FEATURE CONTEST: The Hitmen, coming off a 15-2 rout over the Renegades on Friday night, doubled up the Chances Mighty Mitts 6-3, while the Operators dialed up the Lady Truckers 8-1. Photos by Austin Fernander/Tribune Staff

As of Tuesday, August 16, 2022

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#THE C&S Hitmen and the R&B Operators were victorious in the New Providence Softball Association’s double header played in the Bankers Field at the Baillou Hills Sporting Complex on Saturday night.

#In the men’s feature contest, the Hitmen, coming off a 15-2 rout over the Renegades on Friday night, doubled up the Chances Mighty Mitts 6-3, while the Operators dialed up the Lady Truckers 8-1.

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

#Hitmen 6, Mighty Mitts 3: Sherman Ferguson blasted a three-run home run in the first inning to highlight his 1-for-3 outing as he was named the most valuable player of the game.

#Alcott Forbes got the win on the mound and Michael Ingraham was tagged with the loss.

#Operators 8, Lady Truckers 1: Brendia Ferguson was the winning pitcher and she helped her own cause by going 1-for-2 with a run batted in (RBI) to earn the MVP honours.

#Keishana Coakley was the losing pitcher.

#Hitmen 15, Renegades 2: Martin Burrows Jr was named the MVP after he got the win and helped his own cause by going 3-for-3 with a RBI and three runs scored.

#Christopher Brennen got tagged with the loss.

http://www.tribune242.com/news/2022/aug/16/npsa-hitmen-operators-win-column/?news

BAHAMIAN show jumper Kacy Lyn Smith and her horse Chicago M won the Farewell Competition at the FEI North American Youth Jumping Championships in Traverse City, Michigan. Photos courtesy of Andrew Ryback Photography

As of Tuesday, August 16, 2022

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#AFTER a week of highs and lows at the FEI North American Youth Jumping Championships in Traverse City, Michigan, Bahamian show jumper Kacy Lyn Smith and her horse Chicago M finished strong by winning the Farewell Competition, riding a clear round in 76.47 seconds to place ahead of USA rider Savannah Embly aboard So Live Helau.

#As the first rider ever to represent The Bahamas at the FEI North American Youth Jumping Championships, 16-year-old Smith competed in the Pre-Junior category and joined riders from Canada, the Dominican Republic, Guatemala, Honduras, Mexico and the USA in jumping multiple rounds over four days of gruelling team and individual competition.

#The first day of competition went well, with Smith and Chicago M jumping a clear round in 69.96 seconds, leaving them standing 20th overall.

#However, disaster struck on the second day, when the pair failed to clear the challenging course and were eliminated from the Final.

#Smith expressed her disappointment, at the same time acknowledging that her performance was a learning experience.

#“I rode every day for weeks before [the Final] without stirrups to really strengthen my leg, but I think it’s something I just need to continue to work on,” she said. “I think more experience at 1.30m will also help.”

#Nonetheless, Smith had nothing but praise for her partner, Chicago M, a 12-year old Holsteiner.

#“He really tried to get over the bar,” she said about the horse.

#“I just couldn’t stay with him.”

#The pair may not have qualified for the Individual Finals, but they were still eligible to compete against other non-Finalists in the Farewell Competition.

#Determined to go out on a high note, they jumped a smooth, clear round for the win. Despite her disappointment over missing the Individual Final, Smith expressed her pleasure with the result, not just for herself but for the opportunity to raise an awareness of Bahamian equestrian athletes.

#“I am happy we got to put in a good round for The Bahamas,” she said.

#“There was a lot of work that went into this…I’ve had so many people say something to me while being here…I’m so grateful to ride under the flag!”

http://www.tribune242.com/news/2022/aug/16/bahamian-show-jumper-kacy-lyn-smith-and-chicago-m-/?news

As of Tuesday, August 16, 2022

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#By BRENT STUBBS

#Senior Sports Reporter

#bstubbs@tribunemedia.net

#THE Sports Tourism “Heads in Bed” initiative worked perfectly for the University of Kentucky, which brought more than 800 fans to support their Wildcats men’s basketball team here last week.

