Taylor strikes gold for The Bahamas at CAC GamesSports

Simba FrenchSend an emailJune 29, 2023 100 2 minute readFacebookTwitterLinkedInShare via Email

Lamar Taylor struck gold first for The Bahamas at the 24th Central American and Caribbean (CAC) Games last night, winning the men’s 50 meters (m) backstroke at the Complejo Acuatico Merliot in San Salvador, El Salvador.

Taylor, who swam out of the coveted lane four, put on a show as he slithered his way to the wall first in a new personal best and national record time of 25.08 seconds. The Grand Bahamian also achieved the ‘A’ cut of 25.16 seconds for the 2023 World Aquatics Championships, set for July 14-30 in Fukuoka, Japan.

Earlier in the morning, Taylor was the first to touch the wall in heat two when he swam one length of the pool in a time of 25.47 seconds, which was the fastest time in the preliminaries. He was two hundredths of a second off the national record at that time – 25.45 seconds.

Taylor, who just celebrated his 20th birthday eight days ago, finished ahead the CAC Games record holder in that event, Trinidad and Tobago’s Dylan Carter who was second in 25.55 seconds. Carter’s record of 25.01 seconds, set back in 2018, still stands.

Placing third in that race was Mexico’s Diego Camacho who swam 25.68 seconds.

Bahamian teen swimmer Rhanishka Gibbs was also in action yesterday and finished sixth in the 50m breaststroke ‘A’ final. Gibbs swam out of lane one. The 17-year-old, who had a busy year in the pool, clocked a time of 33.77 seconds. Gibbs and the other seven competitors had to wait two days to swim the final after inclement weather interrupted the competition on Monday night.

Venezuelan Mercedes Toledo won the race when she sprinted across the pool in 31.86 seconds. Mexico’s Byanca Rodriguez sported a time of 31.92 seconds to finish second and Colombia’s Stefania Gomez swam 32.11 seconds to finish third.

Gibbs has two more individual races remaining – the 50m butterfly and the 50m freestyle. Both races take place today.

Gibbs and Taylor were not the only Bahamian swimmers in the water yesterday as siblings Luke-Kennedy Thompson and Zaylie-Elizabeth Thompson were in action.

Luke-Kennedy Thompson was in action in the 200m freestyle ‘B’ final and clocked 1:58.65 to place fifth. He qualified for ‘B’ final in the 200m free when he clocked 1:58.35 in heat three of that event, finishing fifth in that heat.

The 21-year-old swam in the ‘B’ final of the 50m breast on Tuesday night. Thompson placed sixth in that race when he touched the wall in 29.61 seconds. Winning that race was Aruba’s Braynsly Dirksz who clocked 29.20 seconds.

Zaylie-Elizabeth Thompson was in the pool in the 200m individual medley (IM), swimming in heat one. She clocked 2:28.38 to finish fifth in her heat. She had the 12th fastest time overall and qualified for the ‘B’ final, but did not swim in the ‘B’ final last night.

Joshua Higgins was set to take part in sailing yesterday, but like on Tuesday, his race was postponed.

On Monday, he was seventh in his first race, scoring seven points. In the second race, he placed fifth, scoring five points. He has 12 points after two races and sits in fifth out of 16 competitors.

The CAC Games is a quadrennial multi-sport event for athletes in the Caribbean and Central America. It will wrap up on July 8.

There are 51 athletes representing The Bahamas in 11 sporting disciplines – athletics, swimming, water polo, men’s basketball, women’s softball, boxing, equestrian, archery, beach soccer, judo and triathlon.

There are 20 officials for Team Bahamas.

Eight Bahamians qualified for BudapestSports

More expected to reach qualifying standards at junior and senior nationals

Sheldon LongleySend an emailJune 29, 2023 551 6 minute readFacebookTwitterLinkedInShare via Email

Once again, The Bahamas is setting itself up for a strong representation at a global meet in athletics.

The 19th edition of the World Athletics Outdoor Championships is set for August 19-27 at the newly built National Athletics Centre, in Budapest, Hungary, and from all indication, The Bahamas will be well represented.

