‘DAVIS MUST ACT AND END POLITICAL GAMES’
Dames: Unfair to leave allegations on COP’s doorstep to deal with
By LEANDRA ROLLE Tribune Chief Reporter lrolle@tribunemedia.net
FORMER National
Security Minister Marvin
Dames said Prime Minister Philip “Brave” Davis should take “decisive” actions after a US federal indictment made explosive corruption allegations about the Royal Bahamas Police Force, insisting the matter is beyond the
commissioner of police and minister of national security.
“This should be resting at the doorstep or of the desk of the prime minister now to take some decisive measures,” he said in an interview with Eyewitness News.
He accused Mr Davis of placing the burden on Commissioner Clayton
EIGHT Y E ARS JAIL FOR RAP E OF 15-Y E AR-OLD
By PAVEL BAILEY Tribune Staff Reporter
pbailey@tribunemedia.net
A FATHER of ten chil-
dren was sentenced to eight years in prison after taking a plea deal for molesting a 15-year-old girl in 2019.
Justice Joyann Ferguson Pratt presided as Elray Deveaux’s trial for unlawful sexual intercourse came to a close.
Deveaux, 40, forcefully had sexual intercourse with a 15-year-old girl in New Providence on April 1, 2019. This child, whose virginity the defendant stole, was reportedly the daughter of a female friend of his. Expanded A&E at PMH open - but not fully functional
Department,
Junkanoo ticket app ‘upgraded’ as tickets go on sale noon today
By LYNAIRE MUNNINGS Tribune Staff Reporter lmunnings@tribunemedia.net
JUNKANOO organisers said Aliv has upgraded its parade ticket-purchasing app, hoping to avoid last year’s frustrating experience. Junkanoo tickets went on sale at 12 noon today. Eight thousand seats, including 3,000 in the Rawson Square area, are up for grabs.
Raymond Wright, Director of Digital and Emerging
Products at Aliv, acknowledged that high demand may cause delays.
“When there’s a rush of persons that’s going towards purchasing anything, the sheer amount of traffic that’s going to hit towards an app, you’ll see some of those challenges,” he said during yesterday’s press conference.
“But we sharpened our tools this year and made some adjustments to
By EARYEL BOWLEG Tribune Staff Reporter
ebowleg@tribunemedia.net
THE Bahamas is
RAYMOND Wright from Aliv.
Photo: Dante Carrer/Tribune Staff
PRIME Minister Philip ‘Brave’ Davis, Governor General Dame Cynthis ‘Mother’ Pratt, Minister of Health and Wellness Dr Michael Darville along with other govt officials and Princess Margaret Hospital staff at the opening ceremony of the newly rnovated and expanded Accident and Emergency section of the hospital.
Photo: Nikia Charlton
Expanded A&E at PMH open - but not fully functional
isolation suite for infectious cases.
The tour, which involved Prime Minister Philip “Brave” Davis, showcased critical areas such as the paediatric emergency section, triage section, trauma unit, chest pain unit, and observation unit.
The upgrades aim to improve patient flow and enhance privacy and safety.
“We had a delay that was brought on in the rainy season, where we did find some challenges with the roof,” Dr Darville said, adding that additional funding approved by Cabinet was needed to address the issue.
Phase two of the project, expected to be completed next month, involves plans to expand trauma units and observation areas.
Dr Aubynette Rolle, managing director of the Public Hospitals Authority (PHA), provided updates on the ongoing renovation of PMH’s
kitchen.
“The existing cafeteria and kitchen was unsafe for both staff and patients, and so we did partner with the University of Bahamas, assisted greatly by the Ministry of Finance, for that to happen,” Dr Rolle said. She said schematic designs are complete, and the project is moving to drafting architectural drawings and tendering.
“We are very hopeful by mid-2025 that we will be either completed or near completion,” she said. In the interim, food preparation has been outsourced to the University of the Bahamas, with such measures as disposable containers and ward microwaves ensuring patient meals remain safe and warm.
Dr Duane Sands, chairman of the Free National Movement and former Minister of Health, had criticised the Davis administration for prolonged delays in renovating PMH’s kitchen.
Meanwhile, Dr Darville provided updates on the government’s progress
toward constructing a new speciality hospital in New Providence.
He reiterated that the Chinese government has approved a concessional loan of close to $300m for the project.
“The concessional loan facility is now forwarded to the Chinese Exim Bank, which is really the lender, and so we have met all of the requirements for the Chinese Exim Bank,” he said.
The next steps include finalising the bank’s decision, which will grant the government the authority to begin land preparation for phase one of the new hospital.
While the health minister declined to provide a specific timeline, he assured that progress is imminent.
“I don’t want to give an exact date, but I could rest assure that it’s drawing near. The response has been very favourable, and once I get the final response, then I would come back to the Bahamian people with an announcement, and you will begin to see activity at the site,” he said.
GOVERNOR General Dame Cynthia ‘Mother’ Pratt greet permanent secretary Colin Higgs as she tous the renovated and expanded Accident and Emergency section of Princess Margaret Hospital yesterday.
Photos: Nikia Charlton
‘Davis must act and end political games’
from page one
Fernander.
“We have serious allegations being put at the foot of the Royal Bahamas Police Force, at the doorstep of the most important law enforcement organisation in this country, and it’s unfair to thrust that on the commissioner himself, and say, you figure it out,” he said.
Mr Davis has said legislation to increase oversight of law enforcement institutions will soon be tabled in the House of Assembly. He has said he plans to meet with the US Chargé d’Affaires and the leadership of the RBPF to discuss the matter further.
In a national address on Sunday, Commissioner Clayton Fernander said he had spoken with former Commissioner Paul Rolle and plans to engage with former Commissioner Anthony Ferguson, former Prime Minister Dr Hubert Minnis, and Mr Dames.
Dr Minnis has said he would discuss the matter with the commissioner only within the context of a Commission of Inquiry.
Mr Dames, on the other hand, said he was not the person investigators should speak to and urged the country to move beyond political games.
“What,” he said, “would my response be? What am I going to say?
“They ought to be speaking to the Americans.
“These indictments have been handed down by the United States of America, and no spin here locally is going to change the truth and facts.”
He noted that before he assumed office, CSP Curtis had already been assigned to oversee operations at Lynden Pindling International Airport (LPIA) due to his aviation background.
FNM leader Michael Pintard has said CSP Curtis was promoted from assistant superintendent to chief superintendent –– skipping the superintendent rank ––under the Davis administration.
The US indictment accused several Bahamians of aiding drug traffickers in smuggling tons of cocaine through The Bahamas into the United States.
The indictment named 11 Bahamians, including Chief Superintendent Elvis Curtis, Sergeant Prince Albert Symonette, and Defence Force Chief Petty Officer Darren Roker.
US prosecutors allege the crimes began as early as May 2021, just months before the Minnis administration left office.
DAMES CONDUCTED PRIVATE INVESTIGATION of Geovani Rolle’s MURDER AT AIRPORT
By LEANDRA ROLLE Tribune Chief Reporter
lrolle@tribunemedia.net
FORMER National Security Minister Marvin Dames said the family of Geovani Rolle hired him to privately investigate the man’s murder, resulting in him presenting a detailed file to police after his team’s investigation.
He did not divulge details, but said the investigation “asked a lot of questions” concerning Rolle’s death in June.
He spoke about the matter during an appearance on Eyewitness News Beyond the Headlines on Monday night.
Mr Dames said his team felt it was necessary to meet with Police Commissioner Clayton Fernander even though its investigation was incomplete.
“As private investigators, our reach is limited to an extent,” he said. “There are things that only the
police can do, and so we took a position that we will do as much as we can to collect as much evidence as we can to support whatever the police have been doing.”
Mr Dames said the police commissioner met with him and the family after the file was presented a month ago.
He said the commissioner assured them that he would meet with them again. “We’re holding him to that,” he said.
Rolle, a former Jet Nassau employee, was shot multiple times after arriving at work on June 16.
Police had earlier questioned Donald Ferguson as a person of interest in the killing, but released him from custody. No one has been charged in connection with the case. The lack of progress prompted the family to reach out to Mr Dames to investigate their brother’s death.
Asked if he was satisfied with the police investigation, Mr Dames said his team did not have access to the police’s file, but felt officers had covered all the bases.
“During our meetings with the police, they felt that, I mean, we were both on the right track,” he said. “We were along that lane that they were travelling as well.”
Police Commissioner Clayton Fernander recently confirmed that new questions are being raised given the connection between Ferguson and Chief Superintendent Elvis Curtis, the officer in charge of aviation. A US federal indictment claimed both were involved in a cocaine trafficking scheme. His comment came after Melanie Rolle-Hilton, one of Geovani’s four sisters, questioned whether the investigation into her brother’s death was compromised because of the link.
GEOVANI ROLLE
FORMER NATIONAL SECURITY MINISTER MARVIN DAMES
Junkanoo ticket app
as tickets go on sale noon today
accommodate for the large volume of persons that are coming towards the app. If there are any issues, we’re going to have persons on the ground to support anybody that’s having any challenges during the purchasing period.”
Mr Wright also noted that online purchases are limited to five tickets per transaction, with tickets transferable once.
The Boxing Day parade will start at 9pm on Christmas Day, December 25, instead of the traditional midnight start on December 26. Organisers said the change aims to better accommodate large costumes and keep the event on schedule.
Dion Miller, chairman of the Junkanoo Corporation New Providence (JCNP),
thanked the government, sponsors, and supporters while addressing seating limitations.
“We are blessed and we’re stuck, and it is a blessing and a curse in that Bay Street has such a rich tradition as it relates to Junkanoo,” he said. “It’s hard to imagine Junkanoo any place other than Bay Street, and the negative side or the bad side is that we have outgrown the venue.”
He said the demand for seats far exceeds the current 8,000 available, adding that 13,500 seats are needed.
Mr Miller explained that the government and other stakeholders are exploring ways to increase seating but face challenges, including limited access to privately owned buildings.
“As I always stated for the last couple of years,
a national discussion will have to be made and had, as relates to Junkanoo, the venue for Junkanoo, how we can grow Junkanoo to improve more seating to try to fulfil this monster of a demand for tickets,” he said.
For those not using the Aliv Events app, tickets are also available at Aliv locations in the Mall at Marathon, Cable Beach, and Harbour Bay. Ticket prices remain the same as last year, with sections priced between $25 and $55 plus VAT.
The entry order for the event, referred to as “Nervous Saturday” in the Junkanoo community, will take place at 3pm on December 7 at Fish Fry, Arawak Cay. Groups will draw for their positions in both parades during this event.
Researchers compiled salary data from 139 positions across 119 companies in 20 Caribbean countries, covering
78 job roles. They published their report in the “Caribbean Salary Survey Report: Pay Pulse 2024.”