#The Cats were in town to play in a four-game series at Baha Mar that concluded on Sunday with a 98-70 win over the Bahamas Select Team. University of Kentucky also played and defeated the Dominican Republic, Mexico Pro Team and Carleton University.

#As the sports ambassador in the Ministry of Tourism, Jeff Rodgers said he’s happy that the ministry decided to support the event.

#“Our main focus is to go after events that will bring numbers to the country,” Rodgers said. “They had about 1,500 persons who came down. They had more than 25 rooms per night, so the whole event was successful.”

#During the series of games, Rodgers said they were pleased that Prime Minister Philip “Brave” Davis, Minister of Youth, Sports and Culture Mario Bowleg and officials from the Ministry of Tourism were all in attendance.

#As a part of his job description, Rodgers said he has to go out and find “heads in bed” with such events like this and he’s happy to be able to work with the Bahamas Basketball Federation and the University of Kentucky in pulling the event off.

#“This is what it’s all about. We have to be ready for these events,” Rodgers said. “Hats off to the basketball federation and Baha Mar. Everybody came together and made it happen. “This is just the tip of the iceberg for events that we intend to bring to the Bahamas. We have the Bahama Hoops and we have Hoops in Paradise. They are all going to bring heads in beds. “So, we just have to go out there and bring more events like this to the Bahamas. “I have to go out and knock on doors and work with some of the major sporting franchises whether it be high schools or colleges or professional.

#“My job is to find the events whether it be track and field, football, basketball, whatever sport. I need to find them and bring them to the Bahamas.”

#Bahama Hoops, according to Rodgers, will attract 21 male and female college teams during Thanksgiving in November and Hoops in Paradise will bring in the top four teams in the United States. “It’s an interesting job, but it’s so rewarding when you see these teams here and staging their events,” Rodgers summed up. “It’s such a great feeling to know that the event takes place and it is a success.”

http://www.tribune242.com/news/2022/aug/16/ministry-pleased-sports-tourism-heads-bed-plan/?news

DEANDRE AYTON, BUDDY HIELD AND KAI JONES.

As of Tuesday, August 16, 2022

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#By BRENT STUBBS

#Senior Sports Reporter

#bstubbs@tribunemedia.net

#The Bahamas Basketball Federation was hoping to have all three Bahamian National Basketball Association (NBA) players suited up to play together for the first time in the fourth window of the 2023 FIBA World Cup Qualifiers.

#But while Chavano “Buddy” Hield of the Indiana Pacers is expected to be back for his second sting with the men’s national team when they host Venezuela at the Kendal Isaacs Gymnasium on Thursday, August 25, he is more likely only to be joined by Kai Jones of the Charlotte Hornets.

#Deandre Ayton, the centre for the Phoenix Suns, was listed to compete as well, but all indications are that he may not make the trip here as previously indicated by the federation through their previous promotion of the game.

#“We will wait to see who shows up,” said Moses Johnson, an assistant coach of the men’s team. “Two of three isn’t bad, but the one we are not getting is the biggest piece of the puzzle.

#“We’re told by his agent that he won’t be able to compete. He didn’t give any apparent reason, but we will play with what we have. We will see who comes to training camp on Saturday and we will go from there.”

#After playing against Venezuela, the team will have a short turn around as they travel to Argentina for their next scheduled game on Monday, August 29. The Bahamas is currently sitting in sixth place in Group E with a 2-4 win-loss record. Canada is undefeated on top of the Americas’ standings at 6-0, while Venezuela is in second place at 5-1. Argentina is third at 5-1 as well with the Dominican Republic fourth at 4-2 and Panama in fifth at 2-4.

#Following those two games, the team will have a break until their next two scheduled games here on November 10 against Panama and Argentina on November 13.