Texas Tech junior Terrence Jones has certainly revitalized the men’s sprints in The Bahamas, running personal best times of 9.91 seconds and 19.87 seconds in the 100 and 200 meters (m) events this year, qualifying for the Budapest World Championships in both events. Also, the 100m time ties a 16-year-old national record that was set by Derrick Atkins at the 2007 World Championships in Osaka, Japan.

In becoming the joint fastest Bahamian of all-time, Jones has certainly established himself as one to look out for at the world championships and has thrown down the gauntlet for aspiring young Bahamian male sprinters.

So far, Jones is one of eight Bahamian athletes to qualify for the world championships, with the others being Steven Gardiner (men’s 200m and 400m), Alonzo Russell (men’s 400m), Anthonique Strachan (women’s 100m and 200m), TyNia Gaither (women’s 200m), Shaunae Miller-Uibo (women’s 200m and 400m), Devynne Charlton (women’s 100m hurdles) and Charisma Taylor (women’s triple jump).

The “Road to Budapest” for Bahamian athletes is expected to be a whole lot smoother after the Bahamas Association of Athletic Associations (BAAA) Junior and Senior National Championships, as more athletes are expected to secure their spots. A number of them are close to the qualifying times and distances, and others will qualify through the World Athletics Rankings process and athlete quota for the event.

Jones is a special talent, certainly entering the realm of great Bahamian sprinters, not just for this period, but in the history of Bahamian athletics. Already this year, he has run two sub-10 races in the men’s 100m and a sub-20 race in the men’s 200m. Indoors, he came within a hundredth of a second of the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) Division I record in the men’s 60m twice – a record he shares with two others, and he went on to win the NCAA title in that event.

Gardiner is on the comeback trail, missing out on defending his 400m title at last year’s world championships in Eugene, Oregon, due to UTE (Ultrashort Echo Time) tendon inflammation. This season, he has run season’s best times of 10.38 seconds in the 100m, 20.14 seconds in the 200m and 44.42 seconds in the 400m.

Gardiner is looking to reclaim the world title that he won in Doha, Qatar, in 2019, possibly challenging the national record of 43.48 seconds that he set at those world championships.

Russell is quietly having his best season, running the three fastest times of his career in the men’s 400m, highlighted by two fantastic sub-45 runs. It’s the first time in his career he’s gone under 45 seconds in the men’s 400m. In fact, Russell has gone more than half of a second faster than he ever has in that event this year, clocking a personal best 44.73 seconds at the Tom Jones Memorial Classic in Gainesville, Florida, in April. Russell is now the joint fifth fastest Bahamian of all time, with two others, in that event, and could challenge Gardiner for the national title at the BAAA junior and senior nationals.

Strachan is another one of those athletes having the best season of her life. She has run personal best times in both the 100 and 200m this year, clocking 10.92 and 20.15 seconds, respectively. For the second year in a row, she has run under 11 seconds in the women’s 100m twice – something never accomplished before prior to 2022. Strachan is also now the fourth fastest Bahamian woman of all time behind national record holder Chandra Sturrup (10.84), Savatheda Fynes-Coke (10.91) and Debbie Ferguson-McKenzie (10-91). She is eyeing Sturrup’s 18-year-old national record and could be a force to reckon with at the Budapest World Championships.

Battling back from an illness, Gaither anticipates being ready to compete at the BAAA junior and senior nationals. She hasn’t competed for 2023, but reached the world championships’ required standard for the women’s 200m early in the qualifying period, running 22.41 seconds for second at last year’s North American, Central American and Caribbean Athletic Association (NACAC) Championships in Freeport, Grand Bahama. Gaither has represented The Bahamas at the last three world championships – the last two in both the 100 and 200m. She finished eighth in the women’s 200m in London, England, in 2017, and again in Doha, Qatar, in 2019, joining Ferguson-McKenzie, who did it twice, as the only Bahamians to ever advance to the final of the women’s 200m at two successive world championships.

