Category: Athletics

NACAC Athletics: Sands charts course

As of Thursday, January 4, 2024

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MIKE SANDS

#By BRENT STUBBS

#Senior Sports Reporter

#bstubbs@tribunemedia.net

#HAVING received the confidence of the delegates to serve for another term, Mike Sands said he’s more pleased with the progress his administration made during his first four-year term and he’s eager to proceed with his second term as president of the renamed North American, Central American and Caribbean Athletics (NACAC Athletics).

#Re-elected during the under-18 and under-23 championships in Costa Rica in July, Sands said they also made the change in their name to NACAC Athletics to coincide with World Athletics and the European Athletics.

#“That is the brand that we are promoting,” Sands said.

#Hopefully with the name change, Sands said NACAC Athletics can improve on the banner year that they experienced in 2023 as they move forward to accomplishing another banner year in 2024.

#“We hosted the CARIFTA Games here in the Bahamas (in April) that coincided with the Bahamas’ 50th Independence anniversary celebrations,” Sands said. “We held the under-18 and under-23 NACAC Championships in Costa Rica that had a record number of participants.

#“We also had the under-13 and under-15 Championships in the Dominican Republic, which also had a record number of participants and we had the New Life Championships and we had our annual general elections.”

#Sands said they made an amendment to their constitution, which was unanimously passed by the body at a special called meeting in March and, for the first time, NACAC achieved a first with three women being added to the five members sitting on World Athletics Council.

#“For the first time ever, we have advanced the election process for the CARIFTA Games whereby Grenada will host this year’s games over the Easter holiday weekend and we have decided that next year it will be held in Trinidad & Tobago in 2025 and Barbados will be the host in 2026.

#“They have offered themselves and I say offered because I don’t want anybody to think that the Bahamas didn’t have a chance. At the congress, we opened the floor and Trinidad and Barbados offered to host it in 2025 and 2026.”

#The Bahamas Government, according to Sands, has offered to allow NACAC to establish a permanent head office at the Thomas A. Robinson National Stadium.

#By virtue of serving as the president, Sands was able to move the office to the stadium, but he said the plans going forward is that the office will remain here whether he’s returned as the president or not in the next elections.

#To cap off the year, Sands said American sprinter Noah Lyles was selected as World Athletics’ Male Track Athlete of the Year for 2023. “That is our year in a nutshell,” Sands said. “So we want to carry the successful year into the new year and build on that momentum and have an equally successful year.”

#Already in their planning process, Sands said the council members are meeting to put together their strategic plans for the ensuing years.

#“We’ve had some people who were elected by the members on their own agenda and they were elected based on what they want to see NACAC do,” Sands said. “But we are taking a different approach and what we will do, when we meet in about two weeks, is that we will bring all those ideas together and see how we can mesh them into a strategic plan so everyone can be inclusive.”

#In the meantime, Sands said they have established a number of commissions, which will allow for more inclusions as the commissions will be allowed to advise the council on the way forward.

#“One of our primary things is our gender leadership. We are very proud of that grouping and we want to continue to work alongside them,” he said. “They have their training workshop coming up in a few weeks as well.

#“So, we have already hit the ground running, including our coaching education where we have had several clinics for our coaches and we hope to have several camps where we train the coaches so to speak and even our gender leadership.”

#As for their competition, Sands said in addition to CARIFTA being staged in Grenada, NACAC will also host the NACAC Open Championships and the New Life Invitational. While the two events took place in Grand Bahama last year, Sands said they are still looking for a place to put them on this year.

#“As in any federation, the biggest challenge is always funding,” he said. “One of the things we are progressively pursuing is a marketing strategy. We hope to secure the funding to do a number of things we want to do in our area, especially with the Olympic Games being held in July.

#“With a number of events being closer at home, we hope it will serve the athletes well so that they don’t have to be all over the globe just before they head to Paris. They have expressed an appetite to compete closer to home and still earn a decent payday. So, we want to provide the prize money at our meets to be able to attract our athletes to compete in our region.”

#One of the highlights of meets for the year will be the return of the World Relays to the Bahamas in May. Although it will be under the jurisdiction of the Bahamas Association of Athletic Associations (BAAA) with the supervision of World Athletics, Sands said it was agreed it will be mandatory for all countries to participate if they desire to have a relay team compete in Paris.

#“What that means is that there are 16 available spots for the relays and 14 of them in each relay will qualify here in the Bahamas at the World Relays,” Sands revealed. “So, the return of the World Relays to the Bahamas will be bigger than many people anticipate.”

#The sixth edition of the World Relays will run over the weekend of May 4-5 in the newly renovated Thomas A. Robinson National Stadium where the first three editions took place in 2014, 2015 and 2017.

Christopher Saunders earns Commissioner’s Badge from FIBA

As of Thursday, January 4, 2024

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Christopher Saunders

#By BRENT STUBBS

#Senior Sports Reporter

#bstubbs@tribunemedia.net

#VERSATILE Christopher Saunders, a noted journalist, lecturer and politician, has moved to the head of the class as the latest Bahamian to earn his Commissioner’s badge from the International Basketball Federation (FIBA).

