Indiana Pacers guard Buddy Hield (24) during the second half of an NBA basketball game against the Charlotte Hornets, Sunday, Jan. 8, 2023, in Indianapolis. (AP Photo/Marc Lebryk)

As of Monday, January 9, 2023

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#By CHRIS GOFF

#Associated Press

#INDIANAPOLIS (AP) — Myles Turner scored 29 points, Buddy Hield had 21 and the Indiana Pacers capped the first half of their regular-season schedule with a 116-111 comeback victory over the Charlotte Hornets yesterday.

#Tyrese Haliburton finished with 16 points, 13 assists and five rebounds for the Pacers, who trailed by nine early in the fourth quarter and needed a series of clutch plays in the final minutes to improve their record to 23-18 at the midpoint. “I’m just excited for us, excited that we’re overachieving,” Turner said. “We still have a lot of work to do. We can’t be satisfied.”

#P.J. Washington had 22 points and five rebounds for the Hornets. Terry Rozier chipped in 19 points, six assists and six boards, and Mason Plumlee wound up with 18 points and 13 rebounds.

#Plumlee attempted a dunk with 13 seconds left that would have brought Charlotte within a point, but Turner’s blocked shot sent the crowd into a frenzy. The 26-year-old rising star finished with nine rebounds and four blocks. His three-point play with 1:11 left had tied the game. “Myles is in his prime,” Pacers coach Rick Carlisle said. “He’s playing the best he’s ever played. Down the stretch, he was tremendous. I coached Jermaine O’Neal here, and Jermaine had that. It was uplifting to his teammates.”

#Two free throws from Aaron Nesmith made it 116-111 with 6.9 seconds left and secured Indiana’s eighth win in its last 10 games.

#“Forty-one games: doesn’t feel like 41 games, but it is,” Carlisle said. “The next 41 will go by pretty fast, too. We’re getting a lot of clutch experience. We’re not perfect, but we’re gradually getting better, and we’ve got a great crowd that has helped us get over the hump in a lot of these games.”

#Charlotte, which dropped to 11-30 at the halfway mark, has lost four of its last five. Top scorer LaMelo Ball fouled out in the final minute with 13 points and eight assists.

#“It’s hard for us when (Ball) only plays 24 minutes,” Hornets coach Steve Clifford said. “That is just part of his growth. We had a couple really bad fouls. We put ourselves in a good place for three quarters. Our defence in the fourth wasn’t good enough.”

http://www.tribune242.com/news/2023/jan/09/buddy-scores-21-pacers-win/?news

DON’T Blink Home Run Derby co-founders Lucius Fox, far left, and Todd Isaacs Jr and CARIFTA Local Organising Committee CEO Lynden Maycock.

As of Monday, January 9, 2023

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#By BRENT STUBBS

#Senior Sports Reporter

#bstubbs@tribunemedia.net

#In the aftermath of the return of the fifth annual Don’t Blink Home Run Derby in Paradise in Montagu last month, Freedom Farm received a generous donation of $200,000 worth of baseball equipment from the Players Alliance Association.

#Now dubbed “the greatest show on sand,” co-founders Todd Isaacs Jr and Lucius Fox said they are delighted that the league that got them started in the sport of baseball is the beneficiary of the gift.

#The professional baseball players, who have been childhood friends off the field, made the announcement in the foyer of the Thomas A Robinson National Stadium on Friday concerning the December 13-18 event, which attracted one of the largest crowds since its inception in 2018 with over eight-plus million viewers on their social media platforms.

#Fox, who last year became the eighth Bahamian to crack the Major Leagues when he made his debut with the Washington Nationals, said the donation will help to give more Bahamians an opportunity to harness their skills with the proper equipment to follow suit in their quest to become the next core of players to excel in pro baseball.

#Isaacs Jr, who played for the New Jersey Jackals in the Frontier League, said when they presented the first cheque, it was a complete surprise, but to be able to create an event that enabled the Players Alliance Association to donate the amount of money that they did was the “coolest thing” that happened at last month’s Home Run Derby.

