Ready for an Olympic weekend?
This weekend, grab your aquamarine, black and gold and prepare to cheer on Team Bahamas as our team takes to the track and field and the pool in Paris as the 2024 Olympics continues. CARA HUNT gives you the lowdown on Olympic facts, on our team, and more.
Fun facts about The Bahamas and the Olympics
• The Bahamas has sent a delegation to every Olympics since the 1952 Helsinki games (with the exception of the 1980 Moscow Games. Those games were boycotted due to Russia’s invasion of Afghanistan.)
• The Bahamas is the true winner of the Olympics, consistently wining more medals per capita than any other country and has won more medals than any other country with
a population of less than one million people.
• In addition to winning medals in 1956 and 1964, The Bahamas has made an appearance on the podium in every Olympics since 1992.
• The country’s most successful Olympics was the Sydney Games in 2000, winning gold in the 4x100m women’s relay, gold in the women’s 200m and the mens 4x400m team snagged a bronze medal.
Olympic winners:
1956 Melbourne
Bronze (Sailing) Durward Knowles and Sloane Farrington
1964 Tokyo
Gold (Sailing) Durward Knowles
and Sloane Farrington
1992 Barcelona
Bronze (Triple Jump) Frank Rutherford
1996 Atlanta
Silver (Women 4x100m relay)
Debbie Ferguson, Eldece
Clarke-Lewis, Chandra Sturrup, Savatheda Fynes and Pauline Davis-Thompson
2000 Sydney
Gold (Women 4x100m relay)
Svatheda Fynes, ChandraSturrup, Pauline Davis-Thompson, Debbie Ferguson and Eldece Clarke-Lewis
Gold (Women 200m Pauline Davis)
Bronze (Men 4x400m) Avard
Moncur, Troy McIntosh, Carl Oliver, Chris Brown and Timothy Munnings
2004 Athens
Gold (Women 400m) Tonique
Williams-Darling
Bronze (Women 200m) Debbie Ferguson
2008 Beijing
Silver (Men 4x400m) Andretti Bain, Michael Mathieu, Andrae Williams and Chris Brown
Bronze (Men Triple Jump) Leevan
Sands
2012 London
Gold (Men 4x400m) Michael Mathieu, Ramon Miller, Chris Brown and Demetrius Pinder
2016 Rio de Janeiro
Gold (Women 400m) Shaunae Miller
Bronze (Men 4x400m) Michael Mathieu, Alonzo Russell, Chris Brown, Steven Gardiner and Stephen Newbold
2020 Tokyo
Gold (Men 400m) Steven Gardiner
Gold (Women 400m) Shaunae Miller-Uibo
Team Bahamas 2024 Paris Olympics
The 21 athletes at Paris 2024 consist of two swimmers and 19 athletics participants. Team Bahamas boasts 11 men and 10 women athletes, who will complete in the 100m men’s freestyle, 50m women’s freestyle, men’s 100, 200 and 400m athletics sprints, men’s 110m hurdles,
men’s high jump, decathlon, women’s 400m, women’s 100m hurdles, women’s triple jump, women’s javelin, and the mixed 400m relay.
It has already been a great start to the competition with swimmer Lamar Taylor shattering his national record. 48.84 in the 100m freestyle.
The team is led by chef de mission Cora Hepburn and team leader Roy Colebrooke.
Antoine Andrews, men’s 110m hurdles;
Steven Gardiner, men’s 400m; Terrence Jones, men’s 100m; Ian Kerr, men’s 200m; Wanya McCoy, men’s 100m; Wendell Miller, mixed 4 x 400m relay; Ken Mullings, men’s decathlon; Alonzo Russell, mixed 4 x 400m relay;
Donald Thomas, men’s high jump;
Denisha Cartwright, women’s 100m hurdles; Devynne Charlton, women’s 100m hurdles; Shaunae Miller-Uibo, women’s 400m and mixed 4 x 400m relay; Rhema Otabor, women’s javelin; Charisma Taylor, women’s 100m hurdles; Javonya Valcourt, mixed 4 x 400m relay; Zion Miller, mixed 4 x 400m relay
Quincy Penn, mixed 4 x 400m relay.
The coaches are James Rolle, Corrington Maycock and May Miller.
In the pool, Team Bahamas will be represented by Lamar Taylor in the men’s 100m freestyle and Rhanishka Gibbs in the women’s 50m freestyle.
