Simba FrenchSend an emailAugust 25, 2022 287 3 minute readFacebookTwitterLinkedInShare via Email

The Bahamas Triathlon Association (BTA) has ratified a 20-member team to travel to Bermuda for the 2022 CARIFTA Triathlon, Aquathlon and Mixed Relay Championships, set for September 24-25.

The event will be held at Clearwater Beach at the south eastern end of Bermuda and The Bahamas will be looking to improve from its fifth place finish in 2019. The press caught up with the team at the Betty Kelly-Kenning National Swim Complex yesterday afternoon, after a swimming practice session.

The team comprises of Lauchlan Menzies, Sibby Potter, Jayden Smith, Callum Pritchard, Tristan Johnson, Taylor Knowles, Paityn Burrows, Ayden Bain, Enea Gervasini, Malcolm Menzies, Launy Duncombe, Erin Pritchard, Anjaleah Knowles, Issa Bournas, Lenin Hamilton, Jason Cates, Barron Musgrove, Sienna Culmer-Mackey, Kami Roach and Ralph Wood.

The head coach is Cameron Roach. He is assisted by Sylvia Bateman. The team manager is Lori Roach. The team doctor is Dr. Kathryn DeSouza. Grant Menzies and Orazio Defilippis are the chaperones.

Cameron Roach has a lot of confidence in the team as they head to Bermuda in a few weeks.

“Every year, we have moved up the standings. We are looking to improve more this time around. I believe we have a stronger team this year. The kids have improved. These training sessions have shown a lot of progress. These kids are getting excited as we get close. We have a big team with 20 athletes, although some countries may have bigger teams and there are some strong countries. We have a very good chance at being top three this year,” Roach said.

Participating in his second CARIFTA Triathlon is Malcom Menzies who said that he is looking forward to the meet. The 14-year-old Windsor Preparatory student said that he has been training hard over the summer.

“I think I will do well,” Menzies said. “I think everyone will do their best. I would like to get some points for The Bahamas. I am working a lot on my run because I was not my best in that the last time.”

Triathlon is a combination of three different sporting disciplines – swimming, cycling and distance running. Most of the team are strong swimmers so they have been working on the other two aspects.

“We are working on endurance for the length of race that they will be doing. We have been concentrating a lot on running. It is the end of the race and the most tiring, so there is a lot of distance work with that. We have also done a lot of offseason strength training. The fourth aspect of triathlon is the transition. It is where you can win or lose a race. Some athletes can go through transition in 20 seconds while some take a minute and 20 seconds. It all adds up. We are going to do a lot more these last few weeks to try and perfect that. Hopefully, they can put all their events together and have a good race,” Roach said.

The team will feature the Knowles’ sisters – Anjaleah and Taylor. Anjaleah is the older sister and is no stranger to the triathlon as this is the 15-year-old’s fifth CARIFTA team. She is looking to get to finish in the top five in the girls 13-15 category. She said she is happy to have her little sister on the team.

“It feels great that she is following in my footsteps. It is nice to have her with me,” Anjaleah said.

Anjaleah Knowles’ strongest portion of the triathlon is swimming. She is looking to work on cycling.

Her sister, 12-year-old Taylor, said she has also been working on her cycling also. Though she has butterflies, she said she is excited to have her older sister there.

“It is a good inspiration to have her with me on the team. She has won a lot of events and I look up to her. I will try to win a medal,” Taylor said.

Competing in his first CARIFTA is Jayden Smith. He is looking forward to performing for The Bahamas.

“I expect to do well because I have been working hard in practice and hard work pays off,” Smith said.

He added that his older brother Akeil Smith, who was on several CARIFTA teams, has given him some advice, especially in the swim portion.

According to Roach, the 13-15 boys division is one of the most competitive as there is always a stiff competition between the boys – Duncombe, Malcolm Menzies and Bain. Duncombe and Bain live in Grand Bahama and are coming off a spirited performance at the Goodwill Games.

The major sponsors for Team Bahamas are Atlantis, Westside Construction and Albany. There is a GoFundMe page, gofund.me/52318ebd, that has been set up to help with the remaining expenses of the team.

https://thenassauguardian.com/carifta-triathlon-team-named/

 Home|Sports|NPSA names its all-star rostersSports

League reaches its midway point; Stevens expects games to intensify

Simba FrenchSend an emailAugust 25, 2022 226 2 minute readFacebookTwitterLinkedInShare via Email

The New Providence Softball Association (NPSA) has released the rosters for the all-star games which are set for this Saturday on Bankers Field at the Baillou Hills Sporting Complex.