Miller-Uibo also qualified early in the qualifying period, and is now on her way back to the track after giving birth to a bouncing baby boy in April. She qualified in both the women’s 200 and 400m in August of 2022, running 22.35 seconds in the shorter race at the Kamila Skolimowska Memorial Diamond League Meet in Chorzów, Poland, and a trio of races in the the longer race about a week and a half apart. She clocked 49.28 seconds at the Herculis EBS Diamond League Meet in Monte Carlo, Monaco, then went on to run 50.84 seconds and 49.40 seconds at the NACAC Championships in Freeport. Miller-Uibo is the only Bahamian to qualify for the world championships in three ways – by time, as the current area champion from NACAC, and as the defending world champion. It will be interesting to see if she chooses to defend her world title in the women’s 400m, step down to the women’s 200m or even go after a qualifying spot in the women’s heptathlon, which is rumored to be next on her agenda.

Charlton remains the gold standard for Bahamians in the short hurdles. She is the only Bahamian to run in the final of the short hurdles at both the world outdoor championships and the Olympics, and she did it in successive years of 2021 and 2022. Charlton has the top five times by a Bahamian, and 16 of the top 17 in the women’s 100m hurdles. Her personal best national record time of 12.46 seconds was ran in the semifinals of that event at last year’s world championships and she went on to finish seventh in the final. She was sixth in the Olympic final the previous year in Tokyo, Japan. Charlton is considered to be among the world’s best female hurdlers and is a force to reckon with whenever she lines up to compete.

Last, but by no means least, the versatile Taylor has come into her own as an elite athlete for The Bahamas. She can compete in as many as three events at the BAAA junior and senior nationals and would be a favorite for the top spot in each one. Taylor could give Charlton a push in the women’s 100m hurdles and will battle for the long and triple jump titles. In the latter, she qualified for the Budapest World Championships with a massive personal best national record leap of 14.88m (48’ 10”) at the NCAA Division I Indoor Championships in Albuquerque, New Mexico, USA, in March. Her personal best outdoors is 13.99m (45’ 10-3/4”), done for second at the Southeastern Conference (SEC) Championships in Baton Rouge, Louisiana, in May. In the women’s 100m hurdles and long jump events, Taylor has personal best performances of 12.84 seconds and 6.51m (21’ 4-1/4”), respectively, both done this year and both just outside of the qualifying standards for the world championships.

As far as the relays are concerned, The Bahamas currently has one squad, the women’s 4x100m relay team, listed among the required positions for qualification purposes for the world championships. The cut-off date for posting a time fast enough to qualify is July 30. It will be interesting to see if The Bahamas could hold on to its position in the women’s 4x100m or get any of the other teams (men’s 4x100m, men and women’s 4x400m and mixed relay 4x400m) to post a time fast enough to attain a qualifying spot for the world championships. They have until the end of the month to do so.

The top eight teams from the 2022 World Athletics Championships in Eugene, Oregon, and the next top eight teams from the performance lists will qualify for the Budapest World Championships.

As we approach the nationals, it is anticipated that more Bahamians will reach the qualifying standards and others will qualify through the World Athletics Rankings process.

GGYA receives $100,000 to continue its work across BahamasSports

The Nassau GuardianSend an emailJune 30, 2023 66 1 minute readFacebookTwitterLinkedInShare via Email

Atlantis Paradise Island hosted the 21st annual Duke of Edinburgh Cup Bahamas Semi Finals Charity Golf Tournament on Sunday, June 25, 2023, at the Ocean Club Golf Course. The event, which is organized annually by Atlantis, was a huge success with over 100 golfers participating in the tournament.

The Duke of Edinburgh’s International Award program is proudly delivered by the Governor General’s Youth Award (GGYA). It is a global program that challenges young people to develop new skills, get physically active, give back to their communities and experience adventures. The proceeds from the golf tournament will be donated to the GGYA, to help with the work that they do across the Bahamas.

“Atlantis is thankful to all sponsors and participants who have partnered with us again, and we are thrilled to announce that with their help, this year’s Duke of Edinburgh Cup Semi-Finals Charity Golf Tournament raised $100,000 for the Governor General’s Youth Award Program,” said Viana Gardiner, Atlantis’ vice president of public affairs and special projects.