WHEN TO WATCH
Friday
TRACK AND FIELD
4-7 am - Ken Mullings - first day of decathlon - 100m, long jump, shot put, high jump. 12:15pm - Charisma Taylor, women’s triple jump qualifying round.
1:10 pm - Mixed 4 x 400m relay qualifying round.
Saturday Swimming
6am - Rhanihka Gibbs - women’s 50m freestyle preliminary - heat seven, lane seven.
Track and field
4-6:41am - Ken Mullings - last day of decathlon - 110m hurdles, discus, javelin and 1,500m.
5:55am - Wanya McCoy and Terrence Jones - men’s 100m preliminaries.
2:20pm - Charisma Taylorwomen’s triple jump final, if she advances.
2:55pm - Mixed 4 x 400m relay final, if the team advances.
Sunday Swimming 12:30pm - Rhanishka Gibbswomen’s 50m freestyle swimming final - if she advances.
Track and field
5:50am - Antoine Andrews - men’s 100m hurdles preliminaries. 12:30 pm - Steven Gardiner - men’s 400m preliminaries. 2:05pm - Wayna McCoy and Terrence Jones - men’s 100m semifinals, if they advance. 3:50pm - Wanya McCoy and Terrence Jones - men’s 100m final, if they advance.
World relays pics by Dante Carrer/Tribune Staff
Following the Olympics from TV screen to YouTube
By CARA HUNT | Tribune Features Writer | cbrennen@tribunemedia.net
Olympic watchers are glued to their screens as Paris 2024 has taken centre stage in the sporting world. But away from the TV coverage, viewers can also follow along behind the scenes with the social media channels of athletes taking part. CARA HUNT picked out some of those to watch.
The Olympics are in full swing in the city of love (Paris) with networks around the world providing up-tothe-minute coverage of who will medal.
But thanks to the magic of social media, there is another way to enjoy the Paris games.
From TikToks and Instagram reels showing what they eat on training and competition days, to modelling team kits and what they took with them to Paris to longer YouTube videos giving tours of the Olympic village and those infamous cardboard beds and the competition venues, Olympians are giving fans the inside view of what it’s like to compete on the world’s biggest stage and the journey it took to get them there.
And so if you are, like a lot of us, devouring Olympic coverage every night, here are a few YouTube channels you may want to binge through,so you can get the complete story of their road to Paris.
Tom
Daley subscribers1.19m
(Diving, Great Britain)
Tom is the face of Great Britain diving having competed on the international stage since he was 14. The diver has a weekly YouTube channel, which not only focuses on his training and competitions, but also his family and knitting obsession. After winning gold in the 10-meter synchronized men’s diving and bronze in the individual men’s event in Tokoyo, Tom was prepared to retire. However, last year, he decided to return to the Olympics at the request of his young son, Robby. He was given the honour of being his country’s flag bearer and his
comeback was a success -winning the silver medal in the men’s 10-meter synchro earlier this week.
Rhys
Mcclenaghan 25.1k
subscribers (Gymnastics, Ireland)
Rhys is the first Irishman to win a world championship when he won gold on the Pommel Horse back in 2022 and then defended his title this last year. He will compete in the pommel horse final in Paris this weekend after placing first in the qualifying rounds earlier this week. This means that his next YouTube video could very well be titled - I won a gold medal in Paris.
Tara Davis-Woodhall and Hunter
Woodhall
792k subscribers (Track and field, United States)
Just call them the Olympic power couple. The track stars share their journey both in marriage and in athletics on their YouTube channel. Tara is a long jumper and Hunter is a sprinter in the Paralympics.
(Hunter had to have both legs amputated when he was just one after being born with fibular hemimelia.)
In her Olympic debut in Toyoko, Tara placed sixth in the long jump, while Hunter has won silver in the 200m and bronze in the 400m at the Rio games and a bronze in the 400m games in Tokyo.
And now they are set to both compete in Paris - this time as his time as husband and wife - they tied the knot in 2022 and are documenting everything along the way.
The Nielsen Twins 17.1k subscribers
(Track and field, Great Britain)
Laviai Nelson and Lina Nelson are twin sisters and track stars. Imagine being not just twins, but twin Olympians who are also battling multiple sclorosis while remaining at the top of their game.
Laviai will be competing in the woman’s 400m and the woman’s 400m relay.
Meanwhile, her sister will join her as part of the 400m relay team and will also go for gold in the 400m hurdles.
