Home|Sports|Campbell Shipping donates to the BCASports

Campbell Shipping donates to the BCA

Simba FrenchSend an emailJuly 22, 2022 243 2 minute readFacebookTwitterLinkedInShare via Email

The Bahamas Cricket Association (BCA) is certainly doing its part to ensure the younger generation of Bahamians learn to play the game of cricket.

The BCA is currently hosting a summer camp, and assisting the association with the outfitting of the campers is Campbell Shipping.

The camp got underway on July 4 and wraps up on July 29. Working with the campers is Coach Corey Edwards and assisting him is Festus Benn. The camp is for children between the ages of 7 and 15. Campbell Shipping donated 75 T-shirts that will also be used for the BCA’s youth program that resumes in September when school re-opens.

Edwards, who also serves as the federation’s development director, said having Campbell Shipping on board is important to them.

“The shirts keep the campers looking uniformed. It goes a long way to make the boys or girls feel good – that they are a part of something. Seeing the blue shirts out there and someone sees them in the shirts will let them know that something substantial is going on,” Edwards said.

Health Safety and Occupational Manger and Security Officer at Campbell Shipping Warren Armbrister said that it is their social responsibility to support camps geared toward the development of the youth.

“We have always reached out and help young Bahamians by sponsoring high schools, summer camps, careers and persons going to LJM Maritime Academy. We also help with the Ranfurly Homes and sponsoring uniforms for high school sporting teams. We are an international company but we help out where we can locally. This cricket summer camp is no different,” Armbrister said.

After the summer camp session, Campbell Shipping made a presentation highlighting what they do and the career opportunities that they can get from being a seafarer.

“It can be a very lucrative career for young Bahamians and we want to get them involved. They are general careers here in The Bahamas that they can choose from but we want to show them that seafaring career is very rewarding. Our vessels trade worldwide and they can see the bigger world,” Armbrister said.

This is the first cricket summer camp locally in five years. Edwards was here since February of this year and it is his first summer camp with the children.

“We are trying to lay the infrastructure so that we can see programs start to bare fruit. Hopefully the next summer camp will be bigger and better. We are trying to get it into the community and into the hearts and minds of Bahamians,” Edwards said. “The eagerness and hunger are there. It is just up to us to point them in the right direction. It will be a little different to persons who have a cricket background. We have to take it slow in some areas and more aggressive in others. The eagerness has been good so far.”

The camp has been averaging around 20 campers per day. They have been learning how to bowl, bat and field – the three main components of the sport.

 Home|Sports|Campbell Shipping donates to the BCASports

Campbell Shipping donates to the BCA

Simba FrenchSend an emailJuly 22, 2022 243 2 minute readFacebookTwitterLinkedInShare via Email

The Bahamas Cricket Association (BCA) is certainly doing its part to ensure the younger generation of Bahamians learn to play the game of cricket.

The BCA is currently hosting a summer camp, and assisting the association with the outfitting of the campers is Campbell Shipping.

The camp got underway on July 4 and wraps up on July 29. Working with the campers is Coach Corey Edwards and assisting him is Festus Benn. The camp is for children between the ages of 7 and 15. Campbell Shipping donated 75 T-shirts that will also be used for the BCA’s youth program that resumes in September when school re-opens.

Edwards, who also serves as the federation’s development director, said having Campbell Shipping on board is important to them.

“The shirts keep the campers looking uniformed. It goes a long way to make the boys or girls feel good – that they are a part of something. Seeing the blue shirts out there and someone sees them in the shirts will let them know that something substantial is going on,” Edwards said.

Health Safety and Occupational Manger and Security Officer at Campbell Shipping Warren Armbrister said that it is their social responsibility to support camps geared toward the development of the youth.

“We have always reached out and help young Bahamians by sponsoring high schools, summer camps, careers and persons going to LJM Maritime Academy. We also help with the Ranfurly Homes and sponsoring uniforms for high school sporting teams. We are an international company but we help out where we can locally. This cricket summer camp is no different,” Armbrister said.

After the summer camp session, Campbell Shipping made a presentation highlighting what they do and the career opportunities that they can get from being a seafarer.

