KALEB BARNETT, right, and Jules Montair, defensive backs coach at Temple.

As of Thursday, July 7, 2022

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#By RENALDO DORSETT

#Tribune Sports Reporter

#rdorsett@tribunemedia.net

#THE latest Bahamian prospect to enter the South Florida pipeline to gridiron success committed to a major Division I programme.

#Defensive back Kaleb Barnett announced his commitment to the Temple Owls football programme for the fall 2023 season.

#The Jackson Miami High product is reportedly the fifth high school prospect to commit to the Owls in the current recruiting cycle. Barnett was one of several Bahamian prospects to compete for Miami International Academy.

#Standing at 6’1” 185 pounds, Barnett is also a 100m sprinter who has turned in a time of 10.7 seconds.

#“My high school coach said I have a great wingspan for a corner. I’ll be able to stop and get a lot of picks,” Barnett told OwlsDaily. “Coaches want me to play every position because of my athletic ability.”

#The Temple staff looks forward to Barnett’s athletic ability in the defensive backfield.

#“Coach Jules and coach Drayton said they like my speed,” Barnett said. “If I get beat on a route, I’m able to catch up very quickly. And my height for a high school cornerback is good, especially how I’m still growing. I’ll be able to play multiple positions on the field.”

#Both Florida International and Florida Atlantic were in the recruiting process for Barnett who also got an offer from Charlotte before he ultimately chose Temple. Barnett went on a pair of visits to the campus, including to the “Cherry and White” Game last April.

#“When you see him in person, you wouldn’t be able to tell he just started playing football, with how fast he’s grown since he’s been down here,” Barnett’s coach Olin Cushion told Owls Daily. “You could barely tell that he just started playing last year. It’s crazy.”

#Several other Bahamians in the Miami International Academy programme have received offers from programmes at both the NAIA and NCAA levels.

#Dwayne Lewis, a 6’3” 215 outside linebacker and defensive end, has fielded offers from Kentucky Christian Knights in the NAIA and Wagner Seahawks in the Northeastern Conference of NCAA Division I.

#Outgoing seniors Mazio Randall and Amarie Archer have committed to the Dodge City Community College Conquistadors football programme for the upcoming fall semester.

#Miami International Academy finished their inaugural season 2-7 but it was highlighted by a 40-0 South Florida High School Orange Bowl win over Palm Beach Christian Prep.

http://www.tribune242.com/news/2022/jul/07/kaleb-barnett-commits-owls/?news

 Home|Sports|The Bahamas advances in world cup qualifiersSports

Simba FrenchSend an emailJuly 4, 2022 391 3 minute readFacebookTwitterLinkedInShare via Email

Chavano ‘Buddy’ Hield scored a game-high 24 points on National Pride Day in The Bahamas to propel the senior men’s national team to a convincing win on the road, booking their spot in the second round of the FIBA (International Basketball Federation) Americas World Cup Qualifiers, with a 97-80 victory over the US Virgin Islands (USVI) on Friday.

Hield led a balanced scoring attack for The Bahamas. Five other Bahamians scored in double digits in an away match-up at the UVI (University of the Virgin Islands) Sports and Fitness Center in St. Thomas, USVI.

Also scoring in double figures were Kentwan Smith (17 points), Franco Miller Jr. (16 points), Mychel Thompson (13 points), Radshad Davis (12 points) and Travis Munnings (10 points). The 97 points were the most ever scored by The Bahamas in a world cup qualifying game.

The Bahamas joins Canada and the Dominican Republic (DR) as the three teams from Group C to advance to the second round. Canada leads the group with a perfect 5-0 win/loss record while the DR sits in second with a 3-2 record. The Bahamas is in third with a 2-3 record. The USVI holds the fourth and final spot in Group C action with a winless 0-5 record and did not advance to the next round.

Minister of Youth, Sports and Culture Mario Bowleg congratulated the team for moving one step closer to qualifying for the 2023 FIBA Basketball World Cup.

