• Simba French
• Nov 8, 2023
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The Bahamas Association of Independent Secondary Schools (BAISS) wrapped up its softball regular season on Monday, and will get its two-day sudden death playoffs underway today at Freedom Farm Complex. Games get started at 4 p.m.

There will be four playoff games today. The second and third seeds in the junior boys, junior girls, senior girls and senior boys divisions battle for a spot in the championship games. The number one and four seeds will face each other tomorrow for the final spot in the championships, at 4 p.m. at the same location.

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“The level of competition has stepped up from last year coming out of the COVID-19 pandemic, where schools were limited with practice, so there was not any continuity. This year saw most of the schools being able to catch up and get back up to speed. The girls division was very competitive, especially the senior girls where the level has improved a lot. Most of the schools have improved their pitching, as they have employed windmill pitching and not the lob pitching anymore,” Beckford said.

The junior girls game will see the defending champions and second seed St. Augustine’s College (SAC) Big Red Machine (3-1) play third seed St. Anne’s Schools Blue Waves (2-2). The second seed Blue Waves (3-2) will take on third seed Nassau Christian Schools Crusaders (3-2) in the junior boys division.

In the senior girls division, second seed Queen’s College Comets (8-1) take on third seed St. John’s College Giants (7-2). Rounding out the games today will be the senior boys division, which pits second seed Kingsway Academy Saints (7-1) against the defending champions and third seed Crusaders (7-1).

Thursday will kick off with the pennant winners Comets (4-0) against fourth seed Crusaders (1-3) in the junior girls division. The junior boys division will see pennant winners SAC (4-0) face off against fourth seed Temple Christian Sun (2-3). A new champion will be crowned in the junior boys division as the defending champions, the Comets, did not make the playoffs.

In the senior girls division, the pennant winners SAC (9-0) play against the defending champions and fourth seed Crusaders (5-4). The final playoff matchup will see the pennant winners SAC (7-1) take on fourth seed Comets (4-4).https://de8a581aa3816a88cd8982f33d7c5dfd.safeframe.googlesyndication.com/safeframe/1-0-40/html/container.html

The game one championship game for all four divisions gets underway on Monday, November 13 at Freedom Farm at 4 p.m. Game two is set for Wednesday, November 15, while game three if necessary is set for Thursday, November 16.

Richard Gibson Jr (centre) getting ready to tee off.

As of Tuesday, November 7, 2023

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BRAVING THE WEATHER: Bahamian golfer Richard Gibson Jr at the 19th Pan American Games in Santiago, Chile, last week.

#By BRENT STUBBS

#Senior Sports Reporter

#bstubbs@tribunemedia.net

#In breaking new grounds as the first Bahamian golfer to compete in the Pan American Games, Richard Gibson Jr said his experience in Santiago, Chile, last week could be rated an eight out of a 10.

#Gibson Jr, with Bahamas Golf Federation president Lynford Miller as his caddie, was a part of an almost 20-member team that represented the Bahamas in swimming, tennis, sailing, wrestling and track and field.

#After his four days of competition against a combined professional and amateur field of 30 competitors, Gibson Jr finished with a total score of 297 on Sunday after he posted rounds of 77-72-73-75 to end up in a two-way tie for 27th with Jean Paul Ducruet of Panama.

#Abraham Ancer of Mexico took the gold with 267 (68-67-65-67), while the silver went to Sebastian Munoz of Colombia with 268 (66-66-68-68) and the bronze went to American Dylan Menante with 271 (66-69-70-66).

#For the 31-year-old Gibson Jr, the operations manager at the Royal Blue Golf Course at Baha Mar, the experience was one that he will never forget, not just because of how he played but the conditions that he played under.

#“I was expecting to come and just see golfers. I wasn’t expecting to see athletes from every sport,” he said. “This was something definitely new for me being in an efficiency with all of your countrymen from other sports in a Games Village. It was just crazy.”

#Another shocker was when Gibson Jr arrived to start preparing for the competition, he found out that it was more of a pro event with about 22 pros from the golf tours in the region with eight amateurs.

#“One of the guys, who I played against in the Corn Ferry event in the Bahamas, I played with, who actually won the event,” Gibson Jr said. “I didn’t get to play with a lot of the pros.

#“I really stayed with the same guys for the four rounds. I had one person who I either played with earlier in the week or later in the week. I really didn’t get bounced around that much.”

#His performance dictated that and although it was “average,” Gibson Jr said he will take it.

#“Due to the fact that the weather was crazy, not to make excuses, but it was too cold for me,” he pointed out. “But overall, I think my performance was decent. It wasn’t great, but due to the circumstances of the weather, it was alright.”

#Realising that he struggled more with his putting during the competition, Gibson Jr said he missed a lot of them and that could be attributed to the fact that he added a new putter to his bag about two weeks ago and he really didn’t have a chance to get used to it.

#“I don’t feel that was it, but I missed putts that I normally wouldn’t miss, so that probably was it,” he stated. “Putting really killed me during this tournament.” If there was any consolation for Gibson, he was able to interact with a lot of the Bahamian athletes in the Games Village, something that he wouldn’t get to do at home.