#Saunders was one of two persons appointed by the Bahamas Basketball Federation last year. He, along with Terez Conliffe, passed the course and became official FIBA commissioners as of September 1.

#While it’s the first time around for Saunders, it’s the second for Conliffe as they hold their positions around the basketball arena as observers for the next two years.

#“It’s extraordinary to have two commissioners at the same time,” said Freddie Brown, a former commissioner who now serves as a technical delegate. “The number of commissioners for each country correlates with the amount of internationally certified referees that you have.

#“So, if you have five referees, you will get about 50 percent in commissioners. Normally they would give one more. Now that we have three referees, they allowed us to have two commissioners. If we have seven referees, we could end up with at least three or four commissioners.”

#Brown noted that both Saunders and Conliffe also sat the FIBA statistician course and they passed, making them eligible to serve as statisticians, having passed what he called a very “tedious” course on the first time around, joining a group of five other Bahamians who previously passed the course.

#As commissioners, Conliffe and Saunders will now work directly with the secretary general for FIBA, but they will be assigned to FIBA Americas where they will be allowed to participate in any international event from youth-15 to the Olympic Games.

#“They will be called upon to assist the game’s table of officials and provide any type of guidance to the referees, if they require it,” Brown stated. “They also work behind the scenes, ensuring that at the end of the day, the game ends happily and everybody is satisfied.”

#As commissioner, Conliffe and Saunders would normally sit in the centre of the scorer’s table and provide the assistance to the timer and shot clock operator and the communication of the book and enforcing the technical aspect of the game.

#While this is his first rodeo as a commissioner, Saunders said he got involved in refereeing in 1995 under the invitation of Reggie Forbes. He admitted that since he couldn’t “play the game at all,” he was delighted to have been afforded the opportunity to serve as an official.

#“Being able to participate in the game that I love, being a referee allowed me to do that,” said Saunders, a former swimmer during his high school days at St Augustine’s College. “I enjoyed what I was doing.”

#Although he never achieved his FIBA referee certification, Saunders said because he worked in so many other areas of the sport, when the opportunity presented itself for him to apply for his commissioner’s badge, he decided to go all out for it.

#“In my capacity as a journalist, I was able to cover my country’s participation in a number of international events, but I’ve never been able to do it as a referee,” he said.

#“So I know I can’t play basketball, but I was happy that I could give back to my country serving as a commissioner.

#“The whole process for getting the FIBA Commissioner’s badge was tedious. We went through a very vigorous process assisting the referees, the scorers at the table, the medical personnel, the media persons, the persons cleaning the floor and even the set up of the gymnasium for the games.”

#Compared to officiating as a referee, Saunders said it’s a totally different role the commissioners play because they are no longer acting as a referee, but they have to wear a cap that encompasses the whole makeup of the game management.

#“I’m just waiting on the opportunity to get my first nomination to represent the country as a commissioner at an international event,” Saunders said. “The licence just kicked in on September 1, but there are a lot of things happening in 2024, so I’m hoping that I will get an invite to go somewhere soon.”

#In the meantime, Saunders has been able to assist with a lot of training for the local referees.

#He continues to officiate games with his counterpart as a referee and he also sits at the table helping out as a statistician.

#“As a commissioner, you will be called upon to help out with media relations and at bigger events, you have to know how that process works in terms of the setup of the mix zone where the athletes are interviewed by the members of the media,” he said.

#“So, I think my background, not only in logistics, but also in media allows me to take a step above what it is needed to get the job done. So, when I get the opportunity to showcase my skills, I will be better equipped because of the skill level that I bring to the table.”

#As one of two Bahamians to serve as commissioners, Saunders said he’s thrilled. He said he remembers taking his test the same time that Wells sat her referee’s course and after they passed, they both contacted each other to congratulate one another.

#“It’s an immense sense of pride for me to be able to accomplish that,” Saunders said. “I wanted to represent my country after I watched persons like Freddie Brown, Norman Humes and Randy Cunningham serve in that capacity in the past.

#“I stand on the shoulders of some great people and I hope I can go one step further than Mr Brown, who continues to serve as a technical delegate.

#“It’s a far way to go, but to know that I am a part of a great lineage of commissioners in the country puts me on a good stead and it gives me a great sense of national pride.”

#Shortly after joining about a year ago, president Darrel Ranger said he’s seen a vast improvement in Saunders’ ability to get the job done and to work harmoniously in assisting the other referees.

#“He’s a student of the game. He knows the rules inside and out,” Ranger said. “He’s one of those persons who could quote and tell you the article and where to find it in the rule book and he applies it when he’s on the court as a referee. So, he deserves it.”

#Ranger said there are very few referees who can leave the floor and sit on the table to officiate as a statistician. He said the Bahamas could use some more individuals like Saunders in the sport, but it’s good to have him at the head of the class.

Taylor named senior male athlete of 2023

THE TRIBUNE SPORTS’ ATHLETE OF THE YEAR 2023: Top swimmer Lamar Taylor proudly displaying the three NCAA championship titles he won last year while competing on the Henderson State University swim team.