Watch their videos and you may see a familar location. They have a video they did while competing here in Nassau at the world relays which secured their Passport to Paris.
this weekend in history
1992 American track star
Jackie Joyner Kersee won the Heptathlon at the Barcelona Summer Olympic Games. She became the first person to win the event in consecutive Olympics.
August 3
August 2
1990 Iraq invaded Kuwait.
Suddam Hussein refusal to withdraw his troops sparked the Persian Gulf War. An international force led by the United States defeated Iraq.
1492 Christopher Columbus set sail on his first transatlantic voyage hoping to find a westward route to India. He departed from Palos Spain with three ships - the Nina, Piñata, and the Santa Maria.
1984 Mary Lou Retton became the first American
woman to win an individual Olympic gold medal in gymanstics when she won the all around at the games in Los Angeles.
August 4
1914 Great Britain entered World War One after declaring war on Germany after the country invaded Belgium.
1944 The secret annex where Anne Frank and her family were hiding was discovered by the Gestapo and everyone there was sent to concentration camps. Only her father Otto would survive.
LAVIAI and Lina Nelson
TARA DavisWoodhall and Hunter Woodhall
TOM Daley and Noah Willams
Best described as a number crossword, the task in Kakuro is to fill all of the empty squares, using numbers 1 to 9, so the sum of each horizontal block equals the number to its left, and the sum of each vertical block equals the number on its top. No number may be used in the same block more than once. The difficulty level of the Conceptis Kakuro increases from Monday to Sunday.
TODAY’S TARGET
SMALL CROSSWORD
SMALL CROSSWORD
ACROSS
1 Direct (8)
Sudoku is a number-placing puzzle based on a 9x9 grid with several given numbers. The object is to place the numbers 1 to 9 in the empty squares so the each row, each column and each 3x3 box contains the same number only once. The difficulty level of the Sudoku increases from Monday to Sunday
LAST SATURDAY’S SOLUTION
6 On top of (4) 8 Shut (5)
11 Not awake (6) 12 Viewing organs (4)
14 Social insect (3)
15 Hospital rooms (5)
16 Animal doctor (3)
17 To bridge (4)
Feebly (6)
Tempest (5)
Container for flowers (4)
Good 12; very good 18; excellent 23 (or more). Solution next Saturday.
THE ALPHABEATER
LAST SATURDAY’S SOLUTION
CAN you crack the Alphabeater? Each grid number represents a letter – or black square. As in Alphapuzzle, every letter of the alphabet is used. But you have to complete the grid too!
Use the given letters and black squares below the grid to start. The grid is ‘rotationally symmetrical’ – in other words, it looks the same if you turn the page upside down. Solution tomorrow
airmail alit amir amrita aria aril armpit atrial atrip impair impala impart IMPARTIAL lair lariat liar lima limit limp lira mail marital martial milt mitral pail pair partial patrial
Gives permission (8)
HOW many words of four letters or more can you make from the letters shown here?
In making a word, each letter may be used once only. Each must contain the centre letter and there must be at least one nine-letter word. No plurals. Verb forms ending in S permitted.
12 Side, 14 For, 15 Water, 16 Rid, 17 Sons, 19 Recent, 20 China, 21 Else, 22 Employed. DOWN 1 Construct, 2 Reed, 3 Identical, 4 Get, 5 Impressed, 7 British, 9 Rates, 10 Amounts, 13 Eaten, 18 Only, 19 Rim. For today’s solution call: 0907 181 2583
ACROSS 1 Carriage, 6 Obey, 8 Dream, 11 Repeat,
Oversee (9)
Flower (4)
Frozen treats (3,6)
Jump on one foot (3)
Senescent (anag.) (9)
7 Sum (7)
Yesterday’s Kakuro Answer Yesterday’s Sudoku Answer
9 Advances money (5)
10 Sabbaths (7)
13 More secure (5)
18 Scheme (4)
19 Court (3)
FIND where the fleet of ships shown is hidden in the grid. The numbers to the right of and below the grid indicate how many of the squares in that row are filled in with ships or parts of ships. The ships do not touch each other, even diagonally. Some squares have been filled in to start you off. Solution tomorrow
Ice cream with a twist
By ALESHA CADET | Tribune Features Writer | acadet@tribunemedia.net
IN A yummy celebration on National Ice Cream Day, Tipsy Scoop Bahamas created a buzz on Sunday, July 21, by partnering with Beatbox Beverages to offer a unique and refreshing treat.
