Sports

Schools have begun practicing

Simba FrenchSend an emailSeptember 15, 2022 91 2 minute readFacebookTwitterLinkedInShare via Email

The last time the Government Secondary School Sports Association (GSSSA) had a full sports year was in 2018-2019. It is looking to change that this school year as the country continues to get back to normal after the COVID-19 pandemic stopped the GSSSA’s 2019-2020 sporting events.

It is also celebrating its 30th anniversary as it looks to have a full calendar with their core sports. According to Varel Davis, GSSSA president, most of the schools have already started practicing for the various disciplines especially cross country.

“Most schools have already started practicing from last week,” Davis said. “That shows you how eager we are to get back. The children are out in full force and are preparing for our sports. The children are excited and we have begun practicing like for cross country with the conditioning. We are ready to go and we pray that things continue to work out for us as we go forward in this school and sporting season.

“It is the first time that those student-athletes who were in grade seven and is in grade nine now are now engaging in after-school sports because of the pandemic. We cannot wait to start our first discipline and we are going to have a very successful year. We have some things planned for our 30th anniversary.”

There is no exact date as to when it will get the sports calendar started and which sport will be the first. It is usually volleyball but that decision will come in short order. The core sports for the GSSSA is volleyball, basketball, cross country, track and field, soccer, baseball and softball. The association has already met with the coaches and they are ready to get to work.

“The meeting with the coaches went well. We all are excited to be back to engage in after school sports after not playing high school sports in about two and a half years. We have an exciting year planned. This is our 30th- year anniversary. We are hoping to have our core sports in. We have protocols in place when it comes to playing sports. It will be enforced as safety is first and foremost for our student-athletes, coaches, officials and fans,” Davis stated.

The national high school championship series calendar came out last week. However, Davis said they are likely to participate in the core sports and GSSSA is unsure about tennis and swimming – the new sports that were  added to the calendar.

‘‘I am not too sure about the tennis and swimming because that is something that we actually have to be certified in,” Davis said. “We also have to find ways to get our kids to train in those sports. Those sports maybe difficult this year for us coming back after being off for two-plus years as we try and get our core sports up and running. We will look in the near future to participate in those other sports that are on the nationals calendar. There is also only so much sports we can do within a year. Our calendar is very full as it is getting through the other sports.”

The GSSSA was only able to put on its track and field meet last school year. Its 2019-2020 season came to a halt on the heels of getting ready to start the soccer season in March 2020 because of the COVID-19 pandemic.

https://thenassauguardian.com/gsssa-looks-to-get-sports-calendar-underway-soon/

Pro boxer Rashield Williams to square off with American Arriaga

As of Wednesday, September 14, 2022

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

#NOW that he’s back in his comfort zone, Bahamian professional boxer Rashield Williams said he intends to take his frustrations from the Commonwealth Games out on American Daniel Arriaga when they meet on Saturday night.

#Williams, eliminated on points in his first and only bout at the games in Birmingham, England in August, is scheduled to square off against Arriaga in a welterweight match at the Alessi Gym Fitness Center in Tampa, Florida.

#The 33-year-old Williams will be taking a 5-1-4 win-loss-knockout record into the match against Arriaga, a 32-year-old American southpaw, who is 2-4-2 with two draws.

#“I feel good. I think this is a good opportunity for me because I just signed with a professional boxing company, so I am ready to show them what I can do,” said Williams, who indicated that they have expressed a desire for him to be fighting on a regular basis.

#After he returned to Florida from the Commonwealth Games, Williams said he got right into his training camp and has been working on getting ready for his return to the pro ranks. During the games, as a pro, he was afforded the opportunity to compete with the amateurs.

#“I had to build my weight back up because at the Commonwealth Games, I had to lose about 11 pounds just to make the weight for the fight,” Williams said. “Now I’m much stronger because I’m right where I need to be for this fight.”

#Williams said he doesn’t know much about his opponent, except for the fact that Arriaga is a southpaw.

#“There’s a way to work around fighting a southpaw,” he said. “I want to go in there and knock him out. He’s not going to be any match for me.”

#Williams’ last pro fight was on January 28 when he won a TKO over Daniel Molina at the Hialeah Park Racing & Casino in Hialeah, Florida.

#He had one fight in 2021 on September 18 when he won a KO decision over Dylan Dodds at the Alessi Gym Fitness Center in Tampa, Florida.

#Williams made his pro debut in 2019 when he won over Carlos Monroy on February 9 at the Restaurant Los Olvidados in Playa del Carmen. He lost his second bout on March 22 to Javaune James at the Miccosukee Indian Gaming Resort in Miami, Florida, before he got back on the winning track with a decision over Jurland Ceniza on December 21 in Tipanoy, Iligan City.

