As of Wednesday, March 15, 2023

• Sign in to favorite this
• DiscussComment, Blog about
• Share thisEmail, Facebook, Twitter

CHAMPIONS New Lively Hope Baptist Church pose with their trophy and medals after winning the Bahamas Baptist Association’s Inaugural Basketball Tournament on Saturday.

RUNNERS-up Faith United receive their trophy and medals.

#NEW Lively Hope Baptist Church was crowned the winners of the Bahamas Baptist Association’s inaugural Basketball Tournament.

#Although only four teams participated, the competition was fierce from the opening jump ball to the final whistle blown on Saturday at the Anatol Rodgers Gymnasium.

#When it was said and done, New Lively Hope, coached by Michaelangelo Cartwright, emerged as the champions with a 34-14 win over Faith United, coached by Harrison Thompson.

#Derico Taylor, named the most valuable player, scored six points to lead New Lively, who also got nine from Jaynaz Pratt. Aui Robinson also scored six.

#In the other games played, Faith United def. Judaea 35-21.

#Faith United 29,

#New Bethlehem 28:

#Anton Francis erupted for a game high 14 points, including three three-pointers and Jermaine McPhee had seven in the win as Faith United advanced to the final. Jamal Miller had eight and Greco Wilson chipped in with seven in a losing effort, but it wasn’t enough as New Bethlehem got eliminated.

#New Lively Hope 34,

#Faith United 14:

#Jaynaz Pratt came up with a game high 14 points and Oben Dalestin added seven to pull off the win to send New Lively Hope into the final.

#Jermaine McPhee scored six and Joshua Sweeting had four as Faith United suffered their first loss.

#New Bethlehem 25,

#Judaea 21:

#Greco Wilson had a game high 12 points and Jamal Miller had five, while Deangelo Rolle contributed another four in the win. Dwayne Smith and Lorenzo Rolle both scored five in Judaea’s second loss to be eliminated.

#New Lively Hope 32,

#New Bethlehem 29:

#Derico Taylor canned 12 points and Oben Dalestin had six in the win.

#Greco Wilson poured in a game high 13 points and both Theo Cleare and Deangelo Rolle chipped in with four in New Bethlehem’s first loss.

#Faith United 35,

#Judaea 21:

#Anton Francis exploded for a game high 16 points, including a pair of three-pointers and Jermaine McPhee added eight. Joshua Forbes scored six and Lorenzo Rolle added five in Judaea’s first loss.

#The tournament, organised by Rev. Samantha Cartwright, was the first of its kind and is expected to set the stage for other sporting events to follow.

http://www.tribune242.com/news/2023/mar/15/new-lively-hope-baptist-church-crowned-winners-bah/?news

THE CV Bethel Stingrays pose as BSA senior girls champions on Friday. At right, Stingrays celebrate their Fr Marcian Peters Invitational title with Minister of Youth, Sports and Culture Mario Bowleg.

As of Wednesday, March 15, 2023

• Sign in to favorite this
• DiscussComment, Blog about
• Share thisEmail, Facebook, Twitter

#THE CV Bethel Stingrays added the Bahamas Scholastic Association title to the one they won at the Ministry of Youth, Sports and Culture’s Father Marcian Peters Invitational.

#The Stingrays, coached by Shantel Rolle, emerged as the BSA’ senior girls’ champions at the CI Gibson Gymnasium on Friday with a 46-19 win over the St John’s College Giants in a 2-1 edge in their best-of-three series.

#Trinity Bodie, of CV Bethel, scored a game high 28 points with five steals and Gereanique Bethel added 10 points and six steals. Geintae Simpson, of St John’s, scored seven points with five rebounds and two steals and Savannah Turnquest added five points and two steals in the loss for St John’s.

#CV Bethel won the Father Marcian Peters Invitational in December, but they failed to win the Government Secondary Schools Sports Association title three weeks ago when they faced the eventual champions CR Walker Knights.

http://www.tribune242.com/news/2023/mar/15/cv-bethel-stingrays-senior-girls-win-bahamas-schol/?news

As of Wednesday, March 15, 2023

• Sign in to favorite this
• DiscussComment, Blog about
• Share thisEmail, Facebook, Twitter

XAVION Johnson in action in the under-18 boys’ division at the Edmonton International Judo Championships.

XAVION Johnson is flanked by his rivals in the under-18 division.

