09292023 NEWS AND SPORT

INGRAHAM URGES FNM TO SIT OUT BY-ELECTION

...but party will run after decision by council members

By RASHAD ROLLE AND JADE RUSSELL Tribune Reporters

FORMER Prime Min-

ister Hubert Ingraham advised Free National Movement leader Michael Pintard not to contest the upcoming by-election for West End Grand Bahama and Bimini.

Mr Pintard revealed this to FNM council members during a private meeting

By LYNAIRE MUNN I N GS Tribune Staff Reporter lmunnings@tribunemedia.net

COALITION of Independents leader Lincoln Bain apologised to the family of Obie Wilchcombe after the party’s deputy leader Maria Daxon shared a crass message about the former Cabinet minister on Whatsapp.

Mr Daxon claimed she

at the party’s headquarters last night, according to two sources who spoke anonymously because they were not authorised to discuss internal party matters.

Mr Pintard and Mr Ingraham declined to comment when The Tribune contacted them last night.

Mr Pintard, presenting a balanced case to council members before they voted

inadvertently forwarded the message, which praised the death of the late West End Grand Bahama and Bimini MP.

“Ladies and gentlemen, there has been a lot of hullabaloo recently in the media about a text message that has been shared,” Mr Bain said during a Facebook Live on Wednesday

By LYNAIRE MUNN I N GS Tribune Staff Reporter lmunnings@tribunemedia.net

PRIME Minister Philip “Brave” Davis renewed calls for Caribbean leaders to unite and secure tangible gains from developed nations in the fight against climate change.

“The time has come to double down on our efforts to tell these developed

nations to write the cheque as they have kicked the can down the road for far too long,” Mr Davis said during a speech at the Second Caribbean Small Island Developing States HighLevel Dialogue on Climate Change.

Mr Davis and Environment and Natural Resources Minister Vaughn Miller travelled to Grenada to attend

the conference, which is expected to end today. The meeting was expected to focus on six themes: loss and damage, transition to renewables, financial infrastructure, conservation, accelerating e-mobility, and data and transparency.

The event, launched in The Bahamas last year, will include priorities for the

By PAVEL BAILEY Tribune Staff Reporter pbailey@tribunemedia.net

A 23-YEAR-OLD man was remanded in custody yesterday after he was accused of molesting his nine and six-year-old sisters last week.

Senior Magistrate Carolyn Vogt-Evans charged the male defendant, whose name is being withheld to protect the victim’s identity, with two counts of incest.

The accused allegedly

F ERGUSON UNOFFICIAL WINNER OF B P SU VOTES

By RASHAD ROLLE Tribune N ews Editor rrolle@tribunemedia.net

BAHAMAS Public Services Union president Kimsley Ferguson and his team unofficially won the BPSU’s latest election.

However, former BPSU president and Labour director John Pinder and Alexander Burrows, Jr, a leader of one of the teams, said they would challenge the results, alleging numerous discrepancies.

For his part, Trade Unions Registrar Van Delaney said the Department of Labour does not

SEE PAGE THREE SEE PAGE FOUR

Bain apologises for Daxon’s MESSAGE SHARED ABOUT OBIE

M AN ACCUSED OF MOLESTING TWO SISTERS AGED 9 AND 6

PRIME Minister Philip ‘BRave’ Davis during a speech at the Second Caribbean Small Island Developing States High-Level Dialogue on Climate Change called for Caribbean leaders to unite and secure tangible gains from developed nations in the fight against climate change.

Photo: Samantha Black

Ingraham urges FNM to sit out by-election

to the election.

on the matter, said Mr Ingraham reflected on the history of by-elections in the country and concluded they favour the Progressive Liberal Party.

Mr Ingraham, he reportedly said, believes the party would be best served focusing on the next general election.

The PLP won the only two by-elections held this century: in 2012 after Mr Ingraham resigned as MP for North Abaco and in 2010 after Malcolm Adderley resigned as Elizabeth’s MP.

Ultimately, the FNM’s council unanimously voted last night to contest the byelection to replace Obie Wilchcombe, who died unexpectedly on Monday.

Senior members believe it would be unseemly for a party of the FNM’s stature not to run a candidate.

The meeting further established Bishop Ricardo Grant as the

frontrunner to be nominated for the constituency, reportedly backed by the leaders of the West End Grand Bahama and Bimini constituency associations. Bishop Grant has been working in the constituency and is said to be known to residents there.

The picture within the Progressive Liberal Party is less clear.

“As the country is in mourning, it is inappropriate for the Progressive Liberal Party to be accepting any requests or expressions of interest for candidacy before the funeral or any formal processes in parliamentary law have begun,” PLP chairman Fred Mitchell said in a statement yesterday.

Meanwhile, Parliamentary clerk David Forbes said House Speaker Patricia Deveaux had not yet formally informed Governor General Cynthia “Mother” Pratt about Wilchcombe’s death, an action that would kickstart the official process leading

“She will be doing it in very short order,” he said. He said some people are misinformed about the protocol.

“You have to remember that the Speaker of the House has to have proper notice,” he said. “You may hear people out there saying that the political party, or the governor, or the government should advise the Speaker, but that’s not true.”

“The political party nor the government can sign death notices. Death notices can only be signed by the coroner,” he added.

“The coroner has to inform the Speaker or the attorney general. If the coroner informs the attorney general, the attorney general will then send a copy of that to the Speaker. The Speaker has to be properly notified, and that notification can’t come from anybody else except the person who is able to sign the death certificate, which is the coroner.”

FREE National Movement leader Michael Pintard and former Prime Minister Hubert Ingraham.

Mr Wilchcombe’s death fills voids in the executive and the legislature, given his role as a minister and the leader of government business in the House of Assembly. The Royal Bahamas Police Force is expected to host a press conference today about

next week’s Opening of Parliament, an event Mr Wilchcombe was helping to organise before he died.

Social Services, Information and Broadcasting. “At the appropriate time, he will appoint a substantive minister,” he said yesterday. “The government is focused on celebrating the life and legacy of Minister Wilchcombe.”

Davis: Caribbean ‘must be united’ on climate fight

from page one

region ahead of COP28 in December.

“We must call on our partners in the north to deliver on the commitment

they made at COP 15 in Copenhagen to mobilise $100 billion per year by 2021,” Mr Davis said.

“This is the very same goal which was reiterated at COP 21 in Paris and extended to 2025. To date,

they have not reached this target.”

Mr Davis said he remains committed to advocating for small island nations, pointing to rising temperatures and natural disasters like Hurricane

Dorian to highlight the effects of the climate crisis.

“As COP 28 approaches, it is crucial that we, the developing countries on the frontlines of the climate crisis, hold

the developed world to account,” he said.

“Whether they honour their commitments could mean the difference between a mere disturbance and another Dorian, that devastating category

five superstorm the likes of which my country had never seen and is still recovering from.”

Mr Miller is expected to lead the Bahamian delegation in discussions at the conference today.

Bain apologises for Daxon’s inappropriate message shareD a Bout oBie

from page one

night.

“It has come to our notice that Ms Maria Daxon, deputy leader of the COI, exercised poor judgment by forwarding a note that was inappropriate and insensitive to the family of the deceased Member of Parliament Obie Wilchcome.”

“Maria Daxon is a brave and passionate fighter for the people. However, we want to make it clear that the actions of Ms Daxon in this incident does not reflect the values and principles of our party.

“We hold ourselves to a high standard of conduct and professionalism, and we will take this incident very seriously. Both our chairman and I have issued sincere condolences to the bereaved family. I humbly and sincerely apologise

to the bereaved family on behalf of the executives of the COI.

“We have already initiated an internal review to understand the full extent of what transpired and to determine appropriate measures to ensure that such incidents do not happen again in the future.”

“We are committed to upholding the highest standard of integrity and empathy in all our dealings.”

Although he said the matter was under review, Mr Bain insisted Ms Daxon did not write the message she shared.

“In my opinion, she did the same thing that The Tribune did,” he said. “The Tribune actually posted parts of that same article that they thought were distasteful in their paper. They shared it because they

thought people would want to see it, and that’s what Maria Daxon did. Again, we feel the timing of it and the context of it was insensitive, and that is why we said what we had to say.”

Hours after his Facebook Live, Mr Bain posed with Ms Daxon and other supporters for a photo he posted on his social media page.

According to a screenshot of the WhatsApp group where Ms Daxon shared the message, a user confronted her, saying she was being insensitive. In response, she said: “Please don’t you tell me what to do or pass. Are you serious”.

In an interview with The Tribune earlier this week, Ms Daxon said she didn’t read over what she shared. She nonetheless defended the writer’s right to express the harsh views.

PRIME Minister Philip ‘Brave’ Davis, Minister of the Environment & Natural Resources, the Hon. Vaughn P. Miller, and Grenada Prime Minister Dickon A.T. Mitchell are among the high-level participants in an international dialogue on climate change Photos: Samantha Black

PRIME Minister Davis and Grenada Prime Minister Dicken Mitchell share a one-on-one conversation during high-level talks on climate change.

LINCOLN BAIN, leader of the Coalition of Independents, alongside deputy leader Maria Daxon last December.

Kimsley Ferguson unofficial winner of BPSU election

from page one

disclose unofficial results.

“I can’t really confirm anything,” he said yesterday.

The registrar supervises polls and investigates complaints about the process.

Mr Delaney said he had not received formal complaints about the election. According to Mr Pinder and Mr Burrows, the unofficial results show Mr Ferguson got just over 500 votes in the leadership race, Mr Burrows received over 400 votes, and Mr Pinder finished third with over 300 votes.

Mr Ferguson, who could not be reached for comment up to press time last night, confirmed his unofficial victory during a television interview with Eyewitness News yesterday.

His rivals, however, alleged that the voter registers were incomplete.

“People showed up to vote and their name wasn’t on the register,” Mr Pinder said, adding that less than 50 per cent of eligible members voted.

Mr Burrows said there was a “whirlwind of irregularities”.

“There were areas that did not have an opportunity to have the poll, like Inagua,” he said. “Members there were unable to participate in the election. There were instances when ballots didn’t reach the Family Islands until 2pm in the afternoon. Parts of the register for the University of the Bahamas, in particular, did not reach the designated officer until 2pm, hours after the poll commenced. Another outstanding issue would’ve been the airport. The poll was scheduled to open at 9am, but it opened at 11am.”

Mr Pinder and Mr Burrows said they will push to ensure the poll results are not certified.

“We have absolutely no confidence that Mr Kimsley is capable of being honest and fair in his role of conducting elections,”

Mr Burrows said.

He said he wants Article 21 of the Industrial Relations Act invoked. That section empowers the registrar to

intervene when a union fails to take a secret ballot to elect officers.

“We want a new election, a fair process in which everyone has equal

opportunity to participate,” he said. “Our members were disadvantaged.”

Thirty people vied for positions across the three teams in the election.

PORT LUCAYA MARKET PL ACE STRUGGL ING TO ATTRACT GUESTS DESPITE CRUISE PASSENGER NUMBERS

By DENISE MAYCOCK Tribune Staff Reporter dmaycock@tribunemedia.net

EVEN though hundreds of cruise passengers visit Grand Bahama weekly, the Port Lucaya Marketplace struggles to attract guests. Straw vendors at the marketplace claim cruise

passengers are being discouraged from visiting the area, a claim Carnival, the largest cruise line visiting Freeport, denies.

PLM director Ivan Moss said yesterday that management had expressed concerns to the Ministry of Tourism, the cruise ships, tour operators, the taxi union, and the Grand

Bahama Port Authority.

On Monday, Carnival Dream and Carnival Sunshine brought over 7,000 passengers to Freeport.

Scieka Jones, marketing and entertainment manager at the marketplace, said only one busload of guests from the harbour carrying a maximum of 60 people showed up to the

marketplace.

Ms Jones said there are 129 vendors, not including the retail shops, restaurants and bars.

“Right now, we are operating below occupancy,” she said. “Some tenants left after the pandemic, some are still trying to stay afloat, and some had to close up shop because of the economy.”

Mr Moss said steps had been taken to attract visitors to the marketplace, including putting a booth at the harbour, providing live entertainment, and

advertising.

He said the marketplace spent much money on entertainment, but guests do not show up.

He said sometimes boaters from the marina appear during bad weather or when a ship makes an unexpected stop.

Mr Moss said the booth at the harbour is not helping because drivers who pick up passengers take them elsewhere while collecting a stipend.

“We are hoping that the hotel and marina will

open pretty soon so we can have some stability,” he said, referring to the Grand Lucayan resort.

As a result of the decrease in business, Mr Moss said tenants have been offered discounts. Vendors currently pay $100 per month.

Ms Jones, meanwhile, said Margaritaville, which provides ferry service to Freeport, has been very supportive of the marketplace.

“But the bigger ships, the Carnivals, we are not seeing it,” she said.