#The final two games in the series will take place in 2023 when the Bahamas takes on Venezuela on February 24 and Panama on February 27. Out of these series of games, the Bahamas will have to finish in the top four in order to advance to the next round.

#Hield, a guard with the Pacers, played in the series of games, making an impression in an 88-80 loss to the Dominican Republic on Monday, July 4 at the Baha Mar resort with 29 points, eight assists, five rebounds and three steals in 39 minutes and 38 seconds.

#Johnson, who will assist Golden State Warriors’ assistant coach Chris DeMarco, who will be back to serve as the team’s head coach, said they are looking forward to putting a solid team together with the players from the training camp.

#Johnson will replace Yolett McPhee-McQuin, who made history as the country’s first female assistant coach in the last game.

#McPhee-McQuin is unavailable as she begins preparing Ole Miss University women’s team for their collegiate season.

#Returning as the other assistant coach is Mikhail McLean. The team, according to federation president Eugene Horton, will be fully finalised by the weekend. Some of the players will come from the Bahamas Select Team that played and lost a 99-70 decision to the University of Kentucky on Sunday at Baha Mar.

#It’s estimated that it will cost the federation an average $1,500-2,000 per person in airline tickets and they’re looking at assembling a 20-member contingent that should cost roughly $40-50,000, not including the hotel accommodations and the stipends for each player.

#“It’s going to cost us a pretty penny to send this team to Argentina,” Horton said.

#Tickets are now available online at the Bahamas Basketball Federation’s website. If you click on the flyer, it would provide the information for tickets or they can call 242-814-4170.

#“We expect to win this game here and so we want to give as many Bahamians the opportunity to come out and watch this team in action,” Horton said. “Hopefully, this will be the first of many more where they will see our Bahamian NBA and professional players in action.”

#Also, persons wishing to be a part of the marketing and sponsorship of the team are urged to contact Horton or email him at kadream4@hotmail.com for more details.

http://www.tribune242.com/news/2022/aug/16/ayton-miss-next-window/?news

 Home|Sports|Top stars among entries for NACAC ChampionshipsSports

Sheldon LongleySend an emailAugust 17, 2022 197 2 minute readFacebookTwitterLinkedInShare via Email

Entry lists have been submitted and a record total of 437 athletes are confirmed in 45 events for the fourth staging of the North American, Central American and Caribbean Athletic Association (NACAC) Track and Field Championships, set for this weekend, August 19-21, at the Grand Bahama Sports Complex in Freeport, Grand Bahama.

A total of 29 of the 35 member bodies will be represented, and listed among the featured attractions are Jamaican World Champion Shericka Jackson – the second-fastest woman ever over 200 meters (m), two-time Olympic Champion and World Champion in the women’s 400m Shaunae Miller-Uibo of The Bahamas, and former Olympic Champion Keshorn Walcott of Trinidad and Tobago, along with a host of other present and former World and Olympic Champions and medalists.

The United States of America (USA) is sending a subdued team, by its standards, but they will have the largest contingent with 91 members in tow – 45 men and 46 women. Jamaica is the next largest team with 44 members – 24 men and 20 women. The Bahamas will be represented by 31 athletes at home – 20 men and 11 women.

Miller-Uibo is listed for the women’s 400m. Joining her on the women’s side for The Bahamas are Devynne Charlton and Denisha Cartwright (women’s 100m hurdles), Anthonique Strachan (women’s 100m), Printassia Johnson (women’s 100m), TyNia Gaither (women’s 200m), Jenae Ambrose (women’s 400m), Tamara Myers (women’s triple jump), Rhema Otabor (women’s javelin) and Tahj’Nee Thurston (women’s hammer). Camille Rutherford has been added for relay purposes.