#“For us to create an event that has garnered the attention of the world and to garner the attention of a non-profit organisation like the Players Alliance Association, who came down and shared with us all week and to top it off by donating $200,000 in equipment to Freedom Farm says it all,” Isaacs Jr added.

#“We want this event to be successful. We want the world to come to the Bahamas to experience this event, but we want organisations to come down and believe in our message and to believe in our vision and to see the future and hope of what is to come next. We have no excuses because we have the equipment to get the job done.”

#The donation, according to Fox, will enable more of the inner-city kids to get the same opportunities as the more privileged kids to get a chance to play the game and change their lives and their family’s lives by getting a chance to become pro baseball players just as they are.

#Putting the event into perspective, Isaacs Jr said it closed out with a bang as Fox’s team retained their team title, while for the first time, it was an all-Bahamian final with BJ Murray of the Chicago Cubs’ affiliated Mesa Solar Sox in the Arizona Fall League, out-hitting Trent Deveaux, who previously played in the Los Angeles Angels’ minor league organisation, for the individual championship crown after a star-studded showcase of the Bahamian current and visiting pro players.

#“This year, we’re looking forward to celebrating the 50th Independence and so we’re looking forward to closing out the year with a bang in December,” Isaacs Jr said.

#“We’re just looking at bringing fresh new ideas to the Bahamas and continue to evolve this event.

#“We started the Don’t Blink week off with a celebrity softball game and ended it with a gospel concert headlined by Todd Delaney.

#Our friends came down and had a great time. We hosted over 75 Major and Minor League players, current and former players along with two Hall of Famers, so it shows the growth of the event and the interest the world is showing in the event.”

#Lynden Maycock, the chief executive officer of the Local Organising Committee for the 50th Golden Jubilee CARIFTA Games that will be staged at the stadium from April 7-11, said they are delighted to be a part of the “greatest show on sand.

#“On Sunday night, we hosted the Todd Delaney Gospel Concert and we had an awesome experience with Todd Delaney. Coming out of the experience with Todd Delaney, he mentioned that the experience was the greatest he’s ever experienced on all of his tours.

#“Even though it was free to the Bahamas, for the first time, he has given promoters exclusive rights to market that particular concert.

#So the return that the Bahamas and the LOC would receive based on the investment we would have invested in that particular event, we are very fortunate to know that the blessings will continue to follow us.”

#The Don’t Blink Home Run Derby also attracted the Major League Baseball Association, led by its executive director Tony Clark, who met and chatted with Prime Minister Philip ‘Brave’ Davis about the future of baseball in the country with the construction of the new Andre Rodgers Baseball Stadium.

#“To have the second most powerful man in baseball in the country is just a sign of things to come,” Isaacs Jr revealed.

#In March, Fox said the majority of the Bahamian players, who participated in the Home Run Derby in December, are expected to suit up and play for Great Britain at the World Baseball Classic in March.

#He said one day the Bahamas will have its own team participating, but for now they can cheer on the players as they participate for Great Britain. Fox expressed their gratitude to the many sponsors, who assisted in “Sports in Paradise” as they continue to present the “greatest show on sand,” including the Bahamas Government, the CARIFTA LOC, Atlantis Resorts, REV TV, Chandler Bats, Bahamasair, Bahamas Waste Management, Heritage Seafood, Cancer Treatment Centers of America, A Sure Win, M&E Limited, Cuba Libra, Balso, Global Sun Integration Management, Family Medical Center, Triple A Marine, Harmony Construction, BiG Baseball Generations, Prime Shipping, Happy Healing Homecare, C3 Propane, MVP Sports Nation, Roc Nation, Pop Studios, Gatorade, National Sports Authority and Bahamas Shack Express.

#“To all of the fans, we can’t say this enough,” Fox summed up.

#“Thank you for helping bring back the greatest show on sand and for making our dreams come true.

As of Monday, January 9, 2023

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#THE defending champions Discount Distributors Liquors and runners-up Commonwealth Bank Giants both pulled off victories over the weekend to highlight the men’s division one play in the New Providence Basketball Association.

