‘EasE immigration to hE lp fr EE port’
Hayward says policies and red tape holding back growth in GB
By DENISE MAYCOCK
Tribune Freeport
Reporter
dmaycock@tribunemedia.net
GRAND Bahama Port Authority (GBPA) executive director Rupert Hayward said excessive red tape, strict immigration policies, and regulatory changes have hindered Freeport’s investment growth, while also expressing frustration with the slow pace of government approvals for projects in the pipeline. He also said the GBPA’s relationship with the Davis administration is better and more cooperative behind the scenes than public statements suggest, expressing fondness for Prime Minister
Bakeries fear cost of eggs will push up their prices
By LEANDRA ROLLE Tribune Chief Reporter
lrolle@tribunemedia.net
Visitor bitten by shark in Exuma is third victim in less than a week
Michael Turner, owner of Jumper Brother’s Bakery, said he had hoped prices would have stabilised by now. Instead, costs have
LOCAL bakeries are feeling the economic squeeze as egg prices continue to skyrocket, warning that product costs will rise because the situation has not improved. Their concerns follow a record-high increase in US egg prices, driven by an ongoing bird flu outbreak. Experts warn prices could climb even further, even as some consumers struggle to find eggs.
By JADE RUSSELL Tribune Staff Reporter jrussell@tribunemedia.net
A VISIT to The Bahamas became a nightmare on Tuesday for a tourist who was bitten by a
shark at Highbourne Cay in the Exumas, leaving him seriously injured and hospitalised in an incident authorities did not disclose until after The Tribune reported it yesterday. Police confirmed last
BCC: don’t Blame ChurCh on marital rape law
By EARYEL BOWLEG Tribune Staff Reporter ebowleg@tribunemedia.net
BAHAMAS Christian Council president Bishop Delton Fernander said people should not blame the council for the Davis administration’s refusal to criminalise marital rape this term, noting the church is divided on the issue and the government has advanced other controversial matters, such as decriminalizing possession of small amounts of cannabis, despite church opposition. Attorney General Ryan Pinder revealed earlier this month that the Davis administration does not expect to introduce the legislation before the end of its term, suggesting that every
By NEIL HARTNELL Tribune Business Editor nhartnell@tribunemedia.net
THE Opposition last night slammed the Government’s “disastrous” fiscal performance after it emerged that the $274m deficit for 20242025’s first four months is almost four times higher than the full-year target.
Kwasi Thompson, the Free National Movement’s (FNM) finance spokesman, demanded that the Davis administration present a corrective action plan to “dig us out of this fiscal hole” when it unveils the mid-year Budget.
bahamas Christion Council president Bishop Delton Fernander.
Jitney attack hero and police officer honoured sergeant Arnold Newbold and Delano Clarke, who saved a woman from attack, during an awards presentation at Police Headquarters yesterday. See PAGE TEN for more.
Photo: Dante Carrer/Tribune Staff
Body found in Wulff Road fire
By LYNAIRE MUNNINGS Tribune Staff Reporter lmunnings@tribunemedia.net
A MAN has died fol-
lowing a structural fire that broke out yesterday afternoon on Wulff Road near Windsor Park, prompting the launch of a death investigation.
Fire services responded to the structural fire and discovered the body of an adult male after bringing the blaze under control. Authorities have not confirmed the victim’s identity or age, and the cause of the fire remains under investigation.
“We are in the preliminary stage of this investigation,” said Chief Superintendent Sheria King, press liaison. “We are asking, as we always do, for anyone with any information to kindly call the police.”
CSP King also stressed that the investigation is ongoing, and at this stage, it is too early to speculate on the cause of death or whether foul play is involved.
Superintendent Demeris Ambrister, Chief Fire Officer, explained that heavy smoke was coming from the building when
fire services arrived. “Our first task was to get into the building and extinguish what we saw. He noted that residents later mentioned that there might have been someone in the building.
The top floor of the building contained an eight-room apartment complex, while the ground floor housed a convenience store. The exact number of occupants at the time is unknown.
Chief Superintendent King addressed the delay in releasing information to the media, saying: “In reference to that we always have to confirm all the information.”
“So while there may have been a structural fire remember I said that fire services then went into the building and then did their inspection so as a result it is then that we had to get any information, confirm that information first before we give that information to our media colleagues.”
Chief Superintendent Christlyn Skippings, Officer in Charge of the South-Central Division, who was also on scene, noted the division’s commitment to investigating
the incident and addressing community concerns.
“The community where this incident occurred falls within my remit,”
said Chief Superintendent Skippings.
“Now that this incident has taken place, it calls for an urgent walkabout
in this community to find out what may have happened, what led to this incident, and to identify the perpetrator who may
be responsible. As a division, we will partner with the criminal investigations unit to bring a timely resolution to this matter.”
Skippings community walkabout
The scene at Adley Liquor Store on Wulff Road where the body of a man was discovered after firefighters extinguished a fire which engulfed the building yesterday.
Photos: Dante carrer/Tribune Staff
chief Superintendent Chrislyn Skippings interacts with residents of Montell Heights during a police community walkabout yesterday.
Photos: Dante carrer/Tribune Staff
Bakeries fear cost of eggs will push up their prices
surged since Christmas, with a case of eggs now selling for nearly $300 — double the previous range of $120 to $150.
“I could remember when eggs were like $50 a case, and then it kept jumping and jumping, and now it’s at $300,” he told The Tribune yesterday. “It’s eating into your profits.”
Before the outbreak, a dozen eggs typically cost between $3 and $4 in local stores. Prices have since doubled in some locations — and tripled on some Family Islands.
Mr Turner described the rising costs as the latest financial strain on local
businesses already battling high operating expenses and inflation. To manage, he has adjusted recipes and sourced more affordable ingredients while maintaining product quality. But even that, he said, is no longer enough.
“We got to make adjustments to pricing now. It’s a must. It’s not like you can avoid it anymore,” he said, estimating that costs could rise by $5 to $10 depending on cake sizes and by 50 cents for bread.
He said purchasing from local farmers has not helped either, as their prices remain just as high.
“I guess they’re jumping on the bandwagon to make as much as they could,”
he said, adding that even wholesale suppliers offer no relief.
“In wholesale places, it’s the same situation, so everybody just going crazy.”
Shawnette Williams, owner of Something Sweet Bakery, called the situation “ridiculous,” noting that eggs are just one of several ingredients rising in price.
“Eggs used to be $100-something a case, and every time I buy eggs — it’s like every two weeks — it’s a new price,” she said. “We’ve definitely been doing our research and watching the news, especially in the States, and we heard that eggs will probably be like this
Visitor bitten by shark in Exuma is third victim in less than a week
airlifted to New Providence for further medical attention, but Dr Duane Sands, one of the medical professionals who operated on the victim, said he was transported by a speed boat.
The shark attack came just days after two women were bitten by a shark in Bimini Bay last week.
Dr Sands said the victim sustained serious injuries, and doctors operated on him immediately.
“Fortunately, he is recovering well,” he said. “He is awake and alert. We are optimistic for a full recovery.”
Dr Sands believes the reoccurrence of shark attacks needs to be
examined and addressed. He questioned whether chumming –– releasing bait into the ocean to attract fish –– near places people swim contributes to shark attacks.
On February 7, two American tourists were attacked by a shark while swimming in Bimini Bay. They recounted their harrowing experience on ABC’s Good Morning America.
Rileigh Decker, 20, who suffered severe injuries, said: “I kind of felt something nudge my leg, and I looked at her, and I was like, what was that? And we kept swimming. Then I felt a tug on my leg, and I knew right then and there that I was bit.”
for the rest of the year, so we’re trying to see how best we can source our eggs.”
She said her company’s profit margins have dropped significantly, forcing it to introduce new products to offset losses.
Mark Grant of Heavenly Creations said his team has started offering cake and pastry specials that require fewer eggs.
“We have not adjusted our prices since the increase, but if it does continue or gets worse, we would have to consider the price adjustment,” he said.
Some bakers preparing for the Valentine’s Day rush also acknowledged rising costs.
The Davis administration has touted its efforts to boot food insecurity and reduce food import costs. In 2023, it launched the Golden Yolk Project, aiming to produce 15 million eggs annually while reducing the country’s reliance on imported eggs. When he was minister of agriculture, Clay Sweeting said in 2023 that the “Golden Yolk will have an immediate national economic impact”.
However, it remains unclear what fruit the project has borne.
Her friend, Summer Layman, 24, was also bitten but didn’t immediately realise it. “I didn’t realise that I got bit until they started screaming that my foot was, like, shredded,” she said.
In December 2023, former Bahamas Hotel and Tourism Association (BHTA) president Robert Sands said the association would establish a task force to examine watersports and beach activity concerns.
His comment came after a shark killed an American woman and weeks after a Blue Lagoon Island vessel teetered, resulting in the death of another American woman. The conclusions of the task force remain unclear.
Two tourists drown in separate incidents just 24 hours apart
By KEILE CAMPBELL
Staff Reporter
Tribune
kcampbell@tribunemedia.net
TWO tourists drowned in separate incidents just over 24 hours apart — an 85-year-old man in Bimini and a 28-year-old man on Paradise Island.
In the first incident,
police in Bimini reported the alleged drowning of an 85-year-old man who was snorkelling off Ocean Cay around 10.40am on Wednesday. Police said the man became unresponsive while in the water. He was brought to shore, where CPR was unsuccessfully administered. A doctor later pronounced him dead. Authorities said a 28-year-old tourist drowned near a resort on Paradise Island around 1.30pm.
The Tribune understands that the person was taken to Doctors Hospital for medical attention following the incident.
Police investigating death of man found with gunshot wounds
POLICE are investigating the death of a 41-year-old man who died in hospital yesterday after being found with apparent gunshot wounds. According to police,
officers responded to reports of a man lying on a sidewalk in the Centreville area. He was suffering from gunshot injuries and was taken to hospital by EMS, where he later died.
Police have not yet classified the case. Their statement on the death came after The Tribune asked authorities about the matter after receiving information from a source.
He said: “BAIC officials and officials from a number of Government agencies are working double time to see this project to fruition.”
Earlier this year, Economic Affairs Minister Michael Halkitis said the project has been delayed as the government works to bring a newly acquired feed mill online. The mill is intended to ensure farmers can properly feed hens to support local egg production.
Darron Pickstock, the chairman of the Bahamas Agricultural and Industrial Corporation (BAIC), said the project is being rolled out in phases and that “locally laid eggs from the pre-launch phase of the Golden Yolk project are anticipated to be on store shelves shortly”.
‘We are ready to go’ on Bazaar redevelopment
By DENISE MAYCOCK Tribune Freeport Reporter dmaycock@tribunemedia.net
THE government has finalised purchase agreements with the International Bazaar owners and Harcourt Development, clearing the way for developing an Afro-Caribbean Marketplace in Freeport.