The local ice cream store thrilled its customers by giving away 50 free scoops of their new Spiked Cherry Limeade Sorbet, infused with Beatbox Cherry Limeade Party Punch, to the first 50 lucky patrons.
The festive atmosphere didn’t stop there, as the day was filled with more limited edition summer flavors and exciting giveaways, making it an unforgettable day for ice cream and cocktail lovers alike.
The collaboration between Tipsy Scoop and Beatbox Beverages brought a unique twist to the traditional ice cream experience, blending the joy of ice cream with the excitement of a boozy treat.
The Spiked Cherry Limeade Sorbet, a refreshing and tangy creation, was an instant hit among visitors of the store. Patrons eagerly lined up for their chance to taste this innovative flavour, which perfectly captured the essence of summer.
“The turnout was exceptional considering it was a Sunday and it was ice cream day. We are pleasantly surprised by the positive reception we have received in the Bahamian market. Our products are excellent, and we have a dynamic, youthful staff that creates a great vibe and excellent customer service which keeps our customers coming back. We are not taking it for granted, we keep trying to improve it,” said Tipsy Scoop Bahamas owners Mykul and Doneth Cartwright.
During the national ice cream day happenings, the owners said they also gave away and showcased the brand’s cakes as a special item, and ended up receiving orders for birthday cakes from the menu that includes ice cream cakes infused with tequila, Hennessy, and whisky.
“Local support has been extremely positive. Our social media influencers have helped push our brand by coming in frequently to create content, which generates much excitement. People love the space, the ice cream, and the service. Although locals often complain
about parking, which is always an issue in Downtown Nassau, they still find ways to get here to enjoy our ice cream.
They also appreciate that we stay open until 10pm on weekdays and 10.30pm on weekends. Tourists have been enthusiastic about the business. Many say it is a great idea, and it was their first time trying boozy ice cream. New Yorkers get excited when they spot Tipsy Scoop, as we have customers familiar with the brand from New York and DC,” the owners said.
They went on to say both tourists and locals love having ice cream at night. Both said they would love to extend the business hours to 1am, but they would need more entertainment options available Downtown after hours.
When asked if there were any changes made to the décor and menu since opening earlier this year, the Cartwrights noted that they worked around the opening hours to accommodate the completion of a major build-out on the Tipsy Scoop counter and wall space - with some cosmetic touches to the ceiling to be done, and
the addition of a few tropical plants to enhance the space.
“We have added a few new items to the menu since our opening: Kerpunckle Up is a delicious ice cream cocktail with cold brew, spiked hazelnut coffee, Baileys and Hennessy. We have also added some seasonal flavours such as Vodka Cotton Candy and this will continue monthly,” they said.
food
A TIME
to celebrate
By ALESHA CADET | Tribune Features Writer acadet@tribunemedia.net
IN THE heart of Governor’s Harbour, Eleuthera, the newly opened Potlatch Club has swiftly made waves in the hospitality and culinary worlds.
Since its grand opening this past June, the resort has not only captured the attention of locals and tourists alike but has also earned the prestigious honour of featuring in TIME Magazine’s World’s Greatest Places List of 2024.
Combining luxurious accommodations with an unparalleled dining experience, the Potlatch Club is redefining the standards of excellence in the Bahamas.
Nestled along the pristine shores of The Banks Road in Governors Harbour Eleuthera, the Potlatch Club offers a unique blend of Bahamian charm and contemporary elegance. Its world-class restaurant, the centrepiece of the resort, has quickly become a culinary beacon, drawing food enthusiasts from around the globe.
Under the masterful guidance of renowned chefs and staff, the restaurant features a menu that celebrates the rich flavours of the Caribbean, using locally sourced ingredients to create innovative and unforgettable dishes. Guests are treated to not just a meal, but a gastronomic journey that encapsulates the essence of the islands.
facts regarding the resort - how business partners Bruce Loshusan and Hans Febles discovered the unexpected during a casual beach walk along Eleuthera’s deserted blush pink sands: an abandoned boutique estate with a storied, glamorous past.
“Known as The Potlatch Club in its mid-20thcentury heyday, the exclusive Bahamian hideaway lured East Coast socialites, silver screen icons such as Greta Garbo and Raymond Burr, and The Beatles’ Paul McCartney (he honeymooned here) until its closure more than five decades ago,” wrote Travis.