#Arriaga, who resides in San Antonio, Texas, is coming off a TKO loss to American Xavier Madrid on November 20, 2021 at the Inn Of The Mountain Goods in Mescalaro.

#Williams, along with Carl Hield, represented the Bahamas at the Commonwealth Games in Birmingham in August.

#Williams had to shed about 11 pounds to make the weight for the light welterweight division where he lost on points to Namibia’s Jonas Jonas. Hield, 35, got stopped in the first round against Nigeria’s Abdul-Afeez Osoba after he slipped and fell when his opponent countered with an onslaught. Hield is hoping to join Williams in fighting as a pro next month. He’s just waiting on the deal to be sealed.

http://www.tribune242.com/news/2022/sep/14/pro-boxer-rashield-williams-square-american-arriag/

TEAM BAHAMAS members, from left, are Donte Dorelien, David Rahming, Nikita Varanarta, Lisa Stovel-Rolle, Leron Rolle, Dr Bernato Almira and Dario Higgs.

As of Wednesday, September 14, 2022

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

SHOWN, from left, are Leron Rolle, Lisa Stovel-Rolle and Steven Hanna Jr.

Dario Higgs

#By BRENT STUBBS

#Senior Sports Reporter

#bstubbs@tribunemedia.net

#THE Bahamas Archery Federation returned from two archery tournaments in the Dominican Republic last week with historic, impressive performances from the Caribbean Developmental Championships and the Central American and Caribbean qualifying tournament.

#The team, according to federation president David Rahming, returned home on Sunday with four gold medals, three silver and a bronze medal, in addition to producing a number of best performances.

#The Caribbean Developmental Championships was first held in 2017 in Puerto Rico, but it wasn’t until the second version in 2018 that the Bahamas won its first medals. However, after missing the past three years from 2019 to 2022, the federation returned to the championships.

#This year was the first time the tournament was held in two years and it was the first time that archers from outside the English-speaking Caribbean were invited. It is also the first time that a Jamaican team has attended the tournament.

#Dario Higgs won three gold medals to lead the Bahamas. He shot a 572 in the recurve senior men beginners tournament, which ties the national record set in 2018. He also won a gold medal in the recurve mixed team matches.

#Bernado Almira won a gold medal in the Barebow division, which was contested for the first time in this year’s tournament. He was also the first person from Grand Bahama to compete for Team Bahamas internationally.

#Lisa Stovel-Rolle became only the second female to compete for Team Bahamas internationally but the first to win any medals at an international event.

#She won two silver medals in the compound senior women competitions and a bronze in the mixed team competitions.

#Donte Dorelien won a bronze medal in the recurve under 18 division. He and Steven Hanna Jr, who shot in the World Ranking Event tournament, were the youngest members of Team Bahamas.

#Leron Rolle was the other member of Team Bahamas to compete in the World Ranking Event tournament.

#Both Hanna and Rolle shot well but were eliminated before the final rounds this time, according to Rahming.

#Rolle shot this tournament earlier this year in Puerto Rico where he was a member of Team Bahamas, who earned two qualifying spots to the next Central American and Caribbean Games to be held in El Salvador in 2023.

#Hanna Jr and Rolle are hopeful of competing in the Pan American Championships to be held in Santiago, Chile this November.

#This tournament is the main qualifier for the Pan American Games to be held in 2023.

#Rahming, who accompanied the team, said he is very pleased with this year’s performance overall and the progress with the federation in general.

#Rahming has served as the president for the past nine years and has seen the federation grow from just a few archers learning the sport and tournament rules to actually becoming very competitive.

#He said the archers are now winning medals and turning in competitive performances against world-class athletes in both male and female categories and both recurve and compound disciplines.

#Rahming said he hopes to continue with the upward trend in performances in these categories and hopes to add others in the future. He noted that he is eager to include disabled athletes as other countries have done.

#“Archery is a sport for everyone and it is growing within the region,” Rahming said. “ It has enormous sports tourism potential as well and The Bahamas is positioned to take every advantage of this.”

#The team was sponsored by Robin Hood Flour, distributed by Asa H Pritchard.

#Interested persons wishing to join the federation are urged to WhatsApp 525-3799 for training timers in Nassau or contact the YMCA in Grand Bahama for their times on that island.

http://www.tribune242.com/news/2022/sep/14/archers-bring-home-eight-medals-four-gold/

As of Wednesday, September 14, 2022

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

#By WG RAMIREZ

#Associated Press

#LAS VEGAS (AP) — A’ja Wilson had 26 points and 10 rebounds to lead the Las Vegas Aces to an 85-71 victory over the Connecticut Sun last night in Game 2 of the WNBA Finals.

