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Team Bahamas 3rd overall

By JONATHAN BURROWS Tribune Sports Reporter

jburrows@ tribunemedia.net

TEAM Bahamas delivered another competitive showing at the 53rd CARIFTA Games in Grenada, finishing among the region’s top countries while producing key performances on both the track and field.

The team closed the meet with 30 medals - eight gold, 12 silver and 10 bronzeplacing third overall behind Jamaica and Trinidad and Tobago.

Jamaica once again led the standings with 71 medals (28 gold, 27 silver, 16 bronze), while Trinidad and Tobago secured second

with 35 medals (nine gold, 11 silver, 15 bronze). The Bahamas followed in third, with Barbados fourth with 17 medals and Guyana rounding out the top five with six medals.

While the overall medal count dipped from last year’s 37-medal performance in Trinidad and Tobago, the team remained consistent across events and produced several standout moments.

Another bright side of this year's CARIFTA Games performances was the many highlighted performances in the under-17 division from Team Bahamas, alluding to the fact that track and field development in The Bahamas is at an all time high.

One of the biggest highlights came in the relays, where the under-17 girls’ 4x100 metre team delivered a record-breaking run. The quartet of Keyezra Thomas, Brion Ward, Taree Forbes and Jazae Johnson surged to gold while setting a new CARIFTA record with a time of 44.21 seconds, continuing the country’s long-standing strength in sprint relays.

Another key performance came from phenom Jazae Johnson, who also etched her name into the CARIFTA history books. In only her second CARIFTA Games appearance,

Johnson,16, walked away with three gold medals (under-17 triple jump12.35 metres, under-17 long jump - 6.02 metres and under-17 4x100m relay) and one silver medal (under-17 100m dash - 11.30 seconds).

In the under-17 division, in the Octathlon, Justin Shephard set new CARIFTA records in the single events such as the 400m dash with a time of 49.62 seconds and the 1,500m run with a time of 4:56.32. Shepherd also broke the overall octathlon point record with 5,387 points. Teammate Ashley Demerittle Jr. finished second with a point total of 4,897. This was both athletes' first time competing at the CARIFTA Games. Those

moments carried on a trend from last year, when The Bahamas produced multiple record-breaking performances, including the under-17 boys’ 4x400 metre relay team setting a CARIFTA record and several national records falling across events. We also saw some exceptional performances from athletes who performed in the under-20 age group for the first time, highlighted by Eagan Neely capturing a bronze medal in the 200 metre dash with a time of 20.73 seconds. This performance came after Neely missed the first half of the track season due to a leg injury.  In Grenada, the field events once again set

9th-inning

the early tone for Team Bahamas. In what would be her last CARIFTA appearance, defending champion Taysha Stubbs secured the country’s first gold medal in the under-20 girls’ javelin, successfully retaining her title. She was joined on the podium by Kamera Strachan, who claimed bronze in her first CARIFTA appearance. The overall performance reflects a team that continues to compete at a high level across multiple disciplines, especially in the under-17 division. While the number of gold medals was lower than the previous year, The Bahamas maintained its position among the top three nations in the region.

NEW YORK (AP) — Brent Rooker hit a go-ahead sacrifice fly off David Bednar in the ninth inning, and the Athletics rallied to beat the New York Yankees 3-2 last night. Nick Kurtz singled leading off the ninth against Bednar (0-1), and Shea Langeliers doubled. Rooker lofted a flyball to center field and Kurtz scored without a play. Elvis Alvarado (2-0) got two outs for an A's bullpen that pitched four hitless innings in relief of Luis Severino. Joel Kuhnel worked a perfect ninth for his second major league save, his first since 2022.

New York's Ryan McMahon made his first big league start at shortstop, where he had two prior appearances in late-inning switches totalling three innings for Colorado in 2020. He had five assists and was 0 for 3 with a walk at the plate, dropping to 2 for 26 this season.

Severino, who pitched in the Yankees organisation from 2012-23, allowed two runs in the first. He gave up four hits and five walks in five innings. New York went

ahead seven pitches into the first on three straight singles, the last being Cody Bellinger's blooper. After a pair of strikeouts, Severino forced in a run with eight straight balls. The A's challenged the last, to J.C. Escarra, which ABS showed was 2.1 inches above the strike zone.

