Category: Athletics

Bahamian trio earn All-American DII honors

June 9, 2020

Simba French

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A pair of Bahamian hurdlers and a triple jumper earned their spots on the USTFCCCA (U.S. Track and Field and Cross Country Coaches Association) Indoor All-America Honors List for the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) Division II (DII) track and field season in 2020.

The three Bahamian collegians are Denisha Cartwright, Shyrone Kemp and Jahmaal Wilson.

Considering the NCAA DII Indoor Championships was canceled due to the presence of the COVID-19 pandemic, the USTFCCCA adopted a provision criteria. The criteria stated that for individual events, athletes must have been listed on the start lists for their respective events at the NCAAs. In the relay events, the four runners who produced the time for the championships would be approved for the All-America list. The alternates were left off.

The championships were slated for March 13-14 at the Birmingham CrossPlex in Birmingham, Alabama.

Cartwright earned two honors for her performances in the 60 meters (m) hurdles and the 60m dash. It was a great start to the freshman’s collegiate career.

The Central State University Marauders athlete finished with a season’s best time of 8.49 seconds in the 60m hurdles. She accomplished that in a win at the Grand Valley State University (GVSU) Big Meet Invite in February. That time was also the fastest time in the NCAA DII in that event.

In the 60m dash, the former CARIFTA athlete was superb, running a season’s best time of 7.48 seconds at the same meet she ran her season’s best time in the hurdles.

Cartwright also earned the USTFCCCA South Region Athlete of the Year Award. She was on the verge of making history as the first Marauders female athlete to compete in multiple events at the NCAA DII Indoor Championships.

The former Temple Christian School athlete also had a personal and school best of 24.49 seconds in the 200m at the GVSU meet.

Kemp was instrumental for the Minnesota State University at Moorhead Dragons in the pit, qualifying for the championships in the triple jump event. The sophomore broke his school’s 43-year-old record in the triple jump, leaping a personal best 15.17 meters (m) – 49’ 9-1/4” – to be ranked at number nine in the NCAA DII. He recorded that distance at the South Dakota State University Indoor Classic back in February. The Grand Bahamian finished first in that event at that meet.

Before being named an All-American, Kemp was the Dragons’ Male Newcomer of the Year for the impact he had on the program this past season. Kemp was busy during the season, also taking part in the 60m dash, the high jump and the long jump. His season’s best in the long jump was 7.15m (23’ 5-1/2”), which was done at the Northern Sun Indoor Track and Field Championships in February. He had a season’s best leap of 2.09m (6’ 10-1/4”) in the high jump at that same meet. On the track, he ran his only 60m race in 7.25 seconds at the Beaver Invite Meet in January. He false-started his other 60m race in December 2019.

Kemp has represented The Bahamas quite a few times as a junior athlete.

Wilson, a freshman at the West Texas A&M, received the honor for the 60m hurdles. His season’s best time of a speedy 8.02 seconds was done at the New Mexico Team Open in early February to finish fifth. That time was also ranked at number 16 in NCAA DII competition.

At the Lone Star Conference Championships, Wilson finished sixth in the final with a time of 8.26 seconds, after running 8.11 seconds in the preliminaries.

The freshman has been performing at a high level. He also ran the 60m this past season, and his season’s best was 6.95 seconds, which was done at the 2020 Power 5 Meet in January. He finished first in that event.

The trio had a great year and will look to return stronger next year after having their seasons shortened due to the presence of the COVID-19 pandemic.

A total of 716 honors were handed out to student-athletes from 117 institutions.

Gibson: ‘As An Executive Of The Board Of The BAAA, I Know That I Am Going To Be Reduced’

As of Monday, June 8, 2020

#TRACK and field athletes’ representative Jeffery Gibson said he’s quite aware that there is expected to be at least a 20 per cent cut in the subvention to the Bahamian athletes in the Bahamas Government’s new budget that will be debated in Parliament this month.

#The Bahamas men’s 400 metre hurdles national record holder said while it may come as a surprise, it’s a reality that they will have to deal with.