THE TRIBUNE SPORTS’ ATHLETE OF THE YEAR 2023: Top swimmer Lamar Taylor proudly displaying the three NCAA championship titles he won last year while competing on the Henderson State University swim team.

As of Wednesday, January 3, 2024

#By BRENT STUBBS

#Senior Sports Reporter

#bstubbs@tribunemedia.net

#It was the Grand Bahamian trio of Lamar Taylor, Donald Thomas and Terrence Jones who turned in some of the most outstanding performances to highlight the 2023 sporting scene for Bahamian men.

#Taylor’s feats in capping the year with the Bahamas’ first medal – a bronze in the men’s 50 metres freestyle in a new record of 22.13 seconds – at the Pan American Games in Santiago, Chile in October, enabled him to cart off The Tribune’s Male Athlete of the Year honours.

#The 20-year-old smashed his previous personal best and national record of 22.26 seconds achieved at the World Aquatics Championships in Fukuoka, Japan in July.

#At Pan Am, Taylor was also 13th in the 100m backstroke and 16th in the 100m freestyle. He also swam on two men’s relay teams that got ninth in the 100m freestyle and 10th in the 100m medley. Both mixed 4 x 100 freestyle and medley relays, that he was also a part of, got 11th.

#In what was a busty international year, Taylor also competed at the Central American and Caribbean Games last week in San Salvador, El Salvador, and lowered the Bahamas Aquatics’ record with his gold medal performance in the men’s 50m backstroke and he earned a bronze in the 50m freestyle.

#Before all of that, Taylor competed for Henderson State at the NCAA Division II Swim Championships in 50-yard freestyle with a personal-best time of 19.04, becoming the Red Wave’s first individual national champion since 2010.

#He also won the national championship in the 100 backstroke (45.95) and 100 free (42.30), became the first three-time national champion at a single national championships event in HSU history and was also named the CSCAA Division II Male Swimmer of the Year, was awarded the NSISC Male Swimmer of the Year and was named the 2022-23 GAC Male Athlete of the Year.

#On his return home for the Bahamas Aquatics’ National Swimming Championships, Taylor established a pair of Bahamian national records at the Bahamas National Swimming Championships in June at the Betty Kelly Kenning Swim Complex in the 100-metre backstroke (56.47) and the 50-metre freestyle (22.35).

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DONALD THOMAS

#Thomas, showing that age is only a number, also had a rather remarkable season to earn the number two spot on The Tribune’s list. At the Pan American Games, 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. He dedicated his performance to the late Member of Parliament for West Grand Bahama and Bimini Obediah Wilchcombe.

#Before going to Santiago, Chile, Thomas came home and won his third straight and seventh overall title at the Bahamas Association of Athletic Associations’ National Championships at the Thomas A. Robinson Stadium in July.

#He also clinched the gold at the North American, Central American and Caribbean’s New Life Invitational’s World Athletics Continental Tour Silver Level meeting as he returned home and delighted the crown at the Grand Bahama Sports Complex in Grand Bahama.

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TERRENCE JONES

#Jones, on the other hand, got off to an exceptional season indoors and was on the verge of a major breakthrough on the senior international circuit when his season was almost derailed by the Bahamas Association of Athletic Associations to secure The Tribune’s No.3 spot.

#The 21-year-old rising star opened up the year winning the NCAA Indoor 60m title in 6.46 seconds in March in Albuquerque, New Mexico. He had a relatively quiet outdoor season at Texas Tech, but resurfaced for a semifinal appearance in the 100m at 10.06 at the NCAA Outdoor Championships in Austin, Texas, in June.

#After coming home to win the BAAA National Championships’ crown in the 100m in July at the TAR Stadium, Jones went to the NACAC Championships later that month in San Juan, Costa Rica where he anchored the men’s 4 x 100m relay team of Antoine Andrews, Adam Musgrove and Carlos Brown to the silver medal in 39.59.

#He was to have been suspended for disciplinary actions at the Championships with a leaked report that he will not compete at the World Championships in Budapest, Hungary in August. The decision was overturned at the 11th hour and Jones eventually made the trip, finishing sixth in his semifinal heat in 10.32.

#To add to his credit, Jones equalled the time of 9.91 that Derrick Atkins achieved at the 2007 World Championships in Osaka, Japan, with his victory at the Tom Jones Memorial Classic in Gainesville, Florida in April to add to the men’s 60m mark of 6.45 that he posted at the Corky Classic in Lubbock, Texas in January, 2022.

#Among the performances of note were Miami Marlins’ outfielder Jasrado ‘Jazz’ Chisholm, professional boxer Rashield Williams, who went undefeated in four fights last year, along with National Basketball Association’s trio of Chavano ‘Buddy’ Hield, Deandre Ayton and new addition Eric Gordon, who helped to propel the Bahamas into the qualifying round of the men’s basketball competition for the Olympic Games and golfers Devaughn Robinson and Richard Gibson Jr, who dominated the pro and amateur ranks respectively.

Minister Bowleg looking forward to the new year

Minister of Youth, Sports and Culture Mario Bowleg.

Minister of Youth, Sports and Culture Mario Bowleg.