“I watched the game with great pride and extend congratulations to the senior men’s national team, which was led by NBA (National Basketball Association) player Chavano ‘Buddy’ Hield, Mychel Thompson and Franco Miller,” said Bowleg in a press release.

He encouraged Bahamians to come out and support the team in their game against the DR tonight.

“On this day of national pride, I ask every Bahamian to join me in celebrating tonight’s (Friday) feat. This critical win gives Team Bahamas momentum heading into Monday night’s (tonight) game, which will be played right here at home, against the Dominican Republic. I encourage all Bahamians to come out and cheer on our men’s national team,” Bowleg said.

It was clear that The Bahamas was on a mission against USVI to clinch that spot in the second round as they played with much pace early and had a strong defensive presence throughout. The Bahamas had 14 steals in total with Hield owning five of those steals. The Bahamas had just nine turnovers compared to their counterparts who had a whopping 20 turnovers. The Bahamas scored a jaw-dropping 26 points from those USVI turnovers compared to USVI scoring just three points from The Bahamas’ turnovers.

In the fastbreak points category, The Bahamas had 18 points in the open court compared to USVI’s 13 points. As a team, The Bahamas made 16 three-point shots out of 40 attempts from deep, shooting 40 percent from distance. Hield was responsible for five of those made shots from deep and Thompson made three shots from deep.

The team showed chemistry as they had 33 made shots on 20 assists.

Thompson scored nine of his 13 points in the opening period for The Bahamas. The home team managed to keep the score close early in the game as it was tied at 24 after the first quarter.

After the coaching staff gave the team their feedback at the end of the first quarter, the Bahamian players responded positively as they began to pull away from the home team. Davis gave The Bahamas the lead with 9:28 left in the second quarter and they never looked back.

In the second quarter, Florida Gulf Coast University guard Miller came to life. Miller scored some key buckets and played some stifling defense in that quarter to lead all scorers with 12 points at the half. Miller hit a shot from deep on a pass from Munnings with three minutes left in the first half to give The Bahamas its first double-digit lead, 44-34.

At the end of the first half, The Bahamas led 52-39 and was in control of the game after a 28-15 second quarter advantage.

In the third quarter, The Bahamas built its largest lead of the game, 23 points, leading 75-52 with 3:33 remaining. They got to that margin on an alley-oop layup to Davis from Miller. The Bahamas led 77-62 at the end of the third quarter.

Hield had 16 points at the end of the third quarter. For good measure, he scored eight more points before making his final exit with 56 seconds left in regulation. He made two shots from beyond the arc and made two free throws in the final quarter.

Walter Hodge led the USVI with 18 points.

The Bahamas’ team is back home, preparing to face the DR at the Baha Mar Convention Center tonight. That game gets underway at 7 p.m. The DR is coming off a 95-75 loss to Canada on Friday.

https://thenassauguardian.com/the-bahamas-advances-in-world-cup-qualifiers/

 Home|Sports|New squash champions crowned at Four WallsSports

The Nassau GuardianSend an emailJuly 5, 2022 219 1 minute readFacebookTwitterLinkedInShare via Email

After five days of competition, new champions in five divisions were crowned at the inaugural Four Walls Squash Open Championship that took place last week. Sunday’s finals attracted old and new players, who were all excited to see the rebirth of the fun and competitive sport.

“The competition was a great success based on the level of participation on and off the court, and how much fun everyone had. Squash at Four Walls is recreational, but everyone loves a good competition every once in a while,” said Tournament Director Mike Fields, who was happy to see participation from members and non-members of Four Walls Squash & Social Club.

Winners in the amateur competition received over $2,000 in prizes. They included Ryan Reid (Division A), Andrew Hanna (Division B), Shawn Knowles (Division C), Bianca Lee (Women’s Novice) and Lavelle Symonette (Men’s Novice).

Justin Knowles won the Sportsmanship Award. He joined the club just one month prior to the tournament and had only 

participated in a few lessons.