#By BRENT STUBBS

#Senior Sports Reporter

#bstubbs@tribunemedia.net

#IT was another big weekend for Xavion Johnson, only this time he added the open divisional crown to his continued dominance of the under-18 boys’ division at the 2023 Edmonton International Judo Championships in Edmonton, Alberta, Canada on Saturday.

#“It was pretty good. This was probably one of my best performances yet,” Johnson said.

#“I still have some things to work out, but it was okay.”

#Johnson said he came into the tournament with a specific game plan and he stuck to it.

#In the under-18 division, Johnson had to face off against one of his team-mates from his training camp and after getting into the final, Johnson needed just one minute to dispose of his opponent to clinch the title.

#He came on Sunday and competing in the open division, Johnson had a tougher time, but after facing the same opponent he met in the under-18 final, he got through with another victory. Then in the final, Johnson secured the title in a little over one minute.

#“I feel really good. I felt like I went out there and did just as I expected,” Johnson said.

#“I knew I had a chance to win the under-18 division, but I really wanted to get the open division and I got it too.”

#This was Johnson’s third tournament for the year and out of the 21 matches he fought, he only lost two.

#“I definitely have to work on my gripping and trying to improve on my groundwork,” he said. “I think if I can improve on these two aspects of my game, I will be able to do much better in the future.”

#Johnson thanked his mother Ordain Moss and the local and international judo clubs that he’s a part of right now. He also mentioned the support he’s gotten from fellow judokas Cynthia Rahming and Andrew Munnings.

#“All of their support has been tremendous,” said Johnson, who also thanked all his family members and friends, including his grand and great-grandmothers Tracey and Hazel Chea, godmother Udean Sattom and Paul Sattom.

#“Without them, I don’t think I would be in the position that I am in right now.”

#Johnson, 16, said he will continue to train in Canada with the hopes of qualifying for the Cadet World Championships in 2023.

#His ultimate goal is to qualify for the 2024 Olympic Games in Paris, France, if not to be eligible to compete in 2028 in Los Angeles, California.

http://www.tribune242.com/news/2023/mar/15/xavion-johnson-wins-another-judo-tournament/?news

As of Wednesday, March 15, 2023

• Sign in to favorite this
• DiscussComment, Blog about
• Share thisEmail, Facebook, Twitter

VERONAYE ‘Tweedy’ Charlton

#By BRENT STUBBS

#Senior Sports Reporter

#bstubbs@tribunemedia.net

#VERONAYE ‘Tweedy’ Charlton put up a gallant effort, but it wasn’t enough to lead her Norcross Blue Devils past the Brookwood Broncos in the Georgia Girls State 7A Basketball Championship game.

#In the finale on Saturday, the Broncos, who finished with a 31-1 win-loss record, pulled off a 43-39 win over the Blue Devils, who were 29-3.

#It wasn’t the outcome she anticipated, but Charlton said she was still pleased with the performance of her team, coached by Ashley Clanton, although they fell short of defending the title they won last year.

#“I think we played hard all the way to the end even though some calls didn’t go in our favour,” Charlton said. “We still stuck together and fought until the last buzzer.”

#In completing her senior year, Charlton ended up with 17 points and eight rebounds. It was her only season with the Blue Devils after transferring from Talilah Falls to Norcross this season.

#“I am proud of myself for keep pushing and encouraging my team-mates,” said Charlton, the diminutive 5-foot, 3-inch floor general.

#Having left Jordan Prince Williams High in the ninth grade to continue her basketball prowess in the United States, Charlton said the past three years have been a learning experience for her.

#“It showed me that you just have to continue to work hard and just stay positive and find some people who can help you through the process,” she reflected. “I felt very amazing about my team.

#“I’m just happy that I came here for my last year. They were all very sad that it ended the way it did, but they were also very happy that I came. They were very supportive of me.”

#Charlton completed the season averaging 13.4 points per game, 2.7 assists, 4.7 rebounds and 3.3 steals.

#With her high school career over and done with, Charlton is now concentrating on her future in college.

#She indicated that she’s expected to make an official announcement on where she will go to play her college ball by the end of the month.

#“I’m looking forward to going to the next level,” Charlton said.

#“When I see where I’ve come from in high school, I’m excited to see where I will go in college ball.”

#And with that next step ahead of her, Charlton said she will definitely have to continue to work on her shooting and attacking the ball.