The Duke of Edinburgh Charity Golf Tournament has become an important annual event in The Bahamas, bringing together golf enthusiasts, business leaders, and philanthropists to support this youth development program. Fidelity Bank & Trust and Doctor’s Hospital were this year’s gold sponsors. The Cable Group of Companies was the silver sponsor, and corporate bronze sponsors included RBC, Graham Thompson, and FX Pro.

 Home|Sports|Bahamians in action at Junkanoo Bowl doublesSports

Simba FrenchSend an emailJune 30, 2023 58 2 minute readFacebookTwitterLinkedInShare via Email

There were no Bahamians playing in the singles yesterday, but there were several in action in the boys’ and girls’ doubles at the International ITF Federation J30 Junkanoo Bowl tournament, at the National Tennis Center.

Three Bahamians were able to advance to the doubles semifinals set for today, including the duo of Jerald Carroll and Jackson Mactaggart. Bahamian Michael Major Jr. teamed up with Australian Cruz Hewitt, son of former professional tennis player Lleyton Hewitt.

Carroll and Mactaggart made it to the semifinals when they quickly took care of Bahamian Savano Hanna and Hong Kong’s Kwong Wai Ma. The Bahamian duo won 6-0 and 6-1 in that quarterfinal match.

In their opening match, the Bahamian duo took care of Yared Alfred and Bahamian Anthony Burrows 6-4 and 7-6. They will face United States’ (US) Jake Khera and Felix Puyplat.

Major and Hewitt, the number one seeded duo, got the bye in the first round. They then got the walkover victory over Christopher Condoianis and Ayden Fraire in the quarterfinals. They will play Tommy Rainyn and Benjamin Willwerth.

On the girls’ side, no Bahamians made it to the semifinals. Playing in the quarterfinals was Grand Bahamian duo of Jalisa Clarke and Rachel Thompson. They were stopped by Americans Jessica McLean and Annika Warkentin in two sets 0-6 and 2-6.

Advancing to the quarterfinals was the team of Breann Ferguson and Takaii Adderley. They were set to play against South Korea’s Dain Lee and American Milana Sofizade, but Adderley picked up an injury and they had to withdraw from the tournament.

In the round of 16, Ferguson and Adderley went up against Marissa Alexander and Aqeela Malik. The Bahamian duo quickly won 6-1 and 6-1.

“It was a good match,” Ferguson said. “I think we played very well, although I felt we could have played better. My serves need a little more work but the way in which the results came it was good.”

Adderley, who lives in the US, was a little disappointed that she hurt her ankle and they had to withdraw.

“I wanted to push through and see how far the ankle took me by icing it. It was amazing playing at home. The heat is different, especially in the afternoon match.”

The boys’ and girls’ singles finals will also get underway today. The boys’ final will see top-seeded Willwerth playing against second-seeded Hewitt. The girls’ finals will see second-seeded Lee going up against Natalie Oliver.

Action gets underway at 9 a.m. today.

Sports

He won the bronze in the 50m free in 22.58 seconds

Simba FrenchSend an emailJune 30, 2023 136 2 minute readFacebookTwitterLinkedInShare via Email

For a second consecutive night, Bahamian swimmer Lamar Taylor left the Complejo Acuático Merliot with a medal at the 24th edition of the Central America and Caribbean (CAC) Games. This time it was a bronze medal that he won in the 50m freestyle race last night. It was the second medal that The Bahamas won in this edition of the Games.

The Bahamian swam out of lane two and clocked a time of 22.51 seconds to secure the third place finish. On Wednesday night, he won the gold medal in the 50m backstroke ahead of Trinidad and Tobago’s Dylan Carter. Last night Carter bested Taylor to win the 50m free in a new meet record time of 21.87 seconds.

Aruba’s Mikel Schreuders won the silver medal in a time of 22.43 seconds.

Taylor ensured he qualified for the ‘A’ final when he clocked 22.87 seconds in heat three in the morning session. He had finished second in his heat. He had the fifth fastest time overall heading into the final last night.

The Grand Bahama native won the gold medal on Wednesday night when he touched the wall in 25.08 seconds in the 50m back.

Emmanuel Gadson had Wednesday off and was in action in the pool for the 200m breastroke ‘B’ final. He finished third with a time of 2:26.05. Luis Weekes finished first in that race with a time of 2:22.45.

