CRUISE CONTROL: Anthonique Strachan wins the women’s 200 metre finals at the NACAC New Life Invitational in the nation’s second city of Freeport, Grand Bahama. Photos by Vandyke Hepburn/BIS

As of Monday, May 15, 2023

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SHOWN, from left to right, are NACAC president Mike Sands and Minister of Youth, Sports and Culture Mario Bowleg presenting first place finisher Anthonique Strachan, second place finisher Jada Baylark, and third place finisher Quanera Hayes with a conch shell to commemorate their finishes in the 200 metre finals.

#By TENAJH SWEETING

#tsweeting@tribunemedia.net

#The North American, Central American and Caribbean Athletics Association (NACAC) New Life Invitational saw its second hosting come to the nation’s second city of Freeport, Grand Bahama, this past weekend.

#The one-day meet got underway at the Grand Bahama Sports Complex and saw athletes break New Life records. Bahamian athletes also returned home to put on a show.

#The second edition of the meet was held as athletes not only looked to qualify for the World Championships in August but also to vie for their share of the $75,000 cash prize.

#Mike Sands, president of NACAC, talked about the second New Life Invitational event.

SHAWN Thompson soars to a height of 7.57 metres in the men’s long jump.

#“I am very happy with the way it turned out. It would have been nice to have more fans but in terms of the quality of the meet, I am very happy, ” Sands said.

#He said the meet was designed to cater to all of the NACAC area athletes and that the focus was also placed on Bahamian athletes as they were committed to place one in every event where possible.

#Overall, he added that he was very happy and satisfied with the way the Bahamian athletes performed and the event served as a motivational incentive for them to know where they are and what they now need to do.

#Among the Bahamian athletes at the NACAC New Life Invitational were Grand Bahamians Donald Thomas and Alonzo Russell. Also, Anthonique Strachan, Shakeem Hall-Smith, Adam Musgrove and Tamara Myers of North Andros.

#TRACK

#For the Bahamas, Anthonique Strachan brought home the first place finish in the women’s 200m finals with a time of 22.59 to beat her competitors. Both second and third place finishers were from the United States of America (USA). Jada Baylark wrapped up second in 23.10 and Quanera Hayes came behind with 23.20.

#Strachan talked about how it felt to get the win on Bahamian soil.

#“It’s always a joy to compete [at] home in The Bahamas, especially Freeport. They have a tremendous track and they always have great crowd interaction and people do come out here to support and watch,” Strachan said.

Olympic bronze-medalist Megan Tapper runs strong towards the finish line for first place in the women’s 100m hurdles finals.

#She added that the 200m race was a great race for her. She just needs to execute some things in the race so that she can make it come together when it matters which will be at the championships.

#The 2022 NACAC silver medallist said she will speak with her coach and watch the race to see what she could have improved but, all in all, it was a good one.

#For the men, Puerto Rico’s Jose Y Figueroa Acevedo emerged victorious after clocking 20.59 in the 200m finals. In addition to the win, he also surpassed Daveon Collins’ New Life record of 20.73. Ghana’s Joseph Amoah claimed second place in the race with 20.61 and also broke the previous New Life record. Third place finish belonged to CARIFTA double-medallist Adam Musgrove.

#Despite the 19-year-old competing against more seasoned competition, he said his mindset was to not be intimidated as his goal is to go as far in the sport as possible. Therefore, he wants to get used to the feeling of running with elite athletes at the junior level so when he gets to their level it would not phase him anymore.

#After running 11.34 in the 100m prelims Olympic silver-medalist Shashalee Forbes shaved 0.17 seconds off her time to get the win in the finals. She was followed by fellow Jamaican competitors Kemba Nelson and Tia Clayton. Nelson ran 11.27 and Clayton notched 11.31 in the race.

#“I felt pretty great I mean I ran a little slow out of the blocks but as a pro athlete you have to learn how to pick up and can go so apart from all that it felt really good,” Forbes said.

#Canada’s Duan Asemota ran 10.14 in the men’s 100m finals which was a personal best for the athlete. Ghana’s Joseph Amoah once again secured another second place finish this time with a run of 10.19. Trinidad and Tobago’s Eric Harrison Jr closed out the sprint in third with 10.22.

