04172023 NEWS AND SPORT

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‘MP RAPED AND ASSAULTED ME’

politician

By RASHAD ROLLE and EARYEL BOWLEG Tribune News Editor and Staff Reporter

THE woman who filed a complaint with police about a sitting member of parliament alleges that he raped, choked, struck and made death threats against her and her family. She said she went to police when she lost hope that he would change and

feared for her life and that of her family.

“I’m having difficulty sleeping, difficulty eating.

I’m having panic attacks,” said the woman, whose name is being withheld as she is an alleged victim of sexual assault and who will be referred to in this article under the pseudonym Jane Rolle. “Emotionally, mentally, it’s a lot to deal with,”

FAMILY MOURN AS MOM AND DAUGHTER FOUND MURDERED

By EARYEL BOWLEG Tribune Staff Reporter ebowleg@tribunemedia.net

THE grim discovery of the bodies of Allison Thompson and her 14-yearold daughter Trevorniqua on Friday has reopened wounds for their family - after having lost Allison’s mother and another female relative in similar incidents years ago.

When she was a toddler, Allison’s mother was shot in the head by a neighbour, according to two cousins who spoke to The Tribune yesterday on the condition of anonymity because they were uncomfortable being identified. They said an aunt of theirs was also beaten to death in another incident.

GOVT PROPOSAL ‘FIRST STEP’ IN FIXING FUEL MARGIN ISSUES

By NEIL HARTNELL Tribune Business Editor nhartnell@tribunemedia.net

PETROLEUM retailers and wholesalers are studying “significant new ideas” proposed by the Government to foster greater competition - “but not at the expense of consumers” - in a bid to

resolve the industry’s structural woes.

Sir Franklyn Wilson, chairman of BISX-listed FOCOL Holdings, which operates the Shell brand, told Tribune Business that the government unveiled its proposal during a Friday morning meeting.

A MAN was killed in a police-involved shooting after a car chase that ended in a gunfight in the Seven Hills area, officers reported yesterday.

The incident took place shortly before 4pm when officers from the Southwestern Division were conducting routine traffic checks in the area of Fire Trail and Gladstone Roads.

Chief Superintendent Chrislyn Skippings, speaking to reporters at the scene of the shooting yesterday,

WILSON DEFENDS RESPONSIBILITY ALLOWANCE HIKE

By LYNAIRE MUNNINGS Tribune Staff Reporter lmunnings@tribunemedia.net

FINANCIAL Secretary

Simon Wilson defended the 58 per cent responsibility allowance increase senior civil servants have received, saying the real scandal is that the Police Commissioner and Defence Force Commodore only make $70,000 a year.

“Wages at the senior level of the public service are very, very low,” he said yesterday, adding The

Bahamas does not offer enough money to retain the best and brightest officials in the service.

The little-known “responsibility allowance” is awarded to senior officials who “undertake duties that require a greater degree of skill or responsibility associated with the post”, according to State Minister for Public Service

said: “They observed the driver of a darkcoloured Nissan Cube acting suspiciously. They attempted to stop the driver, however he sped off at a high rate of speed – thus a chase ensued which ended in the Seven Hills area where there was an exchange of gunshots which resulted in the driver being shot fatally.”

She added that the coroner had been called to the scene and was taking charge of the investigation.

Woman says

choked her and said he would kill her family

Family mourn as mom and daughter found murdered

“It’s like a wound just opening up again because that’s the way that (Allison’s) mom died,” one cousin said. “She also had an aunt died in a case like that also whereby the aunt got beat to death (and) was locked up in her house. They didn’t find her body until about two to three days after.”

The partially decomposed bodies of the mother and daughter were found in an apartment on Ross Corner on Friday — the day that would have been Allison’s 38th birthday. Police have since arrested a 23-year-old man in connection with their suspected murder.

Police were alerted to the scene after someone smelled a foul odour.

Relatives said the tragic deaths are even more poignant because Allison and Trevorniqua were inseparable.

“The mother-daughter relationship, I said no one could have got in between,” said one cousin. “I say she carry her. She really tote her on her back. She had two kids, but she really tote that Trevorniqua.” She described Allison as a hard-working woman who struggled to lock down a single job but always found something to do, whether janitorial work or waitressing.

Trevorniqua, a student of TA Thompson, wanted to be a teacher when she grew up, she added.

Police suspect Allison and her daughter were dead as long as a day and a half before their bodies were found.

Asked if relatives noticed they were missing, the cousin explained: “We didn’t know. Our neighbour came (to) us Friday morning and told us that she received a call from one

of her friends that lived through the corner of where Allison was living and said that they hadn’t been seeing her in like two days. That ain’t like her.

“Knowing the person that she is, they would have seen her like every morning. But they say they haven’t seen her within two days and she’s a person they will see her

every day going to work. She then went on saying that they smelled a little stench and flies around the room or apartment where she was staying.”

Paul Thompson, Allison’s uncle, spoke of family members’ birthday party plans for Allison.

“Some cake right there,” he said. “Now you see how it turn out.

This is supposed to be her big celebration day, but what God do is well done. It bothers me more with my little niece. She ain’t had a fighting chance. She just starting out in life. You know, it’s not fair to her. “I don’t know what take place in that place but it’s hard. Hate to know she gone like that.”

POLICE INVESTIGATE ATTEMP TED SUICIDE BY PREGNANT WOMAN

POLICE are investigating what they have described as an attempted suicide of a 24-year-old pregnant woman in Grand Bahama.

On Saturday morning, police received reports that a woman had attempted to hang herself with a wire at her home. The woman, who is 30 weeks pregnant, reportedly also hit herself in the stomach with a hammer.

Emergency medical

services were called and the woman was taken to hospital, where she was reported to be in serious but stable condition. The condition of the unborn child was not reported.

robbed two women at their home in the area of Church Hill Drive off Soldier Road is being hunted by police after a robbery on Saturday at about 11.20am. Police said there was a knock on the door

and when one of the victims answered, a tall, dark-skinned, slim man produced a firearm and demanded cash. Both roommates were robbed of an undisclosed amount. However, they fought the suspect and stabbed him in the left shoulder before he fled.

Officers checked local medical facilities in search of the suspect but he has not been located.

Anyone who knows someone who fits the

description or has a similar injury is urged to contact 911/919 or the Criminal Investigations Department on 502-9991/2/3. -

can man from Georgia was arrested on Saturday at about 9.15am after being found in possession of a quantity of suspected marijuana by members of the Tourism Police Division while on Charlotte Street.

ALLISON Thompson (left) and her daughter Trevorniqua Thompson (right) were found dead at there home on Ross Corner with slash marks to their upper bodies. Family members noted that there have been other similar tragedies in the families past. Police are questioning a 23-year-old man in connection with the incident.

Cartwright urges govt to consult with struggling straw vendors on rotation system

By LYNAIRE MUNNINGS Tribune Staff Reporter lmunnings@ tribunemedia.net

FREE National Movement deputy leader Shanendon Cartwright accused the government of neglecting struggling straw vendors.

Nassau Straw Market vendors have complained about their recent postpandemic return to a full-time work schedule, saying the rotational system allowed them to make more money.

Mr Cartwright said yesterday: “In recent weeks, Bahamian straw vendors have expressed their dissatisfaction with the government’s lack of care, response, and attention to a number of issues plaguing the Nassau Straw Market, namely the elimination of the rotation system which has brought great economic hardship for many of the vendors who are struggling to make it.”

“While it is acknowledged that the rotation

FREE National Movement deputy leder Shanendon Cartwright urged the government to forge a stronger “consultative and collaborative” partnership with straw vendors and review the economic impact since the rotation system was eliminated.

system was never intended to be permanent, its implementation as expressed by many vendors proved to be economically beneficial for vendors.”

“Additionally, the rotation system allowed better

spacing of goods and products enhancing the overall presentation to both visitors and Bahamians alike.”

Mr Cartwright urged the government to forge a stronger “consultative and collaborative” partnership

with straw vendors. He suggested that the government “immediately” review current policies and the economic impact on vendors and the tourist experience. He pledged the support

of the FNM for straw vendors.

The Ministry of Works and Utilities said last month that the rotational system was a “temporary measure”. Under that system,

vendors worked three days on some weeks and four days on other weeks. They divided into groups A and B, a separation that reduced competition and crowds in the Straw Market.

far er feels a a o e after ‘e te sive a aGes’ fro e i or oil spill

By LYNAIRE MUNNINGS

Tribune Staff Reporter lmunnings@tribunemedia.net

LOCAL farmer Harold Adderley says he was forced to abandon his farm of ten years after the 2019 oil spill at the Equinor South Riding Point plant in East Grand Bahama.

Today, the animals he left behind are freely roaming the constituency unkempt in search of food.

Mr Adderley, a Grand Bahama resident, said the oil spill during Hurricane Dorian in September 2019 contributed to “extensive damages” to his five-acre farm.

He said he is at a loss for words over how his passion ended abruptly.

He said the oil spill, which has been estimated at 55,000 barrels (2.3 million gallons), led him to close his lucrative business, Big H Livestock Farm, in South Riding Point, East Grand Bahama.

“Frankly, words cannot begin to exemplify how saddened and crushed I am as a result of this misfortunate situation,” he told The Tribune yesterday. “I feel like the prophet Job in the Bible who lost everything. However, I am forever grateful to God for my life and a second chance to restart.

“I have endured the burden of immense pain for approximately four years while undergoing depression. I still had to be strong and care for my wife who was diagnosed with cancer in 2018.

“Then on December 3, 2022, I buried my beloved 29-year-old son who was admitted into the Rand Memorial Hospital in the ICU ward, which continues to plague me to this day because I was unable to fly him out of the country to receive better medical attention in the United States when he faced his calamity, due to me exhausting all my funds on the restoration of my farm.”

The 63-year-old said he first harvested papayas and pigeon peas, goats and pigs but eventually stopped raising goats and primarily focused on pigs.

He said all of his crops and livestock were severely damaged as a result of the oil spill.

Initially, he said, the Ministry of Agriculture and Marine Resources assisted with five 100-pound pig feed supplies and clearing the farmland, but on July 29, 2020, he was given a devastating notice from the ministry.

The letter read: “The Department of Agriculture has conducted an inspection of your fiveacre farm located in South Riding Point, East Grand Bahama on the 27th July, 2020. The inspection has revealed that the integrity of pigs belonging to you were compromised due to their exposure to oil or oil by-products.

“The oil spill in September 2019 at the Equinor facility as a result of the passing of Hurricane Dorian has led to the compromised state of your pigs and you are hereby encouraged to neither slaughter them nor sell them for human consumption as they represent a health risk to any prospective consumer.

“This letter serves as a notice for you to take the necessary precautions moving forward.”

At the time, Mr Adderley said he presumed that following the Department of Agriculture’s assessment, it would begin preparing to relocate his farm to another site. However, the department considered his farmland condemned.

Since then, Mr Adderley said he has not returned to the farm site as it brings him pain and anguish after suffering such loss.

He said successive governments have failed both himself and the residents of East End who have been affected by the oil spill.

“I feel like both the FNM (Free National Movement) and PLP (Progressive Liberal Party) administration has failed me, including the defenceless residents of East End who have suffered irreparable damages similar to me and now have to reside in an oil-infested

EQUINOR South Riding Point plant in East Grand Bahama. Damge due to Hurricne Dorian allowed an estimated 55,000 barrels (2.3 million gallons)to spill leading to the closure of nearby Big H Livestock Farm.

environment that poses a great threat to their health.

“This is absolutely not the time to rant in the House of Assembly and point fingers debating who did not do their part. The point of the matter is simply this, the past and present government has allowed Equinor company to come to Grand Bahama, establish a lucrative oil business, and earn billions of dollars.

“However, following the oil spill which affected many local residents in the East End community, the government has not rendered any support nor made any attempt to ensure that affected victims are justly compensated.”

Mr Adderley said he is too traumatised to consider reopening another farm in the near future.

eteoroloGist pre i ts ‘sliG tl a ove averaGe’ rri a e seaso

By LYNAIRE MUNNINGS Tribune Staff Reporter lmunnings@tribunemedia.net

FORMER deputy director of the Department of Meteorology Basil Dean is predicting a “slightly above average” 2023 hurricane season, with as many as six hurricanes forming, of which two are projected to be major storms.

Recently, Colorado State University released its 2023 Atlantic region hurricane season forecast, predicting 13 named storms, six hurricanes, and two major hurricanes ranging as category three or higher.

However, these forecasts are said to be “slightly below” the typical season average of 14 named storms, seven hurricanes, and three major hurricanes.

In an interview with The Tribune, Mr Dean said this season’s predicted formation is based on two environmental factors, which leaves room for uncertainties.

“Looking at the factors that dictate the frequency of development would be the ENSO (El Nino Southern Oscillation), which is currently in a neutral phase, and that is moving from what we call the La Nina,” he said.

“The La Nina tends to favour more tropical storm development, so we are moving away from that phase and expect to transition into what we call the El Nino phase by late summer or certainly by fall. The question, however, is how quickly is it going to get to that point. Now we do not know that, so that

leaves some uncertainties as to what kind of season we’re really going to have.

“Another factor that we also look at is the sea surface temperatures in the Eastern and Central Atlantic Ocean. The Sea Surface temperatures are above normal, so even if for example, it does not transition to the El Nino phase which favours less activity, we still can have a fairly active hurricane season because of the warm sea surface temperatures, which is also another ingredient hurricanes need for development.

“So, at the end of the day, it really all boils down to the El Nino, how quickly it reaches that point, so that remains some uncertainties because we really don’t know. But personally, I would tend to lean more

towards an average season perhaps just slightly above average.”

CNN reported that traditionally the El Nino inhibits hurricane activity, whereas La Niña or ENSO neutral conditions create a more favourable environment for tropical storm development.

The Climate Prediction Centre issued an El Nino Watch on Thursday which indicates a 62 percent chance of El Nino developing during the months of May and July.

Mr Dean urged residents to take advantage of this dry season to prepare in anticipation of any possible dangerous and destructive storms that could affect the county.

The 2023 hurricane season runs from June

to November

THIS satellite image provided by NOAA shows Hurricane Fiona in the Caribbean on in 2022.

Photo: NOAA via AP

Migration a major contributor to increase in population according to census report

By EARYEL BOWLEG Tribune Staff Reporter ebowleg@tribunemedia.net

THE population of The Bahamas increased by 13.6 per cent from 2010 to 2022, with net migration emerging as the primary reason.

The Bahamas National Statistical Institute released preliminary results of the long-awaited Census of Population and Housing on Friday, revealing the population to be 399,314.

The census reveals that the population of New Providence continues to increase compared to other islands. At the same time, Grand Bahama experienced the highest absolute decrease in total population, with a loss of 3,893 people.

Only nine Family Islands experienced population gains — Acklins, Andros, the Berry Islands, Bimini, Cat Island, Eleuthera, Exuma and Cays, Harbour Island and Spanish Wells.

The census, compiled from field data from April 4 to October 31, found men account for 48.22 per cent of the population while women account for 52.78 per cent.

The census considers all residents of The Bahamas, regardless of their legal status. It also accounts for people serving in the diplomatic corps or studying abroad.

The data shows that net migration — the difference between the number of people leaving the country and the number entering the country — has emerged as the chief source of population increase.

“Looking at the components (natural increase and net migration) from 1990 to 2000, the

population grew mainly by natural increase. From 2000 to 2010 net migration started to become a contender in population growth for The Bahamas, and by 2022 net migration has become a part of the landscape,” the report said.

Indeed, 24,261 of the population change was due to net migration, compared to 23,592 due to natural increase, which is the difference between live births and deaths.

By comparison, in 2010, net migration accounted for 12,730 of the population change, while natural growth accounted for 35,120.

Nerissa Gibson, the acting managing director of the Bahamas National Statistical Institute, told The Tribune that births declined and the number of deaths increased each year during the intercensal period.

“What we found was the increase in the population is attributed greatly to net migration, meaning that you have more persons migrating to The Bahamas than leaving The Bahamas,” she said. She said the data shows the death rate in The Bahamas has risen since 2010.

“For one, you had Dorian where we lost a lot of persons in Abaco and East Grand Bahama,” she said. “Then also you had a lot of deaths attributed to COVID-19.”

In percentage terms, the Berry Islands experienced the greatest population change — 25.90 per cent. This was followed by New Providence, which experienced an increase of 21.58 and 20.38 per cent. Conversely, Ragged Island experienced the largest decrease in population — 38.89 per cent.

