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RELAXING THE RULES - BUT LET’S PLAY SAFE By LEANDRA ROLLE Tribune Staff Reporter lrolle@tribunemedia.net

THE government has relaxed restrictions on social gatherings, indoor dining and churches in response to the continued decline of COVID-19 cases. The new measures were outlined in a statement released from the Ministry of Health and Wellness and came into effect yesterday based on recommendations made by the advisory committee. The statement said church services in New Providence and Grand Bahama can now have a maximum seating capacity of 50 percent as opposed

to the previous 25 percent occupancy limit. Weddings and funeral services may also be held in a religious facility provided that all guidelines issued by the Ministry of Health are followed. A casket or urn can also be present during funeral services, the ministry added. For social gatherings, people may attend or host events indoors at a private residence with no more than 40 persons who are either fully vaccinated or have a negative COVID test. The same rule applies for gatherings held outdoors where up to 100 people are now allowed to attend. SEE PAGE THREE

FNM TO SPEND $200K ON IN-PERSON CONVENTION THESE ARE A FEW OF MY FAVOURITE THINGS By RASHAD ROLLE Tribune Senior Reporter rrolle@tribunemedia.net

THE Free National Movement will spend more than $200,000 to host its convention and fill key party positions at Atlantis this week, scratching previous plans to have a virtual event. Four hundred and ninety-five delegates will participate in the event, which will be held in the Atlantis Grand Ballroom from Wednesday to Friday under the theme “Forward United, Honouring

our Past, Celebrating our Achievements and Charting the Future.” FNM convention co-chair Ethan Adderley said delegates will consider amendments, receive reports and resolutions and review the performance of the party at the convention. One hundred and one people have nominated for party positions and the convention will be headlined by the election of a new deputy leader and a new chairman. SEE PAGE TWO

NBA star Deandre Ayton shows off a $600,000 watch during an interview with GQ Sports to show off ten things he can’t live without, including jewellery that represents The Bahamas. See PAGE TWO for the full story.

FINANCE OFFICERS’ SICKOUT MAY AFFECT STAFF PAYOUTS

BAHAMIAN FIRM SEEKING TO RECOVER $77M FROM FRAUD

By RASHAD ROLLE Tribune Senior Reporter rrolle@tribunemedia.net

By NEIL HARTNELL Tribune Business Editor nhartnell@tribunemedia.net

THE government lost an estimated $7.5m in revenue after finance and accounting officers throughout the public service withdrew their services from Monday

to Friday of last week in what the Ministry of Finance has called an illegal “coordinated sickout”. “The impact of this action on the delivery of services was severe. No payments to vendors or employees were SEE PAGE FOUR

A BAHAMIAN financial institution is awaiting a $77m recovery after falling victim to an alleged fraud involving an investment fund whose “chairman” is a

Freeport accountant. Mosaic Financial and its investors are awaiting a significant payout that depends on courts approving an agreement between US financial regulators and the Income Collecting 1-3 Months T-Bills Mutual Fund’s liquidators. FULL STORY - SEE BUSINESS

PI PROJECT CHIEF STILL SEEKS INVESTORS INSIGHT By NEIL HARTNELL Tribune Business Editor nhartnell@tribunemedia.net

THE Bahamian entrepreneur locked in a legal battle with the Government over his Crown Land lease on Paradise Island is “pressing on regardless” with efforts to raise $3m to fund his ambition. Toby Smith, the Paradise Island Lighthouse and Beach Club head, told Tribune Business that reaction to-date has been

TOBY SMITH “favourable” with the institutions and high-net worth individuals he has approached viewing the

proposed lighthouse restoration and beach club as “an attractive proposition”. Acknowledging that no investor was likely to fully commit until his Crown Land lease is assured, and the court battle with the government has ended, he nevertheless pledged to forge ahead in a bid to find what will likely be “a single investor” whose financing can bring his vision for Colonial Beach to life. FULL STORY - SEE BUSINESS

Nassau & Bahama Islands’ Leading Newspaper

CHINESE AMBASSADOR WRITES TO SAY SPORTS HAS MESSAGE FOR POLITICIANS SEE PAGE EIGHT

PAGE 2, Monday, February 21, 2022

THE TRIBUNE

THESE ARE A FEW OF MY FAVOURITE THINGS from page one A piece of jewellery flashing the area code of The Bahamas and the colours of the Bahamian flag is just one of ten things NBA star Deandre Ayton can’t live without. The 23-year-old New Providence born, Phoenix Suns star sat down with GQ Sports to show off his necessities. “This is my piece where I’m representing my island,” he says about the jewellery. “Just telling everybody where I’m from. I’m not American, I’m from a little tiny, tiny country in The Bahamas, in the Caribbean. And you know we got the area code on it, ‘242 To Da World’, you know I’m just always representing where I’m from.” The NBA star showcased two watches in the interview, a rose gold watch and a red Richard Millie worth over $600,000, posted on GQ Sports’ YouTube channel. “Red is my favourite colour,” he says. Other necessities include his car keys, one for his “Lambo truck” and another for his “double Rs.” Double Rs is his luxury Rolls Royce car. “I like nice things,” he says. “You know I work hard for it so again those two cars is my main things. Me being a big guy, I can’t fit in all of these foreign cars but you know, they made Lambo trucks and I was very happy, you know I had to get me one. And double R trucks always been my favourite. You know a lot of people break they necks when I drive by, it’s just like a yacht on the road for real so I like it.” His most important thing, he said, is his PS5 game system. “If you know me, I always have my console with me, no matter where I go I have the whole set up,” he says. “Always since I was younger, this is what kept me whole. I didn’t have that many friends, this was my friend right here. All my friends I met on this right here, so this right here is my best friend.” A Tom Ford cologne, a candle, lip balms, iPad, headphones, a hoodie and a book (that he never reads) completes his list of essentials.

DEANDRE Ayton pictured in action and, below, in his GQ Sports interview with his PlayStation 5, and showing off his Bahamas jewellery and his Rolls Royce keys.

FNM TO SPEND $200K ON IN-PERSON CONVENTION from page one

Marco City MP Michael Pintard was elected leader of the FNM on November 27 last year. Incumbent Secretary General Serfent Rolle, Treasurer Dwight Sawyer and Chaplain Gregory Minnis, Sr, are the only people nominated for those

positions. The other posts which feature multiple candidates include deputy chairman, vice chairman, deputy secretary general, assistant secretary general, deputy treasurer, assistant treasurer, assistant chaplain, trustee, sergeant at arms, deputy sergeant at arms, chief protocol officer and deputy protocol officer. The FNM last held a full

convention in July 2016 even though the party’s constitution says conventions must be held every two years. One proposed constitutional amendment is for the party to hold a convention at least once every two years, “during the fourth week of February or as the Central Council shall direct, at a time and place

approved by the Central Council.” The party will also propose to increase its ranks of Meritorious Council Members from 100 to 200. To become an MCM, a person must be a member of the party for at least 20 years under a proposed rule change. The party also proposes to change grounds

for discipline. Currently, members who independently nominate to contest elections or by-elections against a candidate chosen by the party are deemed to have resigned from the party. The FNM proposes to adjust this clause so that it applies to those who publicly oppose the party’s nominated candidate or

who financially supports any other party’s candidate as well. At the convention, the party will also propose that constituency associations “prepare and submit to the executive committee of the party an annual report providing a detailed account of its operation, attendance, membership, events, and finances.”

TWO RESCUED AFTER ABACO PLANE CRASH By LEANDRA ROLLE Tribune Staff Reporter lrolle@tribunemedia.net

TWO people were rescued yesterday after their plane crashed in bushes near Treasure Cay, Abaco. The Air Accident Investigation Authority reported the incident shortly after 3pm. “The AAIA has received

reports of an incident involving a United States registered aircraft, N62670 that crashed near the Treasure Cay Airport, Abaco,” the agency said. “There were two persons on board the aircraft, their condition is not known at this time.” When contacted by The Tribune hours later, AAIA chief investigator Delvin Major confirmed the two people onboard had been rescued and taken to the island’s clinic for medical attention. However, he was unable to state their nationality nor the origins of the flight. Details surrounding the

victims’ conditions were also not provided up to press time. The incident comes nearly three weeks after Royal Bahamas Defence Force officers rescued a Bahamian pilot whose plane crashed in waters off western New Providence. The aircraft was en route to Fort Lauderdale after departing Lynden Pindling International Airport before the crash. The AAIA said the pilot, a 32-year-old Bahamian, alerted authorities about an engine failure shortly after take-off. He was later rescued and said to be in good health.

JUNE HONOUR FOR SIR SIDNEY THE government is planning a weekend of public observances in honour of Sir Sidney Poitier, scheduled for Father’s Day weekend. The government said in a statement that it wanted to mark yesterday, which would have been Sir Sidney’s 95th birthday. The Bahamian-American actor, producer, diplomat, writer died on January 6 at his home in Los Angeles, California. The government formed a Cabinet subcommittee

shortly after Sir Sidney’s death, chaired by Foreign Affairs Minister Fred Mitchell. “That committee has been in touch with the family, and a set of formal and public observances are planned,” the statement said. “With the concurrence of the family, the Bahamas government is planning a weekend of public observances in his honour scheduled for the Father’s Day weekend in and around 19 June 2022. Further details will follow.”

THE TRIBUNE

Monday, February 21, 2022, PAGE 3

Relaxing the rules - but let’s play safe from page one However, the ministry has warned that large events still remain prohibited at this time. “Anyone who hosts or attends a social gathering contrary to the above rules commits an offence and is liable upon summary conviction in the case of a host, to a fine not exceeding $2,000 and to a fine not exceeding $300 for each person in attendance, and in the case of an attendee, to a fine not exceeding $300,” the statement added. The rule also said that restaurants can operate indoors with a seating capacity of 75 percent provided that all customers

are either fully vaccinated or have a negative COVID test. “Masks are worn by patrons when dining, at all times except when eating or drinking,” the ministry added. Meanwhile, as it relates to travel, anyone entering The Bahamas or travelling to another island from Grand Bahama or New Providence is required to undergo a rapid antigen test on the fifth day upon arrival. The rules also said, “Anyone who is out to sea on the second day of his stay is required to undergo a rapid antigen test at the first port of call thereafter and submit the result to the Ministry of Health

and Wellness via its travel health website.” In the event where tests are positive, people are asked to take an RT-PCR test and submit to mandatory isolation in accordance with the rules. Failure to comply with these rules can result in a fine of up to $1,000 or a one-month prison sentence. Indoor group exercises are also permitted with no more than 30 people. The easing of restrictions comes as COVID-19 cases continue to trend downwards in the country – with just 28 new cases recorded between Friday and Saturday, pushing the overall tally to 33,052 since the start of the pandemic.

Two additional deaths that were previously under investigation were also confirmed as COVID related over the weekend, pushing the nation’s tally to 770. Meanwhile, 42 people are still in hospital with the virus. Yesterday, the ministry attributed the nation’s improving COVID situation to the public’s adherence to health and safety protocols and the government’s comprehensive strategy to combat COVID-19. The ministry also noted the many initiatives it implemented during the nation’s fourth wave. “(We) introduced free COVID-19 testing for asymptomatic residents

in New Providence and Grand Bahama,” the statement said, “expanded the locations and methodologies to improve the uptake of COVID-19 vaccines, implemented a national distribution programme of the medical-grade masks to the community in partnership with the National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA) and NGOs (and) entered into purchase agreements for new pharmaceutical treatments for persons infected with COVID-19. The ministry also said it revised isolation and quarantine rules to reflect the science written on the​ behaviour of the virus. “It is noted that as the

situation improves, the public can expect more revisions to remove or relax restrictions,” the statement continued. “However, the public is reminded that the relaxation of certain restrictions could be tightened if the picture of the pandemic worsens to reduce the further spread of COVID-19 and prevent risking injury to the economy.” In the meantime, Bahamians are encouraged to get vaccinated or receive their booster shot to safeguard themselves against the threat of the COVID-19. According to the government’s latest vaccine tracker, more than 160,000 people are fully vaccinated to date.

FROM left, Mike Laroda, Minister of State for the Office of the Prime Minister; Senator Michael Halikitis, Minister of Economic Affairs; John HW Pinder, II, MP for Central and South Abaco; JoBeth ColebyDavis, Minister of Transport and Housing; US Chargé d’Affaires Usha Pitts; Prime Minister Philip “Brave” Davis; Glenys Hanna-Martin, Minister of Education, Technical and Vocational Training; Dr Michael Darville, Minister of Health and Wellness; and Kirk Cornish, MP for North Abaco.

US LENDS A HAND TO RESTORE ELBOW REEF LIGHTHOUSE THE United States is partnering with the Elbow Reef Lighthouse Society and the Elbow Reef Foundation to restore the iconic Elbow Reef Lighthouse in Hope Town, Abaco. On Friday, Prime Minister Philip “Brave” Davis, US Embassy Nassau Chargé d’Affaires Usha Pitts, other US and Bahamian government officials and stakeholders gathered on the lawn in front of the lighthouse to inaugurate the Elbow Reef Lighthouse Restoration project. The project is made possible by a grant from the US Ambassadors Fund for Cultural Preservation (AFCP) worth over $472,000 dollars. The US is partnering with the two aforementioned organisations through the AFCP. The historic landmark has stood on Elbow Cay for 158 years. Regular weathering and wear, compounded by the devastating force of

Hurricane Dorian in 2019, have taken a toll on this cultural treasure. The grant will help fund repairs to the interior original slate floors, the sophisticated fresnel lens that focuses a beam of light visible for up to 23 nautical miles, and restoration and re-painting of the iconic red-and-white candycoloured exterior. “Lighthouses offer hope... filled with the knowledge that some other human soul, people we may never meet, have invested so heavily to protect the journeys, and lives, and well-being of strangers,” Mr Davis said. He noted that the lighthouse keeper’s labour to protect others “speaks to a profound sense of humanity. They are hopeful examples of the best in us.” For her part, Ms Pitts reminded the audience of gathered dignitaries to “remember that this is an important historic marker...

of our shared human history.” The restoration of the lighthouse is yet another dimension of the enduring friendship between The Bahamas and the United States, and honours the architecture, history, and culture of The Bahamas, and supports Bahamian livelihoods, a press release from the US Embassy said. Restoration will not only help preserve a historic landmark, it will also continue to strengthen tourism and economic activity in an area devastated first by Hurricane Dorian, and then by the COVID-19 pandemic, the embassy said. The Elbow Reef Lighthouse Society and the Elbow Reef Foundation will implement the nearly half-million AFCP grant and oversee the restoration project. Constructed in 1863, the iconic red-and-white Elbow Reef Lighthouse is the last of its kind left in the world.

VIP guests officially begin the restoration work by stripping the first layers of coating and cracked paint off the surface of the tower.

PAGE 4, Monday, February 21, 2022

THE TRIBUNE

Finance officers’ sickout may affect staff payouts from page one processed, and more importantly, the accounting and collection of revenue were impacted. The estimated financial impact of this coordinated sickout to the government was $7.5m due to revenue lost or foregone and (lost) efficiency,” the Ministry of Finance said. Pia Glover-Rolle, Minister of State for the Public Service, said she is awaiting a final report of how many people participated in the sick out. However, at the peak of the matter, as many as 100 workers

may have failed to report to work. Bahamas Public Service Union president Kimsley Ferguson did not respond to calls and messages seeking comment. The ministry said the immediate impact of the sick out is that promised payments to public officers could be delayed again. “The Prime Minister had indicated in the supplementary budget that a decision on reinstating those increments would have been made around the mid-year budget, which would cost the government an additional $7m. Given the losses experienced by

the sick out, this reinstatement in all likelihood, would be deferred,” the ministry said. The Ministry of Finance added: “As this was not industrial action authorised by the Bahamas Public Service Union, the bargaining agent for this group of employees, the government is not aware of any grievance. The president of the BPSU, Mr Kimsley Ferguson, was also unavailable to meet with public officials for the entire week of the sick out. “However, Mr Ferguson had previously been in contact with Ministry of Finance officials concerning

matters related to finance and accounting officers. The matters pertaining to issues of promotions and allowances are longstanding matters, and their resolution has been complicated by a decision by senior public officials in the Ministry of Finance and the Treasury to give these same officers an unauthorised pay increase and promotions in February 2021. “Finance and accounting officers received an average salary increase of $5,000 during this exercise, although no approval was ever granted by the Public Service Commission. This lack of approval from the

Public Service Commission means that these officers can’t receive job letters reflecting their new salaries, and their retirement benefits would also not reflect their new salaries. “Work started in October 2021 to correct this situation. Still, some finance and accounting officers apparently believe that they should be exempt from the public service’s financial rules. Through this coordinated work stoppage, they felt they could have coerced the government to accept this unauthorised pay increase.” The Ministry of Finance said no group of employees

should hold the entire public service hostage. “It is unfortunate that this selfish act has impacted so many other public officers through the possible continuation of increment deferrals and also vendors of the government,” the ministry said. “The government is committed to continuing the exercise to regularise this unauthorised pay increase received by these officers. The government would also take steps to minimise future disruption in its services by the illegal withdrawal of labour from this class of employees.”

JOHN Cancino and Fiona Fraser at the Bahamas Humane Society after the Amoury Company helped to provide security cameras.

