As of Friday, June 19, 2020

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BAHAMIAN female national discus record holder Serena Brown is trying to make the best of her living situation in Iowa.

#By BRENT STUBBS

#Senior Sports Reporter

#bstubbs@tribunemedia.net

#WITH the resurgence of racism and another spike in the coronavirus in the United States, Bahamian female national discus record holder Serena Brown is trying to make the best of her living situation in Iowa.

#The St Augustine’s College 2016 graduate is adjusting to her new environment after she made the transfer from Texas A&M, where she completed her first two seasons for the Aggies, to the University of Iowa in the fall of 2019, although she has yet to suit up for the Hawkeyes.

#Brown made the transfer as a red shirt junior while she was recuperating from surgery in College Station, Texas, to repair her right rotator cuff.

#Now fully healthy again, she was forced to take the sidelines again due to the deadly coronavirus. “Like everybody else, it isn’t easy,” Brown told The Tribune yesterday. “They still haven’t opened the facilities here so that I can continue my training and I don’t have a backyard to do my training.”

#While she witnessed the protests going on as a result of the death of African American George Floyd by a white policeman on May 25 in Minnesota, Brown said she has to be extra careful whenever she ventures outdoors. “I have to make sure that nobody tries to do anything to me, so that has added another level of difficulty for me,” Brown pointed out. “I normally go around the neighbourhood to train, but now I have to be extra careful.

#“I am just trying to take it day by day and just stay close to my house. When I do go out, I try to go out and do what I have to do as quickly as I can and get back home. It’s really easy here, but that’s how it is all over.”

#After forfeiting her indoor season to train, Brown was preparing for the outdoor season at Iowa when the coronavirus spread in the United States in March, forcing a complete shutdown of all sporting activities.

#“Now with this second wave of the coronavirus in the United States, I’m just trying to take it day by day,” Brown said.

#“I’m thinking about the future, but there is so much uncertainty right now that I just have to take it day by day.”

#With those uncertainties, Brown has to put all of her dreams and aspirations on hold as well.

#“I know the BAAA (Bahamas Association of Athletic Associations) is getting ready to hold their nationals at the end of July,” Brown said. “So I might just decide to come home and compete in it just so that I can have something to gauge off since I didn’t have an indoor season.

#“But I’m concerned that if I come home to compete and I get hit in a second wave of the virus, I will have to be quarantined. So I’m just trying to take it one day at a time. It’s so frustrating not knowing what will happen. I am just trying to get my mental game together.”

#Nevertheless, she’s thankful for the support base that she has. “My friends and my team-mates and the coaches here are all really supportive,” Brown said. “I could really go to my coach (Eric Werskey, the assistant coach for throws) with any problem that I have and he would encourage me to try to do this and do that so that I won’t be overwhelmed.

#“So I’m just trying to be a better person for me and I feel that the environment that I am in is very conducive for that. I was expecting for the Olympics to happen this year because I was training for it, but it won’t happen until next year. So I am just trying to use this time to be a better person.”

#In communicating with her parents, Whittington and Sonjia Brown, on a daily basis, Brown said if there is one thing that she misses from being in Texas after she left home, it’s the weather. “I didn’t expect it to be this cold here in Iowa,” she said. “Plus, I really didn’t get to spend as much time as I wanted with the team as I wanted to because we practice in groups at different times.

#“And since I didn’t compete indoors, I was training getting ready for the outdoors and to be able to bond with everybody. But this corona thing happened. So I just have to try to deal with getting adjusted to the weather here in Iowa.”

#The move from Texas to Iowa also saw Brown make a change in her major from construction to business and technology.

#But like the move from one athletic programme to the next, Brown said she’s enjoying it.

#“I moved here because I felt I could succeed very well in this environment with the coaching staff and they have the national champion at this school, so when we train and compete, there is someone that I can rely on to help push me because we are both around the same age,” Brown said.

#The 21-year-old Brown said her ultimate goal right now is to stay healthy and injury free. She admitted that she misses being at home, not just because of the weather in Iowa, but the fact that so many things are going on in the United States.

#While she didn’t get to compete since moving to Iowa, Brown was able to concentrate a little more on her studies as she completed the semester on the Dean’s List.

#Once she gets back in competitive mode in the field, she’s looking to improve on her Bahamian national record of 198-feet, 1-inch or 60.39 metres in the discus that she set in 2017 and her lifetime best of 47-6 1/4 (14.17m) in the shot put. But only time will tell how things will play out in the aftermath of the COVID-19 pandemic.

As of Monday, June 22, 2020

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JUSTIN Roberts enjoys a day of fishing.

#By BRENT STUBBS

#Senior Sports Reporter

#bstubbs@tribunemedia.net

#JUSTIN Roberts, reeling in the catches from his new found fishing hobby, was excited to hear the International Tennis Federation’s announcement last week that the ITF World Tennis Tour will resume on August 3 for ladies’ events and August 17 for the men.