“Just to get a feel for how other players play squash, I said I might as well enter it and have a bit of fun. It was a very welcoming and enjoyable experience. At no point did I feel pressure to perform beyond my abilities. Everyone was very welcoming and understanding of my skill level and willing to give me tips and pointers while not taking it easy on me, so I could get better. I really fell in love with squash during the tournament,” said Knowles.

Looking ahead, Four Walls is hosting a kids summer camp in July, and plans to launch a league in the fall along with its annual beginner’s tournament in October. Fields said he looks forward to the continued growth of the club’s popular group coaching program. This affordable, learn-to-play program for adults is introducing many new players to the sport.

Interested players can learn more and sign up for all of the sessions online at www.fourwallsbahamas.com.

https://thenassauguardian.com/new-squash-champions-crowned-at-four-walls/

 Home|Sports|BBF ratifies 12-member women’s team for CBC tournamentSports

Simba FrenchSend an emailJuly 6, 2022 250 3 minute readFacebookTwitterLinkedInShare via Email

The Bahamas Basketball Federation (BBF) has ratified a 12-member senior women’s national basketball team for the FIBA (International Basketball Federation) Caribbean Basketball Confederation (CBC) Women’s Championship, set for July 13-17 in Havana, Cuba.

Making up the squad are Britenique Harrison, Philicia Kelly, Valerie Nesbitt, Latoya Rolle, Antonicia Moultrie, Lativia Brennan, Tiffany Wildgoose, Valicia Demeritte, Denika Lightbourne, Roberta Quant, Lorraine Oliver and Karolyn Baptiste.

Donillo “Donnie” Culmer is the head coach of the team and he will be assisted by Devon Johnson and Diasti Delancy. The team manager is Anastacia Sands-Moultrie and Sasha Johnson is the trainer.

Culmer said that the team has been training for two months and they are looking to win it all.

“It has been a struggle with getting facilities to practice in and getting the ladies out,” Culmer said. “We got a good core of young girls come out and we had to pick the team based on who came out. We have some girls here at home who were good enough to make this team but for some reason they chose not to come out. We are prepared to go to Cuba and come back with the gold and if that does not happen, we’ll look to qualify for the next round by placing in the top three.”

The Bahamas is one of five teams vying for one of the three spots, looking to qualify for the 2022 Centrobasket Women’s Championship. That tournament is set for November of this year. The other four teams that will be playing at the Ciudad Deportiva Coleseum in Havana next week are Jamaica, Guyana, the Dominican Republic and the host nation Cuba.

Team Bahamas will tip off its play on Thursday July 14 with a matchup against Cuba at 8 p.m.

The team is a mixture youth and veteran players and Culmer and his staff will look to play at a fast pace.

“I am pleased with the young crew that I have,” Culmer said. “Some of these girls are entering grade 12 and some are just starting college. It is going to be a learning experience for some of them. We are going to go over there and give it a shot.

“It is a team with young legs and my guards will be my strength. Like I said earlier, the set who did not choose to come out would have been able to help the team. Our defense with the full court pressure along with the speed we have should be a good factor.”

One of those young players is 17-year-old Lightbourne, who is a guard entering grade 12 at Tallulah Falls School in Tallulah, Georgia, USA.

“It is a great opportunity and I have to use it to my advantage, because not many people have such an opportunity. I am learning from the older women on the team and that is a priority for me,” Lightbourne said. “At such a young age, I want to do what is best for the team. I want to fill in where they need me or wherever I can help, whether it’s to facilitate on offense, shooting or playing defense. I am just looking to go out there and do my best.”

Team captain and veteran center Harrison said the preparation has been going well.

“We have been working hard and working on our chemistry. I think that helping to lead the team has been going good. I think we all have a good relationship so the respect is there. Everyone listens to each other and we take criticism well. I have been on the national team for a while so I am looking forward to this.

“We have been getting in shape and we are getting a feel for the game. It is good being back and representing The Bahamas. We just want to go out there and do our best and we plan to qualify for the next round. I am looking to go out there and give my all, play some defense and be a good piece for my team to get wins,” Harrison said.

