football Association (BFA) selected a 21-member senior men’s national soccer team to face Antigua and Barbuda in the second window of the Confederation of North, Central American and Caribbean Association Football Nations League matches on home soil this Saturday at 6pm.

#The match between the third and fourth team of League B in Group D will kick off at the Thomas A Robinson National Stadium. With the home team already in an 0-2 hole following back-to-back losses against Puerto Rico and Guyana, they are looking to rebound in Saturday’s game.

#Despite the consecutive losses suffered, the team’s head coach Kevin Davies has recognised notable improvements in the team’s style of play which he expects to translate to the field this weekend.

#“The guys have been putting in work, the team is almost ready, we are looking for better results moving forward. Even though we lost our last two matches, there was great improvement between game one and two and I am looking forward to more improvement in the game on Saturday,” Davies said.

#The head coach remained tight-lipped about the team’s actual strategy against the fourth ranked Group D team, but he said their approach will be tactical and aggressive as they have made some adjustments to correct mistakes.

#The away team has an identical 0-2 win/loss record with The Bahamas and their ranks are separated by a mere goal differential. The next match is critical for both teams as they hope to notch their first win in this window and switch positions in the Group D rankings.

#Davies acknowledged that although the match is important, his goal is to not put a lot of pressure on the team. “The main thrust is to instil the importance of this game for us here without putting pressure on the guys, these are veteran players that we have here, they understand what’s at stake, you may have pressure but once a game starts everything else on the outside goes away,” he said

#The 21-player team, dubbed the Junkanoo Boyz, features a relatively young squad with five players in their teens including Brody Wheaton who is the youngest at 14-years-old.

#Veteran player Lesly St Fleur is also returning from a groin injury which kept him out of the lineup against Guyana. The seasoned national team player is locked in ahead of Saturday’s match.

#“My readiness for the game is 100 per cent we have been putting in the work with me being around the players everyone’s confidence is up and they are ready to play and go out there and win the game,” St Fleur said.

#His teammate Christopher Rahming, who scored the opening goal in The Bahamas’ 6-1 loss to Puerto Rico, is excited to have the mix of players from abroad, high school, and local clubs join together for the goal of winning.

#He said having a mix of players always benefits the team as the different styles of play come together and could possibly lead to something great.

#The senior men’s national soccer team not only has the support of the entire BFA but also the Minister of Youth, Sports, and Culture (MOYSC) Mario Bowleg.

#“You have the support of my ministry and the government of The Bahamas and we want you to know that we will be there supporting you one thousand per cent,” Bowleg said.

#He encouraged Bahamians to come out and support the Junkanoo Boyz and offered a special thanks to the BFA for their continued growth and development of soccer in The Bahamas.

#The other national team players include goalkeepers Cameron Pratt, Michael Butler, and Amard Adderley. The team’s defenders and midfielders are William Bayles, William Gardiner, Alexiou Cartwright, Phieron Wilson, Wood Julmis, Nahum Johnson, Ricardo McPhee, Nathan Wells, Miguel Thompson, Omari Bain, Marcel Joseph, Nicolas Lopez, Johnathan Miller, Jean Tilo, and Jack Massey.

#Tickets for Saturday’s event are priced at $35 for VIP, $20 for adults, and $7 for children under 13.

The Bahamas Football Association has announced a 21-member senior national men’s soccer team ready for action against Antigua and Barbuda on Saturday.

As of Thursday, October 12, 2023

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#By TENAJH SWEETING

#Tribune Sports Reporter

#tsweeting@tribunemedia.net

#THE Bahamas Football Association (BFA) selected a 21-member senior men’s national soccer team to face Antigua and Barbuda in the second window of the Confederation of North, Central American and Caribbean Association Football Nations League matches on home soil this Saturday at 6pm.

#The match between the third and fourth team of League B in Group D will kick off at the Thomas A Robinson National Stadium. With the home team already in an 0-2 hole following back-to-back losses against Puerto Rico and Guyana, they are looking to rebound in Saturday’s game.