#Discount Distributors stunned the Caro Contractors 86-56 in Saturday night’s feature contest, while Commonwealth Bank beat the Sand Dollar 88-80 in Friday’s feature match-up.

#And in the men’s division two play, defending champions Your Essential Store Giants routed the RC Liquors Eagles 97-59 in Friday’s opener and on Saturday, the Produce Express wiped out the Cyber Tech 85-69.

#• Here’s a summary of the matches played:

#Rockets 86, Shockers 58: Crispin Gibson scored 17 points with four rebounds and two steals to pace the Discount Distributors Liquors to victory as they remained undefeated with the league’s best 6-0 win-loss record.

#Christoff Stuart had 24 points, six rebounds, three assists and two steals and both Roosevelt Whylly and Ryan Turnquest helped out with 12 points. Whylly also had 11 rebounds and three assists.

#Caro Construction, who dropped to 3-2, got 15 points and 11 rebounds from Jeron Smith, but it wasn’t enough. Their only other player in double figures was Spurgeon Johnson with 13 points, six rebounds and two assists.

#Giants 88, Sands Dollar 80: Dylan Musgrove netted a side high 21 points with five rebounds, five steals, three assists and a block shot to lead Commonwealth Bank to victory as they improved to 4-1.

#Eugene Bain had 18 points, 16 rebounds and four assists, Michael Bain Jr had 17 points, eight rebounds, four assists and three steals and Jackson Jacob chipped in with 12 points, five assists and two rebounds.

#For Sand Dollar, who suffered their first loss in four games, Jeremy Neely had an all-around game with 21 points, five rebounds, five assists and four steals.

#Van Hutchinson Jr had 11 points, 14 rebounds, eight assists, three steals and a block shot, Rashad Ingraham also had 11 points, two rebounds and two steals, Rus-Shorn Strachan had 10 rebounds, three block shots, three assists and two rebounds and both Dale Davis (with seven rebounds and two assists) and Shantoin Pratt (with four rebounds, four assists and four steals) helped out with nine points.

#Produce Express 85, Cyber Tech 69: Rumalo Ellis led a balanced scoring attack in their win with 16 points, five assists and three rebounds with a steal. In the process, the Produce Express pulled even with the Discount Distributors Rockets at 4-1.

#Jefferson Oliver had 13 points, six rebounds and two assists, Maleak Johnson had 12 points, eight rebounds and six steals and Anthon Williams chipped in with 11 points, five assists, four rebounds and three steals.

#In a losing effort for Cyber Tech, who slipped to 2-4, K’Jay Nixon had a game high 19 points with three rebounds, two assists and a steal. Jayson McHardy had 13 points, three rebounds, three assists and two steals and Daniel Bethel finished with 10 points and six rebounds.

#Giants 97, Eagles 59: Brandon Strachan exploded for 24 points with 10 rebounds and four steals to lead YES to victory as they stayed undefeated at 6-0.

#Kirklyn Farrington had 22 points, seven assists and three rebounds, Simar Rolle had 20 points, 12 rebounds and two steals and Matthew Saunders added 15 points, 13 rebounds, three assists and two steals.

#For the losing RC Liquors, who fell to 3-2, Cornelius Albury had 11 points, six rebounds and three steals, Sherman Marshall also had 11 points with seven rebounds and Devon Seymour added 10 points.

#Alexis Francis helped out with eight points and 17 rebounds.

#THE SCHEDULE

#Today

#8pm – Rebels vs Sand Dollar (D1)

#Wednesday

#8pm – Commonwealth Bank Giants vs Leno Regulators (D1)

#Friday

#8pm – Caro Contractors Shockers vs University of the Bahamas (D1)

#Saturday

#8pm – Tuckers Boys vs TMT Giants (D1)

http://www.tribune242.com/news/2023/jan/09/npba-giants-and-ddl-win-column/?news

As of Monday, January 9, 2023

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#By BRENT STUBBS

#Senior Sports Reporter

#bstubbs@tribunemedia.net

#THE English Caribbean Amateur Softball Confederation (ECASC) Women’s Fast-Pitch Tournament Qualifier will be held in St John, US Virgin Islands February 28 to March 6, but according to tournament director Burkett Dorsett, the Bahamas is not entered.