The 78 job types covered were diverse, from bartenders and cashiers to
accountants and general managers.
Researchers said they collected demographic data on company composition and operations, analysed recruitment metrics for key roles, and gathered data on base pay and benefits.
The report said primary data collection was conducted through an online self-completion survey via SurveyMonkey, open for responses between May 9 and September 24, 2024. Data was gathered from 30 companies per industry and 50 responses per country using simple random sampling.
According to the report, a validation process was carried out to ensure data accuracy and reliability before analysis began. The research team reviewed responses with salary information, focusing on relevant entries, and flagged values that appeared unusually high or low for specific job roles as potential outliers.
It is unclear whether the full report accounts for tax and cost of living differences among countries. The Bahamas has continually ranked high on
lists of the most expensive countries in the world.
St Vincent and the Grenadines Finance Minister Camillo Gonsalves criticised last year’s report when it ranked his country the lowest paying among 15 surveyed, saying it overlooked many factors.
“I could not tell if the survey discussed taxes and deductions,” he said, according to Searchlight, a privately owned weekly newspaper in St Vincent and the Grenadines. “I do know, however, that many countries have far higher NIS/Social Security deductions and tax burdens than St Vincent and the Grenadines, while some have lower deductions. Some clarity on whether the survey was comparing net, take-home pay, would’ve aided…”
“As anyone knows, the cost of living from one country to the other varies widely –– the cost of rent or property, transportation, food costs, utilities, customs duties, tariffs and the like. The critical question of how far your dollar goes in each country was not a subject of the survey.”
MEMBERS of the Saxons perform during the 2023 Boxing Day Junkanoo parade last year. Photos: Dante Carrer/Tribune Staff
JUNKANOO Corporation of New Providence chairman Dion Miller (left) and Aliv Director of Digital and Emerging Products, Raymond Wright, speaks during a press conference at the JCNP office yesterday.
Photo: Dante Carrer / Tribune Staff
Human remains discovered amid search for missing man
By DENISE MAYCOCK Tribune Staff Reporter
dmaycock@tribunemedia.net
POLICE are investigat-
ing the possible discovery of human remains near Tim’s Bay after suspending the search for 19-year-old
Haylànd Ivan Rolle, who disappeared after a tragic kayaking accident near Duck Cay.
Chief Superintendent of Police Chrislyn Skippings said that tissue believed to be human was collected from the area and is being sent to New Providence for further analysis.
“We are going to have it tested to ensure that it is human,” she said.
Haylànd went missing on Sunday after he and two friends set out on a kayak from Ramsey Beach around 2pm. The kayak capsized in rough seas, and while his companions swam to Duck Cay and were rescued early Monday, he was not seen again.
His mother, Rose Rolle, is devastated.
“I can’t really explain the way I feel,” she told The Tribune. “It’s unbelievable. That’s my baby.”
Ms Rolle said she was at work when she received the heartbreaking news that her son was missing.
“Everyone is not taking it well –– everyone is sad,” she said. The police search for Haylànd was suspended on Tuesday due to severe weather conditions. Ms Skippings confirmed that the officer in charge of Exuma had met with the family on Monday evening to update them on the situation.
Debra Moxey-Rolle, a former Family Island Administrator who knows the Rolle family, called for establishing an Air and Sea Rescue Volunteer Service in Exuma, saying such a group could help respond more quickly during emergencies.
“I live in Ramsey, and I saw the search team looking for them, and I felt compelled to make a call to the community to start an air and sea rescue volunteer service,” she said.
“We did not have the ability or mechanism in place where someone could have immediately mobilised a group of people to look for them. It was reported Sunday evening, and it was not until the early morning of Monday before they were able to go and look for them.”
However, Superintendent Moss, the officer in
charge of Exuma, disputed the notion that resources are insufficient. He said the island has adequate police and defence force resources, including sea assets and access to air support when necessary.
“The government has sea assets, police, and defence forces,” he said.
“And if there is a need for air support, we have the assistance of the US Coast Guard. In terms of air and sea support, we have that, but we won’t discourage family members from doing anything else they want to do at their expense.”
Superintendent Moss also addressed staffing concerns on the island, acknowledging challenges in housing officers due to the popularity of Exuma’s Airbnb market.
“The government has a ceiling it can pay for rentals, but we do have a fair amount of officers that could respond to almost any incident,” he said.
“And if a supply of officers is needed, it is a 30-minute flight on a police or defence force aircraft. We can fly officers into Exuma if that need arises, but we don’t see that as something that is going to happen.”
US Northern Command donates ATVs to Disaster and Risk Management Agency
Eight years jail for rape of 15-year-old
from page one
The defendant pleaded guilty to the charge as part of a plea partway through evidence being heard in his trial.
After stating that the convict’s actions, which
involved stealing the girl’s innocence, were reprehensible, Justice Ferguson sentenced him to eight years at the Bahamas Department of Correctional Services. Keith Seymour represented the accused.
HAYLÀND IVAN ROLLE
MINISTER of State in the Office of The Prime Minister Leon Lundy sits in an ATV donated by US Northern Command yesterday.
Photos: DRMA
The Tribune Limited
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LEON E. H. DUPUCH
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A balance of focus needed in corruption allegations
THE allegation a wide-ranging conspiracy involving Bahamians to smuggle cocaine through our nation and into the US has understandably hit the headlines. It is the number one issue in our country right now – and will continue to be as long as so much remains unknown about the matter.
Much of the focus recently has been on the national address given by the Commissioner of Police, Clayton Fernander.
The response has been unforgiving towards the commissioner. He should resign, many have said. His proposals are not enough, others say.
But it is worth noting that while people may be unhappy with both his performance and his promises, Mr Fernander has still proposed more action than Prime Minister Philip Davis has so far.
Indeed, the focus has shifted so much towards Mr Fernander that the government’s failure to answer questions on other corrupt officials not in a police uniform has not been examined nearly enough.
Somehow, all these days on, we still do not have an answer over whether the purported government official in the US indictment, Riccardo Davis, really does work for the government.
Other allegations about his connections have been circling on social media – which could again be quickly confirmed or refuted.
Quite why the government has not made clear who this individual is and what their connection to government might be is a mystery.
The longer the delay in revealing such matters only plays into public concerns about why the government is being so reticent.
Then there is the “high-ranking” politician alleged to have been willing to take $2m in exchange for giving drug smugglers the protection of armed police officers.
The police commissioner was clumsy in saying he would talk to political
and police predecessors in leadership – making some feel that calling their names was embroiling the situation in political to and fro.
The emphasis from some quarters on how the alleged conspiracy’s start pre-dated the arrival of the current government also shows political gamesmanship.
The suggestion of questioning those predecessors for information shows little sense – does anyone think that those predecessors knew but somehow forgot to tell their successors about such a conspiracy?
There is another reason to tackle this matter head on. Day after day, there have been headlines about this matter. This story is a wildfire, sucking all the oxygen out of other stories.
We are in the middle of 16 Days of Activism to tackle domestic violence – and just when our leaders should be hammering home the message that domestic violence is unacceptable, instead many are avoiding answering any questions at all.
Then there are the recent murders of a schoolgirl and a grandmother in separate incidents – which for a moment made people recognise the extent of violence towards women until the latest allegations became the talk of the town.
There will be other topics that the government wishes to talk about that will be subsumed by this matter until it is properly dealt with.
We would hope that our leaders are as angry at those who are accused of betraying our nation as everyone else.
We would hope that anger would prompt real, substantial action.
It is remarkable that the police commissioner would have given a national statement on this matter and yet the prime minister is not taking questions on the subject.
That can be remedied. But the longer it takes before that happens, the harder it will be to show real leadership.
Our leaders need integrity and competence
EDITOR, The Tribune.
THE Bahamas is at a critical juncture in its political and economic journey. As citizens, we must ensure that those vying for leadership possess the integrity, vision, and competence necessary to guide our nation forward. It is with these criteria in mind that I express grave concerns about the leader of the Coalition of Independents (COI) and his suitability for the office of Prime Minister. The leader of the COI has consistently demonstrated behavior unbecoming of a prospective national leader. Instead of fostering constructive discourse centered on solutions and policies, he often resorts to attacking the personal character of his opponents. Such tactics distract from substantive discussions about our nation’s pressing issues and undermine the very essence of meaningful political engagement.
While he claims to have solutions and a vision for the
myriad of challenges facing the Bahamas, he has provided no detailed plans or actionable strategies. Vague promises and hollow rhetoric are not what our country needs during these turbulent times. Leadership demands transparency, accountability, and clarity - all of which appear absent in his approach. Moreover, there are serious questions surrounding his integrity. The courts have ruled against him in a case involving allegations of fraud, ordering him to reimburse victims. During the hearing, the court deemed him “not credible”, a damning indictment of his character. This is not the standard of integrity we should expect from someone aspiring to lead the Bahamas. The COI’s attempt to present itself as a “political party” while being a loose coalition of independents raises further concerns about its coherence and ability to govern effectively. A
PICTURE OF THE DAY
Dreams of inclusion for disabled
EDITOR, The Tribune.
AS the world observes the International Day of Persons with Disabilities on December 3, I renew my commitment to advocating for the rights and empowerment of people with disabilities in The Bahamas. My vision extends beyond providing support—it includes creating real pathways to leadership for persons with disabilities.
Imagine a future where Bahamians with disabilities take their rightful place in public office, actively shaping policies and contributing to the direction of our nation. Their voices and experiences will enrich our society, making it more inclusive, equitable, and representative.
party must represent more than just individuals seeking office; it must embody shared values, structured policies, and a unified vision for the country, all of which is lacking in the Coalition of Independents (COI).
The Bahamas deserves leaders who will unite us, elevate the national discourse, and present tangible solutions to our challenges. Leaders must embody honesty, integrity, and the capacity to inspire confidence in the electorate. By these measures, the leader of the Coalition of Independents falls woefully short.
As we approach the next election, I urge my fellow Bahamians to critically evaluate all candidates’ character, track record, and policy positions. Let us choose leaders who reflect the best of us and have the vision and integrity to move the Bahamas toward a brighter future.
C ALLEN JOHNSON Freeport, Grand Bahama December 1, 2024.