AMOURY COMPANY STEPS IN TO PROTECT HUMANE SOCIETY THE Amoury Company has completed the final stages of installation and equipping the Bahamas Humane Society with a video cloud surveillance system including 30 cameras, and a year’s monitoring free of charge — a donation of $25,000. This comes after the animal shelter was ransacked by thieves last October leaving more than $20,000 in damage. Less than a week after seeing news that the animal rescue and protection facility had been burgled and vandalised, The Amoury

Company, a tech company focused on B2B solutions, offered to step in to help, replacing surveillance cameras to bolster security and provide monitoring. The company completed the final work on the system a little over a week ago. “It is heartbreaking to know that the organisation was left in such a vulnerable state after the break-in,” said Jonathan Cancino, vice president and general manager of The Amoury Company. “We are excited to make this donation toward this much-needed cause in the

hopes that it lightens the incredible financial burden that, I’m sure, the invasion compounded. “With crime as it is, video surveillance systems are critical to deter activity, protect property and assist law enforcement in its investigations when an incident does occur. This donation is the first of its kind for our company and we look forward to more ways we can assist.” Percy Grant, BHS general manager, said the theft left the shelter disappointed. “I was excited and

grateful when The Amoury Company expressed their generosity especially in our time of loss,” Mr Grant said. The donation was made possible in part by the Drako Cloud Video Surveillance Grant which was originally introduced in the United States for schools as an added asset to existing surveillance models. The grant valued at $1,000,000 allowed for the implementation and operation of security equipment and cloud recording services. Schools that were grant recipients received a full

year of the Eagle Eye Cloud Video Management System (VMS) which included cameras, gateways, cloud recordings and centralised management. A few years ago when the grant was initially introduced to the Bahamian market targeting local government schools, there was little traction, possibly due to the immediate pressure and onslaught of the pandemic. With little inroads made, but knowing the many benefits and savings the grant provided, Amoury was determined to make it work. With approval from their partners, Amoury customised the grant for the local market to assist the Bahamas Humane Society with a commitment for future grant monies

geared towards schools. The Bahamas Girl Guides Association will be the second recipient of the grant. The relationship between Amoury and BHS will be ongoing as the former will provide overall management of the system, including data storage in the cloud with alerts provided in the instance of unusual activity. People interested in making a donation to the Bahamas Humane Society can: Make a direct deposit to account number: 1086176 at CIBC FirstCaribbean International Bank, Palmdale Branch or complete a credit card donation by emailing b_humane@htomail.com or call 323-5138 to speak with a representative.

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Monday, February 21, 2022, PAGE 5

Warm welcome for American Queen Voyages By DENISE MAYCOCK Tribune Freeport Reporter dmaycock@tribunemedia.net AMERICAN Queen Voyages made its inaugural visit to Grand Bahama on Saturday, bringing some 200 passengers. The vessel arrived at Freeport Harbour around 11am. There was a brief plaque exchange at the dockside by the Ministry of Tourism and Aviation and harbour officials, followed by a tour of

the vessel. William Annand, vice president of marine operations, lakes, ocean and expedition, said Freeport is the first port of call on its southeast itinerary. The vessel is part of the American Queen’s ocean fleet of vessels, he said. “This ship was built in 2001 in Jacksonville, Florida, and we purchased the vessel in 2019, rebranded it just this past Fall to American Queen Voyages, and changed the name of the

ship to Ocean Voyager,” he said. “It has 202 passengers, and it is considered small ship cruising or boutiquetype cruising,” Mr Annand said. The vessel is 300ft long and has a crew of 85. It is Bahamian flagged and sailed primarily on the Great Lakes. It operates in a warmer climate in the winter months. According to Mr Annand, the ship will come every 10 days through

April, and it will go to the Great Lakes in the summer, and back down to Freeport in the fall. He said the cruise line sails between the US and Canada. “We sail all five Great Lakes, and this is our first time in Freeport, and we are very excited,” he said. Nuvolari Chotoosingh, manager of the Ministry of Tourism’s group events/ niche markets, said the vessel’s visit is welcomed.

“Today’s visit by Ocean Voyager represents us getting back to some sort of normalcy, even though we are still going through the pandemic,” he said. “It also represents an opportunity for these 200 passengers to become investors here on Grand Bahama. That is the way we see them,” he said. Mr Chotoosingh said this visit also brings some economic activity for vendors at the harbour. When asked about

THE OCEAN Voyage in Freeport on Saturday. Photo: Tim Aylen the state of cruising on Grand Bahama, he said: “We are moving slowly, but surely. There are many things on the drawing board right now that we are hoping will come to fruition in the very near future. “As you are aware, Minister (of Tourism Chester) Cooper and his team have been working on the sale of the Our Lucaya property, and we are hoping it will come to fruition in short order,” he said.

WOMAN REPRIMANDED FOR STEALING FROM CHILDREN’S FATHER By LEANDRA ROLLE Tribune Staff Reporter lrolle@tribunemedia.net

A MAGISTRATE on Friday chastised a woman who stole more than $900 from her children’s father’s bank account. The man gave her his ATM card with instructions to withdraw $600 from the account to purchase their children’s school and food supplies, but she wasted the money on gambling. Stacia Cartwright, a mother-of-four, was reprimanded during her hearing before Magistrate Kendra Kelly after she was charged with stealing $950 from her children’s father earlier this month. Police said on February 3, a man reported how he gave Cartwright his bank card and information with certain instructions for her

to withdraw $600 off his account. The man said he told Cartwright $350 of the funds were for her to purchase school and food supplies for their two children and that $50 would be for her to spend how she so chose. The remaining balance, along with his card, was to be delivered to him afterwards. However, after waiting for several hours, the man said Cartwright didn’t return which prompted him to check his bank account. It was at that point that he discovered $1,550 was withdrawn from his account, $950 of which was taken without his permission. As a result, Cartwright was arrested and taken into police custody, where she admitted to the offence and

explained that she used the funds to gamble. When given the chance to speak on Friday, the 41-year-old gave the same explanation, saying she used the funds to gamble in the hope of making extra money. The accused went on to note that she lived with relatives and added that the family was burdened with bills and desperately needed money to make ends meet. “My children’s daddy did give me the card, but honestly, he hasn’t done anything for the children since last year and I did go and I did gamble trying to make extra money,” she said tearfully. “I’m not working.” Cartwright said she was remorseful for her actions and was willing to find a

FORMER SENATOR COAKLEY DIES PRIME Minister Philip “Brave” Davis has expressed sadness over the death of former Senator Patricia Coakley, who he described as a loyal member of the Progressive Liberal Party. “I was deeply saddened today to learn of the death of my friend and sister

in the progressive cause Patricia Coakley,” Mr Davis said in a statement on Sunday. “This saddens me in a deep personal sense. We were together in the struggle for the cause and I shall miss her. Ms Coakley served our party at many levels. She served the

country in the Senate and acquitted herself with loyalty, trustworthiness and distinction. Yet another of the second generation of freedom fighters has gone to her reward. I shall miss her. Our party has lost a great soldier. Our country has lost a worthy citizen. May she rest in peace.”

CENSUS TO BE COMPLETELY DIGITAL THE upcoming census will begin on April 5 and will be completely digital, officials said yesterday. “The digital format will not only transform how data is managed and analysed, but it is also changing the way data is collected,” officials said in a press release. There will be three ways for individuals to complete the census questionnaire: online, by telephone and in person. For the online census, there will be a questionnaire that individuals can complete from the comfort of their homes, anytime

of the day, and at their leisure. This applies only to households where contact information was provided during the 2021 listing exercise. Via telephone, census enumerators will administer the census questionnaire over the phone. Finally, traditional in-person interviews also will be conducted. Census workers will obtain all data collection using digital devices, which means all census data, no matter which collection method is used, will be directly uploaded, validated and processed in real-time

by a robust software solution that was pioneered and co-financed by the World Bank, the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation and the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations. The information provided for the Census is used for important planning and policy decisions in the government and in the private sector. Census data helps to determine school zones, the location of housing developments, and helps the government to make decisions about the allocation of public resources.

job to re-imburse the stolen funds. Asked by the magistrate how much money she spent on gambling; Cartwright replied: “The whole thing.” “I took off the $600 that he asked me to take off and I lost that in the gambling place, and I went back to try retrieve it,” she said. In response, Magistrate Kelly told the defendant she found her account of what happened that day very “disturbing” and described her actions as

completely “irresponsible”. The magistrate said it was bad enough that she wasted the $50 given to her, but conceded it was completely out of line for her to gamble with the funds meant for her children, especially as she was unemployed. “What were you thinking? You are supposed to be an example for your kids,” the magistrate said. She said her actions were inexcusable and deserved imprisonment. However, Magistrate

Kelly said her only saving grace was the fact that she had four children to take care of. As a result, Cartwright was ordered to compensate her children’s father and complete 300 hours of community service. She was also told to complete a gambling counselling programme. Failure to comply with the conditions of her release could result in her spending six months behind bars. Sgt Vernon Pyfrom prosecuted the case.

PAGE 6, Monday, February 21, 2022

The Tribune Limited NULLIUS ADDICTUS JURARE IN VERBA MAGISTRI “Being Bound to Swear to The Dogmas of No Master”

Publisher/Editor 1903-1914

LEON E. H. DUPUCH,

Kt., O.B.E., K.M., K.C.S.G., (Hon.) LL.D., D.Litt .

SIR ETIENNE DUPUCH,

Publisher/Editor 1919-1972 Contributing Editor 1972-1991

EILEEN DUPUCH CARRON,

C.M.G., M.S., B.A., LL.B. Publisher/Editor 1972-

THE TRIBUNE

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US virus cases continue decline AVERAGE daily COVID-19 cases and hospitalisations are continuing to fall in the US, an indicator that the omicron variant’s hold is weakening across the country. Total confirmed cases reported Saturday barely exceeded 100,000, a sharp downturn from around 800,850 five weeks ago on Jan 16, according to Johns Hopkins University data. In New York, the number of cases went down by more than 50 percent over the last two weeks. “I think what’s influencing the decline, of course, is that omicron is starting to run out of people to infect,” said Dr. Thomas Russo, professor and infectious disease chief at the University of Buffalo’s Jacobs School of Medicine and Biomedical Sciences. COVID-19 hospitalisations are down from a national seven-day average of 146,534 on Jan 20 to 80,185 the week ending in Feb 13, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention COVID data tracker. Public health experts say they are feeling hopeful that more declines are ahead and that the country is shifting from being in a pandemic to an ‘endemic’ that is more consistent and predictable. However, many expressed concern that vaccine uptick in the US has still been below expectations, concerns that are exacerbated by the lifting of COVID-19 restrictions. Dr William Schaffner of Vanderbilt University’s School of Medicine said Sunday that the downturn in case numbers and hospitalisations is encouraging. He agreed that it likely has a lot to do with herd immunity. “There are two sides to omicron’s coin,” he said. “The bad thing is that it can spread to a lot of people and make them mildly ill. The good thing is it can spread to a lot of people and make them mildly ill, because in doing so, it has created a lot of natural immunity.” However, Schaffner said it’s much too early to “raise the banner of mission accomplished”. As a public health expert, he said he’ll be more comfortable if the decline sustains itself for another month or two. “If I have a concern, it’s that taking off the interventions, the restrictions, may be happening with a bit more enthusiasm and speed than makes me comfortable,” he said. “My own little adage is, better to wear the mask for a month too long, than to take the mask off a month too soon and all of a sudden get another surge.” Officials in many states are cutting back on restrictions, saying they are moving away from treating the coronavirus pandemic as a public health crisis and instead shifting to policy focused on prevention. During a Friday news conference, Utah Gov Spencer Cox announced that the state would be transitioning into

what he called a “steady state” model starting in April in which Utah will close mass testing sites, report COVID-19 case counts on a more infrequent basis and advise residents to make personal choices to manage the risk of contracting the virus. “Now, let me be clear, this is not the end of COVID, but it is the end — or rather the beginning — of treating COVID as we do other seasonal respiratory viruses,” the Republican said. Also on Friday, Boston lifted the city’s proof of vaccine policy, which required patrons and staff of indoor spaces to show proof of vaccination. “This news highlights the progress we’ve made in our fight against Covid-19 thanks to vaccines & boosters,” Boston Mayor Michelle Wu said via Twitter. Dr Amy Gordon Bono, a Nashville primary care physician, said now is not the time to lessen vaccination efforts, but to double down on them. In the spring of 2021 when vaccines were becoming more readily available, the US was “eager to declare COVID independence”, she said. Then came the delta and omicron surges. Bono, who attended medical school at Tulane University in New Orleans, said the US should approach COVID like hurricane season. “You have to learn to live with COVID and you have to learn from it,” she said. One challenge is that each region has a unique landscape, she said. In the American South, for example, many restrictions have been lifted for a while or never existed in the first place. Yet it’s also a region with relatively lower vaccination rates. “We’ve suffered so much and if there’s a way to help appease future suffering, it’s having a more vaccinated community,” she said. In Buffalo, Russo said he sees two possible future outcomes. In one, the US experiences a fairly quiet spring and summer while immunity is still strong. He said in that scenario, it’s likely immunity will wane and there will be a bump of new cases in the cooler months during flu season, but hopefully not a severe surge. In the second — the one concerning public health experts — a new variant evolves and evades the immunity wall that was built up from both omicron infections and vaccinations. “Whether such a variant can evolve is the big question, right?” he said. “That is the concern that we’ll have to see through. Omicron was the first version of that, and there is this sort of adage that ‘well, over time, viruses evolve to be less virulent,’ but that’s not really true. Viruses evolve to be able to infect us.” By LEAH WILLINGHAM and JONATHAN MATTISE Associated Press

Rape is rape EDITOR, The Tribune. NOT surprising our politicians look for a flavour of the month issue and try desperately to make browny points from it when in reality the issue is stupid. Rape - yes Rape. When you hear or read that word there is one only understanding. But rape can come in different varieties and we better understand what basically rape is… the taking advantage of someone sexually against their will and agreement. It is ludicrous to hear the argument said on the airwaves or written that a woman after marriage becomes totally subject to and requiring to comply to the wishes of her husband. Editor, the lady did not

lose her Constitutional or Human Rights on saying ‘I do!’… this talk has to stop as it is teaching our younger people totally the wrong story to disrespect our women. Any advocacy of this needs to stop now. I do not like the politicians trending to make feminised-rape an issue trying to make political headlines and browny points… Rape is rape in any language, has always been, so please resist these silly statements to get on the news. The Bahamas allows same sex relationships/acts in the privacy of one’s home - surely the law must cover rape in that case of same sex rape? If politicians wish to champion something, doubt many of them can,

champion marriage - one together, and a union without extra marital relationships - there is an exceptionally high level of incest... prominent personalities strut around as if they are holier than thou, but have concubines all over town and outside children. Repair society, MPs politicians repair the great institution of marriage… hold up women - marriage don’t degrade and abuse… rape is rape. If truth be told of how many of our politicians could pass a lie detector test, lying test. Do you have a sweetheart? Do you have outside children? MIZPAH STRACHAN Nassau, February 8, 2022.

THE Davis administration has taken a bold and innovative approach to international geopolitical relations and tapping into non- traditional sources of funding and investment possibilities. Previous governments relied on the USA, Canada, the UK and Central and South American nations for trade, industry and tourists. This platform worked well over the past decades and pre-pandemic environment. The advent of the pandemic, however, along with the devastation wrecked in the travel industry has made it mandatory for many countries, inclusive of The Bahamas, to come up with out-of-thebox solutions and national funding. While it is a given that the vast majority of our tourists will continue to come from the traditional markets, the Arab world world and the Middle East are potential sources of everything that we need in The Bahamas. Their combined populations exceed almost a billion. If we were to aggressively market our country as a place where their residents would want to come to relax; unwind and to invest in assorted industries, especially in agriculture; fisheries; gas and oil our Gross Domestic Product would increase dramatically. On the real estate side our Arabian brothers and sisters have deep pockets and huge established national sovereign funds. On the real estate side I am convinced that tens of thousands of them would want to own or lease condominiums and luxury homes and even entire islands. For the past twenty or so years our political directorate would appear to have favored the Chinese investors. Baha Mar

LETTERS letters@tribunemedia.net the Pointe and the Hilton in downtown Nassau were all financed and are owned by Chinese state-sponsored corporate entities. At some point during the Christie administration it is alleged that the Peoples Republic of China was seeking to gain a foothold in our agriculture industry generally and Andros in particular. That fizzled out. If we were looking at possibilities that we could joint venture with our Arabian friends in the United Arab Emirates (UEA); Saudi Arabia; Bahrain and the people of Israel who have developed a knack for being able to cultivate crops and fruits literally out of the vast deserts in their country, we must embrace even additional contacts and exchange visits. The Most Hon Philip ‘Brave’ Davis, QC, MP and his administration have launched a major targeting of those whom I refer to as Arabian Knights. As a boy growing up and attending what was then Southern Junior School, but now Columbus Primary School a classical book favorite was: ‘Arabian Nights’ so I bow make a play on those words by saying; Arabian “Knights”. They are, with their vast oil wealth and bloated sovereign wealth funds, low hanging apples, so to speak. Already we are seeing the benefits of the much lambasted trip made by the PM and a large delegation in January of this year. There have been visits to The Bahamas by key players from Dubai; Saudi Arabia and the UAE at the ministerial levels. Several Memoranda of Understanding have already been executed. In short order, the newly

minted Minister of Agriculture & Local Government, the Hon. Clay Sweeting, will be leading a delegation to the UAE and other countries in that region to attend several high powered conferences and expositions. Whatever the costs for this trip will be it will be monies well spent in my opinion. In fairy tales, the damsel in distress would usually be rescued by a knight in shining armor. In the real world, however, The Bahamas is not a damsel in distress, but we too, can use a knight or two from the Arabian Peninsular to help us grow and revitalise our economy and infrastructure. There are some fabled ‘giants’ and dragons who must be tamed or slayed, if necessary. We have: relatively high unemployment and under employment; fiscal melt down; lack of sustainable funding for major projects, such as airports; bridges and roads; a purpose designed Supreme Court and Parliamentary Complex and the list goes on and on. I strongly urge the Davis administration to consider appointing an ambassador level Bahamian to the Arabian Peninsular and the Middle East. The Bahamas is now recognized on the international stage. The PM has visited the UN; Washington, DC; The UK and Scotland; Dubai; Barbados and Jamaica. The former PM did what he could have done, I believe, to elevate our nation geopolitically, but he appeared more focused on the authority and trappings of office than actual boots on the ground the way Davis is doing. The proof of the pudding is in the eating, as they like to say. Jr

ORTLAND H BODIE, Nassau, February 19, 2022.