The last time the senior women’s national team played was in 2018 in the Centrobasket Women’s Championship in Manati, Puerto Rico. They finished sixth.

https://thenassauguardian.com/bbf-ratifies-12-member-womens-team-for-cbc-tournament/

 Home|Sports|‘Beep Baseball’ launched in The BahamasSports

It’s a form of baseball that can be played by persons who are blind or visually impaired

The Nassau GuardianSend an emailJuly 6, 2022 279 2 minute readFacebookTwitterLinkedInShare via Email

Looking to find a way to give the blind and visually impaired a sport to play, the Bahamas Coalition of Advocates for Disability Awareness and Services (BaCadas) officially launched ‘Beep Baseball’ on Saturday at the Anatol Rodgers High School.

“Beep Baseball” is a form of baseball that can be played and enjoyed by persons who are visually impaired. The ball is an oversized softball that beeps.

Executive director and chairman of BaCadas Kendrick Rolle said he is happy that the sport is finally launched in The Bahamas.

“It was a long time coming. When you learn that something like that started from a long time ago coupled with the fact that there was never an opportunity for persons in The Bahamas who are blind and visually impaired or low vision to have a sporting activity to be a part of, it is a wonderful feeling. It provides an opportunity for them to go out and get some exercise and run about in fresh air and just have a different form of entertainment other than listening to television or radio,” Rolle said.

Rolle said they are a group of persons who are looking to create an inclusive environment for people with disabilities.

“The whole initiative with ‘Beep Baseball’ and mixing in junkanoo is just the first steps we are taking in providing a more inclusive environment for persons with disabilities to participate in. Our aim is to get them involved, starting with ‘Beep Baseball’ and junkanoo,” Rolle said.

On hand throwing out the first pitch at the launch of the event was Royal Bahamas Defence Force (RBDF) Commodore Raymond King.

“I had an opportunity to meet with Rolle and saw the work that they did with disabled persons who are blind and visually impaired from as early as 2018. I was able to garner support from members of the RBDF and we conducted several field activities for those persons. There were two hikes and it was an eye-opener for me and a life-changing event. The RBDF has assisted the disability community with their fundraisers. My vision is to be a socially responsible citizen and to be able to give back to society. The RBDF has been aggressive in assisting entities throughout the length and breadth of The Bahamas,” King said.

After the presentation, there was a demonstration of the game on the Anatol Rodgers school courts. There is an organization called the National Beep Ball Association (NBBA) in the United States of America that put on tournaments and even stages a world series format tournament. Play is usually for the blind or visually impaired but it can also be played by sighted persons who are blindfolded. There are two bases that are 100 feet away from the home plate, and unlike the sport of baseball, a batter is out after four strikes.

https://thenassauguardian.com/beep-baseball-launched-in-the-bahamas/

 Home|Sports|BBKD stages its first karate and kickboxing tournamentSports

The Nassau GuardianSend an emailJuly 7, 2022 84 1 minute readFacebookTwitterLinkedInShare via Email

The Bahamas Bassai Karate-Dojo (BBKD), in conjunction with the Society of Shotokan Stylists, held its first Bahamas Karate and Kickboxing Tournament a recently at the Anatol Rodgers High School Gymnasium. The event, which was sanctioned by the Bahamas Martial Arts Federation, was hosted by Renshi Shawn Smith Sr.

Over 140 competitors from 12 local karate and kickboxing schools took part in the event, which drew a crowd to the gymnasium. From all reports, the crowd was thrilled with the exciting performances. The event is a part of the federation’s national championships circuit, and was open to all styles.

The hierarchy of Bahamian martial arts was out in full attendance at the one-day show and five of them were honored at the event. They were Shihan Brian Beckford, Shihan Eldridge McKinney, Sifu Leonard Major, Professor Alfred Rolle and Grand Master Alex Penn.

Some of the greatest moments of the show took place during the black belt fights and continuous fighting and 

kickboxing events.

“Karate is here and we are doing big things,” said Renshi Smith, instructor of the Society of Shotokan Stylists Karate School. “We are looking forward to more events in the future.”