NEW PROVIDENCE SEES A SIGNIFICA N T INCREASE IN DENSITY IN PRELIMIN ARY CENSUS OF PUPULATION A ND HOUSING

By EARYEL BOWLEG Tribune Staff Reporter ebowleg@tribunemedia.net

NEW Providence has grown even more crowded in the last decade, with preliminary census results showing the island’s increase in population density.

According to the census, there are 3,707 residents per square mile on New Providence, an increase of 627 over 2010. By a long way, Harbour Island and Spanish Wells were the

second most dense islands, with a 267 per square mile population. Pinewood is the constituency with the highest population density, with 19,031.79 people per square mile. Englerston, Nassau Village, Centreville and Bain and Grants Town follow Pinewood.

The least dense constituency is Killarney, which only has 571.57 people per square mile.

New Providence has 296,522 residents —74.26 per cent of people in the

country, according to the census. Compared to 2010, when the previous census was performed, the island has experienced a 4.17 per cent increase.

Killarney is the largest constituency by population size, with 17,679 people.

Bamboo Town, Golden Isles, Fox Hill and Elizabeth are the next most populous constituencies. With 8989 residents, Yamacraw is the least populous constituency on the island.

Overall, population density in The Bahamas

increased from 65.3 persons per square mile in 2010 to 74.2 persons in 2022. In addition to New Providence, Bimini and the Berry Islands experienced increases in population density.

Meanwhile, researchers found 79,660 households in New Providence and an average household size of 3.72. In 2010, there were 70,222 households on New Providence and an average size of 3.51.

L ABOUR FORCE SURVEY TO BE RELEASED BY E N D OF JU N E

By EARYEL BOWLEG Tribune Staff Reporter ebowleg@tribunemedia.net

THE next Labour Force survey will be the first in three years and is scheduled for release by June 30, according to the acting managing director of the Bahamas National Statistical Institute.

Nerissa Gibson said

researchers are preparing to study the employment rate of The Bahamas now that they have finished the 2022 census.

“All of last week, we had enumerators in training,” she said yesterday. “They will complete training on Tuesday of this week and we are planning to go in the field on May 1 for a period of two weeks.

So we will be in the field for two weeks, May 1 to the 14, conducting the labour force survey. “ The last labour force survey was done in November 2019 before the COVID-19 pandemic upended employment norms in the country and prevented researchers from entering the field.

In January, Labour Minister Keith Bell admitted he was anxious to get the latest numbers.

“I’ve tasked the Department of Labour to provide me with accurate statistics in respect to the employment numbers,” he said.

“You would have seen that we would have had a number of employment initiatives with the private sector and the government. I have asked the Department of Labour to specifically tell me the specific number of hires. Unfortunately, it isn’t as forthcoming as I would have wanted, but you will get it as soon as I get it.”

Last June, Prime Minister Phillip “Brave” Davis claimed the country’s unemployment rate stood below 20 per cent.

It was reported in August 2019 the national unemployment rate had improved - with labour force officials revealing a decrease to 9.5 per cent. The rate has hovered above ten per cent for much of the last decade.

REPRESENTATIVES of the Bahamas National Statistical Institute who released a long-awaited population census, which noted that The Bahamas inches closer to 400,000 people residing in the country with migration being a major factor in the growth.

‘MP raped and assaulted me’

she said.

Ms Rolle filed a complaint against the MP on April 7 in Grand Bahama.

Until now, details of her allegations have not been publicly reported. The Tribune is withholding the name of the MP because he has not been charged with a crime.

Ms Rolle was accompanied by her mother, aunt and uncle when The Tribune spoke to her on Saturday. The family has travelled from Abaco to New Providence to deal with the matter that has uprooted their lives and sense of stability.

Ms Rolle appeared to be in a sombre mood.

She said she and the MP had been in a relationship for two years.

“The relationship has been good but it’s always been verbally abusive,” she claimed. “The physical didn’t start until September or October of last year

when there were two incidents where he choked me until I passed out. There was another incident where he poked me in the eye, which he said was an accident.”

“He made threats of killing my family and making me watch, and then of killing me. There was also another incident in Nassau, the weekend of March 24, where we got into it and he held a knife to my throat and he almost stabbed me. I was terrified, I was afraid, I literally saw my life flash before my eyes. I was curled up with my hands, saying stop.”

Asked why she stayed with the man after he allegedly became violent, she said: “Hope made me stick with it. I hoped that something would change and the relationship would get better and we could build a life together.”

Ms Rolle said the MP assaulted her again on April 4.

“He came by my residence. He forced me into

my room, ripped off my jeans and underwear and forced himself on me. Before leaving my residence, he said to me that he came to kill us, but not enough of the family was in the yard. After that Tuesday, that Friday, I filed a report with the police. I was terrified.”

“I very much fear for my life. That’s the reason I made a complaint in the first place.”

Ms Rolle said she met Grand Bahama police officers investigating her complaint three times - on April 7, then on Tuesday and Thursday last week. She said initially she was “thoroughly interviewed” for about four hours by “Superintendent Pinder”.

“She was very professional,” she said.

On Tuesday, she met Assistant Commissioner of Police Bernard “BK” Bonamy, who assured her the matter would be investigated. She said a Thursday

meeting with the police left her believing officers would not charge the MP with a crime.

“They gave me the impression they’re gonna call him in, warn him, and I must bound him over [to keep] the peace,” she said. “The impression they gave is there wasn’t enough evidence to charge him because there wasn’t anyone around when these things happened to corroborate my story. They made it seem like it was just a ‘he say, she say’ story. “I asked about the photo I gave them when he gave me the black eye. They said no one saw that happen, so it’s just my word against his.” She said officers told her they hadn’t spoken to the Progressive Liberal Party MP yet.

She said after speaking with “Superintendent Weir” on Thursday, a deputy to the officer asked her to sign a document.

“In the statement they

wanted me to sign, there was a portion that said I’m not taking further police action. After reading that, I told the officer to remove that because I knew this wasn’t going to end there. He removed that and I signed it.”

Ms Rolle showed The Tribune a copy of the statement. She accused the MP of rape and death threats in the document and said he needed professional help. The statement referenced her difficulty sleeping and eating and her fears for her family.

It said: “I will also be seeking to have him bound over [to keep] the peace.”

Ms Rolle said she is intensely private and wants to put the matter behind her but is pushing because she believes her action could save a life.

“I’m still trying to deal with the trauma of everything, having been with him so long,” she said.

“My intentions were never to bring harm to him or

bring him down, but I’m doing this because this could be used to save a life.

“It’s possible that someone else could be the victim of his violence. The next woman that comes along, she could lose her life. Many are looking in from the outside and passing judgement, but they don’t understand what it is I’m going through. They’re gonna hate me for doing this but if this can save a life, I’m okay with that.”

Asked about the complaint against him, the MP told reporters “no comment” at least three times outside the House of Assembly last week. Asked yesterday if the MP had been interviewed as part of their investigation, ACP Bonamy told The Tribune : “I’m not going to comment on that. A complaint was made. It is being investigated and at some point later on when we have concluded, we will say exactly what took place.”

WILSON DEFENDS RESPONSIBILITY ALLOWANCE HIKE

from page one

Pia Glover-Rolle.

A document she tabled in the House of Assembly last week showed Cabinet approved an increase in responsibility allowance for 73 people on November 22.

The secretary to the Cabinet now receives a $24,000 responsibility allowance, up from $18,000. The financial secretary gets a $22,000 allowance, up from $16,000. The auditor general, police commissioner and defence force commodore all receive a $20,000 allowance, up from $14,000. The treasurer, director of works and comptroller of customs receive a $10,000 allowance, up from $7,000.

Twenty-six of the senior officials receive a $5,000 allowance, the lowest amount given to any official.

Mr Wilson said he is concerned about the criticism and complaints over the increase, insisting nothing is scandalous about the matter.

“This ain’t out of the ordinary,” he said. “It wasn’t done in secret, it wasn’t done in the darkness of the night. It was done quite transparently, except that the BPSU president decided he didn’t want the allowance to be annexed to his agreement that he signed as was done in the past. And then he turns around and attempts to create mischief.”

Mr Wilson said the increases maintain parity with the Bahamas Educators Management Union (BEMU) and the Bahamas Public Services Union (BPSU), both of which recently ratified Industrial Agreements that boosted the allowances of their members.

He said even though most senior civil servants are members of the BPSU, president Kimsely Ferguson refused to annex their increases to the recent Industrial Agreement,

which explains why it was dealt with separately from other allowance increases people received.

“For some reason, he decided to make a big deal of it,” Mr Wilson said. “I find this very disingenuous right here. BEMU got allowance increases. BNU got allowance increases. BPSU got an allowance increase. Why is there an issue?”

“People have an issue because they are uninformed about what happens. For example, my deputy, he gets more allowance than what I get. That was negotiated with the government. He makes $50,000 in allowance. My allowance is $20,000. He gets housing allowance, I don’t get a housing allowance. But the people who are commenting, such as the politicians and Mr Ferguson, they are all aware of that. That’s not the only anomaly that we have.

“People are making a big deal that the permanent secretary gets a $20,000 allowance. Well, if people would sit down and look at the permanent secretary’s salary, they’d realise their salaries in 15 years has gone up by $5,000.

“The commissioner of police getting $20,000, making $70,000 a year. With all the responsibilities that he has, (people complaining) like that allowance is a big deal, like the world has come to an end.

“Think of this now. The commissioner of police making $70,000 with all that responsibility. That should be the scandal. The commodore of the Defence Force, $70,000 a year, that’s with the $20,000 allowance. I don’t understand this.

“I look at myself. You realise a senior manager in the Central Bank makes more than the financial secretary with my allowance? But yet still people are saying somehow that senior public officers with responsibility should work for less, be frowned upon to make a

decent wage, and then we look around and question why the public service is underperforming.”

Mr Wilson said even with the new allowances, the civil service will still lose middle managers who

complain they can’t afford to take care of their families and have to go to the private sector.

“It’s impossible (to keep good talent),” he said. “The same way you have doctors and nurses leaving, you

have people who don’t look at the public service as a career because the salaries are too low. And you know what’s going to happen given this issue with the allowances? People gon’ say why should I be in the

public sector where we getting an allowance of $10,000 allowance on my already depressed salary, which is then turned into a political controversy like we stealing money from the treasury?”

The Tribune Limited

Disney committed to supporting and involving Bahamians in the development and operations of Lighthouse Point

IN THE last of our guest editorials at The Tribune - with a series of contributors having been invited to offer their views on different issues, today’s editorial is written by Joey Gaskins, regional public affairs director for Disney Cruise Line in The Bahamas & Caribbean.

JUST over a year ago, I joined Disney Cruise Line (DCL) as the regional public affairs director, and since then, I’ve been part of so many incredible initiatives supporting the Bahamian community, our culture and the beautiful place we get to call home. I am grateful to be part of the team sharing The Bahamas with families sailing here from around the globe aboard Disney ships, and I am privileged to work in collaboration with my Disney colleagues and our partners across the Bahamas to create lasting, positive impact in the communities we call home.

DCL is creating a new experience in Eleuthera at Lighthouse Point which will welcome guests next summer. Created in close collaboration with Bahamian artists and advisors, the vibrant island retreat will be a unique celebration of Bahamian culture brought to life with the quality and service of a Disney vacation. While developing this oneof-a-kind island destination, DCL is committed to creating sustainable economic opportunities for Bahamians, protecting and sustaining the natural beauty of the site and celebrating our culture.

Last summer, we launched our new ship, the Disney Wish. Alongside our DCL teams, we invited Bahamian media aboard the ship to experience the wonder of sailing with Disney and share stories of our incredible Bahamian crew. In celebration of the Disney Wish, we launched our Wishes Set Sail programme. DCL donated school supplies to schools across Abaco and Eleuthera, and during the holidays, we promoted literacy through reading visits and book donations. Crew members also visited Ranfurly Homes for Children to spread joy, share gifts and welcome Capt. Mickey. In addition, DCL collaborated with Junior Achievement Bahamas, funding curriculums including financial literacy, entrepreneurship, college preparedness and work readiness programmes. We’re dedicated to inspiring

young Bahamians and empowering the next generation to follow their career dreams.

A memorable experience for me was attending Eleuthera’s Junior Junkanoo competition. Disney hosted virtual workshops for students and Disney entertainment professionals to exchange ideas and learn from each other about Junkanoo and costume design, in preparation for the competition. Our goal was to help young Bahamians understand that they could find fulfilling careers by channeling their natural creativity.

Our cast and crew members are the heart of DCL, and The Bahamas is as much a home to Disney as anywhere else in the world. That’s why we’re working diligently to staff Castaway Cay and Lighthouse Point with 100% Bahamian crew. We’ve shown our commitment by hiring Bahamians in key leadership positions at Castaway Cay and in the development of Lighthouse Point. Initially, we estimated a minimum of 120 Bahamians would join construction teams to complete Lighthouse Point and have nearly tripled that number.

We’re also focused on supporting business development and Bahamian ownership in the tourism sector. Our continued funding of the Eleuthera Business Hub in collaboration with the Small Business Development Center/ Access Accelerator and Eleuthera Chamber of Commerce has resulted in over $175,000 in grants to support small businesses. We have also offered free construction safety training, and on April 21 and 22, we’re hosting vendor/ supplier fairs on Eleuthera and New Providence to share opportunities available. We’re committed to supporting local businesses and involving Bahamians in the development and operations of Lighthouse Point.

From shoreside cast, to shipboard and island crew, to the amazing community and media partners we’ve had the opportunity to work with, it’s programmes like these that make me proud to wear my Disney name tag each day. I’m excited for the year ahead and look forward to sharing more updates.

Learn more about Lighthouse Point and opportunities to join the project: lighthousepointbahamas.com

Is RCI project really right for Bahamas?

EDITOR, The Tribune.

Please permit me to share my views on recent remarks made by Michael Bayley, Royal Caribbean’s president and chief executive, and our Prime Minister, Phillip “Brave” Davis, as reported in the local press.

Mr Bayley reportedly remarked that the Royal Beach Club represents a “win-win” for all parties on the basis that it will enhance the Nassau “brand” and visitor experience, as well as providing increased Bahamian ownership, jobs and entrepreneurial opportunities through a first-of-its-kind tourism model.

The government, having approved this project, presumably shares Mr Bayley’s view.

If they do, whenever a Heads of Agreement is formulated, I am sure the government will be transparent and release the same so Bahamians can be the judge of such a proclamation. I am sure Mr Bayley and his company would be willing to release the government from any legal or contractual impediment, if any, which stands in the way. Notwithstanding what Mr Bayley and the government may proclaim, this and all the other ventures of this nature are about generating revenues for NCI.

The cruise line appetite for revenue is insatiable and will never represent any scenario resembling a true win-win position for any destination they visit.

Bahamians are just mere collateral beneficiaries whose engagement will

take the form of low-level employment opportunities and a passive shareholding interest, pushed by political pressure and necessity by local and desperate politicians who seek to massage the public and detract criticisms from their unpopular decision.

It has also been publicly reported that our Prime Minister, Phillip “Brave” Davis, in speaking to reporters, said his administration approved the project partly because tourists need more attractions.

If the Prime Minister and his government accepts that there is need for more attractions, why are the most sought-after historical sites and attractions in New Providence such as Fort Charlotte, Fort Montagu, the Water Tower, Sixty-Six Steps, Government House, etc, effectively shut down to visitors or are in such deplorable conditions?

These are all historical facilities owned and managed by the government and, the least one would expect, given the Prime Minister’s remark, is a meaningful and heightened effort by the government to bring these attractions to an appreciable state of enjoyment for visitors and locals alike.

It was also the government who discontinued other cultural activities, such as the Beat Retreat, Changing of the Guard, Goombay festivals, etc. These and many other

activities, as I recall, attracted and were enjoyed by many tourists and locals.

It is just plain disingenuous and duplicitous for the government to rest its decision to approve the Royal Caribbean project on the narrative that there is a “lack of attractions” when it is the government’s inactivity and neglect of the most historical sites that contributes significantly to the unavailability of many cultural attractions and activities.

I am by no means absolving the private sector in playing its role, but the government ought to take the lead in so far as these cultural sites are concerned, especially given the Prime Minister’s reason for his government’s unwise approval of the Royal Caribbean venture.