#The Aces are now one victory away from the franchise’s first championship with Game 3 on Thursday in Connecticut.

#Las Vegas was swept in the 2008 Finals when the team was still in San Antonio. The Aces were also swept in 2020.

#“It’s going to take every bit of everybody,” said Chelsea Gray, who added 21 points. “You can see the stats, it’s the toughness, it’s the little things that will get it done We have been a good road team this year. So we might as well go win on the road.”

#Kelsey Plum rebounded from an awful Game 1 to score 20 points.

#“A’ja cussed me out before the game. That’s all I needed,” Plum said. “About time I joined the party. They carried us all week. It’s good to hit some shots, but we have one more.”

#After being held to a season-low 67 points in Game 1, the Aces found their offensive prowess to hit 33 of 64 (51.6%) from the floor.

#Connecticut, which finished 27 of 64 (42.2%) from the field, had four players in double digits, led by Courtney Williams with 18.

#Jonquel Jones also had a double-double with 16 points and 11 rebounds, Alyssa Thomas finished with 13 points.

#Looking to establish an offensive presence early, both teams pushed the pace early, trading buckets to a 10-10 tie until the Aces seized momentum and used an 11-4 run to open a seven-point advantage.

#Las Vegas hit 55 percent (10 of 18) from the floor in the first quarter while the Sun struggled to a 35 percent clip, hitting just 7 of 20.

#The Aces continued to apply offensive pressure in the second, led by Plum, who contributed 11 in the quarter.

#Connecticut was down 14 when coach Curt Miller went big with his lineup, and the Sun responded with a 12-4 run to cut their deficit to six before a Wilson bucket provided the Aces with a 45-37 halftime lead.

#“Get to my spots my teammates are putting me in a situation where I’m comfortable,” Wilson said.

#But Las Vegas’ offensive balance continued into the third, with five different scorers helping the Aces push the lead to 14, outscoring Connecticut 23-17, taking a 68-54 lead into the final period.

#LET’S GET PHYSICAL

#The third quarter saw both teams with bumps and bruises. Gray and Natisha Hiedeman left the game with twisted ankles early in the third quarter. Gray went back to the locker room, but later returned. Jackie Young suffered a busted lip. Williams left late in the third with what appeared to be a lower leg injury. Hiedeman and Williams returned to start the fourth quarter. Young returned early in the final period.

#BACKS AGAINST THE WALL

#Connecticut is 3-0 in elimination games in the playoffs so far this season.

SUN forward Jonquel Jones shoots against the Las Vegas Aces during the second half in Game 2 of the WNBA Finals series last night in Las Vegas. She posted a double double. (AP Photo/John Locher)

As of Wednesday, September 14, 2022

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

#By WG RAMIREZ

#Associated Press

#LAS VEGAS (AP) — A’ja Wilson had 26 points and 10 rebounds to lead the Las Vegas Aces to an 85-71 victory over the Connecticut Sun last night in Game 2 of the WNBA Finals.

#The Aces are now one victory away from the franchise’s first championship with Game 3 on Thursday in Connecticut.

#Las Vegas was swept in the 2008 Finals when the team was still in San Antonio. The Aces were also swept in 2020.

#“It’s going to take every bit of everybody,” said Chelsea Gray, who added 21 points. “You can see the stats, it’s the toughness, it’s the little things that will get it done We have been a good road team this year. So we might as well go win on the road.”

#Kelsey Plum rebounded from an awful Game 1 to score 20 points.

#“A’ja cussed me out before the game. That’s all I needed,” Plum said. “About time I joined the party. They carried us all week. It’s good to hit some shots, but we have one more.”

#After being held to a season-low 67 points in Game 1, the Aces found their offensive prowess to hit 33 of 64 (51.6%) from the floor.

#Connecticut, which finished 27 of 64 (42.2%) from the field, had four players in double digits, led by Courtney Williams with 18.

#Jonquel Jones also had a double-double with 16 points and 11 rebounds, Alyssa Thomas finished with 13 points.

#Looking to establish an offensive presence early, both teams pushed the pace early, trading buckets to a 10-10 tie until the Aces seized momentum and used an 11-4 run to open a seven-point advantage.

#Las Vegas hit 55 percent (10 of 18) from the floor in the first quarter while the Sun struggled to a 35 percent clip, hitting just 7 of 20.

#The Aces continued to apply offensive pressure in the second, led by Plum, who contributed 11 in the quarter.

#Connecticut was down 14 when coach Curt Miller went big with his lineup, and the Sun responded with a 12-4 run to cut their deficit to six before a Wilson bucket provided the Aces with a 45-37 halftime lead.