“We are ready to go,” Minister for Grand Bahama Ginger Moxey said at the Grand Bahama Business Outlook on Thursday at the Grand Lucayan Resort.
She said the acquisition of the International Bazaar and the Royal Oasis Tower and Casino properties and the reopening of the West Sunrise Highway are central to the development and are currently in progress.
The Afro-Caribbean Marketplace and Logistics Centre, described by Ms Moxey as a significant undertaking, will comprise exhibition pavilions hosting 54 African countries, 20 Caribbean countries, and 16 islands of The Bahamas.
At the 31st Afreximbank AGM held in Nassau last June, the government signed a $1.8m Project Preparation Facility with Afreximbank to establish the Afro-Caribbean Marketplace and Logistics Center.
Ms Moxey indicated that the Grand Bahama Port Authority has noted
ORG
long-outstanding receivables from the previous owners that must be settled, causing a slight delay.
“This acquisition has been budgeted for in the 2024/25 Budget of the government, and we are hopeful that we can move ahead as quickly as possible for this gamechanging development for our island,” she said.
“The magnitude of this project is far-reaching, and its impact on Grand Bahama will be visible in multiple ways.”
Ms Moxey said the project will resolve longstanding issues that have festered for many years — the closure of West Sunrise Highway, which will be reopened, as well as the defunct Princess Tower and Casino and the International Bazaar properties, which the government will purchase.
Secondly, she noted that the Afro-Caribbean Marketplace would stimulate economic activity, enabling traders to showcase their artefacts, wares, food, and culture through many international festivals.
It will also feature a logistics centre for trade and product distribution.
She said Grand Bahama Island will become the hub connecting Africa and the Caribbean, boosting trade and improving investment relations between countries in the marketplace.
Ms Moxey added that
through the Project Preparation Phase, the government has engaged with Afreximbank, the African Union, and the
Africa Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA), including creative industry and cultural ministers from Africa and the Caribbean, regarding their involvement in the project. The Minister for Grand Bahama also said progress is being
calls fOR GOvt tO allOw mORe cOnsultatiOn On whistleblOweR bill
By EARYEL BOWLEG Tribune Staff Reporter
ebowleg@tribunemedia.net
ORGANISATION for Responsible Governance (ORG) executive director Matt Aubry has highlighted the challenges a small country like The Bahamas faces in implementing a whistleblower system and urged lawmakers to delay debate on the Protected Disclosures Bill 2025 to ensure more thorough public consultation.
Lawmakers intend to debate the bill –– which was tabled last week –– in the House of Assembly next week.
The bill seeks to shield whistleblowers from retaliation and establish a clear framework for reporting misconduct. It outlines who may make disclosures, the process for reporting, the roles and responsibilities of the designated authority, and the protections and penalties involved.
He also underscored the importance of
reflecting on global best practices, particularly considering whistleblowers’ challenges.
“Having a financial penalty is one thing, but that doesn’t necessarily mean that there aren’t ways to psychologically intimidate,” he said. “You know, there are lots of efforts right now looking at the mental health of what whistleblowers have to get to get support.”
Mr Aubry further emphasised the need for safeguards to ensure people do not feel exposed to retaliation.
“How,” he said, “do we ensure that the systems account for the way that The Bahamas is organised? You know, in our Family Islands, particularly where you have smaller communities, if things happen, when something comes forward, you might be very concerned that it’s going to come back to, you know, understand who and where that information came from and that might encourage you to be quiet.”
made regarding the Grand Lucayan Resort and Grand Bahama International Airport.
Minister for Grand Bahama Ginger Moxey speaking at the Grand Bahama Business Outlook yesterday.
Photo: Vandyke Hepburn
MAtt Aubry
sHAntell Forbes emerged the winner in the Local Government election run-off for the Eight Mile Rock East Township at Polling Division #13 on February 11, 2025 with 77 votes, beating out opponent Marvette Russell by one point.
Photo: Jamika culmer/BIS
‘Ease immigration to help Freeport’
Philip “Brave” Davis and his wife.
“Sadly, the gradual watering down of the regulatory regime, excessive red tape, and guardrails on immigration have undermined the Hawksbill Creek Agreement, which by its very existence created the Magic City,” he said yesterday during Grand Bahama’s Business Outlook event.
He said while Freeport has attracted about $14 billion in real investments since its inception in 1955, it could have been much higher. He said there have been missed opportunities to restore Freeport’s standing as an international commercial hub.
“Freeport, unlike other islands, was and needs to be an international, commercial hub for diverse foreign direct investment, which is why ‘ease of doing business’ is so important,” he said.
Despite major development projects in the pipeline, Mr Hayward said even though the GBPA has worked to facilitate access to key agencies such as BIA, NEC, and DEPP, approvals take longer than they should. He called for greater collaboration to streamline processes and eliminate bureaucratic obstacles.
He highlighted ongoing projects, including the $660
million Grand Bahama Shipyard Expansion Project and the redevelopment of Billy Cay into a modern cruise port and amusement park. The Freeport Harbour Company, a GBPA sister company, is leading the latter project in partnership with MSC and Royal Caribbean. Once completed, it will accommodate 23,000 passengers daily, significantly boosting Freeport’s tourism numbers. He also addressed the ongoing dispute between the GBPA and the Davis administration over the Hawksbill Creek Agreement. The government has demanded $357 million in unpaid reimbursements for public services, accusing the GBPA of failing to invest adequately in Freeport’s development. The GBPA has denied the claims, stating that it has not been presented with credible evidence to support the demand.
Addressing the GBPA’s relationship with the Davis administration, he said: “I think politics is often a lot of fanfare. And I think behind the scenes there is willingness collectively to turn Freeport around.”
“There are longstanding relationships between the management and the principals of the Grand Bahama Port Authority with many members of government. The prime minister’s wife
is a good friend. I like the prime minister enormously, and he is very accommodating when we sit down and talk about things behind
closed doors.”
Still, Mr Hayward acknowledged the need for stronger public messaging to reassure Bahamians
that major stakeholders are working together.
“We need to get our public messaging right, and it is important that people
As Trump policies impact aid, US Embassy assures it is not abandoning Bahamas
By JADE RUSSELL Tribune Staff Reporter jrussell@tribunemedia.net
THE United States Embassy said it is not abandoning its commitment to Bahamians, even as President Donald Trump’s policies on most US foreign aid impacts local organisations and contractors.
In January, the Trump administration’s Office of Management and Budget (OMB) issued a memorandum directing federal agencies to temporarily pause the disbursement of grants, loans, and other financial assistance programmes to review their alignment with the administration’s policy objectives. This pause, effective January 28, 2025, excluded programmes like Medicare and Social Security but led to widespread confusion and disruptions across various sectors. Legal challenges ensued, with federal judges temporarily
blocking the funding freeze, citing potential overreach of executive authority.
Despite the OMB rescinding the initial memo, some agencies have continued to withhold funds, prompting ongoing legal disputes and uncertainty among recipients awaiting federal assistance.
The New York Times reported that soup kitchens in Sudan have shut down, while aid workers in Uganda noted about 40 newborns contract HIV daily due to halted treatment funding. The Caribbean Women in Leadership (CIWiL), which had partnered with the US Embassy for the Leveraging Education to Advance Democracy (LEAD) programme, has been impacted by the Trump administration’s policies. The initiative, aimed at mentoring young women aged 15 to 30 in political governance, was set to receive a $10,000 grant but was halted due to the executive order.
By PAVEL BAILEY Tribune Staff Reporter pbailey@tribunemedia.net
CIWiL chairperson and former senator Robyn Lynes said the programme’s launch in January was cancelled after embassy officials notified her organisation on January 24.
“They told us that we would not be able to do anything that had the US Embassy logo, or anything of that nature included,” she told The Tribune. “Because, of course, they had gotten the executive order to cease and desist, and so we had to
shut everything down.”
She added that US Embassy staff, including the Chargé d’Affaires, were disheartened by the order’s effect on the programme but had to comply with the directive.
With the grant on hold, CIWiL will seek alternative ways to continue the LEAD programme independently.
Ms Lynes noted that since the programme was still in its early stages, the organisation would have an easier
time re-strategising.
The Tribune understands other local organisations and contractors have also been affected, but representatives declined to comment.
US Chargé d’Affaires
Kimberly Furnish said yesterday that the US government remains dedicated to supporting programmes that enhance safety, economic prosperity, and security in The Bahamas.
“We want to assure our partners and stakeholders that we have not abandoned our priority for empowering our contacts with resources and training to help strengthen our two nations,” Mrs Furnish said in a statement. “Our commitment to these critical areas remains steadfast, and we will continue to support efforts that promote the safety, security, and leadership in The Bahamas and beyond.”
see big stakeholders in Grand Bahama working together — not just behind the scenes but also in public,” he said.
ExcutivE dirEctor of Grand Bahama Port authority ruPErt hayward
uS charGé d’affairES KimBErly furniSh
The Tribune Limited
NULLIUS ADDICTUS JURARE IN VERBA MAGISTRI
“Being Bound to Swear to The Dogmas of No Master”
Publisher/Editor 1903-1914
Picture of the day
LEON E. H. DUPUCH
SIR ETIENNE DUPUCH, Kt., O.B.E., K.M., K.C.S.G., (Hon.) LL.D., D.Litt .
Publisher/Editor 1919-1972
Contributing Editor 1972-1991
RT HON EILEEN DUPUCH CARRON, C.M.G., M.S., B.A., LL.B.
Publisher/Editor 1972-
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Who do we depend on as uncertainty rises?
HOW much did you pay the last time you bought eggs?
We will wager that more than a few of our readers have noticed – and discussed – the rising cost of eggs.
Of course, a rise in cost of one thing often leads to a rise in cost in others. In today’s Tribune , you can read about how bakeries have been feeling the pinch because of that rise in egg costs.
As a result, recipes that involve eggs … well, the cost of those products may have to go up for consumers too.
Bread may go up in cost by 50 cents or so. And if a modern day Marie Antoinette wants to say let them eat cake, well the cake prices will be going up too.
The cost of eggs shows how much we depend on elsewhere for our products. The increase we have seen comes as a result of a record high in egg prices in the US. Our eggs are shipped in from there – where a bird flu outbreak has seen a drop in supply and an increase in prices due to demand. Simple supply chain logic, but it results in less money in our pockets over here.
A project was launched in 2023 here called the Golden Yolk Project, which then Minister of Agriculture Clay Sweeting said would “have an immediate national economic impact”. It has not, and Economic Affairs Minister recently said the project had been delayed. The yolk’s on us. But it does show our dependency –and we can see that in other ways too.
The US Embassy has today said it is not abandoning its commitment to Bahamians. The reason? A new president has come in and a new set of policies with him – funds have been frozen and some partnerships and programmes here in The Bahamas are starting to do the same as the bakers –feel the pinch.