#Despite the consecutive losses suffered, the team’s head coach Kevin Davies has recognised notable improvements in the team’s style of play which he expects to translate to the field this weekend.

#“The guys have been putting in work, the team is almost ready, we are looking for better results moving forward. Even though we lost our last two matches, there was great improvement between game one and two and I am looking forward to more improvement in the game on Saturday,” Davies said.

#The head coach remained tight-lipped about the team’s actual strategy against the fourth ranked Group D team, but he said their approach will be tactical and aggressive as they have made some adjustments to correct mistakes.

#The away team has an identical 0-2 win/loss record with The Bahamas and their ranks are separated by a mere goal differential. The next match is critical for both teams as they hope to notch their first win in this window and switch positions in the Group D rankings.

#Davies acknowledged that although the match is important, his goal is to not put a lot of pressure on the team. “The main thrust is to instil the importance of this game for us here without putting pressure on the guys, these are veteran players that we have here, they understand what’s at stake, you may have pressure but once a game starts everything else on the outside goes away,” he said

#The 21-player team, dubbed the Junkanoo Boyz, features a relatively young squad with five players in their teens including Brody Wheaton who is the youngest at 14-years-old.

#Veteran player Lesly St Fleur is also returning from a groin injury which kept him out of the lineup against Guyana. The seasoned national team player is locked in ahead of Saturday’s match.

#“My readiness for the game is 100 per cent we have been putting in the work with me being around the players everyone’s confidence is up and they are ready to play and go out there and win the game,” St Fleur said.

#His teammate Christopher Rahming, who scored the opening goal in The Bahamas’ 6-1 loss to Puerto Rico, is excited to have the mix of players from abroad, high school, and local clubs join together for the goal of winning.

#He said having a mix of players always benefits the team as the different styles of play come together and could possibly lead to something great.

#The senior men’s national soccer team not only has the support of the entire BFA but also the Minister of Youth, Sports, and Culture (MOYSC) Mario Bowleg.

#“You have the support of my ministry and the government of The Bahamas and we want you to know that we will be there supporting you one thousand per cent,” Bowleg said.

#He encouraged Bahamians to come out and support the Junkanoo Boyz and offered a special thanks to the BFA for their continued growth and development of soccer in The Bahamas.

#The other national team players include goalkeepers Cameron Pratt, Michael Butler, and Amard Adderley. The team’s defenders and midfielders are William Bayles, William Gardiner, Alexiou Cartwright, Phieron Wilson, Wood Julmis, Nahum Johnson, Ricardo McPhee, Nathan Wells, Miguel Thompson, Omari Bain, Marcel Joseph, Nicolas Lopez, Johnathan Miller, Jean Tilo, and Jack Massey.

#Tickets for Saturday’s event are priced at $35 for VIP, $20 for adults, and $7 for children under 13.

Las Vegas Aces guard Chelsea Gray (12) fouls New York Liberty forward Jonquel Jones during the first half in Game 2 of a WNBA basketball final playoff series on Wednesday, October 11, 2023, in Las Vegas. (AP Photo/John Locher)

As of Thursday, October 12, 2023

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#By W G RAMIREZ

#Associated Press

#LAS VEGAS (AP) — A’ja Wilson scored 26 points, grabbed 15 rebounds and the Las Vegas Aces routed the New York Liberty 104-76 last night to take a 2-0 series lead in the WNBA Finals.

#Grand Bahamian Jonquel Jones scored a team-high 22 points and pulled down 10 rebounds – a double-double – for the Liberty in the loss.

#Wilson finished 10 of 16 from the field on her way to recording her 26th double-double this season – including her fourth of the playoffs. She’s the third player in WNBA Finals history to have at least 25 points and 15 rebounds in a game. “We know what’s on the line and we had to make sure we came out and took care of home court,” Wilson said.