Governor General EDITOR, The Tribune. READING the Constitution as to the Office of Governor General, Article 32, it is interesting it provides for the appointment, but seemingly does not stipulate once appointed how long is the tenure of being Governor General. Choosing a Governor General? Purely political as it is the Prime Minister who basically appoints which process many will argue totally correctly is too political for a person who is required to represent the majority and especially the minority. Clearly 96% of the population, those being citizens, are excluded for even being considered for the post as successively the choice has been a political and one of the boys’ who got the nod for the ceremonial post. Appointees’ terms cross the change of Government

and by practice seemingly the term, length of office is four years so our current Governor General’s term commenced as of June 19, 2019, so plus four years means his term expires around June 2023… in a year’s time. Certain media sources are suggesting that the Davis Administration intends to cut short the current Governor General’s term and nominate a past Prime Minister who fell from public favour in an enormous loss in the 2017 election which raises the obvious - are we politicizing this ceremonial position too much? Let’s look back to Governor Generals since Independence straight up probably the best was Sir Gerald Cash probably equal to Sir Gerald, Dame Margarita Pindling … very much people’s people and totally neutralized the Office from politics, but

certain tongue-in- cheek we cannot forget the Independence Day cake incident when the then Prime Minister, Christie was late and the cutting of the official cake continued with the then Leader of Opposition who became the Prime Minister in the immediate election after that. I would hope if there is any consideration for a new Governor General it would be the best decision not to have a political hack, but someone who has excelled in the public-private sector untarnished from the political scene. Cronyism I hope will be eliminated. I would not be in favour of a further past politician being appointed … are normal simple citizens excluded from this post? Forward upward…

more food for our own consumption, and also to export. Many nights, over the years, before going to bed, The Tribune newspaper, was what I read. I have learned much from Sir Etienne Dupuch over the years, on how to help improve myself. Many years later, because of this, I started to farm and grow things for my own household. I truly believe, Madam Editor, when the poor and average Bahamians apply to lease land to Crown land, the ministers and/or directors take too long to issue out a lease, it’s only in the

Bahamas when you have a grant that the Prime Minister has to sign. Many people put their emails, PO Box and telephone and it still takes long to receive a response. We need to help ourselves much better as an island nation. We need to teach our people self help. I have not read or heard the new agriculture minister speak on Crown land lease yet. Talking to other people who have applied they have also not received a reply as yet.

T ALBURY Nassau, February 11, 2022.

Grow more EDITOR, The Tribune. I AM writing an open letter to the Minister of Agriculture and Marine Resources, Clay Sweeting. I read an article in the paper about how the pandemic has affected Barbados. Now their government has started to give out large portions of Crown land to those persons interested and needing to do backyard farming as a way to sustain, and feed themselves. I remember many years ago the late Sir Etienne Dupuch writing in his editorial column in The Tribune saying, we need to grow

GLORIA P CLARKE Nassau, January 22, 2022.

THE TRIBUNE

Monday, February 21, 2022, PAGE 7

Acquittal for man over 2009 murder and kidnap By RASHAD ROLLE Tribune Senior Reporter rrolle@tribunemedia.net THE Court of Appeal has declined to order a retrial in the case of a man whose convictions for murder, kidnapping, robbery and housebreaking were overturned in relation to an incident that happened in 2009. Thus, the court directed his acquittal. In the judgment, Justice Maureen Crane-Scott said the case was “not an easy call,” adding: “Having considered the various factors, the court is satisfied that notwithstanding the seriousness of the offences and their prevalence, the stark reality is that these offences took place nearly 13 years ago and the case is now effectively an old case. The foregoing matters have convinced the court that the interests of justice will not be served by ordering a new trial in what is now a nearly 13-year-old case.” In 2020, the Privy Council allowed Simeon Bain to appeal his convictions and overturned them, finding the conviction was unsafe and was prejudiced by “serious mismanagement” by the trial judge. Mr Bain was not legally represented at the trial, resulting in what the Privy Council called an unfair trial. The Privy Council then sent the case back to the Court of Appeal for that court to consider whether a retrial should be ordered. Mr Bain was accused of murdering Rashad “Shanty” Morris on September 20, 2009, during a burglary of a Burger King restaurant. During the Supreme Court trial, Zina Davis, a close friend of Morris, alleged she told Mr Bain that Morris was gay. Government lawyers then alleged that after learning this information, Mr Bain made a plan to use Morris to rob Burger King. Ms Davis alleged Mr Bain told her the plan. When the alleged attempted robbery took place, Morris could not access the safe and he was subsequently stabbed to death in the street. In addition to stab wounds, his throat was cut. According to the Court of Appeal’s judgment: “Davis said that before the murder, the appellant had texted Morris, using the name ‘Dwayne’. This was apparently to gain his confidence, because he was gay. On the day in question, her evidence was the appellant went to pick Morris up, brought him home and locked him in a

room. She said she saw the appellant and Morris leaving the house together and gave a description of the clothes they were wearing. She described the appellant as wearing a black jeans jacket, black jeans pants, white tennis shoes, a pair of beige gardening gloves and a black tam. “The attempted robbery was captured on CCTV, and showed Morris being struck by a man dressed in black, wearing a ski mask, with light-coloured gloves, who tried without success to make Morris open the safe. Davis gave evidence that, although the CCTV footage was blurry, she could identify the man in black in the video, by his clothing and his build, as the appellant. “Davis said that when the appellant returned home, he was wearing a t-shirt and greenish boxer shorts and had blood all over him and he told her that he had stabbed Morris. She said that he told her that he had got rid of the car and all his bloody clothes. He also had a Blackberry mobile telephone that she did not recognise as his and $500 that he told her he got from the Burger King counter. Morris had owned a Blackberry.” During the trial, Mr Bain alleged he was framed for the murder and was not responsible for any of the offences. He also rejected police claims that he confessed to the murder, saying he was physically oppressed to obtain a confession. The Privy Council found Ms Davis gave testimony during the trial that ought to have led to “robust further questioning” but which did not because Mr Bain was unrepresented. This testimony includes the fact that Ms Davis testified at the police station she saw Mr Bain “on the floor” being beaten. The Privy Council found if a retrial was ordered, this would be explored in ways it was not during the first trial. “In the circumstances of this particular case, we do not consider the strength of the case which was presented at the previous trial so overwhelming as to be a determinative factor by itself to order a new trial,” the judgment says. “As the board appears to have recognised, this is a case where, on the one hand, if a jury properly directed, accepted Ms Davis’ evidence together with the appellant’s confession, they could on a retrial still convict the appellant. On the other hand, assuming that the confession were to be admitted into evidence on a new trial, with proper representation

FRAUDSTER PLEADS GUILTY By LEANDRA ROLLE Tribune Staff Reporter lrolle@tribunemedia.net

A 21-YEAR-OLD who fraudulently obtained money from a local bank last year after depositing a forged cheque pleaded guilty to the offence in Magistrates Court Friday. D’Angelo Devon stood before Magistrate Algernon Allen Jr charged with one count each of possession of a forged document, uttering a forged document and fraud by false pretences. Police said the

accused was found with a forged SSB bank cheque drawn from the account of April Hubal last October and uttered the cheque the same day. On​November 17 — almost a month later — the accused withdrew $900 from the Bank of Nova Scotia by means of false pretences. During Friday’s arraignment, Devon admitted the offences. However, after accepting his guilty pleas, the magistrate deferred his sentencing.

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and more robust crossexamining of Ms Davis as to what she saw at the police station, a jury properly directed, could just as easily reject the appellant’s confession on the basis that it was coerced and acquit him.” Appellate judges also said the time that has elapsed since the alleged offences were committed was factored into their decision. “The most troubling aspect for us in considering whether to order a retrial in this matter is the nearly 13 years that have expired since these offences were committed,” the judgment says.

THE WOODEN structure at Junkanoo Beach.

Photo: Racardo Thomas/Tribune Staff

‘ILLEGAL’ WOODEN STRUCTURE AT JUNKANOO BEACH MUST GO THE Ministry of Works and Utilities said it will serve a notice to have an “illegal” wooden structure erected at Junkanoo Beach removed. In a statement issued on Friday, the ministry said it is aware of a video circulating on social media concerning the “illegal

wooden structure on Junkanoo Beach, at the rear of the Margaritaville Beach Resort property.” “The ministry can confirm that the structure in question does not have a building permit and is in contravention of Section 4(1) of the Buildings Regulation Act (BRA),” the

statement said. “Under the authority of Section 4(3) of the BRA, the ministry has issued a cease-and-desist order and will serve a notice to have the illegal structure removed.” The ministry apologised for any inconvenience caused.

THE STORIES BEHIND THE NEWS

MONDAY, FEBRUARY 21, 2022

Do we have the will to tackle domestic violence? By MALCOLM STRACHAN

POLICE COMMISSIONER PAUL ROLLE

percent. That’s depressing enough on its own, but worse was the suggested response, that the policing THE spectre of crime plan would place “renewed loomed large over The focus” on the matter. Is that Bahamas last week. it? Renewed focus? How First, there was the about increased funding, report by Police Commis- specific strategies detailed sioner Paul Rolle detailing for the public to hear, and a rise in crimes against the so on? person including murder. The murder of Heavenly Then, on Friday, came the Terveus by her boyfriend Gender-Based Violence may be the most prominent National Discriminatory case recently to put the Law Review Forum. Nei- spotlight on gender-based ther event provided much violence, but it’s far from in the way of comfort. the only one. The courts The murder rate shot up are filled on a regular basis by 63 percent, with 119 mur- with men abusing ex-girlders in 2021 compared with friends or inflicting violence 73 in 2020. Commissioner on women. Commissioner Rolle talked of “the easy Rolle has previously said he availability of guns” and doesn’t know why women efforts to “stem the flow don’t just get out at the first of these illegal firearms” sign of violence, and despite but nothing has changed the amount of commentary there over the years. What since then to point out that he didn’t mention was his women often can’t get out comments of last year when and have nowhere to run to, he dismissed a connection all we have is a between COVID ‘Is that it? “renewed focus” lockdowns and and not, say, an a reduction in Renewed increase in fundcrime. In fact focus? How ing for women’s he dismissed about increased shelters so they such talk as have somewhere funding, specific as an escape. “nonsense”, instead saying strategies There is also “the least that detailed for the a contradiction people could do between the figis credit us when public to hear, ures paraded by we get a reduc- and so on?’ Commissioner tion, so I mean Rolle and the I commend our officers discussion at the law forum for the work that they’ve on Friday. Commissioner done and continue to do. Rolle said there was a 23 That has nothing to do with percent drop in cases of COVID.” unlawful sexual intercourse If we were to take him at – to 125 from 163 – and his word, that must mean attempted rapes remaining the past year has seen at a largely similar though appalling police work with a unlikely number of six 63 percent rise in murders, rather than five the year but, of course, he was the before. It seems implausione talking nonsense last ble there were so few such year. What we’re seeing is cases in comparison with things going back to pretty the number of successmuch the way they were, as ful rapes – far more likely sad and as terrible as that is. these cases have just gone So, we know there is a unreported. level of crime that is above The forum, meanwhile, what it should be, the ques- included a claim that The tion is what can and will be Bahamas has the highdone about it. est rape rate in the region. One of the most depress- Attorney Leila Greene, foring elements to come out merly of the Office of the of Commissioner Rolle’s Attorney General and the press conference was the Ministry of Legal Affairs, news that domestic violence said that statistics provided cases had increased by 19 by the United Nations

shows the rape rate in our country is 133 per 100,000, compared with the average rate around the world of 15. “That is very alarming,” said Ms Greene. “I think anybody who takes the statistics and looks at them will understand that The Bahamas is a very dangerous place.” Other countries by comparison included St Vincent and the Grenadines at 112 per 100,000; Jamaica at 51; Dominica at 34; Barbados at 25; and Trinidad and Tobago at 18. These figures should be shocking, but time and time again we hear stories of domestic violence, of women being beaten, raped and abused – and yet what is being done? Initially, Prime Minister Philip “Brave” Davis shrugged off the prospect of dealing with marital rape as part of his government’s agenda, though the outcry that brought about seems to have pushed it onto his table. If there is one thing that is encouraging, it is that Mr Davis has pledged to take recommendations at the forum into account when it comes to drafting new legislation for women’s rights and safety. In truth, he needs to look little further than the report written by the National Task Force for GenderBased Violence back in 2015, and coming into office, his party’s agenda could have had its policy for dealing with such cases already laid out. There are a range of actions that can be carried out, what must not be done is simply to nod, acknowledge there is a problem and then do nothing about it. In short, we must make sure that even though our response is too late, it must not be too little. There is a chance to change things for all those future victims of domestic violence. And after all, if violence is accepted in the home, is it any surprise that it continues to surge in the street? We need a change, for all our sakes.

EMAIL: insight@tribunemedia.net

INSIGHT

MONDAY, FEBRUARY 21, 2022 PAGE 9

Our winter’s parade SPREAD across the radiated from her abdoAtlantic Ocean and the men to her back. Her Caribbean Sea, the chain stomach started to swell of islands that encompass like a fully-inflated balThe West Indies are ripe loon and the pain was so with cultural observances. sharply debilitating that Locally here in The Baha- she lost consciousness. mas, Junkanoo is by far Her symptoms included our most celebrated and a dangerously high fever, globally acknowledged vomiting, severe nausea ethnic tradition. For those and constipation one day unfamiliar, Junkanoo is and then diarrhea the next, a street parade held his- which left her weakened torically during the winter, and critically malnourished. on both Boxing and New She was ultimately diagYear’s Day. Participants nosed with Crohn’s disease, spend months designing which is a type of inflammabreathtaking colourful tory bowel disease where costumes and rehearsing the digestive tract becomes original dance choreogra- inflamed. A serious side phies. The accompanying effect is that the inflammamusic is then bolstered tion, rather than remain by a steady unmitigated stationary, often spreads anthem of goatskin drums, to the deeper layers of the cowbells, whistles and bowel resulting in other horns. Onlookers are left life-threatening complicaamazed because Junkanoo tions. The exact cause is is more than just a visual unknown but the spread marvel of the Bahamian of that inflammation can culture, it’s lead to colon one that is felt At the age of six, cancer, blood deep within clots, bowel my Uncle Monty the soul. obstruction At the age took me to my and other seriof six, my first Junkanoo ous health Uncle Monty impediments. took me to my parade. With In her case first Junkanoo microscopic the spread of parade. With clarity I can that inflammicroscopic mation led to clarity I can recall feeling like gall bladder recall feeling my heart was disease. Evenlike my heart vibrating with tually her gall was vibratbladder had to ing with the the beat of the be removed to beat of the drums and as save her life. drums and as Today, she is in we got nearer we got nearer remission and to the group to the group her symptoms performing, it performing, it are now confelt as though trolled with the ground felt as though the a regimen of pulsated in ground pulsated oral steroids, unison. With in unison. which she a height of takes in consix feet, four inches, he junction with the inhaler for hoisted me on his shoul- her asthma. ders and gifted me with the Unfortunately the stunning all-encompass- prolonged use of high ing view of the hundreds dose steroids can lead to of dramatic and intricate migraines and diabetes costumes competing that and she developed both year. Nothing else com- conditions. She began pares because once you experiencing cluster headsee it, you feel it and once aches so severe her scalp you feel it, you understand became tender even to it. light touch. Her cluster The patient in today’s periods can last anywhere report understands this from weeks to months. She feeling better than anyone describes it as a feeling of I know because, now at someone beating you in the the age of 36, she’s been head with a jack hammer intricately involved with repeatedly. Once it lasted Junkanoo for almost 20 a full 24 hours before she years. An artist by trade, experienced any relief but she is one of the few even then she was too agifemale costume designers tated to fall asleep afraid in The Bahamas, drawn that she might never wake to this marriage of cul- back up. The situation left ture and industry because her sleep deprived and sufit includes every aspect fering with depression. She of the arts; namely liter- also works as a teacher ary (creating a narrative and every day she went & research), design and to work, stood on her feet planning, building the cos- constantly and then went tume, creating the music, home to paint, which is a the dances and then the tool she uses to manage actual performance. She her stress levels. appreciates every step The inflammation caused in this process and per- by Crohn’s disease can formed in every Junkanoo also block the normal parade for over 10 years function of hormones but was recently forced and create an imbalto stop because of health ance, which then affects complications. the menstrual cycle. This Her story is in fact one of patient discovered that the most poignant cases of she had developed polyps cascading medical events on her ovaries. She was that I’ve ever heard where diagnosed with Polycystic it remains challenging to Ovary Syndrome after one treat one condition without of her menstrual cycles affecting another. It began lasted for six months. She when she was a child. She then oscillated between remembers the intense fear heavy to no menstruashe felt the first time her tion at all. For treatment chest tightened and her she was prescribed birth airways swelled. She pan- control pills with oestroicked, struggling to catch gen but the sustained use her next breath. That was of the medication caused when she was first diag- her to develop high blood nosed with asthma. After pressure. She is now several terrifying episodes struggling to manage her that became progressively hormone levels without worse, she developed her blood pressure being pneumonia and had to be deleteriously affected. hospitalized because of the Simultaneously she is manrepetitive damage inflicted aging her diabetes via diet on her lung tissue. Asthma but the steroids used to is unfortunately incurable manage her Crohn’s and but her acute attacks have asthma continuously cause been controlled with a ster- her blood sugar levels to oid inhaler. spike. In an exasperating Then, in her early 20s, domino effect, augmenting without warning she began her efforts with exercise experiencing excruciat- then triggers her asthma. ing pain in her core that Despite her multiple

A SAXONS dancer in this file photo of the New Year parade in 2020. In this week’s KDK report, Dr Kenneth D Kemp tells of another Junkanoo participant who fought through ill health and hopes to participate in Junkanoo once again in future.