The night will begin with the ladies game that is set for 7 p.m. The men’s game is set to kick off at 9 p.m. Both divisions have been separated into two teams – the President’s and Vice President’s teams.

NPSA President Dwaine Stevens expects a good weekend that includes a back to school initiative by Sunshine Auto Sales.

“It is a weekend where we showcase those persons who have excelled during the course of the season. It is going to be a fun and festive atmosphere. We are expecting a high level of play even though we were off for two years. In the short period of time, our players have been putting in the work to try and get to a higher level. Fans will get to see national team players in action, so it will be fierce,” Stevens said.

Playing for the President’s team on the ladies side are Thela Stevens, Diva Burrows, Sophia Cartwright, Star Jones, Aaliyah Ferguson, Rayven Bethel, Kendalia Turner, Eilayah Johnson, Sheryl Evans, Lashonda Bethel, Iranique Roker, Michesia Davis, Vanessa Sawyer and Charlene Symonette. Richard Bain is the manager and Shayne Albury is the coach.

The Vice President’s team will be represented by Brendia Ferguson, Mia Turner, Vashawna Bastian, Dornette Edwards, Jeanette Hilton, Ciera Bowe, Larikah Russell, Melinda Bastian, Phillisia Major, Tyriece Curry-Davis, Latonia McPhee, Francheska McBride, Brianna Knowles and Shaquel Smith. The team manager is Anthony Bullard and the coach is Bobby ‘Baylor’ Fernander.

“We are looking to push ladies play and they are always fun to watch,” the NPSA president said. “We are trying to push that level of play because we are trying to encourage younger females to get involved in the discipline itself. There are numerous scholarship for young ladies in particular.”

The President’s team on the men’s side consists of Martin Burrows Jr., Angelo Dillet, Garfield Bethel, Natahj Miller, Sherman Ferguson, Tyrique Fowler, Stephen Russell, Lavaughn Ferguson, Chedi Ferguson, Richard Bain, Junel Bain, Lamar Watkins, Charles Major, Anthony Fowler, Winston Seymour and Jerome Wright. Darren Stevens is the manager and Robert Gilbert is the coach.

Representing the Vice President’s team are Thomas Davis, Deon Whyte, Kenneth Curry, Anthony Moss, Chris McPhee, Cardinal Gilbert, Marino Cartwright, Marc Pratt, Dino Sweeting, Canton Chase, Edron Knowles, Dylan Culmer, Rodney Forbes, Angelo Watson, Weymond Demeritte and Preston Clarke. The team manager is Marcus Pratt and Darry Dorsette is the coach.

With the upcoming all-star game, the season is approaching its halfway point. Stevens said that the season has been going well.

“We had our fair share of challenges, such as the weather which forced games to be rescheduled, but we had a steady stream of games. We are at the halfway point now and I am proud of what we have been able to accomplish. We are the only fast pitch softball league that is being played in the archipelago. We have been bringing softball entertainment to our fans,” Stevens said.

He expects some change in the standings in the final half of the season as teams look to make the playoffs.

NPSA action continues tonight with a women’s matchup at 7 p.m. and the men’s game following. The University of The Bahamas (UB) Mingoes will battle the Operators at 7 p.m. The men’s game will feature the Atlantis Titans going up against the Cyber Tech Blue Marlins.

https://thenassauguardian.com/npsa-names-its-all-star-rosters/

 Home|Sports|Jones help Sun advance to WNBA semisSports

Simba FrenchSend an emailAugust 26, 2022 207 2 minute readFacebookTwitterLinkedInShare via Email

Bahamian women’s professional basketball player Jonquel ‘JJ’ Jones finished with a double-double as the Connecticut Sun used a huge second half to pull away from the Dallas Wings on Wednesday, winning 73-58, to advance to the Women’s National Basketball Association (WNBA) semifinals. They ended the series 2-1.

Jones finished with 11 points and 10 rebounds in 24 minutes of play to help lead the Sun to victory and the crowd at College Park Center in Dallas, Texas, went quiet in the second half. Jones’ 11 rebounds helped her to reach a milestone. She is now third on the Sun’s all-time postseason list for rebounds with 171, passing Asjha Jones who has 162 total postseason rebounds for the Sun. Taj McWilliams-Franklin leads the way with 234 rebounds, and Alyssa Thomas is second in franchise history with 192 postseason rebounds.