During the recent 149th Inter-Parliamentary Union (IPU) Assembly in Geneva, I was moved by the powerful documentary A Piece of Grain, which tells the story of Turkish MP Serkan Bayram. Despite facing significant challenges, he rose to become a champion for disability rights. Meeting him, receiving an autographed copy of his book and watching the documentary film feature on his journey, was a profound experience. Equally inspiring was Swiss MP Christian Lohr, who continues to break barriers in politics despite being born with no arms and deformed legs. Witnessing their achievements has strengthened my resolve to fight for inclusion and
equal opportunities for all in our country. In The Bahamas, adults with disabilities face significant challenges finding meaningful engagement after completing school. Unlike their peers, whose lives often expand into higher education, careers, and community activities, these individuals encounter inadequate resources and programmes tailored to their needs. The lack of opportunities not only diminishes their quality of life but also restricts their ability to contribute to society fully. A multipurpose center designed to provide skill-building workshops, recreational activities, social opportunities, and therapeutic services would bridge this gap, creating a space where adults with disabilities can thrive. Such a facility would acknowledge their potential and humanity, ensuring they live fulfilling lives as active citizens, just as they age into their senior years alongside others in the community. It is an essential step toward inclusivity and equality. It is also time for all buildings across the Commonwealth, starting with government buildings, to be retrofitted to ensure that they are fully accessible to people with disabilities. There needs to be stronger enforcement of accessibility, disabled parking and
other infractions to send a clear message that we value and respect the dignity of all individuals, regardless of their abilities.
We must stand tall and advocate for vulnerable citizens and residents, prioritizing their needs in recognition that an inclusive society benefits everyone. Of all the consultants, newhires and appointed Ambassadors-at-Large this administration has engaged, there should have been someone specifically tasked with driving disability inclusion strategies. This is a glaring omission, and it underscores the need for focused leadership in this area.
I strongly encourage Bahamians with disabilities to step forward, not just to advocate for your rights, but to seize leadership roles and shape our shared future. The road ahead requires courage, but the possibilities are boundless. Let us, as a nation, rally around inclusion, sensitivity, and a firm commitment to ensuring that everyone has a seat at the table.
For inspiration, I encourage readers to watch A Piece of Grain at https://youtu. be/8edHQPoPPQg. Together, we can create a Bahamas for all Bahamians, where inclusion is not just a goal but a reality.
SENATOR MAXINE SEYMOUR Shadow Minister, Social Services December 3, 2024.
CAT plots on Christmans tree ornaments as the holidays approach.
Photo: Ryszard Zaleski
‘Restoring trust in leadership begins with Munroe’s resignation’
By JADE RUSSELL Tribune Staff Reporter jrussell@tribunemedia.net
FREE National Movement Deputy Leader Shanendon Cartwright called yesterday for the resignation of National Security Minister Wayne Munroe, citing a loss of public confidence in the minister’s ability to address the country’s crime situation.
Mr Cartwright said the state of national security is in disarray and claimed Mr Munroe no longer
commands the trust of the Bahamian people to safeguard the nation’s security interests.
“The minister’s public words have been equally diminishing in his ability to remain responsible for our nation’s national security structure,” Mr Cartwright said in a statement yesterday.
“The public has often wondered whose side the minister is on, the victims or suspects.”
“While his legal arguments are suited for his role as a defence attorney,
there is no confidence in his role as minister of national security. This is not about questioning the minister’s integrity; it is a question of competence.”
Mr Cartwright argued that rebuilding trust in national security leadership begins with Mr Munroe’s resignation, as the public’s confidence in law enforcement has been further shaken by a recent revelation from the United States District Court for the Southern District of New York.
The federal indictment
Two-year sentence for possession of gun and ammo after trial absences
By PAVEL BAILEY Tribune Staff Reporter pbailey@tribunemedia.net
A MAN who failed to appear for trial was sentenced to two years in prison on a gun charge after being tracked down by a monitoring device.
Assistant Chief Magistrate Carolyn Vogt-Evans presided over the case, where Desmond Gilbert, 29, faced charges of possession of an unlicensed firearm and possession of ammunition.
Gilbert was reportedly found with a grey and black 9mm pistol and six rounds of ammunition in New Providence on January 28, 2022.
While prosecutor Assistant Superintendent of
TEEN
Police S Coakley was preparing to proceed with the trial in Gilbert’s absence, the defence counsel informed the court that the defendant was unwell. Gilbert was later tracked to Bozine Town and taken into custody. After being taken to court, Gilbert reversed his initial plea and admitted guilt to the charges. His attorney, Alphonso Lewis, highlighted that Gilbert had no prior criminal record and was gainfully employed, supporting his three-month-old and 11-year-old children. Mr Lewis appealed for leniency, emphasising that Gilbert accepted full responsibility for his actions. Mr Lewis also informed the court that Gilbert
required regular medical attention due to his health conditions. He is reportedly a dialysis patient and suffers from internal bleeding.
Magistrate Vogt-Evans admonished Gilbert for evading his trial, noting that the court had received multiple medical excuses during the proceedings and had issued warrants for his arrest. She urged him to reform his behaviour, turn to God, and become a better father to his children. Gilbert was sentenced to two years at the Bahamas Department of Correctional Services, with a directive to enrol in carpentry courses during his incarceration. He was also informed of his right to appeal the sentence.
FINED $8,000 FOR S T EALING A CAR
By PAVEL BAILEY Tribune Staff Reporter pbailey@tribunemedia.net
A 19-year-old man was fined $8,000 yesterday after being found guilty of stealing a car in September.
Senior Magistrate
Anishka Isaacs presided as Javonne Fernander stood trial for stealing a 2012 Nissan Cube from Poinciana Avenue between September 17 and 18.
Authorities had issued a
BOLO alert for the stolen vehicle. After reviewing the evidence, Magistrate Isaacs found Fernander guilty. Fernander was ordered to pay the $8,000 fine or face an 18-month prison sentence. Relatives requested time to arrange payment, but the court remanded him to prison until the fine is paid in full.
Magistrate Isaacs also informed Fernander that a pending housebreaking charge against him would
$2.7K FINE FOR TAKING MONEY BU T NOT COMPLE T ING WORK
By PAVEL BAILEY Tribune Staff Reporter pbailey@tribunemedia.net
A MAN was fined $2,700 yesterday after admitting he took $3,200 from a client for air conditioning repairs last year but never completed the work.
Senior Magistrate Anishka Isaacs arraigned 40-year-old Collins Darville on a charge of stealing by reason of service.
Darville reportedly took $3,200 from Anthony Cartwright after promising to repair his air conditioning
unit but failed to provide the service.
After pleading guilty, Magistrate Isaacs reprimanded Darville for leaving the complainant without air conditioning for over a year. Darville was fined $2,700, with a default penalty of five months in prison. He was also ordered to pay $500 in compensation to the complainant or face an additional one-month prison term.
Assistant Superintendent of Police Bowles prosecuted the case.
proceed to trial in her court. He and accomplices allegedly broke into Kristone Rodgers’ residence on April 25.
After pleading not guilty to the housebreaking charge, Fernander was told his trial is scheduled to begin on February 20, 2025.
Assistant Superintendent of Police Bowles prosecuted the case.
alleged that members of the Royal Bahamas Police Force (RBPF) and the Royal Bahamas Defence Force (RBDF) provided critical support to drug traffickers smuggling cocaine from South America through The Bahamas to the US. The indictment also claimed that a “high-ranking politician” was expected to authorise Bahamian law enforcement’s involvement in a $2m cocaine trafficking scheme. Mr Munroe has denied any connection to the allegations.
FNM DEPUTY LEADER SHANENDON CARTWRIGHT
We must put a stop to blaming the victims
IT is day 10 of the Global 16 Days Campaign, also known as 16 Days of Activism Against GenderBased Violence. When the campaign started, on November 25, people were still upset about the rape and murder of 12-year-old Adriel Moxey. People were still upset that, just days after Adriel Moxey’s body was found, it was reported that 72-year-old Vernencha Butler had been raped and murdered. Today, there is hardly any reference made to the girl or to the elderly woman. As always the news cycle moved people along. The focus has been on corruption of police and politicians.
This is why the Global 16 Days Campaign exists. Sixteen days is not nearly enough time to talk about gender-based violence, highlight cases of import, look at recommendations that have been made to The Bahamas, review laws and policies that are discriminatory and violent, or advocate for specific changes. There is always more work to do. The campaign does, however, give us a period of time that is recognised by many institutions and some individuals as necessary, requiring attention, and demanding meaningful action.
The immediate reaction to reports of the rape and murder of Adriel Moxey, and comments following interviews with her mother, showed that the general public is accustomed to focusing on individuals — specifically to blame them —instead of looking at the environment and systems
By Alicia Wallace
that people are trying to function within when they are not built for our benefit. It is difficult to hear about a tragedy and not be able to place the blame on someone, especially when the blame can help us to deny that the tragedy could ever affect us. People want to think they are too smart, too good, too careful to be victims of tragedy. It is easy, too, to blame the perpetrator for his violent, horrific crimes. It is actually easier to blame the person who acted in an abominable way than it is to blame people who are not only innocent, but suffering as a result of the tragedy. The Bahamas, however, has practised blaming victims and, in particular, blaming mothers. When a child is missing, when a child is murdered, when a child
‘Te people who have enacted violence are the ones that must carry the blame for what they have done.’
is apprehended by police, when a child is struggling in school, “Where was the mother?” Even in asking the question, people are generally uninterested in the facts of mothers’ whereabouts and competing responsibilities. People do not want to face the fact that working to get money to meet children’s physical needs is not compatible with meeting the psychosocial needs of children.
Systems designed by the government and private sector do not allow parents to work and be active parents, able to be with their children when school is out. Alternatives are generally not provided — not in the form of flexible work arrangements, and not in the form of childcare. There is nothing less interesting than this to the people screaming out for the heads of
mothers except the whereabouts and priorities of the fathers.
The people who have enacted violence are the ones that must carry the blame for what they have done.
We need to change the questions we ask when children are abducted, sexually violated, and murdered. It is not productive to ask why a child was walking. Children walk every day. They walk to school. They walk to the tuck shop. They walk to the grocery store to work. They walk back home. Adults walk too. Sometimes adults are also assaulted. On their way to the bus stop where they expect to be able to catch a bus to go to work. On their way to the grocery store to pick up a few items. On their way to a party. On their way back home. People walk.
Sure, we can ask what it would be like if people did not have to walk. The way to get there, however, is not that everyone owns a car and drives themselves and their dependents everywhere they need to go.
A properly functioning, safe, reliable public transportation with extended hours may be a bit closer to where the conversations need to focus. Still there are better questions. What if we could walk? What if elderly people could walk from church to their homes at 8pm? What if women could walk to the bus stop before daybreak? What if girls could walk home from their after school activities? What if it was simply safe to walk?
We need to consider the reasons that so many need someone— a person — to blame when they failed systems and lack of systems are blatant. We need to consider the reasons that mothers are seen as the only parents, and the only people with any responsibility for their children, even when they cannot be with them at all times. We need to consider the reasons that the first (and sometimes only) idea that many people have is to restrict the movement and freedom of women and girls in an attempt to prevent violence against women and girls. We need to consider the reasons that people are not talking about the very real, very obvious problems which include the fact that we cannot safely walk and the fact that there are many sexual predators and murderers around us. We need to learn to ask better questions. We need to demand more of the government which
exists to meet our needs, acknowledging that we cannot meet them all ourselves, through enactment and implementation of laws as well as provision of reliable, quality public goods and services.