While I do agree that there is a lack of culturally enriching activities for cruise visitors and tourist generally, I do not, however, share the position adopted by the government that the development or restoration of the tourism product and attractions, must be developed and owned by the cruise industry. To succumb to such a belief and practice, the government is failing us miserably.

A financial demarcation line should be drawn for the cruise industry and it should be at the point the visitor steps foot on Bahamian soil.

CLAUDE B HANNA Nassau, April 16, 2023

We must change our attitudes on gender-based violence

Editor, The Tribune.

Please allow me space to express great concern over the rise in domestic and gender-based violence. No form of violence is acceptable and we, as a nation, as a people, should ensure that legislation that speaks to the condemnation of this action is given priority. We must ensure the enforcement of those laws already on the books. We must be the change. There is just too much acceptance of this and we continue to turn a blind eye and a deaf ear to the cries of so many women and children. Some religious leaders ignore this cry when approached by victims for help because they do not believe in marital

rape. Some of them actually believe that a woman becomes the “property” of her husband upon marriage. A man is given all rights to physically, verbally and mentally abuse a woman because he feels he “owns” her. We must change this trend of thinking and we must stand up for our women. The alleged physical abuse by a sitting Member of Parliament on his girlfriend over the past weekend is certainly unacceptable and deplorable and I cry shame. We must not condone this type of action from anyone and especially not from persons entrusted with leadership. Women must stand together and speak up against this. I am a bit

disappointed to hear a prominent female say that she cannot speak about marital rape because she is not married. I thought that was a very offensive statement to come from a woman. One does not have to be married to speak to an act of violence against another woman. It is about the vile action and not about a person’s status. Are we to understand that a person cannot speak about rape, abuse or any act of violence if they have not experienced it? Come on, Bahamas, we are doing ourselves an injustice. Let us pick up the Aquamarine, Gold and Black as we continue in our struggle started many years ago by the Suffrage Movement for Equality and Women’s

Rights. Let us march together, stand together and speak with one voice, one purpose. Let us stop the cloaking and face this monster head on. We are celebrating 50 years of nationhood, let us be the change. Let us demand the necessary amendments to legislation and to our Constitution so that we as women are able to enjoy the entitlement of equal rights.

The time is now. Let us hold hands. Let us walk together in unity into the future only looking back to see how far we have come. Let us stop the violence... stop the injustices. We must fight for our equity and equality. United we must stand. We must be the support system

for our sisters. We can do this.

I am minded about the poem “I got flowers today” and leave it with you.

“We had our first argument last night, and he said a lot of mean cruel things that really hurt me.

I know he is sorry and did not mean the things he said because he sent me flowers today. Yes, I got flowers today. It was not our anniversary or any other special day. Last night he threw me into a wall and started to choke me. It seemed like a nightmare. I could not believe it was real. I woke up this morning sore and bruised all over but I know he must be sorry because he sent me flowers today. I got flowers today and

it was not Mother’s Day or any other special day. –Last night he beat me up again, it was much worse than all the other times. If I leave him, what will I do? Where will I go? How will I take care of my kids? What about money? I am afraid of him and scared to leave, but I know he must be sorry because he sent me flowers today – I got flowers today. Today was a very special day. - It was the day of my funeral. – Last night he finally killed me. He beat me to death. If only I had gathered enough courage and strength to leave him, I would not have gotten flowers.”

Vanessa

A. Scott, JP Nassau April 12, 2023

ASSAMESE dancers in traditional attire prepare to perform as they attempt Guinness World Record in the largest folk dance performance category in Guwahati, India, Thursday, April 13, 2023.

Photo: Anupam Nath/AP

‘Ban the breeding and ownership of pit bulls’

By EARYEL BOWLEG Tribune Staff Reporter ebowleg@tribunemedia.net

ST ANNE’S MP Adrian

White wants legislators

to consider banning the breeding and ownership of pit bulls in The Bahamas.

In the House of Assembly on Wednesday, Mr White said three pit bulls roaming the area attacked a constituent’s dog through a gate that morning.

“Residents have asked why have we banned the importation of pit bulls but not banned the breeding of pit bulls here in The Bahamas,” Mr White said.

“I know it’s not an incident where every dog is a problem, but there are dog owners that continuously are not taking the proper precautions to remove, to secure their vehicles.”

“So we need to look at our legislation and potentially consider banning the breeding and ownership of pit bulls here in The Bahamas.”

Fox Hill MP Fred Mitchell also raised concerns about dangerous dogs in communities and told The Tribune he agrees with Mr White’s call to possibly ban

pit bulls. He said his main concern is untied dogs in open yards.

“I’m glad you raised the issues of the dogs because I don’t think people appreciate what a beautiful island this is to walk on or The Bahamas because it’s largely flat,” he said in Parliament. “What is the most annoying problem that even in these wealthy neighbourhoods…people can’t walk in the mornings because there are dogs charging out at them every place you go.

“And keep trying to say to people there’s a law which says that if you have an open yard the dog has to be tethered. Nobody seems to recognize what nuance this is.”

Two pit bulls in Grand Bahama were euthanised after attacking a woman, leaving her hospitalised with severe injuries.

Following the attack, stakeholders met Tuesday to discuss solutions to various animal-related issues in Grand Bahama.

The two dogs, described as large, cross-bred pit bulls weighing 90-100lbs, were among six pit bulls that attacked a woman and

TWO MEN CHARGED IN WHI T E TOWN, H ATCHE T BAY MURDER

By PAVEL BAILEY Tribune Court Reporter pbailey@tribunemedia.net

TWO MEN were sent to prison on Friday after being accused in a fatal shooting and armed mugging in Eleuthera earlier this month.

Emile Hepburn, 35, and Jermeco Knowles, 41, faced Magistrate Algernon Allen, Jr, on a charge of murder. The two faced additional charges of armed robbery and possession of a firearm with intent to endanger life.

It is alleged that around 3am on April 10 in “White Town” Hatchet Bay the accused shot and killed Leroy Bethel as he sat in his car.

By PAVEL BAILEY Tribune Court Reporter pbailey@tribunemedia.net

A MAN on bail for armed robbery was fined $2,000 in court on Friday after he admitted to failing to charge his electronic monitoring device (EMD) while on release.

Ceron Barr, 24, appeared before Senior Magistrate Carolyn Vogt-Evans on five counts of violation of bail conditions. There he also faced an additional charge of possession of dangerous drugs.

On April 8 in Eleuthera the two are also accused of robbing Ashton Petty at gunpoint of his gold chain and a silver and gold coin. As the charges are indictable offences the accused were not required to enter a plea at that time. They were told that the charges would be transferred to the Supreme Court by way of Voluntary Bill of Indictment (VBI). The accused were denied bail but were informed of their right to reapply for it through the higher court. Until bail is granted the pair will be held in the Bahamas Department of Correctional Services. Service of their VBIs are set for June 30.

a man walking on Balao Road, according to police.

Elliot Hepburn, a 63-year-old Freeport man, has been charged with two counts of allowing a dangerous dog to be at large, two counts of having an unlicensed dog, one count of negligently causing harm and one count of negligently causing grievous harm. He pleaded not guilty to the charges. His case was adjourned to June 19.

TWO Ministers of Parliament has called for possible legislation to band pit bull ownership and breeding in The Bahamas. The Pit Bull is a short-coated dog characterised by a wide skull, powerful jaws and a muscular, stocky body, and can weigh between 25 to 80 pounds. Most concerning to advocates agains the breed are its ability to lock its jaw when it bites and its temperment.

Between March 21 and April 9 in New Providence while on Supreme Court bail for armed robbery Barr failed to charge his EMD on five occasions. During that timeframe Barr was also arrested for having 6.1oz of Indian Hemp. In court the accused pleaded guilty to the charges. He was then fined $2,000 for the bail offence or risk eight months in prison. He was further fined $500 for the drug offence or risk six months in prison.

M AN FINED $3K FOR HEMP IN T ENDED FOR PERSONAL USE

By PAVEL BAILEY Tribune Court Reporter pbailey@tribunemedia.net

A MAN was fined $3,000 in court after admitting to having over 3.1 lbs of Indian Hemp last week.

Lamon Pintard, 39, and Rachel Johnson, 35, appeared before Chief Magistrate Joyann Ferguson-Pratt on a charge of possession of dangerous drugs with intent to supply.

On April 11 officers acting on a warrant searched a residence on Caspian Road. There the accused were arrested after 3.1lbs of Indian Hemp was uncovered. The drugs seized in this incident have an estimated street value of $3,100, with police additionally confiscating an

undisclosed amount of cash believing it to be the proceeds of crime. In court Pintard pleaded guilty to the charge while his co-accused pleaded not guilty. Pintard went on to explain that the drugs were for his own personal use.

After informing Pintard that he had to find alternative ways to deal with his stress the Chief Magistrate ordered him to pay a fine of $3,000 or risk six months in prison. The accused was expected to pay half of his fine before release with the remainder to be paid by May 19.

The money confiscated from Pintard was ordered to be returned and the charges against Johnson were withdrawn.

BAIL VIOLAT OR ALSO FOUND IN POSSESSION OF DRUGS

How seriously are we taking gender violence?

By TYLER MCKENZIE

THE clock continues to tick for this administration when it comes to women’s rights – so much so that when the government last week announced that it had made sailing the national sport, a significant number of reactions on social media asked how the government could find time for that but still not have passed marital rape or gender violence laws.

Those particular laws have been brought into focus in the past week too because of two parliamentarians – one speaking up and showing how disconnected she is from the issue, and the other silent as allegations have been made to police about his actions.

Let’s start with Speaker Patricia Deveaux – who said she abhors rape, but can’t speak to the issue of marital rape because she isn’t married. She said: “I’m not married. You understand? So, I really don’t think that I’d have a fair balance because, you know, when you’re married and you would have spent years with your husband, I don’t know how to balance the word rape in a relationship.

“So, I mean, I have my personal views that I keep to myself, but in terms of being married, I think it would be an unfair gesture for me to answer because I’m not married.”

“I’m against rape, yes, I am. With marriage, I’m not going to posture there because, like I said, I am not married and so I don’t know how to balance it against a marriage.

“Now, if it was a criminal act, it’s a whole different ballgame, but if it’s a man and a woman lying down in a bed, I don’t know how to say that I am totally against it.” Pontius Pilate could not have washed his hands more thoroughly about an issue. Speaker Deveaux is against rape but can’t speak to the issue within a marriage? Unless she has personal experience of an issue, she can’t listen to the arguments, weigh the issues and decide accordingly? She is one of the leaders of our nation but cannot decide on matters which she does not experience directly? There are a million and one issues facing our country and she is unable to act on any of them

unless it affects her personally? We are dealing with a crime epidemic, with more and more murders taking place – can she play a role in legislation on that without personal experience?

‘Of course our leaders can have views on all such issues – and if they don’t personally have views, then they had best remember that they are in Parliament to represent the voters who put them into office.’

Last week saw the murder of two women from the same family – a horrible incident and exactly the kind of incident that shows the need for gender violence laws. Is the Speaker able to speak up on that? There are more issues too – cannabis legislation is going out for consultation, can a parliamentarian have a view on that if they don’t smoke weed?

Of course our leaders can have views on all such

issues – and if they don’t personally have views, then they had best remember that they are in Parliament to represent the voters who put them into office. Sidestepping the issue on marital rape is an utter failure to live up to the responsibilities of being a leader of the nation. Credit, then, to Water and Sewerage Corporation chairman Sylvanus Petty, who last week said that he would risk his political future to pass marital rape laws, saying: “Rape is rape whether you are married or not, and no means no.”

And so we come to the second issue – the MP who has been accused of severe

abuse by an ex-girlfriend. A complaint has been made to the police – and the family last week said they were not going to let the issue go under the table.

Speaking on Wednesday, the alleged victim’s mother said: “The allegation is so serious, they supposed to be done up on it and they haven’t done nothing yet. We understand it was a holiday involved, but right now today is Wednesday, and nothing.”

The MP has not commented on the issue and, as I write this, no charges have been filed – so his identity remains unannounced as yet.

Asked by reporters to speak on the issue, the MP repeatedly said “no comment”.

The only MP to speak on the matter so far has been Minister of National Security Wayne Munroe, who said that he has been on leave and hasn’t had a briefing.

So we have an issue where a parliamentarian is facing a severe accusation and so far we cannot say who it is – and our leaders have not addressed how the matter will be dealt with.

How long can we expect such a situation to exist?

Well, the family of the alleged victim are concerned at the pace of the investigation. Of course, an investigation should not proceed any differently simply because of the position of the suspect. Will that be the case here? We shall have to wait and see – but we have already seen numerous people express concerns in another case, when Transport and Housing Minister JoBeth Coleby-Davis was accused of assaulting a police officer with her car in May of last year. It took until January of this year for Police Commissioner Clayton Fernander to say that case had been closed due to insufficient evidence – which

seems a remarkably long time for a fairly simple case to be resolved. As we wait to see what happens with this new case – and we should remember that a suspect in any case must be considered innocent until proven guilty – the parliamentarian may well face questions about legislation such as gender violence, a difficult position to be in while the subject of the allegations that are circling.

What we must hope for is what we should hope for in any case – a thorough but timely investigation.

In the greater scheme of things, however, dealing with the issues that affect women’s lives and health and rights ought to be given a greater priority. The suggested legislation has been in the works for far too long now for senior figures to be in a position where they are shrugging and saying they don’t really know about the issue by now.

Above the River Nile

By DR KENNETH D KEMP

THE famed Nile River is located in north-eastern Africa where it flows into the Mediterranean Sea. Whether or not it’s the longest river in the world is up for debate but certainly, without reproach, it remains the most historically significant. Dividing Egypt in two, the Nile was quintessentially critical in the evolution of the Egyptian civilisation as it was used to transport goods, provided a never-ending supply of food and single handedly nourished crops utilised for sustenance and trade.

But the Nile, like any river, isn’t only important to the human population and terrestrial animals that line its banks. Beneath the river’s surface lies a cornucopia of aquatic fauna unique to the continent that unfortunately now face extinction like so many animals of yesteryear. What lies above the Nile, namely a blanket of tall, thin plants referred to Papyrus (or Nile grass), is equally as important. Used by ancient Egyptians to make a material akin to thick paper, Papyrus replaced clay as the dominant writing material of that era. Writing on clay tablets was more convenient than cave walls but they were heavy and fragile, fostering a need for something more durable. Fibers were extracted from the Papyrus stalk and were then wet, pressed, dried and polished after being laid down in strips. Ultimately, the Papyrus scroll was produced and used to record historical events of the time, a tradition carried forward to today in the form of books, magazines and newspapers. Because both ideas changed the world forever, I often wonder where we would be were it not for the person who recognised the importance of documenting news and the person who thought of how best to do so.

I’ve always enjoyed reading but never suspected that I’d become a documentarian myself. Similar to the scribes of ancient Egypt, but using keystrokes on an iPad opposed to ink on Papyrus scrolls, I’m afforded the opportunity to record the lives of the people who enter my orbit thus preserving their story for generations to come. Each week I’m amazed by the strength and resilience of the human spirit displayed by my patients, the courage to share their story and the lessons that they were forced to learn. What I’ve learned, among many lessons, is that you never know the strength inside until you’re tested.

Though rewarding, the process is often arduous. I first interview my patient, we agree on an alias for the story and once written, I present it to them to approve before submitting for publication. It’s rare, but in some cases, patients decide not to share their story once they’ve read it because they’re too ashamed of past decisions, confronting them for the first time on paper. In other instances, like this week, the patient simply didn’t have time to read over the report and approve it prior to my deadline. So, without a patient on hand with a unique story to share, I opted instead to use this report as an opportunity for reflection.

For every story, there are countless more from unnamed faces who refuse to recount their trials, even anonymously, as is their right, because it’s simply too painful to speak out loud. They bury the pain deep inside but it manifests as destructive behaviour, in some form or another, whether they recognise it or not. Then, there are others who are happy to share their tribulations hoping others can learn and grow from what they went through. I recall the story

of Tina who in her early twenties was the victim of domestic abuse. To numb the pain from the dissolution of her marriage, she went to a party became heavily intoxicated and was nearly killed driving home when her car smashed into a guard rail with such force that it was crushed in half.

Tina fractured her skull, her pelvis and multiple bones in her neck during the accident. Most of her organs were pushed into her chest cavity as she suffered a severe head contusion and perforated her stomach, small intestines and liver. Tina also ruptured her diaphragm during the impact. Paralysed and in a coma for months, it took her a full year to recover. Her take home message was to always wear a seat belt and to only surround yourself with people who you can genuinely trust to protect you with their lives.