#“Get to my spots my teammates are putting me in a situation where I’m comfortable,” Wilson said.

#But Las Vegas’ offensive balance continued into the third, with five different scorers helping the Aces push the lead to 14, outscoring Connecticut 23-17, taking a 68-54 lead into the final period.

#LET’S GET PHYSICAL

#The third quarter saw both teams with bumps and bruises. Gray and Natisha Hiedeman left the game with twisted ankles early in the third quarter. Gray went back to the locker room, but later returned. Jackie Young suffered a busted lip. Williams left late in the third with what appeared to be a lower leg injury. Hiedeman and Williams returned to start the fourth quarter. Young returned early in the final period.

#BACKS AGAINST THE WALL

#Connecticut is 3-0 in elimination games in the playoffs so far this season.

SUN forward Jonquel Jones shoots against the Las Vegas Aces during the second half in Game 2 of the WNBA Finals series last night in Las Vegas. She posted a double double. (AP Photo/John Locher)

As of Wednesday, September 14, 2022

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

#By WG RAMIREZ

#Associated Press

#LAS VEGAS (AP) — A’ja Wilson had 26 points and 10 rebounds to lead the Las Vegas Aces to an 85-71 victory over the Connecticut Sun last night in Game 2 of the WNBA Finals.

#The Aces are now one victory away from the franchise’s first championship with Game 3 on Thursday in Connecticut.

#Las Vegas was swept in the 2008 Finals when the team was still in San Antonio. The Aces were also swept in 2020.

#“It’s going to take every bit of everybody,” said Chelsea Gray, who added 21 points. “You can see the stats, it’s the toughness, it’s the little things that will get it done We have been a good road team this year. So we might as well go win on the road.”

#Kelsey Plum rebounded from an awful Game 1 to score 20 points.

#“A’ja cussed me out before the game. That’s all I needed,” Plum said. “About time I joined the party. They carried us all week. It’s good to hit some shots, but we have one more.”

#After being held to a season-low 67 points in Game 1, the Aces found their offensive prowess to hit 33 of 64 (51.6%) from the floor.

#Connecticut, which finished 27 of 64 (42.2%) from the field, had four players in double digits, led by Courtney Williams with 18.

#Jonquel Jones also had a double-double with 16 points and 11 rebounds, Alyssa Thomas finished with 13 points.

#Looking to establish an offensive presence early, both teams pushed the pace early, trading buckets to a 10-10 tie until the Aces seized momentum and used an 11-4 run to open a seven-point advantage.

#Las Vegas hit 55 percent (10 of 18) from the floor in the first quarter while the Sun struggled to a 35 percent clip, hitting just 7 of 20.

#The Aces continued to apply offensive pressure in the second, led by Plum, who contributed 11 in the quarter.

#Connecticut was down 14 when coach Curt Miller went big with his lineup, and the Sun responded with a 12-4 run to cut their deficit to six before a Wilson bucket provided the Aces with a 45-37 halftime lead.

#“Get to my spots my teammates are putting me in a situation where I’m comfortable,” Wilson said.

#But Las Vegas’ offensive balance continued into the third, with five different scorers helping the Aces push the lead to 14, outscoring Connecticut 23-17, taking a 68-54 lead into the final period.

#LET’S GET PHYSICAL

#The third quarter saw both teams with bumps and bruises. Gray and Natisha Hiedeman left the game with twisted ankles early in the third quarter. Gray went back to the locker room, but later returned. Jackie Young suffered a busted lip. Williams left late in the third with what appeared to be a lower leg injury. Hiedeman and Williams returned to start the fourth quarter. Young returned early in the final period.

#BACKS AGAINST THE WALL

#Connecticut is 3-0 in elimination games in the playoffs so far this season.

Charlton wraps up season

Simba FrenchSend an emailSeptember 13, 2022 253 2 minute readFacebookTwitterLinkedInShare via Email

The Bahamas saw two of its senior top athletes in action this past weekend when Devynne Charlton and LaQuan Nairn competed at the Memorial Borisa Hanžekovića on the World Athletics’ Continental Tour 2022 Gold meeting, at the Sports Park Mladost in Zagreb Croatia.

Charlton, who ended her long season at this meet, finished with the silver medal on Sunday in the women’s 100 meters (m) hurdles when she crossed the finish line in 12.86 seconds. Nairn was in action on Friday and finished sixth in the men’s long jump event when he leapt 7.82m (25’ 7 3/4”).