In the preliminaries, the 17-year-old placed sixth in heat three as he touched the wall in a time of 2:25.91. He was 11th overall to qualify for the ‘B’ final.

Rhanishka Gibbs narrowly missed out on qualifying for the ‘B’ final of the 50m butterfly, when she posted a time of 29.19 seconds to finish sixth in heat two and 17th overall.

She was also in action in the 50m free, where she was the last to touch the wall in heat five. She posted a time of 27.66 seconds and finished 18th overall.

That is it for Team Bahamas in the pool at this edition of the CAC Games. Apart from those three swimmers, siblings, Luke-Kennedy Thompson and Zaylie-Elizabeth Thompson made up the five-member team. They were coached by Camron Bruney.

Taylor’s gold medal in the 50m free highlighted the swimming portion of the CAC Games for The Bahamas. He, along with Gibbs, Zaylie-Elizabeth Thompson and DaVante Carey, will prepare for the 2023 World Aquatics Championships set for July 14-30 in Fukoka, Japan.

Bahamian sailor Joshua Higgins was on the water in the men’s International Laser Class Association (ILCA) 7 event yesterday, after seeing his third and fourth races being postponed on Tuesday and Wednesday. He was in his third race at Parque Recreativo Apulo. Higgins finished 16th in this race. In race fourth the Bahamian was able to finish 10th.

After four races, he sits in the top-10 at number nine with 38 points thanks to a seventh place finish in the first race and fifth place finish in the second race.

Higgins will return to action in races five and six today.

The Nassau GuardianSend an emailJune 30, 2023 356 2 minute readFacebookTwitterLinkedInShare via Email

Bahamian historian, archivist and author Gail Saunders has died.

She was 79.

In a statement, Prime Minister Philip Davis characterized Saunders as a national treasure.

“As we approach the 50th anniversary of our nation’s independence, losing such an integral part of our heritage is poignant,” he said.

“Gail Saunders was more than an accomplished historian, archivist, and author. She was a beacon of light, a repository of wisdom, and a resounding voice in preserving and narrating our national story. Her life’s work was dedicated to ensuring that our history was not just accurately recorded but made accessible and meaningful to us all.”

Davis added, Saunders’ “enduring legacy lies in her contributions to our understanding of our past. She established the Bahamian National Archives and served as its director for over three decades, ensuring the preservation of our national memory. Her writing illuminated the complexities of our history, from her acclaimed books “Historic Bahamas,” “Islanders in the Stream: A History of the Bahamian People,” to “Race and Class in the Colonial Bahamas, 1880–1960.”

The Ministry of Education and Technical and Vocational Training also issued a statement on Saunders’ passing, describing her as a pioneer of modern Bahamian culture and education.

“In addition to the scores of Bahamians she trained and inspired, her incredible legacy includes her efforts leading to the establishment of the Antiquities, Monuments and Museums Corporation and The National Art Gallery of The Bahamas and her service as a board member for both organizations,” the statement said.

“Dr. Saunders was the premier Bahamian historian. Through her research she brought many new aspects of Bahamian history to light. Her footprints can be seen all through the Bahamian history taught in our schools.”

Former Attorney General Sean McWeeney said the death of Dr. Saunders is a great loss for the nation.

“She was the pre-eminent Bahamian historian of her time, including the post-independence era to date,” he said.

“Her ground-breaking academic research and writings about slavery in The Bahamas form an especially important part of her legacy. This was a subject which had been glossed over, even trivialized in some cases, by historians who came before her.

“Dr. Saunders changed all that.  She put slavery front and center, correctly treating it as the most defining experience in our development as a people.

“Of no less importance to her legacy was her pioneering work in putting the Department of Archives on a modern, professional footing, then guiding its growth for decades as executive director.”

Saunders has received a number of awards and honors over the last decades.

More recently, she was appointed as a Member of the Order of Distinction in the 2019 National Honors for her exemplary service to The Bahamas.

GO TEAM BAHAMAS: Shown, from left to right, are Lamar Taylor, Emmanuel Gadson, Luke-Kennedy Thompson, Rhanishka Gibbs, Zaylie-Elizabeth Thompson and coach Camron Bruney.