#After a day on the lake in Keller, Texas, the Bahamas’ top professional tennis player at 788 in singles by the Association of Tennis Professionals (ATP) and 416 by the ITF told The Tribune that he stepped up his training with his long-time doubles partner Jody Maginley from Antigua and American Evan Drew in anticipation of his return to the tennis courts. “The calendar is not official yet, but while we wait on it, we are just training, trying to get better,” said the 6-foot, 0-inch Roberts, who is coming off four tournaments at the beginning of the year.

#Right after those tournaments, the world of sports was shut down due to the spread of the coronavirus pandemic. But Roberts remained in Keller (just outside of Dallas) where he rode out the crisis instead of trying to come back home.

#“I’ve been training hard, probably spending at least five-six hours on the court trying to improve on some things,” Roberts pointed out. “I’m looking forward to getting back out there, so I’m more than ready.”

#The 23-year-old former home-schooled student, who graduated from the University of South Florida in 2018 before he transferred to Arizona State University as a graduate student where he reunited with coach Matt Hill, played his last tournament at the M25 Las Vegas on March 2, 2020.

#He lost in the round of 32 in singles to American Spencer Papa 6-1, 6-3 and teamed up in the men’s doubles with Maginley, a long-time touring partner from their junior campaign.

#The Caribbean duo were not successful as they got eliminated in the round of 16 to the American pair of Hunter Johnson and Yates Johnson in identical scores of 6-4, 6-4. It was his third tournament for the year after he played in a pair in Cancun, Mexico, in February.

#In the last tournament in Mexico, Roberts was beaten 6-4, 7-5 by Gilbert Klier Junior of Brazil in singles during the week of February 17.

#Roberts and Maginley got to the semifinals in doubles, only to get knocked off by the team of Igor Marcondes of Brazil and Brandon Walkin in scores of 6-1. 6-3.

#However, they posted wins over the pairs of Felippe Sarrasaque of Argentina and Kiranpal Pannu of Australia in the quarter-finals and Americans George Goldhoff and Alfredo Perez in the round of 16.

#During the week of March 10 in Mexico, Robert got to the semifinals in singles where he was stopped 6-2, 6-3 by Maximiliano Estevez of Argentina after winning three consecutive matches over American Alexander Sarkissian 6-4, 6-2; Mexican Juan Alejandro Hernández 6-3, 7-6 (4) and American Joshua Ortlip 6-2, 7-6 (3).

#In doubles, Roberts and Maginley didn’t advance out of the round of 16 as they fell victim, this time to Goldhoff and Perez in identical scores of 6-3, 6-3.

#As they began the tour of Mexico during the week of February 2, Roberts and Maginley reached the quarterfinals where they got ousted 6-7 (7), 7-6 (2), 15-13 by the Brazilian team of Mateus De Cavaiho Cardoso Alves and Igor Marcondes. They won their opener 7-6 (5), 6-4 over Eduardo Ribeiro and Fernando Yamacita also from Mexico.

#Roberts didn’t play singles in that opening tournament.

#“I was feeling good. I played four events and made the semifinal, so I felt I was playing some good tennis,” Roberts said. “I was looking to get on a roll there, but the coronavirus slowed it down.

#“I am looking forward to the return of tennis. I think I have improved a lot, so I’m just looking forward to getting back out there when the time comes.”

#To help pass some of the time during the lockdown and curfews imposed in Texas as a result of Covid-19, Roberts said he hit a lot of tennis balls and watched movies.

#Right in the midst of the pandemic, Roberts said he threw his support behind the ‘Black Lives Matter’ and “I Can’t Breathe’ campaign to protest the killing of African American George Floyd on May 25 in Minnesota by a white Policeman.

#“I fully support it,” said Roberts, who admitted that he opted to stay home and not to go out on any of the rallies or protest matches. “I think it affects people like me in America. It’s hard that we have to go through it, but it’s a beautiful thing seeing people standing up for their rights.”

#Although the ITF is currently finalizing a provisional calendar of ITF World Tennis Tour events from 3 August to 27 September, there was some protests from international players, who claim that they don’t think that the US Open, scheduled for August 31 to September 13 in Flushing, New York, should be played in the aftermath of Covid-19 and the stance against black protests.

#But Roberts said he believes that the ITF and the ATP is doing all they can to ensure that the sport continues and players get an opportunity to make some money in the process.

#“They will lose out on a lot of players who don’t feel safe traveling at this time, but I honestly have no clue,” he stated. “I know players have to defend their points, so I’m prepared to go out there and play.

#“I just don’t know yet what tournaments will be available for me to play in.”

#In the meantime, Roberts said he was glad to get on the water on Saturday and participate in his fishing expedition.

#“It wasn’t bad. It was my first time fishing. I did a little bit of fishing when I was a little boy,” Roberts said. “We went to the lake here and I caught a few fish. It was a fun time. I enjoyed it.”

#Roberts, who now intends to make fishing a part of his pastime activities off the court, said they used the catch of the day for their Father’s Day meal on Sunday.

