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Surely we can do better than this By RASHAD ROLLE Tribune Senior Reporter rrolle@tribunemedia.net THE desperate state of The Bahamas’ health service struggling with the COVID pandemic is laid bare in this one picture. Under a flimsy canopy three patients sit hooked up to oxygen cylinders at South Beach Clinic. We knew matters were dire – but this? Nearby medical staff in full personal protection equipment

are working under a similar canopy, trying to do their job in a clinic’s car park. This is how far the crisis has reached, how desperate the authorities have become to try and cope with the wave of patients now needing treatment for the deadly virus. A video of this distressing scene exploded on social media yesterday and was followed by more grim news from health officials. SEE PAGE FOUR

IN this image from video, patients are seen apparently receiving oxygen in an outdoor tent at South Beach Clinic.

‘WHOEVER WINS, TAX PLP LEGAL THREAT ON RISES ARE COMING’ QUARANTINE VOTING By NEIL HARTNELL Tribune Business Editor nhartnell@tribunemedia.net THE DNA’s ex-leader yesterday said he “can almost guarantee” that the general election winner will be “very unpopular” within six-12 months because of the tough fiscal and COVID decisions they must take. Branville McCartney said the administration

elected on September 16 will be immediately confronted with the economic and health-related realities of governance, including the almost inevitable need to impose new and/or increased taxes to pay for the $10.356bn national debt blow-out caused by the pandemic and Hurricane Dorian. FULL STORY - SEE BUSINESS

By RASHAD ROLLE Tribune Senior Reporter rrolle@tribunemedia.net THE Progressive Liberal Party has given Parliamentary Commissioner Lavado Duncanson 36 hours to confirm whether registered voters will be prevented from voting in the next election if they are quarantined or suffering from COVID-19.

Nassau & Bahama Islands’ Leading Newspaper

Former State Minister for Legal Affairs Damian Gomez outlined the deadline in a letter to Mr Duncanson on behalf of PLP leader Philip “Brave” Davis and party members. He said the letter was “in anticipation of litigation” and if the appeal to patriotism did not succeed, the party would commence SEE PAGE THREE

PAGE 2, Tuesday, September 7, 2021

THE TRIBUNE

Who will win? Voters mixed By LEANDRA ROLLE Tribune Staff Reporter lrolle@tribunemedia.net WITH the next general election less than two weeks away, Bahamians have mixed views about which party should be elected to lead the country as it faces the worst economic and health crises of our time. The Tribune canvassed areas in the Bain’s and Grant’s Town and Centreville communities yesterday to hear the opinions of Bahamians, many of whom were not afraid to share their thoughts on who they think is the best choice to lead the country during these critical times. One of them was Terrance Rose, of Bain’s and Grant’s Town. Mr Rose said he believed Free National Movement incumbent Travis Robinson had served the community well given the circumstances and deserves a second term like the rest of his FNM colleagues. “In my opinion, I think the FNM do good and they deserve another chance,” he said. “Mr Robinson deserves another chance and he’s young. The only thing with Robinson is he would have to come out a little more to see his people, but he was working tirelessly behind the scenes. When it was the

ALTONISE KNOWLES

TERRANCE ROSE

MARY COAKLEY value added tax, Mr Robinson voted against it for his constituency. They fired him and rehired him back and I think he deserves a second chance.” However, these views were not shared by another area resident, Mary Coakley who claimed Mr Robinson has been missing in action since being elected to represent the community. “I don’t even see him,” she said. “I’ve never seen

By RASHAD ROLLE Tribune Senior Reporter rrolle@tribunemedia.net PRIME Minister Dr Hubert Minnis fully endorsed Water & Sewerage chairman Adrian Gibson last night, days after questions emerged about contracts awarded under the Long Island MP’s tenure. Dr Minnis has not yet answered a question from reporters about the allegations against Mr Gibson

and has not addressed them directly. But last night, he heaped praise on Mr Gibson during a rally in Long Island. “The whole country know that Long Island rollin’ red with the FNM and Adrian Gibson,” he said. “We want you to send Adrian Gibson back to the People’s House. Adrian has done an excellent job for you and a good job for you and a good job for the country. He is a hard worker, who has accomplished

BARRY KEMP him. I’ve heard about him but I’ve never seen him. I know the other one, Mr (Bernard) Nottage because that was his office right there and I used to see him all the time but I haven’t seen any Mr Robinson. I’ve never seen his face and I only hear his name so that’s no good reputation.” The 75-year-old also said the nation is in need of a change, saying the current government has failed to

successfully manage the pandemic and serve the Bahamian people among other things. “To me, they haven’t done good. I think where they went wrong with this pandemic when they allowed people to go home and quarantine. In the first place if you find someone positive, they shouldn’t be sent home to quarantine because the people go home and they ain’t gone quarantine and I feel like they should’ve had a place for people to quarantine and that is why this thing is spreading so much, so I feel like they could’ve responded better.” Asked if she thinks the FNM should be re-elected, she replied: “I don’t think so, but that’s my view.” Altonise Knowles, of Centreville, gave similar sentiments. “I give the government a five for their response to the pandemic and with Dorian, well I have seen no response with Dorian people because as usual, the (FNM) had a lot of talks, what you read and you hear, what they’re saying and to me they say they borrow so much of money for Dorian, but I have yet to see where the money gone,” she said. Ms Knowles also noted recent reports alleging government corruption does

not help the party’s chances in securing a second consecutive win. “(The Prime Minister) has too much things going on with too much of his MPs what are sitting with him. Too much things are coming out and when you look at that, that’s giving them a bad name so it’s too much of a scandal for them right now,” she added. However, for Centreville resident Arthur Nairn, no other party could have better handled the country’s affairs in the wake of COVID-19 and Hurricane Dorian’s devastation than the Minnis administration. “I believe that the government handled it stellarly based on the fact that it’s something unprecedented,” he said. “These are arduous times with the economy being what it is. The government is trying its best to keep the people safe and stimulate the economy as best as they can,” he said.” I believe at the moment that the hands we’re in are the safest hands.” Mr Nairn also encouraged Bahamians to not be swayed by the Progressive Liberal Party’s rhetoric on its response plans to COVID19 pandemic if elected, saying it’s simply not realistic and will only lead the country into chaos. “The PLP telling you ‘oh, we gonna get rid of

(emergency orders) and we gonna get rid of lockdowns.’ That sounds like chaos. That sounds like massive outbreaks on an already overloaded healthcare system, etc, and like I said, the hands that we’re in is still the safest hands to be in.” However, Barry Kemp said he believes neither of the major political parties deserve to be elected to office and added it’s time for Bahamian people to lend their support behind independent parties if they want to see real change. “I’m fed up with both of the parties and I feel like most Bahamians now are pretty much fed up with both parties because both parties do the same thing and we getting the same crap and foolishness,” he said. “They use us like a pingpong ball, back and forth and they keep promising things for us, they keep promising Freedom of Information (Act), and they keep promising they gonna deal with corruption and it’s never dealt with. So it’s just promises, promises and promises and promise is a comfort to a fool and I think the Bahamian people on the whole are tired of the promises and I don’t support any of the two.”

so much for Long Island during this term in office. “I hear Brave is dead mad with your MP. “You see, Adrian Gibson is leading our administration’s efforts to get good, quality water all cross The Bahamas. “There is plenty of foolishness the PLP and their people are putting out, especially on social media. They are trying to distract you from the truth of who Brave is and who they are. Do not mind the noise.

They are very desperate.” Mr Gibson has faced scrutiny over the award of hundreds of thousands of WSC contracts to Elite Maintenance Incorporated Ltd, a company whose director is the woman with the same name as Mr Gibson’s fiancee. Mr Gibson has said the woman was a lawyer acting on behalf of Elite Maintenance and that she eventually severed ties with the company. He has not said whether he disclosed

existing relationships with the directors of the company that secured the contracts to WSC’s board of directors. WSC general manager Elwood Donaldson has said at least three bids were submitted for the contracts in question and that after the bids were reviewed, a recommendation by the board of directors was made. He said: “In the instance of the three contracts for painting, repair and upgrading of our water

tanks, it was recommended that the contracts be split between the three lowest bidders.” “The bids received by the corporation ranged from in excess of $1m per tank on down. The board agreed and the contracts were issued. “All works have been completed and met the standards of the corporation, with works having been signed off by our engineering and planning department.”

