SPORTS SECTION E
Tuesday, April 14, 2026
NBA PLAY-IN - E3
Hanna: ‘I feel honoured’
By BRENT STUBBS Chief Sports Editor bstubbs@tribunemedia.net
KARRA Hanna said she’s delighted to be one of the two Bahamian judokas to have qualified for the Commonwealth Games in Scotland, Great Britain. Hanna, a 26-year-old +78-kilogram competitor, will be joined by Xavion Johnson, who at 19 will be in the -73 kg class as they represent The Bahamas in one of the four disciplines from July 23 to August 2. The other three disciplines - athletics, swimming and boxing - have not yet selected its competitors. But Hanna said she's thrilled to be one of the participants in judo.
Judokas ready for Commonwealth Games
SHOWN, from left to right, are judoka Karra Hanna, D’Arcy Rahming, president of the Bahamas Judo Federation, and sensei Willard McKenzie with the King’s Baton.
"I feel honoured. All of thanks goes to God for the hard work and dedication," said Hanna, a certified judo coach who will be coached at the games by sensei Willard McKenzie. "I want to thank my family, my coaches, my sensei, my sponsors and everybody else who chimed in to make this possible." Hanna, 26, along with McKenzie, were on hand on Friday to represent the Bahamas Judo Federation as they joined the other sporting bodies and their athletes at the King’s Baton
Relay that traversed from Clifton Heritage to Rawson Square as part of the Bahamas Olympic Committee's preparation for the Commonwealth Games in Scotland. This will be the second appearance for Hanna at the Commonwealth Games, although the initial event was at the first Youth CG here at the Kendal Isaacs Gymnasium in 2017 when she, along with Mya Beneby, both earned bronze medals. "It's actually hard, harder than people think," said Hanna about making the
transition from the youth to the senior level. "Getting the training and putting in the time and getting the sponsors to compete, every competition is literally a fight. "But I'm putting my body out there and putting soul out there and just praying that I would come out on top. Being a judokan is all about having a spirit, you have to accept defeat and be humble in the wins." With Johnson joining her on the team, Hanna said they have competed
JUDO - SEE Page E6
Mixed doubles champions Rasheed and Paola get the keys to two brand new JetTour jeeps By JONATHAN BURROWS Tribune Sports Reporter jburrows@ tribunemedia.net THE mixed doubles duo of Rasheed Carey and Paola Lopez, sponsored by GSM Solutions, closed out a dominant weekend to win the spring edition of the second ever EV Motors Mixed Doubles Open at Baha Mar’s John McEnroe Tennis Center, finishing off a strong run from Saturday’s group stage through to Sunday’s finals as both champions were awarded the keys to two brand new JetTour jeeps. Play began on Saturday with round-robin group action, where Carey and Lopez quickly established themselves as the team to beat. They went 2-0 in Group A, winning all four sets and allowing just two games across their matches. Their efficiency carried into Sunday’s knockout rounds, where they did not drop a single match. The top-seeded pair defeated Jamal Adderley and Kerrie Cartwright in
the championship match in straight sets, 4-1, 4-2, to secure the title and complete an unbeaten tournament. Adderley and Cartwright, representing Sign Island, dominated Group B as the second seed with a perfect 3-0 record, winning all six sets and conceding only four games - the best statistical performance of the group stage. They advanced through the knockout bracket to reach the final, setting up a meeting between the tournament’s top two seeds. The tournament featured multiple competitive groups, with several teams advancing unbeaten on Saturday, including Rodney Carey Jr and Afrika Smith, Denali Nottage and Melanie Constandache, and Shannon Francis and Sydney Clarke. The win marked a turnaround from last year’s October Open, where Carey reached the finals but fell short. This time, he finished the job alongside Lopez, producing a consistent performance across both days. “Its a great feeling, it's hard
MIXED doubles champions Rasheed Carey and Paola Lopez, winners of the EV Motors Mixed Doubles Open at Baha Mar’s John McEnroe Tennis Center, in front of their brand new JetTour jeeps. to explain the feeling of winning, losing in the finals last year and coming back to winning so it's an even better feeling. I want to thank everyone for coming out and supporting me and I want to thank God for giving me the ability to win and play at a high level,” said Carey.
“The conditions were pretty tough in the finals, so we really had to sit down and think about how to play. We slowed down the points a little more because how it was so windy, so we didn't aim for too much angles, so we tried to keep the ball in the middle of the court and that kind of worked for
Ayton scores 22 to help Lakers win
ABOVE THE RIM: Los Angeles Lakers centre Deandre Ayton, left, dunks over Utah Jazz forward Blake Hinson, top right, during the first half on Sunday, April 12, 2026, in Los Angeles. (AP Photo/Jayne Kamin-Oncea) SEE THE FULL STORY ON PAGE E6
us,” said Carey. “I might become a sponsor at the next open, but if someone comes to me and be like “hey, we want you to play again,” and the fans want to see me play again, I’ll come out and play again,” said Carey. Carey’s teammate Paola Lopez travelled from
Miami, Florida, to compete in this season's open. “It feels amazing, the atmosphere was amazing and I played with an amazing partner, Rasheed, and it was a great experience for me,” said Lopez. “I’ve never played mixed doubles
TENNIS - SEE Page E2
‘Donnie’ Freeman enters the NCAA transfer portal By JONATHAN BURROWS Tribune Sports Reporter jburrows@ tribunemedia.net SYRACUSE forward Donovan “Donnie” Freeman has entered the NCAA transfer portal, announcing his decision in a brief Instagram post thanking the programme, his coaches and supporters. Freeman, a 20-year-old sophomore, leaves after a season where he was Syracuse’s most productive player on both ends of the floor. He averaged 16.5 points, 7.2 rebounds and 1.3 assists per game during the 202526 season, shooting 47.4 per cent from the field in 23 appearances. He also added 0.9 blocks and 0.8 steals per game while playing just over 31 minutes per night. From the perimeter, Freeman shot 30.2 per cent from three-point range on nearly four attempts per game and 76.7 per cent from the free-throw line, showing
DONOVAN FREEMAN development as a stretch forward. He led Syracuse in scoring and rebounding and was one of the few consistent options in the rotation throughout the year. Freeman recorded multiple strong performances during ACC play, including a 28-point outing against Wake Forest and a 13-rebound game against Pittsburgh. He scored 20 or more points several times and was regularly the focal point of opposing defensive plans. His season, however, was not uninterrupted as
NCAA - SEE Page E6