“So after providing all of these services, we know that we will reach people because our staff are well trained. We are training on a daily basis and we want to make sure that not only globally - but in the Caribbean, from the Bahamas - we want to be the best.”
“Following seven years of intense restoration and expansion, the Potlatch Club was reborn in June under Loshusan and Febles’ tutelage, ushering in a new generation of luxury travellers.”
He noted how the new Potlatch comprises 11 suites, white-washed cottages, and villas; two outdoor pools and a spa; the original clubhouse; and seasonal fare-driven Fig Tree Restaurant, all dressed in elegant ocean breeze hues by Nassau-based designer Amanda Lindroth.
Kezang Dorji, General Manager at The Potlatch Club told Tribune Weekend, he along with the owners of the resort were all in shock when they received the news of the TIME Magazine feature.
“We were all surprised because we are new and we thought that it would take time, but this also comes from the kind of investment in what we do from working from our heart and taking care of all the customers; be it walk-in, be it staying in our hotel, we ensure that we are giving the best service that compares to world class services - and that’s what we wanted to bring in The Bahamas,” said Mr Dorji.
“So after providing all of these services, we know that we will reach people because our staff are well trained. We are training on a daily basis and we want to make sure that not only globallybut in the Caribbean, from the Bahamas - we want to be the best.”
According to its digital magazine website, TIME writer Travis Levius noted a number of
“Its Atlantic-facing beachfront is just as pristine and secluded as before, and with new direct American Airlines flights from Miami to nearby Governor’s Harbour Airport, it’s more accessible than ever,” said Travis.
This year’s TIME Magazine selection highlighted 100 extraordinary destinations worldwide, categorised into places to stay and places to visit, with each destination setting a new standard for hospitality and exploration.
When asked if they were contacted prior to making the list, Mr Dorji of the Potlatch Club emphasised again, that it was all surprising.
“Honestly as a result of opening, we’ve been receiving so many unknown people staying as a guest. Some are investigating and seeing, checking things out. It’s almost like they’re there undercover you know. That’s why we have been very cautious about service,” he said.
“We’ve been receiving some feedback, some from homeowners here on the island, owners,
friends and friends of the club, they’ve been telling us wow, it’s great. We are not here to compete with anyone, we are here to support each other.
“But with all of the feedback, we take it positively, and then it is only going to get better and better, because we also go based on customer feedback, not just who stay with the Potlatch, but also from people who come here who are renting homes and staying in other hotels as well.”
Sharing a little about the restaurant on property, Mr Dorji said it’s best known for its handcrafted cocktails.
“Handcrafted meaning we grow herbs and we collect herbs from the local farmers on the island. Now when it comes to food, of course Eleuthera is known for the fresh seafoods like you know, grouper and lobsters and all of this, and of course not to forget conch. We serve Caribbean infused by Mediterranean cuisine and Asian. And then we can sit up to 60 people in the restaurant. It is indoor air conditioned overlooking the pool as well, and then a beautiful garden.
We have a bar inside the main restaurant as well and serve a different set of cocktails of course all handcrafted and then varieties of wine. At the restaurant, the interior design is known to simplicity, elegance, and relaxation,” said Mr Dorji.
He said the chefs at The Potlatch Club have working experience in as far places like Africa, Asia and now the Caribbean.
“They have worked from Thailand to Singapore as well so they are world class chefs. We have so many one-of-a-kind dishes, and so many pieces that have been liked and loved just one or two months of being opened officially.”
Mr Dorji added: “The beauty of Potlatch is the vision, our owner’s vision is, we don’t want to price up where our locals cannot come or they feel that it’s too expensive, we don’t want them to have to come out just for one night or two-night dinner. So, our prices are good, if you compare our prices with any other hotels.”
He said most of the guests’ first thought was that the services at the property were expensive.
“That is the kind of feedback that we’ve been receiving and then the quality, people have been expecting the price to be higher than any other hotel because of the quality,” said Mr Dorji.
“I encourage readers to come and stay here, then and only then it will justify it, everything what I am trying to say. For what I’m saying, it’s not enough compared to what they can experience and see on the ground.”
Off with their heads
Good day gardeners. As it’s a slow time in the garden, I’ve been very focused on other things, and I do apologize for missing a few of the weekend editions this summer. As much as I’d prefer to spend all of my time in either the garden or on the ocean, life has a way of changing the best laid plans.