Prior to that, I shared the story of Tommy who, in his early 40s, suffered a near fatal cardiac emergency when his aorta burst in part because of the enormous stress from his job.

His take home message was to listen to your body, especially when it comes to stress. Tommy’s advice warrants more attention than the lay reader may, at first glance, appreciate. But as a physician who’s practised in Canada, the US and The Bahamas, I often consider stress as a mass murderer that will never face charges. So much of the illnesses that men and women all over the world become afflicted with are either caused or exacerbated by stress. We take the time to treat a cold but never recognise the trauma stress exerts on the body and the overall ramifications of mental health issues.

One of my more breathtakingly poignant and compelling stories featured a woman named Rebekah who discovered after twenty years that for most of their marriage, her husband cheated on her and had multiple outside children. When one of his mistresses stabbed her, she finally found the courage to leave him but was shot and nearly killed at work by an unknown assailant during a

robbery attempt. She later lost both parents and her daughter to cancer and her son during the Covid-19 pandemic. Her take home message was to see your trials as blessings because no matter what life threw at her, she lived to tell the tale.

Rebekah’s message was echoed by my eldest patient, Mama Millie. At 108 years old, she shared her life story of being born two weeks after the start of World War 1, one of six children, and getting married in her mid-teens only to lose her husband 30 years later to an unknown disease. Having lived an incredible life, filled with tears and laughter, she shared that her Christian faith comforts her and, in all things, at all times, she gives thanks no matter how small her blessings may be.

The KDK Report has featured stories about a woman who lost 11 family members in the span of two years, a 78-year-old man who was shot five times in his house, a woman who was knocked down, lost consciousness and awoke to find a white van sitting on

top of her. I’ve shared stories on Alzheimer’s disease, HIV, bipolar schizophrenia, autism, drug abuse, rape, suicide, homelessness, blindness, hearing loss, shark bites, sickle cell anemia, seizures and school violence to name a few. These are the stories of heroes, never praised or appreciated, standing before us in the bank and shopping alongside us in the grocery store. They are our neighbours, co-workers, family members and friends.

Using the Papyrus plant that stretched long and far above the river Nile, historians were able to document life during ancient times. The Papyrus scrolls were as enduring as the stories they captured and as resilient as the people whose lives were so different from our own. Many of them, in the cursive script of the ancient

Egyptians, told the stories of farmers and pharaohs, pyramids, food, religion and recreational activities, left for scholars centuries later to depict and admire. Today, I celebrate my patients and those men and women thousands of years ago who were knocked down but didn’t stay down and, in many ways, taught us the true power of the human spirit.

This is The KDK Report.

• Nicknamed ‘The Prince of Podiatry’, Dr Kenneth D Kemp is the founder and medical director of Bahamas Foot and Ankle located in Caves Village, Western New Providence. He served as the deputy chairman for the Health Council for five years and he currently sits on the board of directors for the Princess Margaret Hospital Foundation in his role as co-vice-chairman.

A boat of death and lost dreams

Issues surrounding migration are in the spotlight - not just here in The Bahamas but around the world. The Associated Press followed one story, about a boat that washed ashore in Tobago having crossed the Atlantic ocean - filled with dead bodies. This story explores who these people were and what drove them to risk - and lose - their lives on a journey doomed to end in disaster.

By RENATA BRITO and FELIPE DANA Associated

Press

AROUND 6.30am on May 28, 2021, a couple of miles from Belle Garden Beach on the Caribbean island of Tobago, a narrow white-and-blue boat drifted onto the horizon. As it wobbled back and forth, fish gathered, feeding on the barnacles that had grown below the surface.

From a distance, it seemed no one was aboard. But as fishermen approached, they smelled death.

Inside were the decomposing bodies of more than a dozen black men. No one knew where they were from, what brought them there, why they were aboard — and how or why they died. No one knew their names.

What is clear now, but wasn’t then, is this: 135 days earlier, 43 people were believed to have left a port city across the ocean in Africa. They were trying to reach Spain’s Canary Islands, off Africa’s northwest coast. They never arrived. Instead, they ended up here, on the other side of the Atlantic.

Half a world away, their families were looking for them.

For nearly two years, The Associated Press assembled puzzle pieces from across three continents to uncover the story of this boat — and the people it carried from hope to death.

The vessel that reached Tobago was registered in Mauritania, a large and mostly deserted country in northwest Africa nearly 3,000 miles away. Evidence found on the boat — and its style and colour as a typical Mauritanian “pirogue”— suggested the dead were

likely African migrants who were trying to reach Europe but got lost in the Atlantic. In 2021, at least seven boats appearing to be from north-west Africa washed up in the Caribbean and in Brazil. All carried dead bodies. These “ghost boats” — and likely many others that have vanished — are in part an unintended result of years of efforts and billions of dollars spent by Europe to stop crossings on the Mediterranean Sea. That crackdown, along with other factors such as economic disruption from the pandemic, pushed migrants to return to the far longer, more obscure and more dangerous Atlantic route to Europe from north-west Africa via the Canaries instead.

Arrivals on the Atlantic route jumped from 2,687 in 2019 to more than 22,000 two years later, according to Spain’s Interior Ministry. But for those to arrive, many more must have departed, said Pedro Vélez, an oceanographer at the Spanish Institute of Oceanography. Vélez wasn’t surprised to learn of migrant boats appearing in the Caribbean – that is where floating devices dropped by scientists on the West African coast naturally drift.

“The sea conditions there are extremely harsh,” he said. “Extremely harsh.”

In 2021, at least 1,109 people died or disappeared trying to reach the Canaries, according to the International Organization for Migration, the deadliest on record. But that’s likely a fraction of the real death toll. The men in the Tobago boat, for example, are not included in this number.

Caminando Fronteras,

a Spanish migrants’ rights organisation, recorded more than 4,000 dead or missing on the Atlantic route in 2021, with at least 20 boats vanishing after departing from Mauritania.

These migrants are as invisible in death as they were in life. But even ghosts have families.

The AP investigation included interviews with dozens of relatives and friends, officials and forensic experts, as well as police documents and DNA testing. It found that 43 young men from Mauritania, Mali, Senegal and possibly other West African nations boarded the boat. AP has identified 33 of them by name.

They departed the Mauritanian port city of Nouadhibou in the middle of the night between January 12 and 13, 2021. Clothing and DNA testing confirmed the identity of one of the bodies, bringing closure to one family and opening the way for others to seek the same.

The lack of political will and global resources to identify dead and disappeared migrants mean such resolutions, even partial ones, are rare. Each year, thousands of families wonder about the fate of loved ones who left their homes for Europe. Few ever find out.

THE DISCOVERY

On the morning of May 28, 2021, Lance Biggart got a call from one of his fellow fishermen. A strange boat had appeared.

The 49-year-old Tobago native quickly reached his colleagues aboard his small but speedy boat, the Big Thunder. Dozens of fishermen joined him at the scene, filming the pirogue

with their smartphones. Some continued fishing shiny mahi-mahi that had gathered around the corpses, life circling around death.

Biggart remembers being puzzled by how the boat could have survived Atlantic swells.

“A wave came, and the boat rocked so, so badly,” he recalls.

One of the dead men sat by the bow. The fishermen and police wondered if he was the last to die, moving away from the rest of the dead in the bottom of the boat.

Biggart and his colleague were asked by the coast guard to tow the pirogue back to shore. A tractor pulled the boat out of the water.

Men in white overalls carefully removed 14 bodies, three skulls and other large bones one by one, placing the remains in 15 bags. Some victims were missing limbs or heads. The sun had mummified some parts, while the salt and water at the bottom of the boat had putrified others.

Recovered from the boat were clothing, 1,000 West African CFA francs (under $2) and a few euros. Police also found half a dozen corroded cellphones with SIM cards from Mali and Mauritania. Tobago’s Cyber Crime Unit extracted a contact list from one of the SIMs.

Police in Trinidad and Tobago passed the numbers on to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, which reached out several times to the government of Mauritania. They never got an answer, they said. Mauritania’s Foreign Ministry did not respond to phone calls or repeated requests for comment by email from the AP.

In the weeks that followed, customers stopped buying Biggart’s fish, fearing the dead were victims of some sort of sorcery. Others made unfounded speculations: Were they Ebola victims whose bodies had been thrown in the boat and set adrift?

As a man of the sea himself, Biggart felt responsible.

“I have a friend who went to sea and never came back,” he says. “I don’t know the people and them. But I know the family will be hurting.”

Yet months later, unable to identify the victims, police rebranded the criminal investigation into a “humanitarian” case. The remains were kept at the morgue of the Forensic Science Center in Trinidad.

To this day, there they sit.

A TRAIL OF CLUES

In 20 years as a forensic pathologist, Dr Eslyn McDonald-Burris had never seen so many bodies arrive at the local mortuary in Tobago at once. Their apparent African descent reminded her of her enslaved ancestors.

“It’s kind of emotional for me, because I’m thinking why? What is happening here?” asked the soft-spoken Burris, who has since retired. “And then when I started looking at ocean currents... It’s the same currents that they used when they brought us here.”

She concluded they most likely died of “dehydration

and hypothermia as a consequence of being lost at sea”. Opening the body bags one by one, Burris was opening a small window into each person’s life. She looked for anything to help answer questions: Who were they? Where were they trying to go? What happened on the boat?

One had prayer beads with a crescent and a star, Muslim symbols. Another carried in his pocket a small label with Arabic writing of a water bottle from Mauritania. Yet another wore a watch on his left wrist, still running even though the time and date were wrong.

“5:32 Sun,” it read.

Most shared similar traits — “that sort of tall, slender look, long thin face,” Burris says. Many wore several layers of clothing, common for seafaring migrants. A few wore dark green weather-proof jackets and pants, typically used both by fishermen in West Africa and by migrants seeking to avoid detection by port authorities.

As Burris pulled back the layers of clothing, she found soccer jerseys and shorts with the insignia of European teams as well as the Football Federation of the Islamic Republic of Mauritania. One man was dressed more formally, wearing a black button-down shirt with thin white stripes.

Another stood out to Burris. “A young man of African descent, slim build, dark complexion,” her autopsy report read.

He had short, dark-brown hair. His ears were “notably very small.” His teeth were in good condition. His body was the most mummified of all, and his clothing was still relatively clean, suggesting he may have been one of the last to die.

“Down here we say a ‘sharp boy’,” Burris said, affectionately referring to his style. He was found wearing distressed jeans, a Nike hoodie and a white patterned T-shirt underneath with some words on it — a lyric to a well-known Lionel Richie song.

It read: “HELLO, IS IT ME YOU’RE LOOKING FOR?”

AN AUNT IN FRANCE

Thousands of miles away, in the French city of Orléans, May Sow had all but given up hope of finding her nephew alive.

It was mid-January 2021, and Alassane Sow, 30, wasn’t answering his phone, leaving his family in both Mali and France desperate. May searched the internet for any trace of him.

A few days earlier, Alassane had told her over the phone that he was thinking of boarding a boat to Spain and, ultimately, to France to work, as some of his friends had done. His estranged father had also left for Spain. Smugglers charged 1,500 euros, and he had saved some money working as a security guard in Mauritania.

She thought it was a terrible idea. “It’s suicide,” she warned him. A family she knew from the Ivory Coast was mourning a relative who died trying to reach Europe.

Alassane said smugglers told him he would travel on a sturdy boat with a proper engine, not the flimsy overcrowded rubber boats often seen capsizing in the Mediterranean. But even if he made it, she told him, he wouldn’t be allowed to work legally in France.

“When I go to Paris, I see people, migrants sleeping outside, under tents,” May recalled.

Alassane wouldn’t hear of it. After all, his French family had a good life with stable careers that allowed them to send money back to their village of Melga in Mali to support his mother.

Alassane’s grandparents had immigrated to France from the former colony decades ago, leaving their eldest daughter, Alassane’s mother, back in Mali. They had six more children in France, including May.

When May and her siblings tried to bring Alassane’s mother over, she was an adult no longer eligible for family reunification.

She applied for a visa for France eight times, only to be rejected each time.

The Sow family in France had tried to support Alassane in two projects back in Mali, in livestock and in commerce. Both ultimately failed in part because of the impact of climate change and a fragile economy in a country plagued by years of conflict and political instability. The convenience store he opened with their help hardly made enough money to feed his family.

He ultimately moved to Mauritania to make roughly 75 euros a month, May said. That wasn’t enough.

May said the “kind, serious and respectful” young man never asked his French relatives for more money. Prosperity was in Europe, and the only way he could afford to get there was by boat.

“I think in his head, he thought he didn’t have a choice,” May said.

On the night between January 12 and 13, 2021, he boarded a pirogue in Nouadhibou, Mauritania, headed to Spain’s Canary Islands, his family learned later.

After the initial silence came rumors, including one that his boat had been stopped in Morocco and the migrants sent to prison. May contacted a Malian community representative in Morocco to check prisons and morgues. No trace of Alassane.

She reached out to a page on Facebook called “Protect Migrants not Borders,” used by families of missing migrants to exchange information. That was when May realized her nephew was one of thousands disappearing each year en route to Europe.

Every day people posted about a missing person. Few were ever found.

Any tips she obtained were by word of mouth. There was no official information. She felt helpless.

Alassane’s mother, grandmother and wife held onto hope that he was alive, probably in prison somewhere, and couldn’t call. May was growing increasingly skeptical.

One night, she had a dream. She saw him dead with many people in the water, and she cried out for him.

In her nightmare, Alassane eventually opened his eyes but couldn’t speak. After that, she was sure they had shipwrecked. But she had no proof.

A few months later, her sister shared a news report about a Mauritanian boat found in Tobago with dead bodies inside. Then an AP reporter contacted her asking about the same. Could her nephew be among those?

He left in January. The boat was found in May. But except for the time frame, there was no evidence to suggest it was his boat. After all, the pirogues used by migrants departing Nouadhibou look the same.

FOLLOWING THE TRAIL

The contact list extracted from one of the SIM cards on a phone in the boat by authorities in Tobago contained 137 names.

The AP went down the list calling the numbers, asking those who replied if they knew anyone missing. One name kept coming up: Soulayman Soumaré, a taxi driver from Sélibaby in southern Mauritania, near the borders with Mali and Senegal.

The AP traveled to Sélibaby, a two-day drive from the fishing town of Nouadhibou on a strip of tarmac that cuts through a bleak desert, and spoke to dozens of relatives and friends to reconstruct what happened.

Soulayman had gone missing a year earlier, along with dozens of other young men from nearby villages. They had taken off from Nouadhibou on a boat carrying 43 people to the Canary Islands on the night of Jan. 12, 2021. It was the same boat that Alassane Sow boarded.

Forty-seven people were meant to have boarded the boat originally. Four men never got on.

One, who spoke on condition of anonymity,

MOUSSA SAKO, an asylum-seeker from Mali who survived 22 days aboard a Mauritanian boat drifting in the Atlantic Ocean, pictured in 2021. Sako was rescued by the Spanish Air Force on April 26, 2021. His boat was spotted by chance more than 310 miles from the Spanish island of El Hierro — “in the middle of nowhere,” as one of the rescuers described it. They had set off 22 days earlier from Nouakchott, the capital of Mauritania. Only three of 63 people who boarded survived. Photo: Felipe Dana/AP

confirmed that he and dozens of other relatives, friends and acquaintances from Sélibaby and two nearby villages had traveled to Nouadhibou. There, they waited in apartments arranged by smugglers. He heard more people from a town on the border of Mali and Mauritania would also be getting on the boat.

Finally, on January 12, the smugglers called. They would be leaving for Spain that night.

To avoid attracting authorities’ attention, the migrants split into smaller groups and left separately on different pirogues. They were to meet in the ocean and all transfer to a larger pirogue bound for the Canaries.

In Nouadhibou, hundreds of fishermen zip in and out all day and night, and port authorities struggle to inspect every boat for migrants. But when they saw four men allegedly going fishing without the typical dark green overalls, police stopped them.

Little did they know that their lives had just been spared.

FAMILIES, STILL WAITING

Just as few people in Tobago had ever heard of Mauritania before, families in Mauritania had never heard of Tobago. When shown the island on a map, with the Atlantic Ocean separating both nations, many gasped.

