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Simba FrenchSend an email14 hours ago 155 3 minute readFacebookTwitterLinkedInShare via Email

After two lackluster games from Bahamian DeAndre Ayton and the Phoenix Suns, a two-game losing streak was snapped on Tuesday as they easily took care of the Dallas Mavericks. Now, they are just one win away from advancing to what would be their second straight trip to the National Basketball Association’s (NBA) Western Conference Finals. They blew out the Mavericks, 110-80, on Tuesday night, to take a 3-2 lead in the series.

The Suns have a chance to close out the series tonight in Game Six at the American Airlines Center in Dallas, Texas. That game tips off at 9:30 p.m. and it will be televised on ESPN. That arena has not been good for the Suns as they are still trying to figure out how to win there this postseason, having lost games three and four there.

Ayton touched 20 points for the second time in the series after combining for 30 points in the previous two games. He poured in 25 points in Game One. He chose his shot selection wisely in Game Five, and went 9-for-13 from the field, shooting 69.2 percent. That was his best shooting performance of the series. He was also able to grab nine rebounds in 22 minutes on the floor, and added two assists in the contest.

He credited his team’s defense with the win.

“Defense, that’s what got us going,” Ayton said. “We were running when we got stops, closing out possessions and, today, I felt like we were on the offensive boards a lot. Our guards were getting in there, getting some tap-outs. Bismack Biyombo got his hands on a few, and all that stuff generated so much energy and momentum plays.”

It was a tale of two halves in this matchup as the Suns put on a defensive masterpiece in the second half. They held the Mavericks to just 11-for-31 shooting from the field, equivalent to 35.5 percent. The Mavericks only made two of their 16 attempts from deep and turned the ball over 14 times in that half. Over the two final periods, the Mavericks combined for just 34 points after scoring 46 points in the first two quarters. The Suns outscored them 61-34 in the second half.

On the offensive side, the Suns shot a blistering 51.1 percent from the field in the second half. They finished with eight made three-point shots and had eight steals and 16 assists on 23 made field goal attempts.

This came after a closely contested first half in which the Suns led 49-46 heading into the intermission. The Suns’ first lead of the game was 3-2, but after the Mavs went ahead, the Suns didn’t lead again until they went up 44-42 late in the second quarter. The Mavericks took the lead again before Cam Johnson hit a shot from deep with under two minutes left in the second quarter to give the Suns a 47-45 lead. They never trailed again.

The Bahamian came alive in the second half as he and guard Devin Booker tied for 12 points each in that half. Ayton missed just one of his seven second-half field goal attempts as he played a major role in the Suns’ dominance. He scored eight points in the third which was part of a dominating 33-14 third quarter edge for the Suns. The Suns opened the third quarter on a 19-4 scoring run to go up 68-50. During that run, Ayton and Booker accounted for 17 of their 19 points.

In Game Five, the Mavericks shot 8-for-32 from deep – a far cry from their 20-for-44 performance from deep in Game Four.

In this Western Conference semifinal series, Ayton is averaging 16.8 points and 8.4 rebounds per contest. He is shooting 57.5 percent from the field this series and has not shot below 50 percent in any game this postseason. The big man is shooting 75 percent from the free-throw line which is a tick above his regular season average.

 Home|Sports|Table tennis tourney set for next week SaturdaySports

Simba FrenchSend an email5 hours ago 132 2 minute readFacebookTwitterLinkedInShare via Email

In an effort to encourage longevity and competitiveness in the sport of table tennis locally, the Nassau Youth Table Tennis Club will host a tournament on Saturday, May 21 at the L.W. Young Junior High School on Bernard Road.

The tournament is sanctioned by the Bahamas Table Tennis Federation. It will feature under-12, under-16 and under-19 divisions for both boys and girls. The tournament is free of charge, and water, light snacks, paddles and table tennis balls will be provided. There will be ample tables for the matches to be played on.

Organizer of the event Sudan Khalfani said the table tennis community is finally getting itself back on its feet as they look to resume training and tournaments following the threat of the COVID-19 pandemic.

“This tournament is a very important one because this is where I get a good idea of the level of skills that we have with the youth in The Bahamas. There will be a series of tournaments in short order that will be produced so that we can have a good temperature of the skill level of the children,” Khalfani said.