Photos: Racardo Thomas/ Tribune Staff

MINNIS GIVES HIS SUPPORT TO WSC CHAIRMAN GIBSON

THE TRIBUNE

Tuesday, September 7, 2021, PAGE 3

Moore says Ingraham support of Sands ‘reckless’ before vote By TANYA SMITHCARTWRIGHT tsmith-cartwright@ tribunemedia.net ONE of the founding fathers of the Free National Movement has taken issue with remarks made by former Prime Minister Hubert Ingraham over the weekend endorsing Elizabeth incumbent Dr Duane Sands. On Saturday afternoon while hitting the campaign trail with Dr Sands in the Elizabeth constituency, Mr Ingraham told the media he hopes Dr Sands can win his seat and possibly go on to become Prime Minister one day. “He is a good man that deserves to be elected,” Mr Ingraham said. “He’s had a similar experience I had. I used to be a minister before, I got fired, I got elected to the House, and I became prime minister. Hopefully, he can have the same experience.” Mr Ingraham also appeared to have taken issue with Prime Minister Dr Hubert Minnis calling an early election during the height of the pandemic with COVID-19 positive cases soaring. He said that action speaks for itself. The Tribune reached out to the hierarchy of the FNM

FORMER Prime Minister Hubert Ingraham, right, campaigning with Dr Duane Sands in Elizabeth. to seek a response on Mr Ingraham’s endorsement of Dr Sands. A member of the “Dissident Eight” who founded the FNM, Maurice Moore was not amused about Mr Ingraham’s endorsement. He described the remarks as reckless just before an election. “The former Prime Minister is the former Prime Minister,” Mr Moore said. “He has one vote and I have one vote on the council. He doesn’t decide. He can go and speak for whomever he wants to, but I consider

that not to be the advisable thing to do going into a general election. “Why he wants to get up and say something like that at a time like this I don’t know. I am not interested in following up on what he has to say. It is really not fair to our Prime Minister Minnis, but it’s his opinion. He is entitled to do whatever he wants to do. I just don’t see it as being constructive for the party at this time. “All the former Prime Ministers can say what they like, but in so far as being

productive and addressing matters that affect the Bahamian people, none of them has done as much as our present Prime Minister has done for the development of our people and assisting our people at a very critical time in the life of the country.” Mr Moore continued to express displeasure with Mr Ingraham’s remarks and said the party has only one leader. “Why he would want to choose to say something that could be wrongly

interpreted, I don’t know,” Mr Moore said. “That’s his opinion, not mine. Our party has one leader and that’s Dr Minnis. Nobody is perfect, but as far as I am concerned, he is doing an excellent job. He is addressing matters that affect the lives of our people.” Asked if he felt he misinterpreted what Mr Ingraham said about Dr Sands being Prime Minister, as Mr Ingraham was likely expressing his thoughts about the 2026 general election, Mr Moore was not convinced. “Well what other election could he mean?” he continued. “I don’t feel that way. I think he is thinking he would like to see Dr Sands as the Prime Minister now. That’s his personal opinion. What we ought to be doing now is closing ranks and supporting our Prime Minister who is doing an excellent job given the circumstances the country and our people are in. “The election has now been called and we are hoping that everything goes well on the 16th. Reminiscing on that is not going to help us one way or the other now so I don’t think it is worth me commenting on it other than to say the election has been called and I hope and pray that our

party wins and we are able to carry on the great work that is being done now by the government.” The Tribune also reached out to FNM chairman Carl Culmer who was tightlipped on the subject. “I have no comment at all on this at this time,” he said. FNM treasurer Dwight Sawyer also spoke to The Tribune. Although he did not say much, he wanted to make it clear Mr Ingraham was still a “strong” supporter of the FNM. “I have no comment on that at this particular moment,” said Mr Sawyer. “Right now I am focusing on winning an election. All I can say is that the former Prime Minister is still a strong FNM. He is in fact still a strong FNM in every sense of the word. That is all you need to find out. So there is nothing else to find out.” Just weeks before the 2017 election, Mr Ingraham was called upon to boost momentum with party supporters by speaking at various rallies. While endorsing Dr Sands over the weekend, he was asked if he plans to do the same this time. He responded by saying he is not inclined to say yes if he is asked to assist that way.

PLP LEGAL THREAT ON QUARANTINE VOTING MITCHELL CRITICISES from page one “expeditious prosecution of court proceedings” against Mr Duncanson. The Minnis administration has not definitively said whether quarantined people will be allowed to vote in the upcoming September 16 election, though National Security Minister Marvin Dames recently suggested that they will not. Mr Gomez wrote: “We are alarmed that you may be influenced by the outgoing administration to prevent Bahamian citizens who are duly registered in accordance with the Parliamentary Elections Act, (chapter) 7, sections 8 and 9 from casting their respective votes notwithstanding that they are not suffering from any legal incapacity as defined in section 10 of the Parliamentary Elections Act, (chapter) 7. “To allay our clients’ fears, we write to request that you confirm within 36 hours that you will not prevent any registered voter from casting his or her ballot on the basis that he or she is quarantined or on the basis that he or she is suffering from COVID-19. We further request that you indicate what steps have been taken to ensure that such persons who are quarantined or persons suffering from COVID-19 may cast their respective ballots in a facility that is safe to other members of the electorate. If no such steps have been taken, we request an explanation for such failure.”

Mr Gomez said the general election date has been set “by the outgoing Prime Minister, Dr Minnis” at a time when COVID-19 infections, hospitalisations and deaths have surged, threatening the ability of healthcare facilities to provide services. “The calling of this general election was not affected by any act of the Progressive Liberal Party and could have been called after the government had managed to contain and reduce the rate and extent of COVID-19 infections, hospitalisations and deaths. We are hopeful that the timing of the general election was not motivated by a political intention to deprive any registered voter from voting,” he said. Mr Gomez said other countries, including the Turks and Caicos Islands and Jamaica, have conducted elections while ensuring that registered voters could vote regardless of their quarantine or infection status. “Your response to this written request is anticipated to contribute to the fairness of the conduct of the general election on the 16th September, 2021. After all, free and fair elections take place effectively in the absence of fear. In this case the fear of COVID-19 casts a pall upon the process which the Parliamentary Elections Act, (chapter) 7 requires you to conduct in strict conformity with its provisions,” he said. “The right to vote is the ultimate expression

STRAW VENDOR PRESIDENT DIES By EARYEL BOWLEG Tribune Staff Reporter ebowleg@tribunemedia.net

STRAW Vendors Business Association president Reverend Esther Thompson died on the weekend, a relative confirmed. Her adopted sister, Celestine Eneas, who is president of the Straw Vendors Advancement Association, said she did not want to speculate on the cause of death until she received information from Mrs Thompson’s doctor. She said she received a call concerning her sister on Saturday. A relative had visited Mrs Thompson’s

house and found her unresponsive. Ms Eneas said she arrived at the home about 18 minutes later only to find her sister dead. “Everybody was just shocked that she died,” she said. The last contact she had with her sister was last Thursday. “Her husband did say she did not feel well all week, but she was fighting it. She didn’t go to the doctors. “But like I said when I went she wasn’t feeling good, it wasn’t like you know she was sick in bed or anything like that.” Mrs Thompson was 63 years old.

of a citizen’s conscience, freedom of assembly and association and freedom of expression. That right to vote is at the heart and soul of the word ‘democratic’ as used in Article 1 of the Constitution of The Bahamas. “The threat to interfere with the unfettered right of registered voters as articulated by the Minister of National Security Mr Marvin Dames is a threat to our democracy and Article 1 of the Constitution of The Bahamas. Article 29 of the Constitution of The Bahamas does not permit the competent authority or anyone else to suspend or otherwise abrogate Article 1 of the Constitution of The Bahamas, nor can that provision of the Constitution of The Bahamas be amended without compliance with Article 54 of the Constitution of The Bahamas. Parliament having been dissolved, there is no basis in law for the executive branch of government purporting to alter

the Constitution of The Bahamas in the manner threatened by Mr Marvin Dames. You are similarly fettered by the Constitution of The Bahamas and the Parliamentary Elections Act, (chapter) 7. “We note for the record that the Parliamentary Elections Act, (chapter) 7 section 12(5) reposes on you alone the statutory duty to carry out the requirements of the Parliamentary Elections Act regarding the holding of free and fair elections. We have therefore addressed this letter to you for your formal and most urgent response.” He also wrote: “Democracy is a fragile flower whose delicate and diligent care is balanced in your patriotic hands. It is therefore hoped that litigation may be avoided. Should our appeal to your sense of patriotism fail, we shall proceed with the expeditious prosecution of court proceedings on behalf of our clients without further reference to you.”

MINNIS FOR DANCING AT POLITICAL RALLIES THE Progressive Liberal Party has criticised Prime Minister Dr Hubert Minnis for “dancing on stage” at recent political rallies as the COVID-19 death toll continues to climb. Health officials have reported 34 additional COVID-19 deaths since Friday, some of them deaths under investigation that have since been reclassified. The country’s hospitalisation rate has also increased to 190 patients. “We share the sentiments of the many Bahamians who find it painful to see Dr Minnis dancing on stage at recent FNM rallies while our loved ones are dying and our people suffer,” PLP chairman Fred Mitchell said in a statement yesterday. “Dr Minnis and his handpicked Health Minister

Renward Wells have not given healthcare professionals the support they need and as a result, the COVID death toll is climbing. “This is not about Dr Minnis and the FNM causing the pandemic, this is about Dr Minnis’ mismanagement, no plan, failure to listen and failure to follow the science. “With so many of our people dying, we expect competent and compassionate leadership. Instead, we see an uncaring and desperate prime minister trying to hold on to power by telling political lies, making more rounds of empty promises, and dancing while families mourn the death of their loved ones. “Dr Minnis and the FNM have failed the Bahamian people,” Mr Mitchell said.