#“I’m going to continue to train and focus on my school to finish the year off strong,” said Charlton, who is preparing for graduation on May 28.

#Charlton is the daughter of Christen and Vernon Charlton and she has four sisters.

http://www.tribune242.com/news/2023/mar/15/tweedy-and-blue-devils-fall-broncos-title-game/?news

As of Wednesday, March 15, 2023

• Sign in to favorite this
• DiscussComment, Blog about
• Share thisEmail, Facebook, Twitter

#By TENAJH SWEETING

#tsweeting@tribunemedia.net

#The Commonwealth Bank Giants completely outmatched the division one Rebels in their first game of the New Providence Basketball Association (NPBA) playoffs. The matchup started off competitive in the first quarter with the Giants only beating the Rebels 27-24 to end the first period of basketball between the two.

#As soon as the second quarter started for the division one teams, the CB Giants put their foot on the gas and rolled past their opponent, going up by as much as 22 points in the blink of an eye in the quarter.

#In a game where the Rebels never held the lead, the CB Giants overwhelmed their competitors for a whopping 50-point lead with them leading 121-67.

#Jackson Jacob, the game’s leading scorer, contributed 32 of the team’s 121 points for the game. He coupled those points with five assists and three rebounds on the night.

#Jacob talked about how it felt to get the win. “It feels good to get the win and hats off to those guys, they played their hearts out,” he said.

#Jacob added that the team’s strategy was to apply on ball pressure, pass the ball, run and gun, all while playing their normal game. Those team strategies were executed in the game as the CB Giants toppled their opponents in second chance points with 21 to 8, fast break points 41 to 7, points from turnovers 31 to a mere 3 points, and bench points 35 to 12. The Giants also shot a scorching 65% on the night in the paint area.

#CB Giants head coach Perry Thompson Jr. talked about how his team was able to widen the margin in the second and third quarter.

#“We kind of slacked off a bit at the end of the first quarter with those guys hitting some three pointers but we stuck with the plan and in the second quarter we executed perfectly and this is the result we were looking for,” Thompson Jr. said.

#Jacob was not the only Giant that dominated on the night as Dylan Musgrove poured in 29 points to go along with 10 assists and 7 boards, nearly notching a triple double.

#Musgrove said the team will look to go for a sweep in the best of three series by executing the same game plan as last night.

#The Giants will look to capitalise on last night’s momentum on Friday at 8:30pm at the A.F. Adderley Gymnasium.

#Division Two

#The D2 Rockets power to 1-0 series lead over Blue Marlins

#The Discount Distributor Rockets took a 1-0 series lead on the Cyber Tech Blue Marlins last night at the A.F. Adderley Gymnasium.

#The Rockets defeated the team 70-63 in a game that got off to a slow start in the first quarter.

#The Marlins started the game off with lots of fouls but the Rockets were unable to capitalise at the free throw line. The team shot a whopping 33 free throw attempts but only converted 15 for 46% on the night. Despite the low free throw shooting numbers, the Rockets were able to outrebound their opponents 64 to 55. Torrez Basden and Quebell Martin were responsible for 31 of the team’s 64 rebounds, proving to be a dominant duo on the boards.

#Jason Oliver, head coach of the Rockets, talked about how it felt to edge out the Blue Marlins for the first win of the series. “Any win in a playoff series is a good win, especially the first game of the series based on the fact that we are actually shorthanded,” Oliver said.

#The Blue Marlins were able to exploit the Rockets only having one lone reserve on the bench which led to them scoring 23 bench points to the Rockets’ eight. Oliver added that the lack of reserves meant that his players had to dig deep to pull off the win.

#Keith Rolle was the leading scorer of the winning team, ending the night with 25 points. He drained two big back-to-back threes in the second quarter to halt the Blue Marlins’ momentum.

#Rolle played all four quarters and was joined by his teammate Quebell Martin who notched a double double on the night, finishing with 14 points.

#Coach Oliver said the team’s strategy was to let it all hang on the court because they had nothing to lose being undermanned.

#The Rockets seemed to receive the message as they shot 48% in the paint compared to the opponent’s 40%.

