08202025 SPORTS

SPORTS

Undefeated Bahamas ladies sweep Suriname

Team Bahamas stayed undefeated with a 3-0 sweep over Suriname on day two of the 2025 Billie Jean King Cup in Santa Tecla, El Salvador.

In their singles matches, number two seeded player Simone Pratt swept her opponent, Faith Bab, in another whitewashing 6-0, 6-0 win, while Sydney Clarke, playing as the top seed, won her match 6-2, 6-1 over Anouk Ma-Ajong.

And in the doubles, Clarke and Jalisa Clarke, making her Billie Jean King Cup debut, teamed up to pull off a 6-3, 6-0 decision over Ma-Ajong and Kalya Currie to complete the deal.

Pratt called it an exceptional performance by Team Bahamas.

“I played great, kept my mistakes to a minimum and really went out there and took charge,” said Pratt, the oldest playing member of the team.

“Sydney, who played the number one singles, did well as well and Jalisa and Sydney played doubles and I think they did a very good job. It was pretty quick. They played well.

Clarke, holding her own as the top seeded player for Team Bahamas, said she’s proud of the way she performed in her second singles win.

“I had some moments where it was a little up and down just like yesterday but, for the most part, I

was able to lock in when it really counted,” she said.

“My serves were great. I’m proud of myself because that’s what I’ve been working on recently, so I’m really proud of how I’ve been serving.”

In the doubles, Clarke said she was thrilled to team up with Clarke in securing their win.

“As a first team member, she was very teachable,” said Syndey Clarke of

Jalisa Clarke. “She was very open to tips and criticism. We just really gelled well together. I enjoyed playing with her and I hope we can play together again.”

Jalisa Clarke, the rookie on the team, said it was a blessing for her to have gotten the opportunity to compete in the doubles match with Sydney Clarke.

“The chemistry was there, the energy was

there. Everything was just right today,” said Clarke, a resident of Grand Bahama. “Hopefully we can take on Jamaica and do the same thing. I’m looking forward to it.”

With their 2-0 record after beating Trinidad & Tobago in their opening match on Tuesday, Team Bahamas will close out pool play against Jamaica. Kim O’Kelley, who captains the team that also

2nd Junior Pan Am Games: Olympian

OLYMPIAN Zion

Miller fell short of advancing to the final of the men’s 400 metres yesterday at the second Junior Pan American Games in Asuncion, Paraguay.

Miller, competing in the preliminaries of the men’s 400m, was sixth in his heat in 47.60 seconds. The fourth and final qualifier in his heat was De Lima Jadson of Brazil in 46.69.

The final is set for today.

Miller, who ran on the mixed 4 x 400m relay at the 2024 Olympics in Paris, France, was the third of the four members on the track team to compete so far.

On day one of the competition on Monday, Taysha Stubbs, competing in the final of the women’s javelin, was sixth with a toss of 149-feet, one-inch or 45.45 metres. The gold medal went to Valentina Barrios of Colombia in a meet record of 197-5 (60.16m).

Manuela Rotundo of Uruguay got the silver with 188-5 (57.44m) and Claudia Guerrero of Cuba won the bronze.

GOODWILL SWIMMERS

Mackey, competing in the first of her two events in the women’s discus, didn’t record a mark.

Alejandra Mesa of Cuba won the gold with 178-6 (54.42m), Ottaynis Febres of Venezuela got the silver with 178-5 (54.40m) and Maria Eduarda De Matos of Brasil got the bronze with 174-7 (53.21m).

Team coach Daron Lightbourne said he was pleased with the performances from Team Bahamas so far. “These are some of our future World champions and Olympians and they fought a good fight,” he said. “It’s been a long season for these athletes but they came in with a mindset of performing their best for Team Bahamas.” The competition is not yet over for Team Bahamas and so Lightbourne is hoping that the competitors will remain focused. “The main goals are for Annae in the shot put and Antone in the triple jump

to go out there and compete,” he said. “Once they put their best throw and jump forward they have already accomplished a job well done and represented team Bahamas.” Mackey will be back in the shot put on Thursday, while the other team member, Antone Smith, will be competing in the men’s triple jump on Friday. So far, Team Bahamas has secured four medals, including a

includes Saphirre Ferguson, said she couldn’t ask for a better performance than what she got from the players yesterday.