The A's tied it 2-all in the fourth on an RBI single by Jeff McNeil, celebrating his 34th birthday, and Will Warren's run-scoring wild pitch. McNeil is 8 for 16 on his birthday. New York's Ben Rice had the first four-strikeout game of his big league career, and the Yankees went 1 for 7 with runners in scoring position, dropping to 22 for 97 (.227) this year.

Yankees pitching coach Matt Blake was ejected by plate umpire Carlos Torres for arguing ball/strike calls from New York’s dugout in the third inning.

Yankees shortstop Anthony Volpe, recovering from left shoulder surgery on October 14, could start a minor league rehabilitation assignment next week, manager Aaron Boone said.

53rd CARIFTA Games

Athletes burn up the track and field

‘My

first international assignment in sports journalism’

By JONATHAN BURROWS Tribune Sports Reporter

jburrows@ tribunemedia.net

ST. GEORGE’S, Grenada

— My first international assignment in sports journalism took me to the 53rd CARIFTA Games, and it delivered exactly what I hoped for and more.

From the moment I arrived in Grenada after a gruelling three-hour flight from the Lynden Pindling International Airport, the setting stood out.

coastline. Every stretch felt elevated, both literally and figuratively.

tracking results, gathering quotes and filing stories under tight deadlines.

Covering an event of this scale in person is different from following it remotely. The pace is constant.

There is always another race, another field event, another medal moment. There is little downtime, and the expectation is to keep up without missing any details.

fatigue set in, but the energised environment made it easier to stay locked in. Every time I looked up, there was another performance worth documenting. What made the trip stand out most was the opportunity to represent and support The Bahamas while doing the job.

in the stands along with the Grenadian “Jab Jab” rhythms, and observing the emotions firsthand gave context that cannot be replicated from a livestream back home.

There is value in telling these stories accurately and in real time.

The drive through the island revealed winding roads cut into hillsides, with steep climbs and sharp turns that opened up to wide views of the

The landscape was different from home, but it carried a familiar Caribbean energy. What stood out the most about the landscape was the green hills that seemingly went on endlessly with fresh, clean air that my lungs had not been used to coming from the industrial city of Nassau, but you could not deny the quiet sense of pride in the environment that carried through to all the exceptional Grenadian people that I met.

There is value in being present, asking the right questions and capturing moments as they happen, which reminded me why I pursued this line of work in the first place. This trip combined travel, culture, competition, and storytelling into one experience. The job required much effort, focus, and endurance, but it also delivered perspective. Covering the 53rd CARIFTA Games confirmed that this is what I want to continue doing, being on the ground, documenting performances and bringing those moments back home. ON THE REPLAY:

The Kirani James Athletic Stadium became the centre of everything. It was where I spent most of my time, working long hours,

That part of the experience tested me. The days were long, often stretching from early morning sessions into late evenings with minimal breaks.

Writing on deadlines while events continued in the background required much focus and discipline. There were moments where

Local Sports Calendar

CONSTITUENCY

SOFTBALL TOURNEY

THE New Providence Sports Council, in conjunction with the Bahamas Softball Federation, will hold the Constituency Games Softball Tournament from Tuesday, April 28 to Sunday, May 3, in the Bankers’ Field at the Baillou Hills Sporting Complex. The men will play modified pitch during the tournament, while the women will play slowpitch. For more information, persons can contact BSF

president Marvin ‘Togie’ Wood at 808-7281. SPRING ROAD

CYCLING CLASSIC

THE New Providence Cycling Association will hold its Spring Road Cycling Classic over the weekend of April 11-12 at Clifton Pier. The individual time trial will begin at 5pm on Saturday, April 11, with the juniors competing over six miles and the adults covering 12 miles.

The road race will be held on Sunday, April 12, starting at 7:35am. The senior

elites will ride 64 miles, under-23 will do 64 miles, open females 52 miles, masters male and female 46 miles, public races 24 miles, juniors (17-18) 52 miles, juveniles (14-16) 46 miles and-under 12 miles. Prizes, including cash, trophies and medals will be presented to the various winners. For more information, persons can contact 433-5568 or 436-0685 or email bommus1967@gmail. com. Registration forms can be picked up at Cycles Unlimited online.