#“I miss home, but this is where I have to be and where I have to take advantage of my time,” said Roberts, the son of Bruno and Sonjia Roberts and the brother of Savannah Roberts, a female tennis player who is expected to enroll in Cornell University in August. “So I’m enjoying it.”

#As the top ranked Bahamian player on the tour, Roberts was automatically named to the Bahamas Davis Cup team along with Kevin Major Jr, Baker Newman and player/captain Marvin Rolle.

#It’s not certain if they will play this year, but Roberts said if they do, he will definitely be ready.

#“I will put my best foot forward and make the Bahamian people proud,” said Roberts, who previously represented the country at the Youth Olympics in Nanjing, China in 2014.

#“I will just continue to represent the flag at the highest level and I think good things will come in the future.”

Bahamas National Hall of Famer Leonard ‘Boston Blackie’ Miller passed away on Sunday.

As of Monday, June 22, 2020

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#By BRENT STUBBS

#Senior Sports Reporter

#bstubbs@tribunemedia.net

#Father’s Day was a somber one for the family of Bahamas National Hall of Famer Leonard ‘Boston Blackie’ Miller and the Bahamas Boxing Federation fraternity as one of the country’s most versatile athletes/coaches passed away.

#Miller, who would have celebrated his 83rd birthday on July 20, died shortly after 2pm yesterday at the Princess Margaret Hospital after developing a heart problem.

#He leaves behind his children, Charles, Maria Miller-Jenoure, Latoya Stuart, Flossie Cooper, Theresa Williams, Claudia and Ricardo Miller and a host of relatives.

#Minerva Miller-Green, who was named after her grandmother Minerva Miller, who passed away on November 25, 2019, called on the Bahamas Government to finally give her grandfather the accolades he rightfully deserves posthumously, even though he was inducted into the Ministry of Youth, Sports and Culture’s Class of 2003 for the Bahamas National Hall of Fame for his contribution to boxing and cycling.

#“He was an energetic, funny, charismatic person, who was always helping people. He was very sociable, even up until his death,” Miller-Green said. “He still was in love with his days as a boxer, his cycling days and his coaching services that he gave.

#“I personally feel that he didn’t get the amount of recognition that he deserved. I would love for someone in government to at least look at him and posthumously give him what he deserves for all of the service that he gave to the country.”

#As a child, Miller-Green said she clearly remembers the days accompanying her grandfather to many sporting events, even at the Boys Industrial School, now the Simpson Penn School for Boys, where she saw Miller providing his service or dipping into his pocket to assist those in need.

#“When he got ill, the people left,” she said. “Even before he died, we were trying to get the powers that be to give him his honours while he could appreciate it.

#“I was trying to get him some recognition for the work that he did for others and the nation at large. He won many awards for the Bahamas, representing the country all around the world in different areas of sports.”

#While he made his mark as a former boxer and coach, Miller’s legacy extended to cycling. He was also a very long time physical education teacher at the Government High and CC Sweeting High School, the latter where he operated his Bahamas Youth Boxing Club out of the campus. He was also a reserve policeman.

#Former Bahamas Olympic Committee president Wellington Miller remembered his long-time friend as the G.O.A.T. – the greatest of all time – for the impact he made in sports and as a community activist.

#“To me, Boston was the GOAT of Bahamian sports because he did so many sports and he excelled in so many of them,” said Miller, who first started working with Boston Blackie in 1979 as an assistant coach on the Pan Am Games in Puerto Rico.

#“Some of my greatest memories of Boston came in 1983 when we were taking a boxing team to the Pan Am Games and the association didn’t have the money. Boston told me to pick him up the next morning and I took him to an insurance company and he cashed in his life insurance to make sure that the boxers traveled.”

#Miller said he was amazed, but ‘Boston Blackie’ told him emphatically that the boxers had to go.

#Another memorable occasion for Miller came when ‘Boston Blackie’ fought and lost to Ernie ‘the Androsian Tiger’ Barr. It was ‘Boston Blackie’s last fight, but he asked Miller to prepare him in the dressing room.

#“When he came out of the ring, he allowed me to undress him again,” Miller said. “I was so proud to be there for him. We became close friends ever since. He was such a great person. He never held anything back.”

#And in 1984, Miller said he remembered when the BOC wanted to send somebody off to a solidarity course and he told Miller that he should go because he would need the experience more than him.

#Miller said ‘Boston Blackie’ was also a very good story teller and he could relate what happened to him over the years. One of the stories Miller said he remembers when ‘Boston Blackie’ told him how he won the Caribbean Cycling Championship title and he stayed with the Mighty Sparrow of Trinidad & Tobago.

#As a PE teacher, who sat his course at the College of the Bahamas (now the University of the Bahamas after it was discovered that he didn’t have the credentials when he was first hired), Miller said he remembers how ‘Boston Blackie’ disciplined a student.

#The story was told by ‘Boston Blackie’ that the student went home and told his father. The irate father came to the school the next day and when he discovered who had disciplined his child, the parent asked the child if he knew who the teacher was?