“Sydney and Simone played incredible,” said O’Kelley, a former member of the Fed Cup team, a name that was previously given for the most prestigious team competition in the world for women’s

TEAM Bahamas produced another splashing performance, winning the Goodwill Games Swimming Championships for the third consecutive year in Bridgetown, Barbados, over the weekend.

“This was definitely one of the more difficult Goodwill Games that we have ever won because the competition was obviously fierce,” said head coach Dwayne Davis Jr.

“After the first day, we were only up by five and-ahalf points. We persevered and we moved into first place by about 50-plus points and we ended up winning by 94 in the end.”

The 40-member team, managed by Bernadette Jolly, returned home on Monday after collecting a total of 1,324 points to top the field that was followed by Jamaica with 1,230 for second with Trinidad & Tobago getting third with 1,028.

Team Bahamas also topped the medal count with 110, including 31 gold, 40 silver and 39 bronze. Jamaica was second with 48 gold, 26 silver and 27 bronze for 101 medals. Davis Jr, who was assisted by Ashton Knowles and Drew Lightbourne, said they were trailing at the end of day one and they knew that they had a mission to complete and they soared by over the final two days to secure the deal.

Team Bahamas ended up with three high point winners in Skyrah Chambers in

VETERAN TENNIS COACH MARVIN ROLLE TO RUN FOR PRESIDENT OF BLTA

By JONATHAN BURROWS

VETERAN Bahamian tennis coach Marvin Rolle has officially announced his intention to run for president of the Bahamas Lawn Tennis Association (BLTA).

Rolle made the announcement on Saturday during a peaceful protest at the BLTA headquarters, where a group of coaches and former players gathered to voice their

concerns about the current administration.

Dressed in black to symbolise unity and disappointment, demonstrators criticised the federation’s leadership, citing a lack of transparency, poor communication and inadequate support for coaches and players across The Bahamas.

Rolle, who has been actively involved in

THE SPORTS CALENDAR

BASKETBALL BBSF TOURNAMENT

THE Bahamas Baptist Sports Federation is scheduled to hold a meeting 6pm Thursday, August 28 at its office upstairs in the Bahamas Baptist College, Jean Street, for all churches interested in participating in the 2025 Basketball Tournament.

The tournament is scheduled for the

Aug.

weekend of September 26-27 at the CI Gibson Gymnasium for the 12-and under and open divisions.

Each team will consist of 12 players. Trophies sponsored by AID will be distributed to the champions and runnersup in each category as well as medals for the third-place teams. Interested persons can

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Bahamas’ women stay undefeated with 3-0 sweep over Suriname on day 2 of Billie Jean King Cup

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tennis. “Simone played two matches in a row where she won 6-0, 6-0. She just made it look easy. Simone played an awesome match. In her match, Sydney just played the right shots at the right time. She had a very good match.”

In the doubles, O’Kelley said she wanted Jalisa Clarke to get the experience playing with a veteran, who could help to pull her along in the match, using signs and tactics. Today, Cartwright said the team will be tested against Jamaica, whose top seeded player is ranked about 685 in the world by the ITF, but she noticed their players are a little erratic.

“They are very, very emotional, so that’s one of the tactics that we hope to use against them,” O’Kelley said. “Hopefully it will work in our favour and we can get the advantage over them.”

JONQUEL JONES HAS DOUBLE DOUBLE - 22 POINTS AND 10 REBOUNDS - IN 85-75

WIN OVER LYNX

By ALYCE BROWN AP Sports Writer

NEW YORK (AP) — Jonquel Jones had 22 points and 10 rebounds, Sabrina Ionescu added 17 points and 11 assists, and the New York Liberty beat the Minnesota Lynx 85-75 last night, after losing the first three meetings between the teams this season.

Both teams were without a star player — Minnesota’s Napheesa Collier missed her fifth game with a right ankle sprain, and the Liberty’s Breanna Stewart is still sidelined with a bone bruise in her knee.

Courtney Williams and Natisha Hiedeman picked up the mantle for Minnesota (28-6), scoring

17 points and 16 points, respectively. Jessica Shepard had 10 rebounds.

New York (22-13) opened a 12-point lead in the first quarter. By the time Ionescu hit a 3-pointer to end the first half, they were still ahead by 11 points. A series of Lynx steals and Hiedeman 3-pointers shrunk New York’s lead to 66-60 heading into the final quarter, and New York’s advantage thinned to four as time wound down.

But another long-range 3-pointer from Ionescu widened the lead to seven in the final minutes — to the celebration of a packed Barclays Center — and a final layup from Kennedy Burke sealed the deal.