PAGE 4, Tuesday, September 7, 2021

THE TRIBUNE

Surely we can do better than this from page one

Seven new confirmed deaths, 127 new cases, 190 people hospitalised, 15 in intensive care. The Tribune went to South Beach Clinic last night and thankfully discovered the patients were no longer outside nor were the medical staff. The canopies and oxygen stands were still there – waiting for tomorrow? In the video aired on social media the woman filming the scene said: “This is what our health system has come down to, they have the doctors working in tents out in the rain. “I meaning the rain coming down, the wind blowing, the little makeshift coverings, they have nothing to the sides of these tents, I mean it’s awful. This is what our health system has come down to. There has to be a better way. Taxpayers money, where is it

going? What is the Minnis administration doing? It’s awful. “Rain coming, you have to get nebulized outside in the rain under tents, people getting wet up and soak up. The rain, the conditions, the area, it’s ridiculous. How could it be? People please share this video, share this video. It has to be a better way. It’s not the people’s time, it can’t be. The health system has crashed.” Health Minister Renward Wells did not respond to a request for comment yesterday and Chief Medical Officer Dr Pearl McMillan did not answer calls. The Bahamas has already recorded 520 confirmed COVID-19 cases in just the first five days of September. The 190 hospitalised cases is a new record for hospitalisations. Although the Minnis administration has put its vaccination programme at the centre of efforts to

curb the spread of COVID19, the worsening virus situation is likely to bring further attention to the ongoing political developments, which have been characterised by public events that have not always adhered strictly to COVID19 protocols. Over the weekend, the Medical Association of The Bahamas expressed concern that the political activities will be super-spreader events. “The country is experiencing rapid escalation in the number of individuals becoming COVID-19 positive, needing hospitalisation and of persons dying due to this devastating illness,” the MAB said. “These gatherings in the past have been observed as super spreader events. “We look at data collected from countries in our region that have held elections during the pandemic and demonstrated a jump in cases post-election, due

SEVEN NEW DEATHS CONFIRMED THE country’s COVID19 death toll has increased by seven after deaths that were previously under investigation were reclassified as coronavirus related. In its September 5 dashboard, the Ministry of Health said the deaths occurred between August 17-29. Six of the victims are women and one is a man. Their ages range from 33 to 82 years old. The victims were all New Providence residents. The country’s COVID19 death toll is now 446 with 19 deaths still under investigation. Health officials also

reported 127 additional COVID-19 cases yesterday, which pushed the nation’s toll to 18,980 since the start of the pandemic. Of those cases, 3,406 are still active. Meanwhile hospital cases have soared to 190 — up from 175 a day prior — with 15 of those cases in the intensive care unit. This comes after the Ministry of Health reported 27 additional COVID-19 related deaths over the weekend. The ministry’s September 4 dashboard recorded 13 COVID-19 deaths, which include seven males and six females who ranged

in age from 49 to 68 years and died between August 7 and 30 after suffering from COVID-19 complications. Health officials also said in the September 4 dashboard that two deaths that were previously under investigation have now been reclassified as COVID-19 deaths. These victims are both Grand Bahama residents; one is an 81-year-old man and the other a 67-year-old Grand Bahama woman. They both died on August 17. In the September 3 dashboard, 12 COVID19 related deaths were recorded, including nine males and three females.

to exposure during election campaigns. Our healthcare facilities are swamped and we are losing medical persons exposed to this deadly

virus, including physicians. “If this trend continues, we will need to expand capacity for the probably increase in cases

that will result from our inability to consistently enforce COVID-19 protocols during the campaign season.”

UNIVERSITY REVISES COVID POLICY AFTER CRITICISM By LEANDRA ROLLE Tribune Staff Reporter lrolle@tribunemedia.net UNIVERSITY of The Bahamas has revised its COVID-19 entry policies for unvaccinated people after receiving heavy criticism from union members and students. In a statement yesterday, UB said effective yesterday, anyone entering its campuses must either show proof of vaccination or present a negative rapid antigen test no older than five days upon arrival. UB also added that costs for COVID testing will be covered by the institution for unvaccinated students, staff members and coaches who are required to come on campus for courserelated activities until further notice. The revised policy comes after the institution announced last week that people entering its campuses must either show proof of vaccination or produce a negative rapid antigen test taken within the last 72 hours. The now revised policy was set to take effect yesterday. However, the rules

received pushback from faculty members and UB Student’s Government Association, who called the decision “reckless”, “dictatorial” and inconvenient. Yesterday, UB conceded that it decided to revise the protocols after receiving input from various stakeholders. “Effective Monday, 6 September 2021, all persons entering the campuses of University of The Bahamas must show proof of being fully vaccinated or present a negative COVID-19 rapid antigen test. The rapid antigen test result must ​ be no older than five days at the time of presentation,” the statement read. “For employees, residential students, coaches who must work on campus​ and students who must come on campus for course related activities during remote operations, but who are not fully vaccinated, University of The Bahamas will cover the cost of rapid antigen tests until further notice, provided that proof of affiliation with UB is presented at the test site.”

FORMER HEALTH MINISTER HITS OUT AT PANDEMIC HANDLING By EARYEL BOWLEG Tribune Staff Reporter ebowleg@tribunemedia.net FORMER Health Minister Dr Marcus Bethel said the Minnis administration’s management of the COVID-19 pandemic “leaves much to be desired” and deserves “a poor rating”. Dr Bethel, who served in a previous Progressive Liberal Party administration, said that over the past 16-18 months, the country’s leaders made many mistakes and missteps that could have been avoided. “I say that because if one plans effectively and executes with precision one will get positive results. So failure to plan leads to a failure in execution,” he explained. “I think that when we looked at over the past 18 months there’ve been many missteps along the way starting off in the beginning in the earlier stages where it appeared that the government of the day underestimated the severity of the pandemic and hence underfunded the response to what was needed to actually help mitigate the effect of the pandemic in The Bahamas.”

He made the comments on the talk show The Revolution with host Juan McCartney. “In order to effectively manage these types of pandemics or epidemics requires adequate funding. ‘Funding provides for not only medical and nursing and support services which have to be ramped up dramatically but it also means the availability of supply chain supplies to face the pandemic head on. “We found in the early stages that supplies were not available. Swabs were not available. Test kits were not available, etc. So these were the earliest missteps that put us behind the eight ball as they say.” Then there was the issue of underfunding when it came to staffing, he said. A nursing shortage is one of the biggest challenges being faced in the country’s healthcare system. Bahamas Nurses Union president Amancha Williams previously told The Tribune more than a dozen nurses have left Princess Margaret Hospital in the last few months. Dr Bethel said: “Then as we went along, we underestimated the impact on

the country’s healthcare resources so that we underfunded the staffing, the personnel. “Last year some 40 doctors were let go from the PHA. Now they’ve had to call them back. These are missteps that happened because poor planning leads to poor execution and poor results and that is what we have had to face over the coming ensuing 18 months.” Finally, he highlighted the dependency of nations giving us vaccines. The Bahamas has received vaccines from the World Health Organization’s COVAX Facility as well as countries such as the US and India. “When the Ministry of Health (and) the ministers claimed that they had gone through COVAX to secure some 26,000 or an odd number of vaccines – that’s a fraction of the population of The Bahamas. We should’ve put the funding into acquiring vaccines in the quantity that would satisfy the population of The Bahamas. That was not done and so we’re sitting now waiting for India, the United States in addition to COVAX to provide vaccines for our population.”

THE TRIBUNE

Tuesday, September 7, 2021, PAGE 5

Moultrie: Don’t believe what you hear on social media By TANYA SMITHCARTWRIGHT tsmith-cartwright@ tribunemedia.net HALSON Moultrie has denied social media speculation that he is linked with the Coalition of Independents. Mr Moultrie, incumbent independent candidate for Nassau Village, quit the Free National Movement earlier this year to become an independent Speaker of the House of Assembly. His resignation came after months of being at loggerheads with the governing party and criticism levelled at the Minnis administration from his chair as Speaker. Mr Moultrie was replaced by former union head Nicole Martin to run on the FNM’s ticket for Nassau Village. Clearing up any misunderstanding of his “affiliation” with the COI, Mr Moultrie said: “It has been brought to my attention that a politically mischievous video is making its rounds on social media which by its contents and photographs falsely links the Speaker of the House of Assembly, Halson Moultrie, to Lincoln Bain

and by extension to his political party. “I wish to categorically state that the Hon D Halson Moultrie, Speaker of the House of Assembly, incumbent and independent candidate for the Nassau Village constituency in the upcoming general elections scheduled for September 16, 2021, is not and has never been a member of the grouping identified as Coalition of Independents.” Mr Moultrie is hosting a second Open Parliament meeting tomorrow at 10am in Parliament Square. An Open Parliament event flyer engages members of the public to “throw a blow for democracy” by expressing their concerns on snap elections, the state of the voter registry, the disenfranchisement of voters and the possibility of election fraud. He expects many young people will turn out. The first Open Parliament took place on August 18, however, when eager participants assembled, Provost Marshall and Commissioner of Police Paul Rolle showed up, dissolved Parliament, and set the date for a new session of Parliament for September 22. However, the next day, August 19, Parliament was

dissolved and a general election was called for September 16. The next session of Parliament will start on October 6. “I have an open-door policy and have met and talked with members of the various political organisations in the Commonwealth of The Bahamas – that includes the two major political parties. At the Open Parliament August 18, 2021, I strongly urged all third parties to unite and some did form a United Coalition which I endorse,” Mr Moultrie said. “I have also met and talked with labour unions, many social groupings and civil society organisations. My independent status has not and will not be affected or compromised by any such discussions and/or meetings. I am committed to the ideals of the separation of powers and three co-equal and independent branches of government as is envisioned by the Constitution of the Commonwealth of The Bahamas.” Mr Moultrie said the public is to ignore any attempt by anyone to suggest otherwise and that such attempts are to be taken as purely ill-conceived political mischief.

HALSON Moultrie pictured on nomination day.