The 100m hurdles saw Olympic bronze medalist, Jamaican Megan Tapper being the favorite to win this race. However, she had to settle for third place with a time of 13.03 seconds as American Tonea Marshall held off Charlton with a time of 12.74 seconds.

“I wasn’t too pleased with my race on Sunday,” Charlton said. “The execution wasn’t there so the time could’ve been a whole lot faster but I’m just happy to end the season with a podium finish and no injuries.”

Nairn bettered a 7.57m performance on Sunday, September 4 in Padova, 

Italy. Winning the long jump event on Friday was Australia’s Henry Frayne who recorded 8.11m (26’ 7-1/4”). Croatians Filip Pravdica and Marko Čeko won the silver and bronze medal respectively. Pravdica posted a leap of 8.03m (26’ 4-1/4”) and Čeko jumped 8.00m (26’ 3”).

It has been a long season for Charlton who did both the indoor and outdoor disciplines. She made several national teams and even captured the silver medal at the World Athletics Indoor Championships in Beograd, Serbia with a national record time of 7.81 seconds in the 60m hurdles back in March. She ran a national record of 12.46 seconds in semifinal of the 100m hurdles at the World Athletics Outdoor Championships in Eugene, Oregon, the United States in July.

“I felt my season went really well overall. This was by far the longest season of my career and first time running a complete indoor and outdoor season since college so to finish healthy is a blessing,” Charlton said.

The 26-year-old said she will take the next few weeks off and rest before getting back to work and start preparing for the next season.

“I’m looking forward to building off of this year’s success and implementing all the lessons I picked up along the way,” Charlton said.

Charlton was also able to come away with a silver medal in the 100m hurdles at the Commonwealth Games in Birmingham, England. She posted a time of 12.58 seconds. She then came home and won a bronze medal in the women’s 100m hurdles, at the 4th Anita Doherty North American, Central American and Caribbean (NACAC) Track and Field Championships, at the Grand Bahama Sports Complex in Freeport, Grand Bahama. She posted a time of 12.71 seconds.

Once she stays healthy, Charlton will look lower both national records next season. For now, she deserves rest after an impressive season.

Nairn made history at the Commonwealth Games by becoming the first Bahamian to win a gold medal in the men’s long jump at those games. Nairn, who is also 26, won with a leap of 8.08 meters (m) – 26’ 6-1/4”.

He is number two all-time in the men’s long jump among Bahamians, trailing just national record holder Craig Hepburn. Nairn was able to get the national record in the indoor long jump with a leap of 8.18m (26’ 10”) in Fayetteville, Arkansas. He has a season’s and personal best leap of 8.22m (26’ 11-3/4”), a feat he did in Walnut, California in March.

Nairn also made several national teams this year. Next season, Nairn will look to get the coveted Hepburn’s national record.

https://thenassauguardian.com/charlton-nairn-compete-in-croatia/

 Home|Sports|UB Mingoes lose international soccer match in MiamiSports

The Nassau GuardianSend an emailSeptember 14, 2022 164 2 minute readFacebookTwitterLinkedInShare via Email

MIAMI, Florida – The University of The Bahamas Mingoes men’s soccer team lost to Florida Palms University 5-1 over the weekend in international play.

The Mingoes’ lone goal came from forward Joshua Johnson in the 83rd minute of play.

Early in the match, The Mingoes were battling the Florida Palm University Owls in the more than 90-degree heat. In the first half, The Owls were able to score quickly in the 12th and 35th minute.

The Mingoes came into the second half of the match stronger, but The Owls had a bigger bench to fight the sweltering heat. The Owls scored in the 55th, 63rd and 69th minutes to take a 5-0 lead.

Johnson though was not going to let the squad go down without one goal. He connected in the 83rd minute to give the team its lone goal.

Assistant Coach Alexander Thompson said he was pleased with the team’s effort and its ability to score at least once.

“We have quite a few new players and this would have been the first time that they would have travelled and played collegiately internationally,” he said. “We got some valuable experience and we’re in the process of implementing a new playing style and we saw where our strengths were and where our weaknesses were and so we know what we need to work on.”

Thompson added that he was especially pleased with the play of the back field.

“Our center backs and one in particular looked very good playing out of the back,” he said. “We have speed on the wings and players who are dangerous in and around the attacking third.”

The side was also missing players who could have added another dimension of defense and offense.

“If we can look to integrate them into the squad, that is only going to make us even stronger particularly in the midfield,” he said. “That would give us better opportunities to control the game and keep more possession.”

The Mingoes were supposed to play Atlantis University on Friday. However, because of severe thunderstorms and lightening in the area, officials cancelled the game.