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contact Sean Bastian at seanbasbastian@gmail.com or call 826-8535 or Brent Stubbs at stubbobs@gmail. com or call 426-7265 for more information.

BAPTIST SPORTS FEDERATION

TRACK & FIELD

CLASSIC THE Baptist Sports Federation is slated to hold its 2025 Track and Field Classic during the Baptist month of activities on Saturday, October 25 at the Thomas A. Robinson Track and Field Stadium.

Odd distance events will be staged for competitors in the under-7, under-11, under-15, under-17, under20, under-40, under-60 and 60-and over categories for men and women. There will also be a Pastors/Ministers category.

Trophies will be presented to the divisional champions and medals to the top three finishers in each event. Interested persons can contact Ann Thompson at ann87609@ gmail.com or call 4253667 or Brent Stubbs at stubbobs@gmail,com or call 426-7265 for more information.

THE MESSAGE from Saturday’s protest was unmistakable as coaches, players and former administrators want a federation that reflects the values of open communication and unity with players and coaches. The protesters called it a “current dictatorship.”

‘Peaceful protest’ at BLTA headquarters

By JONATHAN BURROWS

A GROUP of Bahamian tennis coaches and former top players staged a peaceful protest outside the Bahamas Lawn Tennis Association (BLTA) headquarters on Saturday, calling for greater transparency, improved communication and accountability, along with democracy within the federation.

The protesters, dressed in all black, stood united in their concerns about the current administration’s handling of the sport and the facilities.

Former players and coaches voiced frustrations about what they

described as a lack of openness in decision-making and dwindling confidence in the leadership of the association.

Among the demonstrators was veteran tennis coach Marvin Rolle, who has been involved in the sport and the federation for more than four decades and also signalled his interest in running for the presidency of the BLTA.

“On a Saturday no kids are here, there are only a few kids coming through the programme. Where are the rest of the kids that need to come through this programme? We all came through this and all we want is for tennis to be better in The Bahamas,” Rolle said.

Also present was Philip Major, a highly respected coach who was once one of the country’s top junior and senior tennis players.

“The biggest concern for me is communication, for myself I’ve been communicating with persons that are a part of the current board and I have mentioned to them on many occasions that I am not receiving any information and now I’ve been blocked on all social media platforms,” Major noted. “I would like to see more assistance with our elite players and also junior programmes where you cannot only just be a beginner but transition to an advanced player. The BLTA really lacks being

able to assist players who are trying to transition from one level to the next, this is a huge hole for me with the BLTA and that should raise a lot of concerns when it comes to growing a community,” he added

Representing the out islands was Kevaughn Ferguson, a coach and former player in Harbour Island, who highlighted the challenges faced by athletes outside New Providence.

“I’m concerned about the state of tennis right now as a coach trying to develop young players and getting them a chance to get scholarships and to go off to school. I just want to give them a great future and it’s concerning to me that

they don’t have the same resources or same backing that we had back in the day, especially coming from the islands,” he said Adding a voice of experience from within the federation’s inner workings was a former BLTA secretary, Barbara Carey, who stressed the importance of administrative accountability.

“I am a past secretary of the BLTA and right now I am in awe over the way that his association has been run over the past five years. The president was elected, there has not been an election since, there has not been accountability of the financials or the membership list,” Carey said.

Organisers made it clear that this was only the beginning of their campaign to ensure better governance in Bahamian tennis.

Other concerns included the repair of courts that have been worn down to the point of being unplayable for years and also clear operating hours and a call for some type of democracy shown by board members as protesters call it a “current dictatorship.”

The message from Saturday’s protest was unmistakable as coaches, players and former administrators want a federation that reflects the values of open communication and unity with players and coaches.

Marvin Rolle to run for president of the Bahamas Lawn Tennis Association

BLTA - from page E1

Bahamian tennis for

nearly 40 years as a player, coach and contributor to the association, said the time has come for change at the top.

“I’m here trying to sign up for membership so I could renew my membership because I would like to run for president.

“If I can’t renew my membership then I can’t run. I think any member deserves that right to run

for president or any other position that is on the board but now we can’t do that.

“I’ve been here for the past two days trying to renew my membership but the office is always closed,” he said.

Protesters echoed Rolle’s concerns, pointing to issues such as the lack of structured development programmes, weak engagement with Family Island communities, and limited opportunities for emerging athletes.