#The defending champion Aces are now one win away from becoming the first team since the 2001-02 Los Angeles Sparks to repeat as champions.

#Game 3 is Sunday in New York. No team has ever rallied from a 0-2 deficit in the WNBA Finals.

#Chelsea Gray also had a double-double with 14 points and 11 assists, throwing some beautiful no-look passes for easy baskets.

#Jackie Young finished with 24 points and Kelsey Plum had 23. It was the second straight game that the guard trio dominated the Liberty.

#Jones (22), Breanna Stewart (14), Betnijah Laney (12), and Sabrina Ionescu (10) accounted for 76.3% of New York’s points, as the Liberty got just 18 points from six others who played.

#New York, which lost by 17 in Game 1, came into the game a perfect 9-0 after losses this year. The Aces made sure that streak ended with a dominant first and third quarter. They opened the game scoring 19 of the first 21 points, with 12 points coming from 3-point range. Las Vegas hit seven of its first nine shots – a blistering 77.8% clip – including four 3-pointers.

#New York, meanwhile, missed nine of its first 10 attempts. “It started with our defence,” Gray said. “We kept our pressure up, our physicality and we were able to play with our flow offensively.”

#The Aces’ lead grew as high as 21 points in the opening period before taking a 38-19 lead into the second quarter. Las Vegas set a new record for most points in the first quarter of a WNBA Finals. It was also the most points the Aces scored in any quarter all season.

#The Liberty came charging back from a 22-point second-quarter deficit behind a 12-0 run, and outscored the Aces 25-14 in the period to cut Las Vegas’ lead to eight, 52-44 at halftime.

#Jones scored 16 of her points in the second quarter. New York couldn’t carry its momentum into the third, however, as the Aces used a 17-3 run to extend their lead to 69-47.

#The Aces outscored the Liberty 28-13 in the third quarter, with 20 points coming from Wilson and Young.

#The Liberty couldn’t close the gap and now will try to avoid getting swept.

ALL FOR ONE: The Jazz Chisholm Foundation Little League teams secured all five division titles this past weekend at the second edition of the Reloaded Baseball Invitational.

As of Thursday, October 12, 2023

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#By TENAJH SWEETING

#Tribune Sports Reporter

#tsweeting@tribunemedia.net

#THE Jazz Chisholm Little League (JCLL) teams took home five division championships at the second edition of the Reloaded Baseball Invitational.

#The four-day event wrapped up this past Monday at the Baillou Hills Sporting Complex as teams competed across five divisions.

#The baseball invitational hosted up to 23 teams, which more than doubled the amount of participants at the inaugural event in March, including clubs from Eleuthera, Abaco and Grand Bahama.

#Peron Burnside, president of Reloaded Baseball, considered the second hosting of the invitational a success. “We from Reloaded were very impressed with the level of competition between the teams and for the kids in our programme we are highly impressed with the improvements in their batting, fielding, throwing and catching mechanics,” Burnside said.

#The president continued to say that the goal is always to help the kids improve from the level they entered the programme to international standards.

#“It was a huge success from a developmental standpoint,” he added.

#One week removed from their start in the Jazz Chisholm Foundation Little League, the teams hoisted trophies in the T-Ball, Coach Pitch, 10-and under (10U), 12-and under (12U), and 14-and under divisions.

#Jazz Yellow came up big against the Jazz Blue team in the T-Ball division with a 25-13 victory.

#Matched up against the Reloaded Baseball club, team Jazz Blue dropped their opponents 9-6 in a narrow win this past weekend in the coach pitch division.

#The winning ways of the JCLL teams continued in the 10U division.

#Jazz Black took down Reloaded ‘A’ in a 19-3 victory.

#Jazz Yellow defeated the Reloaded ‘B’ team 19-5 to claim the championship hardware in the 12U category.

#The Jazz Blue team capped off a strong showing for the JCLL teams after they shut down team Reloaded 11-4 for the 14U division trophy. Although the Reloaded Baseball teams were unable to secure any titles, Burnside was happy with the improvements the kids have made as all their teams made it to the championship rounds in each division except T-Ball.