#“Everyone is being affected by the budget cut as a result of COVID-19,” he said. “The whole Bahamas is affected. We know that cutting back, we will have to take a loss because of the pandemic and the lock down that the country is going through.

#“I know they said they were going to make a 20 per cent cut across the board with all athletes in all sports. It’s unfortunate, but with the subvention, it’s a year-to-year basis where there are some years when you get cut because of your performance, but these are some uncertain circumstances that we are faced with, so the cuts are inevitable.”

#As the elite athletes on subvention continue to prepare for the 2020 Olympic Games that have been postponed in Tokyo, Japan, until July 2021, Gibson said all of the athletes will now have to look at what adjustments they can make moving forward.

#“It sucks, truth be told,” he said. “It’s going to be difficult, but it’s something that I expected, so I’m not surprised that they are cutting the subventions.”

#Gibson, now in Durham, Raleigh, North Carolina where he’s training at St Augustine’s College with coaches Bershawn Jackson, a former world champion and his long-time mentor George Williams, said there needs to be a better way of communicating its plans to the athletes, whether it’s directly from the Ministry of Youth, Sports and Culture or through the Bahamas Association of Athletic Associations. “I don’t know if the athletes were made aware by the ministry as yet. I wasn’t advised of that,” he said. “You would expect the ministry to reach out to the athletes, but I’m not sure if they reached out to the athletes advising them who are under review and who will be reduced.”

#While the ministry’s budget is expected to be reduced from $18,938,187, about $5,143,194 less than what was expended in last year’s budget of $24,081,380, the subventions to elite athletes this year is projected to be dropped from $1,346,150 to $1,076,920, a decrease of just under $300,000.

#Gibson, a Grand Bahamian native and graduate of Bishop Michael High School, said he’s advised of what’s taking place as an executive of the BAAA as the Athletes Representative, but he said the decision will be have an adverse effect on a lot of the athletes because they were only made aware of what will happen because of the cut in the budget for sports.

#“I know that the ministry has not reached out to me as an athlete, but as an executive of the board of the BAAA, I know that I am going to be reduced,” Gibson said. “I know the executive board of the BAAA makes a recommendation to the Ministry on whether or not athletes should be added, decreased, increased or removed off the list.

#“Based on the athletes’ performances the previous year, their willingness to support national teams, their sponsorship and their growth and development through their national and international rankings, the BAAA would make recommendations. A lot of times the ministry would take the recommendations as they are, or they make their final decisions.”

#Currently in North Carolina, Gibson said working part-time with Target after he completes his training sessions each morning. He’s in the city of Durham where he’s under a curfew, but because he’s been abiding by the social distancing rule, he tries not to get into all of the latest developments surrounding the death of George Floyd.

#“When they started having peaceful rallies, we’ve been closing our stores here at 7 pm rather than 9 pm like they did during the height of the coronavirus,” Gibson said. “So while there have been some protests here just about every day, I have thought about what is going on.

#“Living here by myself, I thought about what was going on, especially when I went out jogging because it could have been me, as a Bahamian. In a way, I’m glad that they are dealing with this issue of racism. I think it’s about time. It’s long overdue. But I’m keeping my distance because I am a Bahamian first in a foreign land.”

#While it’s a recurring thought that nobody has ever experienced anything like this before, Gibson said he remembered the changes that were made after 9-11 when a series of four coordinated terrorist attacks by the Islamic terrorist group al-Qaeda against the United States on the morning of Tuesday, September 11, 2001 changed the way we traveled, Gibson said he’s not sure what will take place in the aftermath of Covid-19.

#“These changes will certainly affect us forever as we moved forward,” he proclaimed. “I don’t know if that means whenever we have an event, we will have to continue to wear our masts or we have to compete in front of very small crowds, we just have to use commonsense.

#“I don’t know what to expect for next year, but I am still talking with my coaches and planning on what we need to do to get prepared. I want to be ready for the Olympic Games. That was one of the reasons why I decided to come back here to train.”

#Gibson, 29, didn’t make the qualifying standard for his second appearance at the Olympics before sports was interrupted in March, putting a halt to the outdoor season. The Oral Roberts University graduate initially moved to North Carolina to train for his professional career.