Watching Team Bahamas athletes compete at this meet after watching them in preparation for this entire track season added a different level of meaning to the work. Each medal, each personal best, each close finish carried weight.

Being in the stadium for those moments, hearing the reactions, seeing the celebrations with the complements of the Junkanoo

Many moments felt historic. Watching firsthand, records being broken and getting access to the region’s best young athletes as some of them made their inaugural mark on the biggest stage in the junior track and field universe.

Being present to witness those performances reinforced why covering events like CARIFTA matters.

The experience also reinforced my appreciation for sports journalism. It is demanding work, but it is also rewarding.

The NBA often saves its best basketball for the playoffs...

By TIM REYNOLDS AP Basketball Writer

THE NBA, typically, saves its best for last.

Here's hoping that rings true again this spring.

You may have noticed there's a lot of bad basketball out there right now. Blowouts are happening with record-setting regularity. Some teams are tanking, which is forcing the NBA's hand to make changes to the lottery system. There are some coaches whose jobs are likely in jeopardy; Chicago's front office has already been gutted. And Giannis Antetokounmpo says he and the Milwaukee Bucks need couples therapy, which isn't a great sign for any future they might have together.

Obviously, none of that is good.

But perhaps the real problem here is those storylines — all of which are valid — are overshadowing what is good as the NBA gets set for its best time of year, the playoffs.

Defending champion

Oklahoma City is about to clinch another No. 1 seed in the Western Conference, topping the 60-win mark again to hold off Victor Wembanyama and an upstart San Antonio team that looks very much like a title contender. Detroit has gone from a laughingstock to a No. 1 seed in the Eastern Conference, and needed only two seasons to complete that ascent.

“Reflect on where we've been, reflect on the work that we've put in to get here, but understanding that this isn't the finish,” Pistons coach J.B. Bickerstaff said. “To grow the way this group has grown together, as quickly as it has, it is special. But we've got more food to eat.”

Scoring around the league is at its highest clip in more than half a century. Stephen Curry has returned from injury to see if he can spark some postseason magic with Golden State. The coach of the year race might be wide

...and it’s reasonable to expect that again

open. The MVP race has tons of intrigue. Wembanyama and Denver's Nikola Jokic just waged an epic battle this past weekend, as did Dallas rookie Cooper Flagg and the Los Angeles Lakers' LeBron James — who came away raving about the league's top freshmen like Flagg, Charlotte's Kon Knueppel and Philadelphia's Valdez “VJ” Edgecombe.

“League's in good hands with those rooks,” said James, perhaps a passing-ofthe-torch sort of sentiment from a 41-year-old who started his NBA career before anyone in that trio of rookie stars had even been born. It's true there have already been more blowouts — entering Monday, 261 games had been decided by 20 or more points, and 90

games had been decided by 30 or more points — than in any other season in league history. Those are dangerous stats, given how easy it is to turn those numbers into a conclusion that the overall NBA product is bad. But close games haven't gone away. Entering Monday, there were 47 NBA games this season decided by exactly one point and 176 decided by three points or less. The average totals in those categories over the last decade: 49 one-point games, 177 one-possession games. Are some teams giving up on some games? Absolutely. Did tanking happen? Of course it did. Did it water down the product? Sure seems that way. The playoffs should put all that in the rearview

mirror. That's not to say there won't be blowouts; there will be. But at least there won't be tanking. Just look at the games that have mattered the most in the last few days — New York beating Atlanta 108105 on Monday (when the Hawks' CJ McCollum was a millisecond late with a halfcourt heave that went in and would have forced overtime), Houston beating Golden State 117-116 on Sunday and Denver beating San Antonio 136-134 in overtime on Saturday. All down-to-the-wire, absolute thrillers. That's what's coming in the playoffs, not the likes of Utah losing games by 34 and 35 points in a three-day span, as was the case last week.

Denver coach David Adelman is evidently aware the narrative exists, suggesting there's no good ball

being played anywhere.

Unprompted, he addressed it after that game against the Spurs.

“I would say this, just kind of off topic, but I know, pessimistic world, sports, pessimism is everywhere,” Adelman said.