CLARENCE ‘CJ’ MCKENZIE REMEMBERS HIS FATHER

BAHAMAS Baseball Association president Clarence “CJ” McKenzie had nothing but fond memories of his deceased father Selwyn “Pinny” McKenzie

Sr. McKenzie Sr passed away quietly on Thursday at his home, just shy of his 66th birthday, which would have been celebrated on Sunday. He was a dialysis patient for several years but there has been no confirmed cause of death yet, according to McKenzie Jr.

“He experienced difficulty breathing and took his last breath in his wife’s arms,” said CJ McKenzie of his father, who was a shop steward and a union executive, serving as the vice president for the Bahamas Hotel Catering and Allied Workers Union over a decade ago before he retired before the pandemic.

He is survived by his wife Rosalie McKenzie and his children, Clarence McKenzie, Selwyn McKenzie Jr, SeDale McKenzie, Serissa Bodie, Seltina McKenzie, Stefanel Taylor, Janae Ferguson and Rashard Ritchie. CJ McKenzie remembers how his father introduced him to the game of baseball and softball where he was one of the most feared local players.

“I remember going with him to the government ground many weekends to be a bat boy for his teams in the hotel league and old timers league,” CJ McKenzie said.

“It was an enjoyable experience for me being a part of the team and watching him hit countless home runs over the years.” As a lefty, CJ McKenzie said his father was a dominating pitcher on the mound in the starting

Rolle said addressing these shortcomings would be central to his platform.

“I think the main problem is that the association thinks they know it all, you need help, why don’t you seek out help?

“I’ve been in tennis for almost 40 years now, you can easily come to me with a programme and ask if I know any coaches that can do this and do that but they think that they know everything and they want to do everything themselves

within their own group but they don’t want to reach out to get that help. They have no funding, and these courts are in the worst conditions that they have ever been in,” Rolle said.

“I remember in the early 2000s these courts were in pristine condition, now not so much.

“There is no reach to the youth because right now we don’t have an under-10 team, for the first time ever we did not send an under10 boys’ team to the Junior

Davis Cup, that means the youth are not strong enough to participate and it’s going to be the girls next who won’t have a team to send,” he added. Rolle also called for transparency regarding who the members of the association are.

“If I’m going to run for president, I need to know who all members are, that’s a big thing in running, who is going to be voting and we don’t have that list,” Rolle said.

The protest marked the most public show of dissatisfaction with the BLTA leadership in recent years. Rolle’s announcement signals the beginning of what could be a significant turning point for the sport. With his long history in Bahamian tennis and growing support from within the coaching community, Rolle’s candidacy is expected to draw strong attention as coaches call for a change within the association.

rotation for the Spotless Cleaners.

“His love for the sport of baseball was passed down to me from a young age and is still with me up to this day,” he said. “His inspiration gave me the passion to succeed as a player, coach and administrator as high as I can make it.

“He was always the life and heart of the teams he played on. Usually, acting as the captain, he believed

in practicing hard to get winning results in the game. He was big on fellowship after games.”

While he had developed his own niché on the local scene, McKenzie Sr was passionate about the professional teams he followed, including the Baltimore Orioles in Major League Baseball, the Pittsburgh Steelers in the National Football League and the Los Angeles Lakers in

the National Basketball Association.

Additionally, when he started the Ultimate Champion Sports Academy, CJ McKenzie said his father spent countless hours observing practices as he supported his sons.

“I was indeed happy that he got to travel with us last month to Dallas, Texas, where he witnessed first hand the success of all of our teams, including

our 11-year-old

up.

John Wall, 5-time

All-Star, retires after 11 NBA seasons

By The Associated Press

JOHN Wall is retiring after 11 NBA seasons.

Wall, 34, played most of his career with the Washington Wizards after they made him the first overall pick in the 2010 draft out of Kentucky. The five-time All-Star point guard finishes his NBA career with averages of 18.7 points and 8.9 assists per game.

“Today, I’m stepping off of the court, but not away from the game,” Wall said in a social media post yesterday.

“Basketball will always be in my life, and new opportunities present themselves. I feel now is the time to walk confidently into my next chapter.”

Wall played most of his career with the Washington Wizards, but also played for the Houston Rockets and Los Angeles Clippers. In his best season, he averaged 23.1 points and 10.7 assists for the Wizards in 2016-17 and was named All-NBA third team.

Wall was one of the fastest, most athletic point guards during his prime — he was the 2014 Slam Dunk champion. He was an elite defender, making the AllDefensive second team in 2015.