As of Wednesday, January 3, 2024

#By BRENT STUBBS

#Senior Sports Reporter

#bstubbs@tribunemedia.net

#AS the new year unfolds, Minister Mario Bowleg has some bright ideas for the further development of his tripart Ministry of Youth, Sports and Culture in the Commonwealth of the Bahamas.

#Bowleg, who was in Grand Bahama at the time for the staging of that island’s New Year’s Junkanoo parade, said these are some exciting times and he’s excited about the future, which will start with the passing of three legislations in the House of Assembly.

#“The first one is the youth policy, which we hope will empower and provide more opportunities for the young people,” said Bowleg of the youth perspective of his ministry. “We’ve had many drafts of the youth policy, but it has not really come to fruition. So that’s something I’m looking forward to doing in 2024.

#“We also hope to upgrade the sports policy, which has not been upgraded since the 1990s and to empower more of the federations and to the new and up and coming new smaller sports federations into this policy, so that they can receive the financial assistance that they need to develop their discipline.”

#While there’s some discussion about it in the public domain, Bowleg said his ministry intends to pass the implementation of an Athletes’ Pension Bill, which will enable former athletes to receive a pension from the ministry.

#“That is something we are looking at in 2024,” he stated.

#And coming of the two major junkanoo parades in New Providence for Boxing Day and New Year’s Day, along with the one held in Grand Bahama, Bowleg said they will look at the first draft of the cultural policy, which will enhance all aspects of culture in the country, including junkanoo.

#“These are some of the things as it relates to youth, sports and culture that we want to push forward in our ministry,” Bowleg said. “We hope that these things will benefit the youth of our nation, our athletes and the cultural practitioners in a holistic approach for the country.”

#In a broader scale for sports, Bowleg said with this being an Olympic year as they head to Paris, France, in July, his ministry will be providing as much assistance as possible for all athletes who seek to make it to the world’s greatest sporting spectacle.

#“We want to make sure that every athlete who has an opportunity and every team that has an opportunity, and right now it’s only basketball, are given the attention that they need to ensure that they have all of the necessary assets and tools needed to qualify for the Olympics,” Bowleg.

#“In July, the men’s basketball team will be playing in Spain to qualify for the Olympics for the first time.

#“I intend to travel with that team and ensure that we get all of the pieces together so that we can accomplish that goal. The federation and the coaches are very confident that they can get the job done.”

#If they qualify, basketball will become the first team sport to participate in the games for the Bahamas. They will join individual athletes who are expected to represent the Bahamas in a number of sports, including track and field, swimming, boxing, tennis, beach volleyball and judo.

#“We are working towards that,” Bowleg said. “We have a number of athletes who we expect to assist to make sure that they are in the best position to be able to qualify to compete in the games.

#“We want to focus on those athletes and to ensure that we can provide whatever financial assistance we can so that they can get to the level that they need to be to get to the Olympics to give the Bahamas the exposure that it needs at the games.”

#While there is the focus on the Olympics, Bowleg said the ministry is continuing the process of renovating both the Thomas A. Robinson National Stadium and the Betty Kelly Kenning Swim Complex for two major international events this year.

#The Bahamas will host the return of the World Relays for the sixth edition from May 4-5. The Bahamas hosted the first three editions in 2014, 2-15 and 2-17 before it was moved to Yokohama, Japan in 2019 and Silesian, Croatia in 2021.

#On the heels of that, the Bahamas Swimming Federation will host the CARIFTA Swim Championships from March 28 to April 7 in their quest to continue their dominance of winning the title for the past five consecutive years.

#“Repairs to both of those two facilities are going quite well,” Bowleg said. “We are also hosting to break ground during this budget year for the new 50 metre swim complex at the Grand Bahama Sports Complex in Grand Bahama.

#“Of course, you know, the renovations are being done for the World Relays and the CARIFTA swimming in Nassau. Work is going on time and on schedule and so I expect by the week of the 15th of this month, or by the end of the month, we will have a thorough inspection of both facilities with the media to get a complete report of the repairs.”

#He noted that the Chinese workmen have been on the ground working around the clock with the repairs and things are on schedule to have both facilities ready for the Local Organising Committee to welcome the athletes at the appropriate times for their competitions.

#“We are having weekly meetings with all of the stakeholders and so I’m sure that the Bahamian people will be quite pleased with both of these facilities when they are completed,” he stated.

#“So, we are encouraging the Bahamian public to come out and support the athletes on the field and in the pool this year.

#“We have some exciting things to look forward to when it comes to Sports in Paradise so we want everybody to get ready to cheer on Team Bahamas as we compete against the rest of the world.”

#With the relaunch of the Bahamas Games in July, 2023, Bowleg said they have seen a resurgence in sports in the Family Islands and they hope that the Sports Councils will be able to work hand-in-hand with the various sporting federations so that they can continue to develop as they prepare for the next edition of the Bahamas Games.

#“The Family Island Sports Councils should now look at ensuring that the local sporting bodies are up and running on their islands,” Bowleg said. “The federations have a role to play to make the job that much easier for the Family Island associations.