ACTOR MICHAEL K WILLIAMS FOUND DEAD IN APARTMENT BAHAMIAN American actor Michael K Williams was found dead in his New York City apartment yesterday. He was 54 years old. Williams, best known for his role as Omar Little in the television drama “The Wire”, was born in New York to a Bahamian mother and an African American father. He also had roles in television shows “Boardwalk Empire” and “Lovecraft Country” and in the movie “12 Years a Slave”. CNN reported that a law enforcement source said investigators found drug paraphernalia near his body. An investigation into his death is ongoing, CNN also reported. In 2017, Williams received a Shining Star

MICHAEL K Williams at the Bahamas International Film Festival in this image posted by festival organiser Leslie Vanderpool on Facebook, who said she was “lost for words”. Tribute at the Bahamas family was grappling with International Film Festival. “deep sorrow” at “this The Emmy nominated insurmountable loss”. actor was also seen in local Williams, who had TV commercials for REV worked in tiny TV roles and Bahamas. as a backup dancer for hipHis representative, Mari- hop acts before landing the anna Shafran, released a role, had said that reputastatement confirming the tion started to stick to him death saying Williams’ in real life.

“The character of Omar thrusted me into the limelight,” he told Stephen Colbert on “The Late Show” in 2016. “I had very low self esteem growing up, a high need to be accepted, a corny kid from the projects. So all of a sudden, I’m like, Omar, yo, I’m getting respect from people who probably would have took my lunch money as a kid.” With smoke from his cigarette often wafting through the darkness, the character would whistle the melody known to American children as “The Farmer in the Dell” and British children as “A Hunting We Will Go” to ominously announce his arrival. And he spoke many of the show’s most memorable lines, including, “a man gotta have a code” and “all

in the game yo, all in the game.” The character also broke TV ground as an openly gay man whose sexuality wasn’t central to his role. Williams appeared in all five seasons of “The Wire” from 2002 to 2008, his character growing in prominence with each season. Instantly recognizable with a distinctive scar that ran the length of his face, Williams said most people who saw him on the street called him “Omar,” but he never really resembled the character. “I could never be Omar,” he told Colbert with a laugh. “I didn’t have the balls that dude had.” “I was angry and I had a lot of energy,” he told The Associated Press in 2018. “It was such an outlet. I was not the best dancer, you

know, by far, but I was definitely the most passionate. I always had this energy. You always felt me whether I was in sync or not with the other guys.” Williams had been working with a New Jersey charity to smooth the journey for former prison inmates seeking to reenter society, and was working on a documentary on the subject. He spoke in an Associated Press story in 2020 of his rough time growing up, and said he had struggled with drug addiction, which he had spoken frankly about in interviews in recent years. “This Hollywood thing that you see me in, I’m passing through,” he said. “Because I believe this is where my passion, my purpose is supposed to be.”

PAGE 6, Tuesday, September 7, 2021

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Picture tells story of our COVID failures IN THIS column last month, we said that as a country we had failed to protect our healthcare system. The point of imposing restrictions to prevent the spread of COVID-19 was to give our healthcare facilities the best chance possible to deal with the pandemic – and our failure was clear to see in the surge of cases and, in more recent days, the ever increasing number of deaths. How much we have failed can be seen in the image on our front page today. Three patients under a flimsy tent receiving the oxygen that might save their lives. Whoever thought that going to hospital in an emergency would mean sitting in a car park rather than on a pristine ward tended by dedicated staff? No ICU bed, not even a roof. If we were trying to buy time to ensure we had enough facilities available, we failed to provide them. If we were trying to keep the case numbers down to stop our healthcare staff from being overwhelmed, we did not do so. And so here is the legacy of that – people shunted out into the outdoors because there isn’t enough room for them elsewhere. What we need is help. However painful it is, we need to ask for help. Whether that is from the US, Canada, China, the UK or Commonwealth, or the World Health Organization. What we are seeing today is unacceptable. Some of our international friends have military units with fully deployable medical units that might be able to lend a hand. We’ve seen them in action in the aftermath of hurricanes – well, this pandemic has a storm of its own wreaking havoc in our healthcare system. If our system is being pushed

beyond its limits, it’s time to ask for help. Today’s dashboard reports another seven deaths, while another 15 people are in intensive care, with 190 in hospital with COVID. In the video clip, which has circulated on social media, the woman recording the clip can be heard saying: “This is what our health system has come down to, they have the doctors working in tents out in the rain.” Things are likely to get worse. Election season has brought with it a number of gatherings, whether it is people packed together on buses and trucks or dancing at rally events. That has the potential to spread the virus. The coming weeks will show the impact of that. Talk of lifting restrictions in the face of this wave is an invitation to even more cases. When stricter restrictions were first put in place, we were experiencing far fewer deaths than we are now. Is the election taking priority? Certainly, some sections of campaigns seem to be paying little credence to social distancing rules – but ought we to be clamping down more right now to stem the flow of cases? Or is the scene on our front page what we are prepared to accept? If there are more cases still, where will we go next? We have already run out of buildings to keep patients in, what will we do when we run out of tents? When we run out of oxygen? There needs to be an increase in the capacity to handle COVID patients – and it has to be a matter of the highest priority. Those patients out in the cold and the rain deserve better – and with variants of this virus on the loose, that could soon be any one of us.

It’s your time EDITOR, The Tribune. FOUR years and a few months ago, the people of this wonderful nation lined up in droves to vote the Christie led PLP out of office due to a myriad of reasons coupled with Christie fatigue and serious allegations of corruption. A large majority stood in long lines in the scorching hot sun just for an opportunity to vote Minnis and the FNM into high office. The rest is now history. Minnis and his crew campaigned on the slogan: “It’s the peoples’ time.” Christie and his people them threw out a one liner that most Bahamians, inclusive of myself have now long forgotten because it did not gel with anything sensible. Minnis ended up with 35 seats while the PLP, under Christie, went down in flames. Within the next week or so Bahamians will once again flock to the polls. It would appear, on the ground, that this time around public sentiment is against the reelection of Minnis and his people them. Bahamians are suffering from Minnis fatigue this time around are have been violently ‘exposed’ heavy and serious allegations of malfeasance and possibly “corruption” by several high ranking FNM MPs. In fact, the same set of circumstances which doomed the Christie-led PLP are in play right now with the FNM and its leader. In a democracy such as obtains in The Bahamas, registered voters reserve the right to vote in or vote out on a regular five year basis or sooner if the PM of the day decides to ring

the proverbial bell. Minnis “the copy cat” vouched for a badly advised snap election to garner, he says, a new mandate in view of the debilitating state of the economy and the necessity to continue to “manage” the ongoing pandemic. Many right thinking Bahamians advised Minnis not to advise the Governor-General to dissolve parliament when he did. Here we are in the midst of COVID-19 and the rapid spread of all sorts of variants. Unemployment is high and there is no relief in sight. Less than 25% of our people have even received one dosages of a vaccination of choice even though we now have access to at least three different brands. The outgoing Minister of Health brayed that we’d have herd immunity by late summer. It has only gotten worse and some 350 odd Bahamians have actually died from COVID-19. Why call elections now when Minnis had a lopsided super majority and close to another year in office? I strongly suspect that he and the FNM have something in their collective minds for The Bahamas going forward if re-elected. I do not believe that it is anything good or beneficial. Minnis played being the Pied Piper before and his performance left much to be desired. He could not do it then what makes you believe that he can do it now? Yes, it is Your time now to make yet another critical electoral choice. Do we take a chance on going back to the future with Minnis and his people or do we, as a frustrated and shell

shocked populace turn the pages of history and open up a new chapter written by another author who has been preparing to become Prime Minister all of his adult life? Whatever you all do do please remember that according to Minnis the treasury is bare and challenged. Yet, he says that for breakfast and lunch will be available to all school children. I guess that will include students, old and young at The University of The Bahamas and BTVI. Two new bridges will be constructed in Eleuthera. A new subdivision here and there where single family lots will be “sold” for 10 thousand or so dollars. A “new” set of towers at an already cramped PMH site and the list of promises goes on ad nauseum. The question is: “Who do you trust?” Minnis whose long forgotten or ignored promises have made him look like a political Pinocchio or Brave who is more than aware that “It is Your Time.” With the national debt being what it is and the unsustainable never ending borrowing by this interim administration it is likely that if they are reelected additional taxes will be imposed. Minnis says that he will eliminate the Emergency Powers Act in November, if re-elected. Do you really believe him? Beware of pie in the sky electoral promises after all, beloved: “It Is Your Time.” Jr

ORTLAND H BODIE, Nassau, September 5, 2021.

Cartwright deserves re-election EDITOR, The Tribune. SHANENDON Cartwright is the Free National Movement (FNM) candidate for the St Barnabas constituency. He is also chairman of the Bahamas Public Parks and Public Beaches Authority. It is assumed by opposition forces that the FNM will be wiped out in New Providence, winning fewer than three seats. Pundits are predicting that the governing party should be able to hold on to St Anne’s, Killarney and Free Town. I believe that notwithstanding Prime Minister Dr Hubert Minnis’ apparent unpopularity, St Barnabas should re-elect the Mr Cartwright. Cartwright was by far the hardest working, productive MP in Parliament. I would even go as far as stating that he has been arguably the greatest MP in our Parliamentary history. Anyone who examines methodically the history of our Parliamentary system and everyone of the MPs elected to the House of Assembly, would be hard pressed to find anyone who has worked as hard as Cartwright in the four year span he has represented St Barnabas. Under the auspices of his St Barnabas We Care Team, Cartwright has launched his After School Tutoring programme; the St Barnabas School Breakfast Programme, Youth Outreach and Culture to the Park; the St Barnabas Cleaning Initiative; the Back to School Bash; the St Barnabas Garage Sale;

