The Tribune
UK Police to arrive in corrUPtion Probe
COP: Force working with National Crime Agency investigators
By RASHAD ROLLE Tribune News Editor
rrolle@tribunemedia.net
POLICE Commissioner
Eyes on the prize
“In cooperation with our international partners, we have forwarded files in relation to the case to the UK National Crime Agency (NCA) to aid in the investigation,” he said in a
Clayton Fernander said senior members of the United Kingdom’s National Crime Agency will arrive this month to “personally oversee” aspects of the investigation surrounding voice notes that purported to capture a quid-pro-quo arrangement involving a senior police officer, a lawyer and two murdered men, Michael Fox Jr and Dino Smith.
Transpor T wan T s UrC a T o s T op GBp C raT e rise
By KEILE CAMPBELL Tribune Staff Reporter
kcampbell@tribunemedia.net
THE Ministry of Energy and Transport wants the Utilities Regulation and Competition Authority (URCA) to use its powers under the Electricity Act to stop the Grand Bahama Power Company’s proposed electricity base rate increase.
The ministry expressed strong objections and said the proposal had not undergone proper regulatory review.
It said the GBPC’s claim of having sole regulatory authority over electricity tariffs breaches the electricity laws of 2015 and
Double shooting in GB leaves one man dead and another in hospital
By DENISE MAYCOCK Tribune Freeport Reporter dmaycock@tribunemedia.net
GRAND Bahama recorded its fourth homicide for the year after a double shooting at a nightspot in Freeport. One man died, and another remains hospitalised in critical condition.
A 40-year-old male suspect, currently on bail, is in police custody assisting with investigations.
Assistant Commissioner of Police Shanta Knowles, the officer in charge of the Grand Bahama, reported that police recovered a firearm allegedly used in the
aG offiCe To appeal sUpreme CoUr T rUlinGs
By LYNAIRE MUNNINGS Tribune Staff Reporter lmunnings@tribunemedia.net
ATTORNEY Gen-
eral Ryan Pinder said his office will appeal two recent Supreme Court rulings in which a man and a woman were collectively awarded $2.6m for the challenges they endured.
However, Mr Pinder noted that both are old cases involving activities
that preceded the Davis administration. He said a Detention Centre Working Group, which meets weekly, was established to ensure compliance with the law and to implement human rights protocols that protect detainees’ dignity.
“This group has been instrumental in monitoring
‘Christie dis C harged and doinG very well’
By EARYEL BOWLEG Tribune Staff Reporter
ebowleg@tribunemedia.net
FORMER Prime Minister Perry Christie was discharged from hospital yesterday after receiving treatment for acute heart condition symptoms.
Latrae Rahming, the director of communications in the Office of the Prime Minister, said Mr Christie is recovering “extremely well”. The former prime minister was admitted to Doctors Hospital on Saturday.
page THree
aTTorNeY General Ryan Pinder.
WHile Devynne Charlton and Charisma Taylor are advancing to the semifinals in the 100m hurdles, ranking ninth and thirteenth respectively, Denisha Cartwright will get a final chance in today’s repechage to make the semifinals. See SPORTS for more. Photos:ap
Haitian man fears he won’t be able to find
By JADE RUSSELL Tribune Staff Reporter jrussell@tribunemedia.net
A 24-yeAr-old Haitian man fears his family will be homeless if they can’t find a new home before their unregulated dwelling is bulldozed.
Kenwolf Fertilus lives with his grandmother, mother, and younger brother in a shanty town on Cowpen road called T-wash. After living in the dominican republic, Mr Fertilus decided to stay in New Providence a year ago to be with his family, who have resided in the unregulated community for about seven years.
last Thursday, the Unregulated Communities Action Task Force issued 28-day eviction notices to 123 structures in the T-wash area. Mr Fertilus believes 28 days is insufficient to find a new home. He and others in the shanty town say they have no alternative housing options and question why the government didn’t grant more time to relocate.
“I don’t think that’s fair,” he said. “Because we are human at the end of the day. We have rights as humans.”
everybody knows that it’s hard to find houses in The Bahamas. If they could have given people, like, three months or tried to find any other solution –– like we can pay a fee every month if they want and we keep the houses.”
When The Tribune visited the shanty town, there were dozens of makeshift homes, piles of garbage, and broken-down cars. Heavy rain had caused flooding, and Mr Fertilus and his family were sheltered under a wooden shed surrounded by water. His ten-year-old brother sat playing a video game, seemingly unaware of their impending eviction.
SEE page three
a shanty town in the Cowpen Road area known as T-wash.
Photos: Åke Wiberg
a new home before his dwelling is bulldozed
Mr Fertilus, a farmer, estimates that about 60 people live in the area. He was at work when the eviction notices were posted. He finds it stressful to secure new housing, particularly since his mother and grandmother are both ill.
“People come to The Bahamas because they want a better life,” he said. “So, Haitians came to The Bahamas, we work. We help Bahamians build The Bahamas.”
When asked if his family pays rent, Mr Fertilus said his mother uses her earnings from farming to pay a man, whose name he does not know, to live there.
Craig Delancy, a buildings control officer at the Ministry of Works and Family Island Affairs, said the 28-day notices in T-wash were the first issued for the new fiscal year. Last year, the task force issued over 500 eviction notices across various communities, and they plan to visit the Family Islands in the new year.
Mr Delancy acknowledged that officials know of people trying to rebuild illegally in different areas.
“We are quite certain that persons are looking in alternative areas to build and building without approval or permit,” he said.
“So, we know some have dispersed into other areas. We intend to continue the work of dealing with all unregulated areas. We urge people to ensure they get a valid building permit and build on properties they have the right or approval to build on.”
AG Office to appeal Supreme Court rulings
the status of migrants and ensuring compliance with the law and statutory timeframes,” he said.
He said the group, chaired by the civil litigation section of the Office of the Attorney-General, includes representatives from the Detention Centre and Refugee Unit of the Department of Immigration, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, and the International Cooperation Unit of the Office of The Attorney-General. The Tribune reported on Monday that Matthew Sewell, a Jamaican man who endured sexual assault and beatings while unlawfully detained in prison and the detention centre for nearly a decade, was awarded a record $2m.
Mr Sewell’s experiences, which included being beaten, raped, and living in unsanitary conditions, led to his schizophrenia and post-traumatic stress disorder. He was falsely imprisoned for nine years and nine months, during which he was placed in cells with people serving life sentences and had to defecate in a bread bag.
Human Rights Bahamas praised the $2m award to Mr Sewell, saying the ruling highlights the unacceptability of such severe injustices and violations of fundamental human rights.
“HRB sincerely hopes
the authorities learn from this and other rulings, prioritising fair, humane, and lawful treatment of all individuals. We hope these rulings reinforce respect for the fundamental rights enshrined in The Bahamas Constitution, regardless of race, class, gender, nationality, or background,” HRB said.
The group noted that compared to other notorious cases of inhumane treatment of falsely detained people, the judge described Sewell’s as “the absolute worst of the worst.”
In addition, Justice Ruth Bowe-Darville also awarded Dahene Nonord $575,000 after the Department of Immigration took
six years to address her application for Bahamian citizenship.
Ms Nonord, whose parents are Haitian citizens and legal residents of The Bahamas, was initially granted a Certificate of Identity on April 4, 2011, which expired in April 2016. She applied for Bahamian citizenship on September 16, 2013, under Article 7 of the Bahamas constitution. Throughout the application process, she provided
the required documents, was interviewed, and was told by an immigration officer she would be contacted later about an oath of allegiance date. Six years later, in 2019, she was registered as a Bahamian citizen. As she waited, she suffered verbal and emotional trauma and faced significant hardships, including being unable to work, travel, open a bank account, or pursue higher education.
Attorney GenerAl ryAn Pinder
UnreGUlAted buildings are marked to be bulldozed soon in a Cowpen Road shanty town known as T-wash.
Photos: Åke Wiberg
Transport wants URCA to stop GBPC rate rise
from page one
2024, laws that designated URCA as the regulatory body overseeing the energy sector throughout The Bahamas.
URCA released a separate statement yesterday supporting this view.
URCA said the GBPC had not submitted a tariff rate application for UCRA to consider.
“URCA does not recognise the authority of any other entity to regulate electricity anywhere in The Bahamas and has not delegated any such authority to any other entity,” the regulator said.
“URCA will not hesitate to use its powers established under the law to ensure that anyone aiding in the contravention of the law is subject to appropriate action.”
The Davis administration’s Electricity Act reforms in July sought to circumvent the port authority’s quasi-governmental authority to regulate the energy sector.
Prime Minister Philip “Brave” Davis acknowledged this, saying: “We wish to reaffirm our longstanding regulatory authority.”
Ian Rolle, the GBPA’s president, later said the authority “remains resolute in our stance” that the Hawksbill Creek Agreement’s provisions supersede
Union head: FoUr-day workweek concept a sign oF laziness
By KEILE CAMPBELL Tribune Staff Reporter kcampbell@tribunemedia.net
A TAXICAB union leader said a four-day workweek concept is a sign of “laziness”.
Wesley Ferguson, president of the Bahamas Taxi Cab Union (BTCU), made the comments after Labour Minister Pia Glover-Rolle said the government would consider recommendations from last week’s labour laws reform symposium, including one about moving to a four-day workweek.
“We already work in a counter-productive environment where people goof off with the five days that they have,” Mr Ferguson said yesterday. “When you add up all the
hours that they goof off, it’s about two days out of five, so they account for about three working days. What it does is add costs to a person who has a business because his business has to be open during the hours he determines are necessary for him to survive.”
Mr Ferguson said a fourday workweek would not affect self-employed taxicab drivers.
“They put in their own hours –– the average taxi driver works seven days a week and by choice,” he said. “They are not looking for short hours; they work seven days a week, as many hours as they want because we, fortunately, operate in a 24-hour taxi
service environment.”
Giving his preliminary thoughts, Darrin Woods, president of the Bahamas Hotel Catering and Allied Workers Union (BHCAWU), raised concerns about how a reduced workweek would affect employee compensation, especially in the service industry, which he said “requires a constant presence”.