The Mingoes are expected to play another series of matches September 23-24 against Fort Lauderdale University in Fort Lauderdale, Florida. The Mingoes also have a 2-0 win/loss record in the Bahamas Football Association senior men’s league preseason play. The BFA senior men’s league is expected to open this month.

https://thenassauguardian.com/ub-mingoes-lose-international-soccer-match-in-miami/

 Home|Sports|Cooper meets with Miami Dolphins and Orlando MagicSports

Simba FrenchSend an emailSeptember 14, 2022 339 2 minute readFacebookTwitterLinkedInShare via Email

The Bahamas has attracted many sporting events and teams near and far over the years, and Minister of Tourism, Investments and Aviation Chester Cooper and his team traveled to Florida and met with executives of the professional sporting teams, the Miami Dolphins and Orlando Magic late last week.

The Dolphins play in the National Football League (NFL) and is a favorite team of many Bahamian NFL fans. The Magic plays in the National Basketball Association (NBA) and though the team does not have a huge Bahamian fan base like the Dolphins, it still has Bahamian supporters cheering it on.

Cooper said that they are hoping to use those teams’ large reach to help promote the islands.

“We have met with some of the major sporting teams – the Magic and the Dolphins,” Cooper said. “We expect that we will continue these types of partnerships. They have a very large reach. As you know, these are beloved teams in The Bahamas, especially the Dolphins. I expect that through the course of this ongoing partnership, we will be able to find synergies. We will do joint promotions, will be able to access their databases and certainly we will be able to promote the islands of The Bahamas and Florida.”

Cooper knows that The Bahamas has had relationships with these teams in the past and will look to renew those opportunities.

Creating partnerships with sporting teams and events is one of the plans that Minister of Youth, Sports and Culture Mario Bowleg said his ministry has dubbed “Sports in Paradise”.

There are already several sporting events and teams coming to The Bahamas. There are the popular Battle 4 Atlantis collegiate basketball tournament, Baha Mar Hoops college basketball tournament, Junkanoo Jam college basketball tournament in Bimini, Pink Sands golf tournament, Bahamas Bowl football game and the Hero World Challenge, just to name a few.

Several teams, including the Cleveland Browns offensive players, Houston Rockets, Tottenham Hotspurs and the Miami Heat have all made the trip to The Bahamas. The Bahamas has also played host to a few regional and international sporting events. The latest one was the 4th Anita Doherty North American, Central American and Caribbean (NACAC) Track and Field Championships in Grand Bahama in August.

The visit to Florida was a part of the ministry’s global sales and marketing mission series. The series of events will continue on to New York later this month. Further stops in the USA include Atlanta, Georgia; Houston, Texas; Charlotte, North Carolina; and Los Angeles, California, followed by cities across Canada.

In addition to major travel hubs throughout the US and Canada, the representatives from the ministry will be heading to Brazil and the United Arab Emirates (UAE).

https://thenassauguardian.com/cooper-meets-with-miami-dolphins-and-orlando-magic/

 Home|Sports|Jones, Sun go down 2-0 to AcesSports

Jones, Sun go down 2-0 to Aces

The Bahamian notches double-double in loss

Simba FrenchSend an emailSeptember 14, 2022 175 2 minute readFacebookTwitterLinkedInShare via Email

Bahamian professional basketball player Jonquel “JJ” Jones and the Connecticut Sun struggled against the Las Vegas Aces, as they fell 85-71 last night. The series is now 2-0 in the Aces’ favor in the best-of-five WNBA Final series, after the first two games at the Michelob Ultra Arena in Las Vegas, Nevada.

Jones, the 2021 WNBA Most Valuable Player, finished the game with a double-double, scoring 16 points and grabbing 11 rebounds in 30 minutes on the floor. She checked out of the game with 3:07 left in the game, as it was a foregone conclusion with the Aces up 80-62.

The Grand Bahama native was able to go 6-for-11 from the field. She hit the first shot from deep for her team in the third quarter to finish 1-for-3 in the game from that range. The center dished out three times and had nine defensive boards and two offensive boards.

Her fellow Grand Bahamian native, Indiana Pacers guard Chavano “Buddy” Hield, was in Vegas to support her.

It was not a good shooting night for the Sun, who shot 42.2 percent from the field and went 3-for-14 from deep. The Aces shot the ball well, making 51.6 percent of their shots from the field.

With the loss, the Sun will now look to be the first team in league history to come back from a 2-0 deficit in the WNBA Finals. Those teams are 0-15 when down 2-0 in a best-of-five series.

The Aces, who are one win away from the winning the championship, went up 80-60 at the 4:28 mark in the fourth quarter for their largest lead of the game.