Led by Coach Shawn Smith Jr., the Spartans Fighting Academy was out in full force. All of the patrons expressed pleasure in the organization of the event, and it was agreed that the tournament has set the bar high for the staging of future local martial arts events.

https://thenassauguardian.com/bbkd-stages-its-first-karate-and-kickboxing-tournament/

 Home|Sports|Team Bahamas preparing for CONCACAF U15 ChampionshipSports

Simba FrenchSend an emailJuly 7, 2022 121 2 minute readFacebookTwitterLinkedInShare via Email

The Bahamas Football Association (BFA) is sending a junior girls national team to take part in the 2022 CONCACAF (Confederation of North, Central America and Caribbean Association Football) Under-15 Girls Championship, slated for July 31 to August 7 at the Hillsborough County Tournament Sportsplex in Tampa, Florida, United States of America (USA).

Guardian Sports caught up with the training squad as they were practicing and while they engaged in a scrimmage game against United FC. The final 18-member team along with coaching staff will be selected next week. There is not a head coach for the team as yet, but there are assistant coaches.

Assistant Ricqea Bain likes the progress that the team is making as they get closer to the date of competition.

“They have been improving week by week. We have introduced new tactics and they have been implementing it. The Grand Bahama girls came in and it was a great addition,” Bain said. “After not playing for two years, their progress has been good over the past few weeks especially as we went into the summer and train every day. We have seen them advance tremendously.”

One of those six girls from Grand Bahama is center midfielder, Kaylee Murray – just 13 years old.

“It has been good and a lot of work,” Murray said. “It will be worth it. If I make the team, I am looking to proudly represent The Bahamas. It will be good to make the team at 13. I am used to being one of the youngest players on a team. I hope to play well.”

Another assistant coach is Jodei Clarke. She has been working with the girls on a regular basis and is hoping they develop more chemistry.

“We are looking to defend as a unit. This is their first time playing together and in a tournament. We lack possessions so we need to keep the ball so we can advance forward. A lot of the girls will get a faster game pace when they compete over there because in The Bahamas we play on a smaller field. Most of all, they will get to have fun as some travel outside the country for the first time,” Clarke said.

Last week, coaches worked on playing the ball from the back which will help the girls with possession rather than kicking the ball up the field. They also worked on the goalkeepers distributing the ball on a set pace. Bain is hoping to play possession ball and move up the field to get into scoring position.

Valtinique Simmons plays the forward position mainly. She just finished grade nine at C.H. Reeves Junior High School and is looking forward to scoring goals.

“When I first came here, I was scared. Playing with a lot strange girls, I knew I had to get used to playing with them. I kept coming out to practice, I started to get better and realized that I could keep up with them. I hope I make the team and score a few goals for the team so we can come back victorious,” said Simmons.

A total of 31 teams have been divided into three leagues – A, B and C which was based on the women’s under-17 ranking. The Bahamas is in League B. They are in the Group E with the Dominican Republic, Bermuda and Antigua and Barbuda. They will kick off play on Sunday July 31, taking on the Dominican Republic at 11 a.m. on Field Three.

https://thenassauguardian.com/team-bahamas-preparing-for-concacaf-u15-championship/

 Home|Sports|Swim nationals set to get underwaySports

Simba FrenchSend an emailJuly 7, 2022 131 3 minute readFacebookTwitterLinkedInShare via Email

The Bahamas Aquatics Federation is all set to host its 50th national swimming championships today through Sunday at the Betty Kelly-Kenning National Swim Complex.

Action gets underway today at 9 a.m. and will feature the 800 and 1500 meters (m) freestyle finals, and the 50m backstroke and the 100m butterfly preliminaries. The evening session will get underway at 6 p.m.

There are 600 athletes who will be in action. Cayman Islands athletes are also expected to compete along with a team from South Florida.

The meet will be held in honor of the late John Bradley who passed away in August 2021 in Grand Bahama. He was a former athlete and later became a long-standing executive in the federation. He was instrumental in the production of the results of local meets.