#Asemota said his strategy in the race was to make sure he stayed nice and low, not coming up too high and he knew that he could finish the race therefore, he wanted to remain relaxed, remain composed and get to the finish. He said it felt amazing to compete in Grand Bahma coming from Canada where the weather is not the best right now. Additionally, he enjoyed the hosting and facilities.

#Aliyah Abrams of Guyana completed the women’s 400m finals with 50.20 to edge out her competitors. The top three finishers in the race all beat Wadeline Johnathas’ previous New Life record of 51.91. Canada’s Charokee Young ran 50.45 for second and Cuba’s Roxana Gomez took third with 51.01.

#The men’s 400m finals were no different than their counterparts. The top three finishers all surpassed Deon Lendore’s previous New Life record of 45.83. The USA’s Olympic gold-medalist Trevor Stewart took home the victory in 44.92. He was followed by Jamaica’s Rusheen McDonald who clocked 45.26. Grand Bahama’s very own Alonzo Russell returned to notch 45.52 for third place.

#“I felt like it was a decent race it’s always exciting to come back home and run in front of the home crowd. I feel good about the run today and I look forward to the rest of the season,” Russell said.

#He said he is at a better place mentally and that’s why he thinks that he is seeing better results.

#In the 800m finals, the USA’s Skylyn Webb bested her competitors with 2:02.96 in the race. Second place belonged to St Vincent’s Shafiqua Maloney and third place went to Puerto Rico’s Aziza Ayoub.

#The USA once again emerged victorious this time in the men’s 800m finals. Kameron Jones sealed the victory after clocking 1:47.66 in the race. Jamaica’s Rajay Hamilton finished second witn 1:47.71 and the USA’s CJ Jones came in third with 1:47.93.

#In hurdles action, Olympic bronze medalist Megan Tapper blitzed her competitors in the 100m hurdles finals. She came in with 12.74 shaving 0.13 seconds off her prelims qualifying time of 12.87. Second place was secured by Jamaica’s Amoi Brown and third went to Liberia’s Ebony Morrison.

#After securing a gold medal at the 2022 Commonwealth Games in Birmingham, Rasheed Broadbell claimed first place this time in the men’s 110m hurdles. Jamaica’s Broadbell finished with 13.10 to break the previous New Life record of Michael Dickson. Eric Edwards Jr of the USA came second in 13.42 and Jamaica’s Damion Thomas wrapped up in third.

#The winner’s of both the men and women’s 400m hurdles finals took home first place honors and set new records at the one-day meet. For the women, Roshell Clayton ran 54.41 to beat the previous record of 54.50 held by Dalilah Muhammed. For the men, the USA’s Amere Lattin came up big with 49.18 in the race. He broke the previous record of Gerald Drummond (49.47).

#Lattin said he thought his execution in the race was great and he ran great all the way up to hurdle eight and nine but for hurdle ten he broke his stride and felt that it cost him. Nonetheless, he added that he will go back to the drawing board.

#FIELD

#Women’s pole vault- Canada’s Anicka Newell(4.56m), USA’s Rachel Baxter (4.46m) and Sophie Gutermuth (4.41m)

#Women’s Triple Jump- USA’s Keturah Orji (14.02m), Milana Hearn (13.61m), and The Bahamas’ Tamara Myers (13.37m)

#Men’s High Jump- The Bahamas’ Donald Thomas (2.26m), India’s Tejaswin Shankar (2.21m), and Jamaica’s Lushane Wilson (2.21m)

#Fellow Grand Bahamian Thomas talked about how it felt to compete back at home. He said he wanted to Thank God for bringing him this far and felt that the competition was good and he was happy to be home competing and performing in front of his people.