#“It was a weekend of good competition for the kids with a JCLL team winning the championship in each division.

#“In each division except T-Ball, the Reloaded team made it to the championships despite not emerging victorious.

#“Our focus is strictly on the development of the kids and we are steering them directly into scholarships and possibly further,” he said.

#In upcoming weeks the club continues to stick to their motto ‘good is never enough as we are developing tomorrow’s leaders’.

#Following their second invitational, the programme will be hosting a pitchers’ and catchers’ camp along with international coaches before the end of the year.

#Additionally, Reloaded Baseball has now added softball to their programme and intends to raise the standards of play in high schools to a higher level as well.

#“We have been engaged by numerous international baseball entities and we intend to tap into all of these resources in pursuit of our goals to take the Reloaded kids to international standards,” according to Burnside.

#Reloaded Baseball offers a special thanks to the National Sports Authority for playing a pivotal role in their developmental journey.

Kai Jones in action for the Charlotte Hornets. (AP Photo/John Locher, File)

As of Wednesday, October 11, 2023

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#UPDATE: The Charlotte Hornets have officially waived Kai Jones. The announcement came Wednesday, after Jones requested a trade from the Hornets via the X social media platform on Monday night.

#FROM EARLIER:

#By TENAJH SWEETING

#Tribune Sports Reporter

#tsweeting@tribunemedia.net

#National Basketball Association (NBA) professional player Kai Jones requested a trade from the Charlotte Hornets via the X social media platform on Monday night.

#The decision came following the Hornets’ announcement two weeks ago that the forward/center would not be joining them at this year’s training camp and will be away from the team due to personal reasons.

#However, Jones’ latest social media post might cost him up to $150,000 in fines or a possible suspension as it violates Section 18 of the National Basketball Players Association’s (NBPA) Collective Bargaining Agreement (CBA).

#The former 2021 first round pick made his displeasure with the Hornets known on Monday night.

#“I have officially requested to be traded from the Charlotte Hornets. #GOATLIFE” he posted.

#The 6-foot-11 player has recently made some questionable posts on social media, including openly criticising his teammates and exhibiting erratic behaviour on Instagram Live in the NBA’s offseason.

#However, his latest post on X might be his costliest of them all.

#Section 18 of the NBPA CBA states that any player or, for clarity, any player representative or person acting with authority on behalf of a player who publicly expresses a desire to be traded to another team shall be subject to a fine and/or a suspension.

#As previously mentioned, the fine levied if in violation of this rule is $150,000.

#In response to Jones’ offseason antics on social media and absence from training camp, the Hornets released a statement which said there is not a set timetable for the Bahamian big man’s return.

#“Kai Jones will not participate in training camp due to personal reasons. There is currently not a timetable for his return to the team.

#“Out of respect for the personal nature of the situation, the Hornets will not have any additional public comment regarding the matter at this time,” the statement read.

#The team ultimately declined not to comment on this most recent matter.

#In 67 career games, the 19th overall pick of the 2021 draft averaged 2.7 points per game along with two boards for the Hornets.

Minister of Youth, Sports and Culture Mario Bowleg.

As of Thursday, October 12, 2023

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#By LYNAIRE MUNNINGS

#Tribune Staff Reporter

#lmunnings@tribunemedia.net

#YOUTH, Sports and Culture Minister Mario Bowleg said the Chinese government would likely fund all Thomas A Robinson National Stadium repairs and employ Chinese workers to do the work.

#He could not confirm how many Bahamians will be involved, saying the government is “pushing heavily” for their involvement.

#“Well, the whole idea was to have the Chinese technical people and assigned contractor to work along with a Bahamian contractor and our technical people and subcontractor, but at the same time, of course, the Chinese had said they wanted to have some employees of their own,” he said yesterday.