Khalfani said he has been working with some juniors for the past few months, teaching them the game at L.W. Young. Prior to COVID-19, Khalfani was already working with some of the juniors. After the restrictions were loosened and action resumed, he welcomed some newer children to the training sessions.

“The children who were there prior to COVID maintained their skill level and have improved. I have seen the biggest improvement in the new kids where they are developing at a much faster rate thanks to the federation and sponsors. It allowed me to facilitate their progress. I am very proud of the newer children because of their ability to learn. All are enthusiastic,” Khalfani said.

Khalfani said he was not surprised at the interest from the junior players for the sport.

“The more kids I see playing, it gives me hope that there is a big future for table tennis,” Khalfani said. “It also helps the federation because the more children who are participating, the more they can lend their support, the more champions that we can develop, and the more scholarship opportunities they can get.”

The federation is planning to have about three tournaments like the upcoming one, plus a national event, and they are looking to build a national team.

Khalfani is in the process of going into the inner city to teach the sport through the Urban Renewal Program.

Interested persons who want to play in the upcoming tournament can contact Khalfani at (242) 426-5153 or at e-mail address coachella.bahama@gmail.com.

Last Updated: Feb 13, 2017 – 1:45:37 AM

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Mychal Thompson Foundation launched in Grand Bahama By Bahamas Information Services Jul 22, 2015 – 6:13:50 PM

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Pictured along with Mychal Thompson (centre) are officers, and advisors of the foundation along with community builders. (BIS Photo/Vandyke Hepburn)

Freeport, The Bahamas – Well-known Bahamian basketball player Mychal “Sweet Bells” Thompson launched the The Mychal Thompson Foundation at the Eight Mile Rock School Gym on Saturday, July 18, to assist Bahamian youth in achieving academic and athletic dreams.   

Speaking on behalf of Minister for Grand Bahama, the Hon. Dr. Michael Darville,  Mr. Harcourt Brown, Undersecretary of the Ministry for Grand Bahama encouraged young people to take advantage of this awesome opportunity.  

Waltiea Rolle,  former WNBA player, was the special guest at the launch.  She told the young people to stay focused and never give up on their dreams.

TOP: Patron of the Foundation, Mychal “Sweet Bells” Thompson; BOTTOM LEFT: Brief remarks by Harcourt Brown; BOTTOM RIGHT: Special guest Walteia Rolle. (BIS Photos/Vandyke Hepburn)

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Simba FrenchSend an email2 days ago 481 2 minute readFacebookTwitterLinkedInShare via Email

Bahamian Yolett ‘Coach Yo’ McPhee-McCuin has turned heads in National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) Division I women’s basketball after helping the University of Mississippi (Ole Miss) Rebels turn its program around. They had a historic performance last season, and McPhee-McCuin just completed her fourth year at the helm of the program.

Just last week, McPhee-McCuin inked a contract extension, for four years, which has her locked in until 2026. That cancels speculation that she was on the move after the season ended. The announcement came from Ole Miss Vice Chancellor for Intercollegiate Athletics Keith Carter.

“We have continued to state emphatically that Ole Miss is going to compete for championships, and under Coach Yo’s leadership, our women’s basketball team has risen to that level of competitiveness,” Carter said. “She has been relentless in elevating our program on the court, in the classroom, in the community, and in every element of our student-athletes’ experience. We are excited to make this commitment to Coach Yo and look forward to standing by her side as we raise banners at the SJB Pavilion soon.”

McPhee-McCuin, who coached the Rebels to a 23-9 win/loss record and a 10-6 Southeastern Conference (SEC) record, said she is elated to be at the helm for the Rebels for another four years.

“I am humbled and grateful for the support from Chancellor Boyce, Athletics Director Keith Carter, Senior Women’s Administrator Jennifer Saxon and the rest of our administration,” McPhee-McCuin said. “Their commitment recognizes the accomplishments that our program has achieved, reflects their belief in the long-term vision that has been put into place and demonstrates their unwavering trust of the success of our program in the future.

“In addition, I’m thankful for the loyal support of our faculty and staff, boosters and our fans. I am looking forward to building on the foundation of our success and continuing to lead a program that represents our fans, the university and the state of Mississippi.”