Injuries plagued the second half of his career. He never played more than half the games in any of the past six seasons and he didn’t play the last two years.

WASHINGTON Wizards guard John Wall gestures after hitting a 3-point basket during the second half of the team’s NBA basketball game against the Brooklyn Nets on Saturday, December 1, 2018, in Washington. (AP Photo/Nick Wass)

MIAMI (AP) — A former Miami Heat security officer pleaded guilty yesterday to transporting and transferring millions of dollars worth of stolen game-worn jerseys and other memorabilia.

Marcos Thomas Perez, 62, was a 25-year retired veteran of the Miami Police Department. The Miami resident worked for the Heat from 2016 to 2021 and as an NBA security employee from 2022 to 2025.

According to the United States Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of Florida and FBI Miami, Perez stole more than 400 jerseys and other items from a secured equipment room and sold items through various online marketplaces. He had access because he worked on the game-day security detail at the Kaseya Center. He was one of a few employees with access to a secured equipment room that stored memorabilia the Heat organisation planned to display in a future team museum.

Over a three-year period, authorities say Perez sold more than 100 stolen items for approximately about $1.9 million and shipped them across state lines, often at bargain prices. They say he sold a Miami Heat jersey LeBron James wore during the NBA Finals for approximately $100,000. That same jersey later sold at a Sotheby’s auction for $3.7 million.

CELTICS HAVE NEW OWNER. THE DRIVE TO ADD MORE NBA CHAMPIONSHIPS WON’T CHANGE

By JIMMY GOLEN AP Sports Writer

BOSTON (AP) — The Boston Celtics have a new owner, and there’s one thing that isn’t going to change at the NBA’s most-decorated franchise.

“Coming in second is not the objective, and it’s not acceptable,” private equity mogul Bill Chisholm said yesterday after taking control of the team from Wyc Grousbeck.

“The ultimate yardstick is winning championships. Wyc’s got two, and we’re going to get more, and he and I together are going to help drive that.”

Chisholm leads a group that bid $6.1 billion for the Celtics — a record price for an American professional sports franchise.

The NBA unanimously approved the deal last week, and all that was left was for the money to change hands on Tuesday.

“We are committed to building on the legacy of the Celtics and raising banners,” Chisholm said. “And I can’t wait for the team to get back out there this fall.”

A Massachusetts native, Chisholm said his earliest Celtics memories are of the Dave Cowens, JoJo White and John Havlicek teams that won two NBA titles in the 1970s, but he really fell hard for the teams with

Larry Bird, Robert Parish and Kevin McHale that added three more banners to the Boston Garden rafters in the ‘80s.

“I became a rabid fan during the Bird, McHale, Parish era. That was my team,” Chisholm said in an interview with The Associated Press shortly after the deal was finalised.

“How can you be a teenager in Massachusetts, or New England, with that group and not end up being a lifelong Celtics fan?”

The team was put on the market last summer, soon after Tatum and Brown vanquished the Dallas Mavericks in the NBA finals.

Chisholm won the bidding in March and leads a group that now has majority ownership control of the team, with full control coming by 2028 at a price that could bring the total value to $7.3 billion.

That’s the highest price ever paid for a team in the four major North American sports, though a piece of the Los Angeles Lakers changed hands this summer at a price that would value the entire franchise at $10 billion.

Other investors include Aditya Mittal, Bruce Beal, Andrew Bialecki, Dom Ferrante, Rob Hale, Mario Ho and Ian Loring. Sixth Street is also a “major participant” in the

investment group, the team said in a news release.

Grousbeck and co-owner Steve Pagliuca led a group that bought the Celtics in 2002 for $360 million and presided over an era in which the Celtics won two NBA titles, lost in the finals two other times and made the playoffs in 20 of 23 seasons. The team’s most recent title came in 2024, led by Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown.

Team president Rich Gotham, general manager Brad Stevens and coach Joe Mazzulla are all expected to remain in their positions. Chisholm will represent the team in league matters as governor, with Grousbeck staying on as co-owner, CEO and alternate governor to run the day-to-day operations alongside Chisholm. “We’ve got a really solid core to the roster. We’ve got, I think, the best basketball people

that there are. And we’ve got a really talented business operations team,” Chisholm said. “And then we’ve got a leader like Wyc. I mean, why would you go make major changes to that?

“I think there are things we can always improve on,” he said. “But that is a really, really good place to start.”