#“We hope to have another Sports Conclave in 2024 when we bring the federations and the Family Island Sports Councils together so that we can map out a plan that will ensure that everybody understands the way forward.”

#He said the federations have been mandated to go into the Family Islands and to ensure that the associations are up and running for the growth of the development of sports.

#He stated that’s one of the reasons why they receive their grants from the Ministry of Youth, Sports and Culture.

#“It’s not all about preparing the national team to represent the country,” he stated.

#“They first have to put in place a developmental programme to ensure that the coaches and athletes in the Family Islands have the necessary tools to equip themselves to prove their skillsets so that the Bahamas can have a better representation locally, nationally and internationally.

#“It’s a collaborative work with all of these entities, but it must start with the federation, who receives their grant from the ministry to help with the development of sports within their sporting disciplines.”

#As for sports in general, Bowleg said he’s thrilled to see the level of competition that is showcased at the local level and he’s even more impressed with what he’s seen from Sports in Paradise with the international teams coming into the country to compete.

#“We have a very vibrant sporting programme and we must find persons and federations with the necessary administrative skills to get the job done,” he said.

#“We have a rich programme and the only way these disciplines continue to flourish, we need the right persons at the helm to get the job done.”

Former basketballer Stevandrae Wells certified as international referee

As of Wednesday, January 3, 2024

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STEVANDRAE WELLS

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Stevandrae Wells making a call.

#By BRENT STUBBS

#Senior Sports Reporter

#bstubbs@tribunemedia.net

#AFTER retiring from the game as a player, Stevandrae Wells never envisioned herself making the transition to a referee. Since running the floor from 2019, she has now moved up the ranks as one of three Bahamians who have earned their international referee certification.

#She, along with Grand Bahamian Eustacia Smith, are the only two certified female referees in the Bahamas, who have secured their international certification along with their male counterpart Christian Wilmore.

#After sitting a series of physical and theory courses for about six months, Wells passed the course. It became official as of September 1 and will be in effect for two years. In taking the course, she and Smith had to be nominated by the Bahamas Basketball Federation.

#This was the second time that Wells had to undergo the test after she had some difficulties with her training process during the COVID-19 pandemic.

#But Freddie Brown, the highest serving FIBA basketball official in the country, noted that he had a chance to work with Wells, putting her through a vigorous training programme to get prepared for the course last year.

#He said he was thrilled to see how well she responded to the challenge and got the job done, knowing that she did extremely well and applied herself to go well beyond the call of duty for a woman.

#In accepting the accolades as she closed out the year officiating at the Providence Basketball Club’s 24th Yuletide Classic for senior and junior boys over the Christmas holiday at the CI Gibson Gymnasium, Wells said she’s extremely grateful for her accomplishment. “People think that basketball is only a male sport, but there are a lot of females officiating,” Wells said. “I hear so often people say this is a man’s sport or a man’s game, but basketball doesn’t have a face, nor is it based on gender.

#“So, I know I’m good at what I do and it doesn’t matter whether or not I’m a male or a female. I will go out there and call the game for what it’s worth. I do demand respect as an official, whether I am a male or a female.”

#Wells, 30, formerly played for the CI Gibson Rattlers senior girls’ basketball team and the College of the Bahamas Caribs before they made the switch over to the University of the Bahamas Mingoes. She earned her bachelor’s degree in banking and finance in 2015.

#While coming out to watch the Bahamas Government Departmental Basketball Association games as a staff at Sandilands Rehabilitation Center, serving as an accountant for the past six years, Wells said she was encouraged to officiate the games as it was only geared for men at the time.

#She accepted and the rest, as they say, was history.

#“I was always a student of the game, but I found out that officiating was a little more technical, so I had to go back into the books and learn about the rules and regulations,” she pointed out. “I continued to study and worked with the officials and I made it a point to get better.”

#She currently serves as a member of the New Providence Association of Certified Basketball Officials, headed by Darrell Ranger and includes Wilmore, who provided a lot of assistance, along with Brown and Randy Cunningham, in passing her certification course last year.

#“We always help each other along the way and we always have discussions after the game about what took place during our games,” she said. “We have a pretty good association and everyone treats you like you should be treated, not because I am a female.

#“We also have clinics where we try to make sure that all of our referees are on the same page and we know the new changes. So we always have sessions where we go over the rules and regulations and ensure that we perform them to the best of our abilities on and off the court as a referee.”

#In critiquing her performance, Wilmore said Wells certainly has surpassed all expectations and the sky is now the limit for her.

#“For her experience level and in the number of years that she has been officiating, she has improved significantly,” Wilmore said. “Obviously, she’s a student of the game, a student of officiating and she takes critiques very well.

#“So, I know that she has the potential to not only be the top referee in the country, not only usurping myself, but to be a top referee in this region and I’m not just talking about being a female, but a top referee period. She has that potential and all of the intangibles that it takes to get there.”

#The only thing that she’s lacking, according to Wilmore, is her international exposure and that will come sooner than later.

#“She is going to excel very rapidly once she gets that opportunity to be at the world elite level,” he pointed out. “It will take a lot of experience. They need to see how. They have not seen her yet because she hasn’t been assigned to any international competition yet.