#“They were giving me some advice on how to market myself as well,” he revealed. “Some of them have already been to the Olympics, so it was nice to hear about their experiences and what it takes to get it.”

#During his stay in Chile, Gibson Jr said he missed watching Lamar Taylor pick up his silver medal in swimming or witness the tennis players in action, especially collegian Sydney Clarke, whom everybody talked highly about her performance.

#But he said he was there to watch as Rhema Otabor secured the silver in the women’s javelin and Donald Thomas soared to gold in the high jump. He said he was impressed by the performances of the track team, including sprinter Samson Colebrooke.

#After he finished his competition, Gibson said he was surprised that so many people were interested in getting his autograph. He called it a “new experience” for him as well.

#But he credited a lot of accomplishments to Gina Gonzalez-Rolle, who had always encouraged him to “get it together” because she considered him “the best that we have.”

#Gibson Jr will now prepare for the Latin American Championships in January in Panama where he and Nolan Johnson will be representing the Bahamas as the top two ranked players on the circuit.

#Miller, who also served as the team manager in Chile, said for the level of competition, Gibson Jr played his best.

#“We wanted better. We tried for better, but things just didn’t work that way. It was a very competitive field,” Miller pointed out. “He had some bad breaks and some unfamiliar weather out there, so he had to bear with that and adjusted accordingly.

#“But overall, we had a pretty good showing. Everything went very well. We picked up some things that we could learn from and just get adjusted for the next event.”

#As a caddie, Miller said he had to adjust to a learning process as well.

#“I’ve never experienced being a caddie, walking and giving advice,” he reflected. “I’ve always been a person making up my own mind, so it was a good experience adjusting to somebody else’s experience.”

#Having cracked the Pan Am level, Miller said the next step is of course the Olympic Games.

#“One of my mandates when I took over as the president was to get a Bahamian in the Olympics,” he stressed. “I think we are still on track for that to happen. We started the process with getting our athletes ranked. You can’t get there if you’re not ranked.

#“So we’re working on that. We have a few Bahamians who are ranked. Now that’s happening, we’re checking the next step to see what is necessary for us to get to the Olympics.”

#Having gotten his feet wet in competition at the Pan Am Games, Gibson Jr said whatever it takes, he’s willing to go the extra mile to get a chance to compete in the Olympics, if not in Paris, France next, at least in Los Angeles, California in 2028.

#He said the experience at Pan Am has just gotten him thirstier for more of the same exposure to the international level of the games’ competition, rather than just going to a golf tournament.

As of Tuesday, November 7, 2023

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#By BRENT STUBBS

#Senior Sports Reporter

#bstubbs@tribunemedia.net

#IN an effort to provide more opportunities for local players to participate in the game, a group of persons have come together to form the Spiking in Paradise Thanksgiving Volleyball Tournament.

#The committee, including Dr Bridgette Rolle, Cora Hepburn, Dawn Woodside-Johnson, Lancerlot Miller and Edrick Poitier, will host the tournament from November 17-19 at both the Anatol Rodgers and DW Davis gymnasiums.

#According to Rolle, the tournament will be held as a part of the Ministry of Youth, Sports and Culture’s National Sports Month and will be open to teams in both the private and public schools and the New Providence Volleyball Association.

#“Initially we had hoped to have some international teams come and participate, but they said because it was too close to Thanksgiving, they won’t be able to travel this year,” Rolle said. “This is just the beginning because we hope to make this an annual event.

#“We are also looking at putting on several tournaments during the year so hopefully we can get those teams out of the region to come in and participate. We just want to provide a lot more opportunities for our local players to participate in the game.”

#While the games will kick off on Friday, November 17 with the NPVA men and ladies’ teams participating, Rolle said they will be staging competition between the top four schools in both public and private on Saturday. The tournament will close out on Sunday, November 19.

#“We are looking forward to putting on a very exciting tournament,” Rolle said. “We know that the NPVA is currently playing its regular season right now and so there is a lot of interest in volleyball. We want to increase that excitement.

#“We have added the high school division to allow the teams playing in the Government Secondary Schools Sports Association and the Bahamas Small Schools Association, as well as the Bahamas Association of Independent Secondary Schools, to come out and participate.”

#Rolle said it’s important to have the high school teams participate as well because it will provide them with an opportunity to also get to play some extra games. She said they are thrilled to be able to open the tournament to the future volleyball players in the country.

#“The Ministry of Sports had approached. We had originally planned to host this tournament in December, but they approached us and asked us if we would like for the tournament to be a featured part of the activities,” Rolle said. “They are also a sponsor for the tournament.”

#Rolle said the tournament will also have some participation from at least Grand Bahama, which is expected to be represented by an All-Star team.

#She noted that they were also looking at getting a team in from Abaco, but there will be some participation of players on some of the local teams.

#Teams still interested in participating in the tournament are urged to contact any of the committee members. The registration fee is $200 per team. The winning team will earn a cash prize of $2,000, second will collect $1,000 and third place will pocket $500 to share among its players.