Local US representatives insist they “remain steadfast” in their commitments, but such has been the pace of policy change, it is hard to predict quite when or if things will settle down. Look the other direction towards the UK and there may be lessons for the US to learn.
UK Foreign Secretary David Lammy
last week said that dramatic cuts to the US international aid budget could be a “big strategic mistake”.
He spoke after thousands of USAid employees were laid off and programmes shut down around the globe.
So what is the mistake? He refers to the UK’s own experience in 2020 when then Prime Minister Boris Johnson made his own change to the UK’s Department for International Development, leading to what Lammy calls a serious blow to Britain’s “soft power”.
Suspending funding with partners with little advance warning did not take away the need for that funding –leading to those other partners looking elsewhere for help. Lammy warned: “I would be very worried that China and others step into that gap.”
And in today’s Tribune , you can hear a warning from the US Chargé d’Affaires, Kimberly Furnish, speaking at the Grand Bahama Business Outlook, of the “malign influence” of China, as she called on The Bahamas to begin “reducing Chinese influence”.
China has a strong involvement here in The Bahamas – January’s Bahamas Business Outlook saw Ambassador Yan Jiarong making her own warning, about the “protectionist” tariffs on Chinese goods being imposed by the new Trump administration.
Each person can make their own decision about the merits of each side’s criticisms – but it is certainly an uncertain landscape.
Then throw another item in today’s Tribune into the mix – the government has racked up a $274m deficit for the first four months of 2024-25, almost four times higher than the full-year target.
Now any good recipe for a cake needs eggs, but let’s put together the ingredients we have here.
Prices are on the rise, tariffs are being added which could drive inflation, our deficit is raising concerns, assistance is being frozen on one side and a rivalry is plainly evident between our international partners. It does not suggest stability, and could end up being a recipe for disaster instead. We live in uncertain times.
Our labour market challenges
EDITOR, The Tribune.
SUSTAINING operations in The Bahamas has been challenging for business firms mainly because of high regulatory restraints and bureaucratic procedures. The construction permit, especially, involves a cumbersome procedure that may take up to three to four months, disproportionately affecting development-related projects (Hartnell, 2024). Employers have reported problems regulating boating activities, high tax complexities, and difficulties getting simple amenities and services.
EDITOR, The Tribune.
WHEN I saw the article that the entity Scotiabank was intending to be returned to the North Andros district, was met with mixed feelings, and the thought arising, so we have our own banking institution in the name Bank Of The Bahamas (BOB), why not send them to fill the slot? And for the advantages were much, whatever amassed stays in the country. Scotia bank is a Canadian bank and all of that money will leave the country, but does it matter?
In conclusion, there was a time that money would circulate inside The Bahamas to such an extent, that many of the writtenon-notes spent, say at the service stations, grocery stores, came around once again, you were able to
receive the same notes included in your change, but not nowadays, why you might ask? As I figured, so much of the money was being intercepted and shipped out the country, is not a progressive positive for the Commonwealth Of The Bahamas, for politicians does it ever matter?
Another point to ponder is the query of work permits, as the former minister of immigration Honorable Brent Symonette had stated in one of his numerous news conferences that we had had in excess of 100,000 foreigners living and working in The Bahamas. Now, when I heard that, I immediately sought a sidebar with Father God on the matter and here is His response: ‘People on work permits to your country, and that number over
100,000, is an enemy of the state, and were these jobs not Bahamian jobs, for the citizens of the land? Yes, I said. ‘Then those people ought to be sent back to their countries of origins, said God Most High has spoken about it. Lord, for behold your words are forever settled in the Heavens, amen!
Editor, this is the opinion of the Creator, who are we mortals to possess a Con rarified viewpoint?
Coming from the One who was present when darkness covered the deep, as He has reminded Job in sacral scriptures, does carry. Thank you editor for the space and opportunity to release these points of view.
FRANK GILBERT Nassau, February 13, 2025.
The general labour market also poses more challenges where firms have a problem sourcing a quality workforce while, on the other hand, they face issues with immigration and work permits. These operational inefficiencies are caused by unclear government processes and excessive bureaucracy by the Department of Labour and the Department of Immigration, among others (Hartnell, 2024). These systemic challenges have led some developers, like Robert Myers, to declare they are “one and done” due to the country’s painful and expensive nature of doing business.
By analysing the case of public-private partnerships (PPPs), a set of general institutional factors within the business environment can be identified. The latest ratings indicate that The Bahamas is positioned 17th out of 26 countries in LAC on the PPP readiness scale, having received a mere 38.5 points out of 100 (Robards, 2024). While the country has an excellent legal framework in this regard, there is a problem in the operationalisation of the main institutions, including the PPP Operational Unit and the project teams (Economist Impact, 2023). The lack of these
support structures, such as project preparation centers and development finance institutions, bears the brunt of business development. These institutional gaps illustrate the difference between policy formulation on the one hand and policy implementation on the other and add extra layers of complexity for businesses trying to interact with government processes. The current tax and recent policies have put more pressure on various business sectors. The Bahamas Chamber of Commerce and Employers Confederation has pointed out that operating costs have increased, and doing business has become even more difficult for retailers, which has caused their profits to drop (BCCEC, 2024). New government measures for fuel taxation make it necessary to increase costs throughout the supply chain, which has each business depending on transportation. The private sector proposed bringing down fuel taxes to reduce the cost burden, but this advice was not taken, and instead, it added up the costs to the businesses and the consumers. These tax-related problems show that government policy affects vital business costs and economic stability. The requirement for reforming the existing tax and business incentives has become imperative, given that current conditions are unmanageable for many business entities. The Opposition has presented several commonsense reforms, such as abolishing business licenses for microbusinesses with sales of up to $100,000 and a simplified tiered system for small businesses with sales of up to $1 million (Pintard, 2023). They also stress the
need to grant tax allowances to corporations that expand operations within The Bahamas, hire more of the underrepresented Bahamian population, or participate in community development. Other issues include weak framework, high power usage, and unequal service provision, which affect corporate functioning and viability. All this results in a progressive increment in the complexity of the business environment, which needs systematic reforms and efficient policy impacts. The issues of workforce development and education become the defining aspects of doing business and opportunities for expansion. Business leaders have emphasised the shortage of skilled workers and the need for more effective training programs to create a “hireable” workforce (Hartnell, 2024). The private sector demands tax credits for skills development training and other skills development initiatives owned and implemented by individual companies with a close understanding of the symbiotic relationship between education and business. Notably, the construction industry was singled out on analysis, which could easily absorb many unskilled workers if only sufficient attention were paid to workforce development (Hartnell, 2024). The government’s apprenticeship initiative and the requirements for Bahamian under studies symbolise some endeavor toward solving these challenges. However, managerial personnel suggest that much more are required. All of these issues of the workforce point to the symbiotic relationship between education, employment, and the success of businesses in The Bahamas.
JAMAL MOSS Nassau, February 11, 2025.
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Japan’s Shun Sato performs during the men single skating free skating at the 9th Asian Winter Games in Harbin, China yesterday.
Photo: aaron Favila/AP
BCC: Don’t blame church on marital rape law
from page one
administration has grappled with political calculations concerning the issue.
Bishop Fernander noted that in 2022, the Ministry of Social Services and Department of Gender and Family Affairs hosted a sexual offences legislation one-day symposium that involved churches and other members of civil society.
“There was division in the room in regards to it,” he said. “So you can’t say the church has a monolithic approach to this. We are divided on it.
“We didn’t hold any weight on marijuana,” he said. “We put a whole statement when we were against it, one voice, and they did whatever they want. So they just want to use, in particular, the Christian Council, as a beating stick. I’m not trying to let our organisation become
that.”
Free National Movement Senator Michela Barnett-Ellis made a similar argument in the Senate, noting that the Progressive Liberal Party has made bold legislative moves in the past, such as legalising gaming, despite opposition from religious leaders.
The Bahamas has faced international scrutiny for failing to criminalise marital rape, a violation of its obligations under the United Nations Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination Against Women (CEDAW), which it ratified in 1993. In 2023, Mr Pinder revealed that criminalising marital rape was the number one human rights issue countries raised with The Bahamas when the United Nations Human Rights Commission reviewed its record that year.
14-months jail for breaking into bar and restaurant
By PAVEL BAILEY Tribune Staff Reporter pbailey@tribunemedia.net
A MAN was sentenced to 14 months in prison after admitting to breaking into Primetime Bar and Restaurant and repeatedly trespassing on the property over the past six months.
Chief Magistrate Roberto Reckley arraigned 47-year-old Lester Johnson on charges of shopbreaking, stealing, two counts of damage, and three counts of trespassing.
Johnson reportedly trespassed at the bar on Recovery Way three times between October 18, 2024, and February 8, 2025.
On November 7, 2024, he allegedly damaged four white IP cameras valued at $1,800, which belonged to Lavon Rahming.
man gets 30- mont Hs prison for H aving gun
By PAVEL BAILEY Tribune Staff Reporter pbailey@tribunemedia.net
A MAN was sentenced to 30 months in prison after admitting to having a loaded gun during a foot chase with police on Minnie Street last Sunday.
Magistrate Lennox Coleby arraigned Eric Thurston, 29, on possession of an unlicensed firearm and possession of ammunition.
The defendant faced an additional charge of deceit of a public officer.
The defendant reportedly attempted to flee on foot after he saw police approaching him on February 9. Following a brief pursuit, officers found a brown and silver coloured Smith & Wesson pistol and five .38 rounds of ammunition.
Thurston pleaded guilty to the firearm charges and accepted the facts in his case. The deceit charge was withdrawn.
Assistant Superintendent of Police Lincoln McKenzie served as the prosecutor.
Woman fined after admitting to stealing from employer
Between 2pm and 3pm on January 25, 2025, Johnson broke into Primetime Bar and stole $228.35 worth of assorted alcohol and juice belonging to Philando Williams. During this break-in, he also reportedly damaged the bar’s cameras. Johnson pleaded guilty to all charges and accepted the facts of the case. He was sentenced to 14 months at the Bahamas Department of Correctional Services and was ordered to pay a $100 fine or face an additional month in prison.
Inspector Deon Barr served as the prosecutor.
By PAVEL BAILEY Tribune Staff Reporter pbailey@tribunemedia.net
A WOMAN was fined yesterday after admitting to stealing more than $5,000 while working at Prescription Parlour Pharmacy last December.
Senior Magistrate Kendra Kelly arraigned Linda Ospin, 32, on six counts of stealing by reason of employment and six counts of falsification of accounts.
Prosecutors said Ospin stole $5,092.22 from the pharmacy and falsified its accounts between December 15 and 31, 2024. She pleaded guilty to all charges and expressed remorse.
Magistrate Kelly fined her $6,000 and ordered her to fully reimburse the pharmacy. Failure to comply with either condition will result in prison time.
Inspector K Wilkinson prosecuted the case.