#“The parent told Boston that if I knew it was you who beat me child, I would have told you to whip him again,” Miller said. “That was the kind of respect that persons in the community had for Boston.

#“Boxing was his legacy, but he made his mark in cycling and as a jockey in horse racing. But he never got the credit that was due him. He should have been honored by the government for his contribution to sports and the community in a more tangible way.”

#Bahamas Boxing Federation president Vincent Strachan led a chorus of condolences sent out to Miller, who was also a founding member of the Caribbean Amateur Boxing Association in 1986.

#“On this Father’s Day, we are saddened of the passing of one of the greatest sporting icons in the Bahamas, long-time light and heavyweight champion and cycling champion Leonard ‘Boston Blackie’ Miller, who passed away today,” Strachan wrote. “We missed him very much.”

#Quincy ‘Thrill-A-Minute’ Pratt, a contender for the Bahamas lightweight title, said Miller was the first coach to put a pair of boxing gloves on his hands in 1983.

#Marvin ‘Marvelous’ Smith, a former Bahamian super middleweight champion, called for the customary ten bell salute in honor of the memory of the late Miller.

#Freeman ‘the Natural’ Barr, the former World Boxing Organization’s NABO super middleweight champion, considered Miller a friend, who taught him a lot of stuff in boxing as well.

#“We’re going to miss him. R.I.P,” Barr wrote.

#Olympian Shonel Ferguson, now the Member of Parliament for Fox Hill, said she remembered as a budding track and field athlete who went on to win the 1982 Commonwealth Games’ gold medal in the long jump in Brisbane, Australia, remembered how ‘Boston Blackie’ first impacted her life when he competing as a cyclist.

#“As a child growing up on Adderley Street, I remember Boston Blackie and other contestants speeding past Johnson Road as they contested the round the Island cycling road races,” she reflected.

#“We were so proud of him and loudly cheered him on. We knew him first as a cyclist then later as a boxer. He was our hero.”

#Ferguson said she was delighted when Anatol Rogers High School bestowed the singular honour of naming the school’s houses after Knowles House for the late Sir Durward Knowles, Ford House for the late Wenty Ford, Ferguson House for herself and Miller House for Leonard “Boston Blackie” Miller.

#“It was wonderful that he received this accolade while he was able to enjoy the honour,” she stated., “May the soul of this very special human being, exceptional athlete and patriotic Bahamian rest in peace and rise in glory.”

#After his days of competing in sports, Miller traveled extensively as a coach and medical trainer for a number of national teams. He will be sorely missed for his contributions.

As of Monday, June 22, 2020

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#By RENALDO DORSETT

#Tribune Sports Reporter

#rdorsett@tribunemedia.net

#BAHAMIAN pro basketball player Willis Mackey Jr will make the move from Spain to France next season.

#Mackey is set to join JSA Bordeaux Métropole Basket of France’s Nationale Masculine 1 (NM1 League, the third-tier division of club basketball in the country.

#The two top teams from each season of the competition are promoted to the LNB Pro B, which is the French second division.

#Mackey recently received league-wide recognition for a standout season in Salamanca, Spain, with Aquisima Carbajosa of the Liga Española de Baloncesto Aficionado, commonly known as Liga EBA. He was named the EBA’s Eurobasket Player of the Year, Import Player of the Year, Forward of the Year and was an All-EBA 1st Team selection.

#Mackey led the club with 16.5 points and 7.8 rebounds per game.

#He recently returned home after spending an additional three months quarantined in Spain due to COVID-19.

#“I just feel blessed. That’s just an honour just to be recognised on that stage and to be recognised at the top of the league, as the best player in the entire league and in the whole country. There are hundreds of players that could have been chosen,” Mackey said on his YouTube channel.

#“Thank you to Eurobasket for the awards. Thank you to my coaches, thank you to my organisation for making my first pro season a success, making me so comfortable and making me feel at home even though I’m 5,000, 6,000 miles away.”

#A season of milestones for Mackey also included his debut as a member of the Bahamas’ senior men’s national team.

#In the latest window of FIBA AmeriCup Qualifiers the team emerged with a dominant win over Mexico in February. He entered pro basketball following a senior season for the Northwestern Ohio Racers when he averaged 16.6 points and 8.9 rebounds per game as a senior.

As of Monday, June 22, 2020

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Dominick Bridgewater

#By RENALDO DORSETT

#Tribune Sports Reporter

#rdorsett@tribunemedia.net

#DOMINICK Bridgewater continues to climb the pro basketball ladder in France and was promoted for the upcoming season.

#Bridgewater, a member of the For-Sur-Mer Provence Byers Club, was placed on loan to Sapela Basket 13 of France’s Nationale Masculine 2 (NM2) League.

#It has been a seamless transition to the professional level for the 20-year-old Bridgewater after standout seasons as a member of the Byers’ Epoirs (Junior League – U21) and NM3 League teams.