#After winning his second medal – a silver – at the Commonwealth Games in the Gold Coast, Australia in the 400m hurdles in 49.10 in 2018, Gibson ended up with a fourth place finish at last year’s Pan American Games in Lima, Peru in the 400m hurdles in a time of 49.53 seconds and as a member of the men’s 4 x 400m relay team that included Ojay Ferguson, Alonzo Russell and Andre Colebrooke that placed seventh in 3:09.98.

#Gibson enjoyed a breakout season at the NACAC Under-23 Championships in Irapuato, Mexico in 2012 with three medals, clinching the gold in the 400m hurdles in 50.27; a bronze in the 400m in 46.30 and a silver on the men’s 4 x 400m relay team of Alfred Higgs, Denzell Forston and Alonzo Russell that ran 3:04.33.

#In 2013 at the Central American and Caribbean Championships in Morelia, Mexico, Gibson ascended the podium in the same position twice with a silver in the 400m hurdles in 49.94 and on the men’s 4 x 400m relay team of Latoy Williams, Ojay Ferguson and Wesley Neymour and that clocked 3:02.66. However, he failed to advance out of the semifinals of the 400m hurdles at his debut at the World Championships in Moscow, Russia to close out the year.

#A year later at his initial appearance at the Commonwealth Games in Glasgow, United Kingdom in 2014, Gibson stormed back with a renewed vigor and claimed a bronze medal in a national record breaking time of 48.78 and he secured the gold later that year at the Pan American Sports Festival Ciudad de Mexico, Mexico in 48.91.

#In his return to the World Championships in Beijing, China in 2015, Gibson avenged his previous outing by lowering his national record in the 400m hurdles to 49.17 for the bronze medal. He suffered a torn labrum in the lead up to his Olympic debut in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil in 2016.

#Last year, Gibson was voted as the new Athletes Representative, replacing Leevan ‘Superman’ Sands. He has vowed to make a difference in his role, while at the same time ensuring that he’s right there with his peers representing the Bahamas on the international scene.

‘Elite Athletes May Require More Financial Assistance, Not Less’

As of Thursday, June 4, 2020

#By BRENT STUBBS

#Senior Sports Reporter

#bstubbs@tribunemedia.net

#Romell Knowles, president of the Bahamas Olympic Committee, is calling on the Ministry of Youth, Sports and Culture to not cut the subvention of elite athletes, considering that it is critical for them to receive every penny they can get to prepare for the 2020 Olympic Games.

#Knowles sent a letter to the ministry after it was reported in The Tribune on Tuesday that the subvention for elite athletes is expected to be cut by over $269,000 as outlined in the budget presented in the House of Assembly last week by Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Finance Peter Turnquest.

#Knowles, whose BOC is expected to receive about $40,000 in the projected budget, said with the Olympics in Tokyo, Japan, being postponed until July, 2021 because of the COVID-19 pandemic, they are still anticipating great performances from our athletes who are under a number of constraints.

#“The restrictions of competitions, coupled with restrictions to train for the most prestigious sporting event in the world, The Tokyo Olympic Games, brings with it a set of abnormal circumstances and expenses for our athletes,” Knowles wrote.

#“In addition to preparation expenses, which I believe may increase due in part to share demand, the mental preparation may be an additional but necessary expense, our athletes may be forced to endure.”

#Knowles said preparation for these games have their own peculiarities and with them come additional expenses.

#“In this regard, we respectfully ask that you escalate our request for consideration to delay any and all reduction to elite athletes’ subvention who are in preparation for the Tokyo Olympic Games,” Knowles continued.

#“Given these difficult set of circumstances brought on by an abnormal COVID-19 environment, elite athletes may require more financial assistance, not less,” he said.

#In that regard and on behalf of the elite athletes, Knowles said they are requesting that the ministry delay any reduction in subvention so that our athletes may be better positioned to prepare, qualify and ultimately perform at their optimum at the most prestigious sporting event in the world – the Olympic Games.He said they are looking forward to engaging in a dialogue with the ministry and the government in this regard, as well as funding that is expected to be provided to the various sporting federations and associations.