#The Bahamas, now ranked at no. 61 in the world, finished as runners-up in the last tournament that was held in Grand Bahama in 2013, losing out to Aruba.

#This year’s ECASC Tournament is a ladies’ championship and a qualifier for the Central American and Caribbean Games in El Salvador.

#Aruba will be in attendance to defend their title along with four other teams confirmed in the tournament when games are played from March 1-5 at the National Park Ball Field. They are hosts to US Virgin Islands, Curacao, Turks & Cacaos, the British Virgin Islands and St Martin.

#Dorsett serves on the organising committee that includes Kevin Quinn out of Canada and Virgo Perez from Peru, who also resides in Canada. They are all members of the WBSC of Americas Commission for Competition.

#He noted that their responsibility is putting the tournament together and it’s disappointing that the Bahamas Softball Federation has not accepted an invitation to participate, having finished as runners-up in the last tournament.

#But Jenny Isaacs-Dotson, who was elected last year as the first female president of the BSF, said they sent in a formal communication indicating that they will not be able to attend.

#She outlined various reasons for the Bahamas’ absence.

#“The federation has not selected its national team coaches and a team has been assembled to do any practicing in preparation for this tournament,” Isaacs-Dotson said.

#“We got some funding from the Ministry of Youth, Sports and Culture, but in taking over, we were not able to get our accounting set up in time.

#“The cost of sending the team to the ECASC is going to be very costly, which we couldn’t afford at this time.

#“We are just getting ourselves in a position to start appointing our national team coaches and trying to get players to come out to practice on a regular basis so we will be ready when we do get to start travelling on international tournaments again.”

#It’s expected that there will be a total of 15 games played along with the playoffs and championship and bronze-medal games.

#A total of eight umpires are expected to make up the cadre officiating, along with Thomas Sears, the ECASC deputy umpire in chief, who will be attending the tournament.

#The men’s tournament for ECASC is not yet scheduled, but Dorsett said it has to be held before the CAC Games as it will also serve as a qualifier.

#But he said if they don’t host the tournament, he’s making the recommendation for the Bahamas, who won the last title in 2016, beating Aruba.

#The Bahamas is not listed in the top 40 in the world.

#Isaacs-Dotson said the federation would be more willing to get the men’s national team prepared to play in the ECASC tournament because they have sufficient players who are in a position to represent the country now, as opposed to the ladies’ team.

#“Our men are the defending champions, so we have to start looking seriously at trying to get them ready to defend their title,” she said.

#As for the possibility of the Bahamas hosting the tourney, Isaacs-Dotson said it will have to take a collaboration with the Ministry of Youth, Sports and Culture in assisting the federation because of the funding that it will take to pull it off.

#“Many of our islands have not been playing fast pitch. They have been playing more slowpitch, which was also a damper for us in trying to put the ladies’ team together, along with the funding issues that we encountered when we took over.”

http://www.tribune242.com/news/2023/jan/09/bahamas-women-are-not-entered-ecasc-tourney/?news

As of Monday, January 9, 2023

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#THE Masters Softball League will host the return of their visitors Senior Moments softball team from various places in the United States on their 17th trip to the Bahamas for a series of games on Tuesday at the Baillou Hills Sporting Complex.

#Senior Masters, a group of 50-and-over players, is led by Shelby Simmons and they will arrive as usual on a cruise ship. They are expected to leave immediately following the games and social interaction with the MSL.

#Lawrence ‘Buddy’ Smith is calling on all players over the age of 50, who participate in both the MSL and the Oldtimers Softball Association, to join them as they assemble two teams to entertain their guests in the friendly matches.

http://www.tribune242.com/news/2023/jan/09/masters-softball-league-host-return-senior-moments/?news

BAAA executives after the church service yesterday at St Barnabas Anglican Church to begin the new season.