By DR KENNETH D KEMP

health issues and the strain it has placed on her relationships and finances, this patient is enjoying life. She takes her medication on time, visits her doctor regularly and has a complete blood test and urine analysis performed every two months. Specifically she stressed the importance of doing your own research and always questioning medical providers about test results and the side effect of prescribed medications. Beyond that, she also wanted people to take from her story

the importance of eating healthy, appropriately managing stress levels and being verbally appreciative of the individuals that provide constant love and support, particularly during your most difficult times. In her case, she has her mother and sister who she can constantly lean on for support. She’s had some very dark days but they’ve helped her to survive in more ways than she can express. Junkanoo is believed to have started in The Bahamas over 300 years ago

during the 17th Century. During that time, slaves covered their faces with a thick white paste made out of flour and by the 1920s they adorned full costume regalia made out of sea sponges. This was changed to newspapers by the mid30s and then crepe paper soon thereafter. Today, costumes and parade floats are created using Styrofoam cardboard, wire and multicoloured paper mache. It wasn’t until the 1960s that women were allowed to participate so today, my patient passionately and

eagerly looks forward to performing once again as she has so many times before. Often while painting, she closes her eyes and remembers what that felt like and that same passion is then infused in each painting. With each brush stroke she reveals the memories of her soldiering along Bay Street in the early dusk of the New Year, a consummate survivor still laughing and dancing inconsequentially to the drummer’s rhythmic beat as the cowbells shake and sing.

PAGE 10 MONDAY, FEBRUARY 21, 2022

INSIGHT

EMAIL: insight@tribunemedia.net

FLAG bearers walk into the stadium for the closing ceremony of the 2022 Winter Olympics in Beijing yesterday.

Photo: Natacha Pisarenko/AP

Sports has a message for politicians By DAI QINGLI, Ambassador of China to The Bahamas AFTER 16 days of spectacular sporting events, the Beijing Winter Olympics has drawn to a successful close. During his speech at the closing ceremony, Thomas Bach, Chairman of the International Olympic Committee (IOC) spoke in Chinese four times to

express his satisfaction with a “truly exceptional” Olympics. For the nearly 3,000 athletes from 91 countries and their teams, for the 20,000 volunteers and hundreds of millions of viewers worldwide, Beijing 2022 has been a memorable journey. Chinese athletes have done well at the Games. For the first time, China rose to third place on the gold medal tally in the

Winter Olympics. Yet, the more important and lasting legacy of these Games has been a surge in enthusiasm for ice and snow sports in China. President Xi Jinping’s vision of involving 300 million people in these sports and promoting leap-frogging progress is becoming reality. Success of Winter Olympics 2022 has made Beijing a “twin” Olympic city, the first ever in the world to

have hosted both a summer and winter Olympics. While the Beijing Summer Olympics in 2008 dazzled the world with its massive, breath-taking showcase of China’s history and culture, the opening of the 2022 Winter Olympics highlighted peace, unity and common humanity in a world ravaged by an unrelenting pandemic. Yet again in Beijing, China has delivered what it promised to the world: a simple, safe and splendid Olympic Games. With only one fifth of the performers in the opening of the summer games and with the lowest budget in Winter Olympic history for 20 years, the Beijing Winter Olympics has sought to underscore a simple, human touch. At the opening ceremony, the absence of world-famous singers or actors was not felt. The dancing, waving volunteers made the athletes who paraded into the stadium truly welcome. The video of a cute 11-month-old toddler who couldn’t even walk but could skate like he was born into this sport melted the hearts of countless viewers. Children from a remote, mountainous community in Northern China, who learned the song in four weeks’ time, performed the Olympic anthem in Greek. As the centrepiece of the opening ceremony, the snowflake-shaped placards with the names of participating delegations converged to form a giant snowflake aesthetic symbolizing countries coming together in unity. For viewers who saw images of a former gymnast flying mid-air to light the gigantic main torch during the 2008 games, this torchlighting ceremony would be a bit underwhelming. The torchbearers simply put the relay torch at the centre of the giant snowflake. This was an energy saving move considering the 5,000 cubic meters of gas the main torch in 2008 burned per hour. Every effort is made to reflect China’s commitment to green development. For the first time in Olympic history, Beijing achieved 100 percent green electricity supply from solar and wind for all venues. Enormous research went into making the torch used in the under-water torch-relay between two robots smokeless and pollution-free. Beijing introduced independently developed technologies such as carbon dioxide transcritical direct cooling ice machine system that has close to zero emissions and more efficient snow-making and storage

techniques. Sci-tech innovations such as a super large 8K ultrahigh-definition ground display system was used to provide breathtaking visual effects. One of the biggest favourites for reporters had to be the “smart canteen”, where robot chefs made Chinese and Western food and drinks from fried rice to hamburgers and cocktails. Journalists could order from their cell phones and have the meals delivered to their tables through a computer-controlled “sky track” embedded in the ceiling. A total of 678 different dishes were served, one third of which were Chinese. At the peak times, hundreds of kilograms of Jiaozi or dumplings were consumed daily. Many athletes happily shared photos of their favourite food on social media. Stringent pandemic control measures jointly formulated by the IOC and the Beijing Organizing Committee were enforced to protect the athletes and everyone else in the closedloop from infection. Yet crowning it all has to be the performance of athletes themselves. Beijing has left an unforgettable sporting legacy. Eighteenyear-old Eileen Gu, born to an American father and Chinese mother, grew up in the US but has chosen to compete on behalf of China since 2019. Claiming three medals with big air and halfpipe gold, and slopestyle silver, she became an inspiration for sports fans across China. Eileen’s childhood pal Su Yiming, who just turned 18 on Feb 18, became China’s youngest Winter Olympic champion with a gold in men’s big air. And China’s figure skating pair won the gold medal after 15 years of hard work overcoming numerous injuries and disappointments. The less fortunate Japanese figure skater Yuzuru Hanyu, who attempted and failed in the quadruple axel, and US snowboarding legend Shaun White, who fell down at the final ride of his farewell competition, won loud cheers from the spectators. Another big story was about a Chinese snowboarder, who quit his job at a bakery to start his solo Olympic journey. Although he failed to qualify for the Games, he never regretted his decision. There were also 39 athletes from 10 Latin American and Caribbean countries, a record number for this region. Even Haiti sent its athlete. All these athletes, who challenged human capacity

to the limits, are the real heroes of the Beijing Olympics. Even those, who did not fulfil their dreams, never fail to uplift us. And the scenes of athletes and coaches from different countries cheering for, congratulating and comforting each other brought tears to many eyes. Beyond the closed-loop in Beijing, global geopolitics was still fast evolving. An issue was made out of the absence of some politicians at the Beijing Games. And there was persistent concern about the situation in Ukraine. During the 2008 Beijing Olympics, China’s GDP was only one third of that of America’s, while now it’s 77 percent. China-US relations have also gone from “summer” to “winter” during this time. As a former British minister recently said, the core of the problem in many ways is an inability to get used to the basic fact (of China’s rise), and to adapt to it. Not surprisingly, there has been jarring voices to make the Beijing Olympics a target of attack against China. Some used issues such as human rights to slander China. Others even tried to draw some connection between the Winter Olympics and the situation in Ukraine by distorting China’s position. ``Like the CARICOM, China calls for respecting the sovereignty, independence and territorial integrity of all countries, including Ukraine. Like CARICOM, China supports a peaceful and negotiated solution. We call on all parties to honour their responsibilities and work to preserve peace, rather than playing up tension and spreading panic. For the Beijing Olympics, no amount of pathetic side-tracking by a few has either stolen the show from the athletes or dented the joy and excitement brought by sports, which is far too powerful to be made subservient to an unjust political agenda. “It’s their loss, they are never going to win the Olympics”, said Eileen Gu of those who vehemently denounced her “betrayal” of the country who raised and trained her, “Sports is a way to unite people not to divide people. My mission is to use sports as a force for unity, as a form to foster interconnection between countries, not to use it as a divisive force. That benefits everyone.” This 18-year-old girl has something serious for those politicians and commentators. If we want to make our world a better place in the post-COVID era, we’d better heed her message.

EMAIL: insight@tribunemedia.net

INSIGHT

MONDAY, FEBRUARY 21, 2022 PAGE 11

US SECURITY BILL DOES NOT REFLECT INTERESTS OF CARIBBEAN NATIONS

THERE has been a troubling development in relations between the US and the 14 independent nations of the Caribbean Community (CARICOM). In the absence of a clear US government strategy for the Caribbean, on February 7, a Bill entitled, “The Western Hemisphere Security Strategy Act of 2022” from two Senators, Republican Marco Rubio and Democratic Bob Menendez, was referred to the Senate Foreign Relations Committee. This Bill was introduced with no input from Caribbean governments or any other official Caribbean representative organisations. Not surprisingly, therefore, the interests of Caribbean countries are not reflected in the Bill. According to Senator Rubio, this bill is being introduced “at a time when the destabilising impact of authoritarian regimes, and transnational criminal organisations, in addition to the malign activities of state actors like China and Russia, pose risks to US national security”. The authoritarian regimes in the Caribbean and Latin America, which the Bill claims are causing a “destabilising impact” on US security, are not identified. They could hardly exist in the CARICOM region, where, apart from Haiti and its very peculiar circumstances, all governments have been freely and fairly elected and adhere to both domestic and international requirements of the rule of law. Indeed, according to Freedom House, a non-profit, majority US government funded

World View

By SIR RONALD SANDERS

organisation in Washington, DC that conducts research and advocacy on democracy, political freedom, and human rights, many Caribbean countries rank ahead of the US in the measurement of respect for political and civil rights. In Freedom House’s Global Freedom Score for 2021, the US is rated at 83 (highest rating being 100), several points lower than Antigua and Barbuda (85), Barbados (95), Belize (87), Dominica (93), Grenada (89), St Kitts-Nevis (89), St Lucia (91), St Vincent and the Grenadines (91) and the Bahamas (91). Significantly, all the CARICOM countries, except Haiti, are rated as “free” as is the US. In the context of “authoritarian regimes”, therefore, Senators Rubio and Menendez must have had in mind specific, and non-CARICOM, Caribbean countries. However, the Senators present no evidence of the “destabilising impact” on US security of any Caribbean country. Senator Rubio also identified “the malign activities of state actors like China and Russia” in the region as posing “risks to US national security”. In his media release, Senator Rubio claimed that: “There is no greater threat in our region than the growing meddling of Russia and China in Latin America and the Caribbean.” It is in this framework, in

which drug and human trafficking are included, that these two influential Senators have introduced this bill. It has come one year into the current administration of US President Joseph Biden, and almost five years since the US State Department, under former President Donald Trump, issued its “US Strategy for Engagement in the Caribbean” in June 2017. In reality, the 2017 strategy attracted no funding and existed more in word than in deed. President Trump’s Caribbean interests focussed on Cuba, as a response to Cuban-American exiles with whom he allied to win the State of Florida in the 2020 Presidential elections, and on Venezuela for similar reasons. President Biden, no doubt, pre-occupied with troubling domestic and external issues that included fighting the effects of the COVID19 Pandemic, recovering the US economy, getting troops out of Afghanistan, and trying to restore international confidence in the US government as a reliable partner to Europe in the North Atlantic Treaty Organisation, has set out no Caribbean policy. Therefore, such a policy, as now exists, is one that responds to Caribbean advocacy in specific areas such as providing antiCOVID-19 vaccines from

US Senators Marco Rubio, left, and Bob Menendez. the large stockpile in the US. For the most part, departments of the US government have been working on the leftovers of the 2017 strategy. It is into this vacuum that Senators Rubio and Menendez have stepped with their Bill that focusses the US Caribbean relationship only in terms of ‘US security’ and, even then, in terms that takes no account of how Caribbean countries view security. Most countries in CARICOM would not regard their relations with China and Russia as “meddling”, nor would they share the view reflected in the Bill, that “There is no greater threat in our region than the growing meddling of Russia and China”. Further, while increased assistance with “security” would be welcome, the narrow frame, as expressed in the Bill, limits the areas in which CARICOM governments have placed security. CARICOM has adopted an approach that “security” is multi-dimensional and

while it includes some of the elements that the Bill has detailed, it also crucially includes climate change; access to financing for development; preparing for the effects of future pandemics; tackling insecurities in food, water and energy; correcting poor terms of trade; and the consequences of increased unemployment and poverty. The Bill sets out its purposes as the US maintaining “credible security capabilities dedicated to Latin America and the Caribbean... to deter acts of aggression; and to respond, if necessary, to regional threats and threats to the national security of the United States”. These objectives echo the Monroe Doctrine of a past era by which US governments exercised outsize influence in Latin America and the Caribbean. Neither the US administration nor CARICOM governments can sit-by, allowing the Rubio-Menendez Bill to be the principal determinant of their relationship. And, it could

easily become just that, particularly as one of the stated intentions of the Bill is that “the Secretary of State and the Secretary of Defence shall jointly provide a briefing to the appropriate committees of Congress on the implementation of the strategy”. Officials of both the US and CARICOM governments should waste no time in ensuring that the “appropriate committees” of the US Congress and Senators Rubio and Menendez appreciate that the relationship between the US and the Caribbean is most secure when its economic and financial pillars are strengthened. • Responses and previous commentaries: www. sirronaldsanders.com The writer is Antigua and Barbuda’s Ambassador to the United States and the OAS. He is a Senior Fellow at the Institute of Commonwealth Studies, University of London and Massey College in the University of Toronto. The views expressed are his own.

PAGE 12, Monday, February 21, 2022

THE TRIBUNE

FAMILY members of Sir Godfrey Kelly at his funeral service on Friday.

Photos: Donavan McIntosh/Tribune Staff

A final farewell to Sir Godfrey By PAVEL BAILEY

FINAL respects were paid to Sir Godfrey Kenneth Kelly, KCMG, on Friday at Christ Church Cathedral. As one of the delegates sent to London in 1963 for The Bahamas’ Constitutional talks Sir Godfrey was one of the key architects to guide The Bahamas to nationhood. Over the span of his illustrious career Sir Godfrey Kelly was a prudent businessman responsible for the creation of the Mall at Marathon, co-founder of the Cat Island Regatta with the late Sir Harold Christie, and a decorated lawyer of 66 years serving at Higgs & Kelly until his retirement in 2019. Esteemed guests from

all sides of the political divide attended the funeral service to mourn a Bahamian legend, including Governor General Sir Cornelius Smith, Minister Fred Mitchel representing the Davis administration, Official Opposition Leader Michael Pintard and former Prime Ministers Dr Hubert Minnis, Perry Christie and Hubert Ingraham. During the service, Father William J Martin, rector of St Michael & All Angels Anglican Church in North Carolina, spoke fondly of his friend reflecting on his life of dedicated service to the country he loved. He said: “Sir Godfrey Kelly was a remarkable gentleman. Godfrey was a graduate of the University of Cambridge and the Middle Temple in London

as you have heard. Olympian, lawyer for 66 years, rep for Cat Island, Minister of Education, Senator, keen shooter, sailor, and founder of the Cat Island Regatta. Sir Godfrey as you have heard also was made a Knight Commander of the most distinguished order of Saint Michael and Saint George by Her Majesty the Queen in the 2020 New Year’s Honours List. Sir Godfrey loved his Bahama land and did much to support the education and welfare of it.” Father Martin also extended his condolences to the Kelly family and spoke of the deep love Sir Godfrey had for them. “Godfrey loved the Kelly clan, he loved Sonia his wife of 65 years deeply and depended on her for absolutely everything. Sonia,

we love you for your perfect faithfulness, love, and care of Godfrey. You are a model to all of us of sacrifice and devotion.” “Katherine (Sir Godfrey’s granddaughter) was the apple of his eye, you were the pride of his life, you were the recipient of his incessant love and happiness. Godfrey was filled with joy over all you do, did and will do in the future as you carry on the Kelly legacy. Katherine, we love you, we are praying for you and know that you will make Godfrey very proud,” Father Martin said. Katherine Anna Elza, Sir Godfrey’s granddaughter, delivered the eulogy as she was asked to do by her grandfather. She remembered him lovingly as a caring dedicated man with a keen wit.

“Although he did nothing for reward or recognition it is no surprise to me that on many occasions he was recognised for his dedication to the progression of the Commonwealth of The Bahamas. In 1999 Sir Godfrey was made a Companion of the Order of St Michael and St George for his contributions to the growth and development of The Bahamas. We attended Buckingham Palace in November of that year for the investiture and in true Godfrey humour sparing no one, not even the Queen, when asked by her Majesty what he did to deserve this honour he sharply responded in his charming way: “Well you should know, you gave it to me.” It is this fire and wit we will all dearly miss.” In her final goodbye to her grandfather Ms Elza

remarked that with Sir Godfrey’s passing the country had lost a true patriot and one of the last surviving founding fathers. “As tributes to my grandfather over the last week reminds us that his death marks the end of an era for The Bahamas. At his passing he was the most senior former Cabinet Minister and the most senior Parliamentarian in our country. He was also the most senior member of The Bahamas Bar. He is the last of a profound group who shaped the development of this island nation. He believed that hard work paid off and that personal success means nothing if not shared by one’s countrymen,” she said. Sir Godfrey died at his Eastern Road home on February 10 shortly after eating breakfast. He was 93.

GOVERNOR General CA Smith pays his respect to the family of Sir Godfrey Kelly.

HUBERT Ingraham attending Sir Godfrey Kelly funeral.

PERRY Christie attending Sir Godfrey Kelly funeral.