The Rebels had one of their best seasons in 2021-2022, securing an at-large bid for the NCAA Division I Women’s Basketball Tournament. It was their first appearance at the tournament since 2007 and their 18th overall. Two things that McPhee-McCuin has preached to her players since taking over the program in Oxford, Mississippi, are toughness and defense. They came away with 142 blocked shots a season ago, which was a single-season record. They also kept 10 opponents under 50 points, which was also a school record.

McPhee-McCuin’s program groomed post player Shakira Austin into a lottery selection in the Women’s National Basketball Association (WNBA) Draft as she was drafted third overall. Austin was a three-time All-America Honorable Mention, earned First-Team All-SEC recognition for the second year in a row this year and was awarded the Gillom Trophy – an award given annually to the best women’s college basketball player in the state of Mississippi by the Mississippi Sports Hall of Fame – for the second time in her career.

In the SEC Tournament, the Rebels finished with a semifinal appearance, which was their first since 1994. Also, they touched the Associated Press’ (AP) Poll at number 24 during the year – their first time in the poll since 2007.

 Home|Sports|‘Jazz’ goes deep on Mother’s DaySports

Marlins lose on dramatic walk-off three-run home run by Padres’ pinch hitter

Sheldon LongleySend an email2 days ago 343 3 minute readFacebookTwitterLinkedInShare via Email

The spectacular sophomore season of Bahamian professional baseball player Jasrado ‘Jazz’ Chisholm Jr. in the majors continued on Sunday as he belted his fifth home run of the year, giving the Miami Marlins a 2-0 lead against the San Diego Padres in Southern California, but they couldn’t hold on as they fell 3-2 on a dramatic walk-off three-run home run from Jorge Alfaro.

The Marlins were an out away from salvaging the final game of a four-game set with the Padres as a shutout was in order for the second day in a row, but Alfaro had other plans. The Padres’ pinch hitter jumped on the first pitch he saw, with two out in the bottom of the ninth, an 85.4 miles per hour (mph) slider from Marlins’ right handed reliever Cole Sulser, and deposited it over the wall in left center field for the dramatic three-run walk-off home run.

Up until that blast, Marlins’ pitching were shutting out the Padres at Petco Park in San Diego with scattered hitting through eight and two third innings, and the Padres hadn’t scored in the series for 20 consecutive innings. Still, the Padres managed to win the weekend series three games to one and trailed the Los Angeles Dodgers by just a game in the standings in the National League West Division of Major League Baseball (MLB) up to press time. They have a 19-10 win/loss record, while the Dodgers were 18-7 up to press time, with a game against the Chicago Cubs pending.

The Marlins (13-15) dropped to third in the National League East Division, six games behind the front-running New York Mets (20-10) and just percentage points behind the World Series Champions Atlanta Braves (14-16). They suffered three hurtful one-run losses to the Padres over the weekend, 2-1 on Thursday, 3-2 on Friday and 3-2 again on Mother’s Day on Sunday on Alfaro’s walk-off home run. They won 8-0 on Saturday.

As for Chisholm, the Bahamian now has an 11-game hitting streak, and has hit safely in each of the Marlins games in May. In his last 13 games, Chisholm is batting .340 – 18-for-53 with two home runs, nine RBIs and 10 runs scored.

In the series over the weekend, he batted .235, going 4-for-17 at the plate with one home run, two RBIs (runs batted in) and three runs scored. On Mother’s Day on Sunday, Chisholm finished with a solo home run in four at-bats.

The flashy Bahamian was adorned in pink paraphernalia in celebration of Mother’s Day on Sunday, as all MLB players were. For the season, the 24-year-old left-handed slugger is batting .310 with five home runs, 21 RBIs and 16 runs scored. 

Chisholm’s first at-bat wasn’t a good one on Sunday as he struck out on three pitches. He struck out again in the top of the third before connecting for his fifth home run of the year in the top of the sixth. In his final at-bat of the day, one inning later, Chisholm flew out to Padres’ center fielder Trent Grisham.

Chisholm is among the leaders in a number of offensive categories in the majors.

The Marlins’ leadoff hitter leads the league in triples at three, he’s tied for sixth in steals with six, tied for sixth in slugging percentage (SLG) at .621, eighth in on-base plus slugging percentage (OPS) at .975, in a four-way tie for eighth in RBIs at 21, and he’s top 20 in batting average at .310.