“I would pay to watch these two teams play. This is very good basketball. They’re well coached. They have talented, fun players. They play together. Wembanyama, amazing talent. And then on our side, what we have ... yeah, you can build off this for sure.”

The Spurs felt the same way. Jokic was brilliant in that win for Denver; Wembanyama was brilliant as well for San Antonio in the loss, and was clearly looking ahead afterward to what that game could mean as far as developing some playoff readiness.

“I think the timing of everything is great,” Wembanyama said after that loss.

“There’s no better way that we would have learned. There’s no better outcome of this game to learn from for us.”

His eyes are already on the postseason.

Plenty of teams are already pivoting that way, either for the play-in that begins April 14 or the start of the actual playoffs on April 18.

Hopefully, it won't take long for the tanking and the blowouts to be forgotten. The push for the Larry O'Brien Trophy awaits.

“I think the league is so, so talented and there (are) so many matchups and so many good teams playing against each other,” Jokic said. “I think it’s great to be a fan of basketball right now.”

PSG beats Liverpool 2-0 in first leg of Champions League quarterfinal

By JEROME PUGMIRE AP Sports Writer

PARIS (AP) — Ousmane

Dembélé had an off night but Khvicha Kvaratskhelia added another solo goal to his collection as Paris Saint-Germain beat Liverpool 2-0 in the first leg of their Champions League quarterfinal yesterday.

The Georgia star cut in from the left flank midway through the second half and, with typically quick feet, skipped past a defender and the goalkeeper before stroking in his team-leading eighth goal of the competition.

“We had chances to score more,” Kvaratskhelia said.

“But I think it’s OK, 2-0 is good but we have to stay concentrated.”

Désiré Doué put the defending champions ahead in the 11th minute with a deflected effort. The Ballon d'Or winner Dembélé then spurned three chances at Parc des Princes.

PSG coach Luis Enrique said his side should have scored more.

“It’s a pity, clearly, we played very well and deserved more goals,” he said, adding that he was surprised that Liverpool played so defensively. “It’s the first time under Arne Slot that they have played with five defenders this season.”

Accepting his team was outplayed, Slot explained his decision to be so cautious.

“They have pace from everywhere all over the pitch, no matter where you look,” he said. "They have so many weapons (and) the times when we tried to play high and aggressive they ripped us apart."

When the two teams met last season in the round of 16, PSG advanced on penalties after losing 1-0 at home and winning 1-0 at Anfield.

The task seems less difficult this time around for PSG with Liverpool facing a trophyless season. However, six-time champion Liverpool overcame a 3-0 first-leg loss against Barcelona in the 2019 semifinals before winning 4-0 at home.

The second leg is next Tuesday at Anfield.

“I’ve been through many special evenings at Anfield,” Liverpool captain Virgil van Dijk told TNT Sports. "Our fans are the backbone of the club, and hopefully they can be there for us again.”

Slot's team was reeling from a crushing 4-0 FA Cup defeat to Manchester City but was better led in defence. With Allison still injured, Giorgi Mamardashvili — Kvaratskhelia's teammate on the Georgia national team — continued in goal for Liverpool.

Dembélé showed great technique on the edge of the penalty area before flicking the ball left to Doué, whose deflected shot looped over Mamardashvili and under the crossbar.

Mamardashvili atoned with a fine close-range save late in the first half from Doué, again set up by Dembélé.

Another flowing PSG move moments later ended with Dembélé fluffing his shot. But a worse finish followed, and Dembélé held

his head in his hands after blazing over from close range in the 53rd following a cut back by Nuno Mendes.

Dembélé hit the post late on.

In yesterday's other quarterfinal game, Atletico Madrid won 2-0 at Barcelona.

Salah stays on bench

Slot made five substitutions but kept Mohamed Salah on the bench the whole game.

“In the last part of the game it was about surviving for us,” Slot said, explaining why Salah did not come on. “Mo has so much qualities, but to be defending 25 minutes inside his own box, it’s better for Mo to save energy for matches to come.”

Hugo Ekitiké lead the attack against his old club and shot wide early in the second half.

Liverpool striker Alexander Isak — the British-record signing for 125 million pounds ($170 million) — came on in the 78th on his comeback from a broken ankle.

THE WEATHER REPORT

53rd CARIFTA Games

Rising track and field stars take Grenada by storm