For the men, set to compete for The Bahamas are Antoine Andrews and Xavier Coakley (men’s 110m hurdles), Andre Colebrooke and Shakeem Smith (men’s 400m hurdles), Samson Colebrooke (men’s 100m), Ian Kerr (men’s 200m), Alonzo Russell and Bradley Dormeus (men’s 400m), LaQuan Nairn and Holland Martin (men’s long jump), Kaiwan Culmer and Kristen Hanna (men’s triple jump), Donald Thomas and Shaun Miller Jr. (men’s high jump), Keyshawn Strachan (men’s javelin) and Tarajh Hudson (men’s discus). Carlos Brown Jr., Wanna McCoy, Wendell Miller and Kinard Rolle have been added for relay purposes.

One of the unique aspects of the NACAC Championships is that gold medalists, with the exception of the race walk events and the relays, will receive a wildcard entry into next year’s World Outdoor Championships in Budapest, Hungary, and they will also qualify for the 2023 Pan Am Games in Santiago, Chile. Also, for the first time in the history of the championships, prize money will be offered – $2,000 for gold medalists, $1,000 for silver medalists and $500 for third place finishers. Winning relay teams will split $4,000, second-place teams will split $2,000, and third-place teams will be awarded $1,000.

The NACAC Track and Field Championships is a continental track and field athletics event organized by NACAC which is one of six area associations in the World Athletics family, and usually produces the most medals and global champions at major international meets.

The meet director of the three-day meet is veteran coach David Charlton. This staging of the NACAC Track and Field Championships is the first to be held in the Caribbean. The inaugural championships, in 2007, was held in San Salvador, El Salvador. There was an eight-year hiatus before the second edition of the championships was held in 2015 in San José, Costa Rica. The third edition of the championships was held in 2018 in Toronto, Ontario, Canada.

This year, the NACAC Track and Field Championships will have record number of participants with 437 entered for competition. It is set to be one of the largest track and field meets ever held in The Bahamas.

https://thenassauguardian.com/top-stars-among-entries-for-nacac-championships/

 Home|Sports|Elite Ballers finishes second at international tourneySports

Simba FrenchSend an emailAugust 17, 2022 211 2 minute readFacebookTwitterLinkedInShare via Email

Looking to give under-16 girls basketball players a chance to showcase their skills this summer, junior girls national team coach Varel Davis decided to form a travel team, Elite Ballers. They traveled to Orlando, Florida, and finished second in the Super 6 Basketball Tournament held at the Rosemont Community Center in Orlando.

The tournament ran from August 5-7. The Elite Ballers team played in the championship game and lost 45-31 to the Colorado 76ers Gold.

Overall, the team finished with a 2-2 win/loss record in the tournament.

The squad consisted of Savannah Turnquest, Dominiqua Rolle, Geontae Simpson, Dior-Rae Scott, Terell McCoy, Danielle McCoy, Shenell Stewart, Teanna Gibson, Vincinique Dames, Geraniqua Bethel, Valtasia Woodside and Trinity Bodie.

Assisting Davis was Shakira Farrington. Jimmy Clarke assisted with the practice sessions.

Davis said she was pleased with her team’s performance.

“The tournament went very well,” Davis said. “We were able to play four games and made it to the championship. The exposure and experience that they got from this will go a very long way in their development. I was pleased to see that a few scouts came to speak with me about the girls. I was able to secure three high school scholarship offers for the young ladies.”

This was the first time some of the girls played competitively since the COVID-19 pandemic began in March 2020.

“The girls saw what they need to do and will come back home and work on their games. Speaking to the scouts and coaches, they play about 50 games throughout the course of the year. Our young people need to play more games, especially to get our teams prepared to play internationally. They need to play more games and do more traveling,” Davis said.

She added that the Bahamas Basketball Federation (BBF) was not able to fund the under-17 girls national team to the Centrobasket Under-17 (U17) Girls Championship in Managua, Nicaragua, this summer. Forming the Elite Ballers team was a way to give the girls an opportunity to play, said Davis.

“I decided to create my own basketball club. I was able to create this club and saw there were some AAU (Amateur Atlantic Union) games in Orlando. I got the team in the tournament so the girls could participate in something. They are hard-working, and seeing that they were not able to travel to Centrobasket to represent their country, they were enthused about this tournament. For me, I felt just as bad as them because I put in the time with the girls. They needed this exposure and I’m grateful that they got it.”