Grousbeck said he can already tell that Chisholm understands the significance of owning one of the NBA’s

charter franchises, with its unmatched 18 championships and a history of Hall of Famers from Red Auerbach, Bob Cousy and Bill Russell to Paul Pierce and Kevin Garnett.

“It’s an unbelievable responsibility, and an unbelievable thrill,” Grousbeck said. “But it’s a huge challenge because the greats built it. And we’re just here trying to maintain the legacy, which is a great honour.”

Chisholm takes over the team in a bit of a transition just two seasons after its latest title.

Tatum is recovering from surgery to repair the ruptured right Achilles tendon injury he suffered in Boston’s Eastern Conference semifinal loss to the New York Knicks, dooming the Celtics’ hopes of a repeat. Jrue Holiday and Kristaps Porzingis — key parts of the title-winning team — were traded to avoid the NBA’s punitive second apron payroll tax.

Grousbeck said the days of outspending opponents to win championships are over.

“We had our two years at supermax, 100 mph, and now you take a year to reset a little bit, which every team will be doing,” Grousbeck said. “And we’ll be back. We’re coming back as hard as we can.”

Superstar Lionel Messi has goal and assist in return from injury

By ANDRES JAIMEMENDEZ Associated Press

FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla. (AP) — Lionel Messi returned from injury for Inter Miami to chants of “Messi! Messi! Messi!” in a 3-1 win over the the LA Galaxy on Saturday.

It was the magic defender

Maximiliano Falcón said the team has come to expect.

“We’re used to this. You saw what he did, got the ball with a clear look at goal and scored,” Falcón said in Spanish.

Even after a two game absence it was no surprise that Messi, MLS’ top goal scorer, led Inter Miami to victory. He had been training with the team since midweek and coach Javier Mascherano confirmed he would be available for the weekend match.

The Argentine superstar put in a 45 minute shift and his countryman Rodrigo de Paul assisted him as they beat the worst team in MLS. The two world champions did not participate in pregame warmups, but they did warm up before they

entered the game at halftime to the raucous cheers of Miami fans. Messi injured his hamstring on Aug. 2 against Necaxa in a Leagues Cup match. Inter Miami reached the Leagues Cup quarterfinals without him, but were defeated by instate rivals Orlando City 4-1 in MLS action.

Besides his ability, it’s Messi’s competitive attitude that transcends this Miami squad according to Mascherano.

“He wants to play every single game. He wanted to play in Orlando also. You have to understand why Leo is Leo, because he always wants to be on the pitch,” Mascherano said after the win over Galaxy. Messi’s return comes at an important time, before his squad takes on eighttime Mexican champions Tigres UANL in South Florida today.

LA Galaxy, the reigning 2024 MLS Cup Champions, also looked at this Saturday’s game as a chance to rotate their squad ahead of their Leagues Cup quarterfinal match against C.F. Pachuca.

PREMIER LEAGUE: GREALISH DEBUTS FOR EVERTON IN LOSS AT PROMOTED LEEDS

By STEVE DOUGLAS AP Sports Writer

JACK Grealish was unable to inspire Everton after going on as a secondhalf substitute for his debut in a 1-0 loss to promoted Leeds in the Premier League yesterday.

The England forward, a poster boy of English soccer, is looking to reignite his career after leaving Manchester City on loan and had to be content with a place on the bench for Everton’s opening game.

Grealish entered in the 71st minute when the score was 0-0 at Elland Road and struggled to make an impact before Leeds was awarded a penalty when Everton captain James Tarkowski blocked a goalbound shot with his left arm as he leaned his body toward the ball.

Lukas Nmecha, a summer signing only on the field for six minutes as a substitute, stroked the spot kick past Jordan Pickford with just his third touch of the ball for the only goal in the 84th. Pickford prepared for the penalty by looking at his water bottle. While playing for England, he has had the name of potential

opposition penalty-takers on his bottle and where they might hit their attempt.

“That was a bit of a bluff, to be fair,” said Nmecha, a German-born winger who joined on a free transfer after leaving Wolfsburg. “I don’t think I was one of the names on there.”

Everton manager David Moyes was unhappy at the awarding of the penalty, saying “it wasn’t fair” because Tarkowski’s arm wasn’t in an unnatural position.

“Tarky would have had to get his arm chopped off,” Moyes said. “It wasn’t outside his body, he wasn’t doing anything different.” Leeds was making its return to the Premier League after a two-year absence and was the second promoted team to win in the opening round, after Sunderland.