#“But they will critique her and refine her game. I have started to help her out privately with some things she didn’t even know existed. You start people at the elementary level and once they develop and master their skills, you move them up the ladder.

#“She still has work to do, but the potential is there. Once she gets the opportunity, I expect her to continue to grow,” said Wilmore.

#As the president of the association, Ranger lauded Wells for other accomplishments.

#“Wells is one of our up-and-coming referees we have,” he said.

#“She’s put in all of the energy and game that is needed to get the job done. So, she deserves it. That’s why hard work pays off.

#“She’s progressed really fast since she came in. She’s a quick learner. She is willing to listen and do whatever it takes to become better.

#“She will go very far in the sport as a referee because of her work ethic.”

#To women out there who might have an interest in following suit, Wells encourages them to do so.

#“It could be a new career for you and not just a job,” she said. “You can become an international certified official like I did and now I can call international games. So it’s not just a job for me, but it’s a career.”

#While she’s delighted to be a referee, Wells said the highlight for her has been becoming an international certified official.

#She’s now waiting on her opportunity to officially officiate at her first major international competition.

#“Officiating was never something that I saw myself doing,” she stated. “I went to a few Family Islands to officiate and it has opened up a lot of doors for me. I have not gotten the call to officiate overseas yet, but I’m still waiting on that opportunity. “Every opportunity is a learning opportunity, so I have really not had a disappointing moment yet. I’ve had the opportunity to officiate at every national event, including night league and high school as well as the Bahamas Games.”

#So far, Wells has no regrets in coming back from being a former player to officiate in the sport she so loves.

Clarke set to hit the courts

Bahamian collegiate tennis player ready for second half of season

  • Simba French
  • 6 hrs ago
  •  0

Bahamian collegiate tennis player Sydney Clarke had a busy Christmas holiday break at home and has since returned to the campus of the University of Alabama at Birmingham (UAB) in Birmingham, Alabama, for her senior season. The UAB Blazers first dual back will be a battle against Lipscomb University in Nashville, Tennessee, on Saturday January 13.

“Now that the season is quickly approaching, I’m getting my mind and body ready for our first match January 13. If I continue to have a positive attitude while being resilient, I will be successful,” Clarke said.

“I am very excited to hit the courts with my teammates one last time. I look forward to ending the season either winning the Most Valuable Player (MVP) award for my team, being recognized by our conference during the season, first team all-conference, or achieving a collegiate ranking in singles or doubles. The leadership role has been great. I’ve seen improvement in myself and my teammates. I’ve done a great job this semester leading by example/setting a standard for our team,” Clarke said.

The fall season, which is mainly invitationals, was a strong one for Clarke as she sported a 7-3 win/loss record individually. She has had five different doubles partners this season and has a 5-2 record in doubles. This is the grueling part of the season as she will play in Conference-USA action.

“I’ve worked on my fitness a lot more this semester which has been very helpful for me while playing,” Clarke stated.

The right-handed player alluded to her team being together for two years, adding that it should help them make some noise in the conference tournament.

“I’m very confident that we are going to go deep in conference play,” Clarke said. “We would need to continue to build our skills while accepting setbacks in order to get the breakthrough we want. This fall semester, everyone has done a great job with stepping out of their comfort zone. If we continue to make the same efforts, we will have a great season.”

Clarke is studying entrepreneurship, pursuing a Bachelor of Science Degree.

BLTA lays out aggressive agenda for 2024

  • 6 hrs ago
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Simone Pratt
Women’s National Champion Simone Pratt will represent The Bahamas internationally this year, and is expected to defend her national title at the Giorgio Baldacci National Open Championships.

Starting this weekend, the Bahamas Lawn Tennis Association (BLTA) have mapped out an aggressive 2024 calendar, looking to continue with the development of young tennis players in the country and build substantial national teams.

The 2024 calendar of events opens with the IC (International Club) Winterbotham Junior Series #1 this Saturday and Sunday at the BLTA’s National Tennis Centre. That will be followed by the BLTA Under-14 (U14) and Under-16 (U16) Tournament the following weekend at the same venue.

The World Juniors Boys and Girls 14-and-Under (14U) Tournament is set for March 2-10 in El Salvador. Back in The Bahamas, the BLTA Junior National Spring Classic will be held from March 22-26 in New Providence.

The BD Global Junior Classic 12-and-Under and 14-and-Under (12U and 14U) Tournament, a Universal Tennis Rating (UTR) Ranking event, will be held April 8 in Abaco, and the Tim’s Refrigeration Doubles Tournament will be held from April 12-13 in Eleuthera.

The inaugural Bahamas High School National Tennis Championships will be held at the BLTA’s National Tennis Centre from May 3-6.

The 8-and-Under and 10-and-Under (8U and 10U) junior nationals is set for June 15-16 and the 12-and-Under to 18-and-Under (12U to 18U) junior nationals will be held from June 21-26.

The International Tennis Federation’s (ITF) 18U Junkanoo Bowl will be held at the BLTA’s National Tennis Centre from June 29 to July 6. A Confederation of Tennis of Central America and the Caribbean (COTECC) under-12 (U12) team competition for Subregion 3 is set for July 17-22.