In the game on Wednesday, Jones also had two steals. She was in foul trouble for most of the first half as she picked up her third foul at the 6:47 mark of the second quarter. That forced her to miss the rest of the first half.

This is the fourth straight trip to the WNBA semifinals for the Sun and the sixth straight season for them getting out of the opening round. They set up a second straight semifinals appearance against the Chicago Sky. The Sun will be looking to avenge a 3-1 series defeat last year. In the regular season, the Sun did not win any of the four games played between them and the Sky.

Leading the way for the Sun in points in the first-round clincher over the Wings was forward DeWanna Bonner who scored a game-high 21 points.

After coming away with just one steal in a loss in the second game of the series, the Sun came away with 14 steals in the third and decisive game and the Wings had 20 turnovers. There were six lead changes and nine ties in the game. The Sun took a 40-38 lead at the 7:13 mark in the third quarter and never looked back.

They went on a 15-6 run to start the third quarter, eventually taking a 49-40 lead. At the end of the first half, the game was tied at 34. The Sun shot poorly in the first half, 32 percent. In the second quarter, the Sun were held without a field goal for just over seven minutes. Jones had just five points in that first half.

The Sun held the Wings to just 12 points in the third quarter and they had 23 of their own. In fact, the Wings scored 12 points in the fourth quarter also. Those 24 points represented the Wings’ lowest second-half point total for the entire season.

The Sun had a great rebounding game, especially on the offensive glass, pulling down 17 rebounds compared to the Wings’ seven. Overall, the Sun finished with 40 rebounds while the Wings pulled down 31 boards.

Jones opened the fourth quarter with an offensive rebound and a putback layup that saw the Sun go up 59-46 with 9:43 left. The Wings’ first field goal in the fourth quarter came at the 5:49 mark as the visitors led 65-50 at that point.

Marina Mabrey led the home team with 20 points in the loss.

Game One of the Sun vs. Sky best-of-five semifinal series is set for 8 p.m. on Sunday, and will be televised on ESPN 2. The game will be played at the Wintrust Arena in Chicago, Illinois.

The last matchup between these two teams, in the regular season, went down to the wire as two made free throws helped the Sky seal the win, 94-91.

https://thenassauguardian.com/jones-help-sun-advance-to-wnba-semis/

 Home|Sports|BFN Golf Tournament set for September 25Sports

Simba FrenchSend an emailAugust 26, 2022 233 3 minute readFacebookTwitterLinkedInShare via Email

In a little over a month, local golfers will get a chance to swing their golf clubs for a worthy cause as the Bahamas Feeding Network (BFN) will put on its inaugural BFN Golf Tournament, set for Sunday September 25 at Ocean Club Golf Course on Paradise Island.

The announcement came at a press conference held at the course’s club house yesterday. The goal of the tournament is to raise $100,000, as the BFN which started in 2013, looks to keep its feeding program going.

The tournament is a two-man scramble event and has a $500 per team entry. To ensure that the tournament runs quickly, organizers are putting a cap on it at 124 golfers. Registration is open and forms are available at the website www.bahamasfeedingnetwork.org, and on Better Homes and Gardens MCR Bahamas Facebook page.

One of the attractions on that day is an opportunity to win a brand new Mercedes-Benz car by sinking a hole-in-one on the 12th hole.

Tournament host Mario Carey, a realtor who is also a director of the BFN, said he saw first-hand how deep and great the hunger problem is in The Bahamas. He was not at the press conference but spoke via video.

“ … I felt privileged to join the national initiative which is so much greater than anything that we can do individually. The volunteers, the organization, the management of administrative expenses makes it a model of how NGOs (non-governmental organizations) should operate and the cause tugged at my heart while the management appealed to my business sense,” Carey said.

Carey likes the response that they have gotten so far for the tournament.

Fidelity Bank is the title sponsor and has donated $10,000 to the BFN. Representative of Fidelity Creswell Gardiner was present and said it is their corporate duty to assist organizations such as the BFN with their initiative.

“Over the years, we have always been committed to physical and financial fitness. We understand that the needs are great now during these challenging times for most Bahamians. We know the program, we know the people, and we know their needs. Fidelity is here,” said Gardiner.

Minister of Youth, Sports and Culture Mario Bowleg supports the organization’s initiative to use the sport of golf to give back to the community.

“I applaud the BFN under the chairmanship of Felix Stubbs for the incredible work that they do. The food parcels you pack every week and distribute to nearly 100 churches, soup kitchens and feeding centers, is commendable. I commend you for providing well over two million meals since the inception of BFN,” Bowleg said. “Sports is a vehicle that teaches discipline and creates and molds character that allows them to get tertiary education … it is also time to give back. We use sports to give back and this is a form using golf as person like myself and others, that was given opportunities through sports, to give back to those who are less fortunate.”