#Jaraun “Kino” Burrows, who also returns to the Byers next season, facilitated Bridgewater’s move to the French club through his “Raw Talent” organisation which trains Bahamian pro basketball prospects.

#“In the continuity of partnership with our friends at the Sapela Basket 13, we are pleased to be able to official the loan of our young leader Bahamian Dominick R Bridgewater,” the Byers said in the official announcement.

#“Arrived in 2018 at the Byers Academy as part of our collaboration with the association “Raw Talent” (led by Jaraun “Kino” Burrows) Dominick will be able to complete his training in NM2 under the orders of the former assistant of Giuitta Rémi, Alexandre Casimiri.”

#In March 2019, an 18-year-old Bridgewater made history when he became the first Bahamian player to make the jump straight from high school to the professional basketball ranks when he signed a Junior Pro contract with the Byers.

#He spent his first season as a member of the club’s Epoirs (Junior League – U21). In 28 games, he averaged 15.7 points, 4.1 assists and 4.2 rebounds per game.

#After a promising start to his second season in the U21 ranks, he was made eligible to the A roster with a call-up to participate in the LNB Pro B Leaders Cup. The team was eliminated in the semi-finals to Nancy.

#At the time of his call-up, Bridgewater dominated the NM3 league at 23.7 points and 7.5 assists per game.

#In February, Bridgewater also made the transition from a junior national team standout to a breakout performer on the senior national team. He came off the bench to lead The Bahamas to a 76-59 win over Mexico in the latest round of FIBA Americas Qualifiers.

#The youngest player on the roster, Bridgewater scored 15 off the bench to lead four Bahamians in double figures.

As of Tuesday, June 23, 2020

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MARCUS Davis and Crono.

NORTH American Team Jumping Winners Youth Olympics Buenos Aires 2018.

#AGAINST the backdrop of civil unrest being played out across North America in recent weeks, questions about underlying ideals and values and systemic discrimination are being raised… not only regarding race, but also in gender and in other forms. Athletes in various sports have spoken out on this topic. Last week, Equestrian Bahamas participated in a virtual Zoom discussion about diversity and inclusion in horse sports which was hosted by Heels Down Magazine.

#The discussion featured four Black equestrians who shared their experiences as horseback riders in America, and their ideas on improving diversity and inclusion in the sport. The panelists represented a cross-section of black participants in equestrian sport, including an amateur rider, an agricultural entrepreneur with over 15 years horse experience in reproduction and barn management, a successful trainer and activist, and a professional Grand Prix rider.

#Mrs Bonnie Davis, secretary-general of Equestrian Bahamas, participated in the Zoom discussion and described it as “an eye-opening experience”.

#One hot topic of discussion was the financial constraints which pose a major challenge for Equestrian athletes from all small island nations, particularly athletes aiming to compete at the highest levels. These challenges can be met through stronger support at the corporate levels. During the panel discussion Davis addressed the issue of sponsorship, noting that, “Many of the large equestrian clothing companies, for example, have limited diversity…how do we change this mindset?”

As of Tuesday, June 23, 2020

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Leonard ‘Boston Blackie’ Miller

#By BRENT STUBBS

#Senior Sports Reporter

#bstubbs@tribunemedia.net

#FORMER boxing champions Patrick ‘the Centreville Assassin’ Strachan and Arthur Buchanan, along with the Progressive Liberal Party, joined those who remembered national boxing/cycling legend Leonard ‘Boston Blackie’ Miller.

#Miller, 82, died on Sunday (Father’s Day) shortly after 2pm at the Princess Margaret Hospital. The Bahamas National Hall of Famer left an indelible mark as a former athlete turned community builder and renowned coach.

#Strachan, the former Bahamas cruiserweight champion, said he always looked up to Miller as a teacher from the ‘old school’ who demanded the best out of his fighters.

#“I started boxing at the Southern’s Lounge at the Zanzibar on Kings Street and Blue Hill Road in the 1970s,” Strachan said. “Reny Pinder (also deceased) introduced me to boxing. He was the middleweight champion of the Bahamas.

#“That was when I met Boston. Those were the glory days of professional boxing when we had guys like Bert Woods, Kid Cruise, Kid Nassau, Garlin ‘Killer’ Moss and Freddie Major, all of whom trained at the Southern’s Lounge.”

#During those days, Strachan said he always felt that Miller was a strong, focused disciplinarian, who trained hard to become the Bahamas’ heavyweight champion before he passed on their dame type of dedication and commitment to coaching.

#“I think he was one of the most outstanding fighters in our history,” Strachan said. “He was also an outstanding cyclist. He was much older than me. He was always my senior, but I trained under him at the Southerns Lounge before they moved to the Bird Land on Mt Royal Avenue.

#“In 1979, I attended the Caribbean Golden Gloves Championships in Coconut Grove, Florida with Boston as the head coach and Sonny Boy Rahming as the assistant coach,” Strachan recalled.