#The division two team will look to sweep the playoff series against the Blue Marlins in this Thursday night’s second matchup of the best-of-three series.

http://www.tribune242.com/news/2023/mar/15/giants-rout-rebels-121-67-commonwealth-bank-earn-1/?news

As of Thursday, March 16, 2023

• Sign in to favorite this
• DiscussComment, Blog about
• Share thisEmail, Facebook, Twitter

TABERNACLE Baptist Falcons celebrate their 10th straight victory.

JACK Hayward win their first title.

#THE Jack Hayward Wildcats and the Tabernacle Baptist Falcons emerged as the junior and senior high winners of the Grand Bahama Secondary Schools Athletic Association’s 2023 Fidelity Bank Track and Field Championships.

#At the end of the three-day meet on Monday at the Grand Bahama Sports Complex, Jack Hayward came out as the winners of their first junior title, while Tabernacle Baptist continued their dominance with their 10th straight crown.

#When combined all together, Tabernacle carted off a total of 77 medals, including 32 gold, 28 silver and 17 bronze.

#Sunland Baptist Academy came in second with 17 gold, 12 silver and 12 bronze for their total of 41.

#Saint George’s High rounded out the top three with 14 gold, 13 silver and 14 bronze for their total of 46.

#• The high point winners in the various age group categories are as follows:

#Under-13 girls – Trinity Rolle of Sunland Baptist with 33 points. Inaya Nesbitt of St Mary Patricia was second with 28 and Sanya Cooper of Tabernacle Baptist got third with 25.

#Under-13 boys – Trequan Gordon of Jack Hayward won with 29 points, edging out Christen Desir of St Mary’s Patricia, who had 28. Ethan Collie of Jack Hayward got third with 27.

#Under-15 girls – Skyler Curry of Eight Mile Rock won with 36. Keyezra Thomas of Bishop Michael Eldon got second with 30 and Kaylee Thompson was third with 21.50.

#Under-15 boys – Keeshawn Pinder won with 30 over team-mate Levi Pinder, who had 26. Both Elijah McDonald of Jack Hayward and Advardo Major of Tabernacle Baptist finished tied for third with 25.

#Under-17 girls – Jasmine McKinney of Tabernacle won with 38 . Phoebe Thompson of Bishop Michael Eldon was second with 36 and Shania Adderley of Tabernacle Baptist was third with 28.

#Under-17 boys – Ternandre Hall of St George’s was the winner with 25. Joshua Williams of Tabernacle Baptist was second with 22. Tyrone Conliffe of Jack Hayward was third with 21.

#Under-20 girls – Alfrenique Knowles of St Paul’s College was the winner with 40, well ahead of second and third place finishers Janaiyah Rolle of Bishop Michael Eldon and Akaya Lightbourne of Sunland Lutheran, both with 26.

#Under-20 boys – Robert Stuart of St George’s won the title with 34. Marco Carey of Sunland got second with 22 and there was a two-way tie for third with Joshua McPhee and Shamar Davies, both of St George’s with 21.

http://www.tribune242.com/news/2023/mar/16/jack-hayward-and-tabernacle-baptist-emerge-junior-/?news

As of Thursday, March 16, 2023

• Sign in to favorite this
• DiscussComment, Blog about
• Share thisEmail, Facebook, Twitter

DAIRY Queen makes their contribution to the LOC.

CORNER Bank makes their contribution.

CONSOLIDATED Water makes their contribution.

JS Johnson makes their contribution to the LOC.

#By BRENT STUBBS

#Senior Sports Reporter

#bstubbs@tribunemedia.net

#THE Local Organising Committee for the Oaktree Medical Center’s 50th CARIFTA Games welcomed a few more partners to ensure the ninth hosting of the biggest regional junior track and field competition turns out to be a tremendous success.

#On top of the old war bunker in the parking lot opposite the Thomas A. Robinson National Stadium, Christine Bethel, the chief executive officer of Corner Bank (Overseas) Limited, Crystal Campbell, chief operating officer of Dairy Queen, Robert Bartlett, senior manager of JS Johnson and Henderson Cash, general manager of Consolidated Water, all made their pitch for their respective companies.

#The joint press conference was held yesterday as the CARIFTA Games, scheduled for April 8-10, draws closer.

#Bahamas Association of Athletic Associations president Drumeco Archer said while they are sitting on a very sacred place, the 50th CARIFTA Games could not be held without the tremendous support of corporate Bahamas. “We believe that we jump on the bandwagon because it’s popular and there’s goodwill in CARIFTA,” Archer said. “And after the event passes, we forget about programmes that bring us to where we are today.”