GETTING IN GEAR: The Government Secondary Schools Sports Association is gearing up for its cross country championships. After being postponed last Saturday, the GSSSA will host the event starting at 7:30am this Saturday in front of the new Thomas A Robinson National Stadium.

As of Tuesday, November 7, 2023

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#By BRENT STUBBS

#Senior Sports Reporter

#bstubbs@tribunemedia.net

#WHILE their volleyball sudden death playoff games will get underway today at the DW Davis and Anatol Rodgers gymnasiums for juniors and seniors respectively, the Government Secondary Schools Sports Association is also gearing up for its cross country championships.

#After being postponed last Saturday, the GSSSA will host the event this Saturday starting at 7:30am in front of the new Thomas A Robinson National Stadium and, according to president Varel Davis, it’s going to be an event you won’t want to miss.

#“We know that the teams and the athletes have been gearing up for this event,” Davis said. “There’s been at least four or five cross country events and the majority of our athletes and teams have been competing in them.

#“So with this being a year that we expect that things will get bigger and better, we are expecting that this weekend’s cross country championships will be very competitive.”

#The CR Walker Knights are the defending champions in the senior division, while the HO Nash Lions are the defending champions in the junior division.

#Will they both repeat?

#Davis said there are a number of teams whose athletes are coming out to dethrone them. But she noted that they have to go out on the course and prove it.

#Distances will increase as the competition moves from the junior to the senior divisions, which will add to the excitement that is already brewing amongst the schools.

#Most athletes, according to Davis, are using the cross country races as a base for their training for the track and field season next year. But she noted that coaches are also using athletes in the different sports to help develop their stamina to compete in the other sports, while at the same time garnishing points for their schools.

#As for volleyball, Davis said the sudden death will be played today starting at 4pm at DW Davis Gymnasium for the junior girls and boys and at Anatol Rodgers for the senior girls and boys.

#“This should be a very competitive playoffs,” Davis said. “There are some close finishes in the standings, so it’s not like there was any team that ran away with it this year. So we expect that the playoffs and the championships will be just as competitive as the regular season.”

#Following volleyball and the cross country championships, the GSSSA will close out the year with the start of its basketball competition, which will resume in January after they take a break for the Christmas holidays.

RHEMA OTABOR, of The Bahamas, poses with her silver medal on the podium during a ceremony for the women’s javelin category, at the Pan American Games in Santiago, Chile, on Friday, November 3, 2023. (AP Photo/Moises Castillo)

As of Monday, November 6, 2023

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#By BRENT STUBBS

#Senior Sports Reporter

#bstubbs@tribunemedia.net

#Rising javelin star Rhema Otabor added her first international medal to the gold she won at the National College Athletic Association’s (NCAA) Track and Field Championships with a silver at the Pan American Games.

#In her debut at the Pan Am Games on Friday in Santiago, Chile, 20-year-old Otabor claimed her medal with a heave of 198-feet, 7 1/2-inches or 60.54 metres on her first attempt. She followed with marks of 194-7 ½ (59.32m), 190-7 (58.09m), 187-5 ¼ (57.13m) and 189-1 ¼ (57.64) before she scratched her final toss.

Bahamas’ Rhema Otabor competes in the women’s javelin throw final at the Pan American Games in Santiago, Chile, Friday, Nov. 3, 2023. (AP Photo/Fernando Vergara)

#Flor Denis Ruiz of Colombia captured the gold with 207-0 1/4 (63.10m) on her first attempt as well. The bronze went to American Madelyn Harris with 197-0 ½ (60.06m) on her second try.

#After her performance, Otabor said she was delighted to win the medal and to have performed so well this late in the season.

#It was her second international meet for the Bahamas in her breakout year, coming off her debut at the World Championships in Budapest, Hungary, where she was 33rd overall.

#“I’d say it was kind of expected because I’ve been having practices lately where I’ve been throwing 60 metres or very close to it with some consistency,” Otabor said.

#“But all in all, I’m just glad that what’s been happening in practice I was able to replicate it in the actual competition, injury free.”

#Looking at the competition, Otabor said it was a great field of competitors with a few over 60-plus meter throwers and others that were in the high 50s.

#“So, coming in I knew it was stiff competition,” she reflected. “But I wasn’t necessarily putting too much pressure on myself to do well, I just wanted to feel good, have fun and carry out good technique throughout the whole thing.”

#As she heads back to college for her senior year as a Husker at the University of Nebraska where she will be defending her NCAA Championship title, Otabor said she will focus on training in her bid to qualify to compete in the next stage of her development at the Olympic Games in Paris, France in 2024.

#She is setting the pace for her brother, Michaelangelo Bullard, who is also competing in the javelin. Thery are both members of the Blue Clips Athletic Club, headed by Corrington Maycock. She attributes her success to the support also from her aunts Tiffany Bullard and Leetia Dean.