WOMAN ACCUSED OF ATTACK ON SON’S EX GRANTED BAIL By LEANDRA ROLLE Tribune Staff Reporter lrolle@tribunemedia.net

A WOMAN accused of assaulting her son’s former girlfriend was on Friday granted $1,000 bail before her trial. Mia Lightbourn, 44, was arraigned before Magistrate Kendra Kelly after police alleged that she had assaulted her son’s ex-girlfriend on February 12. It is also alleged that Lightbourn deceived a public officer after police said she gave them a false statement the next day. However, during Friday’s hearing, Lightbourn denied the allegations. Speaking about the assault charge, the accused claimed the two were only involved in an argument that day. She said the confrontation started after the woman threw an object at her car following an argument she had had with her son. Lightbourn was stopped from providing further details as she was told the matter will proceed to trial for March 17. As a result, bail was

granted at $1,000 with one surety. Also appearing before court on a similar charge was Dustin Knowles, 32. Knowles is accused of causing grievous harm to Lathario Smith on February 13. Knowles pleaded not guilty to the charge and bail was deferred to February 22 to allow the prosecutor to determine whether he had any previous convictions. The prosecutor said he would also use the time to check on the complainant’s condition which he suggested was quite serious. Jamaal Simon, 25, also stood before Magistrate Kelly on Friday after he was accused of threatening to kill his ex-girlfriend during a domestic dispute on February 2. However, he has denied the allegation. When discussing the issue of bail, Magistrate Kelly deferred it to next week after it was revealed that Simon has a pending criminal matter before the Supreme Court. He is represented by attorney Ian Cargill.

THE TRIBUNE

Monday, February 21, 2022, PAGE 13

QUEEN ELIZABETH HAS MILD SYMPTOMS AFTER POSITIVE TEST FOR COVID-19 LONDON Associated Press

QUEEN Elizabeth II tested positive for COVID-19 yesterdayand is experiencing mild, cold-like symptoms, Buckingham Palace said, adding that she still plans to carry on working. The diagnosis prompted

concern and get-well wishes from across Britain’s political spectrum for the famously stoic 95-year-old. Britain’s longest-reigning monarch and a fixture in the life of the nation, the queen reached the milestone of 70 years on the throne on February 6, the anniversary of the 1952

death of her father, King George VI. She will turn 96 on April 21. The palace said the queen, who has been fully vaccinated and had a booster shot, would continue with “light” duties at Windsor Castle over the coming week. “She will continue to receive medical attention

and will follow all the appropriate guidelines,” the palace said in a statement. People in the UK who test positive for COVID-19 are now required to selfisolate for at least five days, although the British government says it plans to lift that requirement for England this week.

Both the queen’s eldest son Prince Charles, 73, and her 74-yearold daughter-in-law Camilla, Duchess of Cornwall contracted COVID-19 earlier this month. Charles has since returned to work. There are also thought to be several recent virus cases among staff at Windsor

Castle, where the queen is staying. A host of senior British politicians sent get-well messages on Sunday. Prime Minister Boris Johnson tweeted: “I’m sure I speak for everyone in wishing Her Majesty The Queen a swift recovery from COVID and a rapid return to vibrant good health.”

DEMONSTRATORS gather in a square in Odessa, Ukraine, yesterday. Thousands of people in Odessa marched through the streets of the city in a show of unity, marking the date on which, eight years ago, more than a hundred people were killed during Ukraine’s Maidan revolution. Photo: Emilio Morenatti/AP

US says Russia closer to invading Ukraine KYIV, Ukraine Associated Press RUSSIA yesterday rescinded earlier pledges to pull tens of thousands of its troops back from Ukraine’s northern border, a move that US leaders said put Russia another step closer to what they said was the planned invasion of Ukraine. Residents of Ukraine’s capital filled a gold-domed cathedral to pray for peace. Russia’s action extends what it said were military exercises, originally set to end Sunday, that brought an estimated 30,000 Russian forces to Belarus, Ukraine’s neighbor to the north. They are among at least 150,000 Russian troops now

deployed outside Ukraine’s borders, along with tanks, warplanes, artillery and other war materiel. The continued deployment of the Russian forces in Belarus raised concern that Russia could send those troops to sweep down on the Ukrainian capital, Kyiv, a city of about three million people less than a three-hour drive away. In what appeared to be a last-ditch diplomatic gambit brokered with the aid of French President Emmanuel Macron, the White House said US President Joe Biden has agreed “in principle” to a meeting with Russia’s President Vladimir Putin as long as he holds off on launching an assault that US officials warn appears

increasingly more likely. White House press secretary Jen Psaki said the administration has been clear that “we are committed to pursuing diplomacy until the moment an invasion begins”. US Secretary of State Antony Blinken and Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov are set to meet on Thursday in Europe — as long as Russia does not send its troops into Ukraine beforehand. “We are always ready for diplomacy. We are also ready to impose swift and severe consequences should Russia instead choose war,” Psaki said in statement. “And currently, Russia appears to be continuing preparations for a full-scale assault on Ukraine very soon.”

MODELING AGENT LINKED TO EPSTEIN FOUND DEAD IN CELL PARIS Associated Press

A MODELING agent who was close to disgraced US financier Jeffrey Epstein was found dead on Saturday in his French jail cell, where he was being held in an investigation into the rape and sex trafficking of minors, according to the Paris prosecutor’s office. Paris police are investigating Jean-Luc Brunel’s death at the historic La Sante prison in Paris, the

prosecutor’s office said. Victims of his alleged abuse described shock and dismay that the 75-year-old, a well-known model scout in the 1980s and 1990s who ran different agencies in Paris and New York, will never face trial. They called his death as a double blow after Epstein killed himself in 2019 in a Manhattan jail while awaiting sex-trafficking charges. Brunel’s lawyers suggested on Saturday that he, too, killed himself. In a

statement, they described his “distress” at his incarceration and his repeated requests for a provisional release from the prison. “Jean-Luc Brunel never stopped declaring his innocence,” they said. “His decision was not guided by guilt, but by a deep sentiment of injustice.” The lawyers would not further comment on what happened, and it was unclear whether the jail had suicide prevention measures in place.

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In Kyiv, life outwardly continued as usual for many on a mild winter Sunday, with brunches and church services, ahead of what Biden said late last week was an already decidedupon Russian attack. Katerina Spanchak, who fled a region of eastern Ukraine when it was taken over by Russian-allied separatists, was among worshippers crowded into the capital’s St Michael’s monastery, smoky with the candles burned by the faithful, to pray that Ukraine be spared. “We all love life, and we are all united by our love of life,” Spanchak said, pausing to compose herself. “We should appreciate it every day. That’s why I think everything will be fine.”

“Our joint prayers will help to elude this tragedy, which is advancing,” said another worshipper, who identified himself only by his first name, Oleh. A US official said yesterday that Biden’s assertion that Putin has made the decision to roll Russian forces into Ukraine was based on intelligence that Russian front-line commanders have been given orders to begin final preparations for an attack. The official spoke on the condition of anonymity to describe the sensitive intelligence. The United States and many European countries have charged for weeks that Putin has built up the forces he needs to invade Ukraine

— a westward-looking democracy that has sought to move out of Russia’s orbit — and is now trying to create pretexts to invade. Western nations have threatened massive sanctions if Putin does. US officials on Sunday defended their decision to hold off on their planned financial punishments of Russia ahead of any invasion, after Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy called passionately Saturday for the West to do more. “If you pull the trigger on that deterrent, well then, it doesn’t exist anymore as a deterrent,” Pentagon spokesman John Kirby told Fox on Washington’s sanctions threat.

Death notice for

EUGENE PYFROM Eugene (Gene) Pyfrom died unexpectedly in Miami, Florida on Friday, 18th February. Gene was born in Brooklyn, New York on 12th January 1931 to Theodore Roosevelt (TR) Pyfrom of Eleuthera and Florence Steele Pyfrom of Meriden, Connecticut. His parents had travelled from Nassau to New York looking for work during the Great Depression. In 1937, the family moved back to Nassau where Gene attended St Francis School, and later La Salle Military Academy in Rhinecliff, New York. Upon graduation from La Salle, Gene enrolled at the Catholic University of America in Washington, D. C., graduating with a degree in Architectural Engineering. In 1956, Eugene founded Cavalier Construction with the late Godfrey Lightbourn. Projects bearing the Cavalier stamp of quality and longevity, ranging from luxury private residences to hotels, schools, condominiums, and office buildings are found throughout the country. Gene was also the co-founder with Godfrey of Bahama Gunite, which later became Gunite Pools. Gene loved The Bahamas and shared that love with his family. Their fondest memories of him are the many great adventures he took them on while boating, fishing, camping, and exploring the islands, especially Eleuthera and Exuma. Eugene is survived by his wife Roxana; his daughters Rosanne Pyfrom, Michelle Goodwin, Barbara Miller, and their mother Barbara Pyfrom; his granddaughters Heather Ann, Emma, and Laura Goodwin, and Zoe Dunkley; his sister Lynn Holowesko; his brothers Jerome Pyfrom and William Pyfrom; his stepdaughters Fariba Villegas Hodges, her husband Douglas, and their sons Darian and Douglas Hodges Jr., and Paloma Villegas Adrian, her husband Raymond and their son Renzo; and numerous cousins, nieces, and nephews in the Pyfrom, Holowesko, and Pritchard families. He was predeceased by his daughters Christine, Laura, Ruthie, Elisa, and his son David. A memorial service is being planned.

SPORTS PAGE 17

MONDAY, FEBRUARY 21, 2022

Making the CARIFTA mark

NCAA SWIM: STUDENT ATHLETES MAKE A SPLASH

By BRENT STUBBS Senior Sports Reporter bstubbs@tribunemedia.net

V

ersatile sprinter/ hurdler Antoine Andrews qualified in his second event for the 2022 CARIFTA Games, while Leonardo Taylor and Leon Williams joined a list of throwers reaching the qualifying mark for the trip to Kingston, Jamaica, over the Easter holiday weekend. Coming off his qualifying performance in the under-20 boys’ 100 metres two weeks ago at the BAAA Star Performers Invitational at the Thomas A Robinson Track and Field Stadium, Andrews came back in the 400m hurdles. Unlike the century where he did the automatic time of 10.50 seconds, Andrews came back on Saturday at the Dianna Lynn Thompson’s Time Trials, hosted by the Roadrunners Track Club, and cleared the 10 flights of hurdles in the one lap race in 48.25. The automatic qualifier was 47.34, but Andrews missed the time and had to settle for surpassing the B standard of 48.28. If no one does the A standard by the final trials in March, he would automatically get to be selected for the event. However, in his specialty in the 110m hurdles, Andrews’ winning time

By RENALDO DORSETT Tribune Sports Reporter rdorsett@tribunemedia.net SEVERAL Bahamian student athletes set school records, new personal bests and earned spots on the medal podium at their respective NCAA swimming conference championships. Jamilah Hepburn made school history and continues her freshman season of milestones for Stonehill College at the Northeast-10 Conference Championships at the Moore Field House in New Haven, Connecticut. Hepburn made programme history in the 100 breaststroke with her first place finish in a time of 1:06.33 seconds. She posted the first NE10 Championship title in programme history. She was also a member of the 400 medley relay A team that finished fourth in a schoolrecord 4:00.00 alongside Sydney Stockwell, Katie Keating and Sofiya Gobora. Hepburn also finished fourth in the 200 breast in 2:28.08. She was one of several Bahamian swimmers to turn in standout performances at the Division II

SEE PAGE 20

ANTOINE Andrews of 13.88 was short of the qualifying standard of 13.66. “I appreciated it. It was a good race,” said Andrews, an 18-year-old 12th grader at St John’s College. “It was a good race. I just trusted my training and went out there and ran it. I really wanted to qualify in the 110m hurdles, but I guess that will come.” On the field, Xtreme Athletics’ Leonardo Taylor won the under-20 boys’ shot put with a heave of 32-feet, 7 ½-inches or 9.94 metres and Noble Prep Academy’s Leon Williams was second with 30-8 1/4 (9.35m). They both went well above the CARIFTA standard of 23-2 ½ (7.07m). No other competitor did the standard in their respective events, but Jeremiah Adderley of DTSP Wolfpack was just off the under-20 boys’ 100m B standard of 10.71 when

JOEL Johnson competing in the open men’s 400m on Saturday. he did 10.72 to win. However, Andrews and Carlos Brown, also of Swift Athletics, already attained the A standard. Hurray Murray’s Raywind Winder clocked 2.03.23 to win the under17 boys’ 800m, but he needed to run 2:00.14 to qualify. Quick Step’s Andrew Brown also came close in the under-17 boys’ 100m, running 11.34, but he missed the B standard of 11.24. The A standard is 11.02. Fast Forward’s Paige Archer was a double winner in the under-20 girls’ division, but she was short of the qualifying standard in both the 200 and 400m. In the half-lap race in the 200m, she ran 24.51 with the standard at 23.95 and in the 400m, her time of 55.80 was shy of the B standard of 55.85. The A standard is 54.76. Star Trackers’ Nia Richards took the under-20

girls’ 100m in 12.28. The A standard is 11.69 and the B is 11.92. The closest any athlete in the under-17 girls came to her standard was Swift Athletics’ Shayann Demeritte in the 100m in 12.94. The B standard is 12.20 and the A standard is 11.96. The meet also saw athletes in the under-13 and under-15 age groups as well as the open division. SPIA’s Joel Johnson, making his return after an injury prone season over the past three years, went up from the 100/200 double to contest the 400m for some endurance workout, winning in 48.85. His closest rival was his teammate Yorick Dean in 50.06. Former decathlete national record holder Ken Mullings sped to victory in the open men’s 100m in 10.80. Brianique Strachan of the Ambassadors took the open women’s 100m in 12.77, but she had to settle for second in the 200m in 26.91 behind SPIA’s Breanna Pratt in 25.43. Power Athletics’ Printassia Johnson took the 400m in 57.67 over University of the Bahamas’ Romica Josey, who did 59.62. Brianna Bootle of 3PA Stallions doubled up in the under-13 girls’ 100m in 13.31 and the 200m in

SEE PAGE 21

ALL-STAR, Page 20

ANFERNEE SEYMOUR SIGNS WITH DIRTY BIRDS IN ATLANTIC PRO BASEBALL LEAGUE By RENALDO DORSETT Tribune Sports Reporter rdorsett@tribunemedia.net VETERAN outfielder Anfernee Seymour is headed to another professional baseball league for the 2022 season. Seymour signed with the Charleston Dirty Birds of the Atlantic Professional Baseball SEYMOUR League. Dirty Birds manager Billy Horn said: “Seymour brings an explosive dynamic to our ball club and I am looking forward to seeing him set the tone at the top of the lineup for us this year.” Opening day for the South Carolina-based Dirty Birds’ 2022 season is Thursday, April 21 at Appalachian Power Park against the Staten Island Ferry Hawks. The Atlantic League of Professional Baseball (ALPB) is considered one of the most successful and highest levels of baseball

SEE PAGE 21

Rising tennis stars impress, Mortimer Jr wins title By BRENT STUBBS Senior Sports Reporter bstubbs@tribunemedia.net

that powered through with a 7-3 decision over Rees in a showdown between the top two performers in a match that was completed under the lights shortly after 7pm. “It was great. It was a tough match and a tough opponent,” said Mortimer, a 16-year-old 10th grader at SAC. “It was a lot of matches today, but I just executed the things I was working on all year in practice.” It was the first time that the training partners got a chance to face each other in a tournament, but Mortimer Jr said he felt he was just in better condition to go for the long haul in the end.

AFTER a gruelling day of competition in the preliminary rounds, Dentry Mortimer Jr had enough left in the tank to prevail with the under-14 singles championship title over his Island Tennis Bahamas training partner Khai Rees. The duo, both students of St Augustine’s College as well, went head-to-head in the final match played in the inaugural Island Tennis Bahamas tournament on Saturday at the Baha Mar resort’s tennis facility. Like they did all through the tournament, the pair played one single set to determine the winner. In the end, it was Mortimer

ISLAND Tennis Bahamas coaches Philip Major Jr and Oneil Mortimer with winners Khai and Kingston Rees and Dentry Mortimer Jr.

SEE PAGE 20

Beijing’s Olympics close, ending safe but odd global moment By TED ANTHONY AP National Writer

California. An ace American skier who faltered and went home empty-handed. The end of the Olympic line for the world’s most renowned snowboarder. All inside an anti-COVID “closed loop” enforced

BEIJING (AP) — A pile of figure-skating rubble created by Russian misbehaviour. A new Chinese champion — from

by China’s authoritarian government. The terrarium of a Winter Games that has been Beijing 2022 came to its end yesterday, capping an unprecedented Asian Olympic trifecta and

TOTAL

1.

Norway

16

8

13

37

2.

ROC

6

12

14

32

3.

Germany

12

10

5

27

4.

Canada

4

8

14

26

5.

United States

8

10

7

25

6.

Sweden

8

5

5

18

7.

Austria

7

7

4

18

8.

Japan

3

6

9

18

9.

Netherlands

8

5

4

17

10.