#Archer, however, said he hopes that corporate Bahamas will continue to follow the BAAA after the games are held and continue to support them in their future endeavours. He thanked the partners for coming on board for the big dance in less than three weeks.

#North American, Central American and Caribbean president Mike Sands said the games have its history and is the bedrock for the foundation for the success that region experiences on the global stage.

#“Every young athlete in the Caribbean aspires to make his or her CARIFTA team,” said Sands, who noted that it could not happen without the support of corporate sponsors like those who made their contribution at the press conference.

#Lynden Maycock, the chief executive officer of the LOC, thanked all of the partners who came on board and made their contributions to the games, which has now accumulated more than $1.5 million.

#Bartlett, in reflecting on the former air force base and airport, said JS Johnson is all about responsible corporate relationships and sporting disciplines help in nation-building as many of the country’s leaders have come through the medium of sports.

#“We believe that we should not only speak it, but also show it,” said Bartlett, revealing that he only brought the evidence to show that they have already placed their money into the account of the LOC for their sponsorship of the games.

#“We wish you every success and continue your support in terms of building the youth of our nation so that the world could be a better place.”

#Campbell, whose company has four Dairy Queen branches, said they are happy to be a part of the games. As a part of their mission statement, which states that they want to create positive memories for all who come through their doors.

#“A part of our vision is to support our community, so we saw it fitting as corporate citizens to support and to give back to the kids, so we’re happy to be a part of this,” she noted. “Come gold with us.”

#As a financial institution operating in the Bahamas, Bethel said Corner Bank is pleased to continue their partnership of track and field in the Bahamas.

#“As a bank committed to investing in the development of our local communities, we recognise the importance of supporting initiatives that promote the growth and wealth of our young people,” she said.

#“The CARIFTA Games does just that by providing a platform for the young athletes to compete at a high level.

#“Additionally, as we celebrate the 50th anniversary of our Independence, I look forward to supporting our athletes as they strive for excellence on the track, while celebrating alongside our fellow Bahamians.”

#She congratulated the athletes who will be selected to represent Team Bahamas and wishes them every success during the games.

#Cash, in representing Consolidated Water, who have been supporting track and field for a number of years, said as an example of a public-private company that provides bulk water for the Water and Sewerage Corporation, and they aim to continue in the vain of being a very deliberate corporate citizen.

#“Our focus is especially geared towards the youth to be able to provide what you will see in water, so just like water, we produce motion,” he said.

#“Consolidated Water saw it nothing short of a great delight for us to be a part of the 50th CARITA Games as they go gold with you.”

#Fern Hanna, the director of marketing and promotions for the LOC, said she’s delighted to be working with more than 60 companies who have been bringing the gold in the envelopes and she’s sure that will come out with the gold during the games.

JON Issacs in action for the men’s national beach soccer team.

As of Thursday, March 16, 2023

• Sign in to favorite this
• DiscussComment, Blog about
• Share thisEmail, Facebook, Twitter

#By TENAJH SWEETING

#tsweeting@tribunemedia.net

#THE Bahamas men’s beach volleyball team, consisting of primarily Jon Issacs and Eugene Stuart, are seeking financial sponsorship for their upcoming international beach volleyball season.

#The North, Central America and Caribbean Volleyball Confederation (NORCECA) tour has nine senior stops for the 2023 season. The NORCECA tour stops will include places such as Mexico, Cuba, the Cayman Islands, and the Dominican Republic, which are some of the usual major stops along the tour.

#With Jon Issacs recently getting back into beach volleyball since starting the journey in 2018, he has now been joined by his teammate Eugene Stuart, who plays the position of middle blocker. The pair will look to accomplish great feats on the 2023 NORCECA Tour but will need to reach their sponsorship goal of $30,000 to represent the country internationally.

#Jon Issacs, member of the Bahamas Beach Volleyball team, talked about why the pair is asking for this amount of money for the 2023 volleyball season.

#“I love the game and the intrinsic value it brings, but I’ve reached the point that it has become much harder to be [paying] out of pocket with entry fees, flights, and hotel costs going up, we need help,” Issacs said.

#Persons that are interested in helping the duo represent The Bahamas on the 2023 NORCECA Tour will contribute towards the flight fees for both players, tournament entry fees, food, hotel, and other associated costs such as visas and adequate training so that the players can perform well internationally.

