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SPORTS SECTION E

WEDNESDAY, AUGUST 6, 2025

Acklins Sailing, Page 4

Davis Cup team in win column again

NACAC TRACK TEAM NAMED

By BRENT STUBBS Chief Sports Editor bstubbs@tribunemedia.net

hile Donte Armbrister had an easy day on the court, Denali Nottage had to dig down deep to prevail in The Bahamas’ 3-0 sweep over Antigua & Barbuda on day two of the American Zone IV Davis Cup tie in Trinidad & Tobago. With Armbrister setting the stage with a 6-0, 6-0 whitewashing of Deandre Weeks in the opening matchup of the number two players, Nottage held off highly ranked Jody Maginley in a huge 6-3, 4-6,

DEYTON ALBURY’S INAUGURAL BALLHEADS BASKETBALL CAMP – PAGE 8

Team Bahamas prevails with 3-0 sweep over Antigua & Barbuda 6-4 win in the top seeded players’ showdown. And then in the doubles match, Armbrister teamed up with Kofi Bowe to seal the deal with an impressive 6-0, 6-2 victory. Michael Major Jr was given the day off. Team captain John Antonas had two words to sum up the team’s performance yesterday: “Excellent. Superb.” He said they’re getting better and better and he’s anticipating another spectacular show when they take on Suriname today. A victory would secure their berth into the advancement playoffs to get back into Zone III for next year. Armbrister said he was happy to get the ball rolling for Team Bahamas. “I wanted to give Denali the upper hand, so it was good to get the win,” Armbrister said. “I was just focusing on my game because I know that we have been training for the past few months and so we just wanted to implement what we were doing.” Nottage was referred to as a “bulldog” by Antonas after he watched him take down Maginley, who stands at 6-feet, 6-inches and is in the 300 ranking in the ATP. The Bahamian national champion said he fed off Armbrister’s victory in the first match.

easier than I expected,” Nottage said. “In the second set, he came out firing like I expected him to do with his experience, “But in the third set, it was just who was willing to

WITH one last chance to qualify for the World Championships in Tokyo next month, the Bahamas Association of Athletic Associations has named a 37-member team for the North American, Central American and Caribbean Championships. The championships will be staged at the Grand Bahama Sports Complex August 16-17 and will provide a final chance for athletes to qualify for the World Championships in Tokyo, Japan, September 16-21. The BAAA assembled its team following the completion of its National Open Track and Field Championships at the Thomas A. Robinson Track and Field Stadium over the weekend. Although there are some athletes who have qualified in individual events, the BAAA is still hoping that they can get one or two relay teams qualified to compete in the World Championships. Named to the team are the following: Men - Terrence Jones, Wanya McCoy, Adam Musgrove, Ian Kerr, Steven Gardiner, Wendel Miller, Alonzo Russell, Donald Thomas, Shaun Miller Jr., Keyshawn Strachan, Kaiwan Culmer, Laquan Nairn, Jonathan Rodgers, Samson Colebrooke, Lamar Williams, Gregory Seymour, Andrew Styles, Andrew Brown, Abner Johnson, Jalen Cadet,

CUP - See Page E2

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WINNING WAYS: Bahamas team, shown from left to right, Michael Major Jr, Denali Nottage, Donte Armbrister, Kofi Bowe and captain John Antonas celebrating. “My team-mates supported me from the first point to the last point because playing a guy like Jody Maginley, who is well respected around the Caribbean, I was just glad that I got the victory today,” Nottage said.

The Grand Bahamian native said his coaches from Florida instructed him to jump out on Maginley early and break him and just keep the pressure on him. “The first set I broke him already and it was just

GARDINER ‘Tum Tum’ named head STEVEN WINS THE NATIONAL coach of national team in TITLE IN 200 METRES FIBA AmeriCup tourney By Jonathan Burrows

By BRENT STUBBS Chief Sports Editor bstubbs@tribunemedia.net FORMER men’s national team player Lourawls “Tum Tum” Nairn, now back in the collegiate ranks as an associate head coach, has been named as the head coach for the men’s national team that will compete in the 2025 FIBA AmeriCup tournament. The Bahamas Basketball Federation made the announcement on Tuesday, just ahead of the final selection of the team that will be officially named today for the tournament, scheduled for August 22-31 in Managua, Nicaragua. The Bahamas will play out of Group A with the United States, Brazil and Uruguay. The Bahamas will play its first game against the United States on August 23. From the tournament, the top three teams in each of the four groups will advance to the FIBA World Cup 2027 Americas Qualifiers and a shot at the 2027 FIBA World Cup. While the final team has not yet been selected, Nairn said he’s thrilled to

be heading the squad in the absence of men’s head coach Chris DeMarco. “I’m just grateful, thankful and humbled by it, although it happened so quickly,” said Nairn, who is now devoting his time as a coach after he slowly transitioned from playing. Nairn, however, said it’s going to be an exciting time as he continues to work with some of the players whom he played with and the new core of players coming on stream. “Obviously, they got to see me as a player on the team, but now as their coach, I just want to spend time with them, getting to know them,” he said. As for the tournament, Nairn said the expectation is to win. “We want to continue to move Bahamas Basketball forward,” he stated. “The future is very bright for Bahamas Basketball. Compared to when I was growing up, the players are getting better and better, so I am expecting some great things from them.” Nairn, the older brother of Bahamian long jumper LaQuan Nairn, is currently the associate head coach of the men’s Falcons

OLYMPIC gold medallist Steven Gardiner added another milestone to his decorated track and field career this past weekend, claiming his first national title in the men’s 200-metre sprint in the BAAA Senior National Track and Field Championships at the original Thomas A. Robinson Stadium. Running under Adidas, Gardiner clocked a winning time of 20.42 seconds, showcasing his versatility and continued dominance

in the sprints. Known primarily for his world-class performances in the 400 metres, Gardiner’s victory in the half-lap event marked a significant moment in his career, proving strength across multiple sprint disciplines. “It feels great, my first 200 national title. It feels amazing to be back after a few rough years, so I’m just glad to be back and seeing everybody on the track doing their thing,” Gardiner said.

TITLE - See Page E3

THE SPORTS CALENDAR

ASSOCIATE head coach Lourawls “Tum Tum” Nairn. basketball team at Bowling Green State University. “It’s been going great. I’m learning a lot and my boss is letting me take on this responsibility as the men’s head coach, so I’m really appreciative of that.” LJ Rose, the manager of the men’s team, said they

are thrilled to have “Tum” leading as head coach for the AmeriCup. “He’s a tremendous leader and an emerging star in the coaching world,” said Rose, who was a former team-mate of Nairn when they both

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NEW PROVIDENCE SOFTBALL ACTION AFTER taking a break over the holiday weekend to host their Dwaine ‘Mann’ Stevens Memorial Tournament, the New Providence Softball Association is scheduled to resume its regular season this week. Here’s a look at the games on tap in the Bankers’ Field at the

Aug.

Baillou Hills Sporting Complex. Thursday 7pm - Sunshine Auto Wildcats vs Black Scorpions 9pm - Chances Mighty Mitts vs Gremlins Saturday 7pm - Sunshine Auto Wildcats vs Platinum Lady Sharks 9pm - Titans vs Chances Mighty Mitts

AUG. - See Page E2