#Men’s Long Jump- USA’s Isaac Grimes (7.75m), Damarcus Simpson (7.67m), and Dominica’s Tristan James (7.62m)

http://www.tribune242.com/news/2023/may/15/athletes-fast-track-nacac-invitational/?news

MISSING YOU: Coach Terrance ‘Red-Eye’ McSweeney and his Diamond Basketball development programme for girls hosted a basketball clinic in memory of the late Jonique ‘Mini’ Webb at the Charles W Saunders High School on Saturday. Photo: Moises Amisial/Tribune Staff

As of Tuesday, May 16, 2023

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#By BRENT STUBBS

#Senior Sports Reporter

#bstubbs@tribunemedia.net

#Coach Terrance McSweeney was pleased with the turnout he got on Saturday for his Diamond Basketball development programme’s memorial for the late Jonique ‘Mini’ Webb.

#Webb, who passed away on January 19, 2020, after her battle with lupus, was honoured three days after she would have celebrated her 31st birthday on May 10.

#A basketball clinic was held in her memory at the Charles W Saunders High School, Jean Street.

#“She was involved in our programme up until the time she graduated from Jordan Prince Williams in 2006,” said McSweeney of the girls’ development programme he started in 1995.

#“Jonique was a very versatile student-athlete, who was a high achiever as a student and was very versatile as an athlete. Other than the athleticism of an athlete, for me as a coach, I look at their academic ability and she was a high achiever with a 3.85 to a 4.0 student.”

#McSweeney said he was delighted to host the clinic on the basketball court at Charles W Saunders where Webb would have represented the JPW Falcons basketball and volleyball teams in the Bahamas Association of Independent Secondary Schools (BAISS) and for Golden Gates Native Baptist Church in the Baptist Sports Council. “This is only a fitting memorial for her from the Diamond Basketball development programme,” McSweeney said. “It was also good to see the number of young girls who came out and participated in the clinic.

#“We had primary schools from Charles W Saunders, Freedom Baptist Academy and Carlton E Francis as well as girls from both the public and private schools. So we give God all of the glory for what we experienced today.”

#Edward Dean, the administrative assistant at Charles W Saunders High School and mathematics teacher who also assists in the basketball teams for the Cougars, said it was good to be a part of the clinic.

#“We have an obligation to develop all of the sports, but we also want to make sure that more emphasis is being placed on the development of the girls’ programme,” Dean said.

#“We are really pleased with the players who came out. We saw a lot of talent that needed to be developed.”

#Dean congratulated McSweeney for taking the initiative to keep the memory of Webb alive through the clinic. He said it’s about time that more of the former female players, coaches and officials are recognised for the role they played in the growth and development of sports in the past.

#“It’s just a tremendous opportunity to get so many of these young ladies out on the basketball court,” Dean said. “Normally when you pass a basketball court, you see so many young men, but we have a basketball court full of young ladies who are eager to learn the game and improve on their skills.”

#One of those young ladies was Craignisha ‘Fingers’ McPhee, a 17-year-old 12th grader at the Anatol Rodgers High School who said she decided to come out to the clinic because she knows that McSweeney has the ability to help her improve her game.

#“I want to go to the WNBA and so sessions like this will really help me to improve on my game,” Dean said.

#“I realised that I have to stay flat-footed, pay attention, key my eyes up and let the ball come to the hand so you can control the pass to your team-mates.”

#And Gabrielle ‘Chocolate’ Russell, a 13-year-old eighth grader at Charles W Saunders, who stands at 5-feet, 10-inches, said she came out to practice so that she can play better next year than she did this year for the Cougars. “I was reminded to always look up and don’t get distracted. I also learned how to shoot better and to dribble the ball better,” Russell said.

#“I think if I can stay focused, learn when to shoot and pass the ball to my team-mates, I will be in a better position to become a better player.”

#McSweeney said he saw a lot of resemblance of Webb in some of the players at the clinic. He hopes to continue to make the event an annual one where he will incorporate some other aspects of the game like three-point shooting and free throws at the end of the clinic next year.

http://www.tribune242.com/news/2023/may/16/diamond-basketball-clinic-keeps-fond-memories-joni/?news

LENDING A HAND: Red-Line Athletics track club donated a $2,000 cheque and dry goods to the Great Commission Ministries in efforts to give back.

As of Monday, May 15, 2023

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#By TENAJH SWEETING

#tsweeting@tribunemedia.net

#THE Red-Line Athletics track club is not only home to talented student-athletes but also noble citizens.