#“On that team, we had Vincent Strachan, Roscoe Rolle, Arthur Buchanan, Boston’s sons Lenny and Glen Miller. We participated in those championships and we developed a good relationship from then.

#“He was from the old school. He believed in hard work and he was a straight up guy. He was definitely an asset for amateur boxing. He helped to make amateur boxing in the country what it is today. Trainers like them come around once in a lifetime.”

#Buchanan, a former Bahamian welterweight boxing champion who grew up under the tutelage of Miller, said he had a recent chat with ‘Marvelous’ Marvin Smith about taking him to see Miller so that he would present him with a few things.

#“I waited too long, now Boston is gone. It just made me cry,” Buchanan said. “Boston Blackie made it to become the amateur welterweight boxing champion in 1978. I am so proud to be in the record book, thanks to Boston Blackie.”

#Philip ‘Brave’ Davis, the leader of the PLP, called Miller one of its charismatic, fearless and outspoken elder statesmen.

#Davis said Miller was known and revered by throngs of boxing fans for his fighting style of cutting off the ring as he cornered his opponents and delivering repeated overhand lefts and rights he called the ‘Bolo Punch,’ which pounded many of his opponents into submission.

#“Miller, like many of his boxing contemporaries (such as Charlie Major Sr, Bert Perry, Baby Boy Rolle, Dynamite Fritz and Sugar Kid Bowe), never achieved and enjoyed the international fame and success in boxing as other Bahamian boxing luminaries such as Yama Bahama, Elisha Obed, Sherman ‘the Tank’ Williams, Ray Minus Junior and Tareano Johnson enjoyed, but his contribution to the sport of boxing locally was profound and paved the way for a generation of participants in the ‘sweet science’,” Davis said.

#“Leonard Miller was a husband and father who was a disciplinarian by nature and a common man who lived in the Yellow Elder community. He would spend his latter years as a physical education teacher within the public school system of the Ministry of Education.

#“This appointment by the Pindling government provided Mr Miller with the opportunity to teach our student athletes the values of teamwork, self confidence and self discipline as important building blocks of success not only in sports, but in life.”

#As a community leader, Davis said Miller molded many of our youth into responsible and productive adulthood. He thanked him for his service to the country in the areas of community and youth development through the instruments of sports and athletics.

#“He has left with us an enduring and rich legacy of excellence and leadership and giant shoes to be filled,” Davis said.

#“On behalf of the Progressive Liberal Party, I express heartfelt condolences to his family and the sporting community generally.”

#Miller was not only remembered for his exploits as a boxer, but also as a cyclist who represented the country in a number of major international events. He later became a school teacher at Government High and CC Sweeting High Schools.

#He was also a police reservist.

#Miller, who turned professional on December 22, 1952 with a loss to George McKinney, went on to post a 14-19-2 win-loss-draw record, losing his last fight against Ernie ‘the Androsian Tiger’ Barr on July 20, 1978.

#Miller fought three times for the Bahamas heavyweight title, losing first to Cleveland ‘KO’ Paris in 1960 and twice to Bert Perry in 1969. However, in their third meeting on October 11, Miller prevailed to clinch the title, only to lose it again to Perry on November 17, 1970.

#On July 29, 1966 in Grand Bahama, Miller also fought and lost the light heavyweight title to Baby Boy Rolle.

As of Tuesday, June 23, 2020

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#By BRENT STUBBS

#Senior Sports Reporter

#bstubbs@tribunemedia.net

#WITH the Bahamas Government announcing the reopening of gyms and spas, the Bahamas Bodybuilding Federation is now looking forward to preparing for the proposed National and the Central American and Caribbean Championships.

#After being locked down since March due to the social distancing as a result of the spread of COVID-19, Prime Minister Dr Hubert Minnis announced in the House of Assembly during his wrap up of the debate on the 2020/2021 Budget that spas, gyms and outdoor group exercises may reopen as of July 1.

#Federation president Joel Stubbs said the announcement was like sweet music to their ears.

#“It’s an opportunity for many of them to get back to doing what they have not been doing, especially those who have those adminicle diseases that were given the mandate to get cracking and to get your health in order,” Stubbs said.

#“Because of the pandemic, everything had to be shut down, so some of those persons would have had an opportunity to go outdoors to do something and some may not have had the opportunity to get in the mindset to do anything because as you know, the gym is a feeding ground for persons to feed off other persons to get motivated and so they can now get cracking.”

#Stubbs, however, said while the opening is imminent, they will still have to wait and see what procedures the various gyms will put in place for their patrons to adhere to whenever they come in to patronise their businesses.

#“We know that the three busiest times are in the morning before the start of the work day, in the middle of the day for an hour or so and right after work when the gyms are pretty much packed,” he stated.

#“So we will have to see how the gym owners strategize their plans to accommodate the persons at those specific times. Nonetheless, we are just grateful for the Bahamas Government for the opportunity that we are now given to get back into the gyms to train after this long time of being locked down.”

#At present, there are at least seven gyms that were in operation prior to the lockdown, but Stubbs said it’s uncertain what will happen in the aftermath as to whether or not all of them will reopen and if they do, at what expense.”