Italy

2

7

8

17

Source: IOC & Sportradar

Updated Feb. 19 at 10:03 p.m. EST

sending the planet’s most global sporting event off to the West for the foreseeable future, with no chance of returning to this corner of the world until at least 2030. It was weird. It was messy and, at the same time, somehow sterile. It was controlled and calibrated in ways only Xi Jinping’s China could pull off. And it was sequestered in a “bubble” that kept participants and the city around them — and, by extension, the sporadically watching world — at arm’s length. Last night, Xi and International Olympic Committee President Thomas Bach stood together as Beijing handed off to Milan-Cortina, site of the 2026 Winter Games. “Twinkle, Twinkle, Little Star” kicked off a notably Western-flavoured show with Chinese characteristics as dancers with tiny, fiery snowflakes glided across the stadium in a ceremony that, like the opening, was headed by Chinese director Zhang Yimou. Unlike the first pandemic Olympics in Tokyo last

JAPAN’s Satsuki Fujisawa waves to the crowd before leaving the ice at the end of the women’s curling final match between Japan and Britain yesterday in Beijing. (AP Photo/Nariman El-Mofty) summer, which featured all but empty seats at the opening and closing, a modest but energetic crowd populated the seats of Beijing’s “Bird’s Nest” stadium. It felt somewhat incongruous — a show bursting with colour and energy and enthusiasm and even joy, the very things that couldn’t assert themselves inside China’s COVID bubble. “We welcome China as a winter sport country,” Bach said, closing the Games. He called their organisation

“extraordinary” and credited the Chinese and their organising committee for serving them up “in such an excellent way and a safe way.” By many mechanical measures, these Games were a success. They were, in fact, quite safe — albeit in the carefully modulated, dress-up-for-company way that authoritarian governments always do best. The local volunteers, as is usually the case, were delightful, helpful and engaging, and they received high-profile accolades at the closing. There was snow — most of it fake, some of it real. The venues — many of them, like the Bird’s Nest and the Aquatic Center, harvested from the 2008 edition of the Beijing Olympics — performed to expectations. One new locale, Big Air Shougang, carved from a repurposed steel mill, was an appealingly edgy mashup of winter wonderland and rust-belt industrial landscape.

SEE PAGE 22

PAGE 18, Monday, February 21, 2022

PATEL BOWLS INDIA TO T20 SERIES SWEEP AGAINST THE WEST INDIES KOLKATA, India (AP) — Seamer Harshal Patel’s superb spell of 3-22 helped India beat West Indies by 17 runs in their third and final cricket Twenty20 match to sweep the series 3-0 yesterday. Patel played his part in restricting the West Indies to 167-9 in its unsuccessful chase after the visitors won the toss and opted to bowl. Suryakumar Yadav’s 65 off 31 balls had propelled India to 184-5. Yadav was named player of the match and series. He scored 109 runs in three innings at a strike rate of 194.55. “I just wanted to replicate what I did in the first game. We needed someone to stay there after Rohit Sharma got out,” Yadav said. “We had a long chat in the team meeting as to how we are going to react under immense pressure and it came out very well. I just try to keep things simple.” Chasing 185 for a consolation win, West Indies lost both openers quickly to Deepak Chahar (2-15) and was reduced to 26-2. Nicholas Pooran continued his good form and powered his way to a second consecutive half-century. He scored 61 off 47 balls, including eight fours and a six. Pooran put on 47 runs for the third wicket with Rovman Powell (25), who hit two fours and a pair of sixes. Patel’s dismissal of Powell in the seventh over marked the turning point of the chase. Venkatesh Iyer (2-23) then dismissed West Indies captain Kieron Pollard (5) and Jason Holder (2) as West Indies collapsed to 87-5 in the 11th over. Romario Shepherd raised hopes of a late surge for West Indies with 29 off 21 balls, including three sixes. But Patel returned in the death overs to dismiss Pooran and Shepherd in successive overs.

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Niemann keeps his distance, closes out big win at Riviera By DOUG FERGUSON AP Golf Writer LOS ANGELES (AP) — Joaquinn Niemann survived a few nervous moments at Riviera and polished off a big week yesterday when he closed with an even-par 71 to become the first wire-towire winner of the Genesis Invitational in 53 years. Staked to a three-shot lead, Niemann’s margin was down to one when he made a 7-foot birdie on the eighth hole and PGA Tour rookie Cameron Young sailed the green and made bogey. The 23-year-old from Chile chipped in for eagle on the par-5 11th to stretch his lead to five, and he held on for a two-shot victory over British Open champion Collin Morikawa (65) and Young, whose last hopes ended with a bogey from the bunker on the 16th. Young shot 70. About the only thing Niemann missed was a chance to break the oldest tournament scoring record on the PGA Tour. With two bogeys on the back nine, Niemann finished at 19-under 265, one short of the score Lanny Watkins had in 1985. Morikawa holed an eagle chip on the infamous and reachable 10th hole that one-hopped into the cup, and two late birdies gave him a chance. But he missed a 10-footer on the 18th in his bid to win and reach No. 1 in the world. Young, making only his 12th career PGA Tour start, was a runner-up for the second time this season. He also tied for second in Mississippi. Given the prestige of the tournament hosted by Tiger Woods, Young earned $1,068,000 for his tie for second. The purse

RUBLEV BEATS AUGER-ALIASSIME TO WIN OPEN 13 FOR 9TH TITLE

JOAQUIN NIEMANN, of Chile, tees off on the fourth hole during the final round of the Genesis Invitational golf tournament at Riviera Country Club yesterday in the Pacific Palisades area of Los Angeles. (AP Photo/Ryan Kang) was $12 million. As for — offers an exemption in and then holed out for Niemann, Riviera hasn’t Sifford’s name to promote birdie from 50 yards. Niehad a 23-year-old winner diversity in golf. mann missed a 4-foot par since Phil Rodgers in This year is the 100th putt and took his second 1962, the tournament best anniversary of when straight bogey, and the known for Jack Nicklaus Sifford, the first Black lead was down to two with making his pro debut. golfer to win on the PGA three holes to play. Nicklaus tied for 50th and Tour, was born. The No. Young found a bunker earned $33.33 that year. 100 was on the first hole. for the second straight day Niemann picked up Niemann carved his own on the par-3 16th. It wasn’t $2.16 million for his way around the fabled plugged like it was on Satsecond PGA Tour victory. course. The most impor- urday, but he failed to get No one else had much of tant birdie was at No. 8. up-and-down. a chance on a cool, breezy He got plenty of breathHe birdied the par-5 afternoon at Riviera. This ing room with the eagle on 17th to get back within was Niemann’s tourna- No. 11. two shots and needed ment from the start, when Young was stayed close, some help. Niemann he opened with a pair of even after a bogey on No. didn’t provide it, splitting 63s and set or matched a 10 when his flip wedge the middle of the fairway, tournament scoring record from short of the green hitting to the back level of of some variety each day failed to clear a bunker. the green and two-putting but the last one. He blasted out nicely to for par from just inside 30 Charlie Sifford in 1969 4 feet but missed the par feet. was the last player to putt, slamming his bag And then the celebrago wire-to-wire in the with a putter as he left the tion was on as his closest Genesis Invitational, sig- green. friends — Sergio Garcia nificant because the elite He still had a chance. of Spain, Mito Pereira of tournament — it attracted Young drove into a Chile and Carlos Ortiz of everyone from the top bunker on the 15th, could Mexico — formed a big 10 in the world this week only get out to the fairway group hug on the 18th.

Stormy six-goal thriller: Man United sinks Leeds in EPL By ROB HARRIS AP Global Soccer Writer LEEDS, England (AP) — Celebrating scoring Manchester United’s fourth goal, Anthony Elanga held a finger to his lips. No way were the Leeds fans being silenced, though. No chance. Not when they’d waited 19 years to see their fiercest rival at Elland Road in the Premier League, initially because of relegation and then pandemic curbs on fans. Not when they’d already come back from two goals down by scoring twice in 24 seconds to wipe out United’s lead yesterday. Ultimately, though, the tide turned back in United’s favour to win a six-goal thriller on a drenched pitch. Fred and Elanga secured the 4-2 victory and kept United on course to stay in fourth place. “The atmosphere was great,” United manager Ralf Rangnick said. “At times we had to cool down things on the pitch.” Leeds can’t yet escape the fear that its return to the Premier League after a 16-year exile will end after two seasons. Just five points separate Marcelo Bielsa’s side from the relegation zone after collecting one point from the last four games. “The effort the team made you can value it, but the relationship between what you get and what they produced is enormous in football,” Leeds manager Marcelo Bielsa said. “To not fight would be a sign that is worrying and to fight is a starting point. But it is not the only thing.”

Certainty of its Premier League status is needed to invest in a stadium shorn of much investment since Leeds was relegated in 2004 from the world’s richest league. Parts look little changed from the era that saw Leeds pip United to the title in 1992, the last season before the inception of the Premier League. Time hasn’t dissipated the intensity of the rivals who are geographically separated by the Pennine mountains and less than an hour on the road in northwest England. There were still the chants about the Munich air disaster that killed eight United players in 1958. And objects were showered on the United players after captain Harry Maguire headed in the opener in the 34th minute from Luke Shaw’s corner and then celebrated in front of the home fans. It looked game over when Bruno Fernandes headed in another in the fifth minute of stoppage time at the end of the first half from Jadon Sancho’s cross. The downpour only intensified during halftime. Water splashed off the turf as players passed the ball when they returned. Soon, United was no longer coasting. All it took was 24 seconds of play for Leeds, starting with the goal as unpredictable for David de Gea in the visiting goal as the weather. It appeared that Rodrigo was sending in a cross from the left but the ball bent beyond the goalkeeper’s

ANDREY Rublev celebrates with the trophy after winning the men’s singles final of the Open 13 Provence tennis tournament yesterday. (AP)

MARSEILLE, France (AP) — Second-seeded Andrey Rublev beat No. 3 Felix Auger-Aliassime 7-5, 7-6 (4) to win the Open 13 tournament yesterday, clinching his ninth career title and first for almost a year. Since winning in Rotterdam in March last year, Rublev had lost three finals. He improved to 5-0 in indoor finals and 9-5 overall, while Auger-Aliassime dropped to 1-9 in finals. The 21-year-old Canadian arrived in southern France in top form after beating Rublev in the semifinals and then upsetting top-seeded Stefanos Tsitsipas 6-4, 6-2 in the Rotterdam final last Sunday. It was his first title after losing his previous eight finals. He led 2-0 in the first set against Rublev and squandered a set point in the 12th game of the second set. “All the battles I have had with Felix since the first time back in 2018 have had drama,” the 24-year-old Rublev said. “All have had at least one set that went 7-6 and now he is one of the greatest players. Especially this season, he is on top now.” Auger-Aliassime led the serving contest 12-9 in aces but Rublev showed again why he is considered one of the best returners and retrievers on the tour. He played the shot of the match in the fifth game of the first set, returning a smash close to his body and turning it into a two-handed backhand winner. “I had to increase my level otherwise I would have had no chance against Felix,” Rublev said. “I was thinking it would go to three sets. But somehow I was able to raise my level and in the end it was tough.”

ALCARAZ OVERCOMES SCHWARTZMAN TO WIN RIO OPEN

MANCHESTER United’s Anthony Elanga celebrates after scoring his side’s fourth goal during the English Premier League soccer match between Leeds United and Manchester United, at Elland Road Stadium in Leeds, England, yesterday. (AP Photo/Jon Super) reach and inside the post in the 53rd minute. For the first time since Harry Kewell’s headed winner in September 2002, the fans at Elland Road witnessed a Premier League goal against United. After soaking up the celebrations, the home supporters didn’t have to wait long to see another. Dan James crossed to the far post where Raphinha slid ahead of Shaw to nudge the ball over the line. Leeds survived a VAR review for a potential foul on Fernandes in the buildup to revel in its recovery. United was reeling until a slick team goal in the 70th regained the lead. It began with Fernandes gaining possession inside his own half and running through unchallenged before laying the ball off to Ronaldo.

Fred received a pass from the Portuguese before laying the ball off to Sancho. A run into the penalty area gave the England international time for the return pass to Fred and the Brazilian beat Illan Meslier at his near post. The worst excesses of this traditional rivalry were evident again in the celebrations as Elanga was hit by an object. But another comeback was beyond Leeds as United’s quality prevailed to put the game away. Fernandes flicked the ball over Pascal Struijk before passing for Elanga to apply the finishing touch to complete a thrilling match. “It was old school,” Maguire said. “There was so many tackles. I’m sure it was good to watch but thankfully we came out on top.”

CHAMPIONS LEAGUE CHASE Winning was even more important for United with Wolverhampton on Sunday following Arsenal and Tottenham in winning this weekend as they try to dislodge Rangnick’s side from fourth. Daniel Podence’s goal from 20 yards gave Wolverhampton a 2-1 win over Leicester after he played a part in the opener. After his cross wasn’t cleared, Raul Jimenez laid the ball back to Ruben Neves who shot through the hands of goalkeeper Kasper Schmeichel. Podence’s winner, after Ademola Lookman poked in the equalizer in the 41st, ensured Wolves remained six points behind fourthplace United with two games in hand.

RIO DE JANEIRO (AP) — Spanish teenager Carlos Alcaraz beat Argentina’s Diego Schwartzman 6-4, 6-2 to win the Rio Open yesterday. The 18-year-old Alcaraz overcame third-seeded Schwartzman in the final to the delight of Brazilian fans at the clay-court tournament. The seventh-seeded Spaniard won his first professional match in Rio de Janeiro two years ago and his first tournament last year at Umag, Croatia, also on clay. The 29-year-old Schwartzman said his younger rival is doing “an amazing job.” “He is so young and is already achieving impressive things,” the Argentine said. Alcaraz praised Schwartzman’s fighting spirit and thanked the crowd for its support. “I have no words to describe what I had here from the first match until this final,” Alcaraz said. The Spaniard converted five of his six break points overall and dominated with impressive baseline play. Alcaraz’s path to the title included upsetting topseeded Matteo Berrettini in the quarterfinals and then beating another Italian, Fabio Fognini, in the semifinals.

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Monday, February 21, 2022, PAGE 19

AFTER BEIJING BUBBLE BURSTS, CAN THE IOC SAVE THE OLYMPICS?

GOLD medallists Team Britain celebrates during a medal ceremony for the women’s curling at the Beijing Winter Olympics Sunday, Feb. 20, 2022, in Beijing.

By EDDIE PELLS AP National Writer BEIJING (AP) — Before he got out of town, the great Canadian snowboarder Mark McMorris called the Beijing Games a version of “sports prison.” He was joking — sort of — but his vision wasn’t that far off. The cordoned-off Olympic bubble that folded up when the closing ceremony ended yesterday has produced its usual collage of amazing athletes doing great things. This 17-day journey, however, has been witnessed through a sealed-off looking glass — a lens warped and sterilised by Beijing’s organising committee with underwriting from the Chinese government. The ultimate sponsor: the International Olympic Committee, which has been under fire for producing Games that, to many, have felt soulless while also being tainted by scandal and political posturing. “I think that sometimes it doesn’t seem like their heart is in the right place,” the outspoken freestyle skier Gus Kenworthy said. “It feels like it’s a greed game. I mean, the Olympics are so incredible. But it’s a TV show.” As the IOC pulls up stakes from Beijing, it has 29 months to hit the reset button and hope for a different, COVID-free and much better vibe when the Summer Games go to Paris. The lingering question is whether, even in a more-welcoming, democratic locale, the Olympic overseers can repair their reputations to the point that people — most notably, the dwindling TV audience and the increasingly alienated throng of athletes — start to enjoy this enterprise again. Some images they’ll have to work to forget: — Tennis player Peng Shuai and IOC President Thomas Bach hanging out together to watch freeskier Eileen Gu’s first gold medal. — The thousands of testers, cloaked head to toe in personal protective gear, shoving swabs down athletes’ throats day after day for their mandatory COVID-19 screenings. — A sobbing Belgian skeleton racer, Kim Meylemans, going to social media to beg for release from quarantine. — And, of course, the Russian doping scandal, all perturbingly encapsulated by the image of 15-yearold figure skater Kamila Valieva crying after her disastrous long programme while her coach asked: “Why did you stop fighting?” “For all the wrong reasons,” said Syracuse pop culture professor Robert Thompson, Valieva’s performance last Thursday made for riveting television. “Surprising, weird and hyper-dramatic,” Thompson said. “Yet today, I searched the hallways in vain to find anyone who had seen it, or even heard tell of it. I’ve been paying close attention to the Olympics for 40 years, and never have I seen one surrounded by so much silence, so little buzz.” Through last Tuesday, the Nielsen Company said prime-time viewership on NBC ( which pays the lion’s share of the bills for these Games ) and its streaming service, Peacock, was down 42 percent from a 2018 Games that didn’t do all that well, either. The simplest explanation is to point toward the everincreasing menu of viewing options and the time difference; this was the third straight Winter Games held in Asia. That the IOC had to turn to authoritarian Russia, then China, for two of its last three Winter Olympics speaks to a larger problem that underscores how much less people care.

(AP Photo/Nariman El-Mofty)

STRIKING GOLD IN BEIJING BEIJING (AP) — A roundup of gold medals from Sunday, Feb. 20, at the Beijing Games: ALPINE SKIING MIXED TEAM PARALLEL The top-ranked Austrians won gold in the Winter Games’ second iteration of the mixed team parallel event, holding off Germany in the final. Mikaela Shiffrin and the American mixed ski team missed out on a medal by 0.42 seconds, losing in the bronze matchup in the final Alpine ski event of the Beijing Olympics. Norway won the bronze. The U.S. primarily used Shiffrin on the slower of the parallel courses, and she lost three of her four heats. Teammate River Radamus delivered the win the U.S. needed in the last heat to force a 2-2 tie, but he wasn’t fast enough to tilt the tiebreaker — combined times of the fastest man and woman — to the Americans’ favor. Austria also tied in the final against the Germans, but Stefan Brennsteiner and Katharina Liensberger took their heats in a faster combined time than Lena Duerr and Alexander Schmid. BOBSLED 4-MAN Francesco Friedrich and Germany have finished off an unforgettable show in sliding at the Beijing Olympics. Friedrich won his second Olympic gold medal in Beijing and fourth of his career by driving to the win Sunday in the four-man event, the final sliding race of these games. There were 10 sliding events in Beijing. Germany won gold in nine of them and took 16 medals overall. The rest of the world combined had 14 medals in sliding. Johannes Lochner won silver for Germany on Cities willing to foot the bill for the Games, then share the heat with the IOC over a years-long buildup, are harder to find these days. With only one other choice for 2022 — Kazakhstan — the IOC decision to hand over one of its crown jewels to China came with compromises. Beijing’s organising committee, and, in conjunction, the Chinese government, took extreme measures to keep the COVID-19 virus, which originated inside its borders two years ago, from spreading. It also made subtle but persistent suggestions that speaking out about any issue that makes for bad headlines in China — human rights, Uyghurs, Taiwan, Hong Kong, pollution — were not welcome. Athletes were gently reminded that the IOC’s much-discussed and somewhat-liberalised Olympic demonstration rules were secondary to China’s own laws and customs, which do not encourage dissent. The penalty for violating? Nobody was sure. But these Games brought with them the looming threat of a positive test, maybe from out of the blue, that could end an athlete’s chance for glory before it even began.