Chisholm’s unique combination of power, speed, hand-eye coordination, athleticism and overall game awareness has him recognized as one of the more impactful players in Major League Baseball. His name is now a household one across the United States, excelling in America’s favorite pastime.

The Bahamian was recently recognized as the most electrifying player in the majors by Ben Verlander of FOX Sports and as the best second baseman in the game by National MLB Columnist Joel Reuter. He is already a frontrunner for a spot in the 2022 MLB All-Star Game, the 92nd edition of the classic, on Tuesday July 19 at Dodger Stadium in Los Angeles, California.

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On the field,Chisholm is just as flashy as he is at the plate. He has 43 putouts and 58 assists in 103 total chances this season. He has helped turn 14 double plays and has a fielding percentage of .981.

It was hurtful loss for Chisholm and the Marlins on Sunday, but now they have to put that behind them and prepare for the Arizona Diamondbacks who they face in a three-game series, stating this evening at Chase Field, in Phoenix, Arizona. They will be off on Thursday and then return to LoanDepot Park in Miami, Florida, for a nine-game homestead – three against the Milwaukee Brewers, three against the Washington Nationals and then three against the Braves.

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The Nassau GuardianSend an email1 day ago 214 1 minute readFacebookTwitterLinkedInShare via Email

Bahamian Ashley Michel continues to excel in collegiate golf.

She was rewarded for a progressive season, as she was named to the National Junior College Athletic Association (NJCAA) Region XI All-Region First Team. The all-region teams were announced by the Iowa Community College Athletic Conference (ICCAC) on Monday, and featured four members of the Des Moines Area Community College (DMACC) women’s golf team.

Michel, a freshman, was the only one of the quartet named to the first team. Taylor Balsley of Ames, Iowa, also a freshman, was named to the second team, and honorable mention went to COVID-19 freshmen (CoFR) Krista Swenson of Story City, Iowa, and Quinn Eslinger of Afton, Iowa.

A COVID-19 freshman simply means the student-athlete is in his or her first year of collegiate eligibility due to the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Michel shot a career-low 77 in earning medalist honors at the North Iowa Area Community College (NIACC) Spring Invitational in Mason City, Iowa, at the end of April. She finished tied for third in that tournament, helping her team, the DMACC Bears, finish third overall with a 341 posting. Waldorf University took the team championship with an 18-hole score of 325, Iowa Lakes Community College finished second with a 337 and the DMACC Bears were third.

Prior to that tournament, Michel had two strong two rounds of 85 and 81 for a 166 total to help the Bears finish fourth with a 36-hole score of 729 at the Jimmie Spring Swing at the Ames Golf & Country Club in Ames, Iowa. In individual play in that tournament, Michel finished tied for second with Annie Balduzzi of the University of South Florida (USF). She was seven strokes behind the winner.

Michel closed out the regular season with a seventh-place finish at the NJCAA North Plains District Championship. She now goes on to play in the NJCAA National Championships which will be contested through May 12 in Sanford, Florida.

DMACC is a public institution serving the educational and career training needs, and is committed to the lifelong successes of its students.

Ayton notches double double as Suns falls on Mother’s Day; series tied 2-2

Simba FrenchSend an email1 day ago 223 3 minute readFacebookTwitterLinkedInShare via Email

It’s a new series for Bahamian professional basketball player DeAndre Ayton and the Phoenix Suns as they fell 111-101 to the Dallas Mavericks at the American Airlines Center in Dallas, Texas, on Mother’s Day. Now, the National Basketball Association (NBA) Western Conference semifinal best-of-seven series is deadlocked at two games apiece.

Ayton dropped his first double-double of the series in a losing effort on Sunday, but it’s now a best-of-three series with the scene shifting back to the Footprint Center in Phoenix, Arizona.

Playing in front of his mother, Andrea Ayton, for the the first time in his four-year career on Mother’s Day, the Bahamian big man scored 14 points and pulled down 11 rebounds in 32 minutes on the floor. He went 7-for-12 from the field, shooting a blistering 58.3 percent. He was great on the offensive and defensive glass.

The Suns were out of sync for both games three and four, especially the fourth game, as they dug themselves into a hole early, giving up eight three-point shots in the first quarter. Also, they turned the ball over 17 times on Sunday compared to just 11 for Dallas.