Bahamas’s Donald Thomas poses with his bronze medal on the podium during a ceremony for the men’s high jump category, at the Pan American Games in Santiago, Chile, Friday, Nov. 3, 2023. (AP Photo/Moises Castillo)

As of Monday, November 6, 2023

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Bahamas’ Donald Thomas clears the bar during the men’s high jump final at the Pan American Games in Santiago, Chile, Friday, Nov. 3, 2023. (AP Photo/Fernando Vergara)

#By BRENT STUBBS

#Senior Sports Reporter

#bstubbs@tribunemedia.net

#EACH year, as long as he feels healthy, Donald Thomas said he will be out to make his presence felt on the international scene. Although he admitted that he was not at full strength, Thomas said he wanted to give it his best shot at this year’s Pan American Games in Santiago, Chile.

#On Friday, the 39-year-old Thomas was beaten out for the silver by Luis Joel Castro of Puerto Rico on fewer knockdowns after they both posted a mark of 7-feet, 4 1/4-inches or 2.24 metres. Luis Enrique Zayas of Cuba took the gold with 7-5 ¼ (2.27m).

#After winning a silver in 2007 in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, gold in 2011 in Guadalajara, Mexico, and bronze in 2015 in Toronto, Canada, Thomas said he was disappointed as he sat on the sidelines and watched as a medal slipped away from him in 2019 in Lima, Peru.

#The Grand Bahamian native vowed to return this year and avenge the feat. He dedicated his performance to the late Member of Parliament for West Grand Bahama and Bimini Obediah Wilchcombe.

#“It was a great competition. I was glad that I was able to go out there and compete,” said Thomas, who admitted that he wasn’t at full strength and was able to get a lot of assistance from Dr Rickey Davis, the Bahamas Olympic Committee team doctor and the local doctors at the polyclinic in the Games Village, to get him ready to compete. As he showed up and performed, Thomas said he remembered how a hamstring injury in 2019 in Peru snapped his streak of winning a medal.

#But there was no greater feeling this time to get back on the podium. “I might not have been 100 percent, but I went out there and did it,” said Thomas, who too noted that his goal now is to get the elusive medal that has slipped from his grasp in his past four appearances at the Olympics.

#While he appeared in Beijing, China in 2008, London, England in 2012 and Tokyo, Japan in 2020, his best performance came in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil in 2018 where he made his only final appearance, placing seventh.

#Looking back at his performances over the years, Thomas said he’s motivated every year to compete because of his results, and he’s eager to continue. He won his world title in 2007 in Osaka, Japan, the same year the first iPhone went on sale, and three years before Instagram was launched.

#But as he approaches his 40th birthday on July 1, a few weeks before the start of the Paris Olympics, he admits that he still feels that there’s still a lot more left in the tank. “When you line up to compete and you get on that podium, you are jumping against competitors who are out to accomplish the same thing, winning a medal,” said Thomas, who has earned just about every international medal, except the Olympics.

#“Age is just a number. The sky’s the limit. So I just keep going.”

#At his age, Thomas said it’s a year-to-year commitment for him. “I don’t want to just show up to these games. I want to be able to compete,” he stated.

#“I don’t just want to be one of the greatest. I want to take it one year at a time and see just how my body feels and I just go from there.

#“But I know I can compete with the best and before I leave the game, I want to get that medal (at the Olympics). So, we will see how it goes. I’m going to put my all into that to see the outcome.”

#In order to achieve that goal, Thomas said he just has to show up in great shape and show his support system in the stands.

#“Usually, I get to compete at the games without my coaches,” he pointed out.

#“I’ve never had a coach present at the Olympics. Hopefully, this coming Olympics, the BOC would grant me permission to have my coach at the games.”

#Despite the rise of some young competitors like Shaun Miller Jr, Thomas said he’s confident that he will be one of the two of three competitors to represent the Bahamas in Paris next year. He’s not certain who will join him.

#“This is what I prepare for,” said Thomas, who dominated the Bahamas Association of Athletic Associations’ National Championships, winning seven titles and has produced a lifetime best of 7-9 ¼ (2.37m) in 2016, second only to Troy Kemp’s record of 7.9 ¾ (2.38) in 1995 in Nice, France, the same year he won his world title in Gothenburg, Sweden.

#Growing up playing basketball while studying at Lindenwood University in Missouri, USA, Thomas was challenged by his teammates to give the high jump a go, given how easy slam dunks came to him.

#He cleared 6-6 (1.98m) on his first attempt, 6-11 ¾ (2.13m) on his third, and, two days later, Thomas found himself competing for the track team, clearing 7-3 ½ (2.22m) in competition.

#Two months later, he went on to finish fourth in the 2006 Commonwealth Games in Melbourne before clearing 7-8 1.2 (2.35m) in 2007 to claim gold at the World Championships.

#In the 16 years since, Thomas admits that there have been many ups and downs, but he credits a lot of his motivation to his son and daughter Dashawn and Kamilah, aged 17 and 10 respectively, who play basketball and do gymnastics.

#“They are my world.” he stated. “That’s one of the reasons why I stay competing.

#“I’m doing it for them and for my country. But they know my commitment to competing and getting on the podium every time I compete.”