KIMSLEY Ferguson has unofficially won re-elections as Bahamas Public Service Union president.

PORT LUCAYA MARKETPLACE DIRECTOR IVAN MOSS

Campbell applauds draft cannabis bill, says input from farmers necessary

By LETRE SWEETING Tribune Staff Reporter lsweeting@tribunemedia.net

AGRICULTURE

and Marine Resources

Minister Jomo Campbell applauded the Davis administration’s push toward legislation amending the cannabis regime in the country.

“These sort of minor infractions that go handin-hand with simple possession of dangerous drugs, sometimes they scar an individual for life,” he said.

“You have teenagers who make sometimes boyish, childish mistakes. They have records attached to them that they can never get over, that prohibits them from travelling, prohibits them from seeing the world, and that really tends to shrink the mindset of certain persons. So to see this opening up, it really affects

the country on many different levels and will definitely go to impact relieving some of the backlog in the courts as well.”

Mr Campbell said consultation sessions with various stakeholders are expected to continue up to the opening of Parliament on October 4. He said thus far, sessions have been held with the Rastafarian community, the church and small farmers, among others.

Mr Campbell also said that input from farmers on the cannabis regime is necessary.

“In order to make sure when we present or we table a bill that it is a collection of ideas from everyone — because we don’t ever want to put out as if we know it all, what may work in Andros may not work in Abaco — we need the input from the local farmers from each island to give us the

direction that their island should go in,” he said.

“Anything new in The Bahamas you know we like, and this industry is going to create a new window of opportunity and growth. We always want to keep something growing in The Bahamas legally. It’s definitely creating a buzz, but we want to get it right.

“In the midst of excitement, we can sometimes let our passion and emotion run away from us, and the legal personality in me always tends to lean toward the side of getting it right before we implement it, rather than having to fix and fix and fix after it.”

Mr Campbell’s remarks came during a press conference where the Bahamas Agricultural and Industrial Corporation (BAIC) officially relaunched Eleuthera’s agro-industrial festival. The event will be hosted from November 17

to 18 at the Bay Front Park in Governor’s Harbour.

The free event is designed to showcase small and medium businesses, vendors, suppliers, wholesalers and distributors in the agriculture and industrial sectors and provide networking opportunities.

“This festival provides a unique opportunity for farmers to promote highquality crops, livestock, industrial and technology equipment, support small and medium businesses and provide exposure for creative entrepreneurs within the orange economy,” Mr Campbell said.

“It is our hope that attendees of this event gain valuable insights into the latest advancements and use what is learnt to foster growth in the agricultural and creative sectors.”

The festival will include 49 vendors representing 13 Eleuthera settlements.

BNT A NN OU N CES T HE RE T UR N OF I T S WI N E A N D A R T F ES T IVAL

THE Bahamas National Trust in partnership with Commonwealth Brewery Limited, is thrilled to announce the return of the prestigious Wine and Art Festival. The annual event, now in its 31st year, will take place on Saturday, October 14, and Sunday, October 15, at The Retreat Garden on Village Road. A BNT members-only night will be held on Friday, October 13.

The Wine and Art Festival is a one-of-a-kind event, combining culture, creativity, and conservation. This year’s festival will feature over 40 artists and vendors selling original art pieces, creative crafts, and local products. Attendees will have the

opportunity to sample over 60 wines, courtesy of CBL and 700 Wines and Spirits, and enjoy diverse culinary delights from food vendors and celebrity chefs from The Bahamas Ministry of Tourism, all while enjoying live musical performances.

Additionally, the event will feature an exclusive Moët

and Chandon Champagne Lounge serving glasses of cold, luxury champagne and unlimited champagne cocktails from 5pm to 7pm; and a Heineken Beer Garden After party with unlimited Heineken and select local beers, mixed drinks, and a live DJ from 7pm until. One of several annual

events hosted by the BNT, Wine and Art is a celebration of The Bahamas’ natural and cultural heritage and an important fundraiser for the organisation. All proceeds from the event directly support the management of Bahamian national parks - of which there are currently 33, covering more than two million acres of land and sea.

In addition to supporting the environment, Wine and Art also supports the creative community and local small businesses. The event provides a platform for young and upcoming artists, as well as experienced artists to showcase and sell their work and reach new audiences.

Kimberly Knowles, BNT events coordinator, said:

“Wine and Art is more than a festival - it’s a celebration of art, culture, wine, and food.

It’s also a vital part of the BNT’s conservation efforts and showcases our commitment to the community. Each ticket sold, and each glass raised contributes to our mission to protect our beautiful national parks, ensuring that our natural wonders can be enjoyed for generations to come.

“Over three decades Wine and Art has grown to be a highly anticipated annual event, attracting local and international attendees and providing a platform for Bahamian talent. People

look forward to exploring the creativity of local artists and vendors; savoring the variety of wines, champagnes, and culinary delights; and experiencing a truly unique festival in support of the environment.”

Wine and Art 2023 is sponsored by Commonwealth Brewery Limited; The Bahamas Ministry of Tourism; Coldwell Banker, Lightbourn Realty; Aliv; Auto Mall; Sand Dollar; CBS; The Current Art Gallery; Atlantis; Nassau Paradise Island Promotional Board; Caribbean Bottling Company; Bahamas Waste; Bahamia Rental; Expressions Entertainment; Suncash; AML Foods; and Bahamas Ferries.

AGRICULTURE and Marine Resources Minister Jomo Campbell.

The Tribune Limited

service needs f

EDITOR, The Tribune.

KINDLY permit me to express my views on the frustration one experiences in doing business at government agencies.

Having passed its twoyear anniversary in office, I expected that this administration would have devoted some attention to addressing the many vexing and annoying issues affecting Bahamians and local businesses when doing business in this country.

By-election discussions reveals respect for Obie

IT IS noteworthy how respectful our political world has been following the death of Minister of Social Services, Information and Broadcasting Obie Wilchcombe. At a time of mourning, there is also of course a very functional need to address what happens next in political terms.

Fred Mitchell, the PLP chairman, has shown consideration for the situation by saying that it “seems a bit unseemly” to be talking about by-elections, and suggesting that the family of Mr Wilchcombe ought to be involved in making decisions.

And now it seems there has been discussion within the FNM about whether to run a candidate at all in any such vote. Whether it is a measure of the respect there is on both sides for Mr Wilchcombe, or an element of tactical consideration, it is notable that consideration has been given to not fighting any such vote.

What is important is that the people of West End and Bimini get the representation they deserve between now and the next general election.

There remain years ahead of this administration, more than likely, and the people that Mr Wilchcombe served need to have a voice in Parliament, a voice to fight for their needs, and an ear to listen to their concerns.

Whether that would mean best being served by a member of the ruling administration or by a member of the current Opposition between now and that future vote is a question the voters themselves must consider.

A third party winner is an unlikely option barring a major shock. The

Coalition of Independents has done itself no favours with its deputy leader’s disrespectful involvement in the discussion following Mr Wilchcombe’s death, and the DNA is nowhere in sight these days. Its former leader, Branville McCartney, recently talked of how the country is not ready to accept a third party yet, and that seems unlikely to change by the time this by-election is held.

So voters in the constituency will be faced with the decision to stick with the outcome they got at the last election with a new PLP candidate instead, or twist to get an FNM candidate elected with limited power to influence the current administration.

Much will lean on how satisfied people are with the performance of that current administration – along with how much faith they will have in the new candidates.

First should come the proper farewell for Mr Wilchcombe, though, a salute to a widely respected politician. The campaigning should wait. The decisions should be behind closed doors.

There are other practical steps, of course. Mr Wilchcombe was a minister in a substantial post – a new appointee must step up to take that role.

Prime Minister Philip “Brave” Davis is temporarily assuming those duties, but you can be certain that will not be a prolonged situation.

Again, there is a measure of respect to be held here, to show Mr Wilchcombe his fair due rather than to too quickly replace him in that post.

All of this points to the esteem in which Mr Wilchcombe was held. Even as this discussion has begun, that too is a measure of the man.

It is far too difficult for the Bahamians to conduct ordinary business in this country, especially at government agencies and institutions.

There seems to be no checks and balance on what policies or measures Public Officers or Department Heads can introduce or force upon the public.

Since coming to office, this administration has been too tolerant in allowing public Officers and Department Heads to introduce policies and measures that lack reasonableness and proportionality which have only served to frustrate Bahamians to no end.

Policy creation seems to be premised on the presumption that Bahamians are to be viewed with suspicion and are not to be trusted.

When seeking the most basic service, Bahamians are routinely turned away with endless requests for more information and documents, which are already resident with the government and can be accessed electronically if needed.

When we are not faced with bad public policy decisions we are faced with new

or increased fees and taxes. And on many occasions, we are faced with both. No matter where we turn, there is the introduction of a new requirement for Bahamians to leap over or through just to access the basic services and amenities required to move forward or enjoy life.

Life for many Bahamians has not gotten better and many seem to have simply lost hope that it ever will, and have given up due to a system which appears to want to intentionally “keep them down” or “in check”.

Bahamians seeking to put their personal and/or business affairs in order should not be put through the stress and runaround they encounter at many government agencies.

And what is so unfortunate, it is Bahamians who are the architect and promoters of these policies and measures that are keeping Bahamians from moving forward, and they do so, in my view, with the tacit approval and endorsement of our political leaders.

Equally unfortunate, there is a cabinet minister at the head of each ministry with the authority to intervene and bring some sense of reasonableness and proportionality to these policies and measures.

But they for the most part have chosen to sit by and allow bad policies and overly onerous measures to be unnecessarily forced

upon the public.

At the same time, and I say without fear of contradiction, no effort is spared by the leaders in this country in ensuring that the foreign individual or investor is relieved of having to suffer the inconveniences and annoyances Bahamians suffer at these government agencies.

The foreign investor is graciously escorted around these irritations by a designated agency created for this purpose.

Either because of their detachment from what life is like for the average citizen or simply their indifference, the political leaders at the Executive level, which are the ultimate Policy makers, have not been able to bring about the kind of reforms or address the administrative deficiencies found at many public institutions. This detachment or indifference may be due to the fact that they and many of the occupants of high administrative office in this country, who are responsible for addressing these vexing and annoying issues, are not required to navigate these inconveniences which the average individual or business encounter daily at many of these public institutions.

There is absolutely no reason why Bahamians ought to be subjected to these inconveniences and I am sure that there is more this administration can do to bring the desired relief.

CLAUDE B HANNA

New Providence.

September 27, 2023

judged in favour of his claims now any child of a Bahamian male from an outside relationship with a non-Bahamian mother born in the Bahamas is a citizen.

We cannot forget the two referendums we had … 2002

under PM Ingraham when in the waning days of his administration the referendum certainly spoke loud that the populous had enough and sent a message … we want you out. PM Christie tried in 2016 very much in his waning days and the public said we fail all questions we are tired of your Government - but, Editor, the truth told those questions were correct Constitutionally the Munroe case has proven so the political logic doesn’t

touch citizenship is void. Constitutionally correct, but a referendum vote said No way. I suggest in both cases it wasn’t the questions asked, but Joe public was simply tired - fed up with the Government of the day and sent a strong message by voting down even the extending the age of retirement of judgescome please!

D ROLLE Nassau, September 23, 2023.

Why borrow money? PPP the right way

PHA recognises nurses at a luncheon held in their honour

FOUR men were arrested in separate incidents this week following the discovery of suspected marijuana, totalling some $50,000 in Grand Bahama. Three men, aged 26 to 35, were in a Buick Lacrosse when Drug Enforcement Unit officers

reportedly stopped them around 6.25pm on Wednesday on Grand Bahama Highway in the Rocky Creek area. During a vehicle search, officers found five ounces of suspected marijuana worth $300. The suspects were taken into police custody.

Officers later executed a search warrant around 9.10pm in an area near derelict vehicles on Spoonbill Loop. While there, they found taped packages containing 47 lbs of suspected marijuana worth $47,000. A 24-year-old man was subsequently arrested.

By PAVEL BAILEY Tribune Staff Reporter pbailey@tribunemedia.net

A MAN was sentenced to four years in prison yesterday after admitting to having a loaded gun in a pet store on Ross Corner earlier this year.

Magistrate Algernon Allen, Jr, charged Macowelly Jones, 25, with possession of an unlicensed firearm and possession of ammunition.

Ian Cargill represented

By PAVEL BAILEY Tribune Staff Reporter pbailey@tribunemedia.net

A MAN on bail for murder was granted $10,000 bail after he was accused of failing to charge his monitoring device and breaching curfew multiple times.

Magistrate Algernon

By PAVEL BAILEY Tribune Staff Reporter pbailey@tribunemedia.net

A MAN was fined $500 yesterday after admitting to stealing a schoolgirl’s bag and belt on Marathon Road earlier this week.

Magistrate Raquel

the accused.