“It can be a very lucrative career for young Bahamians and we want to get them involved. They are general careers here in The Bahamas that they can choose from but we want to show them that seafaring career is very rewarding. Our vessels trade worldwide and they can see the bigger world,” Armbrister said.

This is the first cricket summer camp locally in five years. Edwards was here since February of this year and it is his first summer camp with the children.

“We are trying to lay the infrastructure so that we can see programs start to bare fruit. Hopefully the next summer camp will be bigger and better. We are trying to get it into the community and into the hearts and minds of Bahamians,” Edwards said. “The eagerness and hunger are there. It is just up to us to point them in the right direction. It will be a little different to persons who have a cricket background. We have to take it slow in some areas and more aggressive in others. The eagerness has been good so far.”

The camp has been averaging around 20 campers per day. They have been learning how to bowl, bat and field – the three main components of the sport.

 Home|Sports|Team Bahamas heads to BJK CupSports

Pratt chosen as player/captain; ready to lead young women into action

Simba FrenchSend an emailJuly 22, 2022 304 4 minute readFacebookTwitterLinkedInShare via Email

The Bahamas’ senior women’s national tennis team is ready to battle in the 2022 Billie Jean King (BJK) Cup competition that gets underway today at the Centro Nacional De Tenis Parque Del Este in Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic. They got their final practice session during a media day at the Bahamas Lawn Tennis Association’s (BLTA) National Tennis Centre yesterday. They will leave for Santo Domingo today.

Playing for The Bahamas in the hard surface tournament are Simone Pratt (player/captain), Sydney Clarke, Elana Mackey and Sierra Rodgers.

This is Pratt’s time as captain. She said she got some advice from previous player/captains.

“It feels great to be able to travel, first time as a captain and be able to guide my teammates. It feels great to be able to play and I am looking forward to that. I spoke to Marvin Rolle and Kerrie Cartwright and they gave me quite a few tips on what to do and what to expect. I am looking forward to this tournament,” Pratt said.

Pratt was selected to play for The Bahamas in last year’s tournament but did not make the trip. She said she is happy to be taking part this year.

“It drove me to work harder to be able to come out here again and play in these types of events for the country,” Pratt said.

Clarke and Mackey are the only two players to return to the tournament from last year’s quartet that played. Clarke said she is happy to compete for her country again and is looking forward to playing with Pratt and the rest of the young ladies.

“She (Pratt) is the most experienced player on the team. I am still learning and I have a lot to learn. I feel that she will do a great job leading the team,” Clarke said.

The University of Alabama at Birmingham (UAB) collegiate player said that she is prepared for the trip.

“I feel prepared, being able to play over the years, even playing with some of my competitors from juniors,” Clarke said. “I feel as though we have a great chance and shot at getting the title this year. Once we make a plan and work hard, we will be fine. I am very happy that we are able to compete as COVID starts to clear up. It is great to be able to travel and have no worries about not being able to play.”

Mackey feels confident that the team can do well in the Dominican Republic.

“I feel that we can advance to the semifinals in this tournament. My experience helps because I know the levels of the other teams and the type of players they have. I know what type of balls to expect and how to play to get a win for my team,” Mackey said.

She is looking forward to Pratt’s input in helping the team to play better and in motivating them.

Sierra Rodgers, 16, is one of the youngest players to ever represent The Bahamas at the competition. She said she looked up to her teammates when she was younger.

“This is an extraordinary opportunity for me,” Rodgers said. “I just want to learn and grow from this experience. I am among great tennis players so this will be a fun trip and I am going to learn and grow. It will help me when I go off to college. I have a lot of butterflies, but I have to get past that and help the team.”

Rodgers hopes to gain resilience from this tournament as she grows mentally and physically.

President of the Bahamas Lawn Tennis Association (BLTA) Perry Newton said he has confidence in this team.

“We expect for the ladies to go out there and compete. It will be a very tough competition and we believe that we have the potential to finish in the top six because the pool is so much bigger than normal with about 17 teams that we will be competing against instead of eight or nine teams. The ladies will do well, and I am excited for Rodgers since this is her first time. She is traveling with a group of well-grounded ladies, so she is traveling with a good team,” Newton said.