President of Bahamas Aquatics Algernon Cargill said they expect a good showing.

“This is a milestone for hosting as we celebrate our 50th nationals. We are progressing, and it tells us that we are going in the right direction. Things are shaping up and the team is excited, and we feel that although we do not have a title sponsor for the meet, we will hold a successful national championships,” Cargill said.

The meet will feature local standout swimmers such as Lamar Taylor, DaVante Carey, Lilly Higgs and Izaak Bastian, just to name a few.

The championships will serve as an

official qualifier for upcoming FINA (International Swimming Federation) meets such as the 2022 FINA World Swimming Championships (25m), and the 2023 World Aquatics Championships (50m).

After last year’s edition, there weren’t any spectators due to stipulations brought on by the spread of the COVID-19 pandemic. The federation is welcoming back spectators this year.

“This meet will be exciting not just because of the preparation for the Commonwealth Games and the world junior championships, it is also exciting because we have so many young people who are the future of our federation competing at nationals and at a high level. We have an outstanding team in the eight-and-under categories and they will bring the crowd to the stadium. It will one of the largest championships in years,” Cargill stated.

As COVID-19 is still around, Cargill said that the federation is taking the necessary precautions with their protocols that includes all patrons presenting a negative COVID-19 test result.

“The Bahamas Aquatics Federation will have very stringent protocols in place. Unlike some of the other public events going on, everyone who is attending the nationals must provide a COVID negative test result. We want to ensure that people will sit in the stands and have fun. The athletes are competing in a very safe environment. Everyone has to do it – from me down to the swimmers,” said Cargill.

There will also be testing on site, said Cargill.

This will be the first nationals in quite some time that will be held without the assistance of Bradley. Cargill said that he will be missed.

“Having this meet without John is very sad for us. He has done an excellent job working for the federation. I am very happy to host the 50th championship in his honor. It was difficult to get it done without him, but the team has pulled together and we feel that although he will not be there in physical presence, he will lead us in spirit and will certainly provide us the guidance we need to have a very successful meet.”

Mako Aquatics Club, with Head Coach Travano McPhee leading the charge, is going after a fourth straight title. They won the 2018, 2019 and 2021 editions. There was no nationals in 2020 due to the threat of COVID. Cargill said that he and his executives are neutral and do not have a horse in the race. Mako understandably has a target on its back as clubs such as Barracuda, the YMCA WaveRunners and Alpha Aquatics are looking to end the streak.

https://thenassauguardian.com/swim-nationals-set-to-get-underway/

BUDDY BUCKETS: The Bahamas senior men’s national basketball team completed a sweep over the US Virgin Islands and advanced to the second round of FIBA World Cup 2023 Americas Qualifiers. Chavano “Buddy” Hield (7) led six Bahamian players in double figures en route to a dominant 97-80 win over the US Virgin Islands at the Sport and Fitness Center in St Thomas, Virgin Islands, on Friday, July 1.

As of Monday, July 4, 2022

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#By RENALDO DORSETT

#Tribune Sports Reporter

#rdorsett@tribunemedia.net

#THE Bahamas senior men’s national basketball team completed a sweep over the US Virgin Islands and advanced to the second round of FIBA World Cup 2023 Americas Qualifiers.

#Chavano “Buddy” Hield led six Bahamian players in double figures en route to a dominant 97-80 win over the US Virgin Islands on July 1 at the Sport and Fitness Center in St Thomas, Virgin Islands.

#The Indiana Pacers guard finished with 24 points, five rebounds, five assists and shot 5-11 from three-point range.

#Kentwan Smith finished with 17 points off the bench, Franco Miller Jr had 16 points and five assists, Mychel Thompson had 13 points, Rashad Davis scored 12 and Travis Munnings finished with 10.

CHAVANO “Buddy” Hield led six Bahamian players in double figures en route to a dominant 97-80 win over the US Virgin Islands at the Sport and Fitness Center in St. Thomas, Virgin Islands, on July 1.