Davis said this was her first time organizing a trip like this. She added that more trips like this are on the way.

Davis said she is grateful to the team’s sponsors, including Sun Oil Limited, Roxbergh Williams, Discount Distributors, Robert’s Furniture, Bahamas Bus and Truck, A Sure Win, Acropolis, the Myers Group of Companies Ltd., C2G Shipping, Vaughn Jones Memorial Center, Demeritte’s Funeral Home, Nassau Agencies, QBC, Dr. Marsha Williams Bethel, John Stuart, Erika Edgecombe, Member of Parliament (MP) for North Andros and the Berry Islands Leonardo Lightbourne, Jessica Murray and Ryan Turnquest.

https://thenassauguardian.com/elite-ballers-finishes-second-at-international-tourney/

 Home|Sports|Ayton sitting out against VenezuelaSports

Phoenix Suns’ center not available; reason not given

Simba FrenchSend an emailAugust 17, 2022 218 2 minute readFacebookTwitterLinkedInShare via Email

What a difference a day makes!

Just one day after the Bahamas Basketball Federation (BBF) announced that all three Bahamian-born National Basketball Association (NBA) players will be on the roster for the upcoming FIBA (International Basketball Federation) Americas World Cup Qualifiers second round competition, news broke late Monday night that the Phoenix Suns’ star center DeAndre Ayton won’t be available.

The news dropped that The Bahamas’ senior men’s national team will only feature the Indiana Pacers’ guard Chavano ‘Buddy’ Hield and Charlotte Hornets forward Kai Jones in the second round competition and not Ayton as previously reported. The post stated that Ayton’s representative confirmed his unavailability.

Jones and Ayton down low were expected to be great threats for The Bahamas. They have never teamed up before, and Hield would have gotten some much needed relief on the offensive side.

Guardian Sports caught up with BBF President Eugene Horton who confirmed Ayton’s unavailability for this window.

“He won’t be playing,” Horton simply said.

When asked to elaborate more, Horton did not answer or return calls that Guardian Sports made to him.

This was going to be the first time that all three Bahamian NBA players see action on the court for The Bahamas at the same time. Local sports enthusiasts were excited to hear the initial news that all three would be playing, and playing at home, made the occasion extra special.

The Bahamas will open the second round of the FIBA Americas World Cup Qualifiers with a home game against Venezuela at the Kendal G.L Isaacs National Gymnasium. That game will take place on Thursday, August 25 at 8 p.m.

Also in the same group as The Bahamas and Venezuela are Canada, Argentina, the Dominican Republic and Panama. It is not an easy path for The Bahamas as the team attempts to advance to the 2023 FIBA World Cup, which is set for August 25 to September 10, 2023 in the Philippines, Japan, and Indonesia.

Four days after playing Venezuela, Team Bahamas will fly down to Mar del Plata, Argentina, to play Argentina. That game will be played at the Polideportivo Islas Malvinas in Mar del Plata, starting at 8:40 p.m.

The fifth window of the second round of the qualifiers is set for November and the sixth window is set for February 2023. Those two windows will be held during the NBA regular season and will not feature any of the three players. So, The Bahamas have to make the most out of the fourth window this month.

In the clinching game to advance to the second round, The Bahamas took down the U.S. Virgin Islands, 97-80, thanks to a game-high 24 points by Hield.

In the final game of the first round of the qualifiers, The Bahamas fell to the Dominican Republic, 88-80, in a competitive game at the Baha Mar Convention Center in Nassau, The Bahamas, on July 4. Hield once again led all scorers as he finished with 29 points.

The Bahamas finished with a 2-4 win/loss record in Group C of the first round of the qualifiers, third behind Canada (6-0) and the Dominican Republic (4-2). Playing in the second round is as high as Bahamian basketball has ever been on the senior side, and a major accomplishment for team sports in The Bahamas.