A few miles away from Sélibaby, on a dirt road dotted with goats, lies the village of Bouroudji, home to 11 of the missing young men. AP reporters shared the available information with their mothers: A Mauritanian boat had drifted to Tobago with 14 bodies. One phone retrieved from the boat was linked to the group their sons had traveled with. There were no known survivors.

“They’re all dead,” one mother exclaimed. She covered her face with her hands and left in despair.

Others hung onto hope.

Until they saw their sons’ bodies, the mothers said, they could still be alive. They pulled out their cellphones and shared photos of their sons with AP. Among them were two young men named Bayla Niang and Abdoulaye Tall.

Niang’s father, 71-yearold Ciré Samba Niang, said they were desperate for any information.

“There’s people who say they’ve died. There are people who say they are in prison,” he said. “There are others who say, nonsense.”

Niang said he wasn’t aware of his son’s plans. He blamed local unemployment along with better opportunities abroad. Many in his generation had also moved to Europe and made good money for Mauritanian standards.

“If one goes to Europe, in one or two years they’ll be able to build a house (in Mauritania), to buy a car,” Niang said. “The other person sees that and says, ‘I can’t stay here. I have to go, too.’”

In the nearby village of Moudji, the parents of Soulayman Soumaré and his cousins Houdou Soumaré and Djibi Koumé, who had also disappeared, struggled to get on with their lives. One mother was severely depressed and suffering from panic attacks, the villagers said.

“You cannot even talk because everyone is so upset,” said Oumar Koumé, the father of Djibi Koumé.

Like the mothers of Bouroudji, Koumé asked to

see the bodies found in the boat that reached Tobago.

“If you see someone is dead in front of you, you know it is done. But if you don’t see it, every day there are rumors,” he said. “Your heart aches.”

Adama Sarré is a 46-year-old nurse and single mother. Her 25-yearold son, Cheikh Dioum, is among those who disappeared. An introvert, Dioum would sometimes stay in his room for days, his mother said. He was upset, frustrated. He had repeatedly asked her for money to travel to Europe. But on her meager nurse’s salary, she had little to give him. She advised patience. She recalled telling him: “Cheikh, go slowly, go slowly. If I work and find money, I will get you a plane ticket and you will go.”

Dioum thought she was lying, she said. He left without saying goodbye.

“I call his phone, it doesn’t work,” she said. “I’m just sitting here.”

A SURVIVOR’S ACCOUNT

We may never know what happened to the men as they drifted from Nouadhibou to Tobago. But accounts from survivors of other shipwrecks in the Atlantic offer a clue.

Moussa Sako was rescued by the Spanish Air Force on April 26, 2021. Their boat was spotted by chance more than 310 miles from the Spanish island of El Hierro — “in the middle of nowhere,” as one of the rescuers described it.

They had set off 22 days earlier from Nouakchott, the capital of Mauritania. Only three of 63 people who boarded survived.

Like many on the boat, Sako, an asylum-seeker from Mali, had never seen the ocean. Four men with maritime experience, including a Senegalese “captain,” were in charge of reaching the Canaries. The voyage was to take four to five days.

They were packed like sardines, with Sako squeezed in the middle. The leaking gasoline and salt water in the bottom of the boat burnt their skin, making it painful to sit.

Not long after departing, they ran out of food and water. On the fourth day they ran out of fuel. To slow down their drift and be more visible to rescuers, they made a makeshift anchor by tying the engine and other heavy metal scraps to a rope.

With each day that passed, the boat drifted further. Tensions boiled into arguments. The smugglers, some said, had betrayed them.

More days passed. No rescue came. A growing number of people wanted to cut the rope loose to drift faster. Sako thought they would be better off staying still, where the sea was still calm and they could see some lights at night. But Sako was defeated in a vote. The rope was snipped.

Just as he feared, the wind took them to more agitated waters that poured over their boat. The next evening the first person died, a 20-year-old man. They washed and wrapped his body in Islamic tradition and prayed before throwing it overboard.

By the second week, three to four people were dying every day.

Some had hallucinations. One man jumped to his death thinking they had arrived. Others jumped to end their suffering. Sako,

the healthiest, tried to help the others.

“I had four full (layers of clothes) on me,” he recalled. “I would take one off and put it on them ... until I had only one.”

On day 18, he tried to get away from the rotting bodies. But they were everywhere. Only a handful of people were still alive. They hardly spoke.

Sako no longer feared death. He did worry about what would happen afterward.

“I wanted that even if I died, for people to recover (my body) and bury me,” Sako said. “If you disappear in the water, they can look for you for a hundred years.”

Finally, on day 22, a grey plane appeared in the sky above. Then came a helicopter. A rescuer dropped down and pulled Sako and the other two survivors from the corpse-ridden pirogue.

The bodies of 24 people were recovered and buried in the Canaries with case numbers instead of names. The remains of the other 36 were swallowed by the Atlantic.

(PARTIAL) ANSWERS

The number of people attempting the Atlantic crossing to the Canaries is falling again as Spain and the EU, with help from their African partners, try to close that migration route in a constant catand-mouse game. But the reasons pushing these men, women and children to go — a lack of jobs, poverty, violence, climate change — have only gotten worse.

One year after the 43 men departed Nouadhibou, the white-and-blue boat sat abandoned on the side of the road in Belle Garden, much like the case itself.

The clothing, objects and cellphones recovered from the boat and the bodies had been kept in the back of the Scarborough police station in Tobago. Even though it had been cleared for disposal, the officer in charge of storing police evidence had decided to hold onto the items “in case someone came looking for this some day.” With latex gloves, the officer and an AP reporter cut open the sealed bags, pulling out the decaying evidence on the concrete floor to be documented.

There were the dirty soccer jerseys and shorts of Juventus, Paris St-Germain, Barcelona, Real Madrid and The Football Federation of Mauritania that Burris had noted in her autopsy reports. There were the dark green weatherproof coats and pants so many migrants wear during the crossing. There were the cellphones, so worn out that the devices fell apart at the slightest touch.

After days analysing photos of the evidence like a puzzle, one T-shirt seemed familiar. In a photo shared by one of the mothers from the Mauritanian village of Bourdouji, 20-year-old Abdoulaye Tall is seen wearing a colorful T-shirt with words on it, but only parts of it were visible: “IS IT ... E ... YOU’RE.”

Suddenly, it came into focus. He was wearing the

shirt that had struck Dr. Burris: “HELLO, IS IT ME YOU’RE LOOKING FOR?”

The AP shared its finding, along with photos of the T-shirt, with Tall’s father. He said he was grateful for the information, even though it shattered his hopes.

“It’s obvious he’s dead,” Djibi Tall said. “It’s God’s will.”

The AP also shared photos of the evidence collected in Tobago with other families of the missing in Mauritania, Mali, Senegal and France.

May Sow, the aunt in France, stared at the photos on her phone for days and stayed up late at night. One photo looked familiar: a black striped button-down shirt.

She went back to photos of her nephew from shortly before he disappeared. There it was — the same black striped shirt. He wore it on special occasions.

“I don’t think they had the right to bring things with them, so he must have worn his best clothes,” she said.

She reached out to one of Alassane’s friends in Mauritania who had accompanied him on the first part of the journey to the boat. He confirmed that Alassane had worn the striped shirt underneath a jacket with red pockets. Both were found on one of the bodies.

May Sow was already mourning the loss of her nephew, but her sister was still in denial. Sow reached out to the Red Cross in Senegal for help with a DNA test to confirm. But because

Alassane’s mother was from Mali, they couldn’t help.

So in late June, the AP got a saliva sample sent from Alassane’s mother to the Forensics Science Center in Trinidad and Tobago.

Three months later, on October 4, 2022, an email arrived in May Sow’s inbox.

“I regret to inform that the DNA sample result is a positive match.”

EPILOGUE

Alassane was buried after an Islamic funeral on March 3, 2023, at the Chaguanas Public Cemetery in Trinidad and Tobago. His family, unable to travel, held prayers in both his hometown in Mali and in France.

Of the 43 people believed to have boarded Alassane’s boat, only 14 bodies and skeletal remains were found in Tobago. The Red Cross has collected 51 DNA samples from family members of 26 missing migrants in hopes of identifying the other bodies at the Forensic Science Center in Trinidad. Those results aren’t yet known.

Some things are, in the end, unknowable. It’s possible — probable, even — that the world will never learn what exactly happened during the 135 days and nights that Alassane and the others spent adrift in the Atlantic.

But at least May Sow knows one thing now.

“At least, for my nephew, we have proof that it is him,” she said. “We can pray for him and believe that he is in a good place.”

THE WRECK of a traditional Mauritanian fishing boat, known as a pirogue, also used by migrants to reach Spain’s Canary Islands, sits on a beach near Nouadhibou, Mauritania, on December 2, 2021. In 2021, at least seven boats appearing to be from north-west Africa washed up in the Caribbean and in Brazil. All carried dead bodies.

Photo: Felipe Dana/AP

Vacancy: Leadership to unite the global South

I WAS astonished recently to be told by one of the representatives of the Caribbean on the Board of the World Bank (WB) that Antigua and Barbuda, The Bahamas, Barbados, St Kitts-Nevis and Trinidad and Tobago, should not expect any change in the bank’s policy not to make concessional loans to them because, supposedly, they are “high income” countries.

My astonishment did not result from the sharp finality of the statement but rather because it came from a person who is charged with the obligation of representing the views of Caribbean governments on the WB’s board. By an outdated arrangement, which like many aspects of the WB’s structure and operations requiring urgent reform, no Caribbean government has a seat on the Bank’s board. Instead, Caribbean countries are represented by the Canadian or Brazilian executive directors.

I always remember the observation of the late Prime Minister of Barbados, Owen Arthur, that it was offensive that he, as the head of government of his country, could not address a meeting of the WB’s Board without the permission of a Canadian official.

But all that is part and parcel of being small and powerless, and the seeming inability of Caribbean countries to pool their sovereignty so as to argue jointly for the reform the WB urgently requires to

World View

By SIR RONALD SANDERS

make it fit for purpose. An integral part of being fit for purpose, in today’s world, is to raise the massive amounts of capital that are going to be necessary in the coming years to help countries adapt to and mitigate a changing climate.

While climate financing has grown in importance recently as part of the policy of the WB, largely due to the emphasis placed on it by the bank’s largest member, the United States of America (US), under its present Biden Administration, it is still a far way from what it should be.

Last year, the bank lent US$32 billion for climaterelated projects. And while this was a vast improvement over previous years, it was still woefully short of the needed money.

Noteworthy is that countries classified as “highincome”, like Antigua and Barbuda and St Kitts-Nevis, did not qualify for a cent of the allocated US$32 billion. The only “high-income” countries that did manage to access special loans were those in an IMF budgetary support programme with all its harsh conditionalities.

Authoritative bodies estimate that an additional US$2.5 trillion of financing

will be needed every year until 2030 to reach the 2015 Paris Agreement climate goals and to achieve the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) agreed by all countries at the United Nations (UN).

If the WB is to play any meaningful role, it has to get more money and it has to change its lending policies to allow access to concessional funding by so-called “high-income” countries in the Caribbean and elsewhere, which share similar circumstances of neighbouring states of both extreme vulnerability and lack of resilience to climate change and its impacts.

The WB needs to revisit and revise this rule which may be convenient for denying funding, but which is short-sighted in its neglect of a problem that is growing and threatening the viability of countries.

Here’s what is an even more troubling situation related to funds available to the WB and how they are allocated. Many developing countries are deeply concerned that even as the bank attracts more funding, allocations for climate-related projects (36 per cent of the bank’s lending last year) will reduce the

‘Studies by the Centre for Energy and Climate Solutions show that from 1751 (beginning of meaningful industrialisation) to 2017, the share of cumulative CO2 emissions is: the US (25%), the countries of the European Union and Britain (22%), China (12%), Russia (7%), Japan (4%) and India (3%).’

amount of money available for infrastructural development and for improving social services.

Thus, they argue with considerable justification, that funding for coping with the impacts of climate change and global warming, should be separate from traditional funding for development.

In all this, therefore, a greater responsibility falls on the countries that are the greatest CO2 emitters to ease the burden on the World Bank and to create a special and different mechanism to fullfill their promises to mobilise US$100 billion a year to fund mitigation and adaptation in countries that are being irreparably damaged by climate change.

It is not hard to identify which countries are responsible for the present situation. Studies by the Centre for Energy and Climate Solutions show that from 1751 (beginning of

meaningful industrialisation) to 2017, the share of cumulative CO2 emissions is: the US (25%), the countries of the European Union and Britain (22%), China (12%), Russia (7%), Japan (4%) and India (3%).

However, this is unlikely to happen. Indeed, even providing sufficient money to the WB appears increasingly remote, as countries such as China and Britain opt to provide their loans and grants bilaterally than through international institutions.

So, the prospects for securing funding for developing states to meet their development challenges, particularly building resilience to the impacts of climate change, are not promising. Novel ideas have been proposed, including what is called the “Bridgetown Initiative”, a proposal of Barbados Prime Minister, Mia Mottley, to increase concessional financing by

multilateral development banks to US$1 trillion among other things.

Much hope is also being placed in Ajay Banga, the former chief executive of Mastercard, who has been nominated by the Biden Administration to be the next president of the World Bank. But he alone – however skilful he may be – cannot bring about the transformation that is needed, or the political will that is required, to change the policies of the WB which is made by its richest members. And right now, nationalism and self-preservation prevails amongst the world’s powerful nations.

Developing countries should create a unity of the global south, using their own resources, including their purchasing power to defend and advance themselves.

That goal must never be dismissed as unattainable. To do so is to surrender a significant strength that could be a game changer. There is a vacancy in committed leadership; it should be filled.

• Responses and previous commentaries: www. sirronaldsanders.com.

(The writer is Antigua and Barbuda’s Ambassador to the United States and the Organization of American States. He is also a Senior Fellow at the Institute of Commonwealth Studies at the University of London and Massey College in the University of Toronto. The views expressed are entirely his own).

THE WORLD Bank headquarters in Washington DC.

G7 vows to step up moves to renewable energy, zero carbon

JAPAN

Associated Press

ENERGY and environment ministers of the Group of Seven wealthy nations vowed Sunday to work to hasten the shift toward cleaner, renewable energy, but set no timetable for phasing out coal-fired power plants as they wrapped up two days of talks in the northern Japanese city of Sapporo.

The officials issued a 36-page communiqué laying out their commitments ahead of a G-7 summit in Hiroshima in May.

Japan won endorsements from fellow G-7 countries for its own national strategy emphasizing so-called clean coal, hydrogen and nuclear energy to help ensure its energy security.

“Recognizing the current global energy crisis and economic disruptions, we reaffirm our commitment to accelerating the clean energy transition to net-zero greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions by 2050 at the latest,” the communiqué says.

“We call on and will work with other countries to end new unabated coal-fired power generation projects globally as soon as possible to accelerate the clean energy transition in a just manner,” the document says.

The leaders reiterated the need to urgently reduce carbon emissions and achieve a “predominantly decarbonized power sector” by 2035. They also stressed the importance of ensuring supplies of critical minerals, used in many high-tech products, are stable and conform to high social and environmental standards.

“I believe that we were able to demonstrate to the international community that our commitment to climate change and environmental issues is unwavering, even in the context of the situation in Ukraine,” Akihiro Nishimura, Japan’s environment minister, said

after the talks ended.

The stipulation that countries rely on “predominantly” clean energy by 2035 leaves room for continuation of fossil-fuel fired power. But the ministers agreed to prioritise steps toward phasing out “unabated” coal power generation — plants that do not employ mechanisms to capture emissions and prevent them from escaping into the atmosphere.

US Special Presidential Envoy for Climate John Kerry said the meetings were “really constructive.”

“I think the unity for the goal that was expressed of phasing out unabated fossil fuels is a very important statement,” Kerry said in an interview with The Associated Press.

The call to action comes as China and other developing countries step up demands for more help in phasing out fossil fuels and stabilizing energy prices and supplies amid disruptions from Russia’s war on Ukraine.

The issue of setting a timeline for phasing out coal-fired power plants is a longstanding sticking point. Japan relies on coal for nearly one-third of its power generation and is also promoting the use of so-called clean coal, using technology to capture carbon emissions, to produce hydrogen — which produces only water when used as fuel.

The G-7 nations account for 40% of the world’s economic activity and a quarter of global carbon emissions. Their actions are critical, but so is their support for less wealthy nations often suffering the worst effects of climate change while having the fewest resources for mitigating such impacts.