It’s a great time of year to be planting the hardier crops for food production, cassava, sweet potato, slippery spinach and so on. We’re being threatened by a tropical weather system that I am hoping, praying, crossing my fingers doesn’t get too developed to cause negative effects for us. It’s a solid reminder that please, rather than removing trees, use professional consultation to prune them selectively to create a stronger branching structure to allow for better air flow and measured light penetration.
At the properties that I manage the maintenance on, we’ve been fertilising lately as many of the gardens have decreased essential nutrients available, ie leaves are yellowing quite a bit. This is particularly important on plants such as bananas, where the available nutrient content has a direct and proportional impact on the fruit production, size, flavor, quantity, and so on.
Now, conversely with the threat of tropical weather systems, while fertilising is essential, it is also a good time to thin the foliage and if you’re growing taller varieties of bananas, you may want to support them to increase they’re survival chances should there be a heavy wind go through. If a heavy wind is inevitable, and there are no bananas on the plant, it is effective enough to simply chop the top of the plant off entirely so that they remain in place, and within days it will be putting on new growth, and within several weeks the plants will have ample foliage again for energy production to produce fruit.
It’s always a good idea to keep coconut palms thinned out by removing any fronds that are hanging at horizontal or lower. This reduced the weight and increases the ability for airflow around the palms. I’m watching papaya fruit filling out on papaya
plants and they will need me to put bags on the fruit so as to prevent wasps from laying eggs inside of the fruit.
I typically cut the tops off of papaya plants when a heavy wind is threatening, as with bananas. Literally, I take a machete and lop off the head of the plant. I will avoid this if there are fruits developing, and hope for the best, but if there are no fruits on the plants then I cut the heads off to ensure that the plants will be there after the weather moves through.
As with bananas, papayas grow back very quickly after the head has been removed. An added benefit of removing the head of a papaya plant is that it creates branching and often times will produce fruit at a lower level that can be easier to reach when it comes time to bag them or pick them.
You’ll notice I’ve called banana and papaya by the word “plant”. This is because neither of them are trees, as a tree is defined as having wood, and neither papaya or banana produce wood. I have seen strawberry plants referred to as “strawberry trees”. Please, if you want to be taken seriously, use the correct terminology, at least at the base level. I often make mistakes, and may be a slight inaccurate at times, as we are all human, but if one wishes to make headway in agriculture or horticulture, don’t call bananas, papayas, or strawberries, trees. Same with palms. There’s no such thing as a coconut tree. As always, I wish you happy gardening!
• Adam Boorman is the nursery manager at Fox Hill Nursery on Bernard Road.
You can contact him with any questions you may have, or topics you would like to see discussed, at gardening242@ gmail. com.
Goombay hits Downtown
The Goombay Summer Festival came to Nassau last Friday, with Downtown host- ing the event, and Deputy Prime Minister Chester Cooper joining the fun. The festival returns on August 9 and August 16 to Downtown.
Photos: Kemuel Stubbs/BIS
Deadpool and Wolverine red carpet? We’ll drink to that
By JEFFARAH GIBSON | Tribune Features Writer | jgibson@tribunemedia.net
THE glitz and glamour of Hollywood was replicated this past week, as Coca Cola and Heineken hosted a red carpet affair for an early screening of Marvel Studios’ Deadpool and Wolverine.
This summer, Coca-Cola and Disney have joined forces for a global partnership for The Hero’s Collaboration. The campaign focuses on celebrating the consumer, who the brands portray as the superheroes of real-life, “making the right choices and continuing to go on despite all the adversities, who are hopeful and relentless just like the Marvel superheroes”.
The partnership unites the Marvel Universe with anyone who purchases Coca-Cola cans and bottles that feature limited edition Marvel superhero designs.
To celebrate, Coca-Cola thought it fitting to plan with their partners at Fusion Superplex an exclusive early screening of Marvel’s latest blockbuster last Thursday.
Consumers, fans and local influencers made their way to red carpet cocktail and movie night event.
All VIP seats at Fusion Superplex were reserved for this event, granting each brand 67 invites. Guests included clients, lucky winners, influencers, and local media partners.
According to organisers, the event included live models portraying Marvel superheroes, with branding prominently displayed throughout the venue.
Guests were given opportunities to take photos, enjoy hors d’oeuvres, and of course, premium beverages featuring Coca-Cola and Heineken.