The roster for this upcoming window will be named on Monday. Of course, nothing is concrete until the official roster is submitted to FIBA so there is still a possibility that the big man will play after all.

https://thenassauguardian.com/ayton-sitting-out-against-venezuela/

 Home|Sports|International teams assisted with ‘Summer of Thunder’ CampSports

The Nassau GuardianSend an emailAugust 16, 2022 133 2 minute readFacebookTwitterLinkedInShare via Email

The game of basketball can positively redirect the path of a young boy or girl, unlocking countless opportunities while building camaraderie and strengthening physical fitness. The COVID-19 pandemic forced families inside, prevented social interaction and caused major reductions in consistent exercise for young adults who happily opted for hours of mindless computer games and YouTube surfing.

Coming to the rescue, the Bahamas Basketball Federation (BBF) and Ballin’ By Da Beach Camps offered a free camp during the annual ‘Summer of Thunder’ Showcase. The event featured several top Bahamian, National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) and foreign national teams. Children from ages 5-18 attended the 2022 ‘Summer of Thunder’ Basketball Camp at the Kendal G.L. Isaacs National Gymnasium. The youngsters were able to learn basketball fundamentals from top tier local and international coaches.

BBF Secretary General and Ballin’ By Da Beach Camps President Jurelle Nairn-Mullings was excited about the opportunity for the youngsters.

“We were so excited to see the ‘Summer of Thunder’ Basketball Camp leverage the expertise of our high level international coaches at the NCAA Division I and semi-pro levels. Their willingness to give back and provide training to the future basketball players of The Bahamas is commendable. The federation and Ballin’ By Da Beach Camps are committed to national development and training of our young people, and what better way to do this than through sports,” expressed Nairn-Mullings.

Bahamian born Robyn Swaby, Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of She Hoops Elite, along with business partner Kiara Slaton, formed the Bahamian owned business She Hoops Elite which inspires, impacts, and motivates athletes to pursue their dreams of playing basketball at a high level.

“We have a network of over 400 female athletes in South Florida whose backgrounds range from professional basketball players to trainers to coaches. We decided to partner with the Bahamas Basketball Federation to facilitate the ‘Summer of Thunder’ Basketball Camp because this is one of our most valued platforms that we utilize to give back to our community,” said Swaby.

Nairn-Mullings and Swaby, both former Team Bahamas Junior Girls National Basketball Team players, are giving back as they too can appreciate the work of the Bahamas Basketball Federation helping them as athletes.

“I can appreciate the work of the BBF because as a national team player, we were able to develop better techniques, strengthen our skills and travel due to the sacrifices of coaches and the federation. As a result, paying it forward is something we both understand is a necessary thing to do,” expressed Nairn-Mullings.

Eastern Kentucky University Women’s Basketball Team, from Richmond, Kentucky, also assisted at the camp.

https://thenassauguardian.com/international-teams-assisted-with-summer-of-thunder-camp/

 Home|Sports|Bahamian chess players grateful for FIDE titlesSports

Simba FrenchSend an emailAugust 16, 2022 121 3 minute readFacebookTwitterLinkedInShare via Email

The trio of national chess team players from The Bahamas who earned FIDE (World Chess Federation) titles has returned home from the 44th FIDE Chess Olympiad. Earning conditional titles were Nelissa Thomas, Trinity Pinder and Noah Albury.

The three players were in action in some intense games in Chennai, India, from July 29 to August 10. There were 2,000-plus participants from 187 countries in the competition. Thomas and Pinder earned the Woman Candidate Master (WCM) conditional titles and Albury has earned the Candidate Master (CM) conditional title.

On January 1 of this year, FIDE made a change to the conferring of FIDE titles at the Olympiad, so that all titles will now be conditional. During past Olympiads, players were automatically conferred titles.

Thomas, who went in unrated, scored 5.5 points from nine games as she won five games and drew one.

“It is a surreal feeling that came as a very pleasant surprise. I am humbled and honored to have the WCM title,” Thomas said.