#The track club made a $2,000 donation to Great Commission Ministries this past weekend in addition to dry goods to support their cause of feeding the less fortunate.

#The track club’s third consecutive year of giving back saw them surpass last year’s amount of $1,500, making it their largest donation to date.

#With Great Commission Ministries working around the clock to provide essentials such as food and shelter to those less fortunate, Red-Line coach Tito Moss talked about how it felt to help out for the third straight year.

#“It feels good to give back, particularly partnering with a worthy cause such as the Great Commission Ministries who are doing such a huge job to society by providing 500 hot meals per day so it is a joy for us to be able to partner with them to assist,” Moss said.

#The track club has consistently given back to the non-profit organisation since their first $1,000 donation and 500 pounds of dry food in 2021.

#Their donation amount has steadily increased each year with not only the head coach, but also their athletes on board with the initiative.

#“We need the kids to understand that no matter what background they come from, no matter how much needs they may have in their life, there are still persons in society that have greater needs than themselves,” the coach said.

#He added that the goal of the club is to not only build student athletes but also to create complete productive members of society who understand the value of giving back.Red-Line athletes donated a portion of their lunch monies during March and April and the club matched whatever total they amassed in efforts to support the Great Commission once again.

#Despite only existing four years now since their debut in the summer of 2018, the track club wants to continue to give back as they expand and experience more success in the future.

#The head coach emphasized that Red-Line Athletics is more than just a track club and will continue their support of Great Commission but will also look to find more ways to be active in the community as their success does not stop on the track and field. “As we mould these student athletes into young productive members of society, we will continue to challenge them mentally, physically and emotionally and we hope that when their time is done at Red-Line, they will see the value in giving back and reaching out and pulling another up,” Moss said.

http://www.tribune242.com/news/2023/may/15/red-line-athletics-we-are-more-just-track-club/?news

 Home|Sports|Camperdown teams take top two spots in BIEL competitionSports

The Nassau GuardianSend an emailMay 17, 2023 102 1 minute readFacebookTwitterLinkedInShare via Email

The Camperdown Equestrian Centre (CEC) Blue Marlins emerged triumphant as champions in the final show of the Bahamas Interscholastic Equestrian League (BIEL) competition season, which took place at CEC last weekend.

The CEC Blue Marlins finished with a total of 38 points while the CEC Sand Dollars and the two-time champions Mariposa Gold Drops battled for second place, tied just one point behind. In the end, the home side took all the top honors, as the Sand Dollars won an over-fences tiebreaker to finish as Reserve Champions with 37 points while the Gold Drops had to settle for third place. The Mariposa Monarchs, competing one rider short, finished in fourth. Strong performances from all the riders was shown and just seven points separated the top four teams.

The third and final leg of this year’s BIEL competition featured a total of 30 student-riders from different schools. Riders competed under the watchful eye of United States Equestrian Federation ‘R’ Judge Robert Robold, a former alternate for the German show jumping team and past president of the East Coast Hunter-Jumper 

Association. Robold took time to dispense comments and advice to riders and their coaches, Kimberly Johnson of the CEC Blue Marlins and CEC Sand Dollars and Erika Adderley of the Mariposa Gold Drops and the Mariposa Monarchs.

BIEL was founded in 2017 and is sponsored by Equestrian Bahamas, the national federation for Equestrian sport in The Bahamas. The league consists of a series of three competitions, from which a national championship is awarded. Teams are comprised of school-aged riders from across New Providence.

BIEL competitions are perennial favorites among junior riders because of the team emphasis and the unique format, based on collegiate competition rules, in which riders and horses are matched by random draw. This provides riders with an exciting opportunity to show their skills in the ring while riding unfamiliar horses, preparing them for the rigors of intercollegiate competition.

https://thenassauguardian.com/camperdown-teams-take-top-two-spots-in-biel-competition/

 Home|Sports|Swimmers compete in Alpha Aquatics meetSports

A number of swimmers qualified for the national championships

Simba FrenchSend an emailMay 17, 2023 154 3 minute readFacebookTwitterLinkedInShare via Email

For the first time since returning home from the 2023 CARIFTA Swimming Championships last month, Bahamian swimmers were back in action, competing at the Alpha Aquatics Spring Invitational at the Betty Kelly-Kenning National Swim Complex over the weekend.