As of Friday, June 30, 2023

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Team Bahamas’ water polo squad is expected to begin competition on Saturday, which is scheduled to run until Friday, July 7.

#By BRENT STUBBS

#Senior Sports Reporter

#bstubbs@tribunemedia.net

#Lamar Taylor, coming off his historic national record-breaking, gold medal performance on Wednesday in the men’s 50 back, picked up his second medal with a bronze in the 50m freestyle at the 24th Central American and Caribbean Games yesterday.

#As the swimming competition came to a close at the Complejo Aquatic Merilot in San Salvador, El Salvador, Emmanuel Gadson and Rhanishka Gibbs were also in action for Team Bahamas, which was organised through the Bahamas Olympic Committee.

#Taylor, a 20-year-old native of Grand Bahama, touched the wall in 22.51 for third place in the A final of the men’s 50m freestyle last night. He trailed gold medallist Dylan Carter of Trinidad & Tobago, who won in 21.87, followed by Mikel Schreuders of Aruba with the silver in 22.43.

#The performance came after Taylor posted a time of 25.08 and, in the process, attained the A qualifying standard for the 2023 World Aquatics Championships, scheduled for July 14-30 in Fukuoka, Japan.

#Taylor, who celebrated his 20th birthday on June 21, had an exceptional showing at the games as he was also seventh in the 100m freestyle and ninth in both the 100m backstroke and 50m butterfly.

#Meanwhile, Gadson finished with third place in the B final of the men’s 200m breaststroke in 2:26.05. He advanced out of the preliminaries with 11th overall in 2:25.91 after he was fifth in the last of three heats to make the B final.

#The 17-year-old Gadson also got 17th in the 100m breaststroke, 20th in the 50m breaststroke and 23rd in the 50m butterfly during the games.

#Gibbs, 17, just missed out on making it back for a second swim in two events. In the women’s 50m butterfly, she clocked 29.19 for sixth in the second of four heats for 17th overall, just missing the 16th and final spot for the B final.

#She was also two spots short of advancing in the women’s 50m freestyle in 27.66 after she was seventh in the last of five heats of the preliminaries.

#In other events she competed in, Gibbs got sixth in the 50m breaststroke.

#Gadson and Gibbs also teamed up with siblings Luke-Kennedy and Zaylie-Elizabeth Thompson as they placed 12th overall in the mixed 4 x 100m relay in 3:54.80.

#Luke-Kennedy Thompson, 21, competed in four individual events where he was 12th in the 400m freestyle, 13th in the 200m freestyle, 14th in the 50m breaststroke and 18th in the 100m breaststroke.

#Zaylie-Elizabeth Thompson, 19, was 11th in the 100m breaststroke, 12th in the 200m individual medley and 15th in the 100m freestyle as she competed in her three individual events during the games.

#Swimming, which was coached by Camron Bruney, follows boxing, which had a two-man team which completed competition so far in the games for Team Bahamas.

#While Rashield Williams advanced to the second round of the men’s 63.5-kilogram class, veteran Carl Hield got eliminated in the first round of the men’s 71kg.

#Up next for Team Bahamas will be water polo – the team will also begin competition on Saturday.

#Their competition is scheduled to run until Friday, July 7.

#The team, led by the management and coaching staff of Laszlo Borbely, Wandalee Burrows, Brenna Turnquest and Christine Wallace-Whitfield, consists of Jayden Seymour, Gabriel Sastre, Alexander Turnquest, Nicholas Wallace-Whitfield, Khari Marshall, Aidan Johnson, Alexander Gomez, TeSean Henfield, Dominic Demeritte, Logan Carey, Matthew Thompson, Joshua Gibson and Tonny Simon.

#Athletics will have one of the biggest teams at the games when competition starts on Sunday and wraps up on Saturday, July 8.

#The team will be coached by Bernard Rolle and will comprise of the following athletes:

#Women – NCAA javelin champion Rhema Otabor; sprinter Anthaya Charlton in the 200m and Tamara Myers in the triple jump.