LETTERS letters@tribunemedia.net the Derelict Vehicle Programme; the Roof Repair Programme; the Family Night At the Movies; Team Up and Clean Up initiative; and the Edmund Moxey Cultural Week. In addition to the foregoing, Cartwright has also spearheaded an annual Christmas ecumenical service and has held regular constituency meetings. In conjunction with the Ministry of Works, Cartwright has made it a point to insure that roads throughout his constituency have been paved. Cartwright is an accessible MP, who has served his community of FNMs, Progressive Liberal Party (PLP) supporters, Democratic National Alliance supporters and Coalition of Independents in a bipartisan manner. I saw Facebook photos of Cartwright riding a bicycle through his constituency, while dialoguing with ordinary Bahamians. He has been so stellar in his performance as MP that his political rivals have resorted to crafting a bogus lie of financial malfeasance at the Bahamas Public Parks and Beaches Authority in a hapless effort to ruin his re-election campaign. They cannot target Cartwright’s impressive resumé as MP, so they have to lie in order to get their man in the House of Assembly. What I find disturbing about the

attempted character assassination of Mr Cartwright is that the man has remained above the fray, not engaging in any nasty political attacks against his rivals. He goes to the House of Assembly to represent his constituents in a dignified, professional manner. He is a role model and a family man, at a time male Bahamian politicians have the unfortunate stigma of being chronic womanizers. If you are a PLP or disgruntled FNM living in St Barnabas, you would be stupid to remove Cartwright as MP for the simple fact that no one, and I mean absolutely no one, will out perform his stellar representation. Cartwright is an A-plus MP. If it ain’t broke, don’t fix it, St Barnabas. I endorse Cartwright as the next MP for the great constituency of St Barnabas. If Cartwright loses, then it would send the message to objective Bahamians that the voters in that community do not care about good representation. It would also send a clear message to Cartwright’s successor that he can be a lousy, unproductive MP and still win in St Barnabas. After all, they voted out arguably the greatest MP in Bahamian history, so being productive means nothing in that community. If Cartwright is unworthy of being reelected to Parliament, then pray tell me who is? KEVIN EVANS Freeport, Grand Bahama, September 5, 2021.

Think twice, Elizabeth EDITOR, The Tribune.

BEFORE taking Hubert Ingraham’s advice and voting for former Health Minister Duane Sands (the man who scrapped your National Health Insurance just in time for a pandemic), voters of Elizabeth should

consider that this is the same Hubert Ingraham who once recommended Hubert Minnis for your Prime Minister – after abandoning his own constituents in a fit of juvenile pique when he didn’t get to be Prime Minister himself. In voting for JoBeth

Coleby Davis on the 16th of September, you can spare us all the spectacle of FNM infighting by helping retire the whole trio from public life. ANDREW ALLEN Nassau, September 6, 2021.

THE TRIBUNE

Tuesday, September 7, 2021, PAGE 7

ROTARY AND ROTARACT OFFER HELP THE Rotary Club of Southeast Nassau, the Rotaract Club of Southeast Nassau Centennial and Rotaract District 7020 hosted a giveaway of large boxes filled with snacks for families of students on Saturday. The back-to-school event took place at the Thomas A Robinson Stadium. Photos: Racardo Thomas/Tribune Staff

Former Cabinet minister’s fraud trial adjourned again By FARRAH JOHNSON Tribune Staff Reporter fjohnson@tribunemedia.net THE fraud trial of former Cabinet minister Elma Campbell has been adjourned once again to ensure the magistrate presiding over the case enforces the mandatory COVID-19 safety protocols in his court. Last year, the former Free National Movement senator, along with her son, Che Chase, appeared before Chief Magistrate Joyann Ferguson-Pratt, charged with a number of fraud related offences after they were accused of defrauding the Ministry of Tourism of $1.2m. The mother and son were charged with Damalus Curry who was also arraigned on one count of money laundering.

ELMA Campbell at a previous court appearance. Prosecutors said Campbell and Chase, with the intent to defraud, obtained $1.2m from the Royal Bank of Canada (RBC) with a forged cheque in the name of the Ministry

of Tourism, making the amount payable to Campbell-Chase Law. They further alleged the two transferred $512,000 from their law account to a private RBC Finco

WOMAN ADMITS FALSELY ACCUSING BOYFRIEND By FARRAH JOHNSON Tribune Staff Reporter fjohnson@tribunemedia.net A 26-YEAR-OLD woman who falsely accused her boyfriend of assaulting her yesterday avoided receiving a criminal record after she owned up to her mistake and took responsibility for her actions. Police arrested Ashanti Charlton after she gave a false report to Police Constable 4384 Bethel on August 30, suggesting that an offence had been committed against her when it had not. She pleaded guilty during her arraignment before Magistrate Shaka Serville. The court was told that on August 29, Charlton went to the Nassau Street Police Station to report that her boyfriend assaulted her by slapping

and biting her. After she filed her complaint, her partner was arrested. When he was questioned in police custody, he denied the offence. The prosecution said when a police inspector held a confrontation between Charlton and her boyfriend a few days later, she said her complaint was not true and admitted that her boyfriend never bit her or slapped her in her face. She was subsequently arrested and charged. Yesterday, she told the magistrate she was remorseful for her actions and stated that she had already apologised to her boyfriend for what she had done. “I was mad at the fact that he embarrassed me (and) I wanted to have him locked up, so he could’ve been embarrassed,” she

said. “But it didn’t turn out like that (because) I was arrested and he was released.” Yesterday, Charlton’s boyfriend was also present during the hearing. When he was given an opportunity to speak, he told the magistrate that he had accepted Chartlon’s apology because he believed it was “sincere”. As a result, Magistrate Serville told the accused he felt that she had “done her best to atone for her mistake”. He also said that he was “satisfied” that Charlton had apologised to her boyfriend as the young man had indicated that he was willing to “try and work out” his relationship with her. As a result, he dismissed her case and warned her “not to make such a poor choice” in the future.

MAN ACCUSED OF SEX WITH 15-YEAR-OLD By FARRAH JOHNSON Tribune Staff Reporter fjohnson@tribunemedia.net

A 31-YEAR-OLD man was remanded to prison over allegations that he had sex with a minor. Cheguvera Moxey was arrested after he was accused of engaging in sexual intercourse with a 15-year-old girl on August 27. Due to the nature of the offence, he was not required to enter a plea

and the case was adjourned to September 27 for service of a voluntary bill of indictment. Yesterday, he asked if he could be remanded to the Sandilands Rehabilitation Centre because he was “presently recovering from drug addiction” and “needed some form of assistance and medication” for his condition. In response, Magistrate Shaka Serville said he would not be able to

send him there because of “national health concerns”. However, he said he would make a note of Moxey’s complaint and place his name on a list to ensure he is evaluated by SRC professionals while at the prison. In the meantime, Moxey was denied bail and remanded to the Bahamas Department of Correctional Services. He has a right to apply to the Supreme Court for bail.

account in both of their names before transferring another $24,000 from the same joint account to an RBC account belonging to another woman, among other transactions. These include transferring $17,500 to an RBC account in the name of Michelle Thompson; converting $27,000 to a RBC bank draft in the name of Adrianna Fox; and converting $15,000 to a RBC bank draft in the name of the Public Treasury. Curry, a businessman, was charged with acquiring $465,000 knowing that it represented the proceeds of crime. During their initial court appearance, all of the accused denied the

allegations brought against them and the case was adjourned to March 2020 for a status hearing. However, this action was delayed due to the restrictions imposed on the Magistrate’s Court at the start of the COVID-19 pandemic. When the trio returned to court in May, their trial was then scheduled for September 6-10. However, when they appeared before Magistrate Samuel McKinney yesterday, he noted the matter included a number of counsel and witnesses that the court’s current size could not accommodate without violating the social distancing protocols. Because of this, he said it

would be unwise to proceed with the matter given the current number of COVID19 cases the country is recording daily. As a result, he once again adjourned the matter to December 2 for a mention hearing. He said on that date, the court would make a determination on when it would be safe to begin the trial. Attorneys Elliot Lockhart, QC, and Dion Smith appear for Campbell, while Wayne Munroe, QC, and Bjorn Ferguson appear for Curry in the matter. Chase is represented by attorneys Roberto Reckley and Mr Smith, while Terry Archer represents the Department of Public Prosecutions.

PAGE 8, Tuesday, September 7, 2021

THE TRIBUNE

Man on a mission to take the mystery out of cryptocurrency IN recent years, cryptocurrencies have proven to be a new, yet strong asset in the world of finance. Certain cryptocurrencies continue to see extraordinary returns. With more stakeholders from different sectors now gaining interest in its potential, cryptocurrency is predicted to maintain its footing in terms of market growth. The average Bahamian knows little to nothing about cryptocurrency. Because of it, fear of the unknown exists and people prefer to stick with conducting most of their business transactions with cash. Some are even slow to move over to online banking, even though most banks in the country have changed their mode of operations and are encouraging customers to utilise digital banking services. But one Bahamian is on a mission to help change the public’s mindset, show them how easy it is to set up and maintain digital wallets and help make them owners in an industry that continues to expand worldwide. He calls himself Black Crypto, and his name is becoming popular in the world of Bitcoin, which is the most popular type of cryptocurrency. He has

Face to Face

By FELICITY DARVILLE

taught people around the world about blockchain, the technology behind Bitcoin. He enjoys sharing the knowledge that has empowered him, so that others could enjoy this source of passive income. “I’m showing people how to have control over their own money,” he told me. He explained that because people are fearful about cryptocurrency, they turn their money over to others to invest for them. All along, he says, they could have had total control – because it’s easy once they know what to. He added: “I think we need better education in The Bahamas. People need to learn the basics in so many different fields and skill sets. It’s all about inclusion. We should be sharing our knowledge with everyone. We need to build the Bahamas again. We need to be our own investors and owners…including in the digital world. That’s

why I am pushing my motto - From Pirates to Port Owners.” On bitcoinmadesimple. com, he has lots of tips and frequently asked questions to help beginners find their way. His YouTube channel Black Crypto has several instructional and informational videos for viewers. His followers can keep up to date with the latest news in the world of Bitcoin by checking out his site Bitcoinnewspost.com, which is steadily becoming one of the largest aggregates of crypto related news. His desire to help usher others into this world started when he decided to build a Bitcoin mine right in his Miami apartment, using powerful computers to do the job. He started to document this process of actually making Bitcoin, and he decided to share his knowledge. Today, he has already hosted several successful Bitcoin and cryptocurrency sessions in Miami and The Bahamas.