The BLTA was able to procure a sponsor for the team in Fidelity Bank, which has been sports friendly, having sponsored many sporting events and teams. On hand at the media day was Fidelity Bank’s Media and Communications Manager Paige Nixon-Bartlett. She said that they thought this was a very good initiative.

“Fidelity loves to focus on our youth and support sports initiatives that our Bahamian people are doing. We love to see young people being active and doing something they love to do. We wish them all the best and give them our full support,” Nixon-Bartlett said.

The Bahamas will be one of 17 nations that will be competing. These include Aruba, Barbados, Bermuda, Bolivia, Costa Rica, Cuba, the Dominican Republic, El Salvador, Honduras, Jamaica, Panama, Peru, Puerto Rico, Uruguay, the US Virgin Islands and Venezuela. It was 18 teams initially but Trinidad and Tobago withdrew.

The countries will play in a round-robin format. There will be four pools, three pools with four teams and one pool with five teams. The winners of each pool will compete in two promotional playoff matches and the two winners will advance to the Americas Group I for 2023. All other teams will play for positional placement. No teams will be relegated.

https://thenassauguardian.com/team-bahamas-heads-to-bjk-cup/

The Nassau GuardianSend an emailJuly 22, 2022 231 Less than a minuteFacebookTwitterLinkedInShare via Email

Two-time Olympic Champion Shaunae Miller-Uibo can now add world outdoor 400-meter champion to her list of global titles.

Running out of lane three, Miller-Uibo obliterated the field in the women’s 400 m final at the 18th World Athletics Outdoor Championships at Hayward Field in Eugene, Oregon, USA, on Friday. She won the gold medal in a time of 49.11 seconds, a season’s best.

Miller-Uibo is a world youth champion, a world junior champion, a world indoor champion, an Olympic champion and now a world outdoor champion.

https://thenassauguardian.com/gold-for-shaunae/

Gold medallist Shaunae Miller-Uibo after winning the final of the women’s 400 metres at the World Athletics Championships on Friday in Eugene, Ore. (AP Photo/Ashley Landis)

As of Friday, July 22, 2022

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Photo Gallery

Shaunae Miller-Uibo wins gold

Scenes from Shaunae Miller-Uibo’s gold medal-winning race in the women’s 400m at the World Championships in Eugene, Oregon. (AP photos)

#By BRENT STUBBS

#Senior Sports Reporter

#bstubbs@tribunemedia.net

#Bahamian sensation Shaunae Miller-Uibo added the 2022 World Athletics Championships 400 metre title to her glittering collection of global medals on Friday night in Eugene, Oregon.

#Running out of lane three, 28-year-old Miller-Uibo ran the perfect race with a world leading time of 49.11 seconds.

#She surged ahead on the back stretch and was in control of the race coming through the first 200m as she made up the stagger on Dominican Republic’s 21-year-old Fiordaliza Cofil in lane four.

#Her only threat left was Dominican Republic’s world leader Marileidy Paulino in lane six, but by the time Miller-Uibo maneuvered off the final curve, she was in complete control, and she switched into another gear on the home stretch to separate herself from the rest of the field.

#Paulino, who handed Miller-Uibo her only defeat this season at the Ooredoo Doha Meeting on May 13, exerted some of the energy that had her listed as the world No 1 contender. She stormed back down the home stretch for second in 49.60, while Sada Williams of Barbados clocked a national record of 49.75 for the bronze.

#But the night belonged to Miller-Uibo, who was greeted by her husband Maicel Uibo of Estonia and her mother May Miller, who got to drape her with the Bahamian flag, as the nation continued its streak of winning at least one medal at every championship since 2012.

Shaunae Miller-Uibo wins the final of the women’s 400 metres at the World Athletics Championships on Friday, in Eugene, Ore. (AP Photo/Ashley Landis)

#Miller-Uibo, coming off her World Indoor title in Belgrade, Serbia on March 13, has now won every global medal in the 400m, adding to her back-to-back Olympic crowns in 2021 in Tokyo, Japan and 2016 in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, the world junior championship title in Moncton, Canada on July 22, 2010 and the world youth championship title in 51.84 in Lille, France on July 8, 2011.