REMAINING G LOBAL 16 DAYS CAMPAIGN EVENTS, HOSTE D BY E QUALITY BAHAMAS.
Wednesday, December 4: M anaging Disasters, with B arrise G riffin
Barrise Griffin is known as the the Master of Disaster. Her work focuses on critically examining the social perceptions of risk to create more effective strategies in disaster preparedness and response throughout the Caribbean. Equality Bahamas will be in conversation with Barrise Griffin about disaster management, putting focus on disaster preparedness, response, and recovery. Disaster management cannot be about individual actions, contingent on our limited resources. To be effective, it has to be systemic and for the benefit of all. Join the session to find out about existing systems for disaster management and what The Bahamas still needs to build. Register: tiny.cc/16daysgriffin
T hursday, December 5: Femicide in the Caribbean, with Taitu H eron
Since 2020, Equality Bahamas has included advocacy to end femicide in its Global 16 Days Campaign activities. In 2023, we had a conversation with Myrna Dawson about her work to build and maintain the Canadian Femicide Observatory. Taitu Heron attended the event and later connected with Myrna Dawson and decided to conduct research on femicide in The Bahamas, Barbados, and Jamaica. Femicide is the killing of a woman or girl because of her sex or gender. The term is not used in The Bahamas or the rest of the Caribbean which means the killings of women and girls are not properly counted or analysed. We’ll be in conversation with Taitu Heron about her research on femicide in select countries in the Caribbean. We are looking forward to finding a way forward in research on femicide and ensuring that cases are recorded and the analysis contributes to the work to prevent femicide and gender-based violence. Register: tiny. cc/16daysheron.
S aturday, December 7: M aking O ur Rage V isible, with S onia Farmer and M argot B ethel at P oinciana P aper P ress.
We need time and space to engage with the arts and create art of our own.
Equality Bahamas partners with Poinciana Paper Press to host and facilitate sessions to bring people together to try new activities, have discussions, and create items imbued that are useful, beautiful, and meaningful to everyone involved. On Saturday, people are welcome to drop in at any time between 10am and 5pm to try block printing (which will involve making a stamp) and screen printing. Participation in these activities come with the gift of newly printed pieces, including a bandana that is part of a limited run and connect with a campaign by Equality Bahamas. This event, as with all Equality Bahamas events, is free of charge.
M onday, December 9: Writing Our Rage, with S taceyann Chin at Poinciana Paper Press.
Staceyann Chin is known across the Caribbean and all over the US as a poet who writes and speaks her rage with a conviction and energy that brings other people into it. There is limited capacity in the writing workshop she will facilitate for people interested in getting their rage on the page. No experience in writing poetry is necessary to join this workshop. Register: tiny.cc/ragewriting
Tuesday, December 10: Let’s Make a Rage Book! with S onia Farmer at Poinciana Paper Press.
Making a book is challenging, fun experience. Doing it in a group is even more fun because everyone can see the skills in the room. Each person is always particularly good at one of the tasks, and no one can really guess which person will be best at which task. There are many ways to make a book, but participants will have to wait until Tuesday to find out which one Sonia Farmer will demonstrate and guide us through. Equality Bahamas highly recommends that those interested in making a book also participate in the printmaking day on Saturday. The prints made on that day may be used for the book covers. In this session, we will keep the rage theme going and everyone will leave with a
book of their own.
BAHAMIANS TAKE CENTRE STAGE AT STANDARD & POOR’S GLOBAL CARBON CREDITS CONFERENCE
BARCELONA, SPAIN
THE Bahamas Aviation, Climate & Severe Weather Network (BACSWN) unveiled its groundbreaking real-time US Certified Aviation Carbon Credits Platform at the S&P Global Carbon Credits Conference earlier today.
Highlighting the achievements of a group of young Bahamians, BACSWN’s founder, Robert DupuchCarron, expressed gratitude for the support received from Prime Minister Philip Davis, senior policy advisor in the Office of the Prime Minister Jerome Fitzgerald, Financial Secretary Simon Wilson, and Anthony Ferguson of the Bahamas Blue Carbon Sovereign Fund.
“We are sincerely grateful for the wholehearted support we’ve received,” said Mr Dupuch-Carron.
Notwithstanding delays, BACSWN’s group financial advisor Michael Strachan said BACSWN’s initiatives have garnered significant interest from major international stakeholders.
“Airlines for America, Airbus, Boeing, IAG
(which includes British Airways, Iberia, and Aer Lingus), along with several sovereign wealth funds, have expressed a strong desire to explore how they can benefit from this transformational approach, said Mr Strachan.
Mr Strachan and Quincy Rolle, president and CEO of Tribune Digitalabs, are set to participate in several panels later this week. They will outline the benefits of BACSWN’s project, which has been praised by US defense contractor Raytheon as a “first-of-its-kind” initiative.
The $427m project promises to position The Bahamas as a global leader in live flight tracking, environmental infrastructure technology, and real-time aviation and hydro-meteorological services.
“This project has the potential to generate hundreds of millions in new revenue annually for The Bahamas’ cash-strapped treasury, while also bringing the Prime Minister’s carbon credit legacy to fruition,” added Mr Strachan.
TECH EXEC’S ADVICE TO COMPANIES - GIVE STAFF A CHRISTMAS BONUS
A TECH com-
pany executive has encouraged companies with the financial ability to do so to evaluate employee performances and boost staff morale by giving Christmas bonuses to their team this holiday season.
Plato Alpha Design and TriblockHR CEO Duran
Humes said conducting reviews of employees’ performances is not only good for keeping track of where improvements are needed, but also important for identifying where team members are overperforming and are deserving of recognition.
“Evaluating performance is critical in any organisation that operates on merit, meaning that you get rewarded for doing good work in a company,” he said. “Without evaluation of your employees, you won’t get a full picture of how well they are doing and what both you and the employee can do to improve - ultimately making your business better. The incentive of a Christmas bonus is something that many employees look forward to every year.”
But he said the bonus depends on the company’s financial standing and its ability to provide this ‘morale booster’ to employees.
“As soon as the company is financially able to do so,
DURAN HUMES
do it,” Mr Humes said. “For highly skilled positions, your competition may give bonuses as an incentive to attract good talent. If you are not, then your organisation stands the chance of losing your good staff to the competition. Finding and retaining good people is tough, and encouraging friendly competition is a very good thing that transparent performance bonuses can provide.”
Mr Humes’ company TriblockHR has developed digital solutions for critical human resources needs like payroll, national insurance and work scheduling.
He encourages companies to take a digital approach with conducting performance reviews, as he says it encourages transparency across the board and accuracy.
“By using a performance appraisal software or process you add transparency and trust with staff because clear goals and
key performance indicators (KPI’s) can be laid out,” Mr Humes said. “For example, if you score between 90-100% on your appraisal that counts for $500 in bonus, if you are between 50-90% on your appraisal that’s a $250 bonus and so on. Transparency is key to keeping good staff that ultimately keeps happy customers and repeat business. It also allows staff to set their personal goals in line with that of your company to help drive their performance. They can tie the work they are doing to the reward they will get at the end of the year.”
Mr Humes added: “Transparency in performance evaluations fosters trust and accountability within the workplace, leading to improved communication and better alignment of individual and organizational goals. Moreover, a study by the Harvard Business Review revealed that companies with transparent performance evaluation processes experienced a 14% increase in employee engagement and a 10% increase in productivity.”
TriblockHR’s Performance Review Module incorporates artificial intelligence (AI) with managing ratings obtained through performance reviews, ranking team members, giving letter grades and ensuring transparency across multiple levels.
CANADIAN NEWS PUBLISHERS SUE OPENAI OVER ALLEGED COPYRIGHT INFRINGEMENT
A COALITION of Canadian news publishers, including The Canadian Press, Torstar, Globe and Mail, Postmedia and CBC/Radio-Canada, has filed a lawsuit against OpenAI for using news content to train its ChatGPT generative artificial intelligence system.
The outlets said in a joint statement on Friday that OpenAI regularly breaches copyright by scraping large amounts of content from Canadian media.
“OpenAI is capitalising and profiting from the use of this content, without getting permission or compensating content owners,” the statement said.
The publishers argue that OpenAI practices undermine the hundreds of millions of dollars invested in journalism, and that content is protected by copyright.
“News media companies welcome technological innovations. However, all participants must follow the law, and any use of intellectual property must be on fair terms,” the statement said.
Generative AI can create text, images, videos and computer code based on a simple prompt, but the systems must first study vast amounts of existing content.
OpenAI said in a statement that its models are trained on publicly available data. It said they are “grounded in fair use and related international copyright principles that are fair for creators and support innovation.”
The company said it collaborates “closely with news publishers, including in the display, attribution and links to their content in ChatGPT search” and offers outlets “easy ways to opt-out should they so desire”.
BACSWN group financial advisor Michael Strachan speaking in Barcelona at the S&P Global Carbon Credits Conference.
Trump says he will attend reopening of Notre Dame in Paris
NEW YORK Associated Press
PRESIDENT-ELECT
Donald Trump will attend the reopening celebration for Notre Dame Cathedral in Paris this weekend, his first foreign trip since the election.
The cathedral is set to reopen Saturday after more than five years of reconstruction following a devastating fire in 2019 that engulfed and nearly destroyed the soaring Paris landmark. The ceremonies being held Saturday and Sunday will be high-security affairs, with about 50 heads of state and government expected to attend.
Trump announced that he will be among them in a post on his Truth Social site Monday evening.
“It is an honor to announce that I will be travelling to Paris, France, on Saturday to attend the re-opening of the Magnificent and Historic Notre Dame Cathedral, which has been fully restored after a devastating fire five years ago,” he wrote. “President Emmanuel Macron has done a wonderful job
ensuring that Notre Dame has been restored to its full level of glory, and even more so. It will be a very special day for all!”
The trip will be Trump’s first abroad since he won November’s presidential election. He travelled to Scotland and Ireland in May 2023, as a candidate, to visit his local golf courses.
Trump was president in 2019 when a massive fire engulfed Notre Dame, collapsing its spire and threatening to destroy one of the world’s greatest architectural treasures, known for its mesmerizing stained glass.
Trump watched the inferno in horror, along with the rest of the world. So horrible to watch the massive fire at Notre Dame Cathedral in Paris,” he wrote on what was then named Twitter, offering his advice to the city.
“Perhaps flying water tankers could be used to put it out. Must act quickly!” he wrote.
French officials appeared to respond shortly after, noting that “All means” were being used to extinguish the flames, “except
Five things you may not know about Notre Dame Cathedral
nation’s geography to its heart in Paris.