BFN Chairman Felix Stubbs said that they are expecting a very successful tournament and that they needed to find a way to raise additional funds.

“In order to make meals, we needed to find additional resources. We thank all of our sponsors who supported us from day one. We need to have additional funding and we are looking at this golf tournament. We are looking to raise $100,000 and if we raise that money, we can feed 50,000 additional families,” Stubbs said.

The prize for the winning team is a seven-day Alaskan cruise on Royal Caribbean Cruise Lines. There will also be a silent auction with the top item being a three-part sports weekend to Dallas, Texas including box seats to a Dallas Cowboys’ game and golf at a course in Dallas.

Stubbs and his team are looking to have the tournament annually, but in October when it’s cooler. He is urging golfers to sign up early because of limited space.

The BFN currently distributes enough food supplies for 72,000 meals monthly through a network of churches, soup kitchens and feeding centers. Each outlet is responsible to report back to the BFN who parcels went to and how many members of families were fed, keeping track of distribution and ongoing feeding.

https://thenassauguardian.com/bfn-golf-tournament-set-for-september-25/

 Home|Sports|Gallant effort comes up short!Sports

Team Bahamas blows fourth quarter lead; fall to Venezuela

Sheldon LongleySend an emailAugust 26, 2022 362 5 minute readFacebookTwitterLinkedInShare via Email

The Bahamas’ senior men’s national basketball team missed some key baskets, and had some costly turnovers when it mattered the most, thereby blowing a golden opportunity to get a leg-up in the second round of the FIBA (International Basketball Federation) Americas World Cup Qualifiers and pull off a major upset over a higher ranked opponent.

Venezuela prevailed 86-81 over The Bahamas, giving the host nation a hurtful loss inside a packed Kendal G.L. Isaacs National Gymnasium on Thursday night. The Bahamas led by as much as 13 points in the second half, but failed to execute when it mattered the most.

Led by two of its three National Basketball Association (NBA) players, Chavano ‘Buddy’ Hield and Kai Jones, The Bahamas was in control for much of the game, but Venezuela came alive when they needed to the most – hitting 66.7 percent of their shots in the fourth quarter.

After The Bahamas went ahead 69-67 on a layup by Jones at the 6:37 mark of the fourth quarter, Venezuela responded with an 11-3 scoring run to take control of the game. They went ahead 78-72 with just 3:43 left in the game. The visitors kept the pressure on, taking an 82-74 lead with just 2:25 left on the clock, but Team Bahamas proved that it had one more rally in their legs.

A couple of free shots from Franco Miller, and another layup from Jones in which he was fouled on the play, pulled The Bahamas to within 82-78 with 1:43 left. After a couple of possessions came up empty, for both squads, Mychel Thompson found himself open from the right wing and nailed a three-point shot to pull The Bahamas to within one, 82-81, with just 17 seconds left on the clock.

An upset was brewing once again, but disaster struck as Hield was called for an intentional foul with just 8.2 seconds left on the clock, giving Venezuela two free shots and possession. Heissler Guillent missed one of two free shots for Venezuela, but they retained possession on the intentional foul call, and Team Bahamas was forced to foul again. This time, Gregory Vargas missed one of two free shots for Venezuela, and the host country had life again. However, Thompson forced the ball to Hield and a turnover led to Venezuela sprinting toward the other end of the floor with the basketball. They sealed the win with a layup at the buzzer.

“I thought we had a pretty good lead in the second half but a few plays didn’t go our way and they got some easy transition points,” said Team Bahamas’ Head Coach Chris DeMarco – an assistant with the NBA’s Golden State Warriors.

“I just think we have to learn how to close games. When things get tough, we have to find a way to still compete. Mistakes will happen, but they can’t be compounded. Also, we have to do a better job as a staff to make sure that we have the right combination out there and take it from there.”

Jones had 20 points to lead all scorers, and added 10 rebounds, four assists and three blocks for The Bahamas. Hield contributed 19 points, six rebounds, four steals and three assists. Thompson had 12 points and Kentwan Smith knocked down a pair of early three-point shots and finished with 10.

“It was the best day of my life to be honest – just coming in from the jump and seeing everyone there supporting us. It’s a major blessing. It was amazing,” said Jones afterwards.