BAHAMAS CHriStiAn CounCil preSident BiSHop delton FernAnder
Governor General Cynthia ‘Mother’ Pratt spoke with students of Salina Point, Snug Corner, and Lovely Bay primary schools, combined at Snug Corner Primary School, under the theme ‘Unity Through Excellence’ last week during her visit to islands of the Southern Bahamas.
Photos: letisha Henderson/BIS
Fire and loss near Governor’s Harbour
During World War ii the loss of the nondescript wooden Canadian cargo ship Bernardo to fire off governor’s Harbour would probably been overlooked except this happened while a search was underway for dozens of uS aviators missing in a large seaplane.
After the war a large landing craft, uSS LST 291, veteran of D-Day came to grief on Eleuthera’s reefs and was freed after nearly two weeks of blasting the reef, only to be scuttled later. This is the story of these two different ship casualties at Eleuthera.
The wooden cargo freighter Bernardo was built by JB robichau in Meteghan, nova Scotia and launched in 1929. She was 96ft long, 23ft 1in wide, 8ft 8in deep, and was 122 gross tons. Her owners were Hygeia Steamship Company of north Sydney, Canada, with official number 155212. Her first home port was Yarmouth, on the Bay of Fundy, then Parrsboro, also in nova Scotia, in 1934. On the afternoon of October 28, 1943, Bernardo was passing to the east of Eleuthera when the small ship was rocked by an explosion from either the galley or the engine room. The ensuing fire spread so quickly that captain Mattis Eckholm headed for shore, however before they could reach James Cistern, Eleuthera, all nine crew were forced to jump overboard as the ship neared a reef. Fortunately, boats filled with brave souls who saw the smoke from shore and put out from Eleuthera came to their aid and all
By Eric Wiberg
the sailors were pulled from the water by. The loss of this vessel was later mixed up with a huge air-sea-rescue search or the uS navy PB4Y missing with all hands between Abaco and grand Bahama on 11 March 1945. During the search, a plane was reported ablaze and sinking a mile west of governor’s Harbour; however, this turned out to have been a boat. A search for a burning boat in central Eleuthera in World War ii only turned up the Bernardo.
A mortgage was recorded on October 9th, 1937 on the ship owned by Hygeia Steamship Co Ltd.
This mortgage was discharged on 17 July 1943, and in a note drawn across the Bernardo’s registration papers in hand by registrar L. H. Paddington, we read “vessel destroyed by fire off Eleuthera Bahamas October 28, 1943. [registration] cancelled and delivered per advice received from HBM, vice consul at Miami, Florida, uSA.”
Another ship lost in the bend in Eleuthera’s east coast known as James Cistern, was a large landing craft for tanks (LST) named uSS LST 291. This 328ft-long behemoth was launched from the
American Bridge Company in Pennsylvania in november, 1943, and took part in the Allied invasion of France on 6 June, 1944, known as D-Day. The industrial-looking ship had a 50ft beam, and 14ft keel. Early in 1947, it was decommissioned then in 1951 recommissioned. in May of 1954, LST 291 was on her way to Florida from Vieques, Puerto rico, where her officers and crew had been training when she ran aground at James Cistern. There were very high winds when she grounded firmly in the coral reefs whilst carrying 56 tons of military supplies and 114 rolling stock, or vehicles. For the next 11 days, a variety of specialists, from rescue boat operators to engineers, divers, towboat operators, salvors, demolition experts and others worked on getting the ship free. They even blasted a 1,000-foot channel through the reef.
A detailed account of this episode appeared in the uS navy magazine All Hands in June 1954, and is posted at ProjectEleuthera. org. it features colorful captions like ‘blasting their way to safety,’ and ‘underwater Jeep driving’. under Lt Malcolm gesner, the heavily loaded ship was some 1,800 yards off James
Cistern when “the crunching of steel and stone shattered the silence of the night: the LST had hit a submerged coral reef. The grounding tore a 2ft hole in the evaporator room and twisted, warped and gashed the heavy steel skin in other parts of the ship’s hull.” unfortunately for the sailors on board, the ship’s compartments quickly flooded, and her people were ordered to go over the side. Despite Eleuthera being under a mile away, “heavy seas and razorsharp coral played havoc with the small boats, and at least three of the landing craft ripped holes in their hulls on submerged reefs in getting ashore.” remarkably, no one was drowned or seriously injured. in daylight, the priority became lightening ship by off-loading cargo and vehicles. Since a Mayday was sent, uS navy ships promptly diverted assets towards the wreck, starting with destroyer escort uSS
Osberg (DE 538) and uSS Heyliger (DE 510). These ships took off LST 291’s shipwrecked and stranded people, and left behind in Eleuthera a volunteer salvage party under Commander rK Thurman, who directed operations. They first flooded all the LST’s compartments to halt its progress towards the beach. navy divers called frogmen from underwater Demolition Team Two arrived and planned clearing a 900-foot-wide channel through the reef. There were 25-knot winds and other contrary weather conditions. A channel out was marred by coral pinnacles up to 100ft wide. The divers used 400 pounds of explosives to blast a way out, with more flown in. Many ships, including uSS Carter Hall (LSD 3), uSS Wyandot (AKA 92), uSS Oglethorpe (AKA 100), uSS Tanner (AgS 15) and uSS Donner (LSD 20) removed cargo and assisted. The divers became underwater jeep
drivers, removing vehicles in the ship’s flooded tank deck. A diver, donning his helmet, would seat himself in a submerged vehicle, then steer it to the surface as a heavy crane pulled it out. Holes in the hull were patched and water pumped out. Finally, LST 291 was filled with compressed air and refloated. Then naval salvage ships uSS recovery (ArS 43) and uSS Opportune (ArS 41) washed streams of water under the LST’s stern, and she moved, though the tow cable suddenly went limp when the ship was caught on a coral pinnacle.
Once extracted from the reefs, navy salvors towed LST 291 to a drydock in Jacksonville, however since “the damage she sustained was too extensive, she was decommissioned, struck from the naval register on 19 May 1954, and sunk as a target in July 1954.” So ended the saga of a ship so close to home which was blasted from a certain grave.
MV Bernardo in Canada prior to
fire and loss off Eleuthera in 1943.
LST 291 under LT Gesner, Malcolm J aground on Eleuthera, spring 1954.
Why are migrants dying trying to cross into the US?
These are the 3 main risks they face
By Marni LaFLeur university of San Diego
President donald trump closed much of the activity at the Us-Mexico border in January 2025, making it impossible for migrants who arrive at a Us port of entry to apply for asylum. trump’s border policies are likely to make it far more difficult and dangerous for migrants trying to reach the Us but won’t deter all people who want to cross the UsMexico border without legal authorisation. the number of migrants crossing from Mexico into the Us without legal authorisation dropped dramatically in 2024. But for a long time, crossing the Us-Mexico border by land has been the world’s deadliest migration route.
Us Customs and Border Protection recovered the remains of 10,784 migrants from 1988 through 2024. this figure is an estimate of the total number of migrants who have died trying to cross from Mexico into the Us –there is no centralised system or organisation that tracks migrant deaths, or any federal laws guiding authorities on how to manage the remains of migrants.
Many other dead migrants are also never found. i am a professor of anthropology and have spent the past several years trying to understand how and why migrants die trying to enter the Us
stranded migrants who are now staying in Mexican border towns and others with plans to still try to illegally cross into the Us might pursue increasingly dangerous ways to enter the country. research shows that there are three main reasons why migrants die trying to reach the Us from Mexico. First, migrants are often exposed to extreme weather conditions. second, they drown in rivers or other bodies of water. third, they could also experience blunt force trauma because of falls or motor vehicle accidents.
Environmental exposure is common and dangerous
Migrants coming from Central and s outh America often travel to the U s in groups, typically with the help of a guide, called a coyote, they pay to help them.
t hey may spend days or weeks walking through remote areas without access to shelter or fresh food and clean water.
t hey might sleep outdoors in very cold weather and walk during extreme heat. t his can cause hypothermia or hyperthermia.
One of those remote areas is the s onoran d esert, which spans the southwest U s into northwest Mexico. i t is divided by the U s -Mexico border and is one of the hottest places on e arth. Ambient temperatures can soar to or above 118 degrees Fahrenheit, or 48 degrees Celsius.
As part of the strategy to stop migrants from coming to the U s , Customs and Border Protection does not place many officers in the depths of the desert along the border. t he government’s 1994 migration “prevention through deterrence” strategy explains that because the desert itself poses mortal danger to individuals, it is unnecessary to guard the land.
With border barriers, video surveillance, bright lights and many patrol agents closer to more populated areas along the U s -Mexico border, migrants can view the desert as a viable alternative for entering the U s d eterrent practices have been found to not stop migrants from trying to enter the U s , but they do increase the number of migrants who die trying to do so. e ven migrants who are near help or are rescued from the desert may not recover from exposure to extreme temperatures. i n 2023, for example, a nineyear-old migrant boy died from organ failure after authorities found him along the Arizona border. Drowning poses another risk drowning is another leading cause of death for migrants trying to reach the Us
in California, for example, the 82-mile-long All-American Canal runs parallel to the Us-Mexico border. Although the canal doesn’t look particularly dangerous, it is deep, cold, fast-moving and has steep concrete edges that are difficult to scale. Migrants might not be able to swim, or others, particularly women and children, are not strong enough to withstand the force of the currents.
Areas of the rio Grande, a river that divides the Us and Mexico in some areas of texas, have become hot spots for migrant drownings. Approximately 1,107 migrants died trying to cross this river between 2017 to 2023. the river is fast and deep and is filled with rocks and heavy vegetation that make crossing difficult.
Additionally, in an effort to further deter migrant crossing at eagle Pass, an area of the rio Grande, the texas national Guard installed more than 100 miles of razor wire along the river’s banks in 2024. they set up a large string of oversized orange buoys in the water, creating what the federal government called a navigation obstruction for migrants. these tactics have sparked larger debates on how to handle migration, and which government agency is responsible for
preventing people from crossing into the country, or apprehending them when they do so. in 2024, a Mexican woman and her two children tried to cross the rio Grande but struggled to do so. As Customs and Border Protection agents prepared to rescue the distressed and drowning individuals, the texas national Guard prevented rescue attempts. the family died from drowning, and their bodies were later recovered.
Blunt force trauma
Another leading cause of death of migrants is falling from heights or experiencing car accidents.