“When Heineken/Commonwealth Brewery Limited (CBL) expressed interest in doing a joint movie premiere, the opportunity to form a partnership with our two iconic brands, paralleling the Deadpool and Wolverine alliance in the film seemed fitting. The event underscored the message that even the most improbable allies can work together to create real magic,” said Martysta Turnquest- Bastian, of Commonwealth Brewery.
Both brands, she said, aimed to spotlight their global partnership with Marvel while also celebrating their consumers.
“The timing of both campaigns perfectly coincided with the new film’s release, allowing us to create a memorable and rewarding experience for our guests,” she said.
While there was eagerness and excitement to watch the actionpacked film, a major highlight was the successful collaboration.
“From the consumer’s perspective, the movie was undoubtedly the main attraction. However, the real highlight was the collaboration of our two iconic brands, bringing the glamour of a Hollywood movie premiere to The Bahamas. The exclusivity and synchronised branding made it distinctly feel like a Coca-Cola and Heineken event. The ambiance created through lighting effects, hors d’oeuvres, décor, superhero models, and swag bags showcased the strengths of both brands and celebrated our consumers. For us, that was the true highlight,” said Martysta.
There is more to look forward to from both brands in the not so distant future.
animals
Animal matters
Kim Aranha
Whilst away on vacation in Europe, the mounting hype leading up to the Paris Olympics was very noticeable - way more than on our side of the world.
There was not much national excitement over who was going to represent our nation, or if there was it passed me by.
I have always held the equestrian events in high esteem and have enjoyed watching show jumping and dressage. In fact, many years ago I used to do dressage, and greatly enjoyed the connection between rider and horse and the mutual comprehension between the two. I was never any good, and never aspired to be anything more than an amateur enjoying the sport.
However dressage is a very skillful sport that is all about the “connection“ between horse and rider, and mutual respect.... or is it?
Last weekend, a dreadful scandal broke when England’s finest dressage rider Charlotte Dujardin was accused of animal cruelty when video footage showed her repeatedly whipping a horse’s legs in training - much how we have seen footage of people inflicting pain on an elephant in training.
Though the timing of the release of this explicit video is suspicious, it caused the downfall of Ms Dujardin, who was poised to win a gold medal in dressage in Paris and become the British woman who won the most gold medals in Olympic history, and subsequently she was slated to be made a Dame in the New Year’s honours.
She has been totally disbarred: she was suspended from her team and banned from competing in the Olympics and all hopes of being made a Dame shattered. Some people think that the timing had been intentional knowing that the footage would cause her to be banned from competing, therefore making the road to gold considerably easier for other competitors. However, the timing is not what is under discussion, it is undeniable that she was not treating the horse with any form of kindness or care and in fact was whipping up a storm.
The spirit of the Olympics does not
A sorry and sad situation
endorse animal cruelty of any type.
Sadly, once Ms Dujardin’s disgrace had been made public, many stories that had previously been brushed under the carpet began to raise their ugly heads in the media. Other revered dressage champions from multiple nations are being revealed and exposed for treating their horses in a similar manner to how Charlotte Dujardin treated her horses. What a huge disappointment and disgrace. This is an enormous stain on the equestrian world, once so respected.
It has become apparent that training horses for certain dressage moves are traditionally taught with a heavy hand on the whip.
Now coming under scrutiny is how are all the horses trained for dressage. It is possible to train a horse to “dance” or trot in place without using aggressive and painful measures.
The entire equestrian world is coming under scrutiny. Earlier this year,
the Olympic committee decided to remove showjumping from the pentathlon and deliberations are under way to come up with a suitable sport to replace showjumping in the pentathlon in 2028: this decision was largely based on the disgraceful behaviour of a frustrated German competitor trainer punching a horse whilst urging the rider to whip him harder.
The use of spurs has always been a great concern of mine, I have never really understood the need to use pain to encourage an animal to submit and do what is asked of him. Horses are frequently seen bleeding from their flanks from excessive use of spurs, how can that ever be justified?
Some people will say that horses are so big that they do not feel pain as we do. How do they know, how can you register the level of pain an animal is experiencing? Face it, even humans struggle to put into words how much something hurts, doctors and nurses
are ever asking “on a scale of 1 to 10, how much does it hurt”? As articulate humans, we have great difficulty expressing degrees of pain ourselves - how on earth can we assume to know how much pain a horse does or does not feel?
It is safe to assume that the whip and the spurs must be painful for the animal to respond as he does to it. They either try to get away or submit to make it stop.