As of Monday, November 6, 2023

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#By TENAJH SWEETING

#Tribune Sports Reporter

#tsweeting@tribunemedia.net

#OVER the weekend, the swimming and athletics disciplines took home a majority of the awards at the Ministry of Youth, Sports and Culture’s National Sports Awards.

#Saturday night was a special occasion for all involved in sports with 21 winners taking home their respective awards.

#The ceremony took place on the front lawn of the Thomas A Robinson National Stadium.

#The Bahamas Aquatics Federation hauled in awards for Federation of the Year, Collegiate Athlete of the Year (male), National Youth Team of the Year, National Senior Team of the Year, and National Coach of the Year.

#Lamar Taylor won the award for Male Collegiate Athlete of the Year and also took home the Bahamas Olympic Committee (BOC) award.

#At the collegiate level, Taylor has been nothing short of successful during the 2022-23 season.

#He became the first Bahamian to collect three national championships at the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) Division II Swimming and Diving Championships in March.

#The Henderson State University student also became the school’s first individual national champion since 2010.

#Additionally, he was named the Great American Conference (GAC) Male Athlete of the Year, the New South Intercollegiate Swim Conference (NSISC) Male Swimmer of the Year, the College Swimming and Diving Coaches Association of America (CSCAA) Division II Male Swimmer of the Year and Henderson State Male Athlete of the Year.

#With regards to the BOC award, the 20-year-old secured a gold and bronze medal at the 24th Central American and Caribbean (CAC) Games in San Salvador, El Salvador in June.

#Most recently, he earned the first medal (bronze) in the men’s 50m freestyle for The Bahamas at the 19th Pan American Games in Santiago, Chile.

#The Grand Bahama native finished with a time of 22.13 seconds to smash his previous national record of 22.26 seconds attained at the World Aquatics Championships in Fukuoka, Japan.

#The National Coach of the Year award went to Travano McPhee, who served as the assistant coach for the CARIFTA Aquatics team. McPhee felt that it was great to receive the award and is looking forward to the continued growth of swimming in The Bahamas.

#“It is a great honour to be a part of these nominees to be selected over some of the great legends like Tucker those and all the others…I think it has been a long time coming some long hours coaching, putting up with athletes, parents and everything that comes with being a great coach but I enjoy it, I love it,” he said.

#The CARIFTA Aquatics team earned the National Youth and Senior Team of the Year title after some stellar performances at the CARIFTA Swimming Championships in Curaçao. The team made history earning a fifth consecutive title at the regional level and recorded their best performance bringing home 85 medals including 37 gold, 27 silver and 21 bronze.

#The Bahamas Aquatics Federation also saw their swimmers flat out dominate at the Goodwill Swimming Championships in August in Kingston, Jamaica. The 40-member team not only came first, improving on their fourth place finish in 2022, but also hauled in 129 medals. The aquatics contingent set numerous meet and individual records at the competition.

#With swimming earning a number of victories at the National Sports Awards on Saturday night, the newest National Coach of the Year was happy to see the sport receive well deserved recognition.

#“Swimming is doing well. We came a long way, we will host the CARIFTA games next year and I encourage all Bahamians to come out and support our local swimmers…Swimming is doing outstanding not just locally but internationally.

#“Algernon Cargill and his executive team are doing an outstanding job and we hope to see some bigger and better things for swimming in the future,” he said.

#For athletics, the Bahamas Association of Athletic Associations (BAAA) saw athletes Jamiah Nabbie, Rhema Otabor, Tylah Pratt, Terrence Jones, and Brenden Vanderpool named award winners.

#Nabbie was selected as Female Senior High School Student Athlete of the Year. The Queen’s College student has been a formidable force on the track. She won two gold medals and a silver medal at the 50th OakTree Medical Center CARIFTA Games in the under-17 girls 100m, 200m and 4x100m relay events at home. The double CARIFTA gold medallist earned personal bests of 11.67 and 23.67 seconds in the individual events and became the first female to earn a gold medal on the track at the event.

#Overall, she was happy to have her talents observed along with having the support of her loved ones at the National Sports Awards.

#“It feels amazing to know that people chose me to be the athlete of the year and that I impacted other people this year and it definitely gave me motivation going into next year’s season,” she said.

#Vanderpool was presented the Male Senior High School Student Athlete of the Year award. One of his most remarkable feats came at the 50th CARIFTA Games, where he broke his father’s, Brent Vanderpool, 36-year-old national record along with the CARIFTA record. He soared to 5.06m in the under-20 boys pole vault event for gold and a lifelong memory. His other accomplishments include a silver medal at the NACAC under-23 Championships in July and a bronze medal at the Pan American under-20 Championships in August.

#Otabor, who recently earned a silver medal at the 19th Pan American Games, was voted Female Collegiate Athlete of the Year. The 20-year-old won the NCAA Division 1 javelin title at the Championships in June for Nebraska University. She won the event with a throw of 59.49m to become the second Nebraska javelin thrower since 1995 to accomplish this feat. Additionally, she was the second Bahamian since women’s national javelin record holder, Laverne Eve, to collect the title honours.