NOTRE Dame Cathedral, which is set to reopen to the public on Sunday after a five-year restoration following a devastating fire, stands as a jewel of Gothic architecture, a symbol of Paris and a tourist mecca. But behind the grandeur of the cathedral, which took 182 years to build between the 12th and 14th centuries, lie some surprising stories. From medieval myths to modern-day mysteries, here are five special things to know about this Paris landmark:
The heart of France, literally Notre Dame’s importance goes beyond its architecture and history — it’s literally the point from which all roads in France begin.
In front of the cathedral, embedded in the cobblestones, lies a modest bronze-and-stone slab with the inscription “point zéro des routes de France,” meaning “starting point of the roads of France.’’ This plaque marks the starting point for measuring distances between Paris and other cities across the country. While the plaque was installed in 1924, the idea of a national “ground zero” dates to 1769. King Louis XV envisioned a central reference for France’s growing network of roads, a concept that tied the
The great gargoyle myth Those scary stone creatures on Notre Dame might seem ancient, but not all of them are what they appear.
The actual gargoyles, which are monster-shaped gutters used to drain rainwater, have been around since the time of the cathedral’s construction. But the dramatic, monster-like figures often depicted on postcards and movies are chimera, and they’re much newer.
In the 19th century, the architect Eugène Viollet-leDuc, who was in charge of renovating the then-decaying building, added these creatures to add to the mystique of the cathedral. Viollet-le-Duc drew inspiration from Victor Hugo’s famous book ‘’The Hunchback of Notre Dame’’ to create these demonic animal figures with personified expressions. How to tell them apart?
Gargoyles resemble horizontal spikes coming out of the facade and have holes in their spouts to allow water to drain.
A revolutionary makeover During the French Revolution, which saw waves of protest against the Church, Notre Dame wasn’t exactly treated like a revered cathedral. In 1793, revolutionaries stripped it of its religious symbols and renamed it Notre-Dame de la Raison” (Our Lady of Reason).
for water-bombing aircrafts which, if used, could lead to the collapse of the entire structure of the cathedral.”
Trump also spoke with Macron and Pope Francis at the time to offer his condolences and said he had offered them “the help of our great experts on renovation and construction.”
Trump and Macron have had a complicated relationship.
During Trump’s first term in office, Macron proved to be among the world leaders most adept at managing the American president’s whims as he tried to develop a personal connection built in no small part on flattery.
Macron was the guest of honor at Trump’s first state dinner and Trump travelled to France several times. But the relationship soured as Trump’s term progressed and Macron criticized him for questioning the need for NATO and raising doubts about America’s commitment to the mutual-defence pact.
As he ran for a second term this year, Trump often mocked Macron on the campaign trail, imitating his accent and threatening
to impose steep tariffs on wine and champagne bottles shipped to the US if France tried to tax American companies.
After Trump won another term last month, Macron rushed to win favour with the president-elect. He was among the first global leaders to congratulate Trump — even before The Associated Press called the race in his favour — and beat UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer to the punch in delivering a congratulatory phone call.
“Congratulations, President @realDonaldTrump,” Macron posted on X early on Nov 6. “Ready to work together as we did for four years. With your convictions and mine. With respect and ambition. For more peace and prosperity.”
Macron and other European leaders are trying to persuade Trump not to abandon America’s support for Ukraine in its fight against Russia’s nearly three-year invasion. European leaders hope to convince Trump that a victory by Russia would be viewed as a defeat for the
US — and for the incoming president, by extension — hoping to sell him on the need to pursue an end to the war more favourable to Kyiv than he might otherwise seek.
Trump over the weekend announced that he intends to nominate real estate developer Charles Kushner, the father of his son-in-law, Jared Kushner, to serve as ambassador to France. The elder Kushner was pardoned by Trump in December 2020 after pleading guilty years earlier to tax evasion and making illegal campaign donations.
The reopening of Notre Dame will be an elaborate, multi-day celebration, beginning Saturday. Paris Archbishop Laurent Ulrich will preside at a reopening service that afternoon, banging on Notre Dame’s shuttered doors with his staff to reopen them, according to the cathedral’s website.
The archbishop will also symbolically reawaken Notre Dame’s thunderous grand organ. The fire that melted the cathedral’s lead roofing coated the huge instrument in toxic dust.
Its 8,000 pipes have been painstakingly disassembled, cleaned and retuned.
Macron will attend and address the VIP guests.
After the service, opera singers Pretty Yende, from South Africa, and Julie Fuchs, from France; Chinese pianist Lang Lang; Paris-born cellist Yo-Yo Ma; Benin-born singer Angelique Kidjo; Lebanese singer Hiba Tawaji and others will perform at a concert Saturday evening, according to the show’s broadcaster, France Télévisions.
On Sunday morning, the Paris archbishop will lead an inaugural Mass and consecration of the new altar.
Nearly 170 bishops from France and other countries will join the celebration, along with priests from all 106 parishes in the Paris diocese. The Mass will be followed by a “fraternal buffet” for the needy.
Ile de la Cité, where the cathedral sits in the middle of the River Seine, will be blocked off to tourists for the events. A public viewing area with room for 40,000 spectators will be set up along the Seine’s southern bank.
Instead, the cathedral hosted festivals celebrating science and Enlightenment ideas, and for a short time, it was even used as a wine warehouse. Religious services resumed in 1795, and Notre Dame regained its sacred status on the impulse of French emperor Napoleon I, who held his coronation there in 1804, immortalized in a famous painting by Jacques-Louis David.
The beheaded kings who returned centuries later In 1792, revolutionaries also decapitated 28 statues
from Notre Dame’s facade, mistaking them for French monarchs. They were actually ancient kings of Judah, biblical ancestors of Jesus. The heads were thought lost forever, possibly destroyed or sold as building materials. But in 1977, workers renovating a courtyard in Paris’ 9th arrondissement uncovered hundreds of fragments of stone sculptures. Experts confirmed they were the missing heads of Notre Dame’s kings. How they ended up buried there remains a mystery. Today, 22 of the heads have been restored and
are displayed at the Cluny Museum in Paris. Their discovery is considered one of the most remarkable archaeological finds in the city’s modern history.
A fiery wake-up call on lead dust
The 2019 fire that almost destroyed Notre Dame revealed a serious health risk. When the flames melted the roof, tons of toxic lead dust were released into the air and settled across Paris.
The problem? Authorities discovered there were no rules to measure the danger of outdoor lead dust. This wasn’t just a Paris issue — major cities like London and Rome, and even the World Health Organization, don’t have guidelines for outdoor lead pollution.
The Notre Dame fire highlighted a hidden problem, forcing officials to take a closer look at their safety standards. It took four months for the city to complete a deep-clean operation of the sidewalks even as tourists, residents and merchants walked streets around the cathedral daily.
A VIEW of the Notre-Dame cathedral as French President Emmanuel Macron visits the restored interiors on Friday in Paris.
Photo: Christophe Petit Tesson/AP
PRESERVED gargoyles of Notre Dame de Paris cathedral are pictured, on April 17, 2019 in Paris.
Photo: Thibault Camus/AP
SPORTS
SECTION E
WEDNESDAY, DECEMBER 4, 2024
Let’s play ball
The Bahamas Baseball Association (BBA) in collaboration with the Caribbean Baseball Confederation (COCABE) will host the under-15 (U15) Caribbean Baseball Cup starting today at the Andre Rodgers National Baseball Stadium.
The baseball action will run from December 4-9 at the venue. Five teams are scheduled to compete - Cuba, the US Virgin Islands, Sint Maarten, Dominican Republic and the host country - Bahamas.
The tournament opener will feature USVI versus the Dominican Republic at 2pm. The matchup will be followed by an opening ceremony at 6:30pm and the host country will take on Sint Maarten at 7:30pm.
Theodore “Teddy” Sweeting, secretary general for the BBA, said preparations leading up to the tournament went well despite some minor hiccups along the way.
“I think the tournament has been shaping up very well in respect to the organisation and coming together. We have had some glitches with teams trying to get out of their country which is
the Dominican Republic right now because they lost their reservations, but everybody else will be here and will be ready to kick off starting tomorrow [today],” Sweeting said. The Bahamas’ U15 baseball squad includes
Jordan Archer, Malique Israel, Chrishad Thompson, Khayle Watkins, Elvis Pardo, Javan Smith, Cotton Cubbage, Kaizen Dorsett, Nathan Fernander, Ajay Knowles, Mirko Gervasini, Marlon Botswick, Mario Dean, Liam Eneas,
Kamdynn Miller, Malik Williams, Kaylin Ferguson and Amari Knowles.
Prior to the U15 Caribbean Baseball Cup, players in the same age group placed seventh at the World Baseball/Softball Confederation’s (WBSC)
15U Pan American Championship in March this year in the Dominican Republic. The team ended their first time at the world qualifier event with a 2-3 win/
Gymnastics Federation calls for more support
THE Gymnastics Federation of The Bahamas is still in celebration mode after the country’s first CARIFTA Gymnastics team racked up 22 medals for a third-place finish at the inaugural CARIFTA Gymnastics Championships in Kingston, Jamaica over the weekend.
Team Bahamas hauled away 22 medals including four gold, seven silver and 11 bronze for the third podium spot.
Trinidad & Tobago won the first CARIFTA Gymnastics with a whopping 161 medals and host country Jamaica came in second with 118 medals. Despite
THANKS to Champion Spirit, a global leader in high-performance wellness, sports and fitness, Carl Hield and Rashield Williams will get the opportunity to fight at home for the first time as professional boxers.
Champion Spirit, founded by renowned athlete and world champion boxer Abdoulaye Fadiga, announces an unprecedented evening of world-class boxing with the return of “Drama in Bahama!” - an historic “Fight Night at the Grand Hyatt Baha Mar Ballroom on Saturday, December 14. This momentous occasion marks the first world championship fight in The Bahamas in over 43 years,
since the legendary bout between Muhammad Ali and Trevor Berbick in 1981.
Hield and Williams, both of whom have been fighting overseas, welcome the return of pro boxing and they promise the Bahamian public that they won’t want to miss seeing them in action.
The duo are currently training at the Contenders
WHILE attending the World Athletics Awards 2024 in Monaco, Bahamas Association of Athletic Associations’ president Drumeco Archer said he was elated to see highlights of the performances of Charisma Taylor and Devynne Charlton.
“I was happy to see them being featured in video,” said Archer about Taylor, who made her Olympic debut in both the women’s triple jump and the 100m hurdles, while Charltonthe world indoor champion and record holder - made her second straight final in the 100m hurdles.
No athletes from The Bahamas made the list of top performers this year with Olympic distance running champion Sifan Hassan and sprinter Letsile Tebogo taking the top female and male honours respectively.
American 400m hurdles/400m Olympic champion Sydney McLaughlin-Levrone also received a women’s top track honour.