Kyle Wilson, president of the Bahamas Electrical Workers Union (BEWU), questioned how a fourday workweek would be implemented. He noted that Bahamian laws entitle workers to overtime after a certain number of hours and he raised concerns about adjusting industrial agreements. He also questioned the impact on other professions, such as teaching, policing, and hotel services. He said: “How does it work with the law? How does it fit certain sectors of the working market? That means you’d have to hire more employees. That’s what that’s telling me, but it does lay in a grey area because it could be welcomed by many.”
Regarding the impact on his sector, he said: “If we’re paid by the day and there’s only a four-day workweek, then it’s gonna be more on the employers to pay overtime to the employees for the additional day. It’s a lot to be considered in this regard.”
Taxicab Union head Wesley FergUson
Governor General Dame Cynthia ‘Mother’ Pratt administered the requisite Oaths to Senior Justice Deborah Fraser as Acting Chief Justice, on August 5, 2024 at the Office of the Governor General. Photos: Patrick hanna/BIS
grand bahama PoWer comPany
UK police to arrive in corruption probe
statement yesterday.
He said John Michael McKeon, the head of the NCA’s anti-corruption unit, and Andrew John Black, a senior investigator, will arrive in The Bahamas from the UK on August 14 and depart on August 17. He said Francisco Savvaki Kyriarou, an NCA investigator based in Miami, will join the team.
“The Royal Bahamas Police Force is fully cooperating with these international experts to ensure that all facets of the investigation are covered comprehensively,” he said. “This collaboration underscores our resolve to address these allegations with the utmost seriousness and diligence.”
“We will continue to keep the public informed as the investigation progresses, consistent with our duty to uphold the integrity of our institution and the trust placed in us by the people of The Bahamas.”
Government officials previously said that diplomatic notes were sent to the
UK for help from the Metropolitan Police Force, also known as Scotland Yard, at the police’s request.
The conversation on the voice notes centred around a $1.5m airport bank car heist in November. Fox Jr and Smith were suspects in that matter but were never charged. Two other men, Oral Roberts, 34, and Akeil Holmes, 26, were charged in connection with the robbery. Roberts was killed in the Fox Hill area last month.
Michael Johnson, the head of the Central Investigations Department, has taken garden leave as authorities investigate.
Police Commissioner Clayton Fernander has said the Security and Intelligence Branch of the police force is investigating the matter. He said the Police Complaints Inspectorate, a little-known body that has traditionally lacked the resources to perform its duties, would supervise the SIB’s investigation.
Michael Fox Sr, the father of Fox Jr, told The Tribune last month that his son gave him the voice
notes and told him to release the recordings if he died. He said he was not behind the release of the tapes. Sandra Smith, the mother of Dion Smith, said her son also informed her about the voice notes and their significance, but she never got them.
The matter has gripped the public’s attention partly because of coincidences. Days after Sylvens Metayer, a man living in the US who considers himself a whistleblower, seemingly released the voice notes, he was shot during a Facebook Live but survived the incident. Roberts, meanwhile, was killed a week after meeting officers probing the matter, according to his mother.
Former Prime Minister Dr Hubert Minnis has urged his successor to appoint a Commission of Inquiry. At the same time, FNM leader Michael Pintard has accused the administration of not acting urgently to protect the Royal Bahamas Police Force’s reputation and preserve the public’s trust in the institution.
Double shooting in gb leaves one man D ea D an D another in hospital
from page one
incident, which occurred early Wednesday morning. Shortly after 1am, an armed man reportedly entered a nightclub on East Sunrise Highway and opened fire, injuring two men in their 40s.
Upon arrival, officers found the victims, who were transported by EMS personnel to Rand Memorial Hospital. One victim succumbed to his injuries around 9am, while the other remains gravely ill.
ACP Knowles said the motive for the shooting remains unknown, and investigations are ongoing.
She mentioned that the suspect had prior involvement with the police and had tampered with his electronic monitoring device after the incident. Addressing safety concerns, ACP Knowles assured the public that Grand Bahama’s nightlife is generally peaceful, with regular police patrols and checks at local establishments. She said the incident is isolated and stressed that the police are committed to ensuring the safety and tranquillity of the Grand Bahama community.
ACP Knowles said police believe they have resolved two previous
homicides.
“Grand Bahama is considered to be a town for events and entertainment, and we will not let anyone who cannot resolve their conflicts peacefully disturb the peace and tranquillity of this peaceful island,” she said.
“Officers are constantly patrolling and making checks of nightclubs even when persons think we are overbearing. And we will continue to make checks not because we want to create a disturbance; we want to ensure patrons are secured and feel a sense of comfort as they enjoy the nightlife in Grand Bahama.”
Michael Johnson, the head of the Central Investigations Department, has taken garden leave as authorities investigate.
The Tribune Limited
NULLIUS ADDICTUS JURARE IN VERBA MAGISTRI
“Being Bound to Swear to The Dogmas of No Master”
LEON E. H. DUPUCH
13-month record heat streak ends Picture
Publisher/Editor 1903-1914
SIR ETIENNE DUPUCH, Kt., O.B.E., K.M., K.C.S.G., (Hon.) LL.D., D.Litt .
Publisher/Editor 1919-1972
Contributing Editor 1972-1991
RT HON EILEEN DUPUCH CARRON, C.M.G., M.S., B.A., LL.B.
Publisher/Editor 1972-
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EArTH’S string of 13 straight months with a new average heat record came to an end this past July as the natural El nino climate pattern ebbed, the European climate agency Copernicus announced Wednesday.
But July 2024 ‘s average heat just missed surpassing the July of a year ago, and scientists said the end of the recordbreaking streak changes nothing about the threat posed by climate change.
“The overall context hasn’t changed,” Copernicus deputy director Samantha Burgess said in a statement. “Our climate continues to warm.”
Human-caused climate change drives extreme weather events that are wreaking havoc around the globe, with several examples just in recent weeks. in Cape Town, South Africa, thousands were displaced by torrential rain, gale-force winds, flooding and more. A fatal landslide hit indonesia’s Sulawesi island. Beryl left a massive path of destruction as it set the record for the earliest Category 4 hurricane. And Japanese authorities said more than 120 people died in record heat in Tokyo.
Those hot temperatures have been especially merciless.
The globe for July 2024 averaged 62.4 degrees Fahrenheit (16.91 degrees Celsius), which is 1.2 degrees (0.68 Celsius) above the 30-year average for the month, according to Copernicus. Temperatures were a small fraction lower than the same period last year. it is the second-warmest July and second-warmest of any month recorded in the agency’s records, behind only July 2023. The Earth also had its two hottest days on record, on July 22 and July 23, each averaging about 62.9 degrees Fahrenheit (17.16 degrees Celsius).
During July, the world was 1.48 degrees Celsius (2.7 degrees Fahrenheit) warmer, by Copernicus’ measurement, than pre-industrial times. That’s close to the warming limit that nearly all the countries in the world agreed to in the 2015 Paris climate agreement: 1.5 degrees.
El nino — which naturally warms the Pacific Ocean and changes weather across the globe — spurred the 13 months of record heat, said Copernicus senior climate scientist Julien nicolas. That has come to a close, hence July’s slight easing of temperatures. La nina conditions — natural cooling — aren’t expected until later in the year.
But there’s still a general trend of warming.
“The global picture is not that much different from where we were a year ago,” nicolas said in an interview.
“The fact that the global sea surface temperature is and has been at record
or near record levels for the past more than a year now has been an important contributing factor,” he said. “The main driving force, driving actor behind this record temperature is also the long-term warming trend that is directly related to buildup of greenhouse gases in the atmosphere.”
That includes carbon dioxide from the burning of fossil fuels such as coal, oil and natural gas.
July’s temperatures hit certain regions especially hard, including western Canada and the western united States. They baked, with around one-third of the u.S. population under warnings at one point for dangerous and recordbreaking heat. in southern and eastern Europe, the italian health ministry issued its most severe heat warning for several cities in southern Europe and the Balkans. greece was forced to close its biggest cultural attraction, the Acropolis, due to excessive temperatures. A majority of France was under heat warnings as the country welcomed the Olympics in late July.
Also affected were most of Africa, the Middle East and Asia, and eastern Antarctica, according to Copernicus.
Temperatures in Antarctica were well above average, the scientists say.
“Things are going to continue to get worse because we haven’t stopped doing the thing that’s making them worse,” said gavin Schmidt, climatologist and director of the goddard institute for Space Studies, who wasn’t part of the report.
Schmidt noted that different methodologies or calculations could produce slightly different results, including that July may have even continued the streak. The primary takeaway, he said: “Even if the record-breaking streak comes to an end, the forces that are pushing the temperatures higher, they’re not stopping.
“Does it matter that July is a record or not a record? no, because the thing that matters, the thing that is impacting everybody,” Schmidt added, “is the fact that the temperatures this year and last year are still much, much warmer than they were in the 1980s, than they were preindustrial. And we’re seeing the impacts of that change.”
People across the globe shouldn’t see relief in July’s numbers, the experts say.
“There’s been a lot of attention given to this 13-month streak of global records,” said Copernicus’ nicolas. “But the consequences of climate change have been seen for many years. This started before June 2023, and they won’t end because this streak of records is ending.”
By ALEXA ST. JOHN Associated Press
Need for IMF reform for SIDS
EDITOR, The Tribune. During the dedication of an oil refinery in Freeport, grand Bahama, in 1969, the late Sir Lynden Pindling declared, “in this city where, regrettably, almost anything goes, where promisingly, some economic opportunities have come to Bahamians, and Bahamians are nevertheless still the victim of an unbending social order which, if it now refuses to bend, must be broken.” The words of our first Prime Minister highlighted the systemic exclusion of Bahamians from the benefits of economic development, signaling a call for reform of the national economic order of that time. Today, Sir Lynden’s words resonate even more as we confront the inadequacies of the current global financial order, which fails to meet the needs of Small island Developing States (SiDS) in the 21st century. To fully understand our global financial order, one must understand its beginning, specifically the creation of Bretton Woods institutions such as the international Monetary Fund (iMF) and the World Bank. These institutions were established after World War ii in 1944 to address the economic issues that contributed to that global catastrophe, such as protectionist policies and hyperinflation. The Bretton Woods institutions, the financial anchor underpinning the post-WWii, post empire international order aimed to promote global peace among countries through economic integration. While theoretically designed to foster a more inclusive financial order, the practical application of this theory has often fallen short.