The swimmers are gearing up for the Bahamas Aquatics Federation’s National Championships, set for June 22-25, at the same location.

Lyford Swim Club’s Delaney Mizell had a strong swim in the 15-and-over girls division. She won all four of her individual races in that division and showed her versatility, swimming the 50 meters (m) freestyle and the 1500m free, along with the 50m breaststroke and 50m butterfly events.

Mizell was the first of a quartet of Lyford Cay swimmers with the top four finishes in the 50m free. She touched the wall in 27.61 seconds. Katie Goulandris was second with a time of 29.34 seconds. Rounding out the podium finishers was Elina Fiaux in 30.28 seconds.

In the 50m breast, Mizell led the way of a trio of Lyford Cay swimmers. Mizell posted a time of 37.41 seconds for the win. Fiaux swam 38.03 seconds to place second and Isabelle Zatarain was third with a time of 40.08 seconds.

In the 50m fly, Mizell won with a time of 32.09 seconds. Placing second was the Barracuda Swim Club’s Lauren Bridgewater who posted a time of 32.65 seconds. Touching the wall a second later, in third, was Anjaleah Knowles in 33.65 seconds.

In the 1500m free, Mizell was the lone competitor and she was able to stop the clock at 21:47.68.

Alpha Aquatics’ Samirah Donaldson added two nationals cut times in the 13-14 girls division. She got those times in the 100m backstroke and 100m butterfly events. Donaldson went into the meet with a time of 2:06.48 in the 100m back and was able to lower it to 1:31.94, placing seventh. In the 100m fly, she did not have a seed time but she was able to make the cut for nationals with a time of 1:21.35.

The Black Marlins Swim Club’s Alexander Murray lowered his nationals cuts times in two races in the 11-12 boys division. His first one came in the 50m fly. Murray had a seed time of 31.55 seconds and was able to drop it to 31.26 seconds. His biggest drop came in the 50m back where his seed time of 39.07 seconds dropped to 35.67 seconds.

Swimming for Alpha Aquatics, Isabelle Wiberg added three nationals cuts in the 9-10 girls division. She did it in the 100m free, the 50m breast and the 50m back. In the 100m free, she powered her way to 13th with a time of 1:38.27. She then made the time in the 50m breast when she went from a seed time of 1:05.80 to 56.42 seconds. In the 50m back, she went from a time of 53.38 seconds to a nationals cuts time of 52.01 seconds for a seventh place finish.

Barracuda Swim Club’s 11-12 swimmer Saleste Gibson, who came off an impressive performance at CARIFTA, was able to lower her times in three races. She did it in the 100m free, going from a seed time of 1:03.12 to 1:03.05, the 50m breast, going under 40 seconds with a time of 39.37 seconds from 40.96 seconds, and in the 200m fly, going from 2:51.25 to 2:49.30.

Christon Joseph had some strong swims for the Blue Waves Swim Club in the 11-12 boys division, lowering his times in the 400m free, 50 and 100m breast events. His time in the 400m free went from 5:20.21 to 4:56.81. In the 50m breast, Joseph dropped his entry time of 37.93 seconds to 37.41 seconds. In the 100m breast, he lowered his time from 1:31.07 to 1:24.19.

The swimmers in New Providence will have this weekend off and will get ready for the final club meet before nationals. The final local swim meet before nationals is set for May 27 at the Betty Kelly-Kenning National Swim Complex.

https://thenassauguardian.com/swimmers-compete-in-alpha-aquatics-meet/

 Home|Sports|Camperdown teams take top two spots in BIEL competitionSports

The Nassau GuardianSend an emailMay 17, 2023 102 1 minute readFacebookTwitterLinkedInShare via Email

The Camperdown Equestrian Centre (CEC) Blue Marlins emerged triumphant as champions in the final show of the Bahamas Interscholastic Equestrian League (BIEL) competition season, which took place at CEC last weekend.