All-Star point guard Chris Paul was a non-factor in this game as he was fouled out for the fourth time in his postseason career, finishing with more fouls than points. He had just five points in the game, and had four fouls in the first half alone. On Friday night, the Suns’ leader turned the ball over seven times in the first half.

Booker stepped up and scored 35 points and had seven boards on Sunday, but it was not enough.

Luka Dončić led the way for the Mavericks with 26 points and 11 assists despite shooting 9-for-25 from the field. Coming up short in the first two games of the series was Dončić’s supporting cast. However in the fourth game, Dorian Finney-Smith stepped up for his team with a playoff-career high 24 points. He shot 8-for-12 from deep for those 24 points.

The game had just one lead change and was tied three times as the Suns could not get a game-changing run.

Ayton had four shot attempts in the first quarter and made two of them. His first made shot, a layup, gave the Suns their only lead of the game, 7-5, with 9:43 left in the first quarter. At the end of the first quarter, the Mavericks led 37-25.

In the second quarter, both teams scored 31 points. The Suns cut their deficit to seven points, 57-50, with 3:36 left in the first half. The Mavericks fought back and went up 68-56 at the intermission.

Coming out of the intermission, the Suns went on a 7-0 scoring run to get to within 68-63 at the 8:50 mark. The Mavericks, like they did in the first half, found a way to shake off the Suns with a 7-0 run of their own. They led 75-63 at the 7:20 mark in the third quarter. The Suns outscored the Mavs 22-19 to go into the fourth quarter down 87-78.

Paul checked into the game with five fouls at the 10:28 mark of the fourth quarter and looked to breathe some life into the Suns. However, at the 8:58 mark he fouled out of the game with the Mavericks up 89-81. It was all Mavericks for the remainder of the game.

The Suns shot better than the Mavericks from the field at a 46.4 percent compared to the Mavericks’ 44.7 percent, and also out-rebounded the Mavericks for the fourth straight time in the series, 44-37. The biggest difference was the long-range shots where the Suns only had nine compared to the Mavericks’ 20.

Ayton is averaging 16 points and 8.3 rebounds per game in the series and is shooting 54.6 percent from the field.

The series now heads back to Phoenix deadlocked at two games apiece. Ayton and company will look to take the 3-2 lead on the Mavs. Game Five is set for tonight, getting underway at 10 p.m. That game will be televised on TNT.

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The Nassau GuardianSend an email9 hours ago 152 1 minute readFacebookTwitterLinkedInShare via Email

For the past 14 years, the Caribbean Bottling Company (CBC) Bahamas Ltd. and Sprite have supported basketball initiatives around the country as a way to provide positive activities for young Bahamian men and women in the summer months.

This year, the company will once again support a number of basketball tournaments, camps and community outreach programs, inclusive of the Kevin Johnson Basketball Camp.

CBC has supported the Kevin Johnson Basketball Camp for a number of years, and Coach Johnson will once again help to develop the talents of young players as they hone their skills and become more disciplined in the sport. The camp has been around for over two decades, and aims to instill lifelong skills such as discipline and positive attitudes, in the kids.

“Each summer, we proudly support various summer camps, youth groups, and community outreach programs,” noted CBC Communications Marketing Manager Nikia Wells. “We are always impressed by the sportsmanship, excitement, and level of athleticism displayed by the young athletes who take part.”

CBC will be keeping the players hydrated and refreshed with Dasani water and Sprite during the camp, which will take place from June 27 to July 15, 2022.

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Simba FrenchSend an email8 hours ago 173 2 minute readFacebookTwitterLinkedInShare via Email

Bahamian collegiate basketball player Ahmard Harvey has left the Coastal Carolina University Chanticleers program and is now headed to High Point, North Carolina, to play for the High Point University Panthers after using the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) transfer portal.

Harvey spent the last three years playing for the Chanticleers in the Sun Belt Conference of NCAA Division I basketball and will now be taking his talent to the Big South Conference in division one.

The Grand Bahama native made the announcement on social media this past weekend. Harvey joins Bahamians such as Sammy Hunter and Lathaniel Bastian who took the bold step for a change of scenery through the NCAA transfer portal.

The Panthers finished last season with a 14-18 win/loss record and were 7-9 in the Big South Conference. Their season ended with a 68-51 quarterfinal loss to Winthrop University in the Big South Tournament. While at High Point, Harvey will be playing for Panthers’ Head Coach G.G. Smith who has been there since 2017.