Everton, which failed to have a shot on goal in the first half, will hope for a better performance on Sunday when the team hosts Brighton for the first competitive game in its new, 53,000-seat waterfront stadium at Bramley-Moore Dock, which has replaced Goodison Park as Everton’s home.

Bahamas wins Goodwill Games Swimming

the 8-and-under girls, Grace Nottage in the 9-10 girls and Rafael McBroom in the boys’ 15-17 division. McBroom was also among the record breakers at the meet. He erased the previous mark of 27.70

seconds that was set by Jeremy Sampson in the 50m backstroke in 2015 by clocking 26.68, he lowered the 100m freestyle record to 52.83, the 100m backstroke in 58.88, the 200m IM in 2:11.24, the 100m butterfly in 57.03 and the 50m backstroke in 26.68.

Not done, McBroom also teamed up with Jah Chatlani-Pickstock, Dijon Simmons and Michael Fox and they established a pair of records in the 200m medley relay in 1:47.95, surpassing the old mark of 1:50.99 and the 400m medley in 4:00.65.

Grace Nottage also teamed up with Hannah Astwood, Rinia Johnson and Katelih-Dahlia Hanna to clinch the records in the girls’ 9-10 400m medley relay in 5:25.85, the 200m medley relay in 2:22.90 and the 200m freestyle in 2:02.94.

Samirah Donaldson also inked her name in the record books with her winning performance of 35.52 in the girls’ 13-14 50m breaststroke event. Also a part of the management team were Dr William Hamilton, who was the medical personnel,

Jenna Gibson, the physical therapist and Jade McCartney. Now that they are back home, Davis Jr said the goal is to prepare for a fourpeat next year in Trinidad & Tobago for the 30th edition of the games. Good luck in 2026.

BAHAMAS BODYBUILDING, WELLNESS & FITNESS FEDERATION HOSTS ITS 2024 NATIONAL CHAMPIONSHIPS

THE Bahamas Bodybuilding, Wellness & Fitness Federation (BBWFF) suc-

cessfully hosted its 2024 National Championships on July 26 at the University of The Bahamas, marking a groundbreaking moment in national

bodybuilding history with the introduction of a Gym/ Trainer-Coach Points Competition. This new competition format, adopted for the first time at the national level, used the internationally recognised IFBB Continental/World Championship point system, the same system implemented at the CAC (Central American and Caribbean) Championships. The initiative aimed to reward not only individual athlete performance but also the collective efforts of coaches and gyms in athlete development and competition strategy.

Point System Breakdown: 1st place - 16 points; 2nd place - 12 points; 3rd place - 9 points; 4th place - 7 points; 5th place - 6 points;

6th place - 5 points; 7th place - 4 points; 8th place3 points; 9th place - 2 points and 10th place - 1 point.

This structure encouraged both quality and quantity of athlete participation, as the total gym or coach score was determined by the placements of all athletes competing under their banner.

Final Standings – Gym/ Coach Competition:

Iron Man Gym – 90 points; Oreck Nesbitt – 60 points; Andros Flex Fitness – 35 points and 4th Place –Jimmy Norris – 34 points.

Iron Man Gym claimed the top spot with a commanding 90-point performance. Oreck Nesbitt followed with a strong showing of 60 points.

The battle for third place came down to the wire,

with Andros Flex Fitness edging out Jimmy Norius by a single point in a thrilling finish.

A New Era for Bahamas Bodybuilding

“This new points system brings a competitive edge that motivates coaches, trainers and gyms to invest even more in the development of their athletes,” said a spokesperson for the federation. “It’s not just about individual wins it’s about the strength of the entire team behind them.”

The BBWFF congratulates all athletes, coaches and gyms who participated and contributed to the success of this year’s event. The federation looks forward to continuing to elevate the sport through innovation, collaboration and worldclass competition.

AN 11-member team has been selected by the Bahamas Bodybuilding, Wellness and Fitness Federation to participate in the 52nd Central American and Caribbean Bodybuilding and Fitness Championships. The championships are scheduled for September 26-28 at the Pavilion on the Ramp in Rodney Bay, St Lucia, and The Bahamas will be represented by eight men and three women.

Wellington “Cat” Sears, president of the BBWFF, will travel as the national coach, and he will be assisted by Cunningham, who is also the assistant secretary of the BBWFF.

Dr Remington Rolle is the team manager and Charles Sealy, Simone Sawyer, Tove McDonald and Henrick Sands will be travelling as test judges at the championships.