It is a desperately sorry state of affairs that one of the world’s finest dressage competitors has been revealed as a boundless abuser of the very animals she relied upon to make her the equestrian star she became, quite possibly a hero to many pubescent young girls dream to follow in her footsteps (no covered in mud).
This is certainly a good time for the world to take a good long look at all “sports” involving animals and just how they are treated.
In the Sway of the Wind
By JEFFARAH GIBSON Tribune Features Writer jgibson@tribunemedia.net
BAHAMIAN artist
Amaani Hepburn is celebrating the opening of her first solo exhibition and her debut as a Mestre Project-represented artist.
“In the Sway of the Wind” is a collection of work that explores ideas on “honesty, deception and obstruction” and was recently unveiled at one of Nassau’s newest art galleries.
Adding another layer to the exhibition, Mestre Projects is hosting an artist talk featuring Amaani and gallery manager Matthew Rahming, who wrote an essay for the show that delves deeper into themes the artist highlights in her work.
The talk will be held at the gallery on August 21, and the final opportunity to view the works in the exhibition is August 28.
The artist encourages those interested in learning more about the show, her work and inspiration to book a viewing and attend the talk.
“I am inspired by the environments and community around me. I draw from personal experiences and communal memory reserves to explore community and re-examine identity and perception. Even as my environment expands and changes and new bonds are built, these shared memories, experiences and reflections inspire and shape how I approach my practice. There are many parallels, differences and contrasts between our experiences in The Caribbean and it is more important for me to at least attempt to understand and observe these nuances,’ the artist told Tribune Weekend.
From the works selected for this exhibition, “Of This Bush” or “Carry that Cross the Way” are the artist’s two favourites.
‘The amalgamation of colour, memory and history are important factors for me,” she said.
“As an artist, my main themes are intimacy, colour, emotion and memory and how they intertwine. To better understand the show and the way that honesty, deception and obstruction mislead, Amaani encourages viewers
to read Matthew’s essay, “In the Sway of The Wind”.
“Honesty has long been advanced as the most essential role of the artist and their voice,” Matthew writes.
“It is taught that anchored to honesty, one becomes impervious to and also
SWEET GYAL TIYAD, 2020, oil on paper
parallel from the deceit of society which is the root of all ills in our world. Through time, artists learned to use the deception they supposedly stood in perfect opposition to and in critique of. In the ultra-contemporary, deception has become an equally essential device, as it serves to disrupt societal complications and pressures placed on the modern artist. The necessity of the ultra-contemporary artist to create systems of disruption in the work, or moreover, to advance forms and lines of communication that are disruptive, is a direct byproduct of the visibility and subsequent vulnerability brought about by the information age.”
Christina Wong, the gallery’s director, said the event received a remarkable response.
“We are grateful for the support the gallery and Amaani received during the opening night. We are truly proud of the work she produced
and know that this is only the beginning. We look forward to her next body of work and the story she has to tell. We encourage persons to visit the gallery and view the exhibition by going on our website and clicking the visit us page to schedule a day and time to stop by,”
Amaani is a 24-year-old artist from The Bahamas. At the moment, her artistic practice seeks to explore the relationship between the Caribbean’s natural environment and the people who occupy it.
“At times, I use my body as a lens and an extension, and draw from personal experiences and communal memory reserves to explore community and re-examine identity and perception,” she said.
“Currently, I utilise photography, painting and writing to capture and document intimate
moments within my environment and community as I strive to memorialise them in their most honest form. I have received an AA in art from University of The Bahamas and I am currently represented as an artist by Mestre Projects.”
As as a multi-disciplinary visual artist, she engages in various forms of mediums and practice in order to execute to artwork. Examples of these include photography, poetry writing, drawing and painting.
Mestre Projects is a contemporary privately owned art gallery at Albany that represents select international artists with specific interest in representing Bahamian and Caribbean artists.
The gallery has exhibited works by well-known artists such as Pablo Picasso, Francesco Clemente, Tavares Strachan and Stan Burnside, to name a few.
Jose Mestre is the founder and CEO of Mestre Projects. Mr Mestre is a highly regarded art collector and dealer who began his career showcasing artists’ work in pop-up shows around the world. He later settled in The Bahamas and integrated into the vibrant art community of The Bahamas.
Mestre Projects’ mission has been to work with and support Bahamian, Caribbean and international artists by giving them the opportunity to expand their practices beyond their personal limits.
MESTRE Team with Amaani
BAHAMIAN artist Amaani Hepburn