#Miller-Uibo has indicated that this was going to be her final 400m at a major international meet as she intends to try to achieve some more historic performances in the 200m.

#Paulino, 24, beat Miller-Uibo on May 13 when she won in 51.20, with Miller-Uibo in third place in 51.48 at the Ooredoo Doha Meeting. Stephanie Ann McPherson of Jamaica was second in 51.69.

#But at the delayed Olympics last year, Miller-Uibo won with 46.36 – Paulino once again playing second fiddle with the silver in 49.20.

#While it was the first medal at these championships for the Bahamas, Devynne Charlton, coming off her first global medal with a silver at the World Indoors, is hoping to add her first outdoor medal when she starts her campaign in the women’s 100m hurdles heats on Saturday.

Gold medalist Shaunae Miller-Uibo after her win in the final of the women’s 400 meters at the World Athletics Championships on Friday in Eugene, Ore. (AP Photo/Gregory Bull)

#The Bahamian national record holder will run in the second heat in lane eight. She will be just ahead of Olympic champion Jasmine Camacho-Quinn in seven as they aim for a spot in the semi-finals and final on Sunday.

#Also competing on Saturday will be Ken Mullings as he makes history as the first Bahamian entered in the men’s multiple 10-event decathlon. The event will conclude on Sunday.

#And to round out the competition for the Bahamas will be the women’s 4 x 400m in lane five in the second of two heats on Saturday. In the pool to run are Megan Moss, Doneisha Anderson, Javonya Valcourt and Jenae Ambrose as they compete with Jamaica out in lane eight.

#Should the women get into the final, Miller-Uibo could be back, along with sprinter Tynia Gaither, for a possible leg. Anthonique Strachan is currently nursing an injury from the 200m semi-final and will be excluded.

#In addition to Miller-Uibo getting on the podium for her medal presentation at the end of Friday night’s competition, World Athletics’ Council Member Mike Sands, the NACAC president, presented the medals after the men’s 400m to American gold medallist Michael Normal (44.29), Grenada’s silver medallist Kirani James (44.48) and Great Britain’s bronze medallist Michael Hudson-Smith (44.66).

ANDREW MUNNINGS, left, and Cynthia Rahming.

As of Friday, July 22, 2022

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#By BRENT STUBBS

#Senior Sports Reporter

#bstubbs@tribunemedia.net

#While it has been a dream of his to represent the Bahamas at the international level, Andrew Munnings said he couldn’t ask for a better team-mate than two-time competitor Cynthia Rahming to travel with him to the Commonwealth Games.

#The duo will be representing the Bahamas in the judo competition at the games, scheduled for July 27 to August 7 in Birmingham, England. They will be a part of a 27-member team from different sporting disciplines that will compete for the Bahamas.

#Having qualified at the Pan American-Oceania Judo Championships held in April in Lima, Peru, Munnings said he’s not only grateful for the opportunity to compete, but he’s focused on making the Bahamian public very proud. “To qualify for these games many out of competition fights were fought behind the scenes and through the Lord’s strength and my persistence brought this opportunity,” he said.

#“Since the Pan American Championships earlier this year my physicality and technicality has increased through many gym sessions, studying my competitors and working on my game strategy and accuracy.”

#Although he’s qualified for the Commonwealth Games, Munnings said his ultimate goal is to get to the Olympic Games and this is just a step in that direction.

#“The Olympic Games is a part of my vison in life and the Commonwealth Games is an introduction to this goal of mine, which many of these top competitors will be the same men I will have to fight if I qualify for the Paris Olympics in 2024,” Munnings said. “Throughout my circuit, I have tested myself against them and I am excited to face them again in the CWG.”

#Munnings, 24, said he and Rahming have been travelling together for years training and competing over the past decade, but this is going to be a special trip next week when they head to Birmingham with coach Willard McKenzie.

#Rahming, 28, will be going to her second games after making her debut as the lone judoka in 2014 in Glasglow, Scotland.

#“The calibre of competition over the last eight years has significantly strengthened as the Commonwealth countries have invested in their judo athletes particularly over the past Olympic cycle,” said Rahming, the daughter of Bahamas Judo Association president Darcy Rahming.