The iMF, for instance, promotes financial stability by providing its member countries with various financing facilities, ranging from extended credit facilities to standby ones. However, the iMF has faced criticism for its “one size fits all” approach. Critics have argued that this “one size
fits all” approach from the iMF recognises all countries as having the same structural issues and that the solutions to these problems are neoliberal. Specific criticism allude to structural adjustment programs advocated by the iMF during various periods, such as the Latin American debt crisis in the 1980s. SiDS economies, especially in the Caribbean, are particularly vulnerable to external economic shocks, endemic balance of payments issues, high costs of living, and limited sectoral diversification. Despite these challenges, many SiDS, such as The Bahamas, are classified by the World Bank as “high-income countries.” Additionally, SiDS like Barbados and Jamaica are classified as middleincome countries. These broad classifications prevent these nations from obtaining crucial funding. Though the iMF has introduced the Heavily indebted Poor Countries initiative (HiPC) to assist least-developed countries (LDCs) in debt alleviation, many SiDS still need to qualify for funding from this facility as they are not classified as LDCs, highlighting the structural disregard for SiDS’ economies. Consider a scenario where a climate disaster or external economic shock adversely impacts a Caribbean SiDS. in such a case, the government may access a financing facility such as the rapid Financing instrument (rFi) from the iMF, which provides temporary, low-cost financial relief. in 2020, the iMF approved $250m for the Bahamian government under the rFi arrangement to combat the ongoing balance of payment issues brought upon by the double-edged sword of Hurricane Dorian. This catastrophic Category 5 hurricane caused widespread destruction and the COViD-19 pandemic,
which further exacerbated the economic challenges. However, while financing facilities provide shortterm relief, countries like The Bahamas still grapple with endemic issues and remain at high risk of facing these disasters again. What immediate steps must be taken? Alongside adopting the Multidimensional Vulnerability index (MVi), which captures the full range of vulnerabilities faced by SiDS, institutions like the iMF should establish a new financing facility tailored to and for SiDS’s climate and socioeconomic needs. While SiDS’ economies are not exact replicas of one another (i.e. the Jamaican economy heavily focuses on bauxite production while the Trinidadian economy is prioritizing oil), this financing facility can address the cyclical and structural challenges that SiDS face. Policymakers also should advocate for debt relief— an ‘economic jubilee year’ for SiDS. This concept involves forgiving or restructuring a significant portion of a country’s debt to allow them to achieve greater debt sustainability. Additionally, the global community must abandon the longstanding ‘gentleman’s agreement,’ a concept used to describe the informal practice of individuals, particularly men from Europe or north America, heading institutions like the iMF and World Bank. This global north, Eurocentric hegemony silences the voices of the predominantly non-white global South, especially SiDS. Our global environment demands an international financial order reflecting 21st-century values, not values embedded in a 19th or 20th-century imperialist mindset. The urgency of the situation, which is not a matter for contemplation but immediate action, heightens calls for reforming the global financial order for SiDS. if these calls are not heard, then the order ceases to be broken.
LIAM MILLER new Providence August 6, 2024.
A dog and its humans taking a ride on the subway in Paris, Farnce. Photo: Brent Stubbs/Tribune Sports Editor
Certificate for Environmental Clearance for $290m hospital could be granted today
By EARYEL BOWLEG Tribune Staff Reporter ebowleg@tribunemedia.net
ENVIRONMENT and Natural Resources Minister Vaughn Miller said the Ministry of Health could receive a Certificate for Environmental Clearance for a new $290m speciality hospital in New Providence today.
Health and Wellness Minister Dr Michael Darville said last Friday that the Ministry of Environment had finished its assessment, and officials were awaiting the outcome.
He previously assured Tribune Business that the facility, to be constructed in the Perpall Tract area, will be “a Bahamian hospital” funded by the China Export-Import Bank.
This facility will employ professionals trained in adolescent, pediatric, and maternal healthcare.
The project, located on New Providence Highway, has been approved for “concessionary financing” from a Chinese state-owned bank. Certain specialised services will relocate from the Princess Margaret Hospital to the new institution, allowing for renovations to vacated spaces in PMH, where adult healthcare services will be expanded.
Many residents near the proposed location expressed concerns at a town hall meeting in May, particularly about the traffic and noise the hospital might bring to their residential community.
Halkitis: Back-to-scHool
Vat Holiday will run from august 18 - septemBer 14
By DENISE MAYCOCK Tribune Staff Reporter
dmaycock@tribunemedia.net
ECONOMIC Affairs Minister Michael Halkitis said this year’s VAT-free back-to-school holiday will run from August 18 to September 14.
“We have been in discussions with the merchants who know the orders will be coming out,” he said. “So, the public can be assured that, yes, as we have done over the last two years, they will enjoy the VAT holiday once again this year.”
Due to the high cost of school materials, even teachers post lists on social media and ask the public for help buying items.
“The VAT holiday weekend for back-to-school shoppers would be welcome news,” said Grand Bahama parent Tasma Sweeting. “With the high cost of goods due to global inflation, this would bring some relief to both parents and teachers alike.”
Mr Halkitis’ comments came after East Grand
Bahama MP Kwasi Thompson expressed concern that the government had not announced a VAT holiday for school items.
“We beg the government: Do the right thing and implement the VAT Back to School holiday without delay,” he said.
“While Bahamian households grapple with the effects of steep inflation, one would think that this government would do as much as possible to provide whatever relief it could.”
“It is a sad testament to this heartless and uncaring PLP government that once again, the FNM has to demand on behalf of the Bahamian people that the Davis administration provide VAT-free shopping for back-to-school supplies.”
“Since the PLP came to office, we in the opposition have demanded almost every summer that the government do the right thing by the Bahamian people and allow parents a break on VAT in August as they prepare their children for the new school year.”
Economic AffAirs ministEr michAEl hAlkitis
EnVironmEnt And nAturAl rEsourcEs ministEr VAughn millEr
The fundamentals of teaching and learning
Mrs Callahan, now deceased, was a master teacher who eventually became an adjunct professor of education. During her storied career she taught elementary, high school and college students. she taught in public and private schools, counting among her thousands of students, children from well-heeled and economically disadvantaged backgrounds. she taught in depressed inner city schools and in leafy suburban enclaves.
In her last decades as a teacher, her specialty was a Methods in Teaching seminar for prospective elementary and high school teachers. Two foundational principles were the basis for her encyclopaedia of methods tested and honed over many decades. They were not novel ideas, though it is remarkable how often they are forgotten or ignored.
What educators like Mrs Callahan, Gail Wisdom, and Michelle Rhee know from experience is that
we can
break the cycle of the too often poor learning experience in our primary and high schools.
The first principle was the constant reminder that elementary and secondary school teachers need always remember that primarily they teach students and secondarily a subject matter. The second principle was that many, though not all, discipline problems flow from a breakdown in the teaching and learning experience in the classroom.
When asked what she thought of experiential
education, Mrs Callahan would respond with a sort of mock glare and impatience, emphatically stating, “Is there any other sort of education?” The student experience was paramount for her, both the background of the student and the imperative of utilising highly experiential methods to unleash the capacity of the student to learn.
Yet for many Bahamian students, as in other countries, that capacity cannot be unleashed because of a lack of proficiency or mastery of one of the more elemental tools of learning – language. The ability to utilise language unlocks other subject
matters, engenders confidence and enables class participation. Many discipline problems and acting out occur because a student is bored or unable to understand the material being presented in class.
Gail Wisdom, a veteran educator who served as a principal in the Catholic education system is the founder of academia. Over many decades, she has helped scores of students with learning difficulties to overcome their challenges, which though unique to them, are commonplace.
Mrs Wisdom, a fierce advocate of basic literacy,
has repeatedly noted that barring a severe mental handicap that she can teach just about any child to read, write and to communicate orally. she has the track record to prove her ideal that no Bahamian child should be left behind in terms of proficiency in English.
Yet many kids are, and with often poor consequences for them individually and for the broader society. This crisis, found in many countries, is well-documented, famously so in the film “Waiting for superman” chronicling the related crisis of poor teaching in many of america’s schools.
The educational pioneer Michelle rhee is featured in the film. she is a former Chancellor and change agent in the Washington DC public school system.
rhee’s overriding mission has been to improve the quality of teaching in public schools, one of the primary reasons for poor student performance in government-operated schools in The Bahamas.
leon Dash might agree with Michelle rhee. he is a professor of journalism at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, and was a veteran reporter for the Washington Post. he is also a Pulitzer Prize author.
One of Dash’s books, “When Children Want Children: The Urban Crisis of Teenage Childbearing”, was written after he lived in an apartment in Washington highlands one of Washington DC’s poorest neighbourhoods for a year researching teenage pregnancy among black youth in america.
It is a fascinating read in which Dash uses an immersion interview methodology of multiple interviews to uncover the experiences and motives of the families and teens who lived through the violence and social problems often associated with some poorer neighbourhoods.
“Most affecting is Dash’s portrait of the children of lillian Williams. Charlie III, for instance, traces his ever-present anger back to the day when he graduated from sixth grade. he waited patiently for his mother to congratulate him while she consoled his sister Theresa, who was in tears after finding out that she had failed her year in school.
“‘Instead of praising him, though, his mother told his sister, ‘Don’t worry Theresa, Charlie will fail, too.’ (Charlie did just that in the seventh grade, dropping out
of school by the time he was 16.)”
What astounded Dash was an epiphany that contradicted his presuppositions when he began his research. he thought that there was insufficient sex education or information about birth control, notions that most of the teen mothers scoffed at in the interviews. he came to realise that most of the girls were choosing to get pregnant. he details a number of the reasons in his book.
“I think the decision [to get pregnant] boosted their status among family and peers - and filled an emotional niche, a human need, an emptiness they wanted filled,” he says, “and frankly it was because they weren’t getting a quality education - even at the elementary level they knew they were not prepared to go into the job market.
“Many had low reading levels, they were acting out in class and walking the halls to get suspended - they were ducking class because they didn’t have the reading skills. It was avoidancethey had never been taught to read.”