At the California border region alone, approximately 20% of migrant deaths were due to blunt force trauma between 2018 through 2023. this rate rose after the 2020 expansion of the border wall, which now spans 741 miles of the UsMexico border. in total, the border is nearly 2,000 miles. in one incident in texas in 2020, a pregnant 19-year-old Guatemalan woman died after falling from the border wall, which ranges from 18 to 30 feet. Medical authorities were unable to save the fetus.
in texas, between 2021 and 2023, high-speed
chases by immigration officials led to the deaths of 74 people. some individuals were ejected from moving vehicles, while others were hit by fastmoving vehicles. Another particularly deadly accident occurred in 2021 in Holtville, California, when an sUV transporting 25 migrants collided with a semitruck. thirteen migrants were killed. ‘Prevention through deterrence’
For more than 30 years, the U s government has tried to prevent migrants from reaching the U s through different strategies, like deploying Border Patrol agents or building walls. t here are many practical and policy-based interventions that would make it safer for migrants to cross through the U s and Mexico deserts. For example, water stations along known migration routes of the desert save lives.
r egardless of how the trump administration tries to stop migrants from reaching the U s , people will likely still try to come and embark on unsafe journeys to do so – and i will continue to track their experiences and deaths.
• Originally published on www.theconversation.com
A mAn pays his respects at the site where officials found dozens of people dead inside a semi truck in San Antonio, Texas.
Photo: Eric Gay/AP
DEbrA PoncE, left, and Angelita Olvera pray near the scene, Tuesday, June 28, 2022, in San Antonio, where officials say dozens of people have been found dead and multiple others were taken to hospitals with heat-related illnesses after a semitrailer containing suspected migrants was found.
Photo: Jay Janner/Austin American-Statesman/AP
Defence Act amendment seeks to
fix retirement age inconsistencies
By LYNAIRE MUNNINGS Tribune Staff Reporter lmunnings@ tribunemedia.net
ROYAL Bahamas Defence Force (RBDF)
Commodore Raymond King said an amendment to the Defence Act tabled in the House of Assembly on Wednesday seeks to resolve retirement age inconsistencies and retain experienced personnel to address knowledge gaps within the force.
The Defence Amendment Bill, tabled in the House of Assembly on Wednesday, seeks to repeal and replace Section 18 of the Defence Act to allow marines to serve until 60 without limitation.
Under the proposed change, marines who complete 30 years of service or another prescribed period may re-enlist with approval from the competent authority for further terms of service until reaching 60 years of age. Retirees wishing to continue serving would have six months from retirement to reapply.
The current Defence Act allows retirement after 30 years of service or at the age of 55, but the addition of the 40-year service limit during earlier amendments caused confusion and affected career expectations. If passed, the new bill will retroactively take effect from January 2, 2025.
Commodore King told The Tribune: “During Commodore Tellis Bethell’s tenure, the Defence Act was amended to increase the retirement age of the RBDF members from age 55 to 60 years to mitigate the knowledge gap and experience void and increasing attrition levels in the service.
“However, in addition to simply increasing the age limit to 60 years, another stipulation was introduced –– ‘or 40 years of service, whichever came first.’ That provision is included in the Police Act and somehow made it in our amendments for the first time. Consequently, some of our members were adversely affected by that provision, having to be discharged from the service after 40 years despite not attaining the age of 60.
“Our members had expected to enjoy careers up to age 60 via the expected change. Hence, my office led the efforts to restore the original intent and remove the 40-year stipulation.”
Jitney attack hero and police officer honoured
By LYNAIRE MUNNINGS Tribune Staff Reporter lmunnings@tribunemedia.net
THE Royal Bahamas Police Force honoured Sergeant Arnold Nesbitt and Delano Clarke for their actions in separate incidents showcasing bravery, compassion, and a commitment to helping others.
Sgt Nesbitt, a 35-yearold officer with 13 years of service, was commended for his swift actions after witnessing Marine Seaman Yashua Cox struck by a vehicle on Milo Butler Highway earlier this month. Acting decisively, Sgt Nesbitt used his vehicle to shield the injured jogger from oncoming traffic, coordinated with emergency services, and contacted the victim’s family.
“What we do when we see our brother or our sister in need of help, shouldn’t be a delay in your thoughts as to whether or not you are going to help,” Sgt Nesbitt said yesterday. “Train up a child in a way he should go, and when he gets old, he will not depart from it. Those were the things my grandmother, my family, taught me. I came from a place of love. Someone is hurting, someone is in need of help — you get on with it and help. And I was very happy that I was in the right place at the right time to do the right thing.”
Meanwhile, Delano Clarke was recognised for intervening in a violent assault on Baillou Hill Road in December 2024. A woman was brutally attacked in broad daylight by a man unknown to her, suffering serious injuries. Mr Clark risked his safety
to stop the assault, putting an end to the attack when others hesitated.
“If I had to do it again, I would do it better,” Mr Clark said yesterday. “I had no time to think, and God just say move, so I move with whatever strength he give me.”
Deputy Commissioner Anthony Rolle praised both honorees during the ceremony, saying: “These two incidents exemplify the goodness and bravery that exists within our society, reminding us of the importance of stepping up to help each other. It is also crucial to highlight the partnership
that makes this possible.
He thanked representatives from Fidelity Bank and John Bull Group of Companies for helping to honour the men.
“Their commitment to supporting our police force strengthens our collective ability to respond to challenges and uphold safety in our neighbourhoods,” he said. “As we honour Delano Clarke and Sergeant Nesbitt for their heroic actions, let us all encourage everyone in our nation to emulate their bravery. For one of us has the power to make a difference in our communities,
BAHAMAS
GIRL GUIDES ASSOCIATION
THE Council of the Bahamas Girl Guides Association met in a training seminar at their new headquarters, to further examine their roles and responsibilities as they continue to support the almost 2000 girls and over 160 leaders across The Bahamas. Some 32 new and experienced members were led in discussion by Dr Ruth Sumner, President; Leja Burrows, Chief Commissioner; Paula Adderley-Wilmot, Legal Advisor; and Louise Barry and Elma Garraway, trainers.
whether it’s through an act of kindness or courage in the face of adversity.”
Representing Fidelity Bank, Gowon Bowe expressed the organisation’s pride in partnering with the police force, saying: “Whenever the police call for society’s help, we all have a responsibility to step forward. These individuals have set a shining example for us all. It is always admirable and worthy of recognition when we remind ourselves that we are our brothers and sisters’ keeper.”
Similarly, Inga Bowleg of John Bull Group of
Companies, emphasised the need for corporate Bahamas to demonstrate loyalty and support for the police, noting: “We cannot shun reciprocating when the police force calls for our assistance. These heroes deserve our greatest commendation. We truly believe that our relationship with the police is a two-way street, and we are willing to face all the challenges, the good times and the bad times, together.”
The honorees were presented with plaques and donations from Fidelity Bank and John Bull Group of Companies.
“The strategic objectives related to programming, capacity building, increased membership, training and sustainable financial support are not only achieveable, but can also guide the growth of the Association,” opined Michele Fields, vice president. Other members offered suggestions to ensure progress, especially for increasing membership.at the guide level (10-14-year-olds), throughout the country. Council and the general. public were invited to support the activities of Guide Week which begins with a Church Service on Sunday, February 16, at St Joseph’s Church at 3pm. Morning devotions can be heard on Radio Bahamas throughout the week. They will be conducted by The Sunflowers, Brownies, Guides and Rangers from. across
Sergeant Arnold Newbold and Delano Clarke shake hands at Police Headquarters yesterday.
Photos: Dante Carrer/Tribune Staff
Professional boxer
Carl Hield preparing to defend his title
By BRENT STUBBS Chief Sports Editor bstubbs@tribunemedia.net
IN his bid to continue his winning streak as a professional boxer, Carl Hield will put his World Boxing Assocation’s Fedecaribe Super welterweight title on the line for the third time when he returns to Colombia to fight on Wednesday, February 26.
This time as he heads to Santa Marta, Hield will take on Anthony Sáez from Venezuela who, at age 30, sports a 4-4-1 win-loss-draw record. They will square off in the main event for eight rounds.
The 38-year-old Hield, coming off his successful debut at home as a pro with his ninth straight victory as he stopped Edwin Gamboa on Christmas Eve at the Grand Hyatt Baha Mar resort, said he’s ready for
what will be the prelude to an event that the Bahamian public will be waiting for in his next fight.
“I want to thank God for giving me the strength and the knowledge and the opportunity to keep myself active in the pro game,” said Hield, who won the WBA Fedecaribe title on June 21, 2024 over Colombian Christian Bautista in Cartagena, Colombia.
“My training...I was in Trinidad & Tobago and then I came back to Florida, so I am here with (Bahamian) Rashield (Williams in Fort Lauderdale), who is giving me some good sparring to get me prepared for the fight.”
Like every fight he takes on, Hield said the goal is for him to get better and better as he makes the necessary adjustments to what he would have done in his previous fights.
“For me, everything is basically the same, but every training camp you should feel better than the last one,” Hield pointed out.
“This one is going to be a little tougher because this will be my third straight title defence. So the training is a little more intense than the last one.”
Hield, who trains under the watchful eyes of coach Francisco Tineo, said he’s right where he needs to be to defend his title.
“I’m grateful to all the people who are making everything possible for training camp, my sponsors and everyone who is giving me their full support to make everything work the way it is going,” Hield said.
“So, I want to thank God for that.”
He thanked his sponsors, including Rollin Type - Importers Limited; Rigger
242 Life; Octobulk and the Strikers Boxing Club. He promised that he will be prepared to give it his best shot against Sáez.
“I prepare for myself, so whatever he brings, I am prepared to back it up,” Hield stated.
“I don’t really prepare for a fighter. So, you could study and prepare for him, but he could come with a different plan.
“So, for me, I just prepare myself to make sure that I am 100 per cent ready for whoever I step into the ring to fight. I’m 120 per cent prepared. So, whatever he comes with, I have an answer for him.”
With his training camp over, Hield said he’s just trying to maintain his weight and do some light workouts before he leaves for Colombia on Sunday, February 23, because all of the hard sparring is done.
“I dedicate all of my fights to my mommy,” Hield said. “But I want the Bahamian public to stay tuned because we have some big history news, but I won’t break it out until I finish this fight. I will be fighting a
month right after this fight. I have some big news to break after this fight.” He said that some history is coming to the Bahamas within the next two months. He advises the public to stay tuned.
27th Farmer’s Cay Class C Regatta in Exuma ‘was the place to be’
REGATTA TIME AGAIN: The 27th edition of the Farmer’s Cay Class C Regatta was the place to be over the weekend in Little Farmer’s Cay, Exuma. The ‘Slaughter’, captained by Exuma’s Leslie
Rolle, dethroned the previous champion ‘Sassie Sue’, captained by Stefan Knowles. The ‘Slaughter’ completed a clean sweep to take home the hardware. Second place went to last year’s
By JAMES ROBSON AP Soccer Writer
THE Premier League title is Liverpool’s to lose while a healthy seven points clear at the top. Yet the chaotic scenes at the end of the Merseyside derby on Wednesday were a reminder that, with 14 rounds to go, there was plenty of time for more twists. Everton’s stoppage-time equaliser for 2-2 denied Liverpool the chance to open up a nine-point lead over second-placed Arsenal.