#Among the list of public gyms are Ironman and J-Line Fitness Center, both on Shirley Street; Total Fitness in the Golden Gates Shopping Center; Fanatic-C on Prince Charles Drive; Empire Fitness Center in the Sea Grape Shopping Center; Max Fit in the Harbour Bay Shopping Center and Club 1 Fitness Center in Sandyport.

#There are also a number of private operations, but Stubbs said there is no regulation by the federation for the gyms, which allow the public to utilize their facilities.

#Stubbs said he’s grateful to the support of the gyms to enable their bodybuilders to train and prepare for the federation’s national and international events.

#“We’ve had a few zoom meetings during the lockdown to discuss our present situation,” said Stubbs, about the federation’s executive plight in the aftermath of Covid-19.

#“We know that the CAC (Bodybuilding Championships) has been rescheduled and is planned for November 19-22 in Bridgetown, Barbados,” Stubbs said. “It was originally scheduled for Colombia, but they had canceled because of the outbreak there and the lack of finances from the government.

#“Hopefully all of the countries will still be able to bring s team, whether it be small or great, to compete and display their talent. As a region, we are working very hard on making that happen.”

#On the local front, Stubbs said the federation has rescheduled its National and Novice Bodybuilding Championships to September 25-26, but it all hinges on the roll out of the Bahamas economy and the social distancing policy that will be in place.

#“We don’t know if we will be able to accommodate a large mass of people in an auditorium by then or if we will have to continue to limit the amount of persons,” he stressed.

#“If we can’t allow persons to come in with their masts on and sit down and enjoy the competition, then we will probably just go with the competitors competing in front of the judges and show it virtually on social media.”

#Without the support of corporate Bahamas to cover their expenses, Stubbs said they rely on the grant they receive from the government and that is expected to be slashed by about 20 percent, which means they will have to find a way to fund their national team travel expenses.

#Stubbs said there are also plans to attend one or two other international competitions, but it will also depend on the funding they can generate and whether or not they will still be staged based on the effect of Covid-19 around the world.

Connecticut Sun star Jonquel Jones.

As of Tuesday, June 23, 2020

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#By RENALDO DORSETT

#Tribune Sports Reporter

#rdorsett@tribunemedia.net

#Connecticut Sun star Jonquel Jones has officially announced her intention to forego the upcoming shortened WNBA season amid COVID-19 pandemic concerns.

#Jones, who comes off a 2019 season where she was named to the All-WNBA Second Team, the All-Defensive Team and an All-Star for the second time, cited personal reasons and uncertainty around the pandemic.

#“After careful thought and consideration, I’ve decided to forego the upcoming WNBA season and use this time to focus on personal, social, and familial growth. This was one of the toughest decisions I’ve made but the resurgence and unknown aspects of COVID-19 have raised serious health concerns that I do not feel comfortable competing in,” the veteran forward said in her statement via Instagram. “I’d like to thank the Connecticut Sun organisation, my teammates and fans for their unwavering support and understanding. While I won’t be competing this year I’m looking forward to lacing up with my teammates in 2021 and continuing the pursuit for a WNBA Championship. Wishing the entire league and everyone involved a healthy and enjoyable season. Go Sun.”

#The Sun front office voiced their full support of Jones’ decision.

#“On behalf of our entire organisation, we fully support JJ’s difficult decision to sit out the 2020 WNBA season during these unprecedented times,” said Sun general manager and head coach Curt Miller.

#“We recognise the amount of unique challenges, sacrifices, and unknowns this season presents, and from the top down, there is an unwavering commitment to support each player’s respective decision. We look forward to having JJ back leading us next summer.”

#Last week, the WNBA announced it will host a 22-game regular season, at the IMG Academy in Bradenton, Florida. The season is set to begin sometime in July, but no confirmed dates have been announced.

#To press time, Bradenton, located in Manatee County, has recorded 1,977 confirmed cases of COVID-19, up 39.1 per cent since last week. It has also recorded 126 deaths, up 9.5 per cent since last week.

#Jones became the second WNBA player to opt out of the upcoming season after Atlanta Dream guard Renee Montgomery announced last week that she was sitting out the season but to focus on social justice initiatives.

#Players must inform their teams by Thursday whether they are playing this season.

#“The top priority continues to be the health and safety of players and staff, and the league is working with medical specialists, public health experts, and government officials on a comprehensive set of guidelines to ensure that appropriate medical protocols and protections are in place,” the league announced in an official press release.

#“Due to the fluid situation resulting from the pandemic, the league and players will continue to review the appropriate health and safety protocols and make necessary changes to the plan prior to arriving on-site for the start of training camp and throughout the season.”

#The league will be played with no fans in attendance but will work closely with broadcast partners ESPN, CBS Sports Network and NBA TV.

#The WNBA regularly hosts a 36-game regular season from May to September, with the playoffs concluding in October.