Archer, however, said after the BAAA was awarded the Ministry of Youth, Sports and Culture’s award for the best federation during its national awards ceremony in October at the Andre Rodgers Baseball Stadium, they are looking forward to another banner year in 2025.
“We are poised for yet another exciting season where we are expecting great performances coming out of our junior
Boxing Club in Fort Lauderdale, Florida. Hield, who is riding an impressive undefeated 7-0-0 win-loss-draw record with seven knockout victories, is dedicating his fight to his deceased mother, Norma, who was his number one fan when he fought as an amateur.
“I get a chance to show the Bahamian people my talent,” Hield said. “I’m just going to go out there and do what I normally do. I will go with my game plan. Whatever he brings, I will have a response for it.” Not since 2003 when the CARIFTA
country will play against Sint Maarten at 7:30pm in the featured game.
BOXERS Rashield Williams and Carl Hield.
Roadrunners Track Club giving back
By BRENT STUBBS Chief Sports Editor bstubbs@tribunemedia.net
AS they prepare for their year-ending Christmas social and awards banquet, members of the Roadrunners Track Club took the time out to give back to some of the precious pearls in the community.
The club, which adopted Demetrius Home and Care Centre for an outreach project this year, hosted their first thanksgiving dinner at the centre in Fox Hill on Sunday afternoon.
Club president and head coach Dexter Bodie said it’s just their way of showing their appreciation to the less fortunate and to bring about a sense of awareness to their athletes about caring for those less fortunate.
“We want to give God thanks for this vision,” Bodie said. “After we adopted them, the first project we assisted them with was their streak out at the end of October where they went on a bus drive and they were able to secure the bus that is parked in their yard.
“Then we decided to have a thanksgiving dinner for them and we embarked on that mission and it was very successful. This is something that we will do at the home every year.
We will have a thanksgiving dinner with them every year.”
In total, the Roadrunners feted about 50 persons, but Bodie said they had anticipated much more because the athletes and their parents brought along more than enough food.
Every other month during the year, Bodie said they will go to the home
and engage in various activities with the elderly persons there.
“We are also going to make sure that for Christmas, each person in the home will receive a Christmas gift from the Roadrunners Track Club,” Bodie said.
“It’s a nice venture.
We decided that instead of always receiving, we will give back and we will
continue to give back for as long as we can.”
While they are in the festive mood, Bodie said the club is looking forward to hosting its annual awards banquet on Saturday, December 14 at Sandals Royal Bahamian Hotel, starting at 7pm.
At the banquet, which is bigger than any other sporting banquet held, Bodie said they will
present awards to their deserving athletes for their performances on the track and in the classroom.
Bodie said the athletes look forward to dressing up in their finest outfits as they are judged for their appearances. But more importantly, it’s also about who did what when the awards are presented for their achievements during the past season.
Hield and Williams coming home to fight
special one. “I have to give a lot of thanks to Champion Spirit for giving me the opportunity to come home and fight and to show the Bahamian people the talent I have.
“It’s also good because me and Rashield will be on the same card and the two Cubans, who are Olympic and world champions, whom I trained with in Cuba and was in the same ring with them as amateurs, we will now be on the same card as pros.”
It’s a good way, Hield said, to close out the year with a special amateur/ professional card and so he encourages Bahamians to come out and show their support, especially for him and Williams.
Hield just returned from Colombia where he did some training and is now in Fort Lauderdale working out with Williams as they prepare for their first
pro fights at home next week. Hield will be fighting orthodox fighter Edwin Gamboa from Panama, who is 13-10-2, while Williams will face 31-year-old American Jose Belloso, who is 5-5-0. Williams, 35, will be coming to town with an 11-3-0, 9 (KO) record. He too thanked Champion Spirit for the opportunity for him to display his talents to the Bahamian public.
“I couldn’t wait for an opportunity like this,” said Williams, who last fought at home as an amateur during the tutelage of the late Ray Minus Jr. Known as “Mr Excitement” from his performances so far, Williams said he’s coming home with a lot of fireworks as he prepares for another knockout victory.
“I’m not a boring fighter. Everybody just loves to watch me fight,” he stated. “I’ve been working hard
getting ready for this opportunity. So the Bahamian public can expect for me to put on a show.”
Having travelled around the world to various international tournaments together and currently training together, Williams said it’s even more special with him fighting on the same card with Hield.
“Carl is my team-mate and my stable-mate. We train down here in Fort Lauderdale so we actually see each other and train together,” Williams said.
Main Event Fights
Some of the top contenders in their respective divisions will also be showcased during the show.
Undefeated French powerhouse Kevin Lele Sadjo (23-0-0, 20 KO) and Chinese star Xu Can, known as the “Monster” (19-4-0, 4 KO), are set to showcase their talents in highly anticipated bouts. Cuban standouts Julio
César La Cruz (3-0-0, 2 KO), Olympic gold medallist and the WBA Gold Bridgerweight Champion, and Lázaro Álvarez (6-00) bring star power to the lineup with their dynamic skills and impressive records.
Meanwhile, Miami heavyweight Anthony Martinez (19-2-0, 17 KO) promises a display of explosive knockout strength, setting the stage for an unforgettable night of relentless action. These exhilarating bouts will showcase world class skill, power, and determination as each fighter aims to make their mark on boxing history.
Regular seating options are available, allowing fans to experience the excitement.
For those seeking a more luxurious experience, Champion Spirit Promotions also offers a range of exclusive VIP packages: VIP Seating is priced at $1,000, VAT included. The
BAHAMIAN ATHLETES
package includes one VIP seat with a preferred view of the ring, cocktail dinner and complementary glass of champagne and refined and intimate setting to experience the excitement of the event.
VIP Table is priced at $12,000, including VAT for a table of seven. It includes exceptional viewing experience, access to public training sessions, threecourse gourmet dinner with wine pairing and exclusive entry to the aftershow cocktail party.
All-Access VIP Add-On is priced at $550 per person (only available to VIP Table holders) and includes backstage meet and greet with the champions, unique photo opportunity and exclusive behind-thescenes access.
The event will be broadcast live on DAZN, offering subscribers worldwide an exclusive, ringside experience to this electrifying event.
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programme,” he stated. Archer said they are even more excited because instead of having the Odd Distance Meet as the first event for the new year, they have started to stage it on Saturday, December 14 at the original Thomas A. Robinson Track and Field Stadium.
“The benchmarking has already begun,” he said. “But as usual, the Odd Distance meet will serve as the benchmark for many of the clubs.
“I know that we will be strong in certain areas and not so strong in other areas. The main concern is the women’s sprints, particularly in the under-17 category, so the Odd Distance meet will be a good indication of exactly where we are with our junior athletes.”
The meet, which allows athletes to run non-traditional races and to compete in field events from either shorter or longer distances, is expected to get started around 10am on Saturday, December 14.
Right after taking the Christmas break, Archer said the BAAA will swing into high gear with its exciting calendar of events for the year 2025.
loss record that included victories against Argentina and Panama. With that being said, Sweeting is expecting this group of baseball players to have even more success on home soil at the U15 Caribbean Baseball Cup.
“This is our strongest age bracket so our expectation for this team is extremely high in respect of looking at going to play for the gold medal in this competition. About 80 per cent of the young men on this team competed in March where they competed against 12 countries in bracket A.
“It is a very strong team, they defeated powerhouses Panama and Argentina at that tournament so I think they are ready for competition. I also think manager Albert Cartwright has very high expectations and from organising, from the BBA we are looking forward to some very good results,” he said.
Each team competing at the six-day tourney will have the opportunity to compete for points necessary to climb the WBSC rankings. The host team is currently ranked at no.47 in the Americas.
Sweeting encouraged Bahamians to come out and support the local athletes in their quest to medal this week.
Team Bahamas will play in the featured game at 7:30pm on Wednesday, Friday, Saturday and Sunday. They will begin competition against Sint Maarten followed by the Dominican Republic, USVI and Cuba.
The bronze medal and championship games will take place starting at 2pm on December 9.
Tickets range from $10 to $35 and can be purchased at the venue’s box office.
MEMBERS of the Roadrunners Track Club took the time out to give back to some of the precious pearls in the community.
ROADRUNNERS TRACK CLUB, which adopted Demetrius Home and Care Centre for an outreach project this year, hosted their first thanksgiving dinner at the centre in Fox Hill on Sunday afternoon.
Tiger Woods has no firm answers on deal with Saudis or his future as a player
By DOUG FERGUSON AP Golf Writer
TIGER Woods could not offer much of a timetable yesterday on PGA Tour negotiations with the Saudi backers of LIV Golf or his own future as a player.
Woods is the tournament host of the Hero World Challenge this week, and that’s his only role at Albany Golf Club in The Bahamas. He has played the holiday tournament only once since 2019, missing this year while recovering from a sixth surgery on his lower back.
“I’m not tournament sharp yet, no. I’m still not there,” Woods said. “These are 20 of the best players in the world and I’m not sharp enough to compete against them at this level. So when I’m ready to compete and play at this level, then I will.”
A big part of his time is occupied by PGA Tour business matters. Woods was appointed to the PGA Tour board a year ago with no term limits, and he also is on the board of the commercial PGA Tour Enterprises.
There has been movement on negotiations for the Public Investment Fund of Saudi Arabia to become a minority investor in PGA Tour Enterprises — the tour already has a $1.5 billion investment from Strategic Sports
Group and a player equity programme. PGA Tour Commissioner Jay Monahan played in the Dunhill Links Championship on the European tour with the PIF governor, Yasir Al-Rumayyan.
Monahan also played golf with President-elect Donald Trump, who had said he could fix golf’s mess in about 15 minutes.
“I think all of us who have been a part of this process would have thought it would have happened quicker than this,” Woods said.
He suggested any deal still would have required Justice Department approval. “But things are very fluid, we’re still working through it, it’s happening daily,” Woods said. “From a policy board standpoint or from an enterprise standpoint, things are moving and they’re constructive.”
In the meantime, Bloomberg reported last week the European tour is talking with PIF separately, leading to suggestions of a shared schedule in which players from the European tour and LIV Golf could play on each circuit.
“We all want to get past this and to do what’s best for the tour and in trying to do that, there’s going to be ... some eggs are going to be knocked over and it’s going to be a little bit difficult at times,” Woods said. “But in
the end we’re going to get a product that’s better for all the fans and all the players that are involved and get some peace that the game desperately needs.”
As for his own future, Woods was not certain. He was not asked if he planned to play in two weeks at the PNC Championship with his son, Charlie. It’s a 36-hole event hosted by the PGA Tour Champions, so Woods could ride in a cart. He has played it each of the last four years. He looked back at 2024 as a lost year, primarily because of his ailing back that began to spasm as the year went on.