The angry, on-field melee that followed was fuelled by typical derby intensity in the last-ever derby at Everton’s Goodison Park — but
also frustration from Liverpool at having blown a victory so late. Even coach Arne Slot was shown a red card, for using abusive language. “To concede an equaliser that late is always disappointing,” Liverpool captain Virgil van Dijk said.
“We saw the celebrations they had in the end so we know how much it meant for them, but the fact is it was disappointing for us.” The fact that Liverpool still managed to extend its lead on the table appeared to be lost in the hotblooded finish.
And with Arsenal gripped by an injury crisis in attack and Manchester City’s title defence having unravelled before the turn of the year, Liverpool
remains the strong favourite to be crowned English champion for a record-equalling 20th time.
Leading the way The draw with Everton used up Liverpool’s game in hand on its rivals dating to when the original match was postponed in December.
While there was frustration at letting two points slip, Slot’s team still has a big lead.
Liverpool led by only two points this time last year, before finishing nine points behind eventual champion Manchester City. Arsenal led by two points with a game in hand at this stage in 2023, and eventually lost to City by five points. Next up for
Liverpool is Wolverhampton at home on Sunday before a tricky run of games away to Aston Villa and City before hosting Newcastle.
Arsenal crisis
Arsenal’s hopes of chasing down Liverpool’s lead were dealt a blow when Kai Havertz was injured during a warm weather training trip to Dubai this week.
Arsenal has not confirmed the extent of the injury, but reports in the British media speculated he could be out for the rest of the season after tearing his hamstring.
After failing to bring in a striker during the January window, Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta was already short of options up front
with Gabriel Jesus out for the season and Bukayo Saka and Gabriel Martinelli also sidelined. Arsenal travels to relegation-fighting Leicester on Saturday.
Unwanted distraction
Ahead of the Champions League playoff second leg against Real Madrid next week, City faces Newcastle in a game that could be significant in the race to secure a place in the top four.
Fifth-placed City is above Newcastle only on goals scored, with the teams having near identical records in the league and equal goal difference.
City’s lineup could be affected by next Wednesday’s game at the Bernabeu after losing the first leg 3-2. Failure to overturn that
scoreline would see the 2023 Champions League winner eliminated before the round of 16 for the first time since 2012. In ideal circumstances, Pep Guardiola would likely prefer to rest key players ahead of such an important game. But given his team’s domestic struggles, he cannot take any risks against Newcastle.
TITLE FIGHT: Carl Hield will put his World Boxing Assocation Fedecaribe Super welterweight title on the line for the third time when he returns to Colombia to fight on February 26.
“Buzzy”
winner ‘Sassie Sue’. The third podium spot went to ‘King of Knights’.
Boxing hits Kendal Isaacs Gymnasium
Photos by Dante Carrer/Tribune Staff
FIGHT NIGHT REPLAY: Real Housewives star Juicy Joe Giudice out-punched TV star and model Ojani Noa in the Xrumble celebrity Boxing three-round one-minute each main event. The show, promoted by Brandit Sean and carried live on Triller TV powered by FITE, also featured three preliminary matches between boxers from promoter Ronn Rodgers’ Strikers Boxing Club. In the last of the three local fights, Juwan ‘Fight Night’ Forbes punished Naathan Pickstock with a series of blows to seal a lopsided showdown. Pickstock withstood every attack and counter-punched at times, but it wasn’t enough. In the opening bout, Kendric Stuart remained undefeated in five fights, but he got a little more than he bargained for from Keyshawn Forbes, who made his debut. Forbes, the heavier of the two fighters, managed to rock Stuart at the end of the first round, but after he regrouped, the faster Stuart used his experience. However, the judges ruled it a draw.
BAISS BEST-OF-3 BASKETBALL CHAMPIONSHIPS: ST JOHN’S COLLEGE GIANTS WIN 3 TITLES - AGAIN
FROM PAGE 16
win the senior boys’ title,” he said.
Coach Baker added that the title felt even sweeter knowing that he got it done with last year’s juniors who are now a part of the senior team.
“I feel good because I did it with my junior boys. They were my guys that won last year and they came up and they were hungry. All year we got everybody’s best shot and our guys stepped up to the challenge and they rose to the occasion,” he said.
The Giants displayed the heart and determination from the first half of the contest.
The team secured a 23-12 advantage at the halftime break after leading by just two (9-7) in the first period.
SJC really got things going in the third quarter against the Comets. The team surged ahead 48-22 late in the third and were in charge 50-28 with one quarter left to play.
The Giants never looked back after this point.
‘I feel good because I did it with my junior boys. They were my guys that won last year and they came up and they were hungry. All year we got everybody’s best shot and our guys stepped up to the challenge and they rose to the occasion’
— Giants head coach Dastyn Baker
The Most Valuable Player (MVP) honours went to Leonardo Rolle. He finished the game with a team-high 21 points with all scored in the second half.
His teammate Deren Moultrie was the second leading scorer with 17 points.
Junior Boys
The Giants put together an insurmountable run in the fourth quarter to claim the junior boys’ crown for a second straight year.
Coach Baker was happy to see his team defy this season’s odds as the fourth seed to emerge as two-time champions.
“It feels good. Just two weeks ago we almost didn’t make it here. We were in the fifth spot and somebody had to win in order for us to get in here and that is just a test of our resilience. We battled and the guys just came out and they battled and now we are back here to the mountain top again,” he said.
The Falcons held a double-digit lead early in the fourth period 35-25 until SJC mounted a 9-0 run to close in 35-34 with 3:20 remaining.
Baker talked about his message to the team ahead of the final period.
“I just told my guys this is the last game there isn’t anything you could do, you are either gonna win or lose.
“I told them just go out there, shoot the ball, dribble the ball, do what you were taught and what you practiced all these years and they just went out there and performed,” he said.
With less than 30 seconds to go, the Giants got a big steal and Deandre Baker finished off the play with a layup to take the lead 43-42. Baker also stepped up to the line and drained a pair of free throws to clinch the game.
TWICE IN A ROW: The
Game three did not end without its fare share of controversy as one of the Falcons assistant coaches overtly expressed grievances with the referees’ officiating. The Falcons basketball team failed to return to the court on the following possession despite the referees calling the basketball team three times, resulting in a forfeit with 2.8 seconds remaining.
Brando Thompson was named the MVP of the game with 12 points. His teammate Deandre Baker dropped 11 points in the championship victory.
three
Junior Girls A strong first half performance was what the SJC junior girls needed to defeat the Cougars in game three. The team went into the third quarter leading 21-16. The Giants kept the momentum going after Melodi Ferguson scored on a floater to push the score to 30-18 with less than two minutes to go in the third. Any chance the Cougars had to make a run, the Giants would extend the lead back to double digits.
The team sat comfortably ahead 37-27 with 2:02 left in the fourth and held on for the win.
championships
Giants head coach Malcolm Rahming was very pleased with the team’s second straight championship victory.
“It feels good. It always feels good to win and I am blessed to win a second one but the best one is always the next one,” he said. Marianna Guzman was named the MVP. She scored a team-high 10 points in the championship series.
The trio of Giants basketball teams joined the Kingsway Academy senior girls as the newly crowned champions for the 2025
BAISS basketball season.
St John’s College Giants secured
basketball
for BAISS basketball season for the second straight year last night at the Kendal GL Isaacs Gymnasium. The Giants repeated as champions in the junior division and added the senior boys’ title to their trophy collection this time around.
Klay Thompson scores 17 points to help Mavericks
beat his former team Warriors
111-107
DALLAS (AP) — Kyrie Irving scored 42 points and took a charge in the closing seconds, Klay Thompson added 17 against his former team, and the undersized Dallas Mavericks beat the Golden State Warriors 111107 on Wednesday night.
Naji Marshall hit a 6-foot floater in the lane to give Dallas a 109-107 lead with
25.6 seconds left after Steph Curry, the NBA’s leading free-throw shooter at 93.1%, missed the second of two to leave the score tied. Then, Jimmy Butler’s driving basket was disallowed for a charge into Irving, a call that was upheld on video review.
The tallest players in
Kylor Kelley, a 7-footer who played his first NBA game on Jan. 27, played two first-quarter minutes.
Among Dallas’ missing big men was Anthony Davis, acquired Feb. 1 in the trade that sent Luka Doncic to the Los Angeles
Dallas’ starting lineup were Kessler Edwards and Olivier-Maxence Prosper, each at 6-foot-8.
FUELLED BY GRUDGE, JAMAL MURRAY SCORES CAREER-HIGH
55 POINTS IN NUGGETS’ WIN OVER TRAIL BLAZERS
By PAT GRAHAM AP Sports Writer
DENVER (AP) — The only thing hotter than Jamal Murray’s jumper on Wednesday night might have been his temper.
The Denver guard was still carrying a grudge against the Portland Trail Blazers over being ejected for some trash talking on Monday. Facing them again two days later, Murray let his play do his chirping with a career-best 55 points the Nuggets’ 132-121 victory.
“They (the Trail Blazers) shouldn’t have done that,” Nuggets forward Zeke Nnaji said about the trash talk. “When he’s mad, there’s no one in the world that can stop him.”
Murray conjured up visions of “Playoff Murray” in Denver’s last game before the All-Star break.
He was difficult to guard when he helped led the Nuggets to their first NBA championship in 2023.
He was difficult to contain Wednesday, too, hitting one long-range shot after another on his way to a 30-point first half. When the Trail Blazers changed their tactics in the second half, Murray adjusted, too, and attacked the rim.
Murray finished 20 of 36 from the floor, including seven 3-pointers. It’s the third-most points in the franchise’s NBA history, trailing only David Thompson’s 73-point game on April 9, 1978, and Jokic’s 56-point effort Dec. 7. In the ABA, Spencer Haywood had a 59-point game for the then-Denver Rockets on April 15, 1970. “He was just ultra-aggressive
tonight,” Nuggets coach Michael Malone said. “As a coach, obviously watching one of your players have that type of game, just so proud of him and happy for him. He’s been playing at a high level for us. And tonight was his best game ever from a numbers standpoint.”
The Blazers drew his ire in Denver’s 146-117 victory Monday. Murray picked up a technical in the third quarter and another in the fourth for some talking after finishing a three-point play with a free throw. It led to his ejection — and to his fuel for Wednesday.
“It’s just all competitive spirit,” Murray explained. “I came ready to play. Especially just being used to the playoffs and playing the same team over and over and they know your plays and things get chippy and you have to see them again. So, I think just that kind of factor made me ready to go. I was truly prepared today.”
For his efforts, he received the game ball signed by all of his teammates. He brought it with him to the postgame news conference.
“It’s just years of chemistry with those guys,” Murray said. “They know me. I know them, and tonight was just them looking out for me. I know I shot the ball well, but I brought the ball up here just because I couldn’t do it without them. That’s why we’re such a good team.”
His scoring spree overshadowed another stellar performance by Nikola Jokic, who had 26 points, 15 rebounds and 10 assists for
his 25th triple-double of the season.