#Men – Decathlon national record holder Kendrick Thompson and immediate past record holder Ken Mullings and high jumpers Shaun Miller Jr and Kyle Alcine.

#These athletes, with the exception of Myers, are expected to return home in time to compete in the Bahamas Association of Athletic Associations’ National Track and Field Championships, scheduled for July 5-7 at the Thomas A Robinson Stadium.

#The Bahamas was also expected to be represented by the men’s national basketball and softball teams, but they both withdrew because of a lack of funding.

#The chef de mission for Team Bahamas is Bishop Joseph Smith, a vice president of the BOC.

As of Friday, June 30, 2023

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#By TENAJH SWEETING

#Tribune Sports Reporter

#tsweeting@tribunemedia.net

#THE Bahamas Lawn Tennis Association (BLTA) hosted the International Tennis Federation (ITF) J30 Junkanoo Bowl tournament for the fourth consecutive day at the National Tennis Centre (NTC).

#Bahamians sealed wins in a few semi-finals and quarterfinals matches on day four of the ITF Junkanoo Bowl.

#The doubles duo of Jerald Carroll and Jackson Mactaggart booked their ticket to the quarterfinals after defeating the Virgin Islands’ Yared Alfred and The Bahamas’ Anthony Burrows. Carroll and Mactaggart dropped their opponents in two sets 6-4, 7-6 (4).

#After advancing to the boys’ quarterfinals, Carroll and Mactaggart dominated USA’s Savano Hanna and Hong Kong’s Kwong Wai Aengus Ma in two sets.

#The duo won set one 6-0 and set two 6-1. They will now move onto the semi-finals tomorrow.

#TaKaii Adderley, who is playing for the USA, played alongside doubles teammate Breann Ferguson in their win over Marissa Alexander and Aqueela Malik.

#The dynamic duo claimed comfortable wins in both sets 6-1, 6-1. However, Korea’s Dain Lee and the USA’s Milana Sofizade advanced with a walkover in the quarterfinals.

#After advancing to yesterday’s quarterfinals on Wednesday, Freeport’s Jalisa Clarke and Rachel Thompson fell to Jessica McLean and Annika Warkentin of the USA.

#The USA doubles team dropped the Bahamians in two sets 6-0, 6-2.

#Among the other teams moving onto the next round will be The Bahamas’ Michael Major Jr along with the second-seeded Cruz Hewitt, son of former world number one tennis player Lleyton Hewitt.

#The team won with a walkover against USA’s Christopher Condoianis and Ayden Fraire.

#In the first round of the boy’ doubles, The Bahamas’ Khai Rees along with Mexico’s Jeronimo Escalante-Mangino came up short against Team USA.

#The doubles team of Jake Khera and Felix Puyplat wrapped up Rees and his teammate in three sets 7-5, 6-2 and 10-6.

#The remaining semi-finals for the doubles and finals for the singles matches will be played at the NTC starting at 9am. There will be seven matches played.

As of Friday, June 30, 2023

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#By TENAJH SWEETING

#Tribune Sports Reporter

#tsweeting@tribunemedia.net

#WITH the Bahamas Golden Jubilee Games just one week away, the Local Organising Committee (LOC) is actively searching for more volunteers for the Bahamian Olympic-style games.

#The sixth edition of the Bahamas Games will be played between 16 sporting disciplines at 16 different locations from July 7-15 therefore, event organisers are encouraging individuals to register as volunteers ahead of next week Friday.

#Anishka Wallace, coordinator for accommodations and volunteers for the LOC, said there are some educational and historical benefits to volunteering for the Bahamas Games.

#“If you were born before 2001 or after 2001 when the last games were held this is a great way to learn about the games. Additionally, these games are like a mini-Olympics with more than 11 sporting disciplines [with] 12 islands competing in every division so the help is needed,” Wallace said.

#She added that for students who may need community service, this is a great way to earn those hours and learn about the games so that they may share the information with others.

#The LOC, in conjunction with the Bahamas Games, has reached out to more than 700 volunteers from previous games via social and print media and radio promotions.

#Also, the Ministry of Youth, Sports and Culture has provided 100 persons from the summer work programme to assist with the Bahamas Games.