Police visited Dragons Pet Store on Ross Corner around 9pm on March 30 and found Jones with a suspicious bulge in his pants pocket. As authorities escorted him from the store, he tried to flee before being recaptured. A search of the defendant’s person uncovered a black SAR9 9mm pistol with the serial number erased, along with 18 rounds of 9mm ammunition in his right pants pocket.

Jones reversed his earlier position in his latest court appearance and pleaded guilty to the charges.

The prosecution revealed that the accused had an earlier gun conviction.

Magistrate Allen sentenced the accused to four years at the Bahamas Department of Correctional Services.

Before being taken into custody, Jones was informed of his right to appeal the sentencing.

WE will do all we can”, was the charge to nurses from Dr Aubynette Rolle, managing director of the Public Hospitals Authority, during a luncheon in the nurses’ honour.

Dr Rolle issued the challenge during her address on the occasion of Bahamas Harvest Church Nurses Month Luncheon held Wednesday.

ensuring that all health facilities provide the highest quality nursing care possible,” she said.

Allen, Jr, charged Shanfano

Dean, 27, with seven counts of violating bail conditions.

Alphonso Lewis represented the accused.

Dean was was already out on bail on a pending murder charge for the fatal shooting of Jerone Thompson in a home on Albury Street on March 28, 2020.

Dean allegedly failed to charge his court-ordered monitoring device and breached his residential curfew seven times between June 26 and September 5. After pleading not guilty to the charges, Dean was granted $10,000 bail with one or two sureties. His trial begins on October 31.

“On behalf of the Public Hospitals Authority family, I would like to congratulate all of today’s honourees. The public recognition you receive today celebrates your dedication to your patients, your commitment to teamwork, and your devotion to professionalism. You stand today as examples to emulate in ensuring that all health facilities provide the highest quality nursing care possible,” said Dr Rolle.

Dr Rolle also thanked Pastor Mario Moxey and the Bahamas Harvest Nurses Month Committee for staging this luncheon that showcases the importance of nursing as a profession and its profound impact on patients, families, and communities across our Bahamaland.

“The nurses we honour today are not unique, rather they exemplify the qualities required to be a good nurse,” said Dr Rolle.

According to Gallup, a leading international polling company, nurses ranked as the most trusted profession for the 21st year in a row. People have ranked nurses as the most trusted profession every year since 2002.

healthcare landscape. She also shared that the Public Hospitals Authority and its institutions are in the process of profound transformation and reform.

“Longstanding challenges with recruitment and staffing, aging built environments, infrastructure and equipment, escalating costs, continuing bottlenecks in the supply chains upon which we rely, increased demand for care and services by patients, and persistent shortfalls in revenues are among some of the most pressing concerns the Authority has undertaken strategic measures to address.

Whyms charged Peter Russell, 26, with stealing and receiving. Russell stole a black and brown reversible belt and one red Kipling bag valued at $258.15. The items belonged to Triceta Mitchell.

After pleading guilty to

the charge, Russell was fined $500. Russell will risk three months in prison if he fails to pay. He was expected to pay half his fine before his release and $150 monthly until his debt is paid off. He must return to court for a report on October 31.

The more than 20 nurses represented Princess Margaret Hospital and Sandilands Rehabilitation Center in New Providence, and the Rand Memorial Hospital in Grand Bahama.

In congratulating the honourees, Dr Rolle acknowledged that the public recognition they received celebrated their dedication to their patients, commitment to teamwork, and devotion to professionalism.

“You stand today as examples to emulate in

And, according to Dr Rolle, this is just one indicator of the profound reserves of trust and confidence the public reposes in nurses. She then posed the question, “What Should We Do to Maintain that Trust?”

Dr Rolle also regarded each of the honourees as exemplars of nurses who have remained faithful to that sacred trust. To be so recognized by their peers and the public is a laudable achievement particularly in today’s shifting

“These measures to address the challenges we face have ushered in a profound period of evaluation and change across the PHA. In all of our institutions it is the nurse and her clinical colleagues who stand at the precipice of change,” she said.

Dr Rolle, who began her career in healthcare as a nurse and midwife, recalled the mantra, “Once a nurse, always a nurse.” She then posed another question, “What should nurses do to maintain the trust the public has placed in us?” For the nurse, there is only one answer to this question. “We will do all we can,’ concluded Dr. Rolle.

Photo:

/BIS

DR AUBYNETTE ROLLE, managing director of the Public Hospitals Authority stands behind nurses gathered at a luncheon held in their honour at Bahamas Harvest Church Wednesday.

Planning needed to preserve our distinct Bahamian culture

ON my first trip to The Bahamas in the spring of 2003, I brought a team of 30 students and faculty from Clemson University for a Spring Break mission trip. We spent our first day and evening exploring Nassau. The next morning, we were hosted to a wonderful worship service and lunch by Coke Memorial Methodist Church members in Fox Hill. By mid-Sunday afternoon, we headed to Potter’s Cay dock in Nassau to catch the “slow boat” to Current Island for a week of service projects on the island of Eleuthera.

The last few days of travel preparation were quite hectic for me as the group’s leader. As the boat pulled away from the dock, I made my way to the boat’s upper level to enjoy the views, cool breeze, and a little quiet time. As I was standing there, a Bahamian close to my age came and stood by the rail close to me. We nodded toward one another, and I asked him, “You headed home?”

I can’t remember exactly what he said, but as I listened to him talk, it was as if I had been teleported back to James Island, one of the sea islands of Charleston, South Carolina, where I had been raised. This guy - the way he talked, the words he used, the way he put together his sentences - sounded like many of the hundreds of guys I had known growing up. Little did I realize, but this brief encounter would prove to be the first of many experiences to come where I learned how strong the cultural and historical ties are between The Bahamas and the area that I had always considered my “home” in the Carolinas.

By Lane Glaze

A common captain

Most Bahamians know that the first English settlers called themselves the Eleutheran Adventurers, the word eleutheria meaning “freedom” in the Greek language. These Puritans travelling south from Bermuda came seeking religious freedom as they departed Bermuda in 1648 under the direction of Captain William Sayle. Several decades later, in 1670, this same Captain Sayle led the first settlers to what is now known as Charleston, South

Carolina. Unlike the Puritans who settled on Eleuthera, these settlers were mostly 2nd and 3rd-generation New World Englishmen living on Barbados, and despite building some historic churches in those early years, their motives were less religious and more economic in nature.

Over the next 100 years, the ties between the two English colonies deepened partly because of a shared interest in combatting the influence of pirates and privateers like Edward Teach, aka Blackbeard. As the

Funeral Services For

American Revolution began to shift toward the Patriots, a large number of Loyalists from the Carolinas began migrating to The Bahamas with enslaved people. Later, during the American Civil War, merchants in Nassau and Charleston maintained a strong trade despite the Federal blockade on the South. Ever since, there have been strong connections – political, social and economic – between these two, now former British colonies.

A common culture

But while this shared history is quite strong, I have come to appreciate most significantly over the last twenty years the unique cultural similarities between the sea islands of the Carolinas - my first home - and the Islands of The Bahamas - which has become like a second home. In the Carolinas, we refer to this culture as “Gullah Geechee,” and you can find both vital communities and vestiges of the Gullah Geechee way of life from as far south as Jacksonville, Florida, to as far north as Wilmington, North Carolina. Tracing back to West Africa, Gullah Geechee culture is defined by: sentence structure of persons with African roots, types of foods and methods of food preparation, to family, community and

Ann Elizabeth Thompson-Brown, 72

Patrick Leanardo Rolle, 53

residents of Eneas Jumper Corner, East Street will be held on Saturday, September 30, 2023, 12:00 noon at Vision of Hope Church of God in Christ, C. W. Saunders Highway. Offciating will be Bishop Roy Burrows assisted by other Ministers of the Gospel. Interment will follow in Old Trail Cemetery, Abundant Life Road. Cremation was held for Patrick Leanardo Rolle.

Viewing will be held in the Legacy Suite at Vaughn O. Jones Memorial Center, Mt. Royal Avenue and Talbot Street on Friday from 12:00noon to 5:00 p.m. and again at the church on Saturday from 11:00 a.m. until service time.

Verria Paige Rolle, 69

a resident of Savona Way, Orlando, Florida and formerly of Saint Augustine, Trinidad died on Tuesday, September 19, 2023 will be held on Wednesday, October 4, 2023 11:00am at St. Anselm’s Catholic Church, Bernard Road. Offciating will be Fr. Noel Clarke assisted by other Ministers of The Gospel. Cremation will follow.

Viewing will be held in the Legacy Suite at Vaughn O. Jones Memorial Center, Mt. Royal Avenue and Talbot Street on Tuesday 11:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.

fast-paced, instant-gratification world.

A common future?

Sadly, the Gullah Geechee culture in the

sites, and natural resources associated with Gullah Geechee people of coastal North Carolina, South Carolina, Georgia and Florida. While Bahamian culture

Carolinas is shrinking due to gentrification and overly aggressive coastal development. People from all over the US are moving into these coastal areas, in part to enjoy the beauty, but also to experience the culture, which, thanks to the Gullah Geechee community, tends to be slower and more relaxed than larger, more urban areas. But as is often the case, the very thing that makes a community attractive to others can be lost over time without good

is alive and well (especially on family islands like Eleuthera), I worry that the culture’s most distinctive aspects may be lost over time, as has happened over the last few decades with the Gullah Geechee culture in the Carolinas. Without sound planning at the local and national level, the caretakers of this culture – people in the small settlements scattered across the archipelago - may be absorbed by larger developments, displaced by climate change, or forced out due to lack of access to healthcare, affordable housing, education, and other necessities.

May all who love The Bahamas – locals and others from the outside like mecommit to strategies that will help preserve, protect and promote Bahamian culture - one of this country’s most treasured and captivating assets.

My 10 personal tips for enjoying and celebrating Bahamian culture:

THE “Geechee Gullah Ring Shouters” have educated and entertained audiences around the United States with the “ring shout,” a compelling fusion of counterclockwise dance-like movement, call-and-response singing, and percussion consisting of hand claps and a stick beating the rhythm on a wooden floor.

place, and and religious traditions passed down from ancestors. Bahamian culture and the Gullah Geechee culture share much in common. Like my Gullah Geechee friends, Bahamians also cherish their family and heritage and live by a deep, abiding faith. Both Bahamian and Gullah Geechee folks tend to live for the day, receiving and celebrating each day for the gift that it is. Both cultures embody a rootedness and pragmatism that is often difficult to experience in today’s

planning and foresight. I fear that this will eventually happen in the Carolina sea islands, where I was raised.

To address this disturbing trend, the Gullah Geechee Cultural Heritage Corridor (www. gullahgeecheecorridor.org) was established several years ago in partnership with the Gullah Geechee Cultural Heritage Corridor Commission and the US National Park Service.

The commission’s goal is to “preserve, share and interpret the history, traditional cultural practices, heritage

1. When visiting The Bahamas, be a Bahamian. Let it all soak in.

2. Support locally owned hotels and Airbnbs.

3. Say “Hello” or “Good Day” and share a smile to invite conversation.

4. Let Bahamians lead –don’t try to set the pace.

5. Don’t haggle with the fisherman, the basket weaver or the artisan. Respect the value of their work.

6. Be aware of what is in season and what is not.

7. Support a local conch salad vendor.

8. Leave beaches better off than when you arrived.

9. Give Guava Duff, Johnny Cake, Stew Fish, and Sheep Tongue Souse a try.

10. Turn off your cell phone and laptop … and relax.

of One Eleuthera Foundation

TRADITION Gullah Geechee Sweet Grass basket weaving.

GULLAH Geechee Shrimp ‘N Grits

LANE GLAZE

Creative solutions needed to address society’s inequities

A MAN sleeps in his car, hoping it will not rain tonight so he can keep the windows open. Not far away, a few miles along the coast, another man writes a cheque for $3.2m for a beachfront condo he will use six weeks of the year. Both men work, one has a job, the other a life.

Both are intelligent, engaging conversationalists. One fell on hard times despite being a hard worker. The other fell on a gold mine with a fortunate investment.

Inequities are not always explicable. They just happen – like being born with green eyes when they could have so easily been blue. But are there lessons we can learn, ways we can change what appears to be inevitable and predictable -- that the man in the car will have a night with rain sometime soon and the millionaire will keep on living his best life?

Never will we be able to erase the difference between the no-residence to call home and the second homeowner in the luxury high-rise, but we can chip away in a significant way to ease the burden of the former by asking a little more of the latter.

The dangers of not doing so are what we saw played out in Philadelphia this week where anger exploded in the looting of stores, where those living in poverty or struggling emotionally found courage in gangs and took over the streets. Shocking and not shocking all at the same time, it was hard to watch, but not to understand. It was a play-by-play horror show of hundreds smashing windows, grabbing everything behind the broken glass before destroying the shelves themselves, though there was not a thing left worth taking.