JOSEPH as a young boy and, left, pictured with his parents, The Bahamas’ first Urologist Dr Joseph Evans and his wife Ethel, and Joseph Jr’s sister Jene’

JOSEPH “Black Crypto” Evans and, below, building a Bitcoin mine in his home. Just as he is pioneer- and Joseph arranged his loves – computer graphing in the education of a schedule to accommodate ics. He also taught at New new field for Bahamians to both rigorous schedules. Horizons Learning Centre, take advantage of, his parThe structure of school- one of the largest computer ents have done the same in ing still didn’t really suit training institutions in the their respective fields. Born him, and his technical world. In this role, Joseph Joseph Evans Jr, he stands and practical inclinations taught hundreds of stuon the great shoulders of always seemed to prevail. dents, and was frequently his father, Dr Joseph Evans, Like many students, he called on to train large the first Bahamian Urolo- didn’t buckle down as much groups at places like Forgist. His mother, Ethel as he should in the first two tune 500 companies, where Evans is a well-known semesters. He ended up he taught the staff and stupharmacist and proprietor with a C- grade in Calcu- dents in over ten individual of Paradise Pharmacy. The lus. A fellow student passed computer courses. Evans taught their children a comment that insinuAll the while, he was busy Joseph and Jene’ to think ated he may not be up to photographing models in for themselves and forge the mark to maintain his Miami, as well as capturtheir own path. For their double major. ing the popular car import son, the world of electronJoseph knew he had what scene. In 2015, he ended ics and computers was most it took; so when he returned up founding and launchintriguing. to his family in Nassau for ing Portbox.com, an online The young Joseph went summer break, he decided booking platform for models through the motions of to do something about it. and photographers. He school as he grew, but He enrolled in Sojourner found that there were some he found it boring and Douglass College and took issues integrating the right was much happier taking up two courses – Calculus payment system into his electronics apart to see how 2 and 3 – in one summer. complicated software design they worked. He passed both classes and on this Beta platform. “I didn’t pay attention; I headed back to Huntsville This is how he came got in trouble a lot, but it with high hopes. However, across Bitcoin, and being was because I was bored,” the school would not accept driven by his mathematics he recalls. the credits, although he was and computer bug, Black “A lot of people thought originally told they would Crypto was born. I was mischievous, but I be accepted. The comment “Over the course of the was just finding out how was passed that such a feat year that I was looking for things work. I always felt was “impossible”. alternative payment solulike, if you are just going tions for my site, I came to teach me from a book, I across Bitcoin. Bitcoin could read it myself.” wasn’t ready yet (for what Joseph built his first I needed). But due to my remote control car from background, I recogscratch at the age of nised the value of it, eight or nine. At an and that’s how I got even younger age, into Bitcoin mining. he built an entire In 2017, I realised I city from Leggo needed to increase blocks – with funcmy power, and so tioning, moving I got more powerparts. When the ful computers. I electronics he took decided to build a apart didn’t have Bitcoin mine inside everything he needed my home, converting to build something, he my washer/ dryer space. would ask his dad to pick I started to document the up the parts when he travprocess and upload it to elled to the US. In this way, YouTube to show people he patiently built his childwhat I do, so they could hood inventions. In the With dashed hopes, he make passive income and centre of his Black Crypto left Alabama after two pay their bills.” logo sits the symbol for a years of study. He headed Since then, his popularity digital city. Never letting to Florida, where family has grown as he has hosted go of that Leggo dream, members lived and where seminars in Miami to share he hopes to help create he could be closer to home. his knowledge with others. a world where more and He was accepted into the He also came home in June more everyday people Miami International Uni- of 2019 and held sessions could become empowered versity of Art and Design at Ebenezer Methodist through the knowledge and in the computer animation Church, which were well use of digital currency. programme. He had special received. After our interThe same boy whose talents that he was able to view, he helped me set up a father was told he would nurture at both schools – Bitcoin wallet in about ten never graduate shocked art and photography. He minutes. many. As he walked across was an avid photographer, On Friday, September 10, the stage on the day he and he compiled a fantastic Black Crypto will hold a graduated from Bahamas portfolio of photographs four hour fast track course Academy, he wore a gold of many of the beautiful entitled, “What is Bitsash – a sign of having girls he schooled with over coin?” Topics include how made the honour roll every the years. As it was an art to send and receive Bitsemester. He was even rec- and design school, teachers coin, exchange withdrawal, ognised in a Ministry of and students called on him cashing out, is it a scam, Education booklet of the often to photograph their and how to make money. nation’s top achievers. term projects or portfolios Over the weekend, his Joseph had his sights as designers and models. In training sessions continue set on schools like Mas- this way, he was able to earn with a mastermind course sachusetts Institute of income while he studied. in cryptocurrency. It will Technology and Georgia He graduated with a focus on how to make real Institute of Technology to Bachelors of Fine Arts money in cryptocurrency, study computer engineer- in Computer Animation explaining seven streams of ing. But his parents got with a concentration in income. It will cover when a call with a scholarship particle dynamics and pro- and how to trade, how to opportunity for him to gramming. Before he even make profit gains, a live attend Oakwood Univer- completed that degree, he demonstration on how to sity in Alabama. He went received a job offer. Florida set up a Bitcoin mine, how to Alabama and took on Career College was in need to start a crypto business in the challenge of pursuing a of a part time professor for one day, and much more. double major. He majored their Photoshop Graph- Both events will be held in Applied Mathematics ics Course. He became the at Fusion Superplex. For and also enrolled in the youngest professor at the more information, check University of Alabama, college at the age of 21. out blkcrypto.com, email where he majored in Com- He went on to teach six hi@blkcrypto.com, or look puter Engineering. Both individual college courses for blkcrypto on Instagram are in the city of Huntsville, there, including one of his and Twitter.

THE TRIBUNE

Love him or hate him Marmite Morgan has cause to celebrate THE words of wisdom of George Orwell, the prolific English writer and critic and author of the famous works “Animal Farm” and “1984”, are quoted so often because invariably they are apposite and sum up what others are thinking. On the wall behind the bronze statue of him outside the BBC’s Broadcasting House in London are inscribed the words “If liberty means anything at all, it means the right to tell people what they do not want to hear”. How apt it is that this is now being quoted in relation to an important case last week in Britain which is being described as a watershed moment in the battle for free speech in the face of the so-called “woke brigade”. Since freedom of expression is a vital part of democracy, this high-profile case might be of interest here in The Bahamas as well as in the UK. The facts are straightforward. Last week, the outspoken and controversial journalist, Piers Morgan, who was an anchor on the Good Morning Britain breakfast show on ITV – the BBC’s main competitor domestically – was cleared by the UK TV watchdog OFCOM of any wrongdoing following his negative comments about the Duke and Duchess of Sussex’s explosive interview with Oprah Winfrey on US prime-time TV in March. In the course of that lengthy interview shown around the world - which, in Morgan’s words, dropped endless incendiary unsubstantiated bombshells about the Royal Family, most of which turned out

Tuesday, September 7, 2021, PAGE 9 PIERS MORGAN

Now, many months later, in its lengthy official report OFCOM has found that, in accordance with its Broadcasting Code, and “consistent with freedom of expression, Mr Morgan was entitled to say he disbelieved the Duke and Duchess of Sussex’s allegations and to hold and express strong views that challenged their account”. OFCOM therefore concluded that the restriction of such views would, in its opinion, be “an unwarranted and chilling restriction on freedom of ‘Predictably, expression”. Morgan himself Use of the word “chill- remains ing” has been unrepentant, as considered he is entitled to by many to be unusu- be following the forked-tongue ally strong ruling and given actress who language by is the queen the issue is all OFCOM. Its of woke” – finding has about whether and, he says, been wel- someone has the “the woke comed by brigade think right to have an a range of they can vilify, senior Brit- opinion and to shame, silence ish journalists air it publicly.’ and get fired declaring the anyone who regulator’s has an opinion judgement meant “a pillar they don’t like”. of our freedom” in the UK This is pretty potent stuff has been reinforced. but it will not surprise those Predictably, Morgan him- who know Morgan as an self remains unrepentant, as outspoken and divisive he is entitled to be follow- journalist with no fear of ing the ruling and given the what others think of him issue is all about whether and who says out loud what someone has the right to a majority think but are have an opinion and to air it afraid to utter for fear of a publicly. He said afterwards backlash. But some people the case was about the very dislike him as an opinessence of democracy. He ionated bore. He is often has hardly tempered his called marmite - an Englanguage subsequently and lish food spread made from is now calling the duchess yeast with a strong taste Princess Pinocchio who has that people either love or a finely-honed sense of vic- hate - because he is simultimhood and is a “whiny, taneously a media darling

and a pariah. But all would surely agree he gets people talking about important issues that affect the lives of many. Since this case has put the spotlight once again on the principle of freedom of speech and expression, it is worth noting, as a nation, Britain has traditionally placed a strong emphasis on this and the right to individual action as long as it is within the law – for example, as it relates to decency, defamation and the incitement of violence. It is generally agreed human beings need to exchange ideas and opinions through argument and counter-argument in reaching measured conclusions and achieving, where possible, harmony and consensus. So, in a democracy, it is unacceptable even to consider shutting down debate, crushing dissenting opinion, gagging

commentators and seeking to impose conformity - and that includes people voicing criticism of others in the media. Thus, it is no surprise the UK press is calling this a watershed moment. For, apart from providing news and opinion to inform people, an important role of journalism is to question and challenge statements from public figures - not least when there is no evidence to support what they say - and, by asking the awkward questions, to hold to account governments and others in authority over the rest of us as well as controversial individuals who happen to be in the public eye. Whether they like him or not, members of the public will be able to continue to rely on Piers Morgan to do just that. So, many will now want to know – what will his next job be?