Whether what Dash uncovered in Washington DC is applicable to The Bahamas would be a useful discussion. But the type of research efforts and methodology he applied to teen pregnancy among african american youth would be highly valuable in helping us better understand the reasons for male underachievement in junior and primary school, as well as gang participation and antisocial behaviour.
such an understanding would go beyond the broad brushstroke that the problem is the family. We need to dig deeper into motivations, behavioral patterns, social networks, the development of habits, and how to reinforce positives norms while arresting negative ones. What educational and social strategies can we use to significantly improve the language and life skills of young Bahamians inclusive of disadvantaged youth and students-at-risk?
Fortunately, there are a number of people and programs with ideas that have good results. They are ideas based less on ideological dead ends and simplistic moralizing, and more on fields such as sociology, behavioral psychology and proven learning methods.
What educators like Mrs Callahan, Gail Wisdom, and Michelle rhee know from experience is that we
can break the cycle of the too often poor learning experience in our primary and high schools.
Their passion and experience is shared by Bahamian educators like arlene nash Ferguson, as well as by those who pioneered the International Baccalaureate, the afroreggae youth programme in Brazil, the Cristo rey Jesuit schools in the Us, and other initiatives that utilise experiential learning to cultivate minds, unleash the imagination, and humanise the character and discipline the habits of our children and youth.
The ashE Edutainment and Performing arts Company of Jamaica uses experiential learning techniques to train performers who, in turn, utilise the performing arts to teach young people about personal development, healthy sexuality and other topics.
ashE’s way of breaking through to young people is by using entertainment as a platform for education, something known as edutainment. ashE has its own model of teaching and learning, the components of which are good psychology, resembling the proven methods of others engaged in experiential learning.
Training someone to manage anger through anger management classes is typically as effective as training budding chefs cooking solely by listing recipes. The mastery of skills and habits requires practice, practice, and more practice.
recitation of the Ten Commandments does not make for a virtuous person. Virtuousness requires practice, and though such practice may not perfect one’s soul, practice may make the soul more virtuous.
Many youth development and alternative sentencing programs fail because they surmise that repeatedly hammering the same message at participants will result in the formation of new habits. human behavior is more complex and less amenable to change than such a tunnel-vision of human psychology appreciates.
as the upcoming school year approaches, we should recall that most students have the ability to learn if they are afforded the right combination of teaching methodologies, good teachers, parents and guardians who help to foster learning, and a social and national culture more deeply committed to education and character formation.
1
2
Jeremiah 14
The word of the Lord that came to Jeremiah concerning the dearth.
Judah mourneth, and the gates thereof languish; they are black unto the ground; and the cry of Jerusalem is gone up.
3
And their nobles have sent their little ones to the waters: they came to the pits, and found no water; they returned with their vessels empty; they were ashamed and confounded, and covered their heads.
4
Because the ground is chapt, for there was no rain in the earth, the plowmen were ashamed, they covered their heads.
5
Yea, the hind also calved in the field, and forsook it, because there was no grass.
6
And the wild asses did stand in the high places, they snuffed up the wind like dragons; their eyes did fail, because there was no grass.
7
O Lord, though our iniquities testify against us, do thou it for thy name’s sake: for our backslidings are many; we have sinned against thee.
8
O the hope of Israel, the saviour thereof in time of trouble, why shouldest thou be as a stranger in the land, and as a wayfaring man that turneth aside to tarry for a night?
9 Why shouldest thou be as a man astonied, as a mighty man that cannot save? yet thou, O Lord, art in the midst of us, and we are called by thy name; leave us not.
10Thus saith the Lord unto this people, Thus have they loved to wander, they have not refrained their feet, therefore the Lord doth not accept them; he will now remember their iniquity, and visit their sins.
11Then said the Lord unto me, Pray not for this people for their good.
12When they fast, I will not hear their cry; and when they offer burnt offering and an oblation, I will not accept them: but I will consume them by the sword, and by the famine, and by the pestilence.
13Then said I, Ah, Lord God! behold, the prophets say unto them, Ye shall not see the sword, neither shall ye
have famine; but I will give you assured peace in this place.
14Then the Lord said unto me, The prophets prophesy lies in my name: I sent them not, neither have I commanded them, neither spake unto them: they prophesy unto you a false vision and divination, and a thing of nought, and the deceit of their heart.
15Therefore thus saith the Lord concerning the prophets that prophesy in my name, and I sent them not, yet they say, Sword and famine shall not be in this land; By sword and famine shall those prophets be consumed.
16And the people to whom they prophesy shall be cast out in the streets of Jerusalem because of the famine and the sword; and they shall have none to bury them, them, their wives, nor their sons, nor their daughters: for I will pour their wickedness upon them.
17Therefore thou shalt say this word unto them; Let mine eyes run down with tears night and day, and let them not cease: for the virgin daughter of my people is broken with a great breach, with a very grievous blow.
18If I go forth into the field, then behold the slain with the sword! and if I enter into the city, then behold them that are sick with famine! yea, both the prophet and the priest go about into a land that they know not.
19Hast thou utterly rejected Judah? hath thy soul lothed Zion? why hast thou smitten us, and there is no healing for us? we looked for peace, and there is no good; and for the time of healing, and behold trouble!
20We acknowledge, O Lord, our wickedness, and the iniquity of our fathers: for we have sinned against thee.
21Do not abhor us, for thy name’s sake, do not disgrace the throne of thy glory: remember, break not thy covenant with us.
22Are there any among the vanities of the Gentiles that can cause rain? or can the heavens give showers? art not thou he, O Lord our God? therefore we will wait upon thee: for thou hast made all these things.
THE BIBLE IS OPENED AND WHATEVER SCRIPTURE IT OPENS TO THAT IS THE SCRIPTURE THAT GOES FORTH IT IS OF GREAT GREAT PLEASURE AND AN HONOUR TO BE CHOSEN BY THE LORD TO BE HIS SERVANT.
Dominant performances by US athletes at the Olympics
AmericA woke up yesterday morning with a couple of new things to contemplate and, perhaps, to celebrate. Paris and Philadelphia were the settings.
in Paris, the US Olympic team was extending its overall lead in medals won and records set, holding off challenges from china, France and Australia in various competitions to continue what seems like an inevitable march toward supremacy in these games. in a competition always marked by stupendous feats by athletes who have been training for decades to compete in a matter of minutes or even seconds, American gymnast Simone Biles and swimmer Katie Ledecky reaffirmed their true greatness.
Biles, whose stunningly infectious smile lights up a gymnasium or a television screen with equal brilliance, reasserted her dominance in a sport where calamitous, crippling, even fatal injuries seem to lurk at every twist and turn of floor and aerial exercises that always astound spectators and viewers.
And Ledecky, motorboating her way to new triumphs in the pool, clearly has the natural talent and resolute determination to continue to be the dominant force in swimming events that have sustained America’s Olympic success for many decades.
The host French team is making its nation proud. And there are many other individual stories that fascinate even the casual sports fan. The Olympic Games is the sum of so many compelling, fascinating stories of young men and women from all over the world.
Television coverage of the Games has long focused on these “human interest” accounts of participants’ dedication and determination in overcoming many obstacles, all while they as teenagers and young adults suddenly dominate our TV screens.
Their grace and achievements are always inspiring.
But even as Olympians hardly old enough to vote were winning and losing with grace and dignity, a group of older Americans were reminding us of what athletic achievement can also mean.
The 2024 US men’s Olympic basketball team was neither assembled nor as celebrated as was the famous 1992 “Dream Team” that featured the following list of legends: charles Barkley; Larry Bird; clyde Drexler; Patrick ewing; magic Johnson; michael Jordan; christian Laettner; Karl malone; chris mullin; Scottie Pippen; David robinson, and John Stockton.
Pause for a second and look over this roster again. if you have followed basketball or studied the history of the game, that list speaks for itself. it is simply peerless.
STATESIDE
That 1992 United States men’s Olympic basketball team was the first American Olympic team to feature active professional players from the NBA. The team has often been described as the greatest sports team ever assembled. That team was collectively inducted into the US Olympic Hall of Fame in 2009; the Naismith memorial Basketball Hall of Fame in 2010, and the Hall of Fame of the international Basketball Federation in 2017. The Naismith Hall of Fame called the team “the greatest collection of basketball talent on the planet.” in addition to the team recognition, 11 of the 12 players and three of the coaches have also been inducted individually into the Naismith Hall of Fame.
The 2024 US Olympic basketball team has advanced with ease to this afternoon’s semifinal match against Serbia and threetime NBA mVP Nicola Jokic, winning its first four matches by an average of 25 points. They should claim the Americans’ fifth straight gold medal this weekend, likely over a strong German team.
This US team of today is led by three current stars whose addition to the 1992 roster might fill out the list of all-time hoops stars for many fans.
39-year-old LeBron James leads the way. He is joined by Kevin Durant and Steph curry. But while the Dream Team was really a collection of perennial allstars, this squad has been
perhaps more thoughtfully assembled. it includes complementary players who may not be the most celebrated current stars, but whose presence adds defense, rebounding or other components vital to basketball success. Also, truly great contemporary NBA stars like two-time league mVP Giannis Antetokounmpo of Greece aren’t Americans. if he were from the US, Giannis would certainly have
been added to the American roster. Same for Jokic and others. Lots of legitimate hoops superstars now hail from outside the US. Some are from The Bahamas. You know who they are. When all is said and done and the Olympic gold medal is awarded this year, people may say that this American men’s basketball team is a better “team” than their 1992 forebears. Focus on PhiladelPhia in Philadelphia, meanwhile, America’s other great competitive sport of politics got a needed jolt of adrenaline from a relatively unlikely source: The endless fields of southwestern minnesota.
A burly, bespectacled, uncelebrated, balding, largely unknown white man who is the current governor of minnesota was introduced to the nation at a raucous rally held on the Temple University campus in Philadelphia’s inner city. most Americans had never heard of Tim Walz less than a month ago. He certainly doesn’t have movie star looks. But if you live in the American midwest that begins just west of cleveland and stretches all the way to the abundant plains of eastern colorado over 1,250 miles away to the west, Walz looks, talks and feels like the guy you see in the diner or the feed store down the street. Walz doesn’t look much like a fighter. But that’s who
he will be over the next 90 days of the American presidential election campaign. Following up on his characterization of Trump and Vance as simply “weird” that put him in the national spotlight recently, Walz came out swinging in Philadelphia on Tuesday evening.