As of Monday, January 9, 2023

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BAAA president Drumeco Archer, second from left, with BACO members after the church service.

#EXECUTIVES of the Bahamas Association of Athletic Associations and its members began the 2023 season by attending church together at St Barnabas Anglican Church yesterday.

#Rev Fr Roderick Bain welcomed the BAAA and its president Drumeco Archer gave some remarks on behalf of the BAAA.

#Joining Archer and his executives were members of the Bahamas Association of Certified Officials (BACO), headed by Val Kemp and a number of the track teams, including Swift Athletics, headed by coach Andrew Tynes, Red-Line Athletics, headed by coach Tito Moss and the Star Trackers, headed by coach David Charlton.

#The BAAA will kick off the season this weekend at the Thomas A Robinson Track and Field Stadium with the staging of the T-Bird Flyers Track Club meet, headed by coach Foster Dorsett. The club is expected to honour the memory of the late BACO officials Courtney Wallace and Ivy Charlton.

#The meet will serve as a qualifying meet for the 50th Golden Jubilee CARIFTA Games, scheduled for April 7-11 in New Providence.

ARCHER LeRon Rolle with his archery gear.

As of Friday, January 6, 2023

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#By BRENT STUBBS

#Senior Sports Reporter

#bstubbs@tribunemedia.net

#IN less than a year, multi-talented LeRon Rolle has emerged as the top Bahamian archery man in the country. And based on his rapid progress, Bahamas Archery president David Rahming said Rolle could be one of the top competitors in the region.

#Rolle, a 17-year-old 2022 graduate of St John’s College where he played basketball, soccer and ran the sprints in track and field, got started in archery during the COVID-19 pandemic after he couldn’t get to participate in any other sports.

#He got a chance to represent the Bahamas in competition in Puerto Rico, the Dominican Republic and Belize and on each trip, he noted that he was able to improve on his scores.

#“My biggest achievement came in Chile where I got my best score,” Rolle said. “The highest score you can get is a 720. In the Dominican Republic, I scored 516, then in Chile I did 670, so that was my biggest achievement so far.”

#Next week, Rolle is expected to head back to the Dominican Republic where he will spend about a week training with one of the archery competitors he met on his initial trip.

#During his first trip to the Dominican Republic, Rolle was matched against the competitor from the Dominican Republic, who was ranked at number 10 in the world and was eventually declared the winner of the tournament.

#He said he gained a lot of experience from competing against him.

#Looking back at his performances, Rolle said every time he competes, he improves his scores, so he’s pleased with the way he’s progressing.

#As the no.1 competitor in the country, Rolle is also listed at the top in the English-speaking Caribbean and is pegged at 181 in the world.

#“I don’t like to pay attention to the ranking that much because it changes so quickly,” he said. “People are shooting every day and so the scores change, so you can maintain a rnaking as well as it could drop.

#“I know everytime I go out to shoot, my rankings go up. So, I’m very pleased with my progress.”

#Rolle said his goal this year is to be able to obtain sufficient sponsorship that will enable him to compete in more tournaments on the international scene.

#He also has his sights set on representing the Bahamas at the Central American and Caribbean Games from June 23 to July 8 in San Salvador, El Salvador and hopefully coming out with a medal.

#He would then like to compete at the Pan American Games from October 20 to November 5 in Santiago, Chile and ultimately the Olympic Games in Paris, France, in 2024.

#Rahming said he’s excited sbout Rolle’s progress in such a short space of time because he has put in a lot of work and he’s applied himself, while performing at a high standard whenever he gets to travel.

#“We think that he’s going to enter the top echelon of archery in the region sometime this year,” Rahming said. “He’s shown that improvement so far. He started his first competition in March, and he shot 400 points out of 720. Then in September in the Dominican Republic, he shot 500 out of 720 and in November, in his third tournament, he shot 670 points.

#“Bear in mind, he’s shooting against the best archers in the region, who would have had at least 10 years experience. He just needs to shoot about 50 more points, and he would be right up there with them.”