#“Sporting federations find themselves having to provide more assistance in these most difficult times,” Knowles said.

#“It is our hope there are no reductions in federation grants in this Olympic cycle. Hoping to bring resolve and comfort on behalf of our elite athletes. I am available to discuss this and other matters soonest.”

#In the budget report, the recurrent expenditure for the ministry is estimated to be around $18,938,187, about $5,143,194 less than what was expended in last year’s budget of $24,081,380.

#This significant reduction in the budget is expected to drastically change the landscape of sports in the country in the aftermath of COVID-19

Lucius Fox And Chavez Young See Teams Clinch Playoff Berths

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LUCIUS Fox

#By RENALDO DORSETT

#Tribune Sports Reporter

#rdorsett@tribunemedia.net

#LUCIUS Fox and Chavez Young both saw their clubs clinch playoff berths in their respective leagues after winning first half pennants.

#Fox and his Montgomery Biscuits finished atop the division in the Double A Southern League North with a record of 44-26 while Young and the Dunedin Blue Jays led the field in the Florida State League North at 41-24.

#In the Southern League, the first and second half winners in each division will meet in a best-of-five series. The first half winners will host the first two games of the series while the second half winners will host the remaining games of the series.

#The Biscuits won the First Half Championship for the first time in their 16-year history with a 4-2 win over the Chattanooga Lookouts. They earned a playoff berth a team-record fifth-straight season.

#In 65 games through the first half of the season, Fox hit .220 for Peoria with a .331 OBP, a .699 OPS.

#The 21-year-old shortstop had 49 hits including 12 doubles, three home runs, collected 20 RBIs, 23 stolen bases and 37 runs scored.

#Last season, Fox spent 27 games with the Biscuits in his debut Double A season and hit .221 with a .284 OBP, four stolen bases, 23 hits, three doubles, one triple, nine RBI and 14 runs scored.

#For Young and Blue Jays, the Florida State League playoffs format features winners of both halves within the division against each other in a best of three series for the Division Championship. The first half winners will be given the choice of hosting game one or games two and three. The Division Champions will move on to the League Championship Series.

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Chavez Young

#In 54 games in the first half of the season, Young hit .228 with 46 hits and 23 RBI. He also had a .645 OPS, slugged .356 with 10 stolen bases, 27 runs scored, nine doubles, and five home runs.

#Dunedin won at least 40 games in the first half for the first time since 2014 when they went 46-23.

#Strong pitching highlighted the Blue Jays’ first half run, as well as an explosive offence that scored runs in bunches throughout the half.

#In the first 68 games of the year, Dunedin put up 10 or more runs eight times.

#Dunedin fielded one of the best offences in the league with 295 runs (1st), 263 RBI (1st), 249 BB (1st), .333 OBP (1st), .705 OPS (1st), 113 doubles (2nd), and .249 AVG (4th).

#Young was listed as the Toronto Blue Jays’ No.23 prospect in the preseason and the franchise’s farm system was listed as No.5 overall. Last season, Young led the Class A Lansing Lugnuts in batting average, runs scored and stolen bases. It was a season of milestones for the 21-year-old outfielder as he was named a Midwest League All-Star. In 125 games, Young hit .285 with 134 hits and 57 RBI. He also had an .808 OPS, slugged .445 with 44 stolen bases, 88 runs scored, 209 total bases, 33 doubles, nine triples and eight home runs.

#He finished tied for second the Midwest league total bases, second in both doubles and triples, tied for third in stolen bases and his 134 hits ranked sixth.

#Defensively, playing in centre and right field, he totalled 15 outfield assists along with 290 putouts and a .984 fielding percentage.

Young Has His Most Productive Outing Of The Season

Chavez Young in action for the Dunedin Blue Jays.

Chavez Young in action for the Dunedin Blue Jays.

Friday, May 24, 2019

#By Renaldo Dorsett

#Tribune Sports Reporter

#rdorsett@tribunemedia.net

#CHAVEZ Young had his most productive offensive outing of the season and Lucius Fox got the better in the first game of his head-to-head series against Jazz Chisholm in minor league baseball play.