Describing himself as an “aw, shucks” midwestern hunter and former schoolteacher, Walz took aim at the elitism of Trump and Vance.
As a longtime minnesota National Guard enlisted man, Walz hinted at future attacks on noted military draft dodger Trump. He also mocked Vance’s highly privileged recent life experiences in Silicon Valley and as a literary darling who betrayed his own humble origins. it isn’t necessarily clear that such attacks will score points with voters. in 2004, legitimate Vietnam war hero John Kerry thought his military service would be a campaign benefit while opponent George W Bush ducked Vietnam danger with a relatively cushy Texas Air National Guard rotation. But by the time the republicans were done with him, Kerry had become someone who faked his own achievements.
So while Walz’ lengthy military service, including an overseas assignment, might seem like a plus to presidential candidate Kamala Harris, the GOP might find a way to turn honor into dishonor. They have done it before. in the generally glowing liberal aftermath of the Walz announcement, the New York Times wrote that “Tim Walz is going to bring big midwestern dad energy to the presidential campaign. Harris picked him to run as her vice president for one reason above all others: His biography and
his demeanor make him a familiar figure for voters who might not be attracted to a Black and South Asian woman from california.” According to numerous other reports, there was another key factor in Harris’ crucial decision. in interviews with her, Walz reportedly adopted a thoroughly supportive attitude. “i will do whatever you need me to do,” he reportedly promised. While others like Pennsylvania governor Josh Shapiro angled for what issues they might be given to run with and gain individual prominence, Walz painted a self-portrait of support and, essentially, obedience to Harris’ wishes and policy direction.
Walz is widely described as a former small-town high school football coach and social science teacher who hunts and fishes. He often wears a camouflage hat while campaigning and speaks with an accent peculiar to the Upper midwest and easily recognizable as such.
“He brings with him a vast understanding of the midwest,” Senator Amy Klobuchar of minnesota told a reporter this week.
“This will be a vice president who has stood in deer stands in the middle of 10-degree weather and has fished across minnesota’s 10,000 lakes.”
Kerry’s disastrous defeat to Bush 20 years ago is unfortunately hardly the only example of Democrats’ inability to separate their own predilections from those of a majority of American voters. Harris will expect midwesterner Walz to deliver at least michigan and Wisconsin. maybe he will. But it’s at least as likely that if she is to win these critical states plus Pennsylvania, she’ll have to do it herself.
Decorate D US Gymnast Simone Biles.
with charlie h arper
Democratic presidential nominee Vice President Kamala Harris and her running mate Minnesota Gov Tim Walz wave as they board Air Force Two at Chippewa Valley Regional Airport, yesterday, in Eau Claire, Wisonsin.
Photo: Julia Nikhinson/AP
Climate clock unveiled in Rawson Square
The MinisTry of Health and Wellness commemorated Climate Emergency Day 2024 yesterday in Rawson Square. The opening ceremony addressed the global commitment to climate crisis and global warming. The Climate Clock was also on display in Rawson Square.
Photos: Dante Carrer/Tribune Staff
BY PAVEL BAILEY
Tribune Staff Reporter pbailey@tribunemedia.net
A MAN was remanded in custody after he was accused of robbing another man at gunpoint of $2,000 worth of property last month in New Providence.
Senior Magistrate Kara Turnquest Deveaux arraigned Claron Moss, 27, on armed robbery and receiving yesterday. Moss and accomplices, while armed with a black handgun, allegedly robbed Kendrick Cooper of $700, a black Nike Fanny pack bag, a set of keys for a Nissan Cube, a gold iPhone 14 pro max valued at $1,200 and a black
BY PAVEL BAILEY
Tribune Staff Reporter pbailey@tribunemedia.net
AN 18-yeAr-OlD man was granted bail yesterday after he was accused of having a loaded gun over the holiday weekend.
Magistrate lennox Coleby arraigned Jacque
BY PAVEL BAILEY
Tribune Staff Reporter pbailey@tribunemedia.net
A WOMAN was granted bail yesterday after she was accused of seriously injuring a man in Fox Hill on emancipation Day.
BY PAVEL BAILEY Tribune Staff Reporter
pbailey@tribunemedia.net
Petit for possession of an unlicenced firearm, possession of ammunition, and deceit of a public officer. Petit was allegedly found with a 9mm pistol and two rounds of ammunition at his residence on ragged Island Street on August 3. later that same day, Petit allegedly tried to deceive
Senior Magistrate raquel Whyms arraigned rodesha Johnson on grievous harm. Johnson allegedly injured Anthony Sullivan during a physical altercation on August 5. The defendant pleaded not guilty to the charge.
iPhone 15 pro max valued at $1,500 on July 27.
The defendant was informed the matter would be moved to the Supreme Court through a voluntary bill of indictment (VBI). Moss will be remanded to the Bahamas Department of Correctional Services until his VBI is served on October 15.
Detective Constable 4770 rigby to evade arrest.
After pleading not guilty to the charges, Petit was granted bail at $7,500 with one or two sureties. Petit’s trial begins on September 27.
Assistant Superintendent of Police lincoln McKenzie served as the prosecutor.
She was granted bail at $7,000 with one or two sureties.
Johnson must sign in at the east Street South Police Station every Monday and Friday by 6pm. The trial in this matter begins on October 23.
A MAN was sentenced to two months in prison yesterday after admitting to stealing a tour bike last week. Senior Magistrate
Anishka Pennerman arraigned Nathan Moxey, 40, on stealing and receiving. Moxey reportedly stole an orange and black 26” ladies Hudson easy 3Step bicycle valued at $429 from Dilly Dally Bike Tours on east Street on July 31. After Moxey pleaded guilty to the charge, the prosecution said he was a repeat offender with several similar convictions. Moxey was sentenced to two months at the Bahamas Department of Correctional Services. Man accused of stealling $2,000 at gunpoint
PM must take more serious action in police force scandal
By Dr HuBert Minnis
The allegations of bribery, corruption and possible complicity in murders in the Royal Bahamas Police Force (RBPF) are the most serious such allegations in our country in a generation.
Commissioner of Police Clayton Fernander has launched an investigation. h owever, the investigation he announced is woefully insufficient.
What is being alleged has shaken the country’s confidence in the police force and involves alleged wrongdoing at high ranks of the organisation. The police force cannot lead an investigation into the police force.
Indeed, for its own credibility, standing in the country, and need for reform, the RBPF should welcome a more open and thorough investigation by an independent group with no potential conflicts of interest.
There have been multiple murders of individuals who had connection to the robbery at the heart of the alleged corruption scandal.
Prime Minister Philip Davis has acknowledged that the crisis in the police force is “terribly disturbing”. Yet, he has refused
to take more serious action to comprehensively investigate the force and its relationship to these alleged corrupt practices. h is actions must match his words. The prime minister seems afraid to act. h e seems paralyzed by indecision.
As head of government, it is the responsibility and obligation of Mr. Davis to cause an investigation of the force that gets to the bottom of all the allegations, while also looking into what may be institutionally wrong with the organisation.
Along with my opposition colleagues, I have called for a commission of inquiry. This would be an appropriate response to the allegations that were made.
I call on the prime minister to address the nation and announce what additional inquiry into the police force he intends to cause.
Mr Davis, thus far, has not lived up to his responsibilities as leader of our country. h is lack of urgency and leadership in this matter is frightening. The prime minister must act, and act now, to cause a major national inquiry of the police force. By failing to act, he may be causing further harm to the police force.
Perry Inst I tute Prov Ides sCuBA tr AInIng for govt offICIA ls
Fromer Prime Minister and MP for Kilarney Dr Hubert Minnis.
Photos: Courtesy
How will Hamas’ new leader affect the war in Gaza and cease-fire efforts?
Associated Press
YahYa Sinwar’s appointment as the top leader of hamas formalizes a role he assumed in the early hours of Oct. 7, when the surprise attack into Israel that he helped mastermind ushered in the bloodiest chapter of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.
he is seen as a hard-liner with closer ties to hamas’ armed wing than his predecessor, Ismail haniyeh, who was killed in an explosion in Iran’s capital last month that was widely blamed on Israel and could spark an all-out regional war.
Sinwar was already seen as having the final word on any cease-fire agreement for Gaza and the release of dozens of Israeli hostages still held by hamas.
But he is deep in hiding inside Gaza, and mediators say it takes several days to exchange messages with him. That raises questions about how he would manage a sprawling organization with cadres across the Middle East.
hamas has survived the killing of several top leaders across more than three decades, while maintaining a high degree of internal cohesion — and tapping Sinwar, who tops Israel’s most-wanted list, was a show of defiance.
But hamas has never faced a crisis of this magnitude — and the man who engineered it is now charged with managing the fallout.
an even tougher stance toward Israel
haniyeh was a veteran of hamas’ political wing who had once served as Palestinian prime minister and in more recent years had managed the group’s affairs from his base in Qatar.
While hamas has always championed armed struggle, haniyeh and other exiled leaders had occasionally struck a more moderate tone, even expressing openness to a possible two-state solution, although still officially refusing to recognize Israel.
Sinwar, by contrast, spent more than two decades in Israeli prisons and told interrogators he had killed 12 suspected Palestinian collaborators, gaining a reputation for brutality among people on both sides of the conflict.
he and Mohammed Deif, the shadowy head of hamas’ armed wing who Israel claims to have killed in a recent strike, spent years building up the group’s military strength and are believed to have devised the Oct. 7 attack. Militants burst into Israel that day, killing some 1,200 people and abducting around 250.
In recent negotiations, haniyeh had played a big role in trying to convince Sinwar to accept a cease-fire proposal with Israel,’’ said hugh Lovatt, an expert on the IsraeliPalestinian conflict at the
killings has likely led other hamas leaders to limit their movements and contacts. That could eventually degrade the organization,
even as it enjoys the support of many — but not most — Palestinians.