#Normally it would take a competitor at least a year to produce the numbers that Rolle has posted, but Rahming said they are extremely pleased to see him doing it a lot faster. The plan this year, according to Rahming, is to send Rolle on a six-member national team to the Dominican Republic in April to qualify for the Pan American Games.

#He said there’s also a competitor, who is in England, who they hope will also be making the trip.

#“He’s already qualified for the Central American Games, and he’s not confirmed to be the archer that we send, but he’s definitely the leading archer at this point. So, if he continues shooting the way he’s shooting, he will definitely be the man we send.”

#As a self-trained competitor, Rolle practices every day and he spends a lot of time on YouTube picking up pointers how to improve his game. He thanked God, his mother Rolle, who has been there every step of the way in his journey as well as Rahming for his assistance in getting him to travel to the various tournaments.

#In track and field, Rolle competed in the 100 and 200m, did every position on the soccer pit and on the basketball court he was a shooting guard. But Rolle said there’s no better gratification that he gets than competing in archery.

#His proud mother said her main goal is to support her son in every aspect of the way.

#“LeRon started competing in archery a year ago during the pandemic,” said Rolle, who has joined her son in participating in the sport as well.

#“I was familiar with the sport, having played Robin Hood as a child. So, when he said he wanted to try it, I told him let’s go for it and ever since he’s been hooked, and he’s gotten better and better.”

#Since he got started and every time he travels, she said her son has been getting assistance from a lot of the other competitors from the different countries like Trinidad & Tobago, Santo Domingo, Puerto Rico and Argentina.

#“They recognised his talent and they have been pushing him along during the competition,” she reflected. “He’s looking forward to going back to the Dominican Republic for some training with one of the competitors there.

#“He’s also gotten a lot of encouragement from the Minister of Youth, Sports and Culture Mario Bowleg and also the president of the Archery Federation, David Rahming. He’s the son who introduced him to the compound shooting. “In order to get where he wants to be, he needs to get to travel more to compete. He’s doing very well, but he just needs to travel to get more exposure,” she noted.

#Rolle is also a musician who plays the trumpet and was involved in the Bahamas Musician Academy and is now a member of the Bahamas Youth Orchestra and plays in his church band at the Church of the Most Highly Trinity Anglican Church in Stapleton Gardens.

#He has also started the Trinity Flames Archery Club at his church and he’s also trying to form a club at his alma mater – St John’s College. Interested persons can contact Rolle at trinityflamesarchery@ gmail.com for further information. When he’s not engaged in any of the above, Rolle is on the campus at the Bahamas Technical and Vocational Institute where he’s studying networking in cyber security with the view of one day being an astronaut.

http://www.tribune242.com/news/2023/jan/06/leron-rolle-emerges-top-bowman-bahamas/?news

BBA secretary general Teddy Sweeting makes some comments as BBA president Sam Rodgers, LUA secretary general Ainsworth Beckford and LUA president Martin Burrows looks on.

As of Friday, January 6, 2023

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#By BRENT STUBBS

#Senior Sports Reporter

#bstubbs@tribunemedia.net

#On the heels of the newly constructed Andre Rodgers Baseball Stadium comes the newly formed Local Umpires Association-Academy.

#The LUA-A, headed by Martin ‘Pork’ Burrows, and endorsed by the Bahamas Baseball Association, was introduced to members of the various baseball leagues during a meeting at the Thomas A Robinson National Stadium on Wednesday night. Burrows, who along with secretary general Ainsworth Beckford outlined their plans for the new body, said the formation of the association was long overdue.

#It’s also expected to include softball, but no members of the Bahamas Softball Federation were present.

#“It’s long overdue for our baseball and softball umpires to come together,” said Burrows, who will be assisted by Andrew Burrows with Anthony ‘Rakes’ Bowe as a senior consultant.

#“We’re a small country and we only have a handful of umpires, so when JBLN reached out to me to take over their umpires, I was happy to do so.