It was a daring display that reminded us of the risks of a culture of perceived injustice.

We saw it this week, too, in a calmer setting when more than 18,000 UAW workers walked off the job, putting the brakes on the auto industry, demanding a 40 percent increase in pay across the board, earning the endorsement of American President Joe Biden who marched with the picketers. We saw it with other labour matters, including the nearly fivemonth long writers’ strike in California that was finally resolved in their favour. People who hurt are people who are angry and anger is a mighty dangerous weapon.

It is one thing to bring down an industry that can eventually pull itself back up, bruised and battered, but functioning. It is another for a people to be destroyed by inequity. We only have to look to Haiti to see what can happen when the rich get richer and the poor get poorer.

When inequities flourish, nations perish. We in The Bahamas are far from perishing, but our inequalities are so evident – the great divide between the haves and the have-nots, the gorgeous schools with rolling green lawns and enviable sports facilities and a government school where it is all they can do to keep the bathroom working.

But The Bahamas is small and stable and democratically governed and that we have what it takes to make a difference is a beautiful thing.

How do we better balance, even a little, and take care of more needs?

The most obvious is to tax the rich, a modern Robin Hood-like scenario that

By Diane Phillips

can be ideal in intention and risky in execution. Too high a tax and the wealthy go elsewhere where taxes are lower and the living is still enviable. It’s a competitive world out there in any effort to attract the high net worth individual whose contributions to community can be significant economically, socially and culturally.

There are other methods, using national funds from general taxes and fees to boost the economically challenged.

But the most intriguing way is one that is a takeoff on something that businessman Mario Carey suggested a while back and having spoken with him recently, I know he wants to revisit the concept. His plan is not too different from the new one percent tourism tax in which the funds collected go into an account created to improve the tourism product. The funds do not go into the Treasury or the Consolidated Fund. Like the Bahamas National Trust with accounts to maintain a certain national park, or Lyford Cay Foundation with funds separated for scholarship or community support, contributions go to dedicated categories earmarked for specific categories of causes.

In the same way, Carey, who knows the high-end market well, believes there is room to institute a small tax on the purchase of every residential property over a specified amount with the funds collected earmarked for social services. With a growing homeless population, a waiting list for beds at Sandilands Geriatric Hospital and one doctor’s estimate that there are ten times as many Dementia patients

as facilities available for them in The Bahamas, and an ongoing need to feed the hungry, not to mention the numerous ongoing demands for social services that cannot be fulfilled with current budgeting, a small fee set aside to help ease the burden makes a lot of sense. How it is collected and managed is the critical issue. If we are to collect a one-time small purchase fee from the wealthy or from second homeowners to support social services, a non-government, private foundation must be created as a 501C3 with tax benefits in their home country for those who donate. Additional donations may be made annually for continued tax benefit but it kicks off with that one percent or one-half percent added to the purchase price for the social services foundation that operates with annual reports, audited accounts and full transparency.

There are serious choices – we can do what the City of West Palm Beach is doing lately, arresting those who feed the homeless or we can bridge an inch of the gap between the man who wrote the cheque for $3.2m and the one who hopes the rain will stay away so he can sleep with his car windows open tonight. From those who have much, much is expected and a foundation managed by a non-government entity with government oversight collecting a few dollars from every highend residential purchase is not such a terrible idea. We could even name it after the late Minister and call it the Obie Wilchcombe Foundation for Social Services.

OBIE WILCHCOMBE

Never will we be able to erase the di f erence between the no-residence to call home and the second homeowner in the luxury high-rise, but we can chip away in a signi f cant way to ease the burden of the former by asking a little more of the latter.

THE ST Augustine’s College Alumni Association has honoured LeRoy Mitchell. Pictured above is the first Bahamas national volleyball team featuring Mr Mitchell. From left, Sylvester Ramsey, __?, Roy Uralli (VP), Tom Grant, Leviticus Adderley, (Back row) Francis___?, Curtis McMillan, Garnett Lockhart, Ed Carey, Leonard Archer and LeRoy Mitchell (President/Captain). Pictured right is the Fr Frederick Frey National Championship trophy presentation to St Bernard’s Sporting Club, including captain LeRoy Mitchell.

KIWANIS CLUB OF OVER-THE-HILL

On Monday, September 8, the Kiwanis Club of Over-The-Hill continued its annual scholarship donation of $2,000 to BTVI’s scholarship fund. Initially, our focus was the Old Bight High School graduates and active Key Club members on Cat Island. We have since opened the scholarship to any eligible Family Island High School graduates.

The Kiwanis Club of Over-The-Hill was organised on September 24, 1975, holding its first meeting at the Shoal Restaurant on Nassau Street. The club’s name was derived from the geographical location, south of St Gregory’s Arch. After 48th years, the club continues its work in the Over-The-Hill community and is the only all men’s club in Sunshine Division 22, Bahamas, under the Eastern Cananda & Caribbean District of Kiwanis International.

ROTARY CLUB OF ELEUTHERA

The Rotary Club of Eleuthera (RCE) is taking students on an adventure through the pages of books including those written by Bahamians. As part of commitment to Education and Literacy, on September 10, RCE launched its annual signature literacy project where classroom novels are purchased and donated to schools across the Eleuthera District. The schools advised RCE on the titles and quantity of books needed. The books will be used as part of the School Literacy Programme over the next few years enabling a number of students to read and become more literate.

PA Gibson Primary School of Hatchet Bay was the first of several schools to receive 15 reading books. The title of the book is “Case of the Missing Boat Captain”. The grade six students were excited to have the Bahamian author of the book,

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Terri M Bethel show up and share this moment with them. Mrs Bethel has partnered with RCE over the past few years to help promote literacy in the schools.

Other schools to receive new reading books include Gregory Town, Emma E Cooper and Emily Petty Primary Schools. Our Rotary family, the Earlyactors, will also be recipients of this project, they attend two of the mentioned schools.

Approximately 125 books will be distributed. The titles of the remaining books include Brain Quest Workbook Grade 2, Brain Quest Workbook K, Charlotte’s Web, Tales of a Fourth Grade Nothing, James, and the Giant Peach. Students from Kindergarten through grade sixth grade will benefit from this project. The books for each school were purchased by the five RCE Buddy Groups.

During the week of September 23–29, members will participate in RCE Annual Reading Programme in the various schools. Rotarians will participate and join the students during their reading sessions. The month will end with a Reading Competition and Jamboree on September 30. RCE has always and will continue to give support to the schools on the island of Eleuthera throughout the year.

RCE prepared breakfast and donated fans to Green Castle Primary School

This summer, the heat has been unbearable and it still is. Most of the schools

on the island of Eleuthera do not have air conditioning therefore the students and teachers found it very uncomfortable at the beginning of the new school year on August 28. On September 7, members of RCE received a call from members of the Green Castle Primary School, Green Castle, South Eleuthera, for assistance with stand fans for the classrooms. The school don’t have air conditioning and had only one fan available at the time.

RCE served with haste, purchased six stand fans, assembled, and delivered them to the school on September 8, also observed as World Literacy Day. Several of the Rotarians also learned how to assemble a stand fan during this exercise. This was a first-time experience for them. The stand fans will be used in the classrooms for Kindergarten (K) through sixth grade. RCE also decided to use this opportunity to provide breakfast for the students and staff at the school.

Members of RCE cooked and served the teachers and students. The items served included grits, tuna, and sausage. RCE also purchased lunch for the principal, teachers, and support staff from one of the local restaurants. Approximately 100 people were served.

It is known that one cannot learn or concentrate if the area they are in is poorly ventilated, the space is too hot or they experience hunger. The students, principal and staff were very appreciative of the assistance provided by RCE during their time of need.

FROM left, Kiwanis Club of Over-The-Hill past president Berry Sweeting, treasurer Solomon Gibson, BTVI’s interim president, Dr Linda A Davis, Kiwanis Club of Over-The-Hill president Juan Gibson, distinguished president John Clarke,

the island have developed strong partnerships with Rotary and other NGOs.

ST AUGUSTINE’S COLLEGE ALUMNI ASSOCIATION

The St Augustine’s College Alumni Association has awarded its 2023 Distinguished Alumnus Award postumously. The Distiguished Alumni Pioneer - Legend is LeRoy Cleveland Peter Mitchell, (July 28, 1930-August 25, 1998)

His wife is Dame Paula Louise Mitchell (Nee Albury), MBA, OSG, and their children are Therese (deceased), Paulette, Peter, Elizabeth, Marie, Myra, Michelle and Toni Lashelle - all SAC graduates, and Michael (deceased) who died shortly after child birth.

Grandchildren: Elizabeth Rodgers, Jeffrey Rodgers (SACers) along with Sharon McIntyre, Brian and Shane Arnold, Jade and J’Aime Mitchell and Jessica and Robert Daxon. Great grandchildren: Arianna Simmons, Bryce Arnold, Ava and Ayden Longley, Nathaniel Tanelus.

Occupation: Architect, artist, general contractor, insurance agent, realtor, manager of the Nassau Prince George Market.

Class: Inaugural SAC Class 1945/47.

LeRoy lived with his parents, Robert and Myra Mitchell and his sister Mavis on neighbouring Dorchester Street just north of St Francis Xavier Church (SFX) in the city of Nassau, New Providence, the Bahamas. He grew up playing on the SFX Priory grounds. He was instrumental in being one of the boys who assisted with installing a basketball court at the Priory. It was here that he honed his athletic prowess. The inspired mentorship of his Godfather, Knight of Columbus, Sir Cyrus Ullyses Davis and the celibate Benedictine monks who took a vow of poverty in living lives of servitude. Monks such as Fr Frederick Frey, OSB, Fr Brendan Forsythe OSB and Fr Marcian Peters OSB figured prominently in LeRoy’s early formation. LeRoy was steeped in the Catholic faith, which was undergirded in excellence, disciplined work and service above self. The monks became an integral part of LeRoy’s life even in pairing him with his wife and soulmate Paula Louise (nee Albury). He became involved in everything: the church, the school, sports and the social clubs that were connected to St Francis.

In 1945, it was Fr Brendan Forsythe, OSB together with Fr Frederic Frey, OSB - the first headmaster of the school, that enrolled LeRoy as the first student of the inaugural class of St Augustine’s School (see photo).

LeRoy also transitioned to attend 8am to 8pm lessons when the school was relocated to the newly constructed hilltop monastery, off Bernard Road, Fox Hill. This afforded young men in Nassau a wholesome strictly administered learning experience. The education model was both curricular and co-curricular, also placing emphasis upon the “out of class” experience in moulding the whole man. The historic spot known as the Priory Grounds was the hub where many sporting, social and liturgical activities took place.

Fr Brendan and Fr Marcian kept an eagle eye on LeRoy, and took him under their wing. They quenched his thirst and willingness to learn and serve, by developing his innate sporting talent and spiritual growth. He was an original “Priory Rat” and the consummate altar boy.

He played for several basketball teams (Drippers, the Mosquitos etc) and he was the first captain of the perennial powerhouse SAC-based St Bernard’s –A Team from 1949–52. (see photo) These were the glory days of the Priory Grounds, known as the Bahamas Mecca for basketball where night games were introduced. This is where organised basketball found its origins, where games were ruled by LeRoy and his mate Basil Sands who made up the unstoppable the backcourt tandem known as “the Great Mitchilli and Bazilli”.

• Mitchell was the National High Jump champion and record holder as performed at the Empire Games on Clifford Park, at Ft Charlotte.

• LeRoy was the Charter President of the Bahamas Volleyball Association where as SACA President Mitchell entered two teams in the league. These teams consisted of a mix of alumni and SAC upperclassmen. He captained and managed the first two men’s national volleyball teams that competed in the Jamaica Caribbean Championships and in Winnipeg Canada at the Pan Am Games.(see photo)

Under his presidency volleyball was introduced in the curriculum of Ministry of Education secondary schools and the and the Private high schools.

schooled at the hillside West Bay Street campus nestled East of Fort Charlotte, a school now known as Xavier’s Lower School.

LeRoy was a leader among leaders and he had a strong team of SAC men the likes of Basil Albury, Harold Longley, Winston “Tappy” Davis, Ed Carey, Leviticus Adderley, Sylvester Ramsey, Godfrey Symonette, Bill Cooper and Leonard “Skinny” Archer just to name a few.

• LeRoy also served as President of SAC PTA.

Under his tenure many students were enabled to get to school via the Bahamas’ first New Providence-wide school bus service that operated from Coral Harbour. This was a financial game changer for many a family as this service provided safe student passage to and from school, economic relief for parents and mitigated traffic challenges of the day.

• LeRoy was the first president of the Ferguson Manor - Perpall Tract Neighborhood Association. The association was started in the mid-70s.

• He was the lead master of ceremony for the Roman Catholic Diocese of Nassau - overseeing diocesan services including the Papal visit of St John Paul II to New Providence, Bahamas in 1979.