Roundup of Olympic gold medals from Sunday, February 20

FRANCESCO FRIEDRICH, Thorsten Margis, Candy Bauer and Alexander Schueller, of Germany, celebrate winning the gold medal in the 4-man at the 2022 Winter Olympics yesterday in the Yanqing district of Beijing. (AP Photo/Mark Schiefelbein) Sunday and Justin Kripps of Canada got the bronze. Hunter Church was 10th for the U.S. and Frank DelDuca tied for 13th. CROSS-COUNTRY SKIING WOMEN’S 30KM MASS START Therese Johaug of Norway won the women’s 30-kilometre mass start, her third gold at the Beijing Olympics. Fighting fierce winds and brutal temperatures, she went out front early in the race and held on, finishing in 1 hour, 24 minutes and 54 seconds. Johaug also won the skiathlon and 10-kilometre classic race. American Jessie Diggins kept a steady pace behind the Norwegian as gusts whipped across the

tracks, battering the skiers. She crossed the finish line 1 minute and 43.3 seconds behind Johaug to win silver. She had already become the first American woman to win an individual crosscountry medal when she took bronze in the sprint earlier in the Beijing Games. Finland’s Kerttu Niskanen won bronze 2 minutes and 33.3 seconds back. HOCKEY MEN’S Hannes Bjorninen scored the go-ahead goal 31 seconds into the third period and Finland claimed its first Olympic men’s hockey gold medal with a 2-1 win over the Russian Olympic Committee on

INTERNATIONAL Olympic Committee President Thomas Bach waves during the closing ceremony of the Winter Olympics yesterday in Beijing. (AP Photo/Jae C Hong) Many countries advised emotion in a way that only their athletes to leave their the Olympics can. Shaun White’s farewell cell phones at home, afraid of government cyberhacks to snowboarding after five and information harvesting. Olympics touched hearts. “How does an environ- Mikaela Shiffrin’s willingment where you know ness to unflinchingly face you’re being surveilled her setbacks was a reminder bring commonality?” asked that there’s more to be Rob Koehler, of the advo- gained from these games cacy group Global Athlete. than trips to the medals “There’s no joy in any of stand. China’s favourite story that.” There were some might have come from Gu. beautiful moments, too, The 18-year-old freeskier along with some others made history by becoming that brought out the raw the first winter action-sports

the final day of the Beijing Games. Ville Pokka also scored and Harri Sateri stopped 16 shots as Finland rallied from a 1-0 first-period deficit. The Finns’ best finishes in 17 previous Olympic appearances were silver medals at the 1988 Calgary Games and 2006 Torino Games. This time the ROC settled for silver. Mikhail Grigorenko scored for them. Slovakia beat Sweden earlier to win bronze. CURLING WOMEN’S Eve Muirhead led Britain to the Olympic women’s curling gold medal — the first for the sport’s homeland since 2002 — with a

record-setting 10-3 victory over Japan. One day after the British men took silver, losing to Sweden in the final, the women picked up two points in the first end and controlled the scoreboard from there. They essentially clinched it in the seventh after Japanese skip Satsuki Fujisawa failed to keep her last stone in the scoring area. Japan could only manage one point in the eighth. When Muirhead tallied two in the ninth, Fujisawa slid over to bump fists and concede. Another roar arose from the crowd, which included the men’s silver medalists. The Swedish women won bronze on Saturday night, beating Switzerland.

athlete to win three medals in the same Olympics — two golds and a silver. The fact that Gu is American and chose to compete for her mother’s homeland of China, however, made it clear that, her good intentions aside, there is no taking politics out of these Games. When Bach brought the Chinese tennis champion Peng, whose safety has been in question for months, to the venue for Gu’s first contest, cynics ripped the IOC for using the teenager’s golden moment to help whitewash the perceived sins of its hosts. At its core, the Olympics are supposed to be a celebration of sports where the world comes together for two weeks to forget its problems. They are not supposed to dabble in politics. In many eyes, any remnants of that worldview disintegrated on Day 1, when Russian President Vladimir Putin, his country actively amassing troops along the Ukrainian border, joined Bach and China’s president, Xi Jinping, at the opening ceremony. The facade crumbled and jumbled further when Bach denounced Russia — “It was chilling to see” Valieva berated by her coach, he

said — then a Kremlin spokesman denounced Bach. In the end, no athlete’s plight told the story of the Beijing Games more viscerally than that of the 15-year-old skater. When the litany of Russian doping scandals started unfurling, shortly after the end of the 2014 Sochi Games, the IOC had the advantage of the knowing that the reports, the meetings, the terrible headlines and the chaos would largely take place outside of the Games themselves and out of the general public’s view. The Valieva case can be fairly viewed as a byproduct of all the halfmeasures taken to sanction the Russians. But her drama played out while the party was in full swing;. It clouded virtually every aspect of a Games that already had issues. “We are dissatisfied because what we love about sport is the authentic pioneering struggle to redefine the possible, or to compete head to head, pouring every measure of devotion into the effort,” Max Cobb, an outspoken leader in U.S. Olympic circles, wrote in an essay this weekend. “It’s a great mix of awe and honest effort that inspires,” Cobb wrote, “except when it isn’t.”

PAGE 20, Monday, February 21, 2022

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Curry sets 3s record, LeBron the winner in NBA All-Star spectacle By BRIAN MAHONEY AP Basketball Writer CLEVELAND (AP) — Stephen Curry got another 3-point record. LeBron James got another All-Star win. Not a bad night in Ohio for the two All-Stars from Akron. Curry turned boos to oohs and aahs with the greatest long-distance shooting performance in All-Star Game history, then James made a turnaround jumper that gave Team LeBron a 163-160 victory over Team Durant on Sunday night. Curry made 16 3-pointers and scored 50 points, two off Anthony Davis’ record. He was clearly hunting it, asking on the sideline during a sizzling third quarter how many points it would take. “It’s pretty special, obviously being back in Ohio,” Curry said, seconds after being handed the inaugural

TENNIS

FROM PAGE 17 Rees, coming off his double victory at the Bahama Pure Water and Ice Grand Bahama Invitational last weekend in Grand Bahama, said it was unfortunate that he lost, but it couldn’t have come to a more deserving opponent. “He was just playing better than me today,” said Rees, a 14-year-old ninth grader at SAC. It showed after Mortimer jumped out to an impressive 3-0 start. But although he was able to make a comeback, Rees admitted

Kobe Bryant MVP Trophy. “The trophy is very special. Very humble, very blessed.” On a night both players were among the greats of the game who were honoured during a halftime ceremony celebrating the NBA’s 75th anniversary team, Curry and James showed why they continue to stand out among today’s best. Curry missed his final 3-point attempt that would have allowed him to surpass Davis. But with James’ team needing a basket to reach the target score of 163 points, they couldn’t afford to keep feeding Curry. So James pulled up from deep on the right side for the winning bucket, making him 5-0 in the format where the leading vote-getters in each conference draft teams. Giannis Antetokounmpo had 30 points, and James finished with 24 in his old home. Joel Embiid led Team Durant with 36 points.

GOLDEN State Warriors’ Stephen Curry, top, celebrates as Los Angeles Lakers’ LeBron James (6) greets Milwaukee Bucks’ Giannis Antetokounmpo after hitting a shot to win the NBA All-Star basketball game last night in Cleveland. (AP Photo/Ron Schwane) The All-Star Game’s fans made clear they hadn’t with a thunderous roar for NBA did away with the trareturn to Cleveland was forgiven him for help- James, who responded with ditional East against West expected to be James’ ing Golden State beat the one of his own. format. Then James beat night. He is the Cavaliers Cavaliers three times in the His home fans cheered Antetokounmpo in the next franchise’s greatest player, NBA Finals from 2015-18. again when he did his sig- two years. having led them to their But the fans were enjoy- nature pregame power toss This time, he drafted only NBA championship in ing his show too much to and he came out aggres- both of the two-time NBA 2016. keep going as the game sively with nine points to MVPs, along with Nikola Instead, he was upstaged went on, though the boos help Team LeBron win the Jokic, the reigning MVP. by Curry, who was born in returned when he was pre- first quarter 47-45. His team won for the the same Akron hospital. sented the MVP award. Then it became the Curry second straight year against Curry finished 16 of 27 It was a thrilling finish to show. the club captained by Kevin beyond the arc — some- an All-Star Game played He made six 3s for 18 Durant, who couldn’t play times well, well behind it. again before a packed points in the second quar- because of a sprained left He launched a few from house after the 2021 game ter, though Team Durant knee ligament. the All-Star 2022 logo near was contested in a mostly won the period. Chris Paul did play — midcourt, running back- empty State Farm Arena He made seven more 3s briefly — despite a right ward without even waiting in Atlanta, moved there and scored 21 in the third, thumb injury that TNT to watch one go in. because of the coronavi- when the teams played to a reported would keep him He had been booed all rus pandemic after it was 45-all tie. out at least six weeks. Paul weekend, smiling through originally scheduled for James defeated Curry played with a wrap covering the sounds during pregame Indianapolis. The pregame when they were captains in his thumb during his twointroductions as Cleveland introductions wrapped up 2018, the first year after the minute stint.

that it wasn’t enough to pull off the win in the end. “I realised he was rushing me, so I had to go back to the fence and recollect myself and try to refocus and I was able to win a couple of extra points,” Rees said. ”It was very tiresome, but hopefully the next time we meet, I can pull off the win.” The match went in spurts with Mortimer surging out front 3-0, only to watch as Rees stormed back for a 3-2 deficit. But Mortimer extended the lead again to 5-2. After Rees saved two match points, Mortimer went on to secure the match. “I relied a lot on

more serves when I play,” Mortimer Jr reflected. “I felt I did a good job on my serve. I wasn’t making a lot of first serves, but sometimes you just have to go with what’s working. I did what I had to do to win.” Mortimer Jr, who hopes to follow in the footsteps of his father Dentry Mortimer as a professional tennis player, said he’s delighted to hold the bragging rights as the first champion of the Island Tennis Bahamas Tournament and he’s looking forward to playing in the next one. Tournament director Philip Major Jr said the final brought back a lot of

memories from his playing days as a junior. “Just to have kids playing in this final after 7pm is kind of foreign these days,” said Major Jr, who along with Kevin ‘KJ’ Major Jr founded the Island Tennis Bahamas programme last month. “I haven’t seen that in a very long time. As for me, it was a success just to see tennis last so long in a day. That speaks volumes and that is beyond us and moving forward, we want that to always be the case. So I’m proud and happy to see the way they played in the tournament.” Mortimer Jr finished on top of pool A with 18

games. Sierra Rogers was the runner-up with 12 points. In pool B, Rees topped the field with 24 points. He was followed by Sapphire Ferguson with 18. Rees’ younger brother, Kingston Rees, 9, captured the under-12 divisional title after he accumulated a total of 24 points. “I felt good,” said Kingston Rees, a grade four student at Xavier’s Lower School. “The matches were very hard. “My brother inspired me to play tennis. He’s doing a pretty good job of it, but I want to be better than him.” Nicholas Rees, the proud father of both Khai and

Kingston Rees, said they both raised the level of their games. “I was extremely impressed with the level of play that was exhibited here today,” said Rees, a twotime Olympic swimmer. “I’m proud to be a part of Island Tennis Bahamas, trying to get the kids sorted out. This is the first time this is being done in the Bahamas with Island Tennis and so this will only help the juniors and the kids. So it’s going to be exciting as we move forward.” Khai Rees is now heading off to Boca Raton, Florida to participate in a Level 5 tournament next week.

Towns wins All-Star 3-Point Contest By TOM WITHERS AP Sports Writer CLEVELAND (AP) — Karl-Anthony Towns gave big men everywhere something to shoot for. Minnesota’s 7-footer became the first center to win the 3-Point Shooting Contest, defeating seven guards during the NBA’s All-Star Saturday and providing a memorable moment on a night the dunk contest barely got off the ground. Towns, who has spent his entire career proving doubters wrong about his range, posted a 29 — the highest total in the competition — during the final round to defeat Atlanta’s Trae Young and Luke Kennard of the Los Angeles Clippers, who tied for second with 26 each. New York’s Obi Toppin won the four-person dunk contest, scoring a 47 out of 50 in the final round by putting the ball between his legs in the air, touching it off the backboard and redirecting it through the rim.

Golden State’s Juan Toscano-Anderson was second as the dunk contest, once a marquee event that at times trumped the All-Star Game, fell flat. A trio of Cleveland Cavaliers, Darius Garland, Evan Mobley and Jarrett Allen, won the Skills Challenge. After his surprising 3-point win, Towns accepted his trophy at mid-court and immediately turned toward Hall of Fame centre Shaquille O’Neal sitting courtside in Rocket Mortgage FieldHouse. “I told you Shaq,” Towns said. “Vegas got the odds wrong.” Towns was considered, well, a long shot among a field of shot makers that included Young, Kennard, New Orleans’ CJ McCollum, Brooklyn’s Patty Mills, Toronto’s Fred VanVleet, Chicago’s Zach LaVine and Memphis’ Desmond Bane. “I wanted to prove I was the best shooting big man in the world, and now I got the trophy to prove it,” Towns said.

NCAA SWIM FROM PAGE 17

level. For the McKendree Bearcats, DaVante Carey was a first team ​​All-GLVC selection in the 200 Medley and 400 Medley Relays at the Great Lakes Valley Conference (GLVC) Championships at the Elkhart Health and Aquatics Center in Elkhart, Indiana. Carey finished with four personal bests and two relay conference records at the meet. He won the ‘C’ final of the 200 back with a personal best time of 1:48.26 seconds going under the NCAA ‘B’ cut. Carey also swam in the ‘B’ final of the 100 back and

TIMBERWOLVES’ Karl-Anthony Towns holds up the trophy after winning the three-point shot part of the skills challenge competition on Saturday in Cleveland. (AP Photo/Charles Krupa) There have been other he swapped his sneakers big men crowned 3-point for a pair of Timberland champions, but Kevin Love boots and then dunked in (2012) and Dirk Nowit- them with an assist from his zki (2006) are considered father, former NBA guard power forwards. “I think Greg Anthony. Toppin said all the parthis is a nice little thing to put on that résumé,” Towns ticipants are great dunkers said. “Big man hasn’t won who wanted to put on a in 10 years, and, of course, show, and they all were 10 years ago, a decade ago, encouraging each other. “When Cole missed who won it? The Wolves. It’s coming back home those two first ones with the Timbs on, I was like where it belongs.” The dunk contest started no those Timbs are heavy,” with some promise and fiz- Toppin said. “I was like, we got to zled fast. Orlando’s Cole Anthony caused a stir when boost his energy up. I was

finished in a new personal best time of 47.36 to earn an NCAA ‘B’ cut. In the 100 Fly ‘B’ final, Carey swam another personal best time of 48.09 to finish second for another NCAA ‘B’ cut qualifying time. After breaking the 200-yard medley conference record on Wednesday, Carey teamed with Felipe Pinhero, Gregg Lichinsky and Xander Skinner to break the school and GLVC record 400 medley record in 3:09.63. Also in Division II, Lamar Taylor was one of the standouts for Henderson State at the ​​New South Intercollegiate Swim Conference (NSISC) Swimming and Diving Championships, at the

Mayers Aquatics Center in Cleveland, Mississippi. Individually, Taylor won the 50 and 100 free for the Red Wave. In the 50 free, he took first place in 19.58 for a new school and conference record along with an NCAA ‘A’ cut. In the 100 freestyle, he finished in 43.47 and earned an NCAA ‘B’ cut. In the 200 free relay, he teamed with Patryk Dabrowski, Jase Pinckney and Tim Holt, broke their own NSISC record in 1:19.75 to earn first place and an NCAA ‘B’ cut. In the 200 medley, Taylor, Oscar Patten, Pinckney and Holt swam to an NCAA ‘B’ cut time of 1:28.14.

trying to get everybody on their feet.” It worked, momentarily. But Anthony couldn’t complete his second dunk in three tries and he was eliminated along with Houston’s Jalen Green, who also struggled while trying to impress a panel of Hall of Fame judges — Julius Erving, Isiah Thomas, David Robinson, Clyde Drexler and Dominique Wilkins. The hometown Cavs added another moment to their impressive season by winning the re-formatted Skills Challenge, which pitted teams and not individual players. Garland, Mobley and Allen teamed up to outperform Team Antetokounmpo — MVP Giannis and his brothers Thanasis and Alex — and a rookie trio of Detroit’s Cade Cunningham, Toronto’s Scottie Barnes and Oklahoma City’s Josh Giddey. Mobley, a leading candidate for rookie of the year honors, sealed the win by making a half-court shot on

In NCAA Division I, Izaak Bastian helped lead his Florida State Seminoles to a sixth place finish at the Atlantic Coast Conference (ACC) Swimming and Diving Championships at the McAuley Aquatic Center in Atlanta, Georgia. In the 200 medley, Bastian teammed with Mason Herbet, Max McCusker and Peter Varjasi won bronze in 1:23.15. It was a new school record and improved on their previous qualifying time. The quartet also finished seventh in the 400 medley relay. Individually, he swam a personal best in the 50 free with an NCAA ‘B’ cut time of 19.93 - a new personal best - to finish 28th overall. He finished 11th in 100m

his first attempt, allowing the Cavs to close the segment of the contest in 5.5 seconds and defeat Team Rooks. The Cavs started the shooting competition off target as Allen, hardly known for his outside touch, made just two shots in 30 seconds. However, Garland brought Cleveland back — and brought their crowd to life — scoring 21 points. However, the Cavs came out of the relay portion tied with Team Antetokounmpo for second place and needed Garland to win a shoot-off with Thanasis to place Cleveland in the final. After Cunningham drained his 47-footer in 9.9 seconds, Mobley calmly stepped into his winning shot. “He’s one of a kind,” Allen said of his 20-yearold teammate. “Defense, offense and now half court. The whole league knows Evan by now. If they’ve ever driven to the paint, they definitely know him, so the NBA should know him by now.”

breast in 52.38, the 10th fastest time in FSU history. He also finished 17th in 200 Breast in 1:55.36. Lilly Higgs also swam at the ACC championships for the North Carolina Tar Heels. Higgs teamed with Ellie VanNote, Sophie Lindner, and Grace Countie to win bronze and set a new school record in the 400 medley relay in 3:30.87. It was an NCAA automatic qualifying time. In the 200 medley, Higgs, Greer Pattison, Lindner, and Countie teamed up to set a new record and earned a fourth-place finish with a time of 1:35.58 to earn another NCAA Championship automatic qualifying time.