#“I’m looking forward to seeing my friends from the judo Olympic cycle. I’ve decided to revert to a style I did when I first started judo, which I’m hoping will surprise my competitors and bring me the advantage.”

#In preparation for the games, Rahming said she’s been “focusing on her gym work, stamina and relearning the basics.” She noted that she’s counting on her long journey in the sport to propel her to success at the games.

#“The competition is a small portion of what the CWG is about,” she said. “It is exciting and inspiring to see world-class athletes go at it, but I am going to the games for a bigger picture, which I will divulge at a later time.”

#As a competitor of the sport since the age of 13, Rahming said her aim is to get a medal to add to the bronze she won at the Olympic qualifier and hopefully improve on her world ranking she previously held within the top 100 in 2018 and seventh in the Pan American region.

#Munnings, on the other hand, has been competing since he was a cadet. He said his immediate goal is to surpass his previous world ranking of 216.

#“Challenges like competition and training camp expenses makes the journey a difficult one to compete at these A level competitions, but CWG is a competition that can propel me further in my career and can pull some needed endorsements,” he said.

#“I’ve been preparing my social media accounts and content creating for this exact opportunity.”

#The judokas will compete at the games along with competitors from the Bahamas in track and field, swimming, boxing, cycling, karate and the triathlon.

http://www.tribune242.com/news/2022/jul/22/judokas-primed-and-ready-commonwealth-games/?news

Chavez Young shines in Cubs series

As of Friday, July 22, 2022

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CHAVEZ YOUNG

#By RENALDO DORSETT

#Tribune Sports Reporter

#rdorsett@tribunemedia.net

#THE Buffalo Bisons split their six-game series with the Iowa Cubs and Chavez Young emerged as one of the club’s offensive leaders as he looks to gain ground in the International League (AAA) standings.

#Young recorded a hit in each of the six games and finished with an average of .478 (11-23), five runs and three RBI.

#The 24-year-old outfield prospect had his best games of the series in Buffalo wins and finished 2-5 with a run and an RBI in a 5-4 game three win and 2-5 with two runs in a 6-5 win in game five.

#In his other games of the series he went 1-4 with a run, 1-2 with a run, 1-3 and 1-4 with two RBI in the series finale.

#The Bisons are 46-44 in the International League East.

#Young was recognised as the club’s Player of the Week in the final week of June. In six games he hit .368, scored six runs, with three stolen bases a .478 on base percentage and a 1.004 OPS.

#His week included several highlights defensively in the field to coincide with his production at the plate.

#In a June 21 8-7 win over the St Paul Saints, Young made a spectacular leaping catch over the centrefield wall to rob the Saints’ Jermaine Palacios of a grand slam. He finished 2-3 and scored a run in the Bison’s 2-1 win Sunday to conclude the six-game set against the Saints.

#In 44 games with Buffalo this season, Young is hitting .255 with 16 stolen bases, five doubles, a triple, three home-runs, and 18 RBI.

#Young was also a non-roster invitee to 2022 Spring Training for the second consecutive year and spent time with the major league roster in the Grapefruit League.

#He initially intended to begin the season with the Bison when he was assigned to the club on April 5, but was placed on rehab assignment with the Dunedin BlueJays in Single A baseball on May 14.

#In five games with Dunedin he hit .278 and slugged .444 with one stolen base.

#Young spent last season with the New Hampshire Fisher Cats in the AA Eastern League. He appeared in 78 games with the Fisher Cats and hit .265 with 74 hits and 52 RBI. He also had an .758 OPS, slugged .409 with 20 stolen bases, 41 runs scored, 15 doubles, two triples, and seven home runs.

#He spent time last offseason in the Liga de Béisbol Profesional Roberto Clemente (LBPRC), commonly known as the Puerto Rican Winter League and with the Canberra Cavalry of the Australian Baseball League.

http://www.tribune242.com/news/2022/jul/22/chavez-young-shines-cubs-series/?news

As of Friday, July 22, 2022

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CHAVEZ YOUNG

#By RENALDO DORSETT

#Tribune Sports Reporter

#rdorsett@tribunemedia.net

#THE Buffalo Bisons split their six-game series with the Iowa Cubs and Chavez Young emerged as one of the club’s offensive leaders as he looks to gain ground in the International League (AAA) standings.