#“This gave me the opportunity to look at the formation of the LUA-A to bring all of our umpires under one umbrella so that we could call all the leagues, whether it be softball or baseball.

#“We will put a standard to it, and we will make sure that they are well-trained and properly uniformed, so they look professional, especially when they go out in the new stadium to officiate.”

#With the new stadium opened in December to accommodate the COPABE’s 4th Caribbean Cup, Burrows said it’s important to ensure that there is a competent group of umpires ready to officiate in any future tournaments that will be staged at the stadium, rather than having to bring in the international umpires to do so. “It’s a long overdue venture. We have to start somewhere,” Burrows said.

#“I was very impressed with the turnout. We had representation from all of the baseball leagues in New Providence and we even had persons representing Grand Bahama via Zoom.

#“So, I think we’re moving into the right direction and the sky is the limit.”

#During the meeting, Burrows revealed that a training session for local umpires will begin at 6pm on Wednesday in the Banker’s Field at the Baillou Hills Sporting Compex and will run every week until COPABE comes to town and puts on an international certification clinic.

#Additionally, he noted that there will be a college recruitment clinic in March in West Palm Beach, Florida.

#It’s one of the international tournaments that Burrows has been certified to officiate in, along with a few other Bahamians, including Burrows, Beckford and Oscar Smith from Grand Bahama.

#BBA president Sam Rodgers, who participated in the meeting along with his secretary general Teddy Sweeting, said it’s very promising to see that the umpire’s association is up and running. “I think it will be better for baseball and softball in the country, but I can only speak for baseball,” Rodgers said. “This is something that we were trying to get underway for a long time. When I came into office, I wanted to get the umpires together so that whenever we have our games, we will have properly trained umpires on the field and not parents or fans calling the games.

#“I can tell you that when there was a league playing, they had someone behind the plate umpiring behind the mound. I said at this stage in the game, it’s unacceptable. So, I’m very elated to see this movement started and to see all of the leagues behind this move because baseball is moving in the country, and we need to get our umpires ready to go along with the movement.”

#Beckford, whose responsibility is to make sure that all of the paperwork is done, and meetings are coordinated, said he’s pleased to know that the LUA-A are finally up and running.

#“We have a group or a body that will make the association to the point where umpires finally get the respect that they deserve,” he said. “We got abused verbally because some people don’t know the rules.

#“But once we are all properly trained, they will have much more respect for us. So, we want to thank Martin Burrows and Andrew Burrows for the humongous job they are doing to get baseball and softball umpiring to a level where we are respected.”

#Clarence McKenzie, who is the commissioner for Freedom Farm, said it’s about time that there is a collaboration of umpires at all levels in the country.

#“This is what is needed. The stadium is built and so we need to get our level of officiating up to a standard,” he said. “So, it’s happy to see the level of interaction between all of the bodies involved in baseball. We welcome it.”

#Even women are involved in the movement.

#According to former player/manager Hyacinth Farrington, who is a certified softball umpire, it’s something she is eager to participate in.

#“I pray and hope that this association will move forward, and everything comes to fruition. This is a new year, and everything looks promising,” she said. “I hope that everyone takes it serious and let’s get on with officiating the game.”

http://www.tribune242.com/news/2023/jan/06/baseballsoftball-umpires-association-formed/?news

KATERINA Coello aboard TGIF.

As of Friday, January 6, 2023

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#THE Caribbean Equestrian Association (CEA) announced the results of its 2022 Mini Jumping Challenge, with Bahamian rider Katerina Coello winning the top overall individual score.

#Over 40 riders across the Caribbean competed in the 2022 CEA Mini Jumping Challenge (MJC).

#Each leg of the challenge was held in a different country, allowing athletes to compete on their own horses over a pre-set jump course built to international specifications and contested at three different heights: Class A (0.50 metres), Class B (0.60 metres) and Class C (0.70 metres).

#The Bahamas joined the CEA in February 2022 and held its first MJC event in October 2022. The jumping rounds were judged on the concept of “Optimum time”, designed to give riders an understanding of the correct speed at which a show jumping course should be ridden under international rules.