#Young finished 3-5 with one home run, three RBI and scored two runs as the Dunedin Blue Jays took three of four games to close out the series with the St Lucie Mets.

#In a three hour and 35 minute game, which was the longest game of the year for Dunedin, Young helped to break the game open with a nine run fourth inning to put the Blue Jays ahead for good.

#It was the most runs scored by Dunedin in a single inning this season.

#After a single from teammate Christopher Bec, Young then took a 3-2 pitch to left field for his second home run of the year and give Dunedin a 2-0 lead.

#The lineup came around and in Young’s second plate appearance of the inning, he delivered an RBI single to plate Bec once again.

#The totals for the inning included eight hits and four walks.

#Young also tacked on a single in the top of the fifth inning.

#In game two, the Blue Jays’ only loss of the series, Young was Dunedin’s only player to record an extra-base hit for Dunedin with a two-out double in the 8th inning.

#The Mets won 3-0.

#The Blue Jays won the series opening double header Monday night, 5-2 and 2-0.

#Young was assigned to the Blue Jays of the Florida State League in Class A-Advanced for the first time this season.

#He was listed as the Toronto Blue Jays’ No.23 prospect in the preseason and the franchise’s farm system was listed as No.5 overall.

#Fox and his Montgomery Biscuits took game one of their series against Jazz Chisholm and the Jackson Generals Wednesday night in the Double A Southern League.

#Fox finished 1-3 with one run and two stolen bases of the Biscuits’ 3-0 win over the Generals.

#After he came up empty in his first two appearances at the plate, Fox was walked in the bottom of the sixth and stole second to reach scoring position. He singled in the bottom of the eighth and stole second again but was eventually plated by Rene Pinto.

#Just last week, Fox and the Biscuits went head-to-head with and Anfernee Seymour and the Jacksonville Jumbo Shrimp.

#The Biscuits got the edge, 3-2 in the five game series.

#Seymour had a productive series at the plate, 4-12, with one RBI and two runs scored through three games.

Fox And Chisholm Named To Arizona Fall League Rosters

Friday, August 31, 2018

#LUCIUS Fox and Jazz Chisholm continue their progression through their respective Major League Baseball organisations and reached another pair of milestones this week.

#Both players were named to rosters for the Arizona Fall League yesterday.

#Fox received the honour just two days after his Montgomery Biscuits clinched a playoff spot in the Double-A Southern League.

#The 21-year-old shortstop was named to the roster of the AFL’s Peoria Javelinas. The Javelinas have MLB affiliations with the Rays, Seattle Mariners, San Diego Padres, Milwaukee Brewers and Atlanta Braves.

#Chisholm was named to the roster of the Salt River Rafters. The Rafters have MLB affiliations with the Diamondbacks, Colorado Rockies, Miami Marlins, Minnesota Twins and Washington Nationals. His Visalia Rawhide are in a second-half playoff push in the Single-A Advanced California League, just one game back out of the final spot.

#The Rawhide make the playoffs by winning the second half or as a wild-card team if Stockton wins the league’s second half.

#The Arizona Fall League attracts many of the top prospects in the minor leagues. Late in the minor league seasons, MLB clubs hold a position draft to determine the players who will participate in the AFL. Most are Double-A and Triple-A players. The league is designed for these prospects to refine their skills and perform in game settings in front of major and minor league baseball scouts and team executives, who are in attendance at almost every game. The 27th edition of the league begins play October 9 and ends in mid-November.

#In the preliminary rosters, there are 17 players on MLB Pipeline’s Top 100 Prospects list, 10 in the Top 50. Overall, there are already more than 80 members of team Top 30 lists slated to participate in the six-week league.

#Four Bahamians have advanced to the Arizona Fall League in the past three seasons following Champ Stuart in 2016 and Anfernee Seymour in 2017.

#Fox advanced to the Double-A level for the first time when the Rays assigned him to the Biscuits earlier this month.