Woods had set a goal of playing a big tournament once a month through the majors season, but that fell apart early when he missed The Players Championship in March. He set a Masters record by making his 24th consecutive cut, but then only played at the next three majors and was gone by the weekend at each of them.
He had a microdiscectomy in September to alleviate pain down his legs, but he had no idea how often he could play in 2025.
“Whether my commitment going forward is once a month, yeah, I could say
that all over again,” Woods said. “But I truly don’t know. I’m just trying to rehab and still get stronger and better and feel better, really give myself the best chance I can going into next year.
“This year, I had to toss it away and I wasn’t as sharp as I needed to be and I didn’t play as much as I needed to going into the major championships and I didn’t play well at them,” he said.
“Hopefully next year will be better. I’ll be physically stronger and better. I know the procedure helped and hopefully that I can then build upon that.”
WOODS IN FAVOUR OF AMERICANS GETTING PAID AT THE RYDER
CUP
AS LONG AS IT GOES TO CHARITY
By DOUG FERGUSON AP Golf Writer
TIGER Woods dropped a big financial number related to the Ryder Cup that is sure to make headlines, particularly in Europe.
“I hope they would get $5 million each and donate it all to charity, different charities,” Woods said yesterday at the Hero World Challenge in the Bahamas.
“I think it’s great. What’s wrong with that?”
The source of the topic was a report last month on the PGA of America considering a proposal to pay American players $400,000 at the Ryder Cup, an amount that was a mystery to the executive level at the PGA of America, which still doesn’t have a CEO.
Woods is well-versed on the topic, which dates to 1999 when Woods, David Duval and Mark O’Meara were among those questioning how much money the PGA of America was making off the Ryder Cup.
That resulted in $200,000 for each player, half to a charity of their choice and the other half to a golf management programme at their university.
“We didn’t want to get paid, we wanted to give more money to charity, and the media turned it around against us and said we want to get paid,” Woods said.
“No. The Ryder Cup itself makes so much money, why can’t we allocate it to various charities? And what’s wrong with each player, 12 players getting $1 million and the ability to divvy out to amazing charities that they’re involved in that they can help out?”
The $5 million figure came about when Woods was asked if it should be made clear the money would go to charity, which it has for the last 25 years.
The issue is money coming in and where it goes, and its’ different for each team. The European tour is the lead partner in Ryder Cup Europe, and money from the matches in
THE STARS ALIGN FOR TIGER WOODS HERO WORLD CHALLENGE
By The Associated Press
PGA Tour HERO WORLD
CHALLLENGE
Site: Nassau, Bahamas.
Course: Albany GC. Yardage: 7,449. Par: 72.
Prize money: $5 million.
Winner’s share: $1 million.
Television: ThursdayFriday, 1:30-4:30pm (Golf Channel); Saturday, noon to 2:30pm (Golf Channel), 2:30-5pm (NBC); Sunday, 11:30am to 1:30pm (Golf Channel), 1:30-4:30pm (NBC).
Defending champion: Scottie Scheffler.
Last tournament: Maverick McNealy won the RSM Classic.
Notes: Tournament host Tiger Woods is not playing as he recovers from a sixth surgery on his lower back. He has played the World Challenge just one time since 2019. Scottie Scheffler is playing for the first time since the Presidents Cup. He already has eight victories this year, including an Olympic gold medal.
Only eight players in the 20-man field have won tournaments this year. This is one of the weaker fields for Woods’ holiday event, with only four players from the top 10 in the world — Scheffler, Patrick Cantlay, Ludvig Aberg and Wyndham Clark.
Among those skipping are Xander Schauffele and Collin Morikawa. Aberg is among eight players in the field for the first time. Nick Dunlap was still playing at Alabama at this time last year. Now he has two victories on the PGA Tour. The tournament is sanctioned by the PGA Tour but does not count toward anything but the world ranking.
European tour and Sunshine Tour
Europe is crucial in funding the tour. The PGA of America — not the PGA Tour — runs the matches in the U.S. The PGA of America gives the tour 20% of the television deal.
Rory McIlroy was among European players who, when asked about the report, said they would pay to play in the Ryder Cup.
“If the Europeans want to pay to be in the Ryder Cup, that’s their decision to do that, that’s their team,” Woods said. “I know when it’s on European soil that it subsidizes most of their tour, so it is a big event for the European tour and if they want to pay to play in it, so be it.”
Masters stretch run
Nicolai Hojgaard at No. 58 in the world ranking, Mackenzie Hughes (No. 57) and Thomas Detry (No. 61) are among those playing in South Africa at the Nedbank Golf Challenge.
At stake is finishing the year in the top 50 to qualify for the Masters, and time is running out. The Nedbank Challenge is followed by the Alfred Dunhill Championship in South Africa, and golf concludes with the Mauritius Open.
On the bubble are Min Woo Lee (No. 49), Lucas Glover (No. 51) and Stephan Jaeger (No.53), neither of whom are playing this week or are entered next week. Corey Conners also is playing in South Africa, although at No. 42 he should be safe for the top 50. For those who don’t make it, there is another top 50 cutoff from the world ranking a full week before the Masters.
The field for Augusta National, currently at 75 players expected to play, could add as many as eight players through the world ranking by the end of the year. Still to be determined is whether the Masters offers special invitations. Joaquin Niemann, Thorbjorn Olesen and Ryo Hisatsune received them for the last Masters.
Crypto payoff for LIV against PGA Tour match
The made-for-TV match between PGA Tour and LIV Golf League starts has a title sponsor and a new form of payment.
Crypto.com is the title sponsor of the Dec. 17 match at Shadow Creek just north of Las Vegas that pits Scottie Scheffler and Rory McIlroy against Bryson DeChambeau and Brooks Koepka. The Crypto.com Showdown will be televised across TNT, TBS, truTV and Max, with a commentary crew that includes David Feherty and Charles Barkley. It will be the first broadcast appearance by Feherty outside of LIV since he signed on with the Saudi-funded league. The 18-hole match will be split among six holes of foursomes, six holes of fourballs and six holes of singles.
As for the payoff? Front Office Sports reports it will be at least $10 million paid for the first time in Cryptocurrency.
Quick study
Nick Dunlap started the year as a sophomore at Alabama. Eleven months later, he is a two-time winner on the PGA Tour and in The Bahamas for the Hero World Challenge hosted by Tiger Woods. There have been rough patches along the way,
especially getting used to the travel, the cuts and courses he had never seen. But he proved to be a quick study, and he gave credit to Will Zalatoris for a practice round at The Players Championship.
“It wasn’t anything he said — it wasn’t really anything — it was just watching the way he prepared for that golf tournament and strategically where he chipped from, where he putted from, where he hit iron shots to,” Dunlap said. “It was eye opening to me because I never really paid that much attention in practice rounds.”
The rest of the year, Dunlap said he spent pretournament week trying to learn the course.
“It may only save you a half a shot or a shot and that could mean the difference at the end of the year,” he said.
On the rebound
Anthony Kim posted rounds of 71-72-73-71 and tied for 37th in the International Series Qatar on the Asian Tour. It was the first time Kim made the cut in any tournament since the 2012 Arnold Palmer Invitational at Bay Hill.
Kim walked away from golf two months after Bay Hill that year and didn’t return until he joined Saudi-backed LIV Golf as a wild card this year. LIV is 54 holes with no cut. In the only other 72-hole tournament Kim played this year, he missed the cut in Macau.
Kim made $14,510 in Qatar. He also moved up 2,281 spots in the world ranking to No. 2,314. The 39-year-old American is playing in Saudi International this week on the Asian Tour.
Divots
Hero MotoCorp. in India has extended its title sponsorship of the Hero World Challenge in The Bahamas through 2030, along with extending its relationship with Tiger Woods as an ambassador. Woods is the tournament host in The Bahamas. Jon Rahm makes his debut in the
Dubai Desert Classic next January. Rahm typically spent January in California for The American Express and Farmers Insurance Open at Torrey Pines before going to LIV Golf.
Claire Welsh of Canada, who previously worked senior roles in player relations for The R&A, is the new tournament director for the CPKC Women’s Open in Canada.
Stat of the week
Japanese amateur Rintaro Nakano had a 25-shot differential between his first and final round at the Australian Open. He started with a 65. He closed with a 90.
Final word
“The players have benefited from it whether you’re on LIV or you’re not on LIV. Love him or hate him, as a golfer, he’s certainly helped our lifestyle.” — Marc Leishman on fellow Aussie Greg Norman, the CEO of Saudi-funded LIV Golf.
NEDBANK GOLF CHALLENGE
Site: Sun City, South Africa.
Course: Gary Player CC. Yardage: 7,819. Par: 72.
Prize money: $6 million. Winner’s share: $1 million.
Television: ThursdaySunday, 4-9:30am (Golf Channel).
Defending champion: Max Homa.
Race to Dubai leader: Elvis Smylie.
Asian Tour SAUDI
INTERNATIONAL
Site: Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.
Course: Riyadh GC. Yardage: 7,246. Par: 71.
Prize money: $5 million. winner’s share: $900,000.
Television: WednesdayThursday, 3:30-8:30am (NBC Sports app), 9:30 to noon (Golf Channel); Friday, 3:30-8am (NBC Sports app), 9:30am to noon (Golf Channel); Saturday, 3:30-8am (NBC Sports app), 9:30-11am (Golf Channel).
TIGER Woods watches his son Charlie Woods during the second round of stroke play at the U.S. Junior Amateur Golf Championship on July 23, 2024. (AP Photo/ Carlos Osorio)
RORY McIlroy of Northern Ireland. (AP Photo/Altaf Qadri)
Gymnastics Federation calls for more support
FROM PAGE 11
the success of Team Bahamas, gymnastics head coach Rashad Cunningham believes more can be done to assist with the development of gymnasts in The Bahamas.
“I think the biggest issue that we have here in the country is the lack of equipment and that is at all of the different clubs that we have. We have three clubs here in Nassau and one in Eleuthera and we do not have the necessary standardised equipment in our clubs that could definitely give our girls the best chances of training,” he said.
Coach Cunningham added that CARIFTA Gymnastics has a great opportunity to thrive at the same level of track and field and swimming if more funding can be provided for
the necessary equipment. “I realised by travelling throughout Jamaica that all of their clubs have the necessary equipment for them to be successful in gymnastics. It is the same with Trinidad & Tobago, who has about 21 gymnastics clubs. They were able to dominate CARIFTA not just because their kids are good but because their kids actually have the necessary equipment to train.
“If the government or powers that be can get standardised and up-to-date equipment for the various gyms where the children can not only just train but train safely, effectively and efficiently I believe that gymnastics is gonna be a dominating sport along with track and field and complementing swimming,” he said.
Skai Campbell got a bronze medal in the level
three under-9 category for the floor exercise.