“Unfortunately, we didn’t get the win tonight but it’s still a huge blessing to be able to play home in front of such great people. We need to put this one behind us and learn from it – just take care of the ball and get good shots overall as a group. We just have to stay positive and have a sense of togetherness out there. I feel like we were able to grow together throughout the game but we just let it get away from us with some little things. We just have to get better overall and we’ll get it. We just have to keep progressing.”

For Hield, in particular, it was his first time playing meaningful basketball inside the Kendal G.L. Isaacs National Gymnasium since his high school days at Jack Hayward High School in Freeport, Grand Bahama. He had a good shooting night, going 6-for-13 from the field and 5-for-9 from distance. Jones was strong as well, going 8-for-12 from the field. Overall, The Bahamas shot 46.9 percent from the field (30-for-64) while Venezuela was at 53.8 percent (35-for-65). The Bahamas shot 12-for-37 from three-point range, while Venezuela went 7-for-27. In other stats, the game was pretty much even.

In scoring, Garly Sojo and Michael Carrera led Venezuela in scoring with 17 points apiece last night. Windi Graterol added 12 points and seven rebounds and Nestor Colmenares contributed 11.

The Bahamas couldn’t have asked for a better start to the game against the number 17 ranked team in the world, according to the latest FIBA World Rankings, presented by Nike. The Bahamas itself is ranked at number 63, but you wouldn’t have been able to tell based on how both teams played in the first quarter, and pretty much, for most of the first half.

The home country led by as much as 12 points in the opening quarter, and took a 29-21 lead into the second quarter. The Bahamas shot 5-for-10 from three-point range in the opening quarter led by Hield who was a 3-for-3 and Smith who was 2-for-2.

Venezuela got back in the game in the second quarter, taking a lead at one point, but The Bahamas closed the half on a 9-0 run to take a 42-35 lead at the break. Six straight points at the start of the third quarter, climaxed by a three-point shot from Hield, gave The Bahamas its biggest lead of the game, 48-35. However, a 10-0 run got Venezuela back in the game. Another 10-0 run a few minutes later gave the Venezuelans a 57-55 lead with 3:22 left in the third.

The Bahamas held a slim 60-59 lead at the end of three quarters but crucial missed shots and costly turnovers hurt them in the fourth. The Bahamas enjoyed their last lead at 69-67. They got to within one point, 82-81, on Thompson’s trey with just 17 seconds on the clock, but that would be the last time they scored.

It doesn’t get any easier for The Bahamas as they will face Argentina on the road as the second round of FIBA Americas World Cup Qualifiers continue on Monday. That game will be played at the Polideportivo Islas Malvinas in Mar del Plata, Argentina, starting at 9:40 p.m. on Monday.

Still, this is the first time that Bahamas Basketball has advanced this far – to the second round of FIBA Americas World Cup Qualifiers.

There are two groups of six teams remaining in the qualifying process, and the second and final round of qualifiers will conclude in February 2023. The process will determine the seven teams that will participate at the 2023 FIBA Basketball World Cup, as the top three teams in each group and the best fourth-place team will qualify. The 2023 FIBA World Cup is set for August 25 to September 10, 2023 in the Philippines, Japan, and Indonesia.

The Bahamas now has a 2-5 win/loss record in its group. There are six games in the second round of qualifiers and The Bahamas needs to win at least three of the six to have a realistic shot to qualify. In this final round of qualifiers, they will play Venezuela, Argentina and Panama twice – in home and away series.

https://thenassauguardian.com/gallant-effort-comes-up-short/

 Home|Sports|High scoring affairs in the NPSAS

Simba FrenchSend an emailAugust 23, 2022 172 2 minute readFacebookTwitterLinkedInShare via Email

There were two games on the New Providence Softball Association (NPSA) schedule on Saturday night – both in the women’s department. They both finished in the fourth inning as the Sunshine Auto Wildcats and the RAB Operators picked up victories. Fans got an early night at the Banker’s Softball Field at the Baillou Hills Sporting Complex as both games ended short via the mercy rule.

The Wildcats easily disposed of the Johnson’s Lady Truckers, 11-1, in the late game. The early game had the Operators dominating the Black Scorpions, 17-0.

Wildcats’ pitcher Thela Stevens, formerly Thela Johnson, walked away with the Most Valuable Player (MVP) award in their game as she finished 2-for-3 at the plate and scored two runs. The runs came in the first and second innings. In pitching, she struck out four of the Lady Truckers’ batters.