Last year, the federation took a four-member team to the championships in Georgetown, Guyana, returning with four medals, including three silver and a bronze.

Sears is hoping for a much better result with a bigger team.

But he noted that it will be hard-pressed for The Bahamas to get back to its last overall success as champions in 2008. It is estimated to cost the federation around $30,000 to compete in this year’s championships. The event which will feature between two to 300 athletes from 25 countries.

Sands will play a dual role as an IT (information technology) consultant. As a result of their performances at the federation’s recent National Bodybuilding and Fitness Championships held at the University of the Bahamas, named to Team Bahamas are the following: Ryan Payne (men’s physique), George Wilson (men’s physique), Judah Forbes (men’s physique), Khalid Ross (men’s muscular physique and men’s classic bodybuilding), Kyle King (men’s muscular physique and men’s classic bodybuilding), Rashad Cunningham (men’s fitness and men’s classic bodybuilding), Alexander Kemp (men’s fitness, men’s physique, men’s fit model and men’s fit challenge), Orick Nesbitt (men’s bodybuilding and men’s masters bodybuilding), Shantae Rahming (junior bikini, bikini open and women’s fit model), Denica Thompson (bikini wellness), and Jackie Cleare (bikini open and bikini masters).

CARIBBEAN VOLLEYBALL CHAMPIONSHIPS - 2025

AND TOBAGO’S

CAZOVA SENIOR VOLLEYBALL: TRINIDAD & TOBAGO DEFEATS GUADELOUPE THREE SETS TO NONE

By JONATHAN BURROWS

TRINIDAD and Tobago

squared off against Guadeloupe in the women’s match at the Kendal GL Isaacs Gymnasium yesterday on day four of the CAZOVA Senior Volleyball Championships.

Trinidad and Tobago defeated Guadeloupe three sets to none.

Trinidad and Tobago’s women’s volleyball team is widely considered to be one of the favourites to win the tournament.

Known for its experience, powerful hitting, and strong defence, the team has built a reputation for being one of the Caribbean’s best volleyball programmes.

The CAZOVA Senior Volleyball Championship continues this week with elimination rounds beginning on Thursday, August 21.

Team Bahamas’ male team will play their next match on August 20, facing Suriname.

As the countdown to the elimination rounds begins, every game becomes crucial.

Fans can expect even more intensity as the region’s top teams battle for the championship.

WOMEN TEAMS DU

SCHEDULE OF MATCHES

CARIBBEAN VOLLEYBALL CHAMPIONSHIPS - 2025

August 15 - 23, 2025 MASTER SCHEDULE

MEN TEAMS

WOMEN TEAMS

SCHEDULE OF MATCHES

NORTH AMERICAN, CENTRAL AMERICAN AND CARIBBEAN CHAMPIONSHIPS

FREEPORT, Grand Bahama, The Bahamas –Acting Minister of Youth, Sports and Culture and Minister of State with responsibility for Disaster Risk Management, Leon Lundy says the North American, Central American and Caribbean (NACAC) Area Track and Field Championships is no ordinary track meet.

He referred to the event as the “proving ground” of the most dominant track and field region in the world. “The NACAC area has produced Olympic champions, world record holders and performers who have shaped the history of sports,” he added.

“Over the next three days, new chapters of that legacy will be written right here on Bahamian soil.”

Minister Lundy officially opened the 2025 NACAC Track and Field Championships in Freeport, Grand Bahama, on Saturday, August 16, at Grand Bahama Sports Complex. The three-day international track and

field championships has attracted senior athletes from 33 countries and nations, including Antigua & Barbuda, Cuba, Barbados, Bermuda, Dominica, Canada, Costa Rica, Grenada, Guatemala, British Virgin Islands, Jamaica, Mexico, Turks & Caicos and the United States.

Minister Lundy noted that for some of the athletes, coaches and officials, it was their first time in “Paradise” and for others, it was a welcomed return to a venue that had been transformed to host the Area Championships.

“This is the fifth staging of this prestigious event, and it is no small point of pride that The Bahamas has been chosen as host twice in the span of just three years,” added Minister Lundy.

“We set a high standard in 2022 the last time The Bahamas hosted this meet. Today, we declare that in 2025, we will surpass that feat. “More than 30 nations have come to Freeport to contend for NACAC honours and to sharpen their readiness ahead of next month’s World Championships in Tokyo. And the strength of this field is undeniable. Our very own Shaunae Miller-Uibo, two-time