THE month of September is well known for significant events in Britain’s history. To pick just a couple from the distant past, the Mayflower setting sail from Plymouth in England carrying the Pilgrim Fathers to America in 1620 and the Great Fire of London in 1666 which is one of the most well-known disasters in the capital’s history. But, much more recently, arguably the two most important events were Britain’s declaration of war against Germany on September 3, 1939 – following the latter’s invasion of Poland -- which was generally accepted as the beginning of the Second World War, and, only twenty years ago, the terrorist attacks on the World Trade Centre in New York on September 11, 2001. Some historians maintain the Second World War from 1939 to 1945 was a continuation of what became known as the Great War from 1914 to 1918, both of which were part of a global conflict in the 20th century. They were conducted on a massive scale unlike any other war in history. Studying these conflicts, while also watching the

TALIBAN fighters outside the Hamid Karzai International Airport after the US military’s withdrawal, in Kabul, Afghanistan, last week. Photo: Khwaja Tawfiq Sediqi/AP of Versailles to end the First debacle in Afghanistan of consequences may be. the withdrawal last month World War led ineluctably to Having destroyed Osama of American and NATO the resumption of hostilities bin Laden’s al-Qaeda terrorforces at short notice and in 20 years later, even if this hap- ist network in the country an unplanned and haphaz- pened gradually in a series of and killing him, many people ard manner, has made one relatively small steps. thought Western forces In this context, there is, should have departed. But aware of the numerous miscalculations and mistakes of course, a danger of exag- they stayed on and suc– during the conduct of gerating the significance of ceeded in bringing a small international affairs over the the Afghanistan withdrawal measure of stability and norlast century - by political and and allowing the Taliban malcy to the country even military leaders that eventu- to take over again after its though that was not the origousting in the 2001 inva- inal objective. ally led to wider conflict. For instance, most histo- sion followed by continuous Most people now agree rians regard the excessively occupation. But some now that most of them - though harsh terms imposed on Ger- fear a comparison with not all - should be withmany by Britain, France and so many poor decisions drawn. But what matters is the US in the 1919 Treaty of the past and what the how that is done. Suddenly

scuttling away, without consulting America’s allies who had military forces there, has been widely condemned as being inept in the extreme. It is now being called a fiasco, not least because of the loss of 13 US service personnel in the deadly bombing at Kabul airport. Moreover, what happened to Biden’s cry that “America is back” in relation to its allies? People now ask how the US President could believe it made sense to close the secure Bagram airbase overnight – and incidentally leave huge amounts of military equipment behind - when there was a need to evacuate thousands of US and other nations’ civilians together with Afghans who had worked for or supported them for many years. What is more, this was apparently done in order to meet a self-imposed deadline of August 31. How was it right, they ask, to remove military forces before ensuring the evacuation of civilians. So much has been written about this sorry story that it would be superfluous to go into further detail. But, despite the Americans evacuating some 120,000, so many have been left behind

- as has been the case for Britain as well which has been heavily involved in evacuating its own military and civilians. All this raises questions of trust. Who around the world will now expect with any certainty that the US will protect their interests, whether it be Ukraine, Taiwan or elsewhere. Many also fear the possible repercussions of the botched withdrawal at a global geopolitical level, with the threat of China taking advantage of a power vacuum on its doorstep. It is interesting that leading politicians in Britain like former Prime Ministers John Major and Tony Blair have strongly condemned the sudden complete withdrawal and the way it was carried out as “imbecilic” and strategically stupid as well as being a “stain on the reputation of the West”. Yet, in the face of massive criticism, the White House and Democrats continue, absurdly, to claim it has been a success, though even the mainstream media is now unable to spin the reality of what has happened. For the rest of the world, it is of genuine concern that US leaders have shown such flawed thinking and lack of judgement.

ON A happier note, how good it is to learn that ABBA have announced their return with two new songs together with a forthcoming new album and what has been billed as a new concert experience. The album is due to be released in November, and this is said to be the first work the famous Swedish popular music group have produced together for 40 years. ABBA, pictured, burst on to the world stage after winning the Eurovision song contest in 1974 and are reputed to be one of the most successful bands of all time, with only The Beatles

having sold more records. Their music and numerous hits are considered to be so popular because they reflect the hopes, fears and values of ordinary people, with lyrics they can associate with – and the songs are catchy and memorable, and therefore good for parties and singalongs on camping holidays while also suitable as background music in, for example, hotels and public places. Even though the group disbanded as long ago as 1982, their music has lived on through the popular show and film “Mamma Mia”, a romantic comedy which has been played

The Peter Young column later to be untrue – the pair maintained that a member of the family had made racist remarks about their new son’s skin colour and that officials at Buckingham Palace had not taken seriously Meghan’s claims to be suicidal so that she needed treatment. She had also said that three days before their wedding they had been married secretly in a private ceremony conducted by the Archbishop of Canterbury which he himself subsequently confirmed did not happen. Reacting to all this, Morgan said he did not believe a word the Duchess said and called her a “demonstrable liar”, stating: “I wouldn’t believe her if she read me a weather report”. His long and harsh diatribe produced more than 50,000 complaints by the public, including Meghan herself, and he was told by his employers to apologise or resign. He refused to do so and walked out.

CALL IT FOR WHAT IT IS - A MASSIVE BLUNDER

HERE WE GO AGAIN...

to millions around the world. On a personal note, I admit to listening to ABBA tapes endlessly while driving on long journeys through France in the 1980s on official business checking out the suitability of local firms to work with UK companies. What a pleasure that was and it turned me into a permanent ABBA fan. It is no exaggeration to say that for many of my generation their music contributed to the elixir of life - and the revival of the group will now bring back memories of a hitherto long-forgotten youth!

PAGE 10, Tuesday, September 7, 2021

THE TRIBUNE

JUSTICE DEPT WILL ‘PROTECT’ ABORTION SEEKERS IN TEXAS WASHINGTON Associated Press

THE Justice Department said yesterday that it will not tolerate violence against anyone who is trying to obtain an abortion in Texas as federal officials explore options to challenge a new state law that bans most abortions. Attorney General Merrick Garland said the Justice Department would “protect those seeking to obtain or provide reproductive health services” under a federal law known as the Freedom of Access to Clinic Entrances Act. Garland said in a statement that federal prosecutors are still urgently exploring options to challenge the Texas law. He said the Justice Department would enforce the federal law “in order to protect the constitutional rights of women and other persons, including access to an abortion.” The federal law, commonly known as the FACE Act, prohibits physically obstructing or using the threat of force to intimidate or interfere with a person seeking reproductive health services. The law also prohibits damaging property at abortion clinics and other reproductive health centers. The new Texas law prohibits abortions once medical professionals can detect cardiac activity, usually around six weeks — before some women know they’re pregnant. Courts have blocked other states from imposing similar restrictions, but Texas’ law differs significantly because it leaves enforcement up to private citizens through lawsuits instead of criminal prosecutors. Justice Department officials have also been in contact with US attorneys in Texas and the FBI field offices in the state to discuss enforcing the federal provisions. “The department will provide support from federal law enforcement when an abortion clinic or reproductive health center is under attack,” Garland said. “We will not tolerate violence against those seeking to obtain or provide reproductive health services, physical obstruction or property damage in violation of the FACE Act.”

ACTOR JEAN-PAUL BELMONDO DIES, AGED 88 PARIS Associated Press JEAN-PAUL Belmondo, star of the iconic French New Wave film “Breathless,” whose crooked boxer’s nose and rakish grin went on to make him one of the country’s most recognisable leading men, has died at 88. His death was confirmed yesterday by the office of his lawyer, Michel Godest. No cause of death was given. Belmondo’s career spanned half a century. In the 1960s, he embodied a new type of male movie star, one characterised by pure virility rather than classic good looks. He went on to appear in more than 80 films and worked with a variety of major French directors, from Francois Truffaut to Claude Lelouch and Jean-Luc Godard, whose 1960 movie “Breathless” (“Au Bout de Souffle” in its original French title) brought both men lasting acclaim. Belmondo’s career choices were equally varied, from acclaimed art house films to critically lukewarm action and comedy films later in his career. His unconventional looks — flattened nose, full lips and muscular frame — allowed him to play roles from thug to police officer, thief to priest, Cyrano de Bergerac to an unshakable secret agent. Belmondo was also a gifted athlete who often did his own stunts.

THE SCENE of the multiple shooting on Sunday in Lakeland, Florida.