Emissions in advanced economies are falling, though historically they have been higher — the United States alone accounts for about a quarter of historic global carbon emissions — while

emerging markets and developing economies now account for more than two-thirds of global carbon emissions.

The communiqué highlighted the need to cut carbon emission by around 43% by 2030, and 60% by 2035, relative to the 2019 level. It also reaffirmed the G-7 commitment to ending fossil fuel subsidies by 2025.

The president-designate for the next United Nations climate talks, the COP28, who was also attending the talks in Sapporo, issued a statement urging G-7 nations to increase financial support for developing countries’ transitions to clean energy.

“We must make a fairer deal for the Global South,” said Sultan Al Jaber of the United Arab Emirates “Not enough is getting to the people and places that need it most.”

He said developed

countries must follow through on a $100 billion pledge they made at the 2009 COP15 meeting. The next talks are to be held in Dubai in late November.

Chinese President Xi Jinping and Brazilian President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva, who met in Beijing on Friday, issued a joint statement expressing concern that such funding “continues to fall short of the commitment of $100 billion per year.”

Bhupender Yadav, India’s environment minister, urged G-7 countries to hasten their emissions reductions to allow space for developing countries to grow their economies. That is “the best defence against the impacts of climate change, environmental degradation and pollution,” he said in a tweet. The document crafted in Sapporo included significant amounts of nuance

to allow for differences between the G-7 energy strategies, climate advocates said.

“They put out bold language on the urgency of addressing the climate crisis but the real test is what are they saying to the rest of the world about their commitments to scale up ambitions,” Alden Meyer, a senior associate at E3G, a climate change think tank, said in a Twitter spaces session just after the communiqué was released.

But while other G-7 countries prevented Japan from expanding loopholes to allow wider use of fossil fuels, the commitments “fall short of the clarion call to action that was needed,” Meyer said.

The Sapporo talks also yielded pledges to cooperate on wise and equitable environmental energy, water, farm and marine policies. The ministers

committed to ending plastic pollution, aiming to take new plastic pollution to zero by 2040.

While the G-7 energy and environment ministers were wrapping up their meetings in Sapporo, farther south in the mountain city of Karuizawa G-7 foreign ministers were grappling with other shared concerns including regional security and the war in Ukraine.

The war, which Kerry called “insane and tragic,” has complicated the switch to renewable energy by disrupting trade in oil and gas and pushing prices sharply higher, but phasing out carbon emissions can and must continue.

“I think energy security is being exaggerated in some cases,” Kerry said, pointing to Germany’s progress in embracing renewable energy and even phasing out its nuclear power plants.

e le a ers e at a pat to i’s oor see i G i a’s elp

BRUSSELS

Associated Press

IN THE weeks since Chinese leader Xi Jinping won a third five-year term as president, setting him on course to remain in power for life, leaders and diplomats from around the world have beaten a path to his door. None more so than those from Europe.

French President Emmanuel Macron made a high-profile state visit to Beijing last week accompanied by European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen, just days after Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez.

German Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock arrived in the northeast port city of Tianjin on Thursday, following a visit by Chancellor Olaf Scholz in November. The European Union’s foreign policy chief, Josep Borrell, would have been in China this week, too, but he tested positive for COVID-19.

For the 27-nation trading bloc, the reasons to head to China are clear.

As an ally of Russian President Vladimir Putin, Xi could play a pivotal role in helping to end the war in Ukraine. The conflict has dragged on for over a year, driven up energy prices and inflicted more damage on economies struggling to rebound from the coronavirus pandemic.

The Europeans want Xi’s help. They want him to talk to Ukraine’s president as well as Russia’s, but they don’t see him as the key mediator. China’s proposed peace plan for Ukraine is mostly a list of its previously known positions and is unacceptable, EU officials say.

The EU also fears that Xi might supply weapons to Russia. They’ve been particularly disturbed by Putin’s plans to deploy tactical nuclear weapons to Belarus. That

announcement came just days after Xi and Putin met to cement their “no-limits friendship.”

Baerbock said the war is “top of my agenda.” Praising Beijing for easing tensions between Saudi Arabia and Iran, she said that “its influence vis à vis Russia will have consequences for the whole of Europe and for our relationship with China.”

At the same time, the EU is deeply concerned about a military escalation in the Taiwan Strait. China launched war games just after Macron left. But unlike the US, with its military and strategic interest in Taiwan, the Europeans mostly see the island in economic and pro-democracy terms.

So the visits are meant

to reassure Xi of respect for Beijing’s control over all of Chinese territory and to urge calm. They also highlight the challenge the US faces as it tries to build a coalition of countries to ramp up pressure on Beijing over its expansionist policies.

“The key is that we have every interest, both in Europe and in China, to maintain the status quo,” a senior EU official said Wednesday, briefing reporters on plans for Borrell’s sensitive trip on condition that he not be named. “It has worked well for all sides for decades.”

Beyond the geopolitics lies business. The EU and China did more than 2.3 billion euros’ ($2.5 billion) worth of trade every day last year, and the

Europeans don’t want to endanger that. However, the EU’s trade deficit has more than tripled over the past decade, and it wants to level the business playing field.

It’s also desperate to limit its imports of critical resources from China, like rare earth minerals or hi-tech components, after painfully weaning itself off its biggest, and most unreliable, gas supplier, Russia.

It’s a fine line to walk, and China is adept at divideand-conquer politics.

Over the past two decades, the Chinese government has often used its economic heft to pry France, Germany and other allies away from the US on issues ranging from military security and trade to human rights and Taiwan.

Beijing has called repeatedly for a “multi-polar world,” a reference to Chinese frustration with US dominance of global affairs and the ruling Communist Party’s ambition to see the country become an international leader.

“There has been a serious deviation in US understanding and positioning about China, treating China as the primary opponent and the biggest geopolitical challenge,” the Chinese foreign minister, Qin Gang, told reporters last month.

“China-Europe relations are not targeted, dependent, or subject to third parties,” he said.

Macron’s visit appeared to illustrate that Qin’s view isn’t just wishful thinking. As tensions rise between Beijing and Washington,

the French leader said, it is important for Europe to retain its “strategic autonomy.”

“Being a friend doesn’t mean that you have to be a vassal,” Macron said Wednesday, repeating a remark from his trip that alarmed some European partners. “Just because we’re allies, it doesn’t mean (that) we no longer have the right to think for ourselves.”

Such comments could strain ties with the US and have also exposed divisions within the EU.

Without mentioning Macron, Polish Prime Minister Mateusz Morawiecki warned that some in Europe were too slow to heed the “wake-up call” on China.

“You could see this over the past couple of weeks as some European leaders went to Beijing,” Morawiecki said, adding: “I do not quite understand the idea of strategic autonomy, if it means de-facto shooting into our own knee.”

For its part, the White House has sought to downplay Macron’s talk of Europe as “an independent pole in a multi-polar world.”

It thinks European skepticism toward Beijing is growing. US officials note a recent Dutch decision to restrict China’s access to advanced computer chip components or Scholz publicly prodding Xi not to deliver weapons to Russia.

Despite the differences of national emphasis, the EU’s strategy on China remains much as it was enshrined in 2019 — that the Asian giant is “a partner, a competitor and systemic rival.” The aim of the recent visits fit that mold: to secure Xi’s commitment to peace, keep trade flowing fairly and reduce Europe’s reliance on China for critical resources.

US Special Presidential Envoy for Climate John Kerry, left, and Japan’s Environment Minister Akihiro Nishimura, right, prepare to start their bilateral meeting in the G-7 ministers’ meeting on climate, energy and environment in Sapporo, northern Japan, Saturday.

Photo: Hiro Komae/AP

FRENCH President Emmanuel Macron, left, shakes hands with Chinese President Xi Jinping after meeting the press at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing, on April 6, 2023. In the weeks since Chinese leader Xi Jinping won a third five-year term as president, setting him on course to remain in power for life, leaders and diplomats from around the world have beaten a path to his door. None more so than those from Europe.

Photo: Ng Han Guan/AP

SPORTS

Jones leads the way

By BRENT STUBBS Senior Sports Reporter bstubbs@tribunemedia.net

It was back on August 26, 2007 at the World Championships in Osaka, Japan, that Derrick Atkins established the Bahamas men’s 100 metres national record of 9.91 seconds to win the silver medal. No other Bahamian came close until Saturday when Grand Bahamian Terrence Jones equalised the time.

In surpassing the qualifying standard of 10.00 for the 2023 World Championships in Budapest, Hungary, August 19-27, Grand Bahamian Terrence Jones tied Atkins’ national record in winning the men’s century at the Tom Jones Memorial Invitational at the Percy Beard Track at the University of Florida in Gainesville, Florida.

Jones’ spectacular worldleading time left his Texas

SEE PAGE

EPL race tightens after latest Arsenal stumble, Man Utd 3rd

By JAMES ROBSON AP Soccer Writer

NOTTINGHAM, England (AP) — Another week, another Arsenal stumble.

Mikel Arteta has a job on his hands to keep his team’s title challenge on track.

It was a case of history repeating itself as the Premier League leaders let another two-goal lead slip and dropped valuable points for the second week in a row. A 2-2 draw with West Ham yesterday followed the same score line against Liverpool seven days earlier.

It’s a costly habit to pick up, especially at a time when the wins are rolling in for second-place Manchester City.

While it all appears to be so easy for defending

champion City, which recorded a 10th straight victory in all competitions by beating Leicester 3-1 on Saturday, Arsenal’s form is wobbling.

As if back-to-back draws weren’t bad enough for Arteta, it is the nature of his team’s mini-meltdowns against Liverpool and West Ham that will be of most concern.

On both occasions Arsenal was cruising. But at the London Stadium, just like at Anfield, the Londoners unravelled when under pressure.

“My worry is after 2-0 that we made that huge mistake and did not understand what the game required in that moment,” Arteta said. “We need that ruthless mindset to go kill a team and today we haven’t done it.”

Gabriel Jesus and captain Martin Odegaard appeared to put Arsenal on course to move six points ahead of City when both scored inside the first 10 minutes.

That was until Said Benrahma’s penalty in the 33rd set up a fightback and Jarrod Bowen equalised in the 54th.

In between Bukayo Saka missed a penalty which would have put Arsenal 3-1 ahead.

Even after dropping four points in two games, Arsenal remains four points clear of City having played a game more. But its lead over City was eight points less than a month ago.

City also has a better goal difference.

Arsenal plays City at Etihad Stadium in a pivotal game on April 26 and Arteta must hope the

wounding recent results will not be too damaging to his players’ confidence.

UNITED GOES THIRD

Manchester United had a collapse of its own against Sevilla in the Europa League when throwing away a two-goal lead to draw 2-2, but there was no repeat of that at Nottingham Forest yesterday.

Leading 1-0 through Antony’s goal in the 32nd, Erik ten Hag’s team piled the pressure on relegationfighting Forest and sealed the 2-0 win through Diogo Dalot in the 76th.

Victory saw United take advantage in the race for Champions League qualification after defeats for rivals Newcastle and Tottenham on Saturday.

TENAJH SWEETING tsweeting@tribunemedia.net

THE nation’s second city will host the second edition of the New Life Invitational on May 13 4pm to 8pm at the Grand Bahama Sports Complex.

The inaugural event was held in Miramar, Florida in May, 2021 and now it’s being held for the first time in The Bahamas thanks to the North American, Central American and Caribbean Athletic Association (NACAC).

Officials maintain that although there is no official list of the athletes scheduled to attend the invitational as yet, there is a lot of excitement surrounding the sporting event.

Demarius Cash, the special events coordinator, talked about the upcoming track and field event.

“The key thing is to bring these type of meets across into North America to showcase Olympians and upcoming athletes who are vying for this year’s World Championships,” Cash said.

He added that it’s going to be exciting in GB because their track produces some of the fastest times for athletes.

The track invitational is geared towards attracting athletes within the area and outside of it. Officials are looking to bring out the top-24 athletes that are ranked.

For local athletes that are not in the top 24, provisions will be made for them as event organisers will want them involved as well.

Athletes can also look forward to a monetary prize at this year’s invitational.

Mike Sands, president of NACAC, talked about more of the details surrounding May’s event.

“The event is a silver label event that has a $75,000 prize money to it and we will go from first to sixth place and every athlete will be given prize monies but, more importantly, there will be points per world ranking, “Sands said.

With the 2023 Word Athletics World Outdoor Championships set for late August, the New Life

SEE PAGE 18

Fitzpatrick wins RBC Heritage over Spieth on 3rd extra hole

By PETE IACOBELLI AP Sports Writer

HILTON HEAD ISLAND, S.C. (AP) — Matt Fitzpatrick’s earliest memories of Harbour Town were as a spectator wondering if Tiger Woods would play the RBC Heritage.

He was always disappointed, since Woods only played once at Hilton Head, in 1999, when Fitzpatrick was 4 years old.

“I remember saying to my dad, “Is Tiger (Woods) going to be here?” he recalled.

Now, Fitzpatrick’s got a sweeter memory at the Pete Dye layout he played as a child on vacations.

Fitzpatrick defeated defending champion Jordan Spieth on the third playoff hole yesterday, stuffing his approach in close on the par-4 18th to secure his first victory since the U.S. Open last June.

“I think I can retire now,” joked the 28-yearold Englishman, who uses a Harbour Town-style lighthouse headcover. “This is one I really wanted.”

Fitzpatrick hit 9-iron to within 1 foot on the closing lighthouse hole to set up the winning birdie.

Fitzpatrick had to sweat out a couple of prime chances by Spieth on the

BAHAMIAN athletes at Tom Jones Invitational include Devynne Charlton, Megan Moss, Charisma Taylor, Anthaya Charlton, Shaun Miller Jr and Adrian Curry in front. In back are Sasha Wells, Vanya McCoy, Gabrielle Gibson, Antoine Andrews, Oscar Smith and Terrence Jones.

Decathlete Kendrick Thompson has record-breaking performance

By BRENT STUBBS Senior Sports Reporter bstubbs@tribunemedia.net

EVER since they’ve been competing in the event, Ken Mullings and Kendrick Thompson have been trading their names on the Bahamas men’s national decathlon record.

The duo, who are now training in different parts of the United States, hooked up at the 63rd annual Mt SAC Relays at the Hilmer Lodge Stadium in Walnut, California over the weekend where Thompson regained the record from Mullings.

Also at the meet, sprinter Denisha Cartwright was holding her own in her individual events. In finishing in fourth place in the 10 events contested over two days in the decathlon, Thompson became the first Bahamian to rack up more than 8,000 points in his total of 8,038, while Mullings was fifth with 7,933.

The pair of 25-year-old former team-mates at the University of the Bahamas soared over Mullings’ previous national record of 7,866 that he established at the World Championships in Eugene, Oregon, last July.

The duo, however, are still chasing the qualifying standard of 8,460 points for the 2023 World Championships in Budapest, Hungary, from August 19-27. Thompson, whose previous national record was

ATHLETES

FROM PAGE 15

Tech team-mate Courtney Lindsey strides behind in 10.04. Fellow Bahamians Adrian Curry, competing for Ohio State, was 34th overall in 10.54 and Zachary Evans of Purdue was 48th in 10.69.

However, the performance for Jones came after he posted another world leading time of 20.05 in winning the men’s 200m at the 95th Texas Relays two weeks ago, which was also a World Championship qualifier.

The 20-year-old Jones, who won gold and silver in the under-20 boys 400 and 200m respectively at the 2021 CARIFTA Games and bronze in 2018 in the under-17 boys 200m, was unavailable for comments, but Atkins, now the head coach of the women’s programme at Utah Tech University in Southern Utah, said he saw it coming.

“Just his progression and being in the high level collegiate system, I saw it coming,” Atkins said of Jones’ accomplishments. “I think he can still go faster. It’s just a matter of staying healthy and being hungry. If he’s not hungry, it won’t happen. He has to stay hungry.”

His local coach John Ingraham, who heads the Heats Athetic programme, concurs with Atkins.

“I feel Terrence has come a long way, after experiencing a few minor injuries and setbacks,” said Ingraham, who was the head coach of the CARIFTA track team. “He was finally able to harness his talent and break out and do what he was born to do. I’m happy for him. He’s finally getting a chance to show the world what he can do.

FIRST BAHAMIAN TO GO OVER 8,000 POINTS IN DECATHLON

7,788 that he did in May at the JAC Combined Events Qualifier in Jacksonville, Florida, said his latest performance was what he expected, but it was still unexpected because of how it turned out.