• LeRoy was inducted in the Hall of Fame both in the inaugural class of the Vince Ferguson lead Bahamas Amateur Basketball Association, and again in 2013 the Bahamas Ministry of Youth Sports & Culture for his multi-faceted sporting prowess and unselfish service in sports administration locally and on the international stage.

• He was president of the Savannah Sound Commonage Association in Eleuthera, the land of his mother’s birth.

• “LeRoy C” continued being a ray of hope in our community - illuminating all via the principles of Christianity imposed by his beloved aforementioned mentors in paying it forward and using the mantra “The Lord is My Light”, he too became “The Beacon” that lit the way as an inspiration and an exemplar to many.

• LeRoy Cleveland Peter Mitchell was the man’s man, a man for all seasons, a man of faith with works, indeed a nation builder ... He is that SAC Legend!

TOASTMASTERS

October is Toastmasters’

Month

This was also a time of fellowship and fun for everyone. Rotarians had an opportunity to connect with the teachers and students to find out how RCE can continue to provide support during the remainder of the school year. The schools on

It was in the early 1940s where LeRoy Mitchell became the benefactor of the strict yet spiritual and well-rounded teaching of the monks from St John’s Abbey in Collegeville, Minnesota. These determined priests were instrumental in building the first Catholic secondary school - St Augustine’s School on the northwest corner of the Priory grounds in a humble two storey structure called “The Niche”. LeRoy became involved in everything: the church, the school, sports and the social clubs that were connected to St Francis.

• Mitchell was the founding president of the SAC Alumni Association and he also served in other capacities such as chairman of fundraising, event planning and public relations.

Under his tenure in 1966, during what were renaissance times, where he served under the leadership of the first black Bahamian Prior of the Monastery, Fr Bonaventure Dean (see photo), both visionaries, the Blue Square Campus (lower campus), the school cafeteria and the SAC swimming pool and sports facility were built. This ushered in the amalgamation of SAC and Xavier’s College all girls, who formerly

• 9/30/23 - Joint Division

Council Meeting will be held at AGOC Toastmasters Club (Annunciation Greek Orthodox Church) Hall on West Street North, this Saturday September 30, 2023 at 10am (see flyer attached).

• 10/1/23 – Division Church Service at HolyTrinity Anglican Church. Stapledon Gardens, Nassau, NP. Sunday October 1, 2023 at 9am.

• 10/1/23 – Division Luncheon at the Garden of Eden (after the church service).

More details of events will be shared during the month.

MEMBERS of the Rotary Club of Eleuthera, above and right, in action.

House Republicans make their case for Biden impeachment inquiry at first hearing

WASHINGTON

Associated Press

HOUSE Republicans launched a formal impeachment hearing Thursday against President Joe Biden, promising to “provide accountability” as they probe the family finances and lucrative business dealings of his son Hunter and make their case to the public, colleagues and a skeptical Senate.

The chairmen of the Oversight, Judiciary, and Ways and Means committees used the opening hearing to review the constitutional and legal questions involved with impeachment. They are trying to show what they say are links to Biden’s son Hunter’s overseas businesses, though key witnesses said they do not yet see hard evidence of impeachable offenses.

Rep. James Comer, R-Ky, the Oversight chairman, said the lawmakers have “a mountain of evidence” that will show that the elder Biden “abused his public office for his family’s financial gain.” Comer announced he was issuing subpoenas for additional banking records from Hunter Biden and the president’s brother, James Biden. He said the panel will continue to “follow the money and the evidence to provide accountability.”

It’s a high-stakes opening act for Republicans, taking place just before a potential federal government shutdown, as they begin a process that can lead to the ultimate penalty for a president, dismissal from office for what the Constitution describes as “high crimes and misdemeanours.”

The White House pushed back with statements throughout the hearing saying nothing can distract from the Republicans’ inability to govern as the shutdown loomed. Spokesperson Sharon Yang called the hearing a “baseless stunt” and said, “President Biden will always stay focused on the priorities of the American people – not these political games.”

The more than six-hour hearing came as House Republicans face scattered

resistance to an impeachment inquiry from their own ranks and deep reluctance in the Senate from Republicans who worry about political ramifications and say Biden’s conviction and removal from office is unlikely.

As the hearing began, Democrats displayed a screen showing the days, hours and minutes left until the government shuts down as Congress struggles to fund the government before Saturday’s deadline.

“We’re 62 hours away from shutting down the government of the United States of America and Republicans are launching an impeachment drive, based on a long debunked and discredited lie,” said Rep. Jamie Raskin, the top Democrat on the Oversight panel.

Raskin questioned the legitimacy of the hearing since the House has not voted to formally launch the impeachment inquiry. He said Republicans are rehashing five-year-old allegations raised by Donald Trump, who is Biden’s chief rival in 2024, during the former president’s 2019 impeachment over Ukraine.

“They don’t have a shred of evidence against President Biden for an impeachable offense,” he said.

The hearing Thursday did not feature witnesses with information about the Bidens or Hunter Biden’s business. Instead, the panel heard from outside experts in tax law, criminal investigations and constitutional legal theory.

A top Republican-called witness, Jonathan Turley, a George Washington University law professor who is an expert in impeachment issues, said he believed the House had passed the threshold for an inquiry but that the current evidence was not enough for charges.

“I do not believe that the current evidence would support articles of impeachment,” Turley said.

Democrats, who decry the investigation as a political ploy aimed at hurting Biden and helping Trump as he runs again for president, brought in Michael Gerhardt, a law professor who has also appeared as an

expert in previous impeach-

ment proceedings.

In detailing the reasons Republicans say they have to impeach Biden, Gerhardt concluded: “If that’s what exists, as a basis for this inquiry, it is not sufficient. I say that with all respect.”

Still, questions remain as Republicans dig into the Biden family finances and the overseas business dealings of Hunter Biden, who has acknowledged being a drug user during much of the time under scrutiny. The president’s brother, James, was also involved in some work with Hunter.

Republicans have been investigating Hunter Biden for years, since his father was vice president. And while there have been questions raised about the ethics around the family’s international business, none of the evidence so far has proven that the president, in his current or previous office, abused his role, accepted bribes or both.

One former business partner of Hunter Biden has told House investigators the son was selling the “illusion of access” to his father.

Turley told the lawmakers the question remains, “Was

the president involved?”

In the run-up to the hearing, Republicans unveiled a tranche of new documents and bank records that detail wire transfers from a Chinese businessman to Hunter Biden in 2019. Hunter Biden had listed his father’s address on the wire transfer form, which Republicans say provided a clear link to the president.

Abbe Lowell, an attorney for Hunter Biden, said the address on the wire transfer, which he says was a loan, was listed to the president’s Delaware home because it was the address on Hunter Biden’s driver’s license and “his only permanent address at the time.”

Once again Rep. Comer peddles lies to support a premise — some wrongdoing by Hunter Biden or his family — that evaporates in thin air the moment facts come out,” Lowell said in a statement.

House Republicans are also looking into the Justice Department investigation into Hunter Biden’s taxes and gun use that began in 2018. Two IRS whistleblowers came forward to Congress in the spring with claims that department

officials thwarted their efforts to fully investigate Hunter Biden and that they faced retaliation when they pushed back. The claims have since been disputed by the Department of Justice, the IRS and FBI agents who worked on the case.

“The Biden Justice Department protected the Biden family brand.” said Rep. Jason Smith, a Missouri Republican and Ways and Means chairman.

What Smith did not mention was that the discussions occurred during the Trump Justice Department and were likely in keeping with the agency’s practice of avoiding overt investigative steps concerning political candidates in the immediate run-up to an election.

But Republicans have pointed to a failed plea deal over the summer as proof that Hunter Biden received preferential treatment because of who his father was.

“They tried to put together this sweetheart deal,” said Rep. Jim Jordan, R-Ohio, the Judiciary chairman.

The impeachment inquiry hearing is taking place as the federal government is days

away from what is likely to be a damaging government shutdown that would halt paychecks for millions of federal workers and the military and disrupt services for millions of Americans.

House Speaker Kevin McCarthy announced the impeachment inquiry this month egged on by Trump and with mounting pressure from his right flank to take action against Biden or risk being ousted from his leadership job.

Trump is the only president to be twice impeached, first over accusations he pressured Ukraine to dig up dirt on Biden and later over accusations that he incited the Jan. 6, 2021, insurrection at the Capitol. He was acquitted in both cases by the Senate.

The hearing Thursday is expected to be the first of many as House Republicans explore whether or not they will pursue articles of impeachment against the president.

It’s unclear if McCarthy has support from his slim Republican majority to impeach Biden. If Biden was impeached, the charges would then be sent to the Senate for a trial.

GANG VIOLENCE IN HAITI IS ESCALATING WIT H A SIGNIFICANT INCREASE IN KILLINGS, UN SAYS

UNITED NATIONS

Associated Press

GANG violence in Haiti is escalating and spreading from the capital Port-au-Prince through the centre of the country to its two other major cities, Gonaives and Cap-Hatien, with a significant increase in killings, kidnappings and rapes in the past few months, the UN chief said in a report circulated Wednesday.

Secretary-General Antonio Guterres said in the new report to the UN Security Council that 2,728 intentional killings were recorded between October 2022 and June 2023 including 247 women, 58 boys and 20 girls.

The continuing rise in homicides is attributed to the emergence of a vigilante movement, known as “Bwa Kale,” in the capital in April which has gone after the gangs, he said. The UN chief also reported an increase in kidnappings for ransom during that time with 1,472 reported, though he said the actual number is almost certainly higher because families often do not report missing members to authorities out of fear for the victims’ safety.

Gang members also continue to use sexual violence including collective rape “to terrorize populations under the control of rival gangs,” Guterres said, pointing to 452 rape cases reported during the October-June period.

The secretary-general’s report on progress toward meeting key benchmarks in the Security Council resolution adopted last October that imposed sanctions against a powerful gang leader was issued as council members were negotiating

a new UN resolution that would authorize a non-UN multinational force led by Kenya to combat the gangs. Diplomats said the resolution is expected to be voted on later this week or next week.

Political instability has simmered in Haiti since the 2021 still-unsolved assassination of President Jovenel Moïse, who had faced protests calling for his resignation over corruption charges and claims that his five-year term had expired.

Gangs have grown more powerful since his assassination, and Guterres said they now control or exercise influence over 80% of the Port-au-Prince metropolitan area and their violent activities have expanded especially to the central Artibonite Valley and the regions of major cities Gonaives in the northwest and Cap Hatien in the north. He said indiscriminate attacks have displaced almost 130,000 people. Guterres said there had

been little or no progress on the benchmarks in the October resolution: a judicial system that can handle gangs and criminal-related activities, a progressive reduction in gang violence, improvements in human rights, a decrease in illicit arms trafficking and financial flows, and an increase in arms seizures.

Thee gangs “have overwhelmed already weak national institutions, including the judiciary, the national police and the prison

administration directorate,” he said.

“Corruption remains endemic,” impunity remains pervasive and 84% of inmates in Haitian prisons are in pretrial detention and the conditions they face are “alarming,” the secretarygeneral said. And a recent vetting exercise lifted the certification of about onethird of the country’s judges and prosecutors “due to a lack of moral integrity, invalid credentials or unlawful release of criminals,” he said.

The police have been unable to deal with the powerful gangs despite an increase in their budget, Guterres said, and they are “grappling with a constantly declining workforce due to resignations, dismissals, retirements and fatalities in the line of duty.” While 714 new police officers were selected in December, 774 officers, representing more than 5% of the force, left in the first six months of this year, he said.

Over the past year, the secretary-general said, the human rights situation also continued to deteriorate, with escalating gang attacks including the use of snipers on rooftops “to indiscriminately shoot people carrying out their daily activities.”

In some instances, gangs have attacked entire neighbourhoods, firing guns indiscriminately, “burning people alive and executing individuals perceived as being opposed to them,” he said.

Since the sanctions resolution was adopted last October, and despite a targeted arms embargo, Guterres said, “experts assess that the illicit trafficking of weapons and ammunition has continued unabated due to poor border control, limited capacity for seizures and weak weapons management systems.”

The UN Office of Drugs and Crime assesses that increasingly sophisticated and high-caliber weapons and ammunition are being trafficked into Haiti, the secretary-general said, and most are from the United States and make their way to gang members through intermediaries.

ARMED members of “G9 and Family” march in a protest against Haitian Prime Minister Ariel Henry in Port-au-Prince, Haiti, Tuesday, September 19, 2023. Meanwhile, Gang violence in Haiti is escalating and spreading from the capital Port-au-Prince through the center of the country to its two other major cities, Gonaives and Cap-Hatien, with a significant increase in killings, kidnappings and rapes in the past few months.