#The 97 points scored by The Bahamas were their most ever in a World Cup qualifying game.

#Hot shooting from beyond the arc and a defensive effort that dominated the turnover battle was ultimately the deciding factor, despite the USVI advantage on the boards.

#Team Bahamas shot 16-40 from three-point range and had more makes than the USVI’s total number of attempts. Five players had multiple three-point makes, including Hield (5-11), Smith (3-6), Thompson (3-5), Munnings (2-5) and Davis (2-4).

#Bahamas also took advantage of 20 turnovers by the Virgin Islands and turned them into 26 points.

#Thompson got the team out to a fast start with nine points in the first quarter. Both teams were eventually tied at 24 at the end of the first period.

#Miller took control in the second quarter as the team surged ahead for good. His acrobatic save led to a Smith three and Miller made a three of his own to give the team its first double figure lead of the afternoon 44-34 at the 2:41 mark in the half.

#They went on to outscore USVI 28-15 in the period while Miller led all scorers at the half with 12 points.

#The Bahamas extended its lead to as much as 23 in the second half highlighted by a third quarter sequence where Smith and Davis combined for three consecutive three pointers on three straight possessions.

#The Virgin Islands were led by Walter Hodge with 18 points while Georgio Milligan posted a double-double with 17 points and 10 rebounds.

#Minister of Youth, Sports and Culture Mario K. Bowleg, the immediate past president of the Bahamas Basketball Federation, expressed how the World Cup Americas Qualifiers takes The Bahamas to the world and provides talented athletes with exposure and a chance to get to the Olympics.

#“Basketball in The Bahamas has grown over the years and now we know what is needed in terms of coaching. That is why we are so grateful to have additional coaches to our team, including coach Yolett, Chris Demarco as head coach and coach Mikhail McLean. I fully support the work of the federation, its teams and coaches. One day, I will get to see our basketball team at the Olympics and have my dream come to pass.” he said. “On this day of National Pride, I ask every Bahamian to join me in celebrating tonight’s feat. This critical win gives Team Bahamas momentum heading into Monday night’s game, which will be played right here at home, against the Dominican Republic. I encourage all Bahamians to come out and cheer on our men’s national team.”

#The Bahamas closes out the current window with tonight’s matchup against the Dominican Republic, hosted at the Baha Mar resort at 7pm.

#Team Bahamas was drawn into Group C alongside Canada, The Dominican Republic, and The US Virgin Islands.

#Canada leads the group at 5-0, The Dominican Republic is 3-2, The Bahamas is 2-3 and the USVI are eliminated at 0-5.

#In November’s first window, The Bahamas suffered a 115-73 loss to Canada in the first game of a back-to-back in Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic.

#Canada took a decisive 113-77 win in the second game.

#Team Bahamas split the pair of games in the second window in February. They won 86-76 over the US Virgin Islands and lost 90-65 to The Dominican Republic at the Palacio de los Deportes in the Dominican Republic.

#Sixteen teams are competing in the Americas region, vying for seven spots.

#The top three teams from each group will qualify for the second round of qualifiers.

#In the second round, the 12 teams that qualified will be divided into two groups of six.

#Subsequently, the three best teams from each group, and the fourth-placed team, will qualify for the World Cup.

DREAM Again Basketball Camp instructors and campers pose above. Photos by Alecia Thompson

As of Tuesday, July 5, 2022

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CAMP director JR Cadot, left, reunites with American Randy Shepherd at the Dream Again Basketball Camp.

AMERICAN Randy Shepherd addresses campers at the Dream Again Basketball Camp.

#By BRENT STUBBS

#Senior Sports Reporter

#bstubbs@tribunemedia.net

#CAMP director JR Cadot said when his NEXT Basketball organisation decided to put on their inaugural Dream Again Basketball Camp, he knew it would be an extraordinary camp.

#The camp, which got started on June 27 at the Remnant Tabernacle of Praise auditorium, shifted into another gear with the participation of American Randy Shepherd yesterday.