#Andros native Pratt has made a name for herself in the high jump and long jump events. She claimed the award for Family Island School Student Athlete of the Year. The 16-year-old has racked up first place finishes in four of the last five events she has competed in this year.

#She was grateful to receive the award for her hard work and reflected on her initial response to being selected.

#“It feels really good to win that award I am excited and proud of myself…I was in a state of shock and after that I was just proud because I have to thank God, my family, and my coaches for all the training and intense workouts in the season so I was proud of myself and them,” she said.

#Jones was chosen as the recipient of the Minister of Sports Award- For Excellence. The 20-year-old recorded a scorching 9.91 seconds in the 100m sprint at the Tom Jones Memorial Invitational in Gainesville, Florida in April. He matched Derrick Atkins’ identical national record from the World Championships in Osaka, Japan in 2007. The Texas Tech student also sealed the deal for the NCAA Division 1 Indoor Championship in the 60m event in March and became the new record holder.

#For the remaining categories, La’Breah Sands, softball MVP for the Grand Bahama Lucayans, came away as the Junior Female Athlete of the Year. Meanwhile, Craig Ferguson II, representing the Bahamas Sailing Association, won the same award in the male category.

#He was happy that his hard work and dedication has paid off and encouraged up and coming athletes to join a sport like sailing, which is not as popular as basketball and track and field, because it can be very rewarding as well.

#Miami Marlins star Jasrado “Jazz” Chisholm got the Prime Minister’s Award for National Pride.

#Chavano “Buddy” Hield was voted Tourism Brand Ambassador of the Year and Ivanique Kemp was given the Sportsmanship Ambassador of the Year honours.

#The other individual awards went to tennis player Rachel Thompson for the Leevan Sands Courage Award. In addition, Special Olympics Bahamas athletes Austin Green and Caitlin Romer were recognized as Male and Female Athlete of the Year with a Disability.

#Kennard Mackey, from Eleuthera, was the victor for Family Island Coach of the Year.

#The other collective awards were reserved for St Augustine’s College (National Senior Secondary Athletic School of the Year), CH Reeves Raptors (National Junior Secondary Athletic School of the Year), Let’s Swim Bahamas (Community Sports Award), Battle 4 Atlantis (Tourism Impact Award), and Old Timers Softball League (Sports League of the Year).

#Varel Davis, head coach of the Raptors, talked about how it felt for them to win the award.

#“We feel very honoured to be nominated and be able to win the National Sports Award…this speaks to the programme that was established years ago. We at CH Reeves not only focus on sports but academics as well,

#“Behind every successful programme you have hard working coaches who day in and day out work with the athletes and get our kids to believe in the talent that God gave them and use it as a stepping stone to better their lives,” Davis said.

#More activities will continue for Sport Heritage Month.

Leevan Sands interacts with one of the athletes during the Red-Line Athletics’ seminar on Saturday.

As of Monday, November 6, 2023

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Leevan Sands is presented with his gift for participating in the Red-Line-Athletics’ seminar on Saturday.

Olympic triple jump bronze medallist Leevan “Superman” Sands questions a few of the athletes at the Red-Line Athletics seminar on Saturday.

#By BRENT STUBBS

#Senior Sports Reporter

#bstubbs@tribunemedia.net

#NATIONAL record holder Leevan “Superman” Sands said he was delighted to be back home. He was even more thrilled to offer his expertise to a large group of athletes at the Red-Line Athletics’ Jump Clinic and their fourth annual Motivational Health & Wellness Seminar.

#While the clinic took place on Friday at the original Thomas A Robinson National Stadium, the seminar was held at the National Training Agency and, according to Red-Line Athletics club’s founder and head coach Tito Moss, both events were a resounding success.

#“This was the first one that we opened up to all of the clubs,” said Moss, who noted that they wanted to provide an opportunity for as many athletes to get the knowledge that was being imparted this weekend.

#Sands, now in his second year as an assistant jumps coach at Florida State University in the aftermath of his long and illustrious track and field career, was joined by coaches Jason Edwards and Jamieson Pratt.

#What was supposed to be a two-hour session turned into four hours because of the enthusiasm of the more than 60 participants.

#At the seminar which attracted about 100 competitors and heard from an array of topics, including anti-doping and the doping control process by the Bahamas Anti-Doping Commission; NCAA, What is NIL? (Name, Image, Likeness) by Joyce Johnson; financial wellness, planning, saving by Maud Smith and mental health, mental performance training, confidence training by former American middle-distance runner Chloe Maleski.

#Sands, in his address on collegiate recruitment, shared his lifetime story from competing in the 100, 200 and 400 metres before he was converted to the high, long and triple jumps.

#He talked about being told by his track coach at Temple Christian that his scholarship was taken away from him to move to Florida to attend Florida Air Academy.

#His journey took him to Barton County Junior College before he went on to Auburn University.

#As a professional athlete, he recalled how in 2006 he was suspended for using a Vick inhaler.