The CEC Blue Marlins finished with a total of 38 points while the CEC Sand Dollars and the two-time champions Mariposa Gold Drops battled for second place, tied just one point behind. In the end, the home side took all the top honors, as the Sand Dollars won an over-fences tiebreaker to finish as Reserve Champions with 37 points while the Gold Drops had to settle for third place. The Mariposa Monarchs, competing one rider short, finished in fourth. Strong performances from all the riders was shown and just seven points separated the top four teams.

The third and final leg of this year’s BIEL competition featured a total of 30 student-riders from different schools. Riders competed under the watchful eye of United States Equestrian Federation ‘R’ Judge Robert Robold, a former alternate for the German show jumping team and past president of the East Coast Hunter-Jumper 

Association. Robold took time to dispense comments and advice to riders and their coaches, Kimberly Johnson of the CEC Blue Marlins and CEC Sand Dollars and Erika Adderley of the Mariposa Gold Drops and the Mariposa Monarchs.

BIEL was founded in 2017 and is sponsored by Equestrian Bahamas, the national federation for Equestrian sport in The Bahamas. The league consists of a series of three competitions, from which a national championship is awarded. Teams are comprised of school-aged riders from across New Providence.

BIEL competitions are perennial favorites among junior riders because of the team emphasis and the unique format, based on collegiate competition rules, in which riders and horses are matched by random draw. This provides riders with an exciting opportunity to show their skills in the ring while riding unfamiliar horses, preparing them for the rigors of intercollegiate competition.

https://thenassauguardian.com/camperdown-teams-take-top-two-spots-in-biel-competition/

Sports

Team Bahamas will play Panama in the quarterfinals on Friday

Simba FrenchSend an emailMay 11, 2023 116 3 minute readFacebookTwitterLinkedInShare via Email

In a battle of the two unbeaten teams in Group B, it was Mexico that edged The Bahamas, 5-4, to win that group in the 2023 CONCACAF (Confederation of North, Central American and Caribbean Association Football) Beach Soccer Championships at the Malcolm Park Beach Soccer Stadium in Nassau, Bahamas, Wednesday night.

The loss means that The Bahamas finished in second place in the group with four points and will have a showdown against Panama in the quarterfinals on Friday. That match will get underway at 6 p.m. Mexico wins the group with the full nine points.

The Bahamas had four different scorers who found the back of the net on Wednesday. They were Wood Julmis, James Thomspon, Gary Joseph and Kyle Williams. Mexico’s goal scorers were goalkeeper Gabriel Macias, Diego Martinez and Jose Vizcarra. Macias and Martinez had two goals each.

Team Bahamas’ head coach Alexandre Soares, of Brazil, said Mexico was a very tough side which is ranked at number three in CONCACAF.

“It was a good and difficult game. We played well. We made some mistakes in defense but we will look to improve for the next game,” Soares said. “For us, the most important thing was not to lose players to yellow cards, red cards or injury. The players are OK for Friday.”

Mexico went into the third period with a 4-2 lead and it looked like they were about to run away with it. Joseph found the back of the net from almost half of the field, catching Macias off guard with 5:46 left in the game to bring The Bahamas to within 4-3. Unfortunately, any momentum the hosts had were taken away two seconds later when Martinez scored on the kickoff that caught Bahamian goalkeeper Michael Butler by surprise. Mexico led 5-3 at that point.

Veteran Kyle Williams took a shot from his own half that went past Macias to cut into Mexico’s lead again, this time at the 3:39 mark in the final period. Mexico still led 5-4. As expected, The Bahamas tried to get another goal, but Mexico stopped the attempts down to the last second.

Mexico got the scoring underway at the 4:23 mark in the first third on a Vizcarra shot to put them up 1-0. It was a brotherly connection when Evelt Julmis found his brother Peter Julmis in the Mexican’s defense and he tied the game at 1-1 eight seconds after Vizcarra scored. Martinez gave Mexico the lead again when he scored at the 3:14 mark in the first period to put his team up, 2-1. The first third ended with that same score.

Maicas caught Butler off his line at the 9:15 mark in the second period, putting Mexico up 3-1. Thompson snuck a goal past Maicas on a Daron Beneby missed shot with 3:42 left in that period to cut Mexico’s lead to 3-2. Maicas scored again in that period to put Mexico up 4-2 at the end of the second period.