The Wildcats surely were not looking for this game to go to seven innings as they quickly got out to a 4-0 lead after the first inning. It was all Wildcats straight through as they pounced on the Lady Truckers to go up 6-0 after two innings. Both teams came up empty in the third inning.

The Lady Truckers finally got a runner home as catcher Brendia Carey scored after hitting a triple, but the Wildcats still led 6-1.To end the game in the fourth inning, the Wildcats needed to score five more runs. They did easily. Second baseman Shannon Poitier came home after Cia Bowe was hit by a pitcher with the bases loaded to end the game.

In the first game, Operators’ pitcher Diva Burrows was the MVP as she had a no-hitter and struck out four Black Scorpions’ batters.

It was all Operators in this game as it also lasted four innings. They scored four runs after two innings before tuning their bats more to score some runs in the third and fourth innings. In the third inning, they almost doubled their runs total with seven runs to go up 11-0.

The Operators scored another six runs in the top of the fourth inning to plate 17 runs after four. Needing to defend in the bottom of the fourth inning, the Operators picked up three quick outs to win the game.

NPSA action continues Thursday night with a women’s matchup at 7 p.m. and the men’s game following.

The University of The Bahamas (UB) Mingoes will battle the Operators at 7 p.m. The men’s game will feature the Atlantis Titans going up against the Cyber Tech Blue Marlins at 9 p.m.

https://thenassauguardian.com/high-scoring-affairs-in-the-npsa/

 Home|Sports|Otabor wins bronze in the women’s javelinSports

Sheldon LongleySend an emailAugust 23, 2022 188 3 minute readFacebookTwitterLinkedInShare via Email

FREEPORT, Grand Bahama – Javelin sensation Rhema Otabor won her most prestigious medal, to date, claiming a bronze in that event at the 4th Anita Doherty North American, Central American and Caribbean (NACAC) Track and Field Championships in Freeport, Grand Bahama, on Sunday.

Otabor had a best throw of 57.91 meters (m) – 186’ – just off her personal best throw of 58.58m (192’ 2”).

It was a 1-2 sweep for the Americans as Kara Winger won the gold with a throw of 64.68m (212’ 2-1/2”) and Ariana Ince secured the silver with a throw of 59.69m (195’ 10”). Otabor had a strong performance in finishing third.

“That was about a meter short of my personal best throw, so I was happy with it. I had a li’l hiccup at the end but I’m satisfied,” said Otabor. “The competition out there was tough. I got what I expected and overall it was pretty good. I felt the support and love from the crowd and it was great.”

After winning gold at the Commonwealth Games a few weeks ago, LaQuan Nairn was looking for similar success at the 4th Anita Doherty NACAC Track and Field Championships here at the Grand Bahama Sports Complex but had to settle for fourth among a tough field of jumpers.

Nairn soared 7.75m – 25’ 5-1/4” – matching the same distance as the bronze medalist but falling to fourth based on the distance of their second-best jumps.

American William Williams won the gold with a leap of 7.89m (25’ 10-3/4”), Jamaican Tajay Gayle secured the silver medal with a leap of 7.81m (25’ 7-1/2”) and the other Jamaican Shawn-D Thompson won the bronze medal. He had an identical best leap as Nairn but, as mentioned, he had the better second-best jump to give him the edge for the bronze.

The other Bahamian in the field, Holland Martin, finished sixth with a best jump of 7.67m (25’ 2”). There was only about five inches separating Nairn from fourth to the gold.

“It’s a good feeling to be here jumping in front of my family and the home crowd,” said Nairn. “The competition was pretty good.”

Nairn qualified for the final with a leap of 7.45m (24’ 5-1/2”). The other Bahamian in the men’s long jump Holland Martin had a best leap of 7.18m (23’ 6-3/4”) in qualifying. He qualified for the final 10th overall.

“It’s always great to be able to come home and compete in front of the home crowd. I wish I could have done better, but I feel healthy,” said Martin. “I felt very comfortable out there – I love to compete in front of the home crowd. There was a slight headwind which I believe caused an issue with some of our approaches, but it was just about going out there and making the adjustments. My performance was OK but I know I could have done better.”

Nairn said he really wanted a medal, but he’s content with what he was able to do.

“For me, it’s just about staying poised and focused on executing each and every time I step on the runway and not worry about what happened in the past. I’m looking forward to better things in the future,” he said.

In the men’s triple jump, Kaiwan Culmer just missed out on a medal, finishing with a best leap of 15.55m (51’ 0-1/4”) for fourth. The other Bahaman in that event, Kristen Hanna, was sixth, finishing with a best leap of 13.87m (45’ 6-1/4”).