#Young recorded a hit in each of the six games and finished with an average of .478 (11-23), five runs and three RBI.

#The 24-year-old outfield prospect had his best games of the series in Buffalo wins and finished 2-5 with a run and an RBI in a 5-4 game three win and 2-5 with two runs in a 6-5 win in game five.

#In his other games of the series he went 1-4 with a run, 1-2 with a run, 1-3 and 1-4 with two RBI in the series finale.

#The Bisons are 46-44 in the International League East.

#Young was recognised as the club’s Player of the Week in the final week of June. In six games he hit .368, scored six runs, with three stolen bases a .478 on base percentage and a 1.004 OPS.

#His week included several highlights defensively in the field to coincide with his production at the plate.

#In a June 21 8-7 win over the St Paul Saints, Young made a spectacular leaping catch over the centrefield wall to rob the Saints’ Jermaine Palacios of a grand slam. He finished 2-3 and scored a run in the Bison’s 2-1 win Sunday to conclude the six-game set against the Saints.

#In 44 games with Buffalo this season, Young is hitting .255 with 16 stolen bases, five doubles, a triple, three home-runs, and 18 RBI.

#Young was also a non-roster invitee to 2022 Spring Training for the second consecutive year and spent time with the major league roster in the Grapefruit League.

#He initially intended to begin the season with the Bison when he was assigned to the club on April 5, but was placed on rehab assignment with the Dunedin BlueJays in Single A baseball on May 14.

#In five games with Dunedin he hit .278 and slugged .444 with one stolen base.

#Young spent last season with the New Hampshire Fisher Cats in the AA Eastern League. He appeared in 78 games with the Fisher Cats and hit .265 with 74 hits and 52 RBI. He also had an .758 OPS, slugged .409 with 20 stolen bases, 41 runs scored, 15 doubles, two triples, and seven home runs.

#He spent time last offseason in the Liga de Béisbol Profesional Roberto Clemente (LBPRC), commonly known as the Puerto Rican Winter League and with the Canberra Cavalry of the Australian Baseball League.

http://sportsinthebahamas.com/wp-admin/post.php?post=4407&action=edit

As of Friday, July 22, 2022

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#HEAD coach Corrington Maycock likes the make-up of the 11-member team that will represent the Bahamas at the World Athletics’ 2022 Under-20 Track and Field Championships.

#The Bahamas Association of Athletic Associations made the announcement this week of the team that will compete at the championships in Cali, Colombia from August 1-6.

#“We have a strong team with very disciplined athletes,” Maycock said. “My hopes is that each and every athlete participates for personal records.”

#The team will comprise of Javonya Valcourt, Grand Bahamian Shatalya Dorsett, Paige Archer and Lacarthea Cooper on the girls’ side. The boys’ team will include Antoine Andrews, Zachary Evans, Carlos Brown, Zion Campbell, Keyshawn Strachan, Wanya McCoy and Shamar Bain.

#Maycock, who will travel along with team manager Laketah Charlton, assistant manager Sharon Gardiner, coaches Daron Lightbourne and John Ingraham, therapist Terell Major and doctor Alvery Hanna, said he expects some great things from Team Bahamas.

#“They all competed at a high level all season, now it’s time to execute,” Maycock said. “We also have a chance at placing a solid 4×1 boys’ and girls’ team. I have really high hopes for them this time around.”

#Valcourt and McCoy are currently in Eugene, Oregon, as members of the Bahamas’ team at the World Championships.

#“When the puzzle pieces are all together then we can build a solid and unified team,” Maycock said.

#“I expect personal bests from all of the athletes and some hardware to go with that.”

#The team is scheduled to depart for Cali on Thursday, July 28.

http://www.tribune242.com/news/2022/jul/22/team-bahamas-named-u-20-track-and-field-worlds/?news

As of Friday, July 22, 2022

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#By BRENT STUBBS

#Senior Sports Reporter

#bstubbs@tribunemedia.net

#AS they went through their final day of practice at the National Tennis Centre, members of the Bahamas Lawn Tennis Association’s team for the 2022 Billie Jean King Cup said they are ready.