#Although players were once able to fund their own tours, the duo believe that sponsorship can help the team to get to another level with more skilled coaches, development programmes, and participation in regional and international competitions.

#“Also, it will assist in growing the sport and attracting the next generation of volleyball athletes.”

#The Bahamas has not yet submitted a team for the FIVB Beach Pro ranks, Pan-Am Games, or the Olympics but Stuart and Issacs are hoping to change that this season.

#The pair understands that while beach volleyball does require a lot of patience, commitment and training in order to rise through the rankings, it’s important for them to compete in the NORCECA Tour because it provides the opportunity to qualify for those events.

#Despite the lack of support so far, Issacs talked about what made beach volleyball different from other sports.

#“The great part of playing beach [volleyball] is that it requires so much more than typical specialization you would see in the indoor game, you have to be able to serve, pass, set, and attack consistently on your own then top it off with some gruelling conditions.

#“It’s an outdoor sport with limited timeouts and no substitutions,” Issacs said.

#He added that there is so much more potential for growth with the right partnerships, coaching and support.

#Persons who are interested in supporting the beach volleyball athletes for their 2023 NORCECA Tour, or simply donating, can contact Jon Issacs at bahamasbeachvolleyball@ gmail.com

http://www.tribune242.com/news/2023/mar/16/bahamas-mens-beach-volleyball-team-seeks-financial/?news

As of Thursday, March 16, 2023

• Sign in to favorite this
• DiscussComment, Blog about
• Share thisEmail, Facebook, Twitter

#By BRENT STUBBS

#Senior Sports Reporter

#bstubbs@tribunemedia.net

#When most of the athletes and delegates come in from throughout the Caribbean for the Oaktree Medical Center’s 50th CARIFTA Games, they will be catching three comfortable, chartered 138-seat flights by Bahamasair.

#As the national airline celebrates its 50th anniversary in the 50th year of the Bahamas’ Independence, managing director Tracy Cooper said they are once again delighted to demonstrate that they “don’t just fly here, we live here.”

#Cooper was joined by Prince Storr, the deputy managing director, Samantha Lookie, the director of commercial and charters, and Wilfred Munnings, the sales executive, as Bahamasair was introduced as the airline of the games set for April 8-10 at the Thoms A Robinson National Stadium.

#North American, Central American and Caribbean President Mike Sands, a former executive of Bahamasair, said the Local Organising Committee is pleased to welcome the airline on board as one of the major sponsors for the games during a series of press conferences yesterday on top of the old war bunker in front of the stadium.

#“I want to thank Mr Cooper and his team simply because it wasn’t as simple as just calling Bahamasair and asking them to be a part of what’s happening,” Sands said. “Bahamasair has a regular schedule to maintain and it’s called the schedule integrity.

#“So when you have little and asked to do so much, it has to have a spirit of cooperation and understanding. Mr Cooper and his team recognise the significance of being involved in the contributions that they make to make this event a success.”

#Bahamasair, according to Sands, has agreed to leave Nassau to take the Bahamas swim team to Curacao where they will be seeking to win their fifth straight CARIFTA swim title. The second aircraft will head to Antigua to get the athletes and delegates from there. A final aircraft will travel to Jamaica to pick up their entire delegation of athletes and dignitaries. They will bring in over 400 persons in total.

#Cooper said their team is all geared up for the challenge ahead of them, just as they have done in the past in assisting the Bahamas Association of Athletic Associations in bringing the athletes and delegates to the Bahamas.

#“We have been working along with Mr Mike Sands as the president of NACAC and his team. Nikiitt (Thompson), it’s all good when we know that we can work together to bring all of these matters to fruition,” Cooper said.

#“It’s not just the Bahamas. This is the 50th CARIFTA Games, this is the 50th anniversary of the Bahamas, but we have gotten on board with Mr Sands and his team that we will help out wherever it is necessary in the Caribbean and the Americas for the NACAC team.”

#Storr said it’s even special for the national flag carrier as they are also celebrating their 50th anniversary.

#“So this is a golden jubilee all the way through and we’re excited about it,” Storr said.

#“As Mike said, it was a pain, but it was a joyous pain. As Bahamians, we have to shine.

#“With CARIFTA being here, we will do whatever we need to do to make it happen.”