THE TRIBUNE

Monday, February 21, 2022, PAGE 21

ANFERNEE FROM PAGE 17

FORMER NBA greats Dennis Rodman, left, and Michael Jordan greet each other during the introduction of 75 of the leagues greatest players during halftime at the NBA All-Star basketball game yesterday in Cleveland.

LAKERS’ LEBRON JAMES, left, and former NBA great Michael Jordan greet each other during the introduction of 75 of the leagues greatest players. (AP Photos/Ron Schwane)

Jordan, Magic honoured with 75th team at All-Star halftime By TOM WITHERS AP Sports Writer CLEVELAND (AP) — The NBA celebrated its diamond anniversary with a sparkling tribute to honour 75 years on the hardwood floor. During halftime of last night’s All-Star Game, 45 members of the 75th Anniversary Team — including Michael Jordan, Magic Johnson and Kareem AbdulJabbar — stood side by side on a circular stage in the middle of Rocket Mortgage FieldHouse. It was a chance to take a bow for the game’s biggest names, players who cut a path down the lane for today’s players. Each of them wearing blue blazers

CARIFTA

FROM PAGE 17 27.15, while Fast Forward’s Zoe Adderley duplicated the feat in the under-15 girls 100m in 12.86 and the 200m in 26.62. And on the field, Xtreme Athletics’ Terrell McCoy posted a pair of victories in the under-15 girls shot put with 34-10 ¼ (10.62m) and the discus with 98-8 (30.07m).

with a 75th logo on their chests, the best of the NBA’s best were introduced to huge ovations, with the loudest cheers going to Jordan, who was the last player to walk onto the raised podium at centre court. The forwards were brought out first with Charles Barkley leading the way. Giannis Antetokounmpo, one of six current All-Stars on the 75th team, changed out of his Team LeBron uniform for the on-court tribute. Julius “Dr J” Erving bowed to the crowd, and the always entertaining Dennis Rodman strutted down the wine-coloured carpet wearing a basketball cap and hooded sweatshirt under his jacket. LeBron James was the

Team Velocity’s Kamron Henfield swept the under-13 boys’ sprints in the 100m in 12.91 and the 200m in 26.46 and his teammate Anthony Saunders got a double as well in the 400m in 1:03.90 and the 800m in 2:31.77. And in the under-15 boys’ division, Swift Athletics’ Roilinny Labranche captured the under-15 boys’ 100m in 12.02 and the 200m in 23.93. Redline Athletics’ Eagan Neely won the 400m in 55.03 and

last of the forward group to be welcomed, and the former Cleveland star spun in circle to return the love coming from every corner of the arena. When it was the centres’ turn to be welcomed, Shaquille O’Neal stuck out his tongue toward the camera and posed while Abdul-Jabbar, the league’s career scoring leader, mimicked his signature “sky hook.” Allen Iverson, who once scored 54 points in the building, led the guards out and was followed soon after by George “Iceman” Gervin, who made sure the crowd remembered his famed finger roll. Before Jordan’s entrance, Kobe Bryant’s photo on the giant scoreboard touched

off an emotional response and chants of “Ko-be, Ko-be” for the late Lakers superstar who died tragically in a 2020 helicopter crash with his young daughter, Gianna. Even Steph Curry, who got booed during the first half of the All-Star Game, got a nice hand. Jordan’s appearance was something of a surprise as the league kept a tight lid on any details of the celebration. The still living members of the 75th team who didn’t attend were shown on video, with each saluting the fans with a wave. This is the second time the league has honoured its greats in Cleveland, after the 50th Anniversary Team was honoured in 1997.

Hurry Murray’s Tieano Ferguson came through in the 800m in 2:22.33. Stephanie Stubbs, one of the coaches for the Roadrunners, headed by Dexter Bodie, said the meet turned out to be a very good one. “The kids performed very well. A few of them hit some PRs (personal best), so that was good for them,” she said. As for the meet being staged in the COVID-19 environment,

Stubbs said the athletes didn’t allow the restrictions put in place by the Ministry of Health to dampen their spirits. “They are still excited about track and even though there are precautions that they have to take, they are willing to take them because they want to be in this environment,” she said. “So it’s a good space for a lot of these kids to be in. Despite COVID-19.”

HAMLIN’S CHASE FOR 4TH WIN ENDS WITH EARLY CRASH

Cindric wins Daytona 500 to celebrate Penske’s 85th birthday By JENNA FRYER AP Auto Racing Writer DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. (AP) — Austin Cindric drove his brand new NASCAR ride to victory in the Daytona 500 to celebrate team owner Roger Penske’s 85th birthday. Cindric drove a masterful race at Daytona International Speedway and the Ford drivers synched their strategy all week, then executed their plan to perfection last night. The blue oval drivers pushed each other over 500 miles and were bunched together for the final restart in overtime. Cindric was the leader on the restart from the top lane and pulled out

to a sizeable gap. He then ducked down to the bottom line in front of his Team Penske teammate Ryan Blaney so that Blaney and Cindric could work together over the final twolap sprint to the finish. Blaney on the final lap made his move for the lead, and Bubba Wallace ducked low for his own look at the front. Cindric slid up to block Blaney, but still had to hold Wallace off in a drag race. A crash behind them brought out the caution and Cindric was ruled the leader and the winner. It’s the first career Cup victory for the 23-year-old Cindric, who was promoted from the Xfinity Series to replace Brad Keselowski in

among independent leagues. It is an official MLB Partner League based in the Mid-Atlantic and Southeastern United States. The Atlantic League operates in cities not served by Major League Baseball (MLB) or Minor League Baseball (MiLB) teams; most of its teams are within suburbs and exurbs too close to other teams in the organised baseball system to have minor league franchises of their own. When Atlantic League professionals are signed by MLB clubs, they usually start in their Double-A or Triple-A affiliates.” The ALPB uses a set of progressive rules such as a pitch clock and limits the time between innings in an effort to speed up the game. Seymour spent last season with the Kane County Cougars of the American Association of Professional Baseball. He led the league in stolen bases with 37. On the season, he hit .231 with 71 hits, 10 doubles, four triples, 32 RBI, 50 runs scored, a .646 OPS, and 104. The AAPB is an independent Major League Baseball Partner League. At the Major League Baseball level, Seymour last appeared as a member of the Miami Marlins organisation with the Jacksonville Jumbo Shrimp of the Double-A Southern League. In 2019, Hurricane Dorian forced a premature end to the Southern League season. Seymour finished the season just nine hits shy of 500 for his minor league career. On the season, he hit .261 with a .314 OBP, a .648 OPS and slugged .333 in 103 games. He totalled 72 hits, 92 total bases, 13 doubles, two triples, one home run, 28 RBI, 17 stolen bases and 30 runs scored. Following the season, he opted for free agency. He was originally drafted by the Marlins in 2014 and spent two years in the organisation before he was traded to the Braves in 2016 and returned to the Marlins for a second stint in 2018.

AUSTIN Cindric celebrates on top of his car after winning the NASCAR Daytona 500 auto race yesterday at Daytona International Speedway. (AP Photo/Chris O’Meara) the No. 2 Ford and run for only Toyota drivers in the in motorsports. He’s the NASCAR’s rookie of the top 10. Michael McDow- son of Tim Cindric, the year honours. ell was seventh, followed president of Penske’s Wallace finished second by David Ragan and Kes- racing organisation, and for the second time in his elowski, and finally Chase the maternal grandson career in the Daytona 500 Elliott in the only Chevro- of the late Jim Trueman, and was followed by a trio let to finish inside the top who fielded Bobby Rahal’s of Ford drivers in Chase 10. winning car in the 1986 Briscoe, Blaney and Aric Cindric, meanwhile, gave Indianapolis 500. Trueman Almirola. Kyle Busch was his family another one of died of cancer less than a sixth to join Wallace as the the crown jewel trophies month later at age 51.

DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. (AP) — Three-time Daytona 500 winner Denny Hamlin became a spectator for the first time in his career at “The Great American Race.” Hamlin crashed out of NASCAR’s premier event Sunday, his first DNF in 17 starts in the season opener. Hamlin was caught up on a eight-car melee near the end of the opening stage. Brad Keselowski was aggressively pushing Harrison Burton and eventually caused the rookie to lose control and turn sideways into Kyle Busch and William Byron. Burton’s car flipped onto its roof before getting hit again and turning back onto its tires. “I’ve hit a lot harder before, that’s for sure. It’s just unfortunate,” Burton said. “I don’t know if it was too much (of a push). I just think it might have been in the wrong spot.”

Hill wins at Daytona as airborne crash ends Xfinity opener By JENNA FRYER AP Auto Racing Writer

TOMMY Joe Martins (44) and Brett Moffitt (02) spin during the NASCAR Xfinity Series auto race on Saturday at Daytona International Speedway. (AP Photo/Chris O’Meara)

DAYTONA BEACH, Florida (AP) — Austin Hill won the Xfinity Series opener at Daytona International Speedway following Myatt Snider’s airborne crash that shredded a chunk of catchfence directly in front of where Michael Jordan was watching Saturday night. Jordan was on the backside of the catchfence with driver Bubba Wallace, an amateur photographer who often takes pictures during NASCAR’s lower-series events. The field soared past them on the final lap when Snider was hit from behind, causing Snider to turn right into the wall. Snider was then hit again by another car and that contact caused Snider’s car to sail up into the fence and then bounce back onto the track.

The shredded carcass was stripped to a heap of battered steel and even the engine block was ripped from the car. Snider was able to climb from his car by himself. Hill, meanwhile, had pulled alongside leader AJ Allmendinger on the final lap and was scored ahead when NASCAR called the caution. NASCAR had to review the finish before ruling the win for Hill, who moved up from the Truck Series this season to for a full-time Xfinity ride with Richard Childress Racing. Hill’s win in his very first race with RCR was the first victory this week at Daytona for Chevrolet. Ford had won two Daytona 500 qualifying races and Friday night’s Truck Series opener, won by Zane Smith in his first race for Front Row Motorsports.

Hill made it three consecutive nights that a new driver-team pairing went to Daytona’s victory lane. Brad Keselowski won a Thursday night qualifier with RFK Racing, the rebrand of Jack Roush’s team that Keselowski joined as a part-owner. Hill said he used the entire race to work with spotter Derek Kneeland to ensure that Hill was learning enough to make a plan on how to attack at the end. “I was learning all night. I kept telling him, ‘I’m just putting that in the bank. I’m putting that in the bank. I’m putting that in the memory bank to remember for late in the race,” Hill said. “We timed it perfectly. Obviously, that caution came out, but we had a heck of a run, so who knows what would have happened there.”

PAGE 22, Monday, February 21, 2022

THE TRIBUNE

FIREWORKS explode over the stadium during the closing ceremony of the 2022 Winter Olympics yesterday.

(AP Photo/Natacha Pisarenko)

Beijing’s Olympics close

FROM PAGE 17 TV ratings were down, but streaming viewership was up: By Saturday, NBC had streamed 3.5 billion minutes from Beijing, compared to 2.2 billion in South Korea in 2018. There were no major unexpected logistical problems, only the ones created deliberately to stem the spread of COVID in the country where the coronavirus first emerged more than two years ago. And stemmed it seemed to be. As of Saturday, the segregated system that effectively turned Beijing into two cities — one sequestered, one proceeding very much as normal — had produced only 463 positive tests among thousands of visitors entering the bubble since January 23. Not surprisingly, the statecontrolled media loved this. “The success in insulating the event from the virus and keeping disruption to sports events to a minimum also reflected the effectiveness and flexibility of China’s overall zero-COVID policies,” the pro-government Global Times newspaper said, citing epidemiologists who say “the COVID19 prevention experience accumulated from this Olympics can also inspire Chinese cities to adjust their policies.” Look deeper, though, and a different story emerges about these Games. Internationally, many critiqued them as the “authoritarian Olympics” and denounced the IOC

for holding them in concert with a government accused of gross human rights violations against ethnic Uyghurs and Tibetans in its far west and harsh policies against Hong Kong democracy activists off its southeastern coast. Several Western governments boycotted by not sending any official delegations, though they sent athletes. For its part, China denied such allegations, as it typically does, and featured a Uyghur as part of its slate of Olympic torch-carriers for the opening ceremony February 4. And then, of course, there were the Russians. And doping. Again. The 15-year-old Russian figure skater Kamila Valieva tested positive for using a banned heart medication. The result wasn’t announced by anti-doping officials until after she’d won gold as part of the team competition, even though the sample was taken weeks earlier. The Court of Arbitration for Sport cleared her to compete in the individual discipline, ruling that as a minor she had protected status. But Valieva, although heavily favoured to win, fell several times during her free skate routine, landing her fourth place and prompting a cold reception from her embattled coach, Eteri Tutberidze. “Rather than giving her comfort, rather than to try to help her, you could feel this chilling atmosphere, this distance,” Bach said the

FIREWORKS light up the sky over the Olympic Stadium during the closing ceremony of the Winter Olympics in Beijing. (AP Photos/Jeff Roberson) next day, proclaiming his withdrawn due to lack of outrage. local support or high cost. Valieva’s Russian teamGeopolitical tensions also mates took gold and silver, shadowed these Games, but on a night of drama, with Russia’s buildup of even the winners were in troops along its border with tears. The affair produced Ukraine spurring fears of one possible legacy for Bei- war in Europe even as the jing: Valieva’s ordeal has “Olympic Truce” supposinspired talk of raising the edly kicked in. minimum age for Olympic In the closing, Bach said skaters from 15 to 17 or 18. athletes “embraced each American skier Mikaela other even if your countries Shiffrin also came to Bei- are divided by conflict,” jing with high expectations, an apparent reference to only to see them dashed a hug captured on camera when she failed to finish between a Russian athlete three races. She left with- and a Ukrainian one. out any medal at all. In an China swelled with pride, image to remember, the and its social media swelled TV cameras captured Shif- with comments, as Eileen frin sitting dejectedly on Gu, an America-born freethe snow, head in hands, for style skier who chose to several minutes. compete for China, her The 2022 Games were mother’s native country, controversial from the became an international moment the IOC awarded superstar. them to Beijing, the freHer three medals -- two quently snowless capital of gold, one silver — set a new a country without much of record for her sport, and a winter sports tradition. adulation for Gu literally Almaty, Kazakhstan, was broke the Chinese interthe only other city in play net at one point, briefly after four other bids were crashing the servers of Sina

Weibo, the massive Twitterlike network. And Chinese snowboarder Su Yiming, a former child actor, won over the home crowd with a dominant gold medal big air performance. Other moments to remember from Beijing 2022: — With a nearly perfect free skate and a record-setting short programme, the 22-year-old figure skater Nathan Chen became the first American gold medallist in his sport since 2010. — Snowboarding’s best known rider, Shaun White, called it a career after finishing fourth in the halfpipe in his fifth Olympics, passing the torch to athletes like Su and the halfpipe gold medallist, Japan’s Ayumu Hirano. — American boarder and social media figure Chloe Kim won the gold in halfpipe for the second time, adding to her 2018 medal from Pyeongchang. — Norway, a country whose total population of 5 million is less than one half of one percent of the host country’s, led the medal count, as it often does. Russia was second, followed by Germany, Canada and the United States. These third straight Games in Asia, after Pyeongchang in 2018 and the delayed Tokyo Summer Games six months ago, were also the second pandemic Games. And the 16,000 athletes and other international visitors who spent the entire time segregated from the

Norway ROC Germany Canada United States Sweden Austria Japan Netherlands Italy China Switzerland France South Korea Finland Slovenia Australia New Zealand Hungary Britain Belgium Czech Republic Slovakia Belarus Spain Ukraine Estonia Latvia Poland

16 6 12 4 8 8 7 3 8 2 9 7 5 2 2 2 1 2 1 1 1 1 1 0 0 0 0 0 0

8 12 10 8 10 5 7 6 5 7 4 2 7 5 2 3 2 1 0 1 0 0 0 2 1 1 0 0 0

13 14 5 14 7 5 4 9 4 8 2 5 2 2 4 2 1 0 2 0 1 1 1 0 0 0 1 1 1

Updated Feb. 19 at 10:03 p.m. EST Source: IOC & Sportradar

host city behind tall chainlink fences couldn’t help but see the countless signs trumpeting unremitting iterations of the Olympic slogan: “Together for a Shared Future.” But for much of these austere and distant Games, wintry not only in their weather but in their tenor itself, a post-pandemic shared future — the hugand-harmony variety that the Olympics builds its entire multinational brand around — seemed all but out of reach.