Pinder, who had a rating of 1,183, wrapped up competition with 3.5 points in eight games after winning three games and drawing one.

“The feeling of earning the WCM title is something I can only describe as extraordinary. I am so proud of myself,” Pinder said. “I am overwhelmed with pride.”

She said she learned that any player is beatable and she can accomplish that against anyone once she takes her time and analyzes her games.

Albury was the youngest on the Open team and went into the competition with a 1,324 rating. The 16-year-old went on to score 4.5 points out of the seven games he played. He won four games and drew one.

“I was surprised and proud of myself when I achieved the award. Going into the Olympiad, I didn’t expect to do so well. I was happy to exceed my expectations,” Albury said.

President of the Bahamas Chess Federation (BCF) Kendrick Knowles said he is happy for the accomplishment of the team, particularly the three players who earned FIDE titles.

“We achieved two 

conditional WCM titles and one CM title. I am excited to see players are already expressing ways to prepare and train for Olympiad 2024 in Budapest, Hungary,” said Knowles.

First Vice President of BCF Curtis Pride commented on the change of the FIDE titles criteria.

“Ratings are difficult, considering the small pool of players locally, but doable. The Bahamas Chess Federation is committed to providing more opportunities for our players to play and win in international, FIDE rated competitions,” he said.

For 25-year-old Thomas, she has been playing chess for 16 years but took a break from the sport for six years, so she can focus on her studies. She is back on the chess scene and said she enjoyed the experience in India. She plans to improve.

“I plan on practicing chess tactics daily, reading more chess books, and watching more chess videos to improve my skills. I aim to participate more in local tournaments and continue to sharpen my skills to hopefully participate in the next Olympiad,” Thomas said.

This was her first time making an Olympiad team.

At the beginning of the tournament, Albury said he was nervous but as the tournament went on, he got confident. He said he has learned some valuable lessons for the future.

“I have learned that even though I was successful at the Olympiad, there is still so much more I can learn about the game of chess. There were many players who were a lot better than I was and this showed me that there is still so much more growing and training that I have to do as a chess player. My goal for the next year is to increase my rating,” Albury said.

Pinder is now 18 years old and has been playing chess for the past nine years. She said she enjoyed the Indian culture and is motivated to play more games.

“What I enjoyed most about being in India was interacting with the 

different cultures and people of the world but, most of all, the food and the games I played,” Pinder said. “I am 110 percent more motivated to strengthen my chess skills because next for me is attaining a higher title than WCM. I now know that anything is possible through hard work and dedication.”

All three players said they were happy to represent The Bahamas at the tournament.

By earning titles at 44th FIDE Olympiad, the three players have demonstrated that they have chess skills on par with the best in the world. They now must show their dedication and that they deserve these prestigious titles by attaining a minimum rating. For Thomas and Pinder, they must have a minimum rating of 1,800 and Albury must have a minimum of 2,000.

https://thenassauguardian.com/bahamian-chess-players-grateful-for-fide-titles/

 Home|Sports|Nairn back in The BahamasSports

Commonwealth Games champion looking forward to competing in Freeport this weekend

Sheldon LongleySend an emailAugust 16, 2022 142 4 minute readFacebookTwitterLinkedInShare via Email

Back home in The Bahamas, LaQuan Nairn has been making the rounds since becoming the first Bahamian to win a gold medal in the men’s long jump at the Commonwealth Games. He paid a visit to the Nassau Guardian yesterday, and while he’s happy to be home, he said the work is not done.

Nairn will leave for Freeport on Wednesday, set to compete in the 4th North American, Central American and Caribbean (NACAC) Track and Field Championships which will be held this weekend, August 19-21, at the Grand Bahama Sports Complex in Freeport, Grand Bahama. Nairn is a part of a 30-member team from The Bahamas that will represent the country at home.

Nairn, 26, made history a couple weeks ago, winning gold in the men’s long jump at the 22nd Commonwealth Games in Birmingham, England. He had a winning leap of 8.08 meters (m) – 26’ 6-1/4”. It was tight competition for the gold as the top three jumpers were separated by just two centimeters. As mentioned, Nairn is the first Bahamian to win a gold medal in the men’s long jump at the 

Commonwealth Games.