“It’s always good when I get a chance to compete against Ken. He always brings out the best in me,” Thompson said.

“We knew that the competition was going to be stiff. I’m just glad that I came out on top and that I’m the first Bahamian to go over the 8,000 mark.

“I think I put in a lot of work to get ready for the competition, so I expected a little more. But there’s no better feeling when you know that you went out and did the best you could and you came out with the best performance you could achieve. It was a great event.”

They trailed Harrison Williams, representing Chula Vista Elite, who was the eventual winner with 8,492 points. Heath Baldwin of Michigan State came in second with 8,084 and Austin West of Iowa was third with 8,038.

Thompson, a former student of Central Andros High and Tabernacle Baptist Academy where he played just about every sport, said when he enrolled

“I think you will see some great things from him. His progression is tremendous. It’s awesome. He started off at 10.-2, then gone to 10.0 and now down to 9.9. His ability will exceed all expectations. He will become a great 100m runner. He’s going to make history once he stays healthy.”

Samson Colebrooke, who previously ran the second fastest 100m by a Bahamian in 10.01 on July 5, 2019 in Queretaro, Mexico, followed Jones’ performance at the meet. He ran 10.43 for 16th place in the men’s Olympic Developmental 100m that was won by American Noah Lyles in 9.95.

It was the second time Colebrooke faced Lyles in the meet. In the men’s Olympic Developmental 200m, Colebrooke was fifth in 21.01 as Lyles took the tape in 20.16, which was also slower than the men’s collegiate 200m won by Tarsis Orogot of Alabama in 19.60.

Along with Jones, Curry, Evans and Samson, a number of Bahamians were in action at the Tom Jones Memorial Invitational.

Strachan big heave again Fresh from watching his little sister establish a CARIFTA record in the under-17 girls javelin, Auburn freshman Keyshawn Strachan picked up his second straight victory in the men’s javelin with a toss of 252-feet, 6-inches or 76.97 metres.

Just a week before going home for CARIFTA to support Team Bahamas and his younger sister Kamera Strachan as she established a CARIFTA record in the under-17 girls javelin, Strachan had improved on his national record with a huge, world-leading heave of 276-5 (84.27m) at the

at UB, he met Mullings and under coach Ednal Rolle, they began pursuit of the multiple event competition that includes the 100 metres, long jump, shot put, high jump and 400m over the first day and the 110m hurdles, discus, pole vault, javelin and 1,500m on the final day.

“I’m really excited about the future for us because they both have been training really hard,” said Thompson, who is now training in Dallas, Texas.

“So it’s going to be a lot of fun whenever we face each other. I think we will continue to push each other to higher heights in the sport.”

Despite relinquishing his national record, Mullings said he’s still pleased with his performance, producing five out of 10 personal best feats, so he can’t complain.

He did admit that he encountered some hiccups, but it goes with the territory in competing in the gruelling event. “I’m not mad about what happened at all.

I’m still looking forward to finishing at the top because I’m a competitor who loves to win,” Mullings stated.

“I was actually in second place, but I continued to drop. That’s something I have to learn from and just get ready for the next one.

“I have to take this loss like a champion and just

hope to bounce back and regain the record. I don’t want people to think that it’s the last time the record will be broken. It will be broken at least three more times this year. We just have to wait to see who ends up on top at the end of the season.”

The pair are expected to travel to Grenada to compete in their next headto-head meet at the end of the month.

They are then scheduled to face off in July before the World Championships, if they both qualify or get an invitation to compete.

If they don’t head to Budapest, their last showdown is expected to be in October.

Mullings, who is now training in Illinois, said he just needs to focus on his fitness level and he will be okay.

“There’s a lot more in the tank. That’s why I’m not stressing out about this meeting,” he stated.

“I just have to go back to training and get a lot stronger and I will be okay. This is just the first decathlon meet for the year, so we have a few more to look forward to competing in. I will be back.”

Looking back at their performances in the meet, both Thompson and Mullings said if there’s anything they

need to concentrate a little more on is the 1,500 metres, which has given them both a lot of struggle.

If they can improve on their performances, they are both confident that they could be representing the Bahamas at the World Championships in Budapest, Hungary, in August. After spending some time grooming both competitors before they left for the United States, Rolle said he’s been impressed with their progression and he feels the sky’s the limit for them as they move on to loftier goals.

“Because of their work ethics, they are now reaching the next level,” Rolle said.

“It’s interesting to see how one guy would have the record and the next guy would take it. It’s a continued back and forth situation between them, but they elevate each other.”

With Thompson being the first to crack the 8,000 point barrier, Rolle said it would only be a matter of time before Mullings joins him because they both continue to improve with the training that they have put in.

Rolle said if they don’t get to qualify outright for the World Championships, they are hoping that they will remain in the top 10 in the ranking so that they will at

Florida, was 4th overall in the event in 11.65.

Andrews, Smith and Coakley in hurdles

Texas Tech freshman Antoine Andrews clocked 13.66 for sixth place in the men’s collegiate 110m hurdles final that was won by Devon Brooks of Tennessee in 13.26.

Andrews had the ninth and final qualifying time of 13.75. Oscar Smith, also competing for Ohio State, was 14th overall in the preliminaries in 13.,91.

Xavier Coakley, listed as unattached, was fifth in the men’s Olympic Developmental 110m hurdles in 13.97. American Grant Holloway, representing Adidas, won the race in 13.05.

The World Championship qualifier for the three hurdlers is 13.28.

Texas Relays at the Mike A. Myers Stadium.

Strachan, however, is still shy of the World Championship qualifying mark of 85.20m, but as he returned to action over the weekend, he out-distanced his nearest rival, Chinecherem Prosper Nnamdi of Baylor, who did 232-1 (70.75m) for second.

Charlton sisters make their presence felt Devynne Charlton, home to view CARIFTA and to have a billboard erected in the Stapledon Gardens community last week, had to settle for third place in the women’s Olympic Development’s 100m hurdles in 12.64 to dip under the World Championship qualifying time of 12.78.

American Nia Ali, representing Nike, won in 12.53. World record holder Tobi Amusan of Adidas, was second in 12.59.

Charlton, competing for Puma, had the fifth fastest qualifying time of 12.87. Sasha Wells, another Bahamian competing unattached, was 13th in 13.66.

As she showed some of her versatility of old, Charlton also contested the 100m for some speed work. She was 11th overall in 11.66. Kiara Grant, unattached, won the event in 10.99.

Her younger sister, Anthaya Charlton, who was also home to view CARIFTA, was 34th overall in the women’s 200m in 23.47 as she represented the University of Kentucky with Bahamian Rolando ‘Lonnie’ Greene as the head coach and Debbie Ferguson-McKenzie as an assistant.

Archer in century Julien Alfred of Texas won the event in the second fastest time posted in NCAA history in 21.91. Her time was faster than the women’s 200m Olympic Developmental race won by Melissa Jefferson of Nike in 23.02.

Alfred also ran a windaided 10.72 to double up in the collegiate 100m.

Bahamian Paige Archer, in her freshman year for the University of Central

last be able to get an invite to compete in the championships like Mullings was able to achieve last year. While Thompson missed out on the opportunity because of an injury, he did go to the Commonwealth Games in Birmingham, England last year, but he wasn’t able to overcome the injuries to finish the event.

Denisha Cartwright in the win column

In her individual events, Denisha Cartwright, representing Minnesota State, clocked 13.04 to win the women’s collegiate 100m hurdles.

Danae Dyer of San Diego State was second in 13.27. Cartwright had the second fastest qualifying time of 13.52.

Karon Dean of UTEP clocked 10.55 for the fifth fastest qualifying time, but he didn’t contest the final that was won by Louie Hinchliffe of Washington State in 10.3.

Alexis Tilford-Rutherford of the University of Houston cleared 18-9 ¼ (5.72m) for 17th place in the women’s collegiate long jump. Alyssa Jones of Stanford won the event with 21-0 (6.40m).

And Kaiwan Culmer, competing in the elite men’s triple jump, soared 52-9 ½ (16.09m) for eighth place. The winning leap was 57-3 ¾ (17.47m) by Emmanuel Ihemeje. But both jumps by Culmer and Ihemeje were wind-aided.

45th overall. Julien Alfred from Texas completed a sweep of the sprints in 10.72 as she added to her victory in the 200m.

Russell improves lifetime best Grand Bahamian Alonzo Russell posted his second consecutive World Championship qualifying standard of 45.00 in the men’s 400m.

In his second meet for the year, Russell lowered his personal best time to 44.73 for a second place in the men’s Olympic Developmental 400m behind Jereem Richards of Adidas in 44.68.

Kinard Rolle, competing for Empire Athletics, was 15th overall in 48.18.

Miller Jr soars

Moss makes a run for it

Megan Moss, another member of the Kentucky connection, was entered in the women’s collegiate 400m where she came in 27th overall in 53.68. The winning time was 49.51 by Britton Wilson of Arkansas.

Win for Gibson

At the Kansas Relays at the Rock Chalk Park, Gabrielle Gibson, competing unattached for Kansas, won the women’s collegiate 100m hurdles with the fastest qualifying time in the collegiate women’s 100m hurdles in 13.39. Miracle Thompson of Cloud County trailed in 13.77. Gibson posted the fastest qualifying time of 13.43.

Although she had some unfinished business to take care of, Gibson also had the fastest qualifying time of 23.69 in the 200m, but she didn’t contest the final that was won by Aria Pearce, unattached, in 24.16.

University of Central Florida’s freshman Paige Archer clocked 11.65 for

Shaun Miller Jr, competing for Ohio State, participated in the men’s high jump invitational where he placed fourth with a leap of 7-0 ¼ (2.14m). It was the same height cleared by the second through sixth place finishers, but they got their positions based on fewer knockdowns. Tony Jones of Mississippi State won outright with 7-2 ¼ (2.19m).

The World Championship qualifying height is 2.32m.

Taylor second and third

In the women’s college 100m hurdles, Charisma Taylor of Tennessee came through in second place in 12.84.

Rayniah Jones of the University of Central Florida won in 12.80. Taylor had the fifth fastest qualifying time of 13.05.

Taylor, in double duties on the day, also competed in the women’s triple jump where she was third with her best leap of 44-6 ¾ (13.58m). Thea Lafond of Dominica won with 46-4 ¼ (14.13m). Jasmine Moore of Florida was second with 45-7 ¾ (13.91m).

GRAND Bahamian Terrence Jones winning the men’s 100 metres over his Texas Tech team-mate Courtney Lindsay.

KENDRICK Thompson shows off his new national record in the decathlon.

KENDRICK THOMPSON, left, and Ken Mullings.

Ayton and Suns lose NBA playoff opener

By DAVID BRANDT AP Sports Writer

PHOENIX (AP) — Kawhi Leonard scored 38 points, including a pair of late 3-pointers, and the Los Angeles Clippers beat the Phoenix Suns 115-110 in the opener of their Western Conference playoff series last night.

Eric Gordon added 19 points and hit a late 3 that kept the Clippers ahead. Russell Westbrook shot just 3 of 19 from the floor for Los Angeles but made a pair of free throws with 17.7 seconds left for a threepoint lead, then blocked Devin Booker’s layup attempt at the other end and swatted the ball off Booker to give the Clippers the ball with 10.1 seconds remaining.

Kevin Durant scored 27 points for the Suns, who lost for the first time with him on the floor. Phoenix acquired the twotime NBA Finals MVP from Brooklyn in February and injuries limited him to eight games — all Suns wins.

LEONARD SCORES 38 IN CLIPPERS 115-110 WIN

Devin Booker added 26 points for Phoenix, which will try to avoid falling into a 2-0 hole at home on Tuesday.

The Suns trailed 109-103 with 1:33 remaining but scored the next five points. The Clippers grabbed multiple offensive rebounds on the ensuing possession before Westbrook made his critical free throws. He finished with nine points, 10 rebounds, eight assists, three blocks and two steals.

Los Angeles led for much of the evening until midway through the third quarter.

Torrey Craig made back-to-back

TYLER HERRO BREAKS HAND

By STEVE MEGARGEE AP Sports Writer

MILWAUKEE (AP) — Miami Heat guard Tyler Herro broke his right hand late in the second quarter of his team’s Eastern Conference playoff opener with the Milwaukee Bucks.

Herro appeared to hurt the hand while diving for a loose ball.

“He’s not going to play the next game, and then we’ll just figure it out,” Heat coach Erik Spoelstra said after Miami’s 130-117 victory over the top-seeded Bucks. “I got the same diagnosis that you all heard.”

Herro was leaning forward and in obvious discomfort while standing in front of the Heat’s bench in the final minute of the second quarter. The Heat announced the severity of Herro’s injury at halftime.

LOS

buckets, including one on a powerful fast-break dunk, to push Phoenix ahead 70-68. It was part of a 15-0 run that put the Suns up 77-68. The Clippers, led by Leonard’s 12 points in the third, recovered to tie the game at 81-all heading into the fourth.

Leonard — a two-time Finals MVP playing his first playoff game since June 14, 2021 — did much of his damage from the mid-range, but moved behind the 3-point arc in the game’s late moments. He hit a 3 with 2:36 left and another at the 2-minute mark, finishing 13 of 24 shooting from the field.

The Clippers were missing one of their best players

in eight-time All-Star Paul George. He sprained his right knee last month and it’s unclear if he’ll be able to play in this series. Gordon scored 12 points as the Clippers jumped to a 30-18 lead after one quarter. The Suns shot just 31.8% from the field in the first quarter and Durant was held scoreless. Durant missed his first five shots from the field before finally connecting on a midrange jumper early in the second quarter. That seemed to shake the nerves and the 34-year-old poured in 17 points before the break, helping cut the Clippers’ lead to 59-54.

Herro had scored 12 points in the first half to help the eighth-seeded Heat grab a 68-55 lead over the topseeded Bucks.

“You can’t fully make up what Tyler has been for our team all year long, but guys got to step up, including myself, including Bam (Adebayo) and whoever Spo calls upon to do an offensive assignment, a defensive assignment, to bring some energy, to dive on the floor, get a loose ball or rebound,” Jimmy Butler said. “It’s like all hands on deck at all times, now more than ever.”

This was the second major injury of this series’ opening game. Milwaukee’s Giannis Antetokounmpo took a hard foul on a drive to the basket in the first quarter and was ruled out early in the second period with a lower back bruise.

Herro was seen after the game congratulating teammates while wearing a cast on the hand. “The biggest thing is he had a smile on his face and he wasn’t discouraged about what happened to him,” Adebayo said.

Hachimura’s big 2nd half leads LA past Memphis in Game 1

By CLAY BAILEY Associated Press

MEMPHIS, Tenn. (AP)

— Rui Hachimura, LeBron James and the Los Angeles Lakers made an early statement in the wideopen Western Conference playoffs.

Hachimura scored a playoff career-best 29 points, including 21 in the second half, and James added 21 points and 11 rebounds as the seventhseeded Lakers beat the No. 2 seed Memphis Grizzlies 128-112 yesterday in the opening game of their series.

Memphis had the NBA’s best home record at 35-6 but no longer has homecourt advantage against LA. Game 2 is Wednesday at FedExForum, and the Grizzlies have major concerns about star Ja Morant, who aggravated a right hand injury.

“We didn’t execute the priorities of the game plan,” Memphis coach Taylor Jenkins said. “Get back. Execute half-court defense and get rebounds.”

Austin Reaves added 23 points, including nine straight in the closing minutes as the Lakers pulled away.

Anthony Davis had 22 points and 12 rebounds, and D’Angelo Russell, who scored only two points in the Lakers’ playin win over the Minnesota

GOLF FROM PAGE 15

first two extra holes.

Spieth raised his putter in triumph before watching his 12-foot birdie putt catch the right edge and spin out the first time the pair played the 18th. Then Spieth’s 9-foot birdie attempt ran out of steam on the right edge at the 17th hole.

“I felt every putt he hit was going to go in,” Fitzpatrick said.

Spieth still doesn’t understand how the that first playoff putt didn’t drop.

“I think if I hit the same putt 10 times, it does in eight,” Spieth said. “It should go left at the very end there on the grain. It just wasn’t meant to be.”

There was no doubt about the final hole as Fitzpatrick, from 187 yards out, hit the front of the green and watched the

Timberwolves, finished with 19 points.

Hachimura missed only one of his nine shots in the second half, including making all five of his 3-point attempts.