In the women’s triple jump final, Tamara Myers finished fourth overall with a best leap of 13.69m (44’ 11”).

“The field was a good one, so I felt compelled to jump well,” said Myers on Sunday. “It was a long season for me. I took about two weeks off after nationals and went back to training. Overall, I am pleased with my performance and I’m looking forward to the offseason.”

Thea Lafond won her country’s first-ever gold medal at the NACAC Championships, striking gold for Dominica with a leap of 14.49m (47’ 6-1/2”). American Keturah Orji won the silver medal with a jump of 14.32m (46’ 11-3/4”), and Davisleydi Velazco, of Cuba, won the bronze medal with a leap of 14.08m (46’ 2-1/2”).

https://thenassauguardian.com/otabor-wins-bronze-in-the-womens-javelin/

BAHAMAS women’s relay team of, from left to right, Printassia Johnson, Anthonique Strachan, Tynia Gaither and Devynne Charlton.

As of Tuesday, August 23, 2022

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Drumeco Archer

#By DENISE MAYCOCK

#Tribune Freeport Reporter

#dmaycock@tribunemedia.net

#FREEPORT, Grand Bahama — Drumeco Archer, president of the Bahamas Association of Athletic Associations (BAAA), was extremely pleased with Team Bahamas’ performance at the NACAC Open Championships in Grand Bahama.

#Among those highlighted was Grand Bahama’s very own Tynia Gaither, who won the silver medal in the women’s 200-metre final, clocking a time of 22.35 seconds.

#And, Donald Thomas captured the bronze in the men’s high jump. Also, the gold medal win by Olympic champion Shaunae Miller-Uibo, who set a new NACAC record in the women’s final of the 400m.

#“I am happy, I have seen improvements across the entire spectrum of our programme at every international event we have gone to and we have been increasing the medal count,” Archer said on the final day of competition at the Grand Bahama Sports Complex on Sunday.

#“Today, we had Tynia, in addition to Donald Thomas – the ageless wonder – getting a bronze medal in the high jump. Then, we had Devynne Charlton placing second in the 100 metres hurdles and we also had the incredible Shaunae Miller-Uibo winning a gold medal, and then we came back with Tynia Gaither running a personal best of 22.35 and getting the silver medal – you couldn’t ask for more than that with Team Bahamas.”

#“I think the championships went pretty well when you look at the quality of performances and the quality of athletes that have participated at these games, he said. I don’t know if we could have expected more.

#“GB is elated. This is really a stimulus for them in terms of track and field, but also an economic boom,” Archer added. Archer stated that they are happy about having the event in Grand Bahama. “I think by all accounts everybody seems very satisfied, he said.

#The event attracted 400 athletes from North America, Central America and the Caribbean. He thanked Mike Sands, president of the NACAC, for bringing the event to the Bahamas, particularly Grand Bahama.

#Sands took ill while attending the event and is under observation.

#“President Sands is convalescing. He is under observance,” Archer said.

#“I have spoken with him. He is in great spirits, and he says he feels great.”

#Conditions were very hot over the three days of competition.

#“It was incredibly hot, and I think it took its toll on many athletes,” Archer said. “But, it cooled down on the final day of competition and you could not complain anymore about the heat.”

#When organising the schedule, he explained that the technical director would have considered the question of light conditions in time for the event.

#“And out of an abundance of caution, we decided in the event that lamps were not installed at the time of the event, then at least, we would have full daylight for the event.”

#“Well, we got full light and a wonderful facility for nighttime competition. Unfortunately, it was too late to change the schedule,” he stated.

#Archer is confident that other events would be held in Grand Bahama.

#He noted that whether government or privately funded, they will push and continue to market the Bahamas as a track and field and tourist destination. “Our push and mandate is to create more content for track and field in the Bahamas, both in GB and NP,” Archer said.

#He thanked the entire organising committee for doing such a huge job in executing and pulling off the event and delivering a world-class competition.

#“I want to say a special thanks to Chevonia McBride and Perez Cooper who were co-chair persons for the event, and Norris Bain, deputy managing director, and others, including Deon Britton (hotel accommodations); Dr Cecil Thompson (transportation); Sophia Higgs (volunteer section); Laura Pratt Charlton, (competition manager) supported by her husband David Charlton (the competition director). General-Secretary Keith Joseph and Mabelene Miller CEO for BAAA (responsibility for accreditation),” Archer summed up.

http://www.tribune242.com/news/2022/aug/23/baaa-president-archer-pleased-team-bahamas/?news

As of Tuesday, August 23, 2022

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#AFTER a thorough evaluation period by the coaches and the Technical Department, the Bahamas Football Association has selected its national team to compete at the CONCACAF 2022 Under-17 Boys Championships Qualifiers.