#The team, consisting of Grand Bahamian player/ coach Simone Pratt, Sydney Clarke, Elana Mackey and Sierra Rodgers, are slated to leave town for Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic, today.

#They will be in competition on the hard courts at the Centro Nacional de Tenis Parque del Este from July 25-30 against teams from Aruba, Bahamas, Barbados, Bermuda, Bolivia, Costa Rica, Cuba, Dominican Republic, El Salvador, Honduras, Jamaica, Panama, Peru, Puerto Rico, Uruguay, US Virgin Islands and Venezuela.

#The top two teams will be promoted to the Americas Group One for 2023, but all of the other teams will remain in Group II. The Bahamas, currently ranked at number 53 in the world, finished third in Group II last year after the team of player/captain Kerrie Cartwright, Pratt, Mackey and Sierra Donaldson defeated El Salvador in the playoffs in Panama City, Panama.

#After missing out on travelling with the team last year, Pratt is back for her fifth year and her first since 2018. She said she’s delighted to be named as the player/captain and she’s eager to serve with her fellow team-mates.

#“I talked to Marvin Rolle and Kerrie Cartwright, and they gave me quite a few tips on what to do and what to expect, so I’m really looking forward to using those tips that they gave me,” Pratt said.

#Having played on the team in the past, Pratt said she has an idea of what to do and she’s looking forward to developing a cohesive unit with the team as a whole as they represent the Bahamas.

#“I know it’s going to take a lot of hard work, but we just have to go out there and give it our all,” she pointed out. “That’s all anyone could ask for.”

#In preparation for the tie, Pratt said she’s been putting in a lot of work and is eager to go out and see how she can contribute to the team’s overall success, not just as a captain, but a player as well.

#Having played on three teams in 2021, 2019 and 2017, Clarke said she’s excited over the fact that they can travel and not worry about all of the restrictions surrounding COVID-19. “I feel pretty prepared being able to play over the years and even playing with some of girls, whom I played with as juniors,” Clarke said. “So, I feel as though we have a good chance at taking the title this year.

#“Once we plan and work hard, we should be fine.”

#With Pratt as the most experienced player on the team, Clarke said she’s eager to learn from her and she is confident that she should do a good job in leading the team.

#“I know the competition is really high. Some of the girls are in college like me and playing professionally,” Clarke stressed. “It’s great to be able to compete at a high level.”

#If they can play with a lot of “guts,” the 20-year-old Clarke, who attends the University of Alabama at Birmingham, said the Bahamas should be a contender.

#Mackey, a 19-year-old heading into her junior year at Mars Hills University, said with the talent assembled on the team, the Bahamas has the potential to at least get into the semifinals or even reach the final.

#“I think of some of the level of the other teams and what to expect,” said Mackey, who previously played on the Bahamas’ teams in 2017 and 2021. “I know what type of balls to expect and how to play in order for me to win.”

#With Rodgers as the new member of the team, Mackey said she would just encourage her to “try her best and give her best effort on the team.”

#And to Pratt as the first-time player/captain, she advised her to “just critique us, tell us what we’re doing right and what we can do to get better.”

#Still on a high from her competitive collegiate season, Mackey said she’s been practicing a lot and she’s prepared to help the team win.

#“I have a little bit of experience, so I think I should be able to play very well,” she said. “I just have to be smart and strategic and just stick to the game plan.

#“If you are down, you just have to keep playing and not get mad,” she said. “Don’t worry about what the other player is doing on the other side of the court. You can only control what you know.”

#As the youngest member of the team at age 16, Rodgers said she’s thrilled to be in the company of the older players.

#“I think this is a real extraordinary opportunity for me. I just really want to learn and grow from this experience,” Rodgers said. “I’m among some really great tennis players, so it’s going to be a fun trip. So, I really want to learn and grow.”

#Coming off an injury to her knee, Rodgers said she’s gotten through her therapy, and she is looking forward to performing just as her other teammates, whom she called amazing.

#“I love Simone and Sydney and Elana. When I was younger, I really looked up to them,” Rodgers said.