The Abaco Junior National Tournament (14U) will be held from August 3-5 in Abaco, and the AID Clay Court Championship will be held at the Gym Tennis Club in New Providence from August 12-26.

From September 14-15, the Flawless Construction 14-and-Under and 16-and-Under (14U and 16U) Juniors Tournament will be held in Grand Bahama.

A number of events are planned for October. The Sheri Roberts Memorial Open will be held from October 5-6 in Abaco, the senior nationals (35-and-Over) will be held from October 11-13 in New Providence, an IC Winterbotham 10-and-Under and 12-and-Under (10U and 12U) tournament will be held from October 19-20 in Grand Bahama, and the FOCOL (Freeport Oil Company Ltd.) Junior National Tournament is set for October 26-29 in Grand Bahama.

From November 16-21, the COTECC Goombay Splash Tournament (14) will be held at the BLTA’s National Tennis Centre in New Providence, The Bahamas.

Wrapping up the year, the Briland Open will be held December 7 in Eleuthera, the BLTA Awards Banquet will be held December 14 and the year-ending Giorgio Baldacci National Open Championships will be held December 16-20 at the BLTA’s National Tennis Centre in New Providence.

Dates are subject to change.

Conference play gets underway for Bahamian collegians

  • Simba French
  • 6 hrs ago
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Creighton’s Fredrick King during the second half of an NCAA college basketball game against Marquette Friday, Dec. 16, 2022, in Milwaukee. Marquette won 69-58. (AP Photo/Morry Gash)

  • Morry Gash

Wisconsin’s AJ Storr (2) against Iowa during the first half of an NCAA college basketball game Tuesday, Jan. 2, 2024, in Madison, Wis. (AP Photo/Andy Manis)

  • Andy Manis

Conference play is underway for National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) Division I basketball, and several Bahamians were in action.

AJ Storr keeps proving that he is a spark plug for the nationally number 21 ranked Wisconsin University Badgers as he helped his team get a third straight victory on Tuesday. They now sport a 10-3 win/loss record on the season.

The Bahamian provided 16 points in 31 minutes for his team as he went 7-for-13 from the field to give them their second Big Ten win of the season. Storr made one shot from deep and had two rebounds to go with one assist. He was able to get a block as well.

The game was a competitive one as expected with five lead changes and seven ties. It was an even first half as the teams were tied at 32 at the mid-point mark.

There was a back-and-forth flow in the second half before Wisconsin took the lead for good at the 15:32 mark, going up 46-44.

Storr showed his athleticism and flair when he threw down an alley-oop slam dunk off an off-the-glass set-up from guard Chucky Hepburn with 8:40 left in the second half. The Badgers bench cleared as they celebrated the high-flying dunk.

Hepburn put the Badgers up 65-55 for their first double-digit lead at the 8:26 mark.

The Badgers went up by 13 points for their largest lead of the game and stayed in control.

The Badgers return to action against the Nebraska University Cornhuskers (11-2) in another home game on Saturday. That game starts at 1:15 p.m.

Fredrick King Jr. and the Creighton University Bluejays ended a two-game losing streak when they took care of the Georgetown University Hoyas (7-7), 77-60, for their first Big East Conference victory. They are now 10-4 on the season.

The sophomore scored four points for his team as they played on the road at the Capital One Arena in Washington D.C. on Tuesday. He made use of his six minutes on the floor as he went 2-for-2 from the field. He was able to grab three rebounds and dished out an assist in the win.

It was a close game in the first half but Creighton turned it up in the second half. They went up 42-31 with 15:35 left and never looked back.

King got his first field goal of the game, a slam dunk, at the 8:36 mark of the second half of the game. The Bluejays led 60-39 at that point.

The Bluejays return home to the CHI Health Center in Omaha, Nebraska, to take on the nationally number 23 ranked Providence College (11-2) Friars on Saturday. That game gets underway at 1 p.m.

The Nassau Guardian’s Team of the Year

Men’s basketball takes the top honor; beach soccer squad finishes second

  • Sheldon Longley and Simba French
  • Jan 3, 2024 Updated Jan 3, 2024
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The Nassau Guardian’s Team of the Year is The Bahamas’ senior men’s national basketball team. They were a unanimous selection from a three-person judging panel for its historic run this past summer.

The team advanced to the FIBA (International Basketball Federation) Olympic Qualifying Tournament (OQT), set for July 2-7 in Valencia, Spain. To be in this position, they won the FIBA Americas Olympic Pre-Qualifying Tournament in Santiago del Estero, Argentina, this past summer.

The Bahamas won all four of its games in that tournament. For the first time, The Bahamas utilized three National Basketball Association (NBA) players in Chavano ‘Buddy’ Hield, Eric Gordon, and DeAndre Ayton. They also had several professional players, based in Europe, as well as collegiate players on the roster.

The Bahamas defeated Argentina 82-75 in a hostile Estadio Ciudad de Santiago del Estero in the championship game. The win proved the country is among the best nations in the region in basketball as they advanced as far as Bahamas Basketball has ever been in the Olympic qualifying process. In that championship game, Gordon scored 11 of his game-high 27 points in the fourth quarter. He had a strong shooting night, going 8-for-13 from the field and 6-for-7 from three-point range.