#Lookie said Bahamasair was prepared to go to Haiti, but they opted to go through Miami, so they are concentrating on the other countries in the region.

#Munnings said there’s no better way for the athletes and delegates to come to the Bahamas than on Bahamasair, so it was a natural fit for the national airline.

#LOC chairman Harrison Thompson said that while they welcome Bahamasair on board, they hope that the Bahamas will shine as their athletes go for gold and leave at least 50 gold medals here at home and not allow them to go with the visiting athletes when they depart on Bahamasair on Monday night.

http://www.tribune242.com/news/2023/mar/16/all-aboard-bahamasair-flying-athletes-carifta-game/?news

GREAT Britain’s Chavez Young, left, celebrates after scoring against Mexico on BJ Murray Jr.’s (top left inset) single during the sixth inning of a World Baseball Classic game in Phoenix on Tuesday, March 14, 2023. (AP Photo/Godofredo A. Vásquez)

As of Thursday, March 16, 2023

• Sign in to favorite this
• DiscussComment, Blog about
• Share thisEmail, Facebook, Twitter

#By BRENT STUBBS

#Senior Sports Reporter

#bstubbs@tribunemedia.net

#THE Bahamian-led Great Britain team gave it all they had, but their 2-1 loss to Mexico on Tuesday night eliminated them from further competition in the World Baseball Softball Confederation 2023 World Baseball Classic in Phoenix, Arizona.

#Playing in the late game, Great Britain needed to win to stay alive, but fell short in a 2-1 decision. In the top of the sixth inning, BJ Murray singled with two out to score Chavez Young to tie the score at 1-1 before Mexico came up with the game-winning run in the bottom of the frame. Tahnaj Thomas came in relief and was tagged with the loss.

#“It’s a bitter sweet moment because we’re glad we made it to the tournament, but we also thought that we were in every game for the most part and we let a few get away that we could have won,” said Albert Cartwright, who served as the first base coach for Great Britain.

#“But it was a great experience for the boys and it gives us more pride to be better for the next tournament in 2026, whether it’s a Bahamian team or continuing to join forces with Great Britain Baseball.”

#Great Britain finished with a 1-3 win-loss record in Pool C before they were eliminated. The players coming directly from the Bahamas who participated are now expected to head back to their minor league organisations. They include Tahnaj Thomas and Chavez Young of the Pittsburgh Pirates organisation, Chavez Fernander of the Detroit Tigers, D’Shawn Knowles of the Los Angeles Angels and BJ Murray of the Chicago Cubs.

#It was the first time that Great Britain qualified to participate in the WBC, but since 2013, both Cartwright and Antoan Richardson have been a part of the team that played in the qualifying tournament.

#Since then, more players were added to the team and there could have been a few more on this year’s team. But Richardson said they are pleased with the players who participated on the team.

#“We’re really proud of the group of guys who came together in such a short period of time to get an historic win, the first ever for GB in the World Baseball Classic, which has given GB the opportunity to potentially automatically qualify to participate in the next WBC,” said Richardson, who was the bench coach for GB.

#“And this was the first time that Bahamians participated in the World Baseball Classic and coach. I think that is something to be excited and proud about. It’s a lot of firsts for us as a country, the Bahamas, as individuals and we did some firsts collectively as a team for GB, so it’s something more for us to be proud of.”

#With GB making its exit, the Bahamian players will be returning to their minor league teams in their quest to continue their journey of one day playing in the Major League like Richardson did. But Richardson said the goal is to get the Bahamas Baseball Association to assemble its own team to eventually play in the WBC and be successful.

#“I think we just have too many people in the sport, it’s not just baseball, who have a wealth of knowledge who are just being under utilised time and time again,” said Richardson, who is calling on the powers that be to have the conversation with all involved in baseball to achieve the ultimate goal.

#“It’s important that we utilise the resources that we have so we can accelerate this process because we are being left behind. If we are playing catch up, why not take advantage of the people who have these resources to help us accelerate these developmental processes.”

#Richardson, who has since retired and is now a first base coach with the San Francisco Giants, the club that first drafted him, said he is always open and available to work along with the programme if the BBA or the Ministry of Youth, Sports and Culture is willing to entertain him.

http://www.tribune242.com/news/2023/mar/16/wbsc-world-baseball-classic-great-britain-eliminat/?news