Photo: Odelyn Joseph /AP

PRESIDENT JOE BIDEN, and his son Hunter Biden arrive at Fort McNair, June 25, 2023, in Washington. Republicans have insisted for months that they have the grounds to launch impeachment proceedings against President Biden. On Thursday, they will begin formally making their case to the public and their skeptical colleagues in the Senate.

Photo; Andrew Harnik/AP

AN INTRODUCTION TO SPORT PSYCHOLOGY FOR YOUTH ATHLETES

FROM PAGE 16

can directly influence your actions.

So, if you don’t have the mindset of winner, also coined by Kobe Bryant as “Mamba Mentality”, you will have difficulty winning consistently. The Growth Mindset:

One of the cornerstones of sport psychology is cultivating a growth mindset.

This means viewing challenges as opportunities for growth rather than insurmountable obstacles. It’s about believing that skills and abilities can be developed through dedication and hard work. Perhaps one of the most powerful aspects of the growth mindset is how it reframes failure. In the journey of

sports, setbacks and losses are not seen as failures but as feedback. Athletes with a growth mindset embrace these moments as opportunities to learn, adapt and become more resilient.

Visualise Success:

Another powerful tool in the sport psychologist’s arsenal is visualisation. At Empire Sports Medicine, we teach our young athletes to close their eyes and picture themselves excelling in each drill, exercise or competition. I always tell athletes to “see themselves performing the drill properly before you move.” Visualisation primes the mind for success and helps build confidence.

Coping with Pressure: Managing Pre-Game

Nerves

Nerves before a big game? Completely normal. The key is knowing how to channel that energy in a positive way. Use relaxation techniques, like deep breathing and progressive muscle relaxation to calm pre-game jitters.

Setting Goals: The Roadmap to Success

The art of goal setting is a vital aspect of sport psychology. My goal is to help youth athletes set clear, achievable goals. Whether it’s mastering a new skill or hitting a personal best, having goals provides focus and motivation. Confidence and SelfBelief: The Winning Edge Confidence is the secret sauce of champions. Believing in oneself is a game-changer in the world

of sports. It’s the unwavering belief that you have what it takes, that you can conquer challenges, and that you are prepared for victory. We should aim to instil a sense of self-belief in our young athletes. As they gain competence through skill development and training, their confidence naturally grows.

This, in turn, motivates them to invest more effort into honing their skills, creating a positive feedback loop of improvement. Encourage them to remind themselves, “I am capable, I am strong, I am ready.”

The Holistic Approach: Body and Mind

At Empire Sports Medicine, we believe in a holistic approach to youth

athlete development. Physical training is just one piece of the puzzle. Sport psychology helps complete the picture by nurturing the mental and emotional wellbeing of our athletes.

Conclusion: Unleashing the Potential

In the thrilling world of youth sports, the mental game is just as important as the physical one. Sport psychology offers young athletes the tools to unlock their potential, overcome challenges, and thrive in their chosen sports.

So, parents and coaches, join us in nurturing not just the bodies but also the minds of our future champions.

At Empire Sports Medicine, we’re here to empower our youth athletes

to believe in themselves and achieve greatness both on and off the field.

As I like to say, “Believe in your power, unleash your potential!” OK that’s corny but you get the picture. Until next week. Bahamian sports medicine physician, sports performance coach, sports nutrition specialist and founder of Empire Sports Medicine. Our mission is to empower athletes to reach new heights while safeguarding their health and well-being. We understand the unique demands of sports activities, and we are dedicated to helping athletes prevent injuries, overcome challenges, optimise nutrition and performance.

JAPAN TRUMPS SAMOA TO STAY IN RUGBY WORLD CUP QUARTERFINALS HUNT

TOULOUSE, France

(AP) — Japan teamwork

trumped Samoa individual power and won their Rugby World Cup match by a 28-22 scoreline that was more comfortable than it looked yesterday.

With Argentina expected to earn a bonus-point win against Chile on Saturday, with the Pumas next week will be a winner-takes-all fight for a quarterfinal spot.

“That’s our grand final,” Japan coach Jamie Joseph said. “All the guys are going to be really excited for that.”

Samoa’s bid for a first quarterfinal since 1995 was terminated, and its second straight defeat advanced unbeaten pool leader England to the quarterfinals with a game to spare.

The Japanese reached the quarters for the first time at their home World Cup in 2019 but their form

and results this year suggested they were way off the pace to challenge again. But they were patient and smart and disciplined at Stadium de Toulouse, and Samoa was not.

Japan’s defence also made 184 tackles, more than twice as many as Samoa, to thwart waves of blue-shirt attacks.

A late converted try gave Samoa 90-odd seconds to pull off a miracle comeback. It forced a lineout on halfway but the throw-in was stolen — the only lineout Samoa lost all night — and Japan beat Samoa for a third Rugby World Cup in a row.

“The effort was there, the basics of the game I thought let us down,” stand-in Samoa captain Fritz Lee said. “Japan were more clinical than us and we had to respect the ball more than we did. Our penalty count did not help us.”

Fullback Lomano Lemeki, playing after the tournament-ending injury to Semisi Masirewa, highlighted his first test start in nearly two years with breaks that led to Japan’s first two tries for ageless back-rowers Pieter Labuschagne and Michael Leitch. “It is pretty

unbelievable (to be here),” Lemeki said after his manof-the-match performance. “I thought (my test career) was long gone but I got the call-up after the season and half a chance is better than no chance, so I just ran with it and here I am again.” They led 17-3 until Shota Horie’s yellow card

cancelled a yellow to Samoa’s Jonathan Taumateine, and Samoa drove hooker Seilala Lam over the line just before halftime.

Samoa’s second yellow card in the 47th cost it dearly. Winger Ben Lam, in only his second test, shoulder-tackled Labuschagne in the head.

Before the card was upgraded to red by the bunker, Japan turned the penalty into a corner lineout and mauled captain Kazuki Himeno for a third try.

Rikiya Matsuda, who embodies Japan’s improvement in the tournament, couldn’t convert from the sideline, missing his first goalkick after 13 successive shots across three pool matches. But then he made two more penalties for 25-8 and 28-15 to keep the scoreboard pressure on Samoa as it desperately and vainly rallied.

Samoa’s cause wasn’t helped by injuries. Captain and lock Chris Vui was a late withdrawal, then minutes into the match flanker Taleni Agaese Seu limped off.

Late in the first half, Leuila had to leave.

Leuila’s exit put goalkicking duty back on flyhalf Christian Leali’ifano, who missed his first chance but converted the second and third tries in the last 15 Paia’aua and himself.

But it was too late for the Samoans after owning so much of the game; 93 rucks won to 58. But Samoa too often overplayed, running out of support and getting turned over.

Lam left Samoa short for the last half-hour and contributed to Samoa hurting itself more than Japan. It has England left next week to leave a mark.

SAMOA’S DANNY TOALA, left, is tackled down by Japan’s players during their Rugby World Cup Pool D match at the Stadium de Toulouse in Toulouse, France, yesterday. (AP Photo/Christophe Ena)

BRAVES CLINCH HOME-FIELD THROUGHOUT PLAYOFFS WITH SWEEP OF CUBS

By BILL TROCCHI Associated Press

ATLANTA (AP) — Max Olson hit his major leagueleading 54th homer, and the Atlanta Braves clinched home-field advantage throughout the postseason with a 5-3 win over the slumping Chicago Cubs last night.

Austin Riley had three hits and scored two runs as the Braves (103-56) won for the sixth time in seven games. The NL East champions can match the franchise record for wins with a season-ending sweep of the Nationals.

JAZZ CHISHOLM JR AND MARLINS ‘NEED A BIG WEEKEND’ AGAINST THE PIRATES

Marlins at Pirates: The Marlins have been playing roughly .500 ball for the better part of a month. They’ll need a big weekend against the Pirates — possibly a sweep — to have a chance at making the postseason.

Analysis: It looks like it’ll take all 162 games to decide MLB’s postseason races

By DAVID BRANDT AP Baseball Writer

PHOENIX (AP) — It might take all 162 games to decide the playoff races in both the National League and American League.

The epicenter of the wild-card chase this weekend is in Arizona at Chase Field. Thanks to some fortuitous interleague scheduling, the AL’s Houston Astros face the NL’s Arizona Diamondbacks in a three-game set crucial to races in both leagues.

Defending champion Houston is fighting for a berth after a September swoon. The Diamondbacks — who have played better lately after their own second-half slide — are trying to make the postseason for the first time since 2017.

“We know it’s right in front of us,” Arizona manager Torey Lovullo said after his team beat the White Sox on Wednesday. “We control our own destiny in this particular situation.”

Here’s a look at some of the other series this weekend that will decide the postseason field:

Rangers at Mariners:

This is a big four-game set that actually began Thursday night, with both teams fighting for position in the AL West and the AL wild card race. The Rangers have played well over the past 1 1/2 weeks, opening a 2 1/2-game division lead. Texas probably is fine with a win or two in the series while Seattle might need to sweep. Rays at Blue Jays: The Rays have already secured their berth, though they could still catch the Orioles for the AL East title.

The Blue Jays are fighting for an AL wild card spot and winning at least two of three against Tampa Bay would go a long way toward securing that goal.

Cubs at Brewers: The Cubs just finished a tough series against Atlanta and have lost nine times in September in games in which they led. The NL Centralleading Brewers are locked into their playoff spot. Marlins at Pirates: The Marlins have been playing roughly .500 ball for

the better part of a month. They’ll need a big weekend against the Pirates — possibly a sweep — to have a chance at making the postseason. Reds at Cardinals: The surprising Reds have been sliding some in recent weeks. They’ll likely need a sweep over the Cardinals to have much of a shot at sneaking into the postseason.

AWARDS RACES

The most intrigue still surrounds the NL Cy Young Award race, which has a handful of solid candidates in San Diego’s Blake Snell, Chicago’s Justin Steele, Arizona’s Zac Gallen and Atlanta’s Spencer Strider.

Strider’s got a shot in his final start to become the majors only 20-game winner. Steele and Gallen will have one more chance to impress in the middle of the NL wild card race.

Ronald Acuña Jr. recently created the 40-homer, 70-stolen base club after the Braves star became the first player to reach both those marks in the same season. With apologies to teammate Matt Olson and Dodgers

standouts Mookie Betts and Freddie Freeman, he’s still the favorite for the National League MVP. Yankees star Gerrit Cole pitched a two-hit shutout against Toronto, clinching the AL ERA title and strengthening his Cy Young case.

MIGGY FAREWELL

Miguel Cabrera hit his 511th homer on Wednesday. The 40-year-old is putting the finishing touches on a stellar career that

(AP Photo/Jose Juarez)

includes two MVP awards, A Triple Crown, four batting titles, 12 All-Star appearances and a 2003 World Series title. There was a 13-year stretch from 2004-6 when he was one of the most feared hitters in baseball.

FRANCONA’S FINALE?

All signs point to this being Cleveland manager Terry Francona’s final season in the dugout.

The 64-year-old has been slowed by major health

issues in recent years, but if this is it, there’s little doubt the personable, popular Francona has left a lasting imprint as a manager and one of the game’s most beloved figures.

He won World Series titles with the Boston in 2004 and 2007 before guiding the Guardians over the past 11 years, which have included nine winning seasons.

EYES ON THE BALL

MLB has enjoyed a big boost in attendance this season, averaging roughly 29,000 fans per game going into the final weekend.

That’s much better than 26,843 fans per game from 2022 and 18,901 in 2021 — which were both affected by the COVID-19 pandemic. No fans were allowed in parks during the 2020 regular season.

But that doesn’t explain all of this year’s jump. The sport is poised to draw its most fans since 2017, when the average was just shy of 30,000. One popular hypothesis: The newly-introduced pitch clock has made the sport much more watchable, shaving more than 20 minutes off of games.

“(Truist Park) is one of the best atmospheres in baseball,” Olson said of clinching home-field advantage. “A bunch of fans who come out and support, understand the game. It’s the best place to play.” Chicago has dropped 13 of 19 to fall out of position for an NL wild card. With the three-game sweep by the Braves, the Cubs (8277) fell a half-game back of Miami for the third wild card, pending the result of the Marlins’ rain-delayed game against the New York Mets.

“Very frustrating,” Cubs pitcher Marcus Stroman said. “We seem defeated at times. Everything that could be going wrong is going wrong. Hopefully luck starts to go in our favour in Milwaukee.”

Atlanta rookie A.J. Smith-Shawver allowed a run in 3 2/3 hitless innings.

Kyle Wright (1-3) then came in and pitched 2 1/3 innings of one-run ball. Raisel Iglesias picked up his 32nd save with a perfect ninth inning.

Stroman (10-9) was charged with four runs, two earned, and four hits in two innings. It was his second start and fourth appearance overall since coming off the injured list Sept. 15.

“I don’t think the confidence has dimmed,” Stroman said. “Things are just not going our way. You can feel it and see it when things aren’t going your way. Everyone still thinks we can get the job done, it is just sometimes things aren’t in your favour.”