#This season, the league intended to introduce a midseason tournament, the Commissioner’s Cup, however, the amended season halted those plans.

#Jones signed a multi-year contract with the Sun in February as the league’s free agency period commenced.

#The Sun fell one game short in their historic run toward a WNBA Championship last season, but Jones established herself as one of the premier players in the league with her standout season.

#In addition to her aforementioned accolades, she finished third in Defensive Player of the Year voting and was named Eastern Conference Player of the Week four times.

#Jones finished the regular season with starts in all 34 appearances, averaged 14.6 points, and posted career highs in steals (1.5 per game) and minutes played (28.8 per game).

#She also won her second rebounding title in four seasons.

#Jones led the league in rebounds with 9.7 boards and blocked shots at a career-high 2.0 per game.

#She also finished fourth in defensive rebounds with 6.4 per game. She grabbed 10 or more rebounds 16 times, including a season-high 22 rebounds on May 31.

#In the offseason, Jones was a member of UMMC Ekaterinburg in the Russian Women’s Basketball Premier League.

As of Wednesday, June 24, 2020

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#UPDATE: Due to the fact that the Ministry of Youth, Sports and Culture has announced that all summer camps have been cancelled because of Covid-19, the proposed Diamond Basketball Programme’s Summer Camp in honor of versatile Jonique Webb and veteran coach Sherman Smith has been postponed to a later date. Camp coordinator Terrance ‘Red Eye’ McSweeney express his regret to all involved, indicating that they want to stay in line with the ministry as it pertains to the spread of the coronavirus.

Jonique ‘Mini’ Webb

Sherman Smith

Terrance ‘Red Eye’ McSweeney

#By BRENT STUBBS

#Senior Sports Reporter

#bstubbs@tribunemedia.net

#VERSATILE athlete Jonique ‘Mini’ Webb and veteran coach Sherman Smith, who both passed away this year, will be remembered with a girls’ and boys’ summer camp presented by the Diamond Basketball development programme.

#Terrance ‘Red Eye’ McSweeney, the director of the programme which was initiated in 1994 and was under the radar until 1998 when it became public, announced plans for the camp, scheduled for Monday, July 14 to Friday, August 14 at the Hope Centre basketball court.

#The intense training sessions will be conducted daily from 9am to noon for girls between the ages of eight and 16 and from 1-4pm for boys 8-12.

#McSweeney revealed that the programme was started in 1984 to assist with the development of the Suns’ girls basketball programme at Temple Christian.

#At the time, McSweeney’s daughter, Tamara Diamond McSweeney, was playing for Temple Christian.

#McSweeney, however, said after he saw her potential in track and field, he moved her to St Augustine’s College, but she opted to play basketball for the Big Red Machine until she graduated in 2006.

#Sweeney recalled how he got a call from Jordan Prince Williams to assist their Falcons girls’ basketball team where he got to work with Webb.

#He said he accepted the offer because coach Hattie Moxey along with coach Shayne Sweeting at St Anne’s School were the only two to bring their players into the Diamond Basketball programme.

#Webb was a former member of the Falcons junior girls’ team and McSweeney got a chance to coach her at Jordan Prince Williams as a member of the senior team against his daughter and her Big Red Machine at SAC, coached then by Marco Mullings. “Mini Webb, as I called her because of her petite figure, was an exceptional player,” said McSweeney of Webb, who passed away on January 19 at the age of 30 after a battle with lupus.

#“When she played at Jordan Prince Williams, she was the heart and soul of the Falcons girls’ teams in basketball, volleyball, softball and track and field. I’m proud to be able to honour her in this camp.”

#Smith, according to McSweeney, was a great basketball coach and mentor for both his boys and girls basketball teams at Carlton E Francis Primary School. Smith, however, passed away at Princess Margaret Hospital in April just before his 54th birthday.

#“I also would have trained his girls on several occasions on Saturdays at the Diamond Basketball development programme on Saturdays at the Hope Centre,” McSweeney said.

#“So I’m also happy to honour coach Smith by introducing the boys programme to the camp. Normally the camp is just designed for girls, but we could not pass up the opportunity to honour coach Smith, along with Jonique ‘Mini’ Webb.”

#Based on the area at the Hope Centre, McSweeney said they can accommodate up to about 150 players utilising the social distancing, as prescribed by the health officials in light of the spread of the coronavirus.

#“We will have them in lines during the drills on the court,” McSweeney said. “So we have a plan in place to accommodate all of the players when they come out to the camp.”

#The registration fee is $25 per day for each camper, but for the duration of the camp, McSweeney said parents can take advantage of a discount if they pay the full price of $180.

#Pre-registration will take place on Saturday, July 11 at the Hope Centre from 9am to 2pm for both boys and girls. Further information will be provided at a formal press conference next week.

#The Diamond Basketball development programme, according to McSweeney, also has Saturday dribbling and shooting sessions at the Hope Centre and on Sunday at the Tom ‘the Bird’ Grant Park for those persons who can’t participate on Saturday.