The Bahamas’ captain Gavin Christie said they will use today, which is an off day, wisely, as he forecasted Friday’s matchup with Panama.

“Tomorrow (today) is a recovery day. We need it, as we had three tough matches in three nights. We will relax, have ice baths, treatment and get ready for war on Friday,” Christie said. “Panama is a very strong and physical team. We are excited to be at home and in the quarterfinals. It is win or go home and every game here on out will be like a final.”

Christie appealed for the fans to come out and support the team with their colors and flags.

In the match before The Bahamas and Mexico game, in Group B action between Guatemala and Belize, Guatemala won 3-2. El Salvador won a lopsided match against Costa Rica, 7-1. The Turks and Caicos Islands took care of Guadeloupe, 5-3. The United States of America won 5-1 over Panama. In the opening game of the day, Trinidad and Tobago got a slim 3-2 win over the Dominican Republic.

Today is a rest day and action will resume on Friday with the quarterfinals. Those games get underway at 3 p.m.

This is the third time in 10 years The Bahamas is hosting the CONCACAF Beach Soccer Championships.

Admission is free for the entire tournament.

https://thenassauguardian.com/the-bahamas-falls-to-mexico/

 Home|Sports|Hield loses in opening match of world championshipsSports

Simba FrenchSend an emailMay 11, 2023 139 1 minute readFacebookTwitterLinkedInShare via Email

Bahamian boxer Carl Hield, a light middleweight, recently participated in the 2023 IBA (International Boxing Association’s) World Boxing Championships that is being held at Humo Arena in Tashkent, Uzbekistan.

The veteran boxer, now 36, fell in his opening match to Boniface Mogunde of Kenya. Hield suffered a unanimous decision in the round of 64 on points, 5-0, to Mogunde. Modunde went on to lose in the round of 32 to Hamza El Barbari of Morocco.

As for Hield, Bahamas Boxing Federation (BBF) President Vincent Strachan said he put up a good fight and he is proud of the tenacity, courage and spirit that Hield displayed.

Fighting out of the blue corner in the elite men’s 67-71 kilogram (kg.) class, Hield put up a fight but just didn’t have enough to overcome the Kenyan fighter.

Judge Manoj Kumar, of India, scored the fight 30-27 in favor of Mogunde, and so did judge Maria Kavaklieva, of Bulgaria, judge Sidali Mokretari, of Algeria, and judge Sarah Bouhlel, of Tunisia. Judge Tina Poletan, of Bosnia, and Herzegovina, scored the fight 29-28 in favor of Mogunde.

Rami Bitar of Jordan refereed the fight.

According to Strachan, it was an action-packed fight for all three rounds. He said, being aware of the scoring process, he was stunned that Mogunde was declared the winner, and has no doubt that Hield should have prevailed. Hield is the lone competitor for The Bahamas at the IBA World Championships.

A total of $5.2 million is up for grabs at the global championships and athletes from all over the globe are taking part, competing for medals in 13 weight categories.

Gold medalists receive $200,000, silver medalists receive the previous champion’s purse of $100,000 and bronze medalists take home $50,000. Prize money was introduced for the 2021 Men’s World Championships and the 2022 Women’s World Championships as an incentive for boxers to be rewarded at the highest level of the sport.

The championships wrap up on Sunday.

Back in the gym, Hield, who just entered the professional ranks late last year, is now preparing for the boxing segment of the Central American and Caribbean (CAC) Games, set for June 23 to July 8, 2023, in San Salvador, El Salvador. Hield is expected to return to the country this weekend.

https://thenassauguardian.com/hield-loses-in-opening-match-of-world-championships/

 Home|Sports|Ayton, Suns on the brink of eliminationSports

Simba FrenchSend an emailMay 11, 2023 69 2 minute readFacebookTwitterLinkedInShare via Email

After winning the previous two games, Bahamian professional basketball player DeAndre Ayton and the Phoenix Suns fell to the Denver Nuggets, 118-102, and now trail three games to two in their best-of-seven Western Conference semifinal series in the National Basketball Association (NBA) playoffs.