Anai Ingraham also came away as a bronze medallist on the floor but in the under-11 category.
The level three team of Skai Campbell, Daelyn Jones, Ingraham, Rielle Whylly, Amelia Francis and Kaylie Bynoe clinched a silver medal finish.
The level six team, including Rhianna Smith, Kia Bazard, Maleah Miller and Charis Edgecombe placed second overall.
Sade Hall, a level 9 gymnast, claimed four medals at the competition. She captured silver on the floor, bronze on the bars, silver on the beam and bronze in the all-around category.
Mikala Cartwright also racked up a few medals. She had a winning performance in the floor exercise, placed second on the beam and third on the vault.
Prior to travel, the GFB made an appeal to corporate Bahamas for assistance with additional funding for travel expenses.
Kelsie Johnson-Sills, acting director of sports for the Ministry of Youth, Sports and Culture (MOYSC), put out a statement last week stating that the ministry provided $20,000 to assist the GFB with travel expenses and preparation.
However, GFB president Cora Hepburn has since refuted those claims.
“The GFB would also like to set the record straight in reference to the statement sent by the acting director of youth, sports and culture in reference to $20,000 that was given to the federation for the CARIFTA Games. Our records reflect no such thing.
“If there is evidence that the $20,000 was sent to the
GFB, we would be more than happy to submit our records for public viewing, which would reflect otherwise.
“On November 6, 2024 prior to leaving for the CARIFTA Games, we received an annual $10,000 grant, like every other category C federation, which was used towards a threeweek camp in September 2024 to prepare for the CARIFTA Games.
“Despite the minimal support, out of 23 gymnasts, we were able to bring 22 medals for the country,” according to the press statement.
The GFB thanked sponsors, including the Bahamas Olympic Committee, Sun Oil Limited, three managing directors of Lyford Cay Club, Leisure Tours and Islandwide Cabling and Consulting for their support.
Analysis: NBA’s 3-point craze only getting crazier, with Celtics leading the charge
By TIM REYNOLDS AP Basketball Writer
MAKE more 3-pointers than your opponent in this NBA era, and you’re likely to win. Make a lot more 3s than your opponent, and you’re almost certain to win. The Boston Celtics are clearly banking on that thinking as they seek backto-back titles.
All the 3-point numbers in the NBA are on the rise yet again, with the league on yet another record pace for both 3s made and 3s attempted. This can’t come as a surprise, given there’s been a steady rise in those numbers across the league for more than a decade.
But the Celtics are relying upon the 3-pointer like no team in NBA history — on
PREMIER
LEAGUE: PALACE BEATS IPSWICH
1-0 AS GUEHI DEFIES FA WITH MESSAGE ON ARMBAND
By STEVE DOUGLAS AP Sports Writer
CRYSTAL Palace won for just the second time in the Premier League this season, beating relegation rival Ipswich 1-0 to pull clear of the bottom three yesterday.
Jean-Philippe Mateta scored the goal in the 59th minute when he produced a stepover to befuddle Ipswich defender Jacob Greaves and then a deft chip over goalkeeper Arijanet Muric.
Palace’s only other victory in the league in 14 games this campaign was against Tottenham.
While Ipswich stayed in next-to-last place, Palace moved three points above the relegation zone.
Much of the focus ahead of the game was on the teams’ captains, Sam Morsy of Ipswich and Marc Guehi of Palace, during another round when the Premier League was celebrating LGBTQ+ inclusion in its campaign to promote equality and diversity.
For the second straight game, Morsy chose against wearing a rainbow armband issued to the captain of each of the 20 teams in the league. He has made the decision “due to his religious beliefs,” Ipswich says. Guehi did wear the rainbow armband but defied Football Association rules by writing a religious message on the item. The message read “Jesus loves you” — using a heart sign instead of the word “loves.”
During the match against Newcastle on Saturday, Guehi wrote “I love Jesus” — and was later contacted by the FA for acting in contravention of its regulations. Leicester was hosting West Ham in yesterday’s other game.
will be sent out on Tuesday, December 9 to all BTA members via the WhatsApp group and posted on the website so you can decide on whom to vote at the AGM. If nominees want to add a résumé or any information about themselves to be sent out, you are more than welcome to. Please send nomination forms and information to secretary@ bahamastriathlon.org.
pace to smash the league records for 3s made and attempted in a season — and other teams are taking note of the approach.
“When we’re at our best, you have to have an understanding,” Celtics coach Joe Mazzulla said. “This is what we do. … At the end of the day, we’re trying to be the best version of ourselves more than other people.”
The best version of the Celtics is the version that includes them shooting it from deep and shooting it from there often. They’re not alone in that sort of thinking. Of the NBA’s 30 teams, 13 are on pace to shoot more 3s this season than they ever have before.
“It helps, for sure, and our guys have really worked at that,” said Miami coach Erik Spoelstra,
To vote at the AGM you must be a member of the BTA of the age of eighteen (18). This means that current membership must be paid to date (2024).
ANDROS HEAT ROAD RACE THE Andros Heats has announced that its fifth annual road race will take place on Saturday, December 14. The top three finishers will be awarded trophies. Fourth place finishers will be awarded medals. Interested persons are urged to contact coach Patty Rolle at 323-8801. NPVA VOLLEYBALL THE New Providence Volleyball Association will continue its regular season action on Friday at the DW Davis Gymnasium this week. Here’s a look at the schedule: Friday - 7:30pm - Panthers vs Lady Techs (L) 9pm - Avengers vs
whose team is one of the 13 — along with Boston, Brooklyn, Charlotte, Chicago, Cleveland, Detroit, Oklahoma City, Orlando, Philadelphia, Phoenix, San
Technicians (M)
Sunday 3:30pm - Lady Techs vs Set-sy Poppers (L() 5pm - Technicisns A vs Technicians B (M) TRACK
BAAA ODD
DISTANCE MEET
THE Bahamas Association of Athletic Associations has announced that its Odd Distance Track and Field Meet will be held on Saturday, December 14 at the original Thomas A. Robinson Track and Field Stadium.
The event will allow field competitors to compete in field events from shorter approaches and track events will be either shorter or longer than the traditional track events.
FAST TRACK
WINTER CLASSIC
THE Fast Track Athletics
Track Club announced that its Fast Track Winter Classic will be held on Saturday, December 14, starting at
Antonio and Washington — on a franchise-record pace for 3-point attempts.
“It all works together, though. It can’t just be 3s and it can’t just be paint attacks.”
It’s silly to say that one stat — other than points, obviously — can dictate winning or losing, but it sure seems like an edge in 3-pointers made equates to victories.
So far this season, the team that takes more 3-pointers in a game wins 53% of the time.
The team that makes more 3-pointers wins 67% of the time. If a team makes five more 3s than its opponent, it wins 75% of the time.
And if a team makes 10 more 3s than its opponent, game over: Those clubs,
10am at the Grand Bahama Sports Complex. The meet will take the form of an odd distance meet with track club competing in non-traditional events and field competitors contesting events from shorter or longer approaches. Tons of giveaways will be given out to the spectators. For more information, persons are urged to contact 727-6826 or Fast Track Management for more information.
BAAA
CHRISTMAS PARTY
THE Bahamas Association of Athletic Associations has announced that their Christmas Party in the backyard will take place on Friday, December 20. The event will take place at Sealy’s Backyard in Sea Breeze Lane from 6pm. Prizes and surprises will be given out all night long.
ROAD RACE
BBSF WALK/RUN
THE Bahamas Baptist Sports Federation is inviting
after the Celtics did it to the Heat on Monday, are now 31-0 this season.
“Rhythm shots, catchand-shoot 3s, open shots, you’ve got to be willing to take those,” Toronto coach Darko Rajakovic said.
“Players at this level, they spend so much time working on their shot — working in the offseason, working in-season — you’ve got to have confidence to take those shots.”
Only two teams in league history — the 2018-19 Houston Rockets and 2020-21 Utah Jazz — have finished a season having gotten more points off 3-pointers than they did 2-pointers. That club is going to have a new member or two when this season is over.
This is an example of how what Boston is doing is never-before-seen. The Celtics are getting 47% of their points off 3s and only 37% off 2s, an unprecedented difference. (And most of those 2s are at the rim.) Meanwhile, the Charlotte Hornets are getting 45% of points off 3s, 42% off 2s. It’s almost unheard of to be that 3-point reliant. The Jazz got 43% of their points on 3s in 2020-21, 42% on 2s. The Rockets got 42% of their points on 3s in 201819, 41% on 2s. Charlotte is in its first year under coach Charles Lee — who, it should be noted, coached in Boston last season under Mazzulla. It’s not a stretch to conclude that Lee brought the Boston-3-party mentality to Charlotte and gave his shooters a very green light.
the general public to participate in their Family Fun Run/Walk, scheduled for Saturday, January 11, starting at 6am from the Charles W Saunders High School, Jean Street. The walk will leave Jean Street and head north to Bernard Road, west on Bernard Road to Soldier Road, south on Soldier Road to Prince Charles Drive and east on Prince Charles Drive to Jean Street. The run will leave Jean Street and head south to Prince Charles Drive, east to Fox Hill Road, north to Bernard Road and west to Jean Street. The categories include female and male 15-andunder, 20-and-under, 40-and-under, 60-and-under and over-60. There will also be a Pastors/Ministers/Deacons’ division. Trophies will be presented to the overall winner, while the top three finishers in each group will get medals.
Interested persons can contact Ann Thompson at 425-3557 or email ann837609@gmail.com or Brent Stubbs at 42-67265 or email stbbobo@gmail.com. SOFTBALL
BBSF SOFTBALL
LEAGUE
THE Bahamas Baptist Sports Federation will hold its 2025 softball league, starting on Saturday, February 1 at the Charles W Saunders High School, Jean Street. The co-ed slow pitch league will allow each team up to a total of 15 players with the registration fee of $200. The deadline for team registration with rosters and team payment is Saturday, January 25, 2025. Interested persons can tournament director Thomas Sears at 424-2888 or email 242softball@gmail. com or Brent Stubbs at 4267265 or email stubbobs@ gmail.com
GOLDEN State Warriors guard Stephen Curry (30) celebrates after a 3-point basket during the first half of an NBA basketball game against the San Antonio Spurs on Saturday in San Antonio. (AP Photo/Darren Abate)
CELTICS centre Kristaps Porzingis (8) shoots a 3-point basket over Bulls centre Nikola Vucevic, right, during the second half of an Emirates NBA Cup basketball game on Friday in Chicago. (AP Photo/Melissa Tamez)
ATLANTA Hawks forward Zaccharie Risacher (10) looks to shoot a 3-point basket over Charlotte Hornets forward Brandon Miller (24) during the second half of an NBA basketball game on Saturday in Charlotte, N.C. (AP Photo/Matt Kelley)