Seiya Suzuki had three hits and two RBIs for the Cubs. Nico Hoerner went 2 for 4 and scored a run.

“This team is going to fight tooth-and-nail every game until the end of the season,” Cubs manager David Ross said.

ONE BLAST, TWO RECORDS

Olson set a franchise record for RBIs in a season with his two-run drive in the first inning. The homer gave him 136 RBIs, surpassing the 135 for Eddie Matthews in 1953.

The big swing also gave the Braves 47 first-inning homers, breaking the MLB record. Olson has hit 12 of his 54 home runs in the first.

SIM GAMES ON DECK

The Braves are planning to hold intrasquad games on Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday next week during their five-day break between the end of the regular season and the National League Division Series. They will be open to the public.

“I think it’s just as we processed all this and doing something different than we did last year,” Braves manager Brian Snitker said. “I thought we did a good job last year, but it wasn’t good enough, I don’t think.”

The Braves lost to the Phillies in four games in the NLDS last season after having a five-day break after the regular season.

TEXAS Rangers’ Marcus Semien, right, celebrates his home run against the Los Angeles Angels with Adolis Garcia during the ninth inning of a baseball game on Wednesday in Anaheim, California.

(AP Photo/Jae C Hong)

MIAMI Marlins’ Jesus Sanchez, left, Jazz Chisholm Jr, centre, and Bryan De La Cruz smile after the second baseball game of a doubleheader against the New York Mets on Wednesday night in New York. (AP Photo/Frank Franklin II)

DETROIT Tigers’ Miguel Cabrera leaves the dugout to acknowledge the crowd as he is honoured for his recent 500th career home run in the first inning against the Toronto Blue Jays, Aug. 27, 2021, in Detroit. Cabrera, one of the greatest hitters of all time, is retiring after the Tigers wrap up their season Sunday, October 1, 2023, and baseball’s last Triple Crown winner is leaving a lasting legacy in the game and his native Venezuela.

Bowleg said he could not understand why the Suns traded their 7-foot, 250-pound centre because he felt he could have fitted right into the scheme of things as Pheonix made another push for an NBA title. But with the trade, Bowleg said there could be more behind the deal and, in due time, it could be revealed. During the 202223 season, Ayton averaged 18.0 points (58.9% FG, 29.2% 3-PT, 76.0% FT), 10.0 rebounds, 1.7 assists, 0.6 steals, 0.8 blocks in 30.4 minutes per game in 67 games (all starts).

Originally selected with the first overall pick in the 2018 NBA draft, Ayton holds career averages of 16.7 points (59.7% FG,

26.3% 3-PT, 25.5% FT), 10.4 rebounds, 1.6 assists, 0.7 steals, 1.0 blocks in 30.6 minutes per game in 303 games (296 starts) in his five seasons with Phoenix.

Ayton helped the Suns reach the NBA Finals and a regular season record 64 wins the following year. But after that, he was saddled with some off the court decisions that may have worked against him.

He and former coach Monty Williams reportedly didn’t have a good working relationship and after he was made a restricted free agent last summer, the Suns were forced to match an offer sheet from the Indiana Pacers to retain him.

The Suns eventually fired Williams and brought in Frank Vogel as their new coach, who quickly

indicated that “I think he can be one of the best centres in the league.”

It turns out that Ayton just won’t get to prove it in Pheonix.

Ayton, 25, is one of three Bahamian born players who played in the NBA last season. The other two are Grand Bahamian “Buddy” Hield with the Indiana Pacers and Kai Jones with the Charlotte Hornets.

Bowleg, the immediate past president of the Bahamas Basketball Association and former coach of the men’s national basketball team, has had the opportunity to watch them all perform.

But like everybody else, he’s concerned sbout the future of Jones, who has been dealing with some personal issues that have

not been disclosed. The 22-year-old Jones, who was drafted with the 19th pick in the first round of the NBA draft in 2021, has not been himself during the off-season.

“I haven’t had a chance to speak to Kai, but I spoke to his father on a daily basis on his progress,” Bowleg said. “He is receiving some sort of help. I know when Charlotte and representatives of the Players Association met, they could not force him into some rehabilitation centre to receive some help. “But what I was advised was that he was to go and receive the necessary help so that he could get himself back to the Kai Jones that we once knew. Not wanting to go into the details of his present situation, but he’s

in my prayers and I pray for him and his family when he gets back to normal, and we can see the dedicated and committed young man become the NBA superstar that he is capable of being.”

To Ayton and the 30-year-old sharp shooting Hield, who continues to be the subject of trade talks once again, Bowleg encouraged them both to continue to “remain focused” and do what “you do best” as the Bahamas supports them in their future endeavours.

“While Buddy maybe up for trade right now, wherever he lands himself, sometimes it’s not until later in life that you find the right fit,” said Bowleg of Hield, who was selected with the sixth overall pick in the 2016 NBA draft by the New Orleans Pelicans

Analysis: Adrian Griffin, as he enters Year 1 as a coach, is the winner of the Lillard trade

By TIM REYNOLDS AP Basketball Writer

THE Milwaukee Bucks were winners of the Damian Lillard trade sweepstakes, obviously, because they got him. Damian Lillard was a winner of the sweepstakes, also obviously, because now he gets a chance to really contend for an NBA title, even if he didn’t get sent to Miami like he preferred.

Lillard and the Bucks were not the biggest winners, however.

That title goes to Adrian Griffin, who is about to officially start Year 1 as a head coach.

Picture this: You’re a first-time NBA head coach, already hired to take over a team that won the championship two years ago and had the best regularseason record in the league last year. You were given

the keys to a team led by Giannis Antetokounmpo, a two-time MVP still very much in his prime and someone who on any given night could be the best player walking the planet. You inherited a team with great leadership in Khris Middleton and Brook Lopez, ownership willing to spend and a sharp general manager in Jon Horst.

And now, a few days before your first training camp, you get Damian Lillard as well.

An incredible opportunity for Griffin has now become a super-duperincredible opportunity for Griffin. Sure, there will be pressure. Tons of it. The Bucks are supposed to win the 2024 NBA title now, and there’s no arguing otherwise. With Antetokounmpo and Lillard, there’s no way Milwaukee will

want anything less, and that’s the way it should be.

But recent history says Griffin should be able to handle it, because others in his position have with flying colours.

Darvin Ham finally got his long-awaited shot to be a head coach last season with the Los Angeles Lakers. The regular season was rocky and injury-filled, but Ham navigated the circus of attention that came with LeBron James closing in on the NBA’s scoring record and then wound up leading the team to the Western Conference finals. It’s hard to look at Year 1 of the Ham era and say it wasn’t a total success.

Joe Mazzulla got thrust into the role of first-year head coach in Boston around this time last fall, just a few days before training camp after Ime Udoka’s

personal conduct led to the Celtics suspending him for the year and ultimately letting him go. Like Ham, Mazzulla quickly answered any questions about his readiness by coaching in the All-Star Game and getting the Celtics to the Eastern Conference finals. Again, Year 1 for Mazzulla went down as a success.

Ham and Mazzulla are just the latest examples that prove there doesn’t have to be a learning curve for new coaches, especially Black coaches, many of whom until recent years quite simply had to wait too long to get an opportunity at having the head job. Griffin is surely aware of this.

The game is the game, and he’s been a coach for a long time — 15 years as an assistant in the league more than prepped him for this. His paycheck is bigger

now, he’ll be the one facing questions after losses, he’ll be scrutinised more than ever before. But having Lillard and Antetokounmpo in the same huddle is a wonderful opportunity for any head coach, especially a first-year one. “Let’s be real,” Griffin said in June when the Bucks introduced him. “What first-time head coach gets to coach the Milwaukee Bucks, with all the special talent on this team?

I’m extremely humbled.”

And that was before they got Lillard. It’s not uncommon for first-year coaches to win and win big. Udoka went to the finals with Boston in 2022 in his first chance. He lost to Steve Kerr, who won the first of his four titles with Golden State in his first season with the Warriors.

Tyronn Lue coached Cleveland to its NBA title in 2016

but was traded to the Sacramento Kings in 2017 and the Pacers in 2022.

“But today, they are doing something that they love to do, they are being paid to do it and they have a desire to win a championship and when that opportunity comes, they can embrace it.”

Hopefully, Bowleg said he’s looking forward to the day when Ayton and Hield, and even Jones, could experience what fellow Bahamians Mychal ‘Sweet Bells’ Thompson (1987-1988) and Rick Fox (2000-2002), both with the Los Angeles Lakers, along with Thompson’s son, American-born Klay Thompson with the Golden State Warriors (2015, 2017, 2018 and 2022), felt as NBA champions.

NEW York Liberty forward Breanna Stewart (30) and forward Jonquel Jones (35) celebrate after Stewart scored a three-point basket during the second half of Game 2 of their WNBA basketball playoffs semifinal against the Connecticut Sun on Tuesday, September 26, 2023, in New York. (AP Photo/Mary Altaffer)

Bahamas

FROM PAGE 16

just a competition. It is a celebration of unity, teamwork and true testament to this government’s commitment to the revitalisation of the world of sports.

“The Ministry of Youth, Sports and Culture remains hopeful that the Dragon Boat Racing in the Bahamas will be a great addition to our sports tourism brand. Sporting events like this help to boost the economy and have great cultural and social benefits, all of which are extremely significant to our country.”

Through their partnership with the Bahamas Chinese Dragon Boat Association, Bowleg said they now have a home in The Bahamas, and he commended the organisers and indicated that they look forward to many more events in the future.

“So, paddle strong, embrace the challenge and may wind be ever at your back,” he stated.

According to Chin, a total of 34 boats have registered to participate in the competition, including the defending champions

in Year 1 of his career. Pat Riley won his first title with the Los Angeles Lakers in the opening season of his Hall of Fame career.

Everyone knew Griffin had been given a big chance when the Bucks hired him. His chances got a whole lot better Wednesday when the Lillard deal got done. It’ll be months before the ultimate answer will come on who the biggest winner of the trade was, but for now, it’s clearly Griffin.

JONES AND NEW YORK LIBERTY SET FOR ROAD MATCHUP WITH HER FORMER TEAM TONIGHT

New York Liberty (32-8, 16-4 Eastern Conference) at Connecticut Sun (27-13, 14-6 Eastern Conference) Uncasville, Connecticut; Friday, 7:30 p.m. EDT

FANDUEL SPORTS-

BOOK WNBA LINE: Liberty -3.5; over/under is 159.5 WNBA PLAYOFFS

SEMIFINALS:

BOTTOM LINE: The Connecticut Sun host the New York Liberty. The Sun are 14-6 against Eastern Conference opponents. Connecticut is second in the Eastern Conference scoring 82.7 points while shooting 44.5% from the field.

The Liberty’s record in Eastern Conference games is 16-4. New York is the Eastern leader with 37.9 rebounds per game led by Breanna Stewart averaging 9.3.

TOP PERFORMERS:

Alyssa Thomas is averaging 15.5 points, 9.9 rebounds, 7.9 assists and 1.8 steals for the Sun.

DeWanna Bonner is averaging 17.1 points over the last 10 games for Connecticut.

Courtney Vandersloot is averaging 10.5 points and 8.1 assists for the Liberty. Stewart is averaging 20.1 points over the last 10 games for New York.

LAST 10 GAMES: Sun: 6-4, averaging 80.9 points, 32.9 rebounds, 20.5 assists, 7.6 steals and 4.0 blocks per game while shooting 44.9% from the field. Their opponents have averaged 76.4 points per game. Liberty: 8-2, averaging 87.4 points, 37.3 rebounds, 22.0 assists, 6.7 steals and 5.4 blocks per game while shooting 44.9% from the field. Their opponents have averaged 79.9 points.

INJURIES: Sun: Bernadett Hatar: out indefinitely (knee), Brionna Jones: out for season (achilles).

Liberty: None listed.

Dragon Boat Festival on Saturday and Sunday

Dragon Conchers and the Police team called King Tide and four teams from the United States, an increase from the 21 teams that participated in the inaugural event last year.

“This incredible growth in participation is evident of the competitive spirit of our local community and the excitement around Dragon Boat racing,” she stated.

“We look forward to the showdown between the armed forces, between the hotels, the medical and corporate teams, but we also want to see the breast cancer survivors and the youth and senior teams battle it out.”

Preliminary competition will begin on Saturday at 9am and the final will follow on Sunday, followed by a cultural show and the awards presentation in the afternoon.

As spectators look forward to the events of September 30 and October 1, Chin said friends and families can come together and enjoy the beauty of the environment and experience the racing in the backdrop of the clear crystal waters of The Bahamas.

“We encourage all of our fellow Bahamians and visitors alike to join us at the festival,” said Chin, which would include the food vendors, entertainers and a junkanoo rush out as they honour the breast cancer survivors.