#In 23 games with the Biscuits, Fox hit .233 with a .290 OBP, four stolen bases, 21 hits, three doubles, one triple, seven RBI and 11 runs scored. He spent 91 games with the Charlotte Stone Crabs of Single-A Advanced of the Florida State League. He hit .282 with a .724 OPS, .371 OBP, 23 stolen bases, 99 hits, 17 doubles, one triple, two home runs, 30 RBI and 54 runs scored. He was named to the Florida State League’s Southern Division All-Star Team at the midseason classic.

#In 2017, his first season with the Stone Crabs, Fox appeared in 30 games, hit .235 with a .608 OPS, .350 OBP, one home run, three stolen bases, 12 RBI, 19 runs scored and was selected to represent the World team in the 2017 SiriusXM All-Star Futures Game during MLB All-Star weekend. He was assigned to the Stone Crabs in July after spending the previous 77 games with the Bowling Green Hot Rods of the Midwest League at the Single A-Full level.

#Fox notched another career milestone last offseason to receive a Major League call-up during Spring Training when he was assigned to the Rays’ Grapefruit League roster and saw immediate action on the field against the Minnesota Twins. He entered spring training at No.7 on the prospect list for the Rays among players still listed with rookie eligibility.

#Chisholm also received a promotion earlier last month when the Diamondbacks assigned him to the Rawhide and he continued to garner national media attention for his hot streak at the plate.

#Both Baseball America Major League Baseball’s milb.com highlighted Chisholm as one of the top minor league prospects across various leagues around the country.

#The 20-year-old shortstop has gone 10-22 at the plate with home runs in back to back games over the streak.

#Through 32 games with the Rawhide, Chisholm is hitting .318 with a .362 OBP, a .915 OPS, slugging .553, 42 hits, seven home runs, two triples, six doubles, 19 RBI, scored 23 runs with eight stolen bases.

#On July 19th, Chisholm was assigned to the Rawhide from the Kane County Cougars in the Midwest League.

#His production was recognised by MLBPipeline.com and he was named to the “Prospect Team of the Week,” which honours the best performances throughout the minor leagues from the previous week.

#In a season of milestones, Chisholm also made his second All-Star game appearance of his young career. He was one of five members of the Cougars selected to the midseason classic. He appeared in 76 games for the Cougars and hit .244 with 43 RBI, 17 doubles, four triples and 17 doubles. Chisholm also posted an on-base percentage of .311, slugging percentage of .472 and OPS of .783 in 307 at bats.

#In his rookie season, Chisholm was also named to the annual Pioneer League vs. Northwest League All-Star Game as a member of the Missoula Osprey.

Almost $60,000 of donations handed out from CARIFTA

National News

by: Kelsie Johnson, NG Sports Reporter

Devynne Charlton on right defeats Bahamian Carmiesha Cox at her left and Jamaican Monique Spencer in …