The start of the third quarter was a little slow for the Sun, as the Aces scored the first four points in that quarter. The Sun picked up its offense as they went on a 9-0 run to cut the score down to 49-46, with 7:11 left in that quarter. That was the only offensive spark for the Sun, as the Aces went on to win that quarter 23-17, which turned out to be the game-changing period.

Jones got started early in this matchup and made her first field goal in the first minute of the game, to put the Sun up 4-2. It was a stark difference from game one, when Jones did not score or attempt a single shot and went scoreless in the first period. At the end of the first period, the Aces led 23-15.

Midway through the second quarter, the Sun went bigger against the Aces’ zone defense. They had all three of their bigs – Jones, Brionna Jones and DeWanna Bonner – on the floor. They were able to go on a 9-2 run to cut the deficit to six points at 37-43, a run that was snapped when Wilson made a late layup in the second quarter to put the Aces up 45-37 heading into the half.

Jones led the Sun with 11 points in the first half, after scoring seven points in the second quarter.

The Aces’ three-headed monster – 2022 MVP A’ja Wilson, Chelsea Gray and Kelsey Plum – each scored 20 or more points in the game. Wilson had a game-high 26 points, while Gray and Plum had 21 and 20 points respectively.

The series now swings to the East Coast, as the Sun look to start the back-end sweep when they play the hosts in a must-win game three at the Mohegan Sun Arena in Uncasville, Connecticut. That game gets underway tomorrow at 9 p.m. Eastern Time.

https://thenassauguardian.com/jones-sun-go-down-2-0-to-aces/

CLOCKWISE FROM TOP LEFT: D’SHAWN KNOWLES, ANFERNEE SEYMOUR, IAN LEWIS, TAHNAJI THOMAS, COACH ALBERT CARTWRIGHT, URAL FORBES and CHAVEZ FERNANDER.

As of Tuesday, September 13, 2022

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

#By BRENT STUBBS

#Senior Sports Reporter

#bstubbs@tribunemedia.net

#FOR the third time because the country is not eligible to field a team as yet, the Bahamas will have some players and a coach representing Great Britain at the World Baseball Classic.

#Without a team to qualify to compete, the Bahamas will once again join forces with Great Britain in the tournament that is being played in Regensburg, Germany, September 16-21.

#They have been paired in Pool A with Germany, Czech Republic, Spain, France and South Africa.

#Making up Pool B, which will play in Panama City, Panama, September 30 to October 8, are Panama, Nicaragua, Brazil, Argentina, Pakistan and New Zealand.

#The top two teams at each Qualifier will advance to the main tournament that will be played in March.

#Albert Cartwright, who played on Great Britain’s teams in 2013 and again in 2017, is already in Germany where he will be on the sidelines as a coach with pitchers Tahnaji Thomas and Chavez Fernander, catcher Ural Forbes and outfielders Anfernee Seymour and D’Shawn Knowles.

#Ian Lewis, the only infielder selected, won’t be making the trip as he’s currently on the injured list and wasn’t released by the Miami Marlins’ minor league organisation.

#Cartwright, who was in Germany with Forbes and Seymour, while the others are due in today, said the Bahamian players got hit pretty hard by the injury bug this year and so a number of players who had the opportunity to play on the team could not because they got hurt.

#“I feel confident. I feel like each year when they started this and we were allowed to play for Great Britain in 2013, me and Antoan (Richardson) got better each year,” he said.

#“I hope that we continue to get better this year and advance to the big dance.”

#Cartwright and Richardson returned to play for Great Britain in 2017 with Jasrado “Jazz” Chisholm, Kyle Simmons, Ali Knowles, Todd Isaacs, Champ Stuart, Chavez Young and Reshard Munroe. The classic was scheduled to be played again in 2020 but was delayed to this year because of COVID-19.

#“When we got started in 2013, it was just me and Antoan and Great Britain was just fresh into playing into the classic,” Cartwright said. “In 2017 when we added a lot more players, we actually believed we had a chance to advance, but we didn’t.

#“Now in 2022, we believe we have a chance to advance because we have so many talented young players playing on the team. It’s time to get over the hump, time to turn things around and time to make history for baseball for the Bahamas.”

#The 2017 classic was the last official baseball game that Cartwright played in before he retired. He’s now joined up with Geron Sands in the formation of I-Elite Bahamas – a local organisation that is helping to prepare the next generation of Bahamian players to play in the professional ranks or to secure athletic scholarships to college.

#“These young boys are so talented, so it’s good to go out there on the field and watch them perform,” Cartwright said. “It’s good to be around Bahamians because it’s not every day that you get a chance to do that at the international level.