Travis Munnings had 16 points on 5-for-10 shooting, including 3-for-7 from deep. Hield went 5-for-17 from the field and finished with 15 points. Ayton gave the country four players in double figures with 10 points and grabbed a game-high 21 rebounds.

For the OQT, The Bahamas was drawn into a pool with Lebanon, Angola, Finland, Poland, and host country Spain. Those countries were split into two groups. The Bahamas was drawn into Group B with Finland and Poland. Spain, Angola, and Lebanon were drawn into Group A.

The Bahamas has to win that tournament in order to move on to the Paris Olympic Games next summer.

The Bahamas men’s national beach soccer team finished second in the voting process. They too had a good year, narrowly missing out on qualifying for the 2023 FIFA (International Association Football Federation) Beach Soccer World Cup, which was held in Dubai, United Arab Emirates, in November 2023. The Bahamas lost 3-2 to Mexico in the semifinals of the CONCACAF (Confederation of North, Central American and Caribbean Association Football) Beach Soccer Championships that was held here in Nassau, The Bahamas, at the Malcolm Park Beach Soccer Stadium in May.

The Bahamas was tied with Mexico 2-2 and the match looked like it was headed for extra time and possibly a penalty shootout but Mexico found the back of the net with 54 seconds left in regulation.

It was a rough start for The Bahamas in that semifinal match as the team got into a 2-0 hole in the first period. The Bahamas made it 2-1 in the second period, then 2-2 in the third period. Goalkeeper Michael Butler scored the goal in the second period and then Wood Julmis scored the second goal for The Bahamas.

The Bahamas made history at this tournament when it became the first English-speaking Caribbean nation to advance to the semifinals of the tournament.

The under-17 boys 4x100m relay team from the 50th Oaktree CARIFTA Games of Trent Ford, Andrew Brown, Cayden Smith and Ishmael Rolle, in that order, won a stunning gold medal in 41.46 seconds. The quartet did it at the 2023 CARIFTA Games that was held at the Thomas A. Robinson National Stadium right here in Nassau, The Bahamas. They helped The Bahamas finish second to Jamaica at CARIFTA with the host nation winning eight gold, 13 silver, and 20 bronze for 41 total medals. Jamaica was second on the track in that event but was later disqualified. Grenada ended up with the silver medal, crossing the finish line in 41.95 seconds, and Trinidad and Tobago won the bronze medal in 42.51 seconds.

T-Bird Flyers meet set for this weekend

  • Sheldon Longley
  • Jan 3, 2024
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The 32nd Annual T-Bird Flyers Track and Field Classic is set for this weekend at the original Thomas A. Robinson Track and Field Stadium. It is anticipated that over 500 athletes will be in action.

The track and field year is expected to get started with a bang this weekend with the staging of the 32nd Annual T-Bird Flyers Track and Field Classic.

The meet is set for Friday and Saturday at the original Thomas A. Robinson Track and Field Stadium. It gets underway at 6 p.m. on Friday and 2 p.m. on Saturday.

“Usually, coaches want to see where their athletes are at and what kind of condition they are in at the beginning of the track and field season and this meet provides an opportunity for them to see that,” said Dorsett. “We expect a good turnout with this being the first meet of the year. Also, we believe that a lot of the junior athletes would want to qualify for the CARIFTA Games early this year. This is a good opportunity for them to do so. We see that there have already been some qualifiers in the field events so hopefully we could add some track athletes to the list after this meet. We’re looking forward to a great meet.”

All of the conventional events in track and field will be contested and age divisions will range from under-seven to under-20. It’s the first local track and field meet of the year.

“We had over 500 athletes take part last year and we are expecting to have more this year,” said Dorsett. “We have extended the deadline for registration to tomorrow night (Wednesday night) because we want to be able to accommodate as much as possible. We believe that the kids are going to be competitive, turn in some decent times and produce some fantastic results. At the end of the day, we just want them to come out and have fun and do their best. We are asking for families and friends to come out and support the athletes. It’s going to be a fantastic two days of track and field.”

The entrance fee for the meet is $15 per session. On Friday, the short hurdles, 100 meters (m) events, 400m events, 1200 and 1500m events will be contested on the track. On the track on Saturday, the relays in all divisions, the 200 and 800m, the 400m hurdles, and the 3000 and 5000m events will be held. The field events will be spread over the two days of competition.

At this year’s meet, the opportunity exists for persons, clubs or companies to sponsor events. All 100 to 400m events will run at a cost of $150 per event and all 800m and up events will cost $100 per event.

“What we are doing is offering clubs, persons or companies an opportunity to have an event named after a particular person or company, thereby honoring that person or company,” said Dorsett. “All of the heats in that particular event will be named after the person, club or company being honored.”

Dorsett said the initial date of the meet was set for next weekend, but with some of the schools having their inter-house meets that weekend, it was decided to move the two-day meet up to this weekend.

The meet will be officiated by the Bahamas Association of Certified Officials (BACO).