The Suns have not won a game on the Nuggets’ home floor, inside the Ball Arena in Denver, Colorado, and that remained the same on Tuesday.

Ayton, who may have suffered a possible rib injury in the first quarter, was one rebound shy of recording his first double-double of the series. He finished with 14 points and nine rebounds that included four offensive boards and five defensive boards. The big man went 7-for-12 from the field in 32 minutes of play. He had one assist, two steals, and a blocked shot. He was a minus 21 in the plus-minus category.

It was a competitive game at the half with the Nuggets leading just 52-49. The turning point for the game came in the third quarter when the Nuggets outscored the Suns 39-25 to lead 91-74 heading into the fourth quarter.

Ayton is having a tough time with his assignment which is guarding two-time Kia Most Valuable Player (MVP) Nikola Jokic. On Tuesday, Jokic finished with a triple-double going for 29 points, 13 rebounds and 12 assists.

It was not a good start to the game for Ayton in the first quarter as he shot 1-for-4 from the field. He picked it up later in the quarter going 2-for-2 from the field. He scored six points and grabbed four rebounds to go with a steal while dealing with an apparent rib injury. However, the Nuggets led 35-24 at the end of the first quarter.

The Bahamian was quiet in the second quarter but came away with a plus-seven in that quarter. The Suns played a strong quarter, outscoring the Nuggets, 25-17.

The Nuggets shot 70 percent from the field in the third quarter, and had a commanding lead going into the fourth. The Suns shot 41.7 percent from the field in that quarter.

The tale of the series has been on the rebounding front where the team that controls the boards usually controls the game. The Nuggets won the battle of the boards, 50-42.

After averaging a double-double in the first round with 16 points and 11.2 boards per game, Ayton’s average took a dip in this series. He is averaging 10.8 points and 8.2 rebounds per game. He is shooting 57.8 percent from the field. The big man has not been to the free throw line much in this round, only going to the line five times and making two of them. He went to the line 18 times in the first round.

In a must-win game six, the Suns welcome the Nuggets back to the Footprint Center in Phoenix, Arizona, for their final home game in the series. That game will get underway at 10 o’clock tonight and will be broadcasted on ESPN.

https://thenassauguardian.com/ayton-suns-on-the-brink-of-elimination/

As of Wednesday, May 10, 2023

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#By BRENT STUBBS

#Senior Sports Reporter

#bstubbs@tribunemedia.net

#FORMER professional basketball player turned coach JR Cadot is looking forward to continuing to develop the next generation of basketball players in the country.

#Cadot, who is now in the Philippines participating in the training camp, is scheduled to hold the Dream Again Basketball Camp through his Nexx Basketball Organisation from June 26 to July 15.

#“It’s going to be a lot of fun,” said Cadot, a NCAA Division One College basketball standout and former pro player who was invited to participate in both the Houston Rockets and Chicago Bulls training camp.

#The Dream Again camp will take place at the Hope Centre basketball courts at University Commons for boys and girls between the ages of eight and 18 years. The registration fee is $175, which also includes a camp t-shirt.

#During the camp, the youngsters will be taught the basic skills in ball-handling, game situation, shooting, footwork and defence.

#“It’s important that we work on developing the fundamental skills of the young players at an early age so that they won’t develop those bad skills that would affect them when they start to play for their high school teams,” Cadot said.

#“We will take them through the various stages of basketball and try to encourage them to perfect their game. We will make it as exciting as possible because we believe that’s one of the ways to get them to enjoy the game.”

#Among the list of instructors expected to join Cadot in the camp will be Lourawls “Tum Tum” Nairn, a former collegiate and men’s national team basketball player.

#A former NBA academy coach and others out of the USA are expected to make an appearance at the camp.

#“We are putting together some of the best coaches available for the camp,” Cadot said. “So we want the parents to know that their children will be given the best instructions available.”

#Space in the camp, according to Cadot, is limited, so interested persons are urged to register now at www.nexxbasketball.com, WhatsApp 535-9354, visit facebook & instagram @nexxbaksetbll or email nexxbasketball@gmail.com

http://www.tribune242.com/news/2023/may/10/dream-again-basketball-camp-set-june-26-july-15/?news