#“I was talking to Anfernee earlier and he said he was excited to be in Germany and he’s excited to be playing for Great Britain where he can team up with his boys to fight for something. That was how I felt when me and Antoan first played together in 2012. It’s good to see them getting that same experience.”

#Bahamas Baseball Association secretary general Teddy Sweeting said it’s a great opportunity for the young to showcase their talent, like Seymour who is trying to get back into the minor league.

#“Once the players indicate their availability to play for the team, we had to seek their permission from their international organisations for them to be released,” Sweeting said.

#“We had a few more players, but they couldn’t get their release from their organisation so they can’t play this year.”

#Once the names were submitted to Great Britain, they made the final selection on who they would have added to their team based on the positions they needed to be filled.

#The Bahamas has had to play for Great Britain because with the Bahamas being ranked at number 80 in the world, the ranking was not high enough to be one of the teams coming out of the Pan American Baseball Confederation (COPABE) organisation, the governing body for baseball in the Americas.

#“Once you compete in their regional tournaments, it would allow you to generate points and based on our ranking, we would be allowed to compete as a country,” Sweeting pointed out. “But the Bahamas has not competed in any international tournaments in COPABE or the World Baseball Association for many years, although we’ve had teams competing in tournaments such as the Babe Ruth Little League and AAU Tournaments, which are private tournaments and are not COPABE tournaments.”

#Sweeting said they have been advised as to what they need to do in order to get a chance to compete in the next classic and they are working on putting things in place.

#He noted that in December, the BBA will be hosting the Caribbean Baseball Cup with seven visiting countries participating.

#The tournament is being scheduled for the new baseball complex, which is expected to be completed by the end of November. Sweeting said the tournament is expected to christen the new stadium, but also provide the Bahamas with their first step in getting a chance to qualify for the next classic rather than having players play again for Great Britain.

#The last international tournament that the World Baseball/Softball Confederation has on record that the Bahamas participated in was in 2018 at the Under-18 men’s baseball World Cup Qualifier for the Americas in Panama. The last men’s national team to compete was at the 2009 World Baseball Challenge in British Colombia, Canada.

#Great Britain will play its first game in this year’s tournament at 1pm Friday at the Armin Wolf Arena against France.

#All games will be available for viewing on the World Baseball Classic YouTube and Facebook pages.

http://www.tribune242.com/news/2022/sep/13/bahamians-set-play-great-britain/?news

As of Tuesday, September 13, 2022

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

AMARIE ARCHER

#By RENALDO DORSETT

#Tribune Sports Reporter

#rdorsett@tribunemedia.net

#AMARIE Archer emerged as one of the top performers for the Dodge City Community College Conquistadors as they earned their first win of the season.

#Archer finished with eight tackles (two for a loss) and 1.5 sacks in the Conquistadors’ first win of the season – a 28-14 triumph over Highland at Memorial Stadium in Dodge City, Kansas.

#The Conqs improved to 1-2 and will be off next week before they return on September 24 to face Diamond Football Academy out of Texas.

#Archer has recorded a tackle in each game in limited minutes thus far but was one of the breakout stars in Saturday’s win.

#The 6’4”, 320-pound freshman defensive tackle is currently ranked second on the team in sacks and seventh in tackles.

#Michael Tunsil, who recruited Archer to complete his prep career at Miami International Academy in Miami, Florida, said he has seen the growth and development in his game.

#He previously received offers from Webber International University and Florida Memorial University.

#“Three years ago I was able to convince this kid to transfer from the state of Kansas to play high school football in South Florida,” Tunsil said. “He said he was a defensive tackle but we played him at offensive guard his junior and senior seasons.”

#Archer, along with fellow Bahamian Mazio Randall, have been anchors on the Dodge City defensive line thus far in their freshman season.

#Randall had two tackles against Highland and now has six on the season.

#He is also the only member of the defence to record a fumble recovery thus far this season.

#Randall had three tackles, one forced fumble and one fumble recovery against nationally ranked No.2 Iowa Western Community College Reivers.

#“I’ve coached some good offensive teams during my coaching career.

#“All Sun Belt, All MEAC and All Ohio Valley,” Tunsil said while the two were in their senior year of high school.

#“I have three good senior offensive linemen that have all conference potential. Kaylin Smith, Mazio Randall and Amarie Archer,” he said.

#Randall, 6’4” 300 pounds, played on both the offensive and defensive sides of the ball as a senior at Miami International.

#He chose Dodge City in the Kansas Jayhawk Community College Conference of the NJCAA over offers from South Alabama in the Sun Belt Conference, Kentucky Christian and Webber International University in the NAIA.

http://www.tribune242.com/news/2022/sep/13/amarie-archer-records-career-high-eight-tackles/?news