#Shepherd, a former professional travelling team-mate of Cadot on the international basketball circuit, took the opportunity to address the campers on the importance of putting their faith and trust in God.

#Shepherd, a founder of CrossFire, an organisation known for sharing Jesus through different ministries, was invited by Cadot to be a part of the camp.

#“I’m just so blessed to be here and I’m so proud of JR for putting on his first camp,” Shepherd said.

#“We’ve had the chance to travel around the world, but I’m getting older, so it’s so good to be able to sow into young men like him and they can carry on the Gospel of Jesus through this silly game of basketball.”

#Although he has benefitted tremendously from the game, Shepherd said to him, it’s a “silly game” compared to spreading the Gospel of Jesus Christ and that is why he is so devoted to the cause.

#“I told them basketball will fail them one day,” he said.

#“There are 500,000 high school basketball players in the United States of American, but only 42,000 will get a basketball scholarship. “So, we want to incorporate the importance of knowing the word of God because they will have something to fall back on when basketball has failed them because one day, they won’t get to play this game again.”

#For its initial year, Cadot said he’s been pleased with the turnout.

#“We thank God for the campers who have showed up,” Cadot said.

#“We intend to give them the opportunity to listen to some professionals in all aspects of life, but especially from the Christian perspective because we believe that there is more to life than playing basketball.

#“We want to teach them about life skills,” Cadot said.

#“So, we will be focusing on their fundamentals and teaching them the important aspects of life.”

#Having reunited with Shepherd, who hails out of North Carolina, Cadot said he remembers how they travelled through Asia sharing the gospel.

#While Shepherd arrived here on Saturday, Cadot said he was glad to get him in before he moves around to the other camps before he departs on Friday.

#Since the camp got started, Grand Bahamian pro basketball player Willis Mackey Jr has been assisting Cadot and he said he has been impressed by what he’s seen.

#“I’m just glad to be able to come in here and help Cadot to guide these youngsters because I’ve learned a lot from playing overseas and this is a good opportunity to share my experience,” Mackey Jr said.

#“I have had a chance to see Randy Shepherd in action and I’m so glad that he came here to impart some of his knowledge to the campers.

#“I’m also learning as he goes along because there is some stuff that I could use in teaching the youngsters not just in this camp, but any other that I get the opportunity to participate in.”

#At least three of the campers interviewed were thrilled by what they got out of the camp so far.

#Delmaro Deal, a 14-year-old student at St Augustine’s College, said Cadot is a very good coach and he’s willing to get some experience from him. “I’ve learned how to play defence and work on my ball-handling and shooting the basketball,” Deal said.

#“I also thought the presentation today was very good. It’s something that I can add to when I’m playing basketball.”

#Achim Colebrooke, a 12-year-old student of Kingsway Academy who will be transferring to St Andrew’s School, said the camp has been very educational for him.

#“I want to choose basketball as my sport (to participate in) and try to become good at it,” said Colebrooke, who also plays soccer and tennis. “It’s fun and I am learning a lot of things about basketball.

#“Plus, the gentleman (Shepherd) told us that if we believe in God, we can do anything.”

#Ian Mills, a nine-year-old student of St Andrew’s School, said he decided to join the camp to better his basketball skills.

#“I’ve learned dribbling and exercise techniques,” Mills said. “I also liked how the gentleman told the student about God. It was very good.”

#Cadot, the camp administrator, said the numbers have been quite impressive so far for the camp.

#“A lot of parents come here and say they can’t afford to have their son sitting home playing video games, so they register them,” said Thompson, a student at Velencia College in Orlando, Florida where she is studying bio-medical science.

#“So, this is a good location for the camp.”

#Cadot said at the end of the camp on July 15, they hope that they can continue the process of developing the “future leaders” of the country.

#“We wanted to put this camp on to inspire, encourage and to build the self-esteem and a strong faith in God in these youngers,” he said.

#“We had one of our sponsors come in earlier and said that if we are not investing in our kids, we are not investing in our future, and this is our future. If you give a child a fish, he will eat today, but if you teach a child to fish, he will eat for a lifetime.”