“It feels great – just to accomplish something like that. It feels good representing my family and representing the country. I feel great about it,” said Nairn. “I’m looking forward to competing in Freeport this 

weekend. I’m just going to go there, compete to the best of my ability and hopefully get the gold and break the national record this time. I’m looking forward to that.”

Nairn is number two all-time in the men’s long jump among Bahamians, trailing just national record holder Craig Hepburn. Nairn has a season’s and personal best leap of 8.22m (26’ 11-3/4”) and he’s chasing Hepburn’s national record of 8.41m (27’ 7-1/4”). He said he thought he would get close to that mark in Birmingham, and is now optimistic about breaking the record before the season is over. He already has the national record indoors – a mark of 8.18m (26’ 10”).

“I was a little disappointed in my performance in terms of the distance because I wanted to break the national record, but at the same time, getting the win was more important,” said Nairn. “I’m going after the record. I believe it’s in me. I just have to stick to it, continue to work hard, trust the training and trust the process.

“I have great deal of respect for Craig Hepburn and what he was able to do back in the day. I’m looking forward to breaking his record because it’s been there for so long. Records are meant to be broken and I believe that I’m going to do it. He was a great competitor and a great jumper in his day and he always gives me great advice. I’m looking forward to breaking the record though. When the jump comes, it will come.”

Hepburn’s national record has stood the test of time, lasting for 29 years. It was set at the Bahamas Association of Athletic Associations (BAAA) National Track and Field Championships in Nassau, The Bahamas, on June 17, 1993.

Reflecting on the atmosphere in Birmingham, Nairn said the competition was intense and the crowd was exuberant. Murali Sreeshankar, of India, had an identical leap as Nairn of 8.08m, but Nairn had the better second-best jump to give him the edge. Jovan Van Vuuren, of South Africa, had a best leap of 8.06m (26’ 5-1/2”) for the bronze.

The previous best result for a Bahamian long jumper at the Commonwealth Games was silver status by Steve ‘Sir Bandi’ Hanna in 1982, and the previous best mark by a Bahamian long jumper at the Commonwealth Games was 7.92m (26’) by Osbourne Moxey in 2002.

“I thought it was going to take around 8.20 to 8.30 to win,” said Nairn. “I knew coming in that the Indian jumper was pretty good. He’s the number two jumper in the world this year, and there were a bunch of other guys who are really good. That was an amazing competition. That was definitely the best competition that I have been in, in my entire life. The crowd in Birmingham was lively and enthusiastic – they really got into it. It was a well-organized meet and I would love to jump in Birmingham again.”

For now, it’s off to Freeport though, set for the NACAC Track and Field Championships this weekend. Following that, Nairn will return to Europe to compete in a few meets before ending his season.

In 2023, he said he will be looking to compete on the Diamond League circuit. The Bahamian jumper has had a fantastic season, improving on his previous personal best jump by more than half of a foot and climaxing his performances with a Commonwealth Games title. He finished 18th overall at the World Athletics Outdoor Championships in Eugene, Oregon, finishing with a best jump of 7.80m (25’ 7-1/4”). Nairn said he’s looking to continue to progress. He got his Diamond League debut in Oslo, Norway, this year, and yearns for a return.

“It was a blessing to just be on that stage competing and having that experience,” said Nairn. “I’m looking forward to Diamond League next year. At Commonwealth, I believe I made up for Worlds in a lot of ways, particularly mentally. After Worlds, I wasn’t upset. I just knew that there was something greater out there for me. I know there is more in me.”

Nairn is coached by his former collegiate coach Travis Geopfert in Fayetteville, Arkansas. He is listed as number 11 on World Athletics Top Performance List for 2022 with his season’s and personal best leap of 8.22m.

https://thenassauguardian.com/nairn-back-in-the-bahamas/