#Training sessions have been held this week Tuesday and yesterday and the remaining sessions are on Saturday, July 1, at 10am and 4pm.

#At these sessions, volunteers are taught the history of the Bahamas Games, the participating islands, disciplines, protocols, teamwork, positive reinforcements, various departments and their responsibilities.

#Also, leadership and love of the country through volunteering. “We would like to say to parents who may have kids that are eligible to volunteer, especially if they have never volunteered, please encourage them to do so, it’s a constructive and awesome way to learn about each island,” Wallace said.

#She added that patriotism is born through volunteering because these games have not been held in 21 years so, for many, they are a part of a new story with much to experience and a great way to network positively.

#The sporting disciplines which require more volunteers are track and field, basketball, soccer, baseball and softball.

#Individuals interested in volunteering for the Bahamas Games can go to the website – www.thebahamasgames.org – and click on the volunteer tab, fill out the form and upload it to volunteerbahamas50@gmail.com. Additionally, volunteers must attend at least one training session to help with the games.

#Event organisers said it’s going to be great competition and an opportunity to reunite with family and friends who may have moved to the various islands during the past several years.

#Ticket prices and more information about the games can be found at www.thebahamasgames.org.

#The 2023 Bahamas Golden Jubilee Games will continue over a week from July 7-15 and the highest overall collective score across the various sports will be deemed the winner of the games.

Durant and Booker visit the Elite Skills Basketball camp

CELEBRITY APPEARANCE: NBA superstar Kevin Durant, of the Phoenix Suns, at the Elite Skills Basketball Camp at Kendal G L Isaacs Gymnasium yesterday.

As of Thursday, June 29, 2023

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#By TENAJH SWEETING

#Tribune Sports Reporter

#tsweeting@tribunemedia.net

#Phoenix Suns All-Stars Kevin Durant and Devin Booker paid a visit to the 10th edition of the Elite Skills Summer Basketball camp yesterday at the Kendal G L Isaacs gymnasium.

#Durant and Suns’ shooting guard Devin Booker have been in The Bahamas since the beginning of the week and have been enjoying the sporting facilities at the gym.

#The Elite Skills Camp started on June 26 and will continue until July 18 for both girls and boys.

#The camp is geared towards participants ages 4-18 to teach them the basic fundamentals of the basketball game.

#Denycko Bowles, director of International Basketball Academy (IBA), talked about the NBA players’ special visit.

#“The visit has been good especially for the campers in terms of them not only being able to see but to feel and experience NBA players, not only Kevin Durant but also Devin Booker,” Bowles said. He added that for the campers their momentum has definitely picked up and they have been even more enthusiastic and feel like they can be the next great Bahamian NBA or WNBA players.

#Overall, both players were a great motivation for the kids at large, encouraging them to stay focused and continuing to work hard, according to Bowles.

#At this year’s camp, the participants will learn how to improve their basketball IQ, basketball footwork skills, advanced ball handling, offence and defence critiquing and training, as well as strength and resistance training.

#With the camp already off to an exciting start for over 100 boys and girls combined, Bowles talked about how things are going from a coaching standpoint.

#“It’s been really good, the kids have been extremely enthusiastic and have come every morning with high anticipation of camp and in camp routines throughout the day and we have grown in numbers which speaks to the hard work we have put in the camp for the boys and girls,” Bowles said.

#After 10 years of dedication and hardwork, camp organisers are focused on teaching the budding athletes how to become better citizens from a student, spiritual and athletic standpoint so that they can be productive members in society.

#Bowles said the best celebration for him after a decade of existence is seeing the youth develop and progress into model citizens.

#“There is no greater feeling that would last like seeing these kids in their element and to watch them be successful at what they do, to see the excitement on their faces has been the greatest reward this year and for years to come,” he said.

#Among the other special appearances for the campers will be Dr Tyneil Cargill, who is a medical physician in The Bahamas, to offer the participants perspectives from different walks of life outside of sports.

#The summer months are usually a busy time for the various camps across the different sporting disciplines in the country.

#The Elite Skills Summer Basketball camp gets underway from 9am to 2pm.