Chin thanked all of their sponsors, volunteers and the competitors who will be participating in the festival.

Franco Siu Chong, president of Pan American Dragon Boat Federation, welcomed the Bahamas Chinese Dragon Boat Association as its newest member in what is considered the fastest growing region in all of the international dragon boat regions.

“I’m very pleased that you have grown from 21 teams to 34 teams,” he said as he commended the local association for the work they have done to make it a success.

“It really takes a team to bring this together and that is what dragon boat racing is all about. It’s teamwork and camaraderie. It’s a sport, so I hope that the Bahamians will get involved in this sport and

truly become competitive and enter the international scene.”

Chong said the federation is working on getting the sport included on the Olympic Games sporting programme and when they do, it’s his hope that The Bahamas will be fully represented.

“You have the waters, the right waters and you can train year-round,” he stated.

“In other countries, they can only train in summertime. What is great about this sport is all ages, but in the Caribbean, we need something for the youth, and this is a great sport to get the youth involved instead of being involved in crime.”

He noted that in Trinidad & Tobago, they introduced the sport into the schools and it’s now the biggest regatta on the island and he’s hoping that they can get Jamaica to follow suit next year in becoming the latest island to join in the footsteps of The Bahamas. Hedda Smith, the sales manager at Breezes Resorts, welcomed the organisers of the festival

to their property. “We are very happy to once again be a part of this wonderful occasion, the second annual Dragon Boat race,” she said. “We’ve been touting this whole weekend to our guests, and we are hoping to have a good turnout for the event this weekend.

“I would also like to say that we have a boat entered in the race for the first time, so I don’t know who the winners are, but watch out. We want to put them on notice, the Breezers are coming.”

Meri Gibson, the global president of the International Breast Cancer Paddlers Commission, said when she spoke with Franco Chong about growing the sport in the region, they started to see the influx of boats into The Bahamas and then she realised that it’s going to happen.

“For me personally, I have never wanted breast cancer to define me. I’m about the sport more than breast cancer, but it is an incredible sport for the survivors and an incredible sport for camaraderie.”

She said when she came here in May 2022, there

were no boats and three months later, she returned to watch 20-something boats compete and, this year, there are now more than 30.

“This sport is very addictive and caters to people, regardless,” she said. “I’ve just come back from Thailand for the World Championships where New Zealand did very well, but you can paddle from 12 years old to 112. There’s no age level. I think that’s the beauty, particularly in this region.”

Bernadette Byrne, the senior international Dragon Boat Official in Pan America, said she met the four local officials from the Bahamas in Panama, and she was delighted when they extended an invitation for her to come to The Bahamas for this year’s event.

“I love the fact that this here is as much a competitive sporting event as it is a community event,” Byrne stated. “I love the competition, the trash talking between teams, and so I’m hoping for some head-tohead competition. It’s going to be a lot of fun.”

NEW Milwaukee Bucks NBA basketball head coach Adrian Griffin. (AP)

SPORTS NOTES

BJ Murray and Smokies win championship title

By BRENT STUBBS Senior Sports Reporter bstubbs@tribunemedia.net

THIRD baseman BJ Murray celebrated his second straight Minor League baseball title, this time with his Tennessee Smokies after they captured the Double-A Southern League championship title on Tuesday night.

The 23-year-old Murray and the Smokies knocked off the Pensacola Blue Wahoos 10-3 in Pensacola, Florida, to complete a two-game sweep of their best-of-three championship series.

“It feels good. I expected us to win and that’s what happened,” said Murray, the son of baseball/softball player Bertie Murray and

THIRD

the grandson of legendary pitcher Bertie Murray Sr. Batting second in the line-up, the 5-foot, 10-inch, 205-pound Murray ripped a three-run home run on a fly ball to right centre field to push the Smokies up 4-1 in the third inning.

The switch hitter finished with a 1-for-4 outing with a strike out, four RBI (runs batted in) and a run scored.

In game one of the series, the Smokies took a 1-0 lead as they doubled up the Blue Wahoos 8-4 on their home field in Kodak, Tennessee.

In that game, Murray went 2-for-4 with an RBI and a pair of runs scored.

“Once I got the three-run homer, we just continued to

GOAL IS MAJOR LEAGUE BASEBALL

pile on the runs,” Murray said. “That was special because I did it in a critical time in the game when we needed a big lift.”

Murray and the Smokies swept aside the Chattanooga Lookouts last week in two games in their playoff series to advance to the championship.

In the 5-1 clincher, Murray went 0-for-3 with a RBI, a walk and a strike out. He was more productive in their 3-1 opener by going 2-for-3 with a RBI, a walk and a run scored.

For Murray, it was good to play with his teammates on the Smokies roster because he indicated that he may never get the opportunity to play with

some of them again. “You have to make the most of it,” Murray insisted. “We got to bond during the year, so it was good to have these guys as my best friends for the year.”

Drafted by the Chicago Cubs in round 15 with the 454th pick overall in the Major League 2021 draft out of Florida Atlantic, Murray played last season with the South Bend Cubs as they defeated the Lake County Captains in the High-A league final.

“Last year was a little different because it was my first time in the Minors,” Murray reflected.

“This year, I was more comfortable, so it was good to win it again. I got to play

with some of the same guys from last year, but it was good to win another championship title.”

As for his career, Murray said he’s pleased with what he has achieved so far, but he wants to continue to get better because the ultimate goal is to get to the Major League and he’s not there yet. “I have to keep it going and keep getting better,” he stated.

Murray will head to Florida to take some time off. He’s not exactly sure when he will. But he hopes that he will continue to get the call up the ladder to the Triple-A Iowa Cubs before Chicago gives him a spot on their Cubs’ Major League team.

THE first annual Wesley Ruben Rolle Doubles Invitational will be held from Friday to Sunday in the Racquet Club at Baha Mar.

The event will feature the men and ladies doubles, mixed doubles and the 35-and-over divisions.

There is a registration fee of $50 to enter.

Cash prizes as well as awards for the first, second and third place finishers will be presented.

The event is being held in memory of the late Wesley Rolle, a former president/ coach and player of the Bahamas Lawn Tennis Association.

CHESS

GENERAL MEETING

Please be advised that the Bahamas Chess Federation will hold a general meeting at 3pm on Sunday, October 8 at the Ministry of Youth, Sports and Culture on Thompson Boulevard.

THIRD baseman BJ Murray and the Tennessee Smokies celebrate after winning the Double-A Southern League championship title.

TENNIS WESLEY ROLLE DOUBLES INVITATIONAL

WESLEY Rolle

BJ MURRAY CANELO ALVAREZ, left, of Mexico, and Jermell Charlo pose during a news conference in Las Vegas.

two are scheduled to fight in a super middleweight title boxing match Saturday in Las Vegas. (AP Photo/ John Locher)

FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 29, 2023 Jazz, page 13

Enter the dragon boat

Bahamas Dragon Boat Festival this weekend

By BRENT STUBBS Senior Sports Reporter bstubbs@tribunemedia.net

As the fastest growing sport in the Bahamas, Dr Christine Chin said she’s confident that the second annual Bahamas Dragon Boat Festival will encourage more Bahamians to get involved.

The Bahamas Chinese Dragon Boat Association, with Chin as its president, revealed plans for the staging of the encore of the Dragon Boat Festival on Saturday and Sunday at Goodman’s Bay. The press conference was held yesterday at Breezes SuperClubs resort.

Minister of Youth, Sports and Culture Mario Bowleg said it’s amazing to see the growth and progress made by the association in just one year. “This Dragon Boat Festival is more than

SEE PAGE 14

BAHAMAS OPTI NATIONAL OPEN CHAMPIONSHIP STARTS TODAY

YOUNG Bahamian sailors from New Providence, Eleuthera, Harbour Island, Abaco, Exuma, Long Island and Grand Bahama will compete in the Fidelity Bahamas Optimist Championship for the title of national optimist champion this weekend.

Sailors from the US as well as the Cayman Islands will also be competing in this international event to be held in Montagu Bay.

Ranging in age from as young as seven to 15 years old, sailors will compete in a number of fleets within the championship, including the Green fleet for sailors entering their

first championship, the White fleet for sailors 10 or younger, the Blue fleet for sailors aged 11 and 12 and the Red fleet for sailors aged 13-15 years old.

“This year’s championship is especially significant to our sailors as it is the first taking place since sailing was named the national sport of The Bahamas,” said Erin Tomlinson, Optimist fleet captain and event organiser.

“Our national team is ready to compete with sailors from the US and Cayman Islands as well as for the title of national champion in the Optimist class.”

Hosted by the Nassau Yacht Club, the weekend events begin with an opening ceremony from 6-8pm tobight.

Sailing begins on Saturday, September 30 with warning signals on the water at 10am and an expected four races to follow.

On Sunday, October 1, three races are expected to take place and the award ceremony will follow at 5 to 7 pm, with the Optimist national champion named.

The current national champion, 13-year-old Patrick Tomlinson, will be among the sailors defending his title.

“We are grateful to our title sponsor Fidelity for contributing to this national sailing championship for the second year,” added Mrs Tomlinson.

“The skippers are young, but many have competed in international events representing The Bahamas sailing against different countries.

“Our sailors are ready, and we look forward to an excellent weekend of competitive sailing and sportsmanship,” according to Mrs Tomlinson.

Other important sponsors include J.S. Johnson and Campbell Shipping.

In addition, Panama Jack,

BOWLEG: ‘I AM STILL TRYING TO UNDERSTAND THE TRADE BY THE SUNS’

By BRENT STUBBS Senior Sports Reporter bstubbs@tribunemedia.net

MINISTER of Youth, Sports and Culture Mario Bowleg was “shocked” when he learned about the trade but indicated that there could be more to the reason why the Phoenix Suns sent their former Bahamian first round draft pick Deandre Ayton to the Portland Trail Blazers.

In a huge National Basketball Association blockbuster three-three deal on Wednesday, the Suns traded Ayton to Portland.

Shoreline Distributors, Aquapure, Thompson Trading, Home Fabrics and Abaco Big Bird are also on board to help ensure a successful event by donation of their products.

The Optimist is a small, single-handed sailing dinghy that is one of the two most popular sailing dinghies in the world with over 150,000 boats officially registered in the class.

Young sailors up to the age of 15 sail the class in competitions around the world.

The Bahamas also starts sailors in the Optimist for competitive sailing.

Damian Lillard was traded by Portland to play alongside Antetokounmpo in Milwaukee, a deal that ends his 11-year run with the Trail Blazers and a three-month saga surrounding his wish to be moved elsewhere in hopes of winning an NBA title. The seven-time All-Star — a player so elite that he was selected to the NBA’s 75th anniversary team — goes from the Trail Blazers to the Bucks in a threeteam deal that sends Jrue Holiday from the Bucks to Portland, Ayton from Phoenix to Portland and Jusuf Nurkic from the Blazers to the Suns.

“I am still trying to understand the trade by the Suns, but I understand that in order to give up Damian Lillard, they had to get something in return that could be some sort of franchise,” Bowleg said.

“When I look at it, Deandre would have been the only person in the trade who could help them rebuild their franchise. He’s a centrepiece that could help build the franchise.”

SEE PAGE 14

UNLEASHING THE POWER WITHIN - AN INTRODUCTION TO SPORT PSYCHOLOGY FOR YOUTH ATHLETES

IN the world of youth sports, winning isn’t just about physical prowess, it’s also about the mental game. This is the fascinating world of sport psychology, where young athletes discover that their greatest competition often resides within themselves and that a person’s physical performance, even with the best training and nutrition, can come down to the state of their mind and will.

In this article, we’ll embark on a journey into the realm of sport psychology to unveil the secrets of unlocking peak performance and resilience, particularly in our young upcoming champions.

The Mental Game: What is Sport Psychology?

Sport psychology is the science of understanding and enhancing mental and emotional aspects of athletic performance. It’s the secret sauce that separates the good from the great, the champions from the contenders. At its core, sport psychology helps athletes harness their inner strengths and overcome mental obstacles.

A Winning Mindset: The Power of Positive Thinking I will be honest, in my early athlete days I used

DR KENT

to think this was a bit of disney-musical-mumbojumbo. I have since experienced and witnessed firsthand how a positive mindset can elevate a young athlete’s game.

According to Dr Carol Dweck, a leading psychologist: “The view you adopt for yourself profoundly affects the way you lead your life.”

So if that is true, then this means that your mindset

SEE PAGE 12

FASTEST GROWING SPORT: Seated, from left to right, are Bernadette Bryne, senior international Dragon Boat official in Pan

American, Dr Christine Chin, president of Bahamas Chinese Dragon Boat Association, Minister of Youth, Sports and Culture Mario Bowleg, Franco Siu Chong, president of Pan American Dragon Boat Federation and Meri Gibson, Global President of the Interntional Breast Cancer Paddlers.