#With his return to competition, Sands informed the young athlete, coaches and parents in attendance, how he suffered another big blow when he fractured his knee at the 2012 Olympic Games in London, England, but he overcame that obstacle as well and bounced back.

#Supported by his mother, Elaine Sands, who encouraged the parents to always follow the progress of their children and to give them all the support they needed, Sands could not have accomplished what he did without her and his deceased father Leevan ‘Dargon’ Sands.

#The married father of four boys said he’s just getting started with his new role as a collegiate coach, but he advised the student-athletes on some important things they need to consider if they are interested in securing an athletic scholarship to attend a division one school or even getting started like he did in junior college.

#Sands, who was also accompanied by his sister, former Miss Earth Bahamas Vandia Sands, said he enjoyed his time spent here and he would definitely like to return to do more clinics in the future.

#“I didn’t expect all of these kids to show up. I noticed that a lot of our kids are hungry and as a Bahamian coach, I don’t see why I can’t come back and share my knowledge with these kids,” he stated.

#“I was very impressed with how receptive they were in everything I had to say. I thought they might have forgotten Superman, but they stayed to the last minute. They didn’t want me to leave.”

#As for the seminar, Sands said it was one of the most electrifying addresses he’s ever given.

#“I always get kind of nervous when people ask me about stuff like this, but I realised that I have things to share. I have a lot of experiences that I need to share. I just need to get more comfortable being in an environment like this, said Sands, who holds the national record at 57-feet, 8 1/2-inches or 17.59 metres.

#“Coaching is fine, but anytime someone asks me to speak, it’s nerve-racking. But the good thing is nobody was sleeping.”

#The good thing about the session is the fact that Sands said he remembered being in their shoes trying to figure things out and going through the process of getting into school and eventually he settled on Auburn University where he felt comfortable under the tutelage of Bahamian assistant coach Henry Rolle.

#Looking back at the decisions that he made, Sands was asked if he had to do it all again, what would he do differently?

#“I think my career was full of excitement and joy with my wife, children and family,” Sands said.

#“Everything happened the way it should have happened, even with the suspension and the injuries and now I am able to better coach athletes through all of the obstacles that they face.”

#Although he’s still jumping every now and again with his athletes to stay in shape, Sands said having retired from competition, at the age of 42, he’s just enjoying the benefits of his career.

#One that spans more than three decades and earned him a bronze medal at the Olympics, World Championship and Commonwealth Games as well as a silver at the Pan American Games, among others to make him the “greatest Bahamian triple jumper ever.”

#Also in attendance was Bahamas Association of Athletic Associations’ president Drumeco Archer, who made the point that while all athletes will not end up going to school, they should all look at a different skill course in the event that they don’t get an athletic scholarship to a tertiary institution.

#He encouraged the audience to think about pivoting, or moving, shifting, changing and adapting because “all of us will not be Olympians.

#“So, my job is not necessarily to ensure that you become Olympians, my job is to ensure that you become wholesome, productive young people.”

#Through events such as this done by Red-Line Athletics in “Building Holistic Champions,” Archer said athletes should take a page out of Sands’ book when he was a sprinter before he realised that he was one of the world’s greatest triple jumpers. “So, I want this exercise to be an exercise of reflection for you, an exercise of discovering who you are,” said Archer, a former sprinter and lawyer by profession. “So, I want you to keep that in context because, at the end of the day, this country still needs you.”

#He congratulated Red-Line for having the initiative to provide this forum to discover the fundamental things of life that the athletes have to endure in the real world outside of just competing on the track.

As of Monday, November 6, 2023

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#By TENAJH SWEETING

#Tribune Sports Reporter

#tsweeting@tribunemedia.net

#BAHAMIAN Eric Bain was the first to represent The Bahamas at the inaugural Pan American Esports Championships in Santiago, Chile, but ultimately fell in the Group A stage.

#He battled against Argentina, Brazil and Bolivia competing for a chance to contend for the eFootball title.

#The joint effort between the Global Esports Federation and Pan Am Sports was the first time this historic event happened with more non-traditional sports getting a chance to shine along with traditional sports on local and global stages.

#Michael Armogan, president of the Bahamas Esports Federation, was very pleased with the strides the nontraditional sport has made especially after the hosting of the first Pan American Esports Championships.

#“The inclusion of Esports in the Pan American Championships marked a monumental stride toward recognising the dedication and skill inherent in electronic sports.

#“Witnessing Eric Bain, a proficient gamer and a proud Bahamian, compete at this esteemed event was a deeply heartening experience. His participation did not just symbolise personal achievement but a significant milestone for the Bahamian Esports community,” Armogan said.

#In match one, it was Bain versus Bolivia’s player representative in the best-of-three series. His competitor snuck away with a 2-0 win.

#The following match featured a similar result with the 26-year-old squared up against Brazil. He went down 0-2 ahead of the final match.

#Match three saw the Bahamian player once again fall short 0-2 but this time against the top ranked Argentina to end his stint at the first Pan Am Esports Championships.

#The Bahamas’ Esports player was unable to enter the top 8 in the eFootball tournament but his initial goal was met by raising more awareness for Esports among Bahamians.