A total of $58,849 was donated to three separate entities by the Local Organizing Committee (LOC) from money derived from the 2013 CARIFTA Games, according to the committee’s chair, Basil Christie.
A total of $45,000 was given to the Bahamas Association of Athletic Associations (BAAA), $10,000 to Special Olympics Bahamas and $3,849 toward the hosting of the 2014 World Relays, sanctioned by the International Association of Athletics Federations (IAAF). A financial breakdown from the 2013 CARIFTA Games was compiled in an extensive report and executive summary, made public yesterday by the LOC.
The Easter holiday games were dubbed a success by Christie, who also added that funds would go toward other major projects.
” In my capacity as chairman of the local organizing committee for CARIFTA 2013, I am pleased to present through the media to the public, our final report for the games,”  said Christie.
” This is a comprehensive report and includes the executive report that has been presented to the Ministry of Youth, Sports and Culture, and the prime minister. We have available to you the full report and the financial report.
” We are happy to say that the consensus of our participants, from participating countries, that the games were a success.
” The organizing committee feels as though it was probably the best games in the region. Most notable, the games were able to generate a significant profit and of course much credit goes to the strength of the marketing team, and the public relations team.
” We are here today to let you know that the local organizing committee has established a sports foundation for the distribution of the funds that were generated from 2013 CARIFTA.” 
No figures were given for the Family Islands track and field program, which will be spearheaded by an executive team, handpicked by the LOC.
Christie said the track and field program will be the biggest beneficiary of funds derived from the games that were held March 29- April 1, at the new Thomas A. Robinson National Stadium.
Christie said: â Foremost, our biggest beneficiary for funds is the development of Family Island track and field programs, specifically designed to assist with the training of Family Island track and field coaches to train and recognize talent in the Family Islands and being able to assist them with attending events locally, regionally and internationally.
“Also, money will go toward assisting with the purchase of equipment and other necessary items to develop the track and field programs in the Family Islands.
” We have set up a program to make this happen and an executive team will head that. They will be responsible for the distribution of these funds.
” The second item of priority is setting up a training program for Family Island coaches. We are happy that the Ministry of Youth, Sports and Culture, along with the prime ministerâ s office, have embarked on an extensive program to develop track and field in the Family Islands, including the erection of facilities and training coaches.
” We will work hand-in-hand with the Ministry of Youth, Sports and Culture on this particular project. Additionally, we have made contributions to Special Olympics Bahamas, also we have assisted with the preparation of the world relays.” 
The LOC plans to make more contributions and donations in the coming months.
The executives hope that the disbursed funds will assist with the development and advancement of athletics in The Bahamas.

Waltiea Rolle Takes Time Out To Meet ‘Mother’ Pratt

Monday, November 11, 2019

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Cynthia ‘Mother’ Pratt and Waltiea Rolle.

#AS she gets prepared to be honoured by the Bahamas Hoopfest, the Bahamas’ first player to participate in the Women’s National Basketball Association (WNBA) Waltiea Rolle took the time out to meet Cynthia ‘Mother’ Pratt, the first female to serve as a Deputy Prime Minister of the Bahamas.

#Rolle met on Saturday at the home of Pratt, one of the country’ most versatile female athletes. The Bahamas Hoopfest, scheduled for November 20-30 at the Baha Mar Resort, will bring five women’s NCAA Division One basketball teams here to compete. They are Arkansas, Ball State (Ind.), Fordham (N.Y.), Lehigh (Pa.) and Wisconsin-Madison.

#The event tips off with a Thanksgiving Day matchup between Lehigh and Ball State on November 28. The slate continues on day two with an early bout seeing Arkansas face Fordham followed by Ball State taking on Wisconsin.

#On Saturday, Fordham returns to take on Lehigh in the final day’s opening action before the event concludes with a showdown between “Power 5” foes Wisconsin and Arkansas.

#On Thanksgiving night, November 28, we will have a Junkanoo Thanksgiving celebration for the teams at the Baha Mar Resort. This event will take place from 5-7pm and will be open to the public. Rolle was a third-round pick (36th overall) by the Minnesota Lynx in the 2013 WNBA Draft and appeared in all three pre-season games with the team, averaging 7.0 points, 4.3 rebounds and 1.0 steals per game. In six games with the Storm in 2014, Rolle averaged 3.2 points and 2.8 rebounds per game.

#The 6’6” centre and University of North Carolina product last played with Xianjiang Magic Deer of the Chinese Women’s Basketball Association. She made Bahamian basketball history by becoming the first Bahamian to play in the WNBA when she appeared in the Storm’s 80-74 loss to the Tulsa Shock on July 29, 2014.

#A 2013 graduate of North Carolina, Rolle owns two of the top 10 best shot-blocking seasons in school history. Her 89 blocks during the 2013 campaign stand are the sixth best of all-time and her 82 blocks in the 2011 season eighth in North Carolina history.

#Bahamas Hoopfest is hosted by the Springdale-based non-profit, International Youth Education & Sports (iYES) Foundation.

#Bahamian Dr Simeon Hinsey is a co-founder of iYES and Bahamas Hoopfest, whose mission is to enhance cultural exchange between youth in the United States, The Bahamas and other Caribbean nations in order to develop communities through education, recreation and sports while preparing youth to pursue post-secondary education.