“Israel’s elimination of senior hamas leaders who
European Council on Foreign Relations. Sinwar has stuck to demands for the release of hundreds of Palestinian prisoners, the full withdrawal of Israeli forces from Gaza and a lasting cease-fire — even as nearly 40,000 Palestinians have been killed in the ongoing war, according to local officials, and much of the territory left in ruins.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has vowed to continue the war until hamas is completely destroyed and all the hostages return home.
“The killing of haniyeh already brought negotiations back to the drawing board,” said Lina Khatib, an expert on the conflict at Chatham house, a Londonbased think tank. “This next chess move by hamas makes negotiations even trickier.”
Sadeq abu amer, head of the Palestinian Dialogue Group, a think tank based in Turkey, said that while Sinwar’s elevation might appear to be a “challenge to Israel,” it is still possible to make a deal.
he added that Sinwar, in his new role, “might take a step that will surprise everyone.”
Leading from the shadows
Predicting how Sinwar will lead hamas is difficult because of the secrecy around him.
Sinwar has not been seen since the start of the war and even before Oct. 7 made only rare public appearances. he is likely in hiding deep inside hamas’ tunnel network and largely cut off from the outside world.
While he can be expected to set overall policy and make the final decision on any cease-fire deal, hamas’ day-to-day operations in the Israeli-occupied West Bank and elsewhere are likely to be managed by its exiled leaders in Qatar, Lebanon, Turkey and Iran.
“There are issues that he can make a decision on and there are issues and matters that his deputies and the rest of the members of the political bureau can do,” said hani al-Masri, a veteran Palestinian analyst who has met most of hamas’ leaders over the years, including haniyeh and Sinwar.
hamas has a long history of persevering after the killing of its top leaders — including its founder and spiritual leader, Sheikh ahmed Yassin, who was killed in an airstrike in 2004.
But it has never faced a campaign of targeted killings on this scale.
Israel says it has killed scores of hamas commanders in Gaza, including Deif, whose death hamas has neither confirmed nor denied. another top hamas leader, Saleh arouri, was killed in an apparent Israeli airstrike in Beirut in January. The string of targeted
cannot easily be replaced has likely had a qualitative impact on the movement,” Lovatt said. “More fundamentally, though, the
killing of senior figures such as arouri and haniyeh appears to have tipped the movement in a more hardline direction.”
YahYa Sinwar chairs a meeting with leaders of Palestinian factions at his office in Gaza City, April 13, 2022. Photo: adel hana/AP
SPORTS
15
THURSDAY, AUGUST 8, 2024
Charlton, Taylor in 100 hurdles semis
By BRENT STUBBS Chief Sports Editor bstubbs@tribunemedia.net
PARIS, France —
National record holder
Devynne Charlton, sporting a new coloured hairdo just for the 2024 Olympic Games, was one of two of the three Bahamian women’s 100 metres hurdlers to advance to the semifinals.
As the last of the trio to compete in the preliminaries yesrerday at Stade de France, Charlton was edged out at the line by Jamaican Ackera Nugent in the last of five heats.
Charlton’s time of 12.71 seconds to trail Nugent’s 12.65 placed her ninth overall as she moved onto Friday’s semifinal. She was joined by Charisma Taylor, who clinched the 13th spot in placing fourth in heat three in 12.78.
Denisha Cartwright, however, was also fourth in the second heat in 12.89, but will have to wait for today’s repechage to determine whether or not she will move onto the semifinals with Charlton and Taylor. Although only two advanced so far to the semifinals, it was an historic moment for the Bahamas to have three hurdlers compete in the preliminaries at the Olympics.
The only other time three athletes represented the Bahamas in the same event was at the 2000
Bahamas junior golf team hits the course in Jamaica
By TENAJH SWEETING
Reporter
THE Bahamas Golf Federation’s (BGF) junior golf team competed in round one of the 36th Caribbean Amateur Junior Golf Championships (CAJC) yesterday in Kingston, Jamaica.
The 14 junior golfers, representing The Bahamas, got their quest to hoisting the trophy in celebration started on a high note at the Caymanas Golf & Country Club and are hoping to keep day one’s momentum going.
Team manager Gina Gonzalez-Rolle is optimistic about the team’s chances over in Jamaica.
“Our expectations for the kids here is just for them to do their very best. We are hoping to win a few categories. This is fierce competition because we have the best in the Caribbean here at this point but we are looking to do very well even though we have a very young team,” she said.
The Bahamas is competing in three flights - 11 to 13 flight, 15-and-under flight and 18-and under flight.
After round one of play, The Bahamas is currently leading the girls’ 11 to 13 flight. Madison CarrollCarlos finished round one with a total gross of 81. The second best performer was her teammate Anissa Robinson with a score of 85.
Puerto Rican Marena Fontanet had a total gross of 86 for the third spot.
The Bahamas is positioned first in the 11 to 13 overall flight followed by Puerto Rico as well as Trinidad & Tobago and Jamaica, who are tied for third.
Chemari Pratt is ranked fourth for The Bahamas following round one on Wednesday. She posted a total gross of 87. Haley Hall also competed for The Bahamas in this category. Hall had a total score of 89 for sixth place.
Leading the group is Shania Reyes of the Dominican Republic with a total gross of 83 tied with Barbados’ Mariella Young. Puerto Rico’s Amelia Santiago sits in third with 85. Mia Underwood scored a total gross of 101 for The Bahamas in the girls’ 18-and-under flight. Puerto Rico’s Camilla Negroni leads the division with 75. Jamaica’s Mattea Issa is in second with 80 and the Dominican Republic’s Stefaniya Mosyagina is third with 82. The Bahamas has three junior golfers in the boys’ 15-and-under flight. Kerrington Rolle leads the field with a total gross of 72. He is currently tied with Puerto Rico’s Tomas Rodriguez for first. Bermuda’s Arman Newton came away with a total gross of 76. Zakary Joseph and Aidan Gorospe are tied for
sixth place with 78 apiece. Rashawn Hanna is within range for a top three spot in the boys’ 11 to 13 flight. He is currently ranked fourth after round with a total gross of 85. Rounding out the top three yesterday were Jamaica’s Shasa Redlefsen, Puerto Rico’s Ortiz Bayoan and the Dominican Republic’s Alejandro Balbuena. The second Bahamian competitor in the group was Juan Wilson, who settled for seventh place with a score of 88.
The Bahamas currently has three competitors in the boys’ 18-and-under
flight. The trio of Camdyn Forbes, Angelino Cooper and Christopher Callander are ranked 10th, 16th and 23rd respectively.
Despite the humidity and mountainous golf course, the team manager was very impressed with the team’s day one performances.
“We were really happy with day one. We are looking for day two to be even better and we are looking to bring home some trophies. We are really excited about it despite it being really hot here and very humid with a lot of hills.
“The kids are using a lot of energy walking
the course, they are not allowed to drive and we have to make sure they stay hydrated while they are there.
“We had to do a lot to prepare them for the courses here because it is so different from the courses at home but they are doing well with the conditions given,” she said.
The BGF junior golf team will be back on the course again today for round two of action which begins at 8:50am this morning.
The 14-member team is coached by Fredrick Taylor and Georgette Rolle.
By BRENT STUBBS Chief Sports Editor bstubbs@tribunemedia.net
PARIS, France — As the elder statesman of the crew, team captain Donald Thomas knew that he had to have an exceptional performance in order to advance to the men’s high jump final at the 2024 Olympic Games.
Competing in his fifth Olympics at the Stade de France yesterday morning, the 40-year-old Thomas was one of three competitors who failed to clear the opening height of 7-feet, 0 1/2-inches or 2.15 metres.
As one of the 15 competitors in Group A, Thomas suffered a recurring left hamstring injury that prevented him from continuing to compete as American Shelby McEwen took the top qualifying spot over Mutaz Barshim of Qatar, both at 7-5 1/2 (2.27m).
The 2007 world champion and 2010 Commonwealth Games champion said he was quite disappointed in his performance because he came into the games feeling quite well.
“Coming into the competition, I felt really confident and the day before I got on the plane to come here, during practice I thought I had some cramps, but it wasn’t a cramp,” Thomas said. “I didn’t realise how
By
SWEETING Tribune Sports Reporter tsweeting@tribunemedia.net
THE Bahamas Aquatics team is ready to make a big splash at the Goodwill Swimming Championship for the second consecutive year. The 40-member contingent is expected to commute to Gros Islet, St Lucia, next week Wednesday for competition slated for August 16-18.
The 2023 Goodwill champions are in prime position to defend their crowns after a grand performance in Jamaica last year. The team won the regional aquatics event with 1,418.50 points and came away with the largest medal haul. According to team head coach Dwayne Davis Jr, the expectation is for the team to go into St Lucia and leave as back-to-back champions.
“My expectations are the same from last year. We are going over to win and we expect to win. We are the favourites going in after our performance last year and the team is really strong so I do not see a reason why we can’t win. The kids have been practicing really hard for the last four to six
TUNNEL VISION: Devynne Charlton, of The Bahamas, reacts after her women’s 100-metre hurdles heat at the 2024 Summer Olympics, Wednesday, August 7, 2024, in Saint-Denis, France. (AP Photo/ Ashley Landis)
18
DONALD Thomas at the 2024 Paris Olympics.
Photo: Brent Stubbs SEE PAGE 16
THE Bahamas Golf Federation’s junior golf team at the 36th Caribbean Amateur Junior Golf Championships in Kingston, Jamaica.
Rhema Otabor 27th overall in the javelin at Paris Olympics
By BRENT STUBBS Chief Sports Editor bstubbs@tribunemedia.net
PARIS, France — With all of the achievements she’s had so far in her young career, javelin thrower Rhema Otabor would have liked to add finalist in her first Olympic Games to her résumé.
But in her debut yesterday in the Stade de France, Otabor fell short, finishing 13th in Group A with a toss of 57.67 metres that placed her 27th overall when they combined the two groups of a total of 32 competitors.
“It was a nice experience. It was as competitive as I expected it to be,” said an emotional Otabor as she tried to hold back the tears.
“I just wished I could have stuck with them and got the bigger throws out earlier.”