#The president shared the exact same sentiment and believes that Bain accomplished it.

#“His valiant efforts on this international stage have undoubtedly sowed seeds of inspiration. The Bahamas Esports Federation is ardently committed to nurturing this budding interest. Moving forward, we plan to engage in community outreach, conduct educational programmes, and host local tournaments to fuel the growth of esports here,” he said.

#The competition had two categories – open and women – for competitors playing for the Dota 2 and eFootball 2024 titles.

#The three-day event concluded with Mexico’s Celic ‘TheArsenalStyle’ Hernandez Valencia winning the first ever gold medal in the eFootball open division.

#Brazil’s Henrique ‘Henrykinho’ Silva Mesquita came second and Argentina’s Lautaro Federico ‘LautaroRaris’ Raris placed third.

#Brazil won the women’s category, followed by Argentina in second and Paraguay wrapped up third for bronze.

#For Dota 2 in the women’s event, Peru took over against Argentina (3-1) to emerge as the title winner.

#The host country, Chile, ended the event with third at the inaugural event.

#Peru doubled up the gold medals after winning the men’s category of Dota 2. Argentina fell to the victors 0-3 for second. Team Ecuador capped off the event with the third podium spot.

#The Bahamas Esports Federation plans to collaborate with educational institutions, host more events in various constituencies and strengthen regional ties with regards to esports in the future.

#The 19th Pan American Games and Pan Am Esports Championships ended this past weekend.

• Sheldon Longley
• 7 hrs ago
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When Bahamian DeAndre Ayton went to Portland, his words were clear – “I bring dominance. My name is DominAyton.”

With that, the Portland Trail Blazers welcomed their new starting center to “Rip City” – home of one of the more passionate fan bases in the National Basketball Association (NBA).

In seven games in Portland, Ayton has had his ups and downs.

Offensively he has struggled, but he is averaging a career-high in rebounds, more than his previous best by almost two rebounds per game. The Bahamian behemoth is scoring just 10.4 points per game, but is at 13.3 rebounds per game, second in the league only to Domantas Sabonis, of Sacramento, who is averaging 14.2 rebounds per game.

He is shooting 56.5 percent from the field, his lowest since his second year in the league with Phoenix.

As a team, the Trail Blazers have rebounded from a poor start to the season and are now around .500 basketball. They dropped their first three games before winning three in a row, and after losing to the Memphis Grizzlies, 112-100, on Sunday, they have a 3-4 win/loss record and will play their next three games on the road.

Included in his rebounding efforts this year is a massive 23-rebound night last week Monday against the Toronto Raptors. It is the highest total in the league for rebounds this season, helping the Blazers take down the Raptors, 99-91, at the Scotiabank Arena in Toronto, Ontario, Canada.

Ayton’s previous single-game career-high was 21, done three times. He now has five 20-rebound games in his career, another one in the playoffs, and three 20-20 games.

In his last outing on Sunday, Ayton was held to six points in a woeful 3-for-9 shooting performance from the field and added 11 rebounds in their loss to the Grizzlies. It was the Grizzlies’ first win of the year.

Ayton and the Blazers will travel to Sacramento, California to play the Sacramento Kings on Wednesday, before playing the Los Angeles Lakers at the Crypto.com Arena in Los Angeles, California, on Sunday. They will end their three-game road trip against the Utah Jazz at the Delta Center in Salt Lake City, Utah, next week Tuesday.https://1534e6803df92f414fbb43c585396955.safeframe.googlesyndication.com/safeframe/1-0-40/html/container.html

Chavano ‘Buddy’ Hield and the Indiana Pacers were in action against the San Antonio Spurs last night but the result of that game was unavailable up to press time. The Pacers are at .500 basketball with a 3-3 win/loss record.

Hield is averaging 12.5 points on 43.1 percent shooting from the field in just 23.8 minutes per game. He is shooting 41.3 percent from three-point land. Coming off the bench this year, Hield is averaging his fewest points and minutes per game since his rookie season in the NBA, but continues a streak of at least one three-point shot made in 39 straight games – the third-longest streak of his career.

Hield and the Pacers will play their next two games at home, at the Gainbridge Fieldhouse in Indianapolis, Indiana. They host the Jazz on Wednesday and the Milwaukee Bucks on Thursday.

Eric EJ’ Gordon is playing well for his new team, the Suns, averaging his most points per game in the last five seasons. The Suns are also around .500 basketball with a 3-4 record.

Gordon is averaging 15.3 points on 46.8 shooting from the field. He is shooting 36.4 percent from distance.

In their last outing, a 120-106 beating of the Detroit Pistons, Gordon matched a season-high with 21 points on 8-for-14 shooting from the field. He was 3-for-5 from distance.

The Suns travel to Chicago, Illinois, to face the Chicago Bulls on Wednesday before returning home for three games against the Lakers, the Oklahoma City Thunder and the Minnesota Timberwolves on Friday, Sunday and next week Wednesday.

There are no games in the NBA on Tuesday in an effort to encourage fans to vote on Election Day in the United States.