The 6’7” forward played in just seven games last season due to an injury and not being in Head Coach Cliff Ellis’ rotation some games. He averaged just 1.7 points and 1.3 rebounds per game. Harvey was able to score a season-high six points in two games. This highlight of his season was him playing here in New Providence at the Baha Mar Convention Center in the Baha Mar Hoops Nassau Championship. Although he played sparingly, just two minutes in one game and a minute in the other, he said he was happy to be home, seeing and spending time with his family members.

In his sophomore season, Harvey played in 21 games – his most in a season. He averaged 2.4 points and 2.1 rebounds per game and shot 55 percent from the field. In his freshman season, he was on the floor 17 times. He averaged 1.5 points and 1.5 rebounds per game that season.

Last season, the Chanticleers finished with a 19-14 win/loss record, 8-8 in the Sun Belt Conference.

Harvey played locally for Coach Darrell Sears at St. George’s Senior High School in Freeport, Grand Bahama. After playing there, he went on to complete his high school studies in Louisville, Kentucky, playing for the Aspire Basketball Academy.

In his final year at Aspire, Harvey averaged 13.7 points, 9.3 rebounds, 3.1 assists and 1.1 steals per game.

Meet to serve as a CARIFTA and Commonwealth Games qualifier

Simba FrenchSend an email5 hours ago 167 2 minute readFacebookTwitterLinkedInShare via Email

The Bahamas Triathlon Association (BTA) will host its national championships on Sunday, May 15 at Jaws Beach, and the first portion of the nationals, which encompasses swimming, gets underway at 6 a.m.

The meet is a CARIFTA and Commonwealth Games qualifying event. The 2022 CARIFTA Triathlon and Aquathlon Championships is slated for September 23-24 at Clearwater Beach, Southside, Bermuda. The Commonwealth Games will be held from July 28 to August 8 in Birmingham, England.

BTA President Dorian Roach said he is happy the national championships are returning – for the first time since the COVID-19 pandemic forced a disruption in sports two years ago.

“We are excited because it is not only our national championships but it’s our second qualifier for the CARIFTA Games and the Commonwealth Games. We are going to have some competition in both the youth and the senior groups, and even among the younger athletes which may be the 

highlight of the day,” Roach said.

There is a sprint distance for the open division (16-years-old and above). That includes a 750 meters (m) swim, a 20 kilometers (km) bike ride and a 5km run. For the juniors (13-14 years), they will swim for 400m, bike ride for 10km and run for 2.5km. There are two age categories among the youth: 11-12-year-old athletes swimming for 200m, bike riding for 5km and running for 2km; and the 9-10 age category doing a 100m swim, a 5km ride and a 1km run. For the 8-and-under category, those participants will do a 50m swim and 1 km bike ride.

Up to yesterday, there were about 60 persons registered and organizers are expecting about 80 to 100 participants. The deadline to register is Thursday.

So far, there have been 21 CARIFTA qualifiers and there are nine spots left as the association looks to field a 30-member team. While in Bermuda, they will also be competing in the aquathlon, which is swimming and running, in addition to the triathlon. The CARIFTA boys and girls age groups are 11-12, 13-15, 16-19 and there is a new age group, under-21.

“Our only triathlon to date since COVID was the Potcakeman, so between that competition and this competition, we use combined points,” Roach said. “Persons who competed in the last triathlon got some points already, and now it is up to those folks who are on the border to qualify for CARIFTA and get some more points to make that team in this championship.

“For the Commonwealth Games, competitors are fighting for one spot. That spot will go to the winner in the open men’s category once that person is a Bahamian and has a Bahamian passport. For those who are eligible, the winner of that age group will be the qualifier for the Commonwealth Games,” Roach added.

Amid the pandemic, Roach said the clubs were able to train and the juniors were looking forward to CARIFTA competition.

“A lot of the children have been training and are looking forward to competition. After the Potcakeman, everyone is geared up to go. This competition is the last chance to make the CARIFTA team, but they have been training for two years. This has been their goal – to make the CARFITA team. It is the same drive for the older guys, to make the Commonwealth Games team,” Roach said.

Unlike other sports, Roach said there is not a lot of trash-talking among the competitors, but rather they support and encourage each other.

He said he is happy to see that sponsors came on board to support the championships and make it possible for the association to put on a first-class event.