In her series of throws, the University of Nebraska 2024 graduate scratched her first attempt, but came back with (54.76m) on her second and the (57.67m) on the third.
“I wished I had started off with a good throw. With the throw I did in the third, I was a little more there,” she said.
“I guess it would have been a good confidence booster for that.
“I tried not to worry about my first throw, but unfortunately, I wasn’t able to get the distance off that I needed.”
Being in her second straight global competition on the heels of her appearance at last year’s World Championships in Budapest, Hungary, Otabor said it shows that she can fit right into the scheme of things with the competition.
“It was nice knowing that the crowd was there,” she said. “It was similar to the World Championships.”
As she looks ahead to next year’s World Championships in Tokyo, Japan and hopefully her second Olympics in Los Angeles, California in 2028, Otabor said her main goal is to continue to work on the smaller things that she didn’t do here. And while she couldn’t exactly pinpoint what they were, Otabor said she’s processing what this experience meant to her.
RHEMA OTABOR, of The Bahamas, competes during the women’s javelin throw qualification at the 2024 Summer Olympics, Wednesday, August 7, in Saint-Denis, France. (AP Photo/ Matthias Schrader)
But she said after winning her second straight NCAA title this year and getting a silver at the Pan American Games last year, she’s proud of what she’s done so far.
The sky’s the limit for the 21-year-old Otabor, whose long-time coach Corrington Maycock was in the stands watching and assisting in her performances through the rounds.
severe it was until I went out there.
“I just wasn’t myself. I couldn’t apply the pressure like I usually do. It’s no excuse. I showed up and I tried my best. My best just wasn’t good enough to get through.”
During his past week here, Thomas said he was working with the physiotherapist and the polyclinic in the games village in the hopes of getting him ready to compete.
“I tried to prepare as best as I could, but it still didn’t work out,” he stated. “It’s a significant injury, so I’m really disappointed, especially because the height that it took to get into the final, I jumped them in my sleep.
“I know if I didn’t suffer this injury, I would have been able to get into the final and compete.”
During practice here, Thomas said he jumped around 2.26m, so he was highly disappointed that the injury hampered his
progress here because he didn’t feel the “confidence” in his legs. If he didn’t feel like he had an opportunity to get to the final, Thomas said he would not have made the trip here. He said it was definitely not a true reflection of himself.
“I’m not done yet,” he insisted.
“I could never go out like this. I don’t know what’s next, but that isn’t the last time that you will see DT out there.”
Thomas, a former basketball player who switched to high jumping on a dare from one of his college friends, made his first Olympics in 2008 in Beijing, China, and participated in each successive games in 2012 in London, England, 2016 in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, and 2021 in Tokyo, Japan.
It’s not certain if he will hang around for the 2028 games in Los Angeles, California, or take another shot at his 10th World Championships, scheduled for 2025 in Tokyo, Japan.
DONALD THOMAS, of The Bahamas, competes during the men’s high jump qualification round at the 2024 Summer Olympics, yesterday in Saint-Denis, France. (AP Photo/Bernat Armangue)
Antoine Andrews eliminated in 110m hurdles semifinals at Paris Olympics
By BRENT STUBBS Chief Sports Editor bstubbs@tribunemedia.net
PARIS, France —
Antoine Andrews’ appearance in the semifinals of the men’s 110 metre hurdles didn’t go as expected yesterday at the Stade de France.
Not only did he run alongside American world champion Grant Holloway, but his eighth-place finish knocked him out of contention for an appearance in the finals of his first Olympic Games.
Running out of lane seven, Andrews clocked 13.43 seconds to trail Holloway in lane six, who ran away from the field in the fastest qualifying time of 12.98 heading into today’s final.
Despite ending up 19th overall, Andrews said he will walk away from the games knowing that he gave it his best shot as a 21-yearold rookie, still attending Texas Tech.
“It was a kind of a shaky race. I had some nerves going into it, but I just want to take this race as a learning experience, coming out here,” he said.
After easily getting through the preliminary round with a second place finish in his heat in 13.43, Andrews said he knew it would get tougher and it sure did when he drew the same heat with Holloway in the semis.
“It was just me going into my first semifinal being so young,” he said. “Life goes on. You can’t dwell on this too much.”
Having reached the pinnacle of the sports world in such a short time was the icing on the cake for Andrews, who admitted that this was definitely his best year.
“I went through a lot of adversities indoors, but coming outdoors, I did achieve most of my goals, so I’m happy with my season,” he stated.
If there’s one thing that Andrews said he will take away from the experience, it’s being more confident in himself.
“I knew I could go out there and run, but it was more so me keep telling myself that I can do it,” he said. “So next season, I’m looking forward to building up my self confidence.” With the World Championships on the agenda for next year in Tokyo, Japan, Andrews said he’s definitely going to prepare himself for an encore on the global stage and he’s looking forward to some great things happening for him.
PARIS OLYMPICS DAY 12: QUINCY HALL GIVES AMERICANS ANOTHER COME-FROM-BEHIND GOLD
By JENNA FRYER AP National Writer
PARIS (AP) — Quincy Hall became the latest American to electrify Olympic track and field with an out-of-nowhere comeback last night at the Paris Olympics.
Hall sprinted from far behind in the 400 metres to reel in three runners and capture the gold medal.
Hall, buried in fourth place as the runners rounded the last bend, outran the runner on his outside, then two more to the inside to cross the line in 43.40 seconds, the fourthfastest time ever.
Hall then dropped to the track to do snow angels to celebrate.
Matthew Hudson-Smith of Britain finished second and Muzala Samukonga of Zambia finished third.
Hall is the first American since LaShawn Merritt in 2008 to capture gold in the one-lap race. His victory came an evening after teammate Cole Hocker came from far behind late to beat the favourites in the men’s 1,500.
The win came about an hour after Noah Lyles advanced to the final of the 200 metres despite finishing second to Letsile Tebogo in his semifinal heat.
Lyles will race for the gold medal today.
• Highlights of what happened on Day 12 of the Paris Olympics:
U.S. takes silver and almost pulls upset in steeplechase Soufiane El Bakkali of Morocco defended his title in the men’s steeplechase with a .36-second win over American rival Kenneth Rooks.
Rooks had the lead heading into the homestretch and was looking to pull off a massive upset, but El Bakkali overtook him. Rooks still beat his personal best
by almost nine seconds to capture the second silver in three Olympics in the event for the United States.
Australia reaches new heights with pole vault win Nina Kennedy’s gold medal in the pole vault was Australia’s 18th at the Paris Games, an Olympic record for the country.
Kennedy cleared 4.95 metres to beat defending champion Katie Moon of the U.S. Lin Yu-ting advances to gold-medal bout
Boxer Lin Yu-ting of Taiwan advanced to the gold-medal bout in the women’s featherweight division. She won her third consecutive bout while dealing with widespread scrutiny regarding misconceptions about her gender.
One day after welterweight Imane Khelif of Algeria reached her weight division’s final with a third straight victory in Paris, Lin defeated Esra Yildiz Kahraman of Turkey 5:0. Lin will fight for gold on Saturday. Lin and Khelif have dominated all of their Olympic bouts despite the massive distractions created by the fallout from the Olympicbanished International Boxing Association’s decision last year to disqualify both fighters from the world championships for allegedly failing an eligibility test. Both fighters have responded to this unwelcome spotlight by making two of the best tournament runs of their lengthy amateur careers.
U.S. women’s basketball keeps winning A’ja Wilson scored 20 points and Jackie Young added 15 to help the United States beat Nigeria 88-74 in the women’s basketball quarterfinals. The victory extended the Americans’ record Olympic winning streak to 59.
Breanna Stewart also had 13 points for the Americans, who haven’t lost since the 1992 Barcelona Games and are now two victories away from an unprecedented eighth consecutive gold medal. They will face a familiar foe in Australia in the semifinals on Friday night. The loss ended a historic run by Nigeria, which became the first African country to reach the Olympic basketball quarterfinals. Americans win gold in women’s team pursuit
The American women’s pursuit team had twice before raced for the Olympic gold medal, and it had been on the podium all three times the cycling event had been on the program for the Summer Games.
Successful, but never on top.
The U.S. changed that at the Olympic velodrome when road race champion Kristen Faulkner, time trial bronze medalist Chloe Dygert, Jennifer Valente and Lilly Williams finally took that last step up. They soared to a big early lead on New Zealand in their head-to-head
showdown, then held on through a ragged finish to finally win the gold medal.
The Americans led by more than a second a quarter of the way through the 4,000-metre race, and they stretched the gap at one point to nearly two seconds.
When they began to come apart from their single-file, aerodynamic draft with about two laps to go, they had to fight to the finish to hold off Ally Wollaston, Bryony Botha, Emily Shearman and Nicole Shields.
In the final of the men’s pursuit, Sam Welsford, Oliver Bleddyn, Conor Leahy and Kelland O’Brien of Australia beat Britain in a close final at the Vélodrome National de Saint-Quentin-en-Yvelines to win gold for the first time in two decades.
U.S. weight off his shoulders
Hampton Morris became the first U.S. men’s weightlifter to earn an Olympic medal in four decades, taking bronze in the 61-kilogram division. It had not happened since Mario Martinez and Guy Carlton at the 1984 Los Angeles Games, notably boycotted
by several communist countries.
The 20-year-old Morris, trained by his dad in the garage at their home in Marietta, Georgia, finished third in a competition won again by Li Fabin of China. Li defended his title from the Tokyo Games in 2021 and set an Olympic snatch record.
U.S. figure skaters finally get their medal
A touch of winter came to the Summer Games when the United States figure skating team finally got their gold medals as 2022 Olympic champions.
A Russian appeal trying to win back the Olympic team title was dismissed at the Court of Arbitration for Sport just before the Paris Games opened.
The title had been stripped in January when a different CAS panel disqualified Russian teenager Kamila Valieva for doping with a banned heart medication. She also was banned for four years.
China dominates artistic swimming China took gold in the artistic swimming team event, dominating in the absence of Russia, which had won every gold medal in artistic beginning with the 2000 Sydney Games. It was a big medal for China, and also a step forward for the sport, which changed its name from synchronised swimming several years ago to update its image. Some swimmers still call it “synchro.” China finished with 996.1389 points, ahead of the United States and Spain. It was the first U.S. medal in the sport since 2004.