#“So, it’s really amazing to be with them. I worked really hard to get on the team. I felt really good. I felt all of the hard work and dedication was put into making the team.”

#BLTA president Perry Newton said they are excited about this team travelling.

#“It’s going to be a big competition, but the ladies are prepared, and we wish them safe travels,” he said. “I think it’s really good that they are given the opportunity to go out there and compete on the international stage again.

#“We’re also really thankful that we have a sponsor like Fidelity Bank, which has come on board to support this team. I think their commitment will go a long way in helping this team to do well.”

#Paige Nixon-Bartlett, the media and communications coordinator at Fidelity Bank, said as a major contributor to sports in the country, when the request was made by the BLTA to assist the team, they wholeheartedly came on board.

#“I just want to tell this group of young ladies to keep their heads up, do what they are doing, stay active and we give them their full support in doing their best,” Nixon-Bartlett said.

#Newton said the BLTA is particularly pleased that Rodgers will get to make her debut with a couple of veteran players, who should be able to guide her along the way.

#“Simone is definitely the most seasoned player on the team, so we are happy to have her here,” Newton said. “She was supposed to travel with the team last year, but unfortunately she couldn’t participate.

#“We are anxious for them, and we know that while we can’t send a contingent with them, we know that the country is praying for them, and we know that they will do very well.”

http://www.tribune242.com/news/2022/jul/22/billie-jean-king-cup-team-ready-after-final-practi/?news

As of Friday, July 22, 2022

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#By BRENT STUBBS

#Senior Sports Reporter

#bstubbs@tribunemedia.net

#AS a part of their mandate to help the developing countries around the world, the International Gymnastics Federation has decided to hold their 2022 Board Meeting in the Bahamas.

#The meeting, closed to the public, got started on Tuesday and will conclude on Saturday at the Atlantis resort on Paradise Island.

#The federation, headed by president Morinari Watanabe, is the governing body for gymnastics worldwide. It is the oldest established international federation of an Olympic sport and has participated in the Olympic Games since their revival in 1896.

#Through its operation, the federation governs eight sports, including gymnastics for all, men’s and women’s artistic gymnastics, rhythmic gymnastics, trampoline, comprising of double mini-trampoline and tumbling, aerobics, acrobatics and parkour.

#Cora Hepburn, president of the Gymnastics Federation of the Bahamas since taking over from the late Barbara Thompson three years ago, welcomed the 25 visiting delegates to the international federation’s meeting that is normally held in Lausanne, Switzerland, where their headquarters is located as they oversee 156 national member federations.

#“It was originally scheduled for 2021, but due to the pandemic, it had to be rescheduled to this year,” Hepburn said. “It has come to fruition, and they are here.”

#On their arrival here, the delegates were feted to a welcome dinner reception on Tuesday at Cafe Martinique and on Wednesday, the Bahamas Olympic Committee hosted a dinner that included representatives from the Ministry of Youth, Sports and Culture, the Ministry of Tourism and the Ministry of Education.

#Today, the members will be touring the booster clubs, headed by Nicola Thompson, and the Nassau Nastics, headed by Trevor Ramsay. Hopefully through their tour, Hepburn said the international federation will be able to provide some more assistance to their federation for the future development of the sport in the country.

#Watanabe, a Japanese native, said the Bahamas and Paradise Island has turned out to be an excellent venue for their meeting.

#“The Bahamas has been a very good host to us. We are very happy with the way they have treated us here,” said Watanabe, who began his tenure as president in October 2016.

#“This is the first time that we are hosting the meeting in this region, and everything has gone very well. We are very pleased with how the meeting has gone.”

#Watanabe said they have been able to discuss a number of important topics pertaining to the further growth and development of the sport, but he can’t elaborate on what decisions and conclusions that they came to. “This is important for us as a board to meet and we are happy and delighted that we can get to do it here in the Bahamas,” Watanabe said.

#Hepburn, a vice president of the BOC, said she was pleased that so many people came together to make the trip a success for the international federation.

#While some delegates will leave town today, the majority of them will depart on Saturday.

http://www.tribune242.com/news/2022/jul/22/international-gymnastics-federation-holding-annual/?news