Murray had a little bit of everything going, including his explosiveness despite dealing with nagging injuries this season such as left knee and hamstring inflammation and a sprained right ankle.
“I feel the same,” he said. “I’ve been the same person, same player, for years now. ... I came in ready to go today. I was hopping before the game started, and that’s just because of the last game.”
KNICKS 149, HAWKS 148, OT NEW YORK (AP) — Jalen Brunson made the go-ahead jumper with 11.1 seconds left in overtime, Karl-Anthony Towns scored 44 points and New York outlasted Atlanta in a thrilling final game before the All-Star break for both teams.
Towns reached 40 points in consecutive games for the first time in his career and became the fifth Knicks player to do so. Brunson — who was the last Knicks player to do it — added 36 points and eight assists.
Trae Young had 38 points and 19 assists for the Hawks. They had a three-game winning streak snapped, but not until erasing a six-point deficit in the final 10 seconds of regulation.
They had a chance to win it after Brunson’s jumper, but Young missed a jumper and Georges Niang a 3-pointer.
PISTONS 128, BULLS 110
CHICAGO (AP) — Cade Cunningham scored 29 points and Detroit beat
Lakers. Davis has been sidelined with a groin injury suffered in his Mavericks debut last Saturday.
Curry scored 25, 11 in the fourth quarter, but on 9-of23 shooting including 4 of 13 behind the arc.
Butler added 21 in his third game since being acquired from the Miami Heat.
Takeaways Warriors: With 7-0
Quinten Post and 6-9 Kevion Looney, they led 33-11 in second-chance points and 62-48 in paint.
Mavericks: Irving played 40 minutes, his fifth consecutive game with at least 40.
Key moment
After taking possession following the charge
Ayton out with strained left calf
Chicago after dominating them the previous night.
Tobias Harris and Ausar Thompson scored 19, and Jalen Duren added 16 points and 14 rebounds.
The Pistons rolled into the All-Star break with their fourth straight win after blowing out the Bulls 132-92 in the same arena on Tuesday. Detroit built a franchise-record, 42-point halftime lead Tuesday on the way to its most lopsided win of the season. Chicago, meanwhile, set a club mark by missing its first 20 3-point attempts.
Ayo Dosunmu scored 23 for Chicago, and Nikola Vucevic added 22 points and 13 rebounds. But the Bulls again had a rough time shooting 3-pointers, making nine of 41 after going 10 for 47 on Tuesday.
KINGS 119, PELICANS 111
NEW ORLEANS (AP)
— Keon Ellis hit seven 3-pointers during a 27-point performance, Zach LaVine scored 20 of his 23 points in the second half, and Sacramento beat New Orleans.
DeMar DeRozan scored 24 points and Malik Monk added 17 for the Kings, who broke open a close game in the last five minutes with
an 11-2 run that began with LaVine’s 3 and ended with DeRozan’s 16-foot turnaround.
Domantas Sabonis had 16 points and 15 rebounds — his 48th double-double in 51 games this season — for Sacramento, which has won three straight.
Zion Williamson scored a game-high 33 points and grabbed nine rebounds for the Pelicans, who’ve lost 10 straight for the second time this season.
Trey Murphy III scored 19 points, Jose Alvarado added 18 and CJ McCollum 14 for the Pelicans, who were competitive for much of a game that had 13 lead changes and 12 ties before fading late.
ROCKETS 119, SUNS 111
HOUSTON (AP) — Amen Thompson had 18 points, 11 assists and 10 rebounds for his fourth career triple-double and Houston used a big run late to get a win over Phoenix. It was the second tripledouble this month after the second-year player also had one on Feb. 3. The game was tied after a 3-pointer by Bol Bol before the Rockets used an 11-2 run to take a 115-106
lead with just more than a minute to go.
Kevin Durant had 37 points for the short-handed Suns, who were missing Devin Booker, who sat out with a bruised lower back. The Suns lost their third in a row and for the sixth time in seven games.
Alperen Sengun had 17 points and 13 rebounds after sitting out most of Sunday’s game dealing with back spasms to help the Rockets win a second straight. Tari Eason added 25 points for Houston and Green had 22.
JAZZ 131, LAKERS 119
SALT LAKE CITY (AP) — Lauri Markkanen scored 32 points and had a seasonhigh three steals to lead Utah to a victory over Los Angeles.
Jordan Clarkson had 21 points, nine rebounds and seven assists to help Utah end a three-game slide. Keyonte George added 20 points, 10 assists and seven rebounds off the bench.
LeBron James finished with 18 points, seven assists and six rebounds for Los Angeles. Rui Hachimura scored a team-high 19 points and Luka Doncic added 16.
STEPH VS. SABRINA, THE BIG HIT OF ALL-STAR WEEKEND LAST YEAR, WON’T HAPPEN THIS YEAR
By TIM REYNOLDS AP Basketball Writer
SAN FRANCISCO (AP) — There will be no Stephen Curry vs. Sabrina Ionescu rematch at All-Star weekend.
The NBA announced yesterday that the 3-point shooting event bringing together two of the biggest stars in the NBA and WNBA — which was one of the highlights of last year’s All-Star weekend in Indianapolis — is not going to be part of the lineup in San Francisco. Talks went on for weeks to try to make it happen, even stretching into AllStar week itself.
It seemed more than logical that a rematch would occur; All-Star weekend is on Curry’s home floor this weekend and Ionescu — who plays for the WNBA champion New York Liberty — is a Bay Area native who grew up watching Curry and the Golden State Warriors.
“We weren’t able to land on a plan we thought would raise the bar off of last year’s special moment,” NBA spokesman Mike Bass said.
“We all agreed not to proceed and will instead keep the focus on All-Star Sunday’s new format.” Curry was on record saying he wanted the
rematch to occur, and there were talks of making it a 2-on-2 format this year — potentially involving Klay Thompson, Curry’s former Warriors teammate, and reigning WNBA rookie of the year Caitlin Clark.
The 2-on-2 talks seemed to fall apart in recent weeks, though the NBA had hope of bringing some form of Curry vs. Ionescu back — potentially even including it in Sunday night’s lineup between games of the new All-Star Game mini-tournament and not having it be part of All-Star Saturday like it was a year ago.
“We’ve been talking about finding different ways to change this up next
year,” Ionescu said after last year’s event — when she and Curry both made clear, at the time, that they wanted to bring the competition back this year.
“I think he has a partner in mind that’s going to join him.
“So, I’m open to any partner that could help me win and take that belt that he has up front and centre away from him.” Curry beat Ionescu 29-26 in the Steph vs. Sabrina competition last season, the first such him-vs.-her event of its kind at the league’s weekend showcase. The competition generated money for their foundations.
on Butler, Dallas held the ball until Max Christie was fouled with 10.4 seconds left.
Christie hit both free throws for the four-point winning margin.
Key stat Dallas outshot Golden
State 48.3% to 42.7% and hit 15 of 36
3-pointers to the Warriors’
PORTLAND Trail Blazers centre Deandre Ayton (2) in the second half of an NBA basketball game Monday, February 10, 2025, in Denver. Ayton, who is out with a strained left calf, will be re-evaluated in a month.
(AP Photo/David Zalubowski)
DALLAS Mavericks guard Klay Thompson (31) shoots against Golden State Warriors defender Chavano “Buddy” Hield (7), as Stephen Curry (30) looks on, during the first half of an NBA basketball game in Dallas on Wednesday night. (AP Photo/LM Otero)
What to do when you’re not doing it
By Dr Kent L Bazard
EVERY athlete faces that moment - the frustrating stretch where no matter how much effort you put in, you just can’t seem to hit your mark.
The gymnast who struggles to land a new skill, the basketball player who keeps missing that crucial shot, the pitcher who can’t increase their velocity - these moments of stagnation can shake confidence and test resilience.
But they are also part of the journey to greatness.
You’re Not Alone: Even the Best Struggle
It’s easy to look at professional athletes and assume they’ve always been at the top of their game. But even the greatest have faced skill plateaus and slumps.
NBA legend Stephen Curry, despite being one of the greatest shooters
in history, has had shooting slumps where nothing seemed to fall. Serena Williams has spoken about the mental battles she’s had to overcome after losses.
Baseball stars like Justin Verlander have had to rebuild their pitching mechanics after struggling with speed and control. The difference between those who succeed and those who don’t isn’t talent - it’s perseverance and strategy.
Breaking Through the Plateau Athletes who feel stuck often need to adjust both physically and mentally.
Here are some key strategies:
1. Shift Your Mindset with Sports Psychology Techniques
• Visualisation: Picture yourself performing the skill successfully. Studies show that mental imagery
activates the same neural pathways as physical practice.
• SelfTalk: Replace frustration with encouragement. Instead of “I’ll never get this,” say, “I’m getting better every rep.”
• Cognitive Reframing: Instead of seeing failure as proof of inadequacy, see it as part of the process.
Every missed shot, failed attempt, or slow throw is a step closer to mastery.
2. Adjust Your Training Approach
• Break it Down: Instead of focusing on the full movement, isolate smaller components.
A gymnast struggling with a backflip can work on arm positioning and takeoff separately before putting it all together.
• Slow it Down: Speed often leads to errors. Slowing down mechanics allows for better muscle memory development.
• Track Progress Differently: If results aren’t showing in competition, look at small improvements in practice - better accuracy, stronger mechanics, increased consistency. Progress isn’t always linear, but it is happening. The Role of Coaches, Mentors, and Sports Therapists
A strong support system is essential. Coaches provide technical adjustments, but mentors and sports therapists help with the mental aspect of performance. Seeking guidance from a sports psychologist
or working with a performance coach can provide fresh insights and help athletes break mental barriers.
Balancing Academic and Social Pressures
For high school and collegiate athletes, the pressure isn’t just on the field - it’s in the classroom and social circles as well.
Managing time effectively, prioritising recovery, and maintaining perspective are crucial. Here’s how:
• Time Management: Use a planner to balance training, schoolwork, and rest.
• Set Realistic Expectations: Not every moment needs to be perfect— growth comes in phases.
• Find a Support System: Surround yourself with teammates and friends who uplift rather than add pressure.
Final Thoughts
Struggles are temporary. The frustration you feel
FC vs Baha Jrs. Under-15 boys’ division - 9am - Baha Jrs Athletico vs Western Warriors, 10:30am Renegades Chargers vs United FC, Noon - Inner Nassau vs Baha Jrs Yellow, Noon - Renegades Sharks vs Cavalier FC. Under-18 boys’ division - 4pm - Baha Juniors vs United FC, Renegades vs Dynamos FC. Under-18 girls’ division6pm - Dynamos FC vs Baha Jrs, 6:30pm - Renegades FC vs Cavalier FC. Sunday, February 16
Men’s division - 4:30pmInt. Nassau BLS vs Cavalier FC, 4:45pm - United FC vs WWR Gladiators, 6:45pm - IM Bears vs Future Stars, 7pm - Baha Jrs vs Int. Nassau.