Men had an opportunity for the first time to compete in artistic swimming at the Olympics, but no men were picked by any of the teams. There is consideration to add a mixed duet team event for the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics, which would create more space for men to compete.
The special medal ceremony allowed the nine Americans to receive the medals exactly 2½ years after the figure skating team event ended at the Beijing Olympics. A doping saga from the winning Russian team led to the Americans being declared the winner. All nine American skaters came to Paris: Karen Chen, Evan Bates, Nathan Chen, Madison Chock, Zachary Donohue, Brandon Frazier, Madison Hubbell, Alexa Knierim and Vincent Zhou. Seven of the eight members of the Japan team came to get their silver medals — an upgrade from their thirdplace result in Beijing.
QUINCY HALL, of the United States, lies on the track as he reacts to winning the men’s 400-metre final at the 2024 Summer Olympics yesterday in Saint-Denis, France. (AP Photo/Petr David Josek)
ON THE RUN: Antoine Andrews, far left above and top right, in action yesterday in the semifinals of the men’s 110 metre hurdles in the Olympic Games at the Stade de France in Paris.
Wanya McCoy eliminated in 200 semis at Paris Olympics
By BRENT STUBBS Chief Sports Editor bstubbs@tribunemedia.net
PARIS, France — Wanya McCoy admitted that the 2024 Olympic Games has taught him a lot about being competitive in the sport of track and field.
After enduring what he described as a long collegiate season, the longest he’s had to endure competing from January, Mccoy said he felt he had enough left in the tank as he completed his sprint double.
In the first of three heats of the men’s 200 metre semifinal last night at the Stade de France, McCoy came through in fifth place in 20.61.
American Kenny Bednarek took the heat in 20.00 to move onto the final, but McCoy finished as the 18th best in the field as he bowed out of his debut at the Olympics.
“I feel pretty good. I executed what my coach told me to do,” he said. “I came off the curve, but when I glanced over to my left (as he raised his hand to indicate), they were gone.
“They are more mature in the sport and so they understand it a little more than I do. They were a little more experienced than me.”
Having spent just three years running competitively in the sport as he converted from playing basketball, McCoy said he just needed
to learn to run his own race and block out all of the distractions around him.
“I did it tonight, but running out of lane nine, they kind of used me. I have to learn how to run on the outside rather than chasing someone all of the time. But I prefer to chase someone, but to each his own.”
In a season where he and Texas Tech’s Terrence Jones traded the national indoor 60m record (now held by Jones), McCoy said he wanted to break the national record outdoors, but things just didn’t pan out.
“Next year for sure, I will come back,” he stated. Looking back at his experience here, running 10.24 for 41st overall (with Jones 49th in 10.31), McCoy said he was surprised to be able to run against some of his idols whom he looked up to as a young boy. All in all, he admitted that it was a good trip to Paris and he’s looking
forward to competing in his next Olympics in 2028 in Los Angeles, California. But the 21-year-old, who is now expected to venture into the pro ranks, also predicted that he will be much better to compete at the 2025 World Championship in Tokyo, Japan, although he’s not sure if it will be the sprint double.
DEVYNNE, CHARISMA ADVANCE TO 100M HURDLES SEMIFINALS AT PARIS OLYMPICS
Olympics in Sydney, Australia where Chandra Sturrup, Debbie Ferguson McKenzie and Savatheda Fynes all contested the women’s 100m final.
Charlton pleased with performance Coming off her indoor 60m world record, Charlton got out to her usual fast start and was eventually caught by Nugent. The two battled out front through the final of the tenth flight of hurdles.
As they surged to the finish line, Nugent was able to out-lean Charlton for the win.
“I could have done a couple things better, but overall, it was just execution for so early in the morning and we will be back in the semis,” said Charlton, the Bahamas’ co-flag carrier with quarter-miler Steven Gardiner during the games’ opening ceremony..
Running out of lane two with the 22-year-old Nugent in three gave Charlton, 28, the push she needed.
“She’s one of the better ones coming into the competition, so I think just being able to match up so early in the competition gives me an indication of what I need to work on.”
Charlton, making her second straight appearance in the Olympics, although she qualified for her first one in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil in 2016, but sat out
because of an injury, said she’s thrilled to have Taylor join her in the semis, but she’s confident that Cartwright will get through the repechage.
As for her low hairstyle, with the light brown and pink colours, Charlton said her sister Anthaya Charlton came to the games village and helped her out with it.
Taylor made semis After falling short of advancing to the women’s triple jump final, the 24-year-old Taylor said her triple jump was Taylormade for her to go out and do what she had to do in her Olympic debut.
days to get ready for the hurdles.
She said if she doesn’t make the final, she will be content just to get to the semis. Hopefully she can come out with a personal best in the process. Like Charlton, Taylor would also love nothing better than to have Cartright join them into another historic moment with all three Bahamians in the semis.
Cartwright looking to bounce back Running out of lane seven in the second heat, the 24-year-old Cartwright didn’t have her traditional fast style like she did all season long for Minnesota State where she dominated the NCAA Division II track and field scene.
Using her miniature size, she was able to storm back at the end to get into the showdown at the line for the placement.
“The race could have been better. It was just sloppy,” she briefly stated. “Hopefully I will get it better next time.”
“I felt like waiting in the waiting room to see if I made the semifinal was more nerve-racking than actually being in the race.
“So I felt like my race went very well. I have some small technical areas that I have to fix up for the semifinals.
“I was more relaxed and confident coming in,” said Taylor, who is sponsored by her family’s Taylor made company.
“But I’m very happy and blessed and thankful to God, my coaches and support system. I’m happy and at peace. I know there is more to come.”
Taylor, who is also thrilled to have her family here watching her compete, said she took one day to get over not making the triple jump final and the next four
That time will come today at 4:35am when she’s entered in the repechage, which allows all of the nonqualifiers a chance to win their heat in order to book their spots into the semis.
Defending Olympic champion Jasmine Camacho-Quinn of Puerto Rico won the heat in 12.42 running in lane two.
NECK AND NECK: Wanya McCoy, second from left above and top right, in action yesterday in the semifinals of the men’s 200 metres in the Olympic Games at the Stade de France in Paris.
DEVYNNE CHARLTON, right, of The Bahamas, and Ackera Nugent, of Jamaica, cross the finish line in the women’s 100-metre hurdles heat at the 2024 Summer Olympics yesterday in Saint-Denis, France. (AP Photo/David J. Phillip)
ACKERA NUGENT, of Jamaica, and Devynne Charlton, of Bahamas, right, compete in a women’s 100 metres hurdles round 1 heat at the 2024 Summer Olympics yesterday. (AP Photo/Martin Meissner) DENISHA CARTWRIGHT, of Bahamas, reacts after her 100-metre hurdles heat. (AP Photo/Ashley Landis)
TEAM BAHAMAS READY TO MAKE A SPLASH AT GOODWILL SWIMMING CHAMPIONSHIP
FROM PAGE 15
weeks so I expect us to go over there and bring back the trophy,” he said.
The team certainly left their mark at the National Aquatic Centre in Kingston, Jamaica, last summer.
The 40-member team swam away with a total of 129 medals including 55 gold medals, 45 silver and 29 bronze.
Barbados was a distant second place finisher with 57 medals including 23 gold, 16 silver and 16 bronze medals. Trinidad & Tobago capped off the top three with 21 gold, 18 silver and 19 bronze medals for 57 medals in total as well.
The team, led by coach Davis, has been practicing at the Betty Kelly Kenning Swim Complex for the last four to six weeks and he gave a brief description of their preparation efforts.
“Our preparation has been going good. It is summer break so we didn’t have a full practice until last week. Preparation has been going good and I have been trying to keep the kids motivated and engaged. At this point, we are just gonna fine tune all of the stuff we did this summer. Next week is meet day so right now we are working on dives, turns, finishes and refining their techniques,” he said.
Earlier in the summer, the Bahamas Aquatics Federation released the names of competitors set to represent The Bahamas starting next week Friday.
Representing the team in the 8-and-under division are Skyrah Chambers, Zeni Dorsett, Milana McDonald, Anthonique Rolle, Lynden Feaste, Mason Hanna, Avyn McKenzie and Kyrie Smith. The male and female alternates are Ari Rolle, James Burrows, Shiloh Ferguson and Celeste Johnson.
The female competitors in the 9-10 division are Samaiya Coleman, Cailyn Dean, Delneia Hamilton and Isabella Munroe. The
alternates are Grace Nottage and Katelin-Dahlia Hanna. The male competitors in this division are Logan Comacho, Kymani Cooper, Deon Morris and Dylan Musgrove. The alternates are Asher Basitan and Cole Albury. Competitors in the 11-12 boys’ division are Tyler Cartwright, Nitayo Knowles, Keiron Lloyd and Dexter Russell. The alternates are Kai Bastian and Zander Lightbourne.
Gillian Albury, Nai’a Belton, Noel Pratt and Semaiah Rolle will represent the girls in this age group. The alternates are Skarlette Donaldson and Helsinki Mitchell.
Christin-Alyssa Clarke, Samirah Donaldson, Madyson Julien and Trinity Pratt are the female representatives in the 13-14 division. Adaiah Smith will serve as an alternate. Named to the team in the boys’ age group are Damari Butler, Jahan ChatlaniPickstock, Noah Knowles and Rafael McBroom. The alternates are Trace Russell, Kraige Adderley and Issac Wright. Selected to the girls’ 15-17 age division are TiaIsabella Adderley, Anjaleah Knowles, Rayven Ward and Bianca Johnson. The division alternates are Giada Bertoldo and Lauren Bridgewater.
Caleb Ferguson, Donald Saunders, Kieran Sealy and Matthais Simms will compete for the boys in the 15-17 age division. Michael Fox and Daniel Ferguson III were selected as alternates.
Coach Davis will be assisted by Kadesha Culmer and Kristen Farrington. Davis is hoping to bring home multiple medals and hear the Bahamian national anthem played as much as possible at the Rodney Heights Aquatics Centre.
A total of 300 swimmers from 10 nations are scheduled to compete August 16-18 at the 28th Goodwill Swimming Championship.