#The event will be held August 30 to September 8 in Bradenton, Florida.

#Bruce Swan will be the head of the delegation. The manager is Daria Adderley and Sandeep Goud is the medical doctor and physiotherapist.

#The team, coached by Nesly Jean, assisted by Kevin Davies with Avery Kemp as the goalkeeper coach, is comprised of the following players:

#James King, Nahum Johnson, Dylan Archer, Toby Cartwright, Cameron Pratt, Deron Ferguson, Claudius Curtis, Shmaad Smith, Kai Perez, Jack Massey, Kristan Watchorn, Jordan Cheetham, Luca Chiacchiari, Reuben Edgecombe, Jaxon Bethel, William Gardiner, Matthew Holst, Robert Holcombe, Conry Raine and Atarri Moss,

#The squad trains daily 6-7.30pm at the Roscow AL Davies Soccer Centre at the Baillou Hills Sporting Complex.

HEAD coach Carl Hield is flanked by boxers Jalen Young and Jaiden Young.

As of Tuesday, August 23, 2022

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#By BRENT STUBBS

#Senior Sports Reporter

#bstubbs@tribunemedia.net

#THE Boxing Federation of the Bahamas, in its bid to expose the next generation of amateur boxers to international competition, will be taking a four-man team to the High School/Junior Championships in George Town, Guyana.

#The team, headed by federation president Vincent Strachan, will be leaving on Wednesday for the competition that will run through August 29.

#However, Strachan said they are still appealing to the public for their financial support to ensure that every member of the team gets to travel.

#Carl Hield, the country’s most seasoned amateur boxer coming off a disappointing first round TKO at the Commonwealth Games in Birmingham, England, will be making his debut as the head coach of the team. He will be assisted by Vincent Deleveaux out of Inagua.

#Selected to represent the country are Keano Cox, a 17-year-old out of Inagua, fighting out of the 132- pounds category; Andrew Curtis, a 15-year-old from New Providence in the 119-lbs; brothers Jaiden Young, a 17-year-old old in the 141-lbs and 15-year-old Jailen Young in the 125lbs, both out of Tampa, Florida, along with Elijah Smith, a 17-year-old Grand Bahamian in the 217-lbs category.

#The event was postponed two years due to the COVID-19 pandemic, but Strachan said the federation is still appealing for financial assistance to defray the cost for the team because of their long stopovers and night over in Trinidad, in addition to other factors associated with team travel.

#“We are just waiting on some financial assistance from the Ministry of Youth, Sports and Culture to assist us,” Strachan said.

#“The initial situation we were faced with is one of the boxers didn’t have a visa.

#“The team won’t be able to come back through Miami, so it’s easier to come back through Cuba,” Strachan said.

#“Three members of the team, brothers Jaiden and Jailen and Carl Hield, will be returning to Miami.”

#Strachan said he’s confident that the team will do very well. “The only team I think we will have problems with is the host country, Guyana,” he said. “They have been training and competing in-house with boxing matches every two weeks. That is what we were not having.

#“But we are going there with confidence and I believe we will do very well. We have very high hopes for the two boxers in Tampa because although they are very young, they are elite boxers, so we’re looking forward to their transition to the senior team, at least one of them next year. We are excited about the prospect of what is to come.”

#Right after this event, Strachan said the federation has three more events to send teams off to compete. He noted that if they can secure the funding for the teams to travel, it would bode well for the future development of the teams.

#“Our senior boxers, who competed at the Commonwealth Games, Carl Hield and Rashield Williams, hadn’t competed in about 10 months and that really paid a major disadvantage,” he said.

#“So if you don’t compete, it will be a struggle against the teams who are competing on a regular basis.”

#After a two-year hiatus of taking a junior team off to compete, Strachan said this will be a good indication of where the programme is and what they need to do to improve on the performances of the boxers as they look ahead to the future.

#While the team is scheduled to leave at 7am Wednesday on Bahamasair and make a stopover in Trinidad before heading to Guyana, Strachan said they will return with a stopover in Trinidad & Tobago.

#The team will split up with those heading to Miami and the rest going through Cuba before coming hom

e.

http://www.tribune242.com/news/2022/aug/23/four-man-boxing-team-set-high-schooljr-championshi/?news