#“At this time, I cannot say what number of persons that will be, but we are pushing heavily towards ensuring that Bahamians are involved in the repairs.”

#The government had pledged $10m to repair the stadium and the Betty Kelly-Kenning National Swim Complex.

#Given the Chinese involvement, Mr Bowleg said he does not know how much the repairs will now cost.

#“I don’t know what’s the true value of the repairs right now, but they have their technical team on the ground with the technical team from the Ministry of Works who are finalizing the scope of work we will be undertaking,” he said. “And so that is yet to be finalized to me, but just know that they will be contributing to the repairs of the facility.”

#China gifted the 190,000 square ft. stadium to The Bahamas in 2011, signalling the growing bilateral relations between the two countries.

# Mr Bowleg said officials are preparing the stadium to host the next World Athletics World Relays and CARIFTA events.

#“That’s what the $10m was allocated for,” he said. “However, the Chinese government is going to be covering it, so The Bahamas may not use any of its $10m, and the Chinese government may end up funding the entire repairs, which is what most likely will happen.

#“This was a gift given to us, so it’s now up to them to repair the building that we felt was not up to proper standard from day one.”

#Mr Bowleg said repairs are expected to start on November 1 and be completed by March 2024 in preparation for next year’s sporting events.

 Home|Sports|Kai Jones waived by the HornetsSports

Sheldon LongleySend an emailOctober 12, 2023 34 2 minute readFacebookTwitterLinkedInShare via Email

Following continued social media videos and posts, the Charlotte Hornets have taken a stance to separate themselves from Bahamian professional basketball player Kai Jones.

The Hornets waived their former first-round pick on Wednesday, essentially giving him his wish after he publicly requested a trade earlier this week.

Jones had a series of bizarre videos and postings on X, formerly Twitter, and Instagram Live, including being critical of teammates and declaring himself the GOAT (Greatest Of All-Time). All of that led to a non invitation to the Hornets training camp prior to the start of the National Basketball Association’s (NBA) preseason.

It’s been a topsy-turvy few weeks for the Bahamian star.

Two Saturdays ago, the Hornets announced that Jones, a 6’ 11” forward/center, would not join the team for training camp due to “personal reasons” and is indefinitely away from the team. Inexplicably, Jones continued releasing the videos and postings on social media.

With a number of people, including Bahamians, worried and concerned about his well-being, Jones continued the strange behavior. He posted on X that he “officially requests to be traded” from the Hornets, and instead of trading him, the Hornets gave him his release, according to president of basketball operations and general manager Mitch Kupchak on Wednesday.

The public request for a trade could cost Jones up to $150,000.

According to the NBA’s and National Basketball Players Association’s (NBPA) Collective Bargaining Agreement (CBA), with respect to trades, any player who publicly expresses a desire to be traded to another team shall be subject to a fine and/or a suspension. Section 18 of the CBA goes on to state that the maximum fine that may be imposed by the NBA on a player pursuant to the foregoing shall be $150,000.

Jones, 22, endeared himself among Bahamians for his national team play in the second round of the FIBA (International Basketball Federation) World Cup Americas Qualifiers last summer. In two games against Venezuela and Argentina, Jones averaged 18 points and added eight rebounds, three assists and 1.5 steals per game. He shot 81.3 percent from the field, going 13-for-16, and was 2-for-9 from deep.

In 67 career games in two seasons with the Hornets, Jones averaged 2.7 points and two rebounds per game. Last season, he averaged 3.4 points and 2.7 rebounds per game in 12 minutes per contest off the bench.

Drafted in the first round (number 19 overall) out of Texas in 2021, Jones signed a four-year deal worth $13,421,215. He was in the third year of that deal up to his release on Wednesday. His money for this season is guaranteed and he will still earn a reported $3.05 million this season.

The NBA preseason is underway and opening day is set for Tuesday, October 24.

It remains unclear what is going on with Jones, but one thing is for certain – he is now done in Charlotte. Whether another team in the league gives him a chance remains to be seen.