#The order of finish in each class was dictated by how closely the rider’s time matched the “Optimum time” of the course.

#Under these conditions The Bahamas’ Katerina Coello (riding TGIF of Mariposa Stables) was nearly perfect, finishing just 0.02 seconds off the optimum time and edging out Barbados’ Kai Cook-Johnson by three-hundredths of a second, to be named the top scorer of the MJC.

#Besides posting the top individual score overall, Coello, aged 14, was also named the individual winner of Height Class C. Bahamian teammates Storm D’Arville and Ella Saidi were also named as finalists in that height class, finishing 4th and 6th respectively. While dominating the top-Class C, Team Bahamas fared less well in the lower height Classes A and B, with the result that overall, in the team competition, The Bahamas placed third behind Bermuda and Barbados.

#Equestrian Bahamas president Cathy Ramsingh- Pierre praised all the riders, and Coello in particular, for their excellent performances. “Katerina was fantastic, and Storm and Ella also had very strong rides,” she said. “They have shown that we can hold our own with the rest of the region in equestrian sport.

#“We congratulate Katerina and commend all our riders for representing The Bahamas so superbly in our very first Mini Jumping Challenge.”

http://www.tribune242.com/news/2023/jan/06/katerina-coello-wins-top-overall-individual-score-/?news

CONSOLIDATED Water (Bahamas) Ltd.’s (CWCO) donation afforded 30 Mario Ford Programme participants the opportunity to attend the recent ‘Don’t Blink Home Run Derby’ baseball clinic hosted on Paradise Island. During the clinic, participants were drilled at various skill positions, including hitting, fielding, pitching and baserunning.

As of Friday, January 6, 2023

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WITH support from donors such as Consolidated Water (Bahamas) Ltd (CWCO), the Mario Ford Programme is celebrating 37 successful years of mentorship, skill advancement and real-world readiness. Standing from left to right are CWCO General Manager, Henderson Cash, Mario Ford Baseball Program Founder, Mario Ford, CWCO Accounts Manager Mrs. Welliya Cargill and CWCO Operations Manager Mr Jeff Burrows. Photos: Ashley Albury/Serena Williams Media and Public Relations

#INNER city children as young as four and up to 15 years old continue to use baseball as a tool for both sport, physical fitness and character development thanks to the Mario Ford baseball programme and financial support from sponsors such as Consolidated Water (Bahamas) Ltd (CWCO).

#Now in its 37th year, the programme is celebrated for the ongoing mentorship and multi-level real-world readiness learnt along with baseball skills.

#Founder of the Mario Ford baseball programme, Mario Ford, underscored that “baseball teaches life”.

#“A lot of the kids who came through my programme have gone on to play professionally after going off to school.

#“During the Mario Ford programme, participants not only learn baseball skills but gain an understanding of the importance of education, discipline, sportsmanship, and the benefits of good character,” he added.

#CWCO’s donation afforded 30 Mario Ford programme participants the opportunity to attend the recent ‘Don’t Blink Home Run Derby’ baseball clinic hosted on Paradise Island. The event highlighted current Bahamian professional baseball players along with some of baseball’s top major and minor league players from around the world. During the clinic, participants were drilled at various skill positions, including hitting, fielding, pitching and baserunning.

#“With help from Consolidated Water, we were able to outfit our kids with shirts and rent a bus to the event,” said coach Ford. He added that financial support is crucial for the programme and goes a long way to ensure every child has equipment like proper shoes and a glove.

#CWCO general manager, Henderson Cash, was happy to hear about the youngsters’ excitement during the clinic and applauded coach Ford for maximising the benefits of playing baseball. “We recognise that baseball is more than swinging a bat and hitting home runs. Through programmes like the one headed by Mario Ford, education and good character are just as important as game wins.

#“CWCO is proud to support initiatives that develop youth and will continue to support the vision of the Mario Ford programme,” Mr Cash said.

http://www.tribune242.com/news/2023/jan/06/mario-ford-baseball-camp-gets-support/?news