CYCLING
NPCA
ACTION
During the month of February, the New Providence Cycling Association will hold two separate events, Saturday, February 15Cycling Clinic at the Queen Elizabeth Sprots Centre, eastern parking lot next to the Thomas A. Robinson National Stadium. The event will run from 9-11 am. Refreshments will be provided. Sunday, February 23King of the Hills Cycling
Championships, starting 8:30am on Fort Charlotte Hill. The winner will be crowned the King of the Hills for 2025. Registration forms for this event can be picked up from the Cycles Bike Store or contact the NPCA. The categories include elite men, open women, under-23. male/female, masters’ male over 40 years, masters’ male over 55 years, 15-17 boys and girls, 12-014 boys and girls and 9-11 boys and girls.
SOFTBALL BBSF SEASON
THE Bahamas Baptist Sports Federation will now start its first team competition for 2025 with its co-ed slow-pitch softball season on Saturday, February 22, at the Charles W Saunders High School, Jean Street. Teams have until Saturday, February 15, to register. The registration fee is $200 per team. Interested teams are urged to contact tournament director Thomas Sears at 424-2888 or federation president Brent Stubbs at 426-7265.
RED-LINE ATHLETES’ FIELD EVENT
CLASSIC
THE Red-Line Athletics Track Club has announced plans to host its second annual Field Event Classic. The country’s all field events only meet is scheduled for Saturday, February 22 at the original Thomas A
Robinson Track and Field Stadium.
The event is set to take place from 9am to 3pm and will be open to competitors from the under-11 to open categories for men and women.
All winners will receive crystals and the top three will earn medals. Athletes can register at redlineathletics242@gmail.com or smnbutler@yahoo.com
NPA TRACK CLASSIC THE Noble Preparatory Academy is all set to hold its 2025 Track and Field Classic on Saturday, March 15 at the original Thomas A. Robinson Track and Field Stadium from 9am to 6pm.
The registration deadline is March 11. Athletes can register at info@npabahamas.com UNCLE LOU FUN RUN/WALK THE St Augustine’s College and the Alumni Association is inviting the general public to come out and participate in the Uncle Lou Fun Run/Walk.
Under the theme: “Paint the streets red,” the event will take place on Saturday, March 15, starting 6am at SAC’s campus off Bernard Road.
The route will leave SAC’s campus and head on Bernard Road, turn onto Soldier Road to Prince Charles Drive, turn east onto Prince Charles Drive and head back to SAC. The registration fee is $20 for
adults and $10 for persons under the age of 20. The first 200 participants will receive road race t-shirts.
Persons can register now by logging onto www.saintaugustinescollege.com
Following the race, a health screening will take place. There will also be a souse out with chicken priced at $10, pig feet at $12 and sheep tongue at $15. Drinks will also be on sale.
For more information, persons can call 242-324-1511or email Thesacalumni@gmail.com
RUGBY GAMES
AT WINTON
AFTER making some minor repairs to the Winton rugby pitch, the Bahamas Rugby Union is scheduled to play matches on Saturday, February 22, Saturday, March 8 and Saturday, March 22.
All ages and all abilities are welcome, including men and women, ‘Golden Oldies’ teams and beginners and seasoned players.
The BRU is also inviting persons to come and try rugby this year. The only equipment needed are tennis/cleats and PE kit.
For further information, persons are urged to call (242) 812-0417.
SPECIAL OLYMPICS
BAHAMAS OPEN
HOUSE
SPECIAL Olympics Bahamas is preparing to hold their open house on
today is the groundwork for future success. Every elite athlete has faced obstacles, but those who persist - those who continue showing up, adjusting, and believing - are the ones who break through.
If you’re feeling stuck, take a breath, adjust your approach, and trust the process. Progress is happening, even if you don’t see it yet. And, when you finally hit that mark, all the struggle will have been worth it.
• Dr Kent Bazard, sports medicine physician at Empire Sports Medicine, specializes in ensuring athletes reach their peak performance safely. With extensive experience and a passion for sports health, Dr. Bazard provides insights and guidance for athletes of all ages - men and women.
16
of competition. The host team dropped their game against Cuba 76-62 and fell 91-74 against the USA last November.
Johnson expressed the importance of the remaining two games.
“For us every game is a key game especially when it comes down to these final windows. When you would’ve had a team beat you in a previous window and you are moving into a next one now you put yourself in a bind having to go ahead and avenge the loss.
“We have to do that in this window as we would’ve lost to these two teams previously so we look forward to avenging those losses and coming out on top and giving ourselves the best chance to qualify for the AmeriCup,” Johnson said.
Team Bahamas will be relying on the energy of the home crowd to take them over the hump next week.
The USA leads the Group D standings with a 3-1 record. Cuba is third in the group with a 2-2 record.
Dereck Smith, a member of the BBF, expressed the need for Bahamians to come out and support the players next week.
“The journey of a thousand miles begins with a first step and this is our first step… it is very important that we as Bahamians take this opportunity to come out and support. We are asking the public to please come out and support us. This is where the journey begins and there is nothing like that home-court advantage. The fans make a difference. We are just asking for your support,” he said.
The basketball action will extend to fans as well. There will be a halfcourt shot competition with a prize of $500 on night one. If no participants are successful, the prize money will double for the following game.
There will also be a raffle for fans in attendance. Tickets can still be purchased online at www.nsa-bahamas.com
Dolphin Drive on February 18 and 25 and everyone is invited to attend any session. Every Tuesday during the month of February, 2025 between the hours of 10am and 3pm, Special Olympics is iinviting the general public along with family and friends to visit our office at #24 Dolphin Drive to view our Wall of Fame. While there, they are asking for guests to sign their Visitor’s Register and leave a phone contact for an opportunity to receive one of their “Special” Red Balls. “Shake hands with our athletes and chat with one of our stars,” said a press release. “Join the Inclusion Revolution today.”
BAZARD DR KENT
St John’s Giants win three titles - again!
By TENAJH SWEETING
Sports Reporter
FBy TENAJH SWEETING
or the second consecutive season, the St John’s College (SJC) Giants claimed three out of the four basketball titles to close out the Bahamas Association of Independent Secondary Schools (BAISS) best-ofthree championship series last night at the Kendal GL Isaacs Gymnasium.
The Giants swept the junior division with the girls and boys repeating as champions for the second straight year.
The junior boys took game three 45-42 over the Jordan Prince Williams Falcons.
In the final matchup, the Giants’ senior boys steamrolled the Queen’s College Comets 73-55 in game three of their series.
The junior girls won their series 2-1, winning game three 37-29 over the Charles W Saunders Cougars.
Senior Boys
The SJC senior boys’ team were the only basketball group missing from last year’s championship celebrations. This time around the senior team completed the championship trio.
Head coach Dastyn Baker was visibly overjoyed as he spoke about how it felt to be crowned as the senior boys’ champions. “I feel like a champ and it feels good. This is what we practiced for all year. We finally made it. This was our goal in the beginning to come to the senior boys [championships] and
SEE PAGE 13
THE Bahamas Basketball Federation (BBF) officially announced the 13-man roster set to represent the country in the third and final window of the FIBA AmeriCup 2025 Qualifiers starting next Thursday at the Kendal GL Isaacs Gymnasium.
The host team will play the first game against Cuba in Group D on Thursday, February 20 at 8:30pm.
In the following game Team Bahamas will take on the USA on Sunday, February 23 at 7:10pm. The Bahamas will be represented by Lathaniel Bastian, Eron Gordon, Domnick Bridgewater, Sammy Hunter, Dylan Musgrove, Jaraun “Kino” Burrows, Kenny Isnord, Godfrey Rolle III, Garvin Clarke Jr, Franco Miller Jr, Kentwan Smith, Radshad Davis and Tavario Miller Sr.
The coaching staff includes John Lucas III, Mychel Thompson Jr, Addison Walters and Jordan Walker.
The supporting staff consists of general manager Lynden Rose Jr, manager Kellen Hutchinson, head of delegation Rodney Wilson and physiotherapist Henry Park.
Moses Johnson, first vice president of the BBF, is expecting the players on the roster to work well together thanks to their experiences together in previous windows.
“All of these guys are main cogs of our regular windows and there is continuity there. At least 8-9 of these guys have played continuously in these windows so there is some continuity and synergy,” he said.
The Bahamas currently sits at the bottom of Group D with a 1-3 win/loss record. The team secured its first and only victory of the qualifiers in the first window of competition against Puerto Rico last year. The team defeated Puerto Rico 88-77 in that matchup while playing with then National Basketball Association (NBA) free agent Kai Jones. Since then, The Bahamas has picked up three consecutive losses, including two against Cuba and the USA, in the second window
its 2025 soccer league at the Roscoe AL Davies Field with the following
being played: Saturday, February 15 Under-13 girls’ division - 9am - United FC vs Renegades Chargers, 9am - Western Warriors vs Baha Juniors, 9:45am - Baha Juniors vs Dynamos FC, 9:45am - Western Warriors vs United FC, 10:30am - Dynamos FC vs Renegades Chargers. Under-15 girls’ divisionDynamos FC vs Western Warriors 9am - Cavalier
SEE
15 February
THE 12th annual Tour de Grand Bahama cycling competition, sponsored by the Grand Bahama Port Authority (GBPA), turned out to be a very successful event over the weekend in Grand Bahama.
Now officially branded the “Grand Bahama Port Authority Tour de Grand Bahama,” the event organised by the Grand Bahama Cycling Association attracted both Bahamian and international cyclists.
Cyclists from the University of Florida in Gainesville, two teams from Tampa, Florida, a contingent from Turks and Caicos, as well as
competitors from Canada, Nassau, Grand Bahama and the Family Islands participated.
The competition started on Saturday with a 3.7-mile time trial – a race against the clock designed to test speed and endurance.
The second stage is a closed-circuit race lasting one hour, plus three laps, where strategy and pacing will be crucial.
On Sunday, the event culminated with the gruelling open-category road race - an 80-mile test of stamina and skill starting and finishing at the GBPA headquarters. Female cyclists rode a 60-mile course, while
juniors did 40-mile races. The overall winners were as follows: Junior category - 1st Livingston Duncombe , 2nd Ayden Bain. Under 23 category - 1st Cadin Oliver, University of Florida, 2nd Barron Musgrove Jr. Open male category - 1st Kevin Daley, 2nd Jay Major, 3rd - Marc Saulnier. Masters Category1st Devaughn Williams Turks and Caicos, 2nd Lee Gibbs, Freeport, 3rd Sean Rodgers Turks and Caicos.
Overall Winners - 1st Oliver Cadin, Florida University, 2nd Kevin Daley 3rd Jay Major.
TITLE FIGHT: In his bid to continue his winning streak as a professional boxer, Carl Hield will put his World Boxing Assocation Fedecaribe Super welterweight