“The second half, we were in a good rhythm,” Hachimura said. “We were sharing the ball and all the shots just came to me.”

Reaves added: “Rui was huge (Sunday). His skillset is crazy. For us to get him with all the talent we have, it just brings another aspect to our team.”

Jaren Jackson Jr led Memphis with 31 points, while Desmond Bane scored 22. Morant had 18 points before leaving in the fourth quarter with the hand injury. The Grizzlies’ leading scorer’s availability for Game 2 is uncertain.

“I’m in a good bit of pain,” Morant said. “My main focus was to be out there for my guys. Another incident where, you know, that’s pretty much in jeopardy.”

It was Hachimura from Japan who provided Los Angeles some breathing room in the third quarter, connecting on all four of his 3-point attempts.

Hachimura’s only previous playoff experience was in 2021 with Washington, which lost a first-round series to Philadelphia. The Lakers acquired him from the Wizards in a midseason trade.

ball settle next to the hole. Spieth’s attempt from 26 feet away rolled past and Fitzpatrick tapped in for the victory.

Fitzpatrick felt the shot was true from the moment he struck it. He wasn’t sure how close it came, but got an idea when his spotted his family cheering wildly.

“I knew it was good because my mom and my girlfriend were jumping up and down,” he said.

Fitzpatrick won $3.6 million from the elevated purse of $20 million in the sixth designated event of the year on the PGA Tour, topping a field that included seven of the world’s top 10 players.

Fitzpatrick trailed Spieth by two with five holes to play, but made birdies on the 15th and 16th holes to tie for the lead at 17-under.

The third-round leader by one shot, Fitzpatrick

“He’s multifaceted,” Lakers coach Darvin Ham said of Hachiumura. “He’s strong. He has great hands. He can get out and run, go up top. Very, very athletic and can really put the ball in the hole as you saw today. Just encouraging him to be assertive, aggressive.”

Los Angeles had to get through the play-in tournament this year after missing the playoffs in 2022.

The Lakers were eliminated in the first round by

closed with a 3-under 68 and matched Spieth at 17-under 267. Spieth had his second straight 66.

Patrick Cantlay, grouped with Fitzpatrick and Spieth, was third after a 68 left him at 16-under. Cantlay lost this title in a playoff to Spieth a year ago.

“Another close call here,” Cantlay said.

Xander Schauffele was another stroke behind after a 66. Sahith Theegala shot 65 and Hayden Buckley a 67 to tie for fifth at 14-under.

Scottie Scheffler, No. 2 in the world, shot 70 and was tied for 11th at 12-under.

Masters champion Jon Rahm ended with a 68 and was tied for 15th before taking a well-earned week off.

Fitzpatrick carried a one-shot lead into the final round, but watched as Spieth made four birdies

the Phoenix Suns a year earlier. Memphis finished with 51 wins, its second straight 50-victory season. After the Grizzlies used a second-quarter burst to take a 65-59 lead into the break, the teams swapped leads through much of the second half, and Memphis still held a 101-100 advantage with 8:36 left.

But Hachimura made a 13-foot jumper, and Reaves nailed a 3-pointer as the shot clock was expiring.

in the opening six holes to share the lead.

Fitzpatrick played a stretch of nine holes in 1 over as Spieth looked ready to pull away. But Spieth made bogey on the par-3 14th while Fitzpatrick answered with consecutive birdies on the 15th and 16th.

The pair remained tied until Fitzpatrick’s remarkable approach on the winning hole.

Cantlay, so close a year ago, lost his chance at victory with consecutive bogeys on the 13th and 14th holes. He missed from inside 2 feet for the first, then saw his chip off the green on the next hole end up wedged next to a wood pylon at the edge of the water.

Cantlay was able to pop it up and complete the most improbable bogey he’s had in a while.

Then, as Memphis got close again with about three minutes left, Reaves went on his individual scoring spree, and the Lakers closed out the game with the final 15 points.

“It’s one game,” Bane said. “It’s the first of four games for a reason. You want to win every game, but most of the time that doesn’t happen. “We obviously wanted to start it off with a win, but whey won, and we get another opportunity on Wednesday.”

Masters champion Rahm set his sights on donning the plaid jacket given winners here to go with the green one he brought from Augusta National. But a 1-over 72 Thursday set him back and he never challenged the lead despite shooting in the 60s the final three rounds.

Rahm played his final 33 holes in 2-under and closed with birdie on the last, his approach settling inside 2 feet.

The crowd cheered and chanted as he applauded them back with a big smile. Rahm will return in two weeks to defend his Mexico Championship title.

“To be honest, I didn’t expect this,” Rahm said of the fans. “I did not expect this in my wildest dreams, the see the kids, the adults and everybody have that reaction just to see me is really very special.”

EPL FROM PAGE 15

United moved up to third, three points ahead of Newcastle.

While Antony scored one goal and provided the assist for another, the return of Christian Eriksen for his first start since hurting his ankle in January was a timely boost for Ten Hag as the injuries mount for United.

Marcel Sabitzer was a late withdrawal after picking up an injury while warming up at City Ground. The onloan Austrian midfielder joins Lisandro Martinez, Raphael Varane, Marcus Rashford and Luke Shaw on the list of key absentees for United.

“You see how quickly things can change,” Ten Hag said. “Last week we had nine top-fit defenders, today we had four. We need the numbers, we are one of the few teams in three competitions ... We are in a lot of games, we need the numbers to stay in those competitions because we want to bring a good team every time onto the pitch.” Eriksen only started because of Sabitzer’s injury but looked like he had never been away with a classy performance in the heart of midfield.

“It’s the nature, a natural talent, everything is going so smooth with him, so many skills, game understanding,” Ten Hag said, adding “when you bring on Christian it’s not a disadvantage for your team and he proved it.”

FIGHT FOR SURVIVAL

While West Ham picked up a valuable point against Arsenal to move four points from the relegation zone, Hammers manager David Moyes said Saka’s penalty miss was a crucial moment in the game.

“Sometimes the fine lines are so small,” Moyes said. “They got a penalty and at 3-1 it’s going to be difficult. We got a bit of fortune, but then we grew and I quite fancied us to get a third one.”

Meanwhile Forest manager Steve Cooper was dismayed by the failure to award his team a spot kick when United’s Harry Maguire appeared to handle the ball with the game still at 0-0.

“I am not going to say it is the absolute reason why we lost the game, but I think it is a definite penalty from Maguire and possibly a second yellow card and could be a game changer,” Cooper said. Forest remains in the bottom three with Cooper under increasing pressure.

LAKERS forward Rui Hachimura (28) reacts during Game 1 of a first-round NBA basketball playoff series against the Memphis Grizzlies yesterday.

(AP Photo/Brandon Dill)

Angeles Clippers guard Eric Gordon tries to shoot under pressure from Phoenix Suns centre Deandre Ayton (22) during Game 1 of their firstround NBA basketball playoff series last night in Phoenix. (AP Photo/Matt York)

Giants crowned champions again

By TENAJH SWEETING tsweeting@tribunemedia.net

THE Commonwealth Bank and Your Essential Store Giants were crowned champions once again this year. The Bahamas Basketball Federation’s (BBF) National Basketball Championships were held this past weekend to determine which team reigned supreme in basketball throughout the entire Bahamas.

Division one play included teams from New Providence, Grand Bahama, Abaco and Bimini. The division two matchups included teams from New Providence, Grand Bahama, Bimini, South Andros, Eleuthera, Central Andros and Abaco.

The tournament commenced on April 13 and wrapped up this past Saturday.

Saturday’s action included the championship showdown between Abaco’s Showtime Ballers against New Providence’s Commonwealth Bank Giants.

In the final game of the night, the CB Giants closed the curtains on the Showtime Ballers, defeating them 107-89. The champions got off to a hot start against Abaco’s team, opening the game 18 to 6 and closed out the first quarter 40 to 24.

Jackson Jacob, the team’s Most Valuable Player, started his work early in the game, pouring in 21 of his team-high 26 points in the first half of the game. He also finished up the BBF championship win with six rebounds and seven assists.

Jacob got help from the team’s second highest scorer Dylan Musgrove, who picked up 20 points on an efficient 70% shooting percentage to pair with five rebounds and three assists.

The team effort was well rounded as the new BBF division one champions had five players score in double digits in the victory.

Jacob talked about his big night against the Showtime Ballers.

“To be honest it feels great to get a win, hats off to those guys they played their hearts out and they

have really great talent over there, they pushed us to our limits and we just had to answer,” he said.

He said his first half motivation in the championship game was fuelled by negative chatter on social media about the Giants after their 66-75 loss to the Showtime Ballers. He added that he came into the game with the mindset to dominate early on after being motivated by the doubt on social media.

The CB Giants dominated in the paint against Abaco’s team with a whooping 62 to 30. Also, they collected 25 second chance points on the night compared to Abaco’s 11.

The New Providence team came out on top with bench points 29 to 20. Despite the CB Giants leading by as many 20 points in the game, the game was more competitive than the final score reflected.

After a big first quarter by the CB Giants, Abaco’s team mounted a big comeback to trim the Giants lead down to as little as one mere point. The team hosted a clinic from behind

the arc ], draining 11 three pointers on the night. Their comeback was led by the game’s leading scorer, Godfrey Rolle Jr, who dropped 28 points to go with three assists and three rebounds. He was joined by fellow teammate Brandon Meadows who notched 24 points and seven rebounds.

Perry Thompson, head coach of the CB Giants, talked about his message to the team after the Showtime Ballers’ attempt at a comeback.

He said the team had gotten accustomed to the 8-minute quarters but playing 10-minute quarters in the championship game messed with the rotation a bit. However, despite the issue with his rotation, he gave credit to Abaco’s team for being a tough team and hitting a lot of big threepoint shots in the game. The coach added that coming out of halftime, he told the bench to be ready and he felt the team responded well.

Despite the obstacles from the COVID-19 pandemic and some team roster changes, Thompson said in

spite of all the challenges, the team stuck together and they now enjoy being on top.

Division Two

In division two action, the YES Giants accomplished a similar feat to the CB Giants after not only winning the 2023 NPBA championships but also the BBF national championship.

The YES Giants handled business against the Grand Bahama’s Just Run team in the division two championships 110-76. Both teams kept things relatively close in the first half with the score being 24-15.

However, the Giants flexed their championship pedigree and charged out to a 53-30 lead and never looked back. The team led by as many as 34 points.

The YES Giants MVP and leading scorer on the night was Matthew Saunders who scored 18 points to go with three assists and four rebounds. He was joined by teammate Brandon Strachan, who worked his way to 16 points along with five assists and three steals.

Perry Thompson, head coach of YES Giants, talked about the BBF division two championship win.

“It was important for us to bring the national division two trophy back home to Nassau when we put this team together, we knew that we had the opportunity to win locally and at the nationals, I am very proud of these guys and they stuck to the gameplan,” he said. He added that the momentum coming off the 2023 NPBA title win really propelled the team to stay focused, and they knew what was at stake. Now it’s time to party.

The YES Giants crushed the paint with 66 points to 36 points from Grand Bahama’s team. Also, they amassed 24 fastbreak points compared to three from the opposing team.

Additionally, the Giants bench players poured in an eye opening 45 points off the pine to Just Run’s 11 points.

Both Giants teams will look to celebrate after wins in the 2023 NPBA championships and BBF national basketball championship.

NEW LIFE

FROM PAGE 15

Invitational will provide athletes with a chance to qualify for the major sporting event.

The event is set to be a track and field extravaganza as Sands said they have already gotten word from four sub-10 second 100m runners, two subeleven 100m females, and three sub-forty-five 400m runners.

This year’s event will include the men’s long jump, the women’s triple jump, 100m, 200m, 400m, 800m and hurdle events.

Despite the excitement surrounding this year’s

second edition of the event, Sands noted that hosting this year’s event will cost NACAC $250,000, which includes the prize money.

“NACAC has a competition budget that we provide support of this event, the fact that we initiated this one is taking a big chunk of our competition budget,” Sands said.

He added that he is hopeful that some of the local sporting organisers will provide sponsorship for the event.

The New Life Invitational in Grand Bahama will be the third event hosted by NACAC for the sporting calendar year.

BAHAMAS ROADMASTERS RUNNING CLUB SUPPORTING LOCAL CHARITIES

BAHAMAS Roadmasters Running Club (BRRC) continued its support of local charities with recent donations to two local nonprofit organisations.

BRRC presented partproceeds in the amounts of $1000 each from its annual Bahamas Half Marathon Race Series to Families of All Murdered Victims (F.O.A.M.), headed by Ms. Khandi Gibson and Way of Life Organisation, led by William Lunn.

F.O.A.M. renders emotional, psychological and financial support to parents, spouses and children of murder victims.

Lunn’s organisation provides counselling and mentoring to at-risk young men to steer them away from a life of crime. The Bahamas Half event was

held November 2022. BRRC president Anastasia Turnquest praised their sponsors saying, “we could not expedite an event of this magnitude without the backing of the corporate community. I must highlight our Platinum Sponsor Cancer Treatment Centers of Americas, they backed us in a very big way! We’re also grateful to our additional corporate sponsors: The Bahamas Ministry of Tourism, Caribbean Bottling Company, Bahamas Welding & Fire, Cabinet World, Carpet World, Colina Insurance Ltd., FYP Building Supplies, Insurance Co. of The Bahamas, Lignum Advisors, Suntee, Summit Insurance, Veritas and a host of other ‘in-kind’ supporters and vendors”. “In a race, runners and walkers

require a lot of motivation”, said Tony Longley, BRRC’s public relations officer.

“I personally want to thank Colina, whose staff joined members of BRRC

in managing water stops and as cheerleaders along the route”, he added. Founded in 1990, Bahamas Roadmasters Running Club is the premier athletic

club in The Bahamas, dedicated to promoting a healthy and wholesome lifestyle through the sport of long-distance running.

Members train weekly to prepare for local road races and international Marathons.

Last month, several members raced in the Tokyo Marathon, where Shavaughn Blades and Linda Williams completed the Six Abbott World Majors and earned their Abbott 6 Star Medals.

Another member, Charles Johnson, completed the Antarctica Ice Marathon, also held in March.

On Monday, April 17, Dr Ebbie Jackson will run the Boston Marathon to complete her round of the Abbott Six World Majors,

to earn her Six Star Medal. Two other BRRC members, Anthony Longley and Michael Cunningham, will race in the TCR London Marathon on April 23, 2023. Next on the BRRC’s calendar of events locally, is their annual Midnight Madness 5 & 10K Fun Run/ Walk.

Registration is now open for this exciting event which will be held on the morning of Friday, June 2 (Labour Day holiday) beginning at 12:01 am from The Western Esplanade Beach, West Bay Street. For more information, contact BRRC C/0 email address: bahamasroadmasters@gmail.com Facebook: Bahamas Road Masters or website: www. bahamasroadmasters.com

SHOWN, from left to right, are Mike Cunningham, Candi Gibson and Anastasia Turnquest.

SHOWN, from left to right, are Trevor Moss, meet director Demarius Cash, NACAC administrator Nikita Thompson, NACAC president Mike Sands and Drumeco Archer, president of the BAAA.

WE ARE THE CHAMPIONS: The Bahamas Basketball Federation Division 1 champions Commonwealth Bank Giants with their hardware.

RUBLEV WINS MONTE CARLO MASTERS FINAL

MONACO (AP) — Andrey Rublev rallied from 4-1 down in the final set to beat Holger Rune 5-7, 6-2, 7-5 in the Monte Carlo Masters final yesterday for the first Masters title of his career.

The fifth-seeded Russian clinched victory on his second match point with an ace, stood still for a moment to check if the ball was in and then lay on his back for several moments to savour the moment. The sixth-seeded Rune climbed

over the net to go over and congratulate him.

“I don’t know what to say. Losing 4-1, 0-30, saving break points. Somehow I did it,” the 25-year-old Rublev said.

“I was deep inside hoping (that) at least I would have one chance.”

Rune missed a golden chance to clinch a second Masters title after beating Novak Djokovic with a stunning comeback at the Paris Masters last November.

This time it was the opposite. The 19-year-old Dane let the match slip and lost his nerve in the 11th game of the decider, hitting two balls out of the court in frustration.

“I was definitely in control in the third set ... didn’t manage to close it out,” Rune said.

“Just got to see what I did wrong, what I can do better, and move on, because, you know, the most important tournament of the clay season is the French Open.”