Photo: Michael Wilson/The Ledger via AP

Ex-Marine held after family gunned down in Florida FORT LAUDERDALE, Florida Associated Press A FORMER Marine sharpshooter accused of invading the home of apparent strangers in Florida and fatally shooting a woman, her three-month-old baby and two others was ordered held without bail during his first court appearance yesterday. Authorities did not give a motive for the grisly attack, but they said Bryan Riley may have a mental illness and that he told investigators said he was high on methamphetamines at the time. His girlfriend said he had been saying for weeks he could communicate directly with God. At this court appearance, Riley, 33, said that he intended to hire a lawyer, but one will be appointed for him in the meantime. Riley surrendered on Sunday morning after a furious gun battle with authorities who brought in at least one armored vehicle during their standoff. After it was over, an officer rushed into the home and rescued an 11-year-old girl, who was still conscious despite being shot seven times. She was in critical condition yesterday, the sheriff’s office said. According to Polk County Sheriff Grady Judd, Riley told interrogators that the victims “begged for their lives, and I killed them anyway:. Judd said Riley told detectives, “You know why I did this.” But Brian Haas, the local prosecutor, said investigators don’t. “The big question that all of us has is, ‘Why?’” Haas said. “We will not know today or maybe ever.” On Saturday evening, hours before the attack began, Riley stopped by the victims’ home in Lakeland, about 30 miles (50 kilometers) from Tampa, where he lives, Judd said. Authorities have found no connection between Riley and the victims. At the time, Justice Gleason, 40,

QUADRUPLE murder suspect Bryan Riley Photo: Kimberly C Moore/The Ledger via AP was outside mowing his lawn, and Riley told him that God had sent him there to prevent a suicide by someone named Amber. Gleason and another person Judd described as one of the victims told Riley no one by that name lived at the house and told him to leave. They called the police, but when authorities arrived, Riley was gone. Riley returned around 4.30am on Sunday, arranging glowsticks to create a path leading to the house in what Judd said may have been an attempt to draw officers “into an ambush”. Shooting began shortly thereafter — and when an officer in the area heard popping noises, he sounded the alarm, bringing state and local law enforcement officers to the scene. When the first ones arrived, they found an apparently unarmed Riley outside, dressed in camouflage, and his truck ablaze. But Riley then ran back into the house, where authorities heard more gunfire, “a woman scream and a baby whimper”, Judd said. Officers tried to enter the house, but the front door was barricaded. Judd said when they went around to the back, they saw Riley, who

appeared to have on full body armor. Riley and the officers exchanged heavy gunfire, with dozens “if not hundreds of rounds” fired, before Riley retreated back into the home, Judd said. Everything fell silent, until a helicopter unit noticed that Riley was coming out, the sheriff said. He had been shot once and was ready to surrender. Authorities did not say where he was shot. Officers heard cries for help inside the home but were unsure whether there were additional shooters and feared the home was booby-trapped. Still, one officer rushed in and grabbed the wounded girl, who told authorities there were three dead people inside. Officers sent robots into the home to check for explosives and other traps. They eventually found the bodies of Gleason; a 33-yearold woman; and her baby. The baby’s 62-year-old grandmother was found was in another home on the property. It’s not clear when she was shot. Authorities released only Gleason’s name, and did not say if or how he was related to the other

victims, but on a Facebook page for a woman who identified herself as Gleason’s girlfriend, friends posted comments lamenting her death. From the page, it was evident that she recently had a baby. Pansy Mincey Smith, who told The Ledger that she went to school with Gleason’s father, said that the last time she saw the younger man he had just had a baby. “RIP Justice Gleason. The last time I saw you, you were getting on the elevator at the hospital,” Smith wrote on Facebook. “You were smiling from ear to ear about your new little baby boy, you had that big teddy bear for him. This is so heartbreaking, son.” The sheriff’s office declined to say how many times the victims had been shot, but said they had all been huddling in fear, with the boy dying in his mother’s arms. Even the family dog was shot to death. Authorities said Riley’s girlfriend told investigators he was never violent but had become increasingly erratic. She said he claimed to be on mission from God, stockpiling supplies for Hurricane Ida victims including $1,000 worth of cigars. Riley’s vehicle had also been stocked with bleeding control kits and other supplies for a gunfight, authorities said. He worked as a private security guard and had no criminal history, the sheriff said. “Prior to this morning, this guy was a war hero. He fought for his country in Afghanistan and Iraq,” said Judd. “And this morning he’s a cold-blooded killer.” While being treated at the hospital, Riley remained aggressive, at one point trying to grab an officer’s gun. He was ultimately tied down and medicated. Officers took Riley to jail in a white jumpsuit later Sunday. He appeared downcast, hanging his head and hardly opening his eyes, as reporters asked why he killed the family.

AFTER UNRELENTING SUMMER, BIDEN LOOKS TO GET AGENDA ON TRACK WASHINGTON Associated Press THE collapse of the Afghan government, a surge of COVID-19 cases caused by the delta variant, devastating weather events, a disappointing jobs report. What next? After a torrent of crises, President Joe Biden is hoping to turn the page on an unrelenting summer and refocus his presidency this fall around his core economic agenda. But the recent cascade of troubles is a sobering reminder of the unpredictable weight of the office and fresh evidence that presidents rarely have the luxury of focusing on just one crisis at a time. Biden’s unyielding summer knocked his White House onto emergency footing and sent his own poll numbers tumbling. “The presidency is not a job for a monomaniac,” said presidential historian Michael Beschloss. “You have to be multitasking 24 hours a day.” Never has that been more true than summer 2021, which began with the White House proclamation of the nation’s “independence” from the coronavirus and defying-the-odds bipartisanship on a massive infrastructure package. Then COVID-19 came roaring back, the Afghanistan

pullout devolved into chaos and hiring slowed. Biden now hopes for a postLabor Day reframing of the national conversation toward his twin domestic goals of passing a bipartisan infrastructure bill and pushing through a Democrats-only expansion of the social safety ne t. White House officials are eager to shift Biden’s public calendar toward issues that are important to his agenda and that they believe are top of mind for the American people. “I think you can expect the president to be communicating over the coming weeks on a range of issues that are front and center on the minds of the American people,” said White House press secretary Jen Psaki. “Certainly you can expect to hear from him more on his Build Back Better agenda, on COVID and his commitment to getting the virus under control, to speak to parents and those who have kids going back to school.” During the chaotic Afghanistan evacuation, the White House was central in explaining the consequences of Biden’s withdrawal decision and the effort to evacuate Americans and allies from the country. Now, officials want to put the State Department and other

agencies out front on the efforts to assist stranded Americans and support evacuees, while Biden moves on to other topics. It’s in part a reflection of an unspoken belief inside the White House that for all the scenes of chaos in Afghanistan, the public backs his decision and it will fade from memory by the midterm elections. Instead, the White House is gearing up for a legislative sprint to pass more than $4 trillion in domestic funding that will make up much of what Biden hopes will be his firstterm legacy before the prospects of major lawmaking seize up in advance of the 2022 races. On Friday, in remarks on August’s disappointing jobs report, Biden tried to return to the role of public salesman for his domestic agenda and claim the mantle of warrior for the middle class. “For those big corporations that don’t want things to change, my message is this: It’s time for working families — the folks who built this country — to have their taxes cut,” Biden said. He renewed his calls for raising corporate rates to pay for free community college, paid family leave and an expansion of the child tax credit. “I’m going to take them on,”

Biden said of corporate interests. While Biden may want to turn the page, though, aides are mindful that the crises are not done with him. Biden is planning to speak this week on new efforts to contain the delta variant and protect kids in schools from COVID-19. And his administration continues to face criticism for his decision to pull American troops from Afghanistan before all US citizens and allies could get out. “President Biden desperately wants to talk about anything but Afghanistan, but Americans who are hiding from the Taliban, ISIS, and the Haqqani network don’t give a damn about news cycles, long weekends, and polling — they want out,” said Republican Sen Ben Sasse of Nebraska. He called on the Biden White House on Friday to provide a public accounting of the number of Americans and their allies still stuck inside Afghanistan. Biden also will soon be grappling with fallout from the windup of two anchors of the government’s COVID-19 protection package: The federal moratorium on evictions recently expired, and starting Monday, an estimated 8.9 million people will lose all unemployment benefits.

SPORTS PAGE 11

TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 7, 2021

US OPEN

PAGES 2 & 3

D’ANGELO SWABY TO BRING FIRST VIRTUAL PROFESSIONAL BOXING CARD TO BAHAMAS By BRENT STUBBS Senior Sports Reporter bstubbs@tribunemedia.net WITH live boxing matches off limits due to the coronavirus pandemic, D’Angelo Swaby and his newly formed Hrizan Sports Promotions team will bring the first virtual professional boxing card to the Bahamas. Under the theme: “Hot Blooded, Hot Tempered Boxing At Its Best”, the four-match show is scheduled for Saturday, September 23 beginning at 3.30pm and will live on pay-per-view on LiveSportscaster.com. The tickets cost $10 and can be purchased online at www.livesportscaster. com. Swaby, one of the featured fighters on the show, said after months of planning they were able to put together the online streaming service because local boxing shows have been prohibited from having fans in the stands because of Covid-19. “We have four fights, one of them we are still negotiating to put on between two American female fighters after one of the local male fighters pulled out and so we had to find a replacement,” Swaby said. “We have some fighters on the show who were preparing for the 2016 Olympic Games, but after they didn’t get to compete in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, they decided to go pro. We have some fighters who also have some experience as pro fighters already. So it should be quite an interesting show.” Swaby, who has a 1-2 win-loss record, will be taking on Renardo McKenzie in his pro debut; Tyrone Oliver (1-1) will face Jamaican Kevin Hilton, who is 7-7, and Israel Johnson, making his pro debut, will square off against David Wallace, who is 4-2. Each fight will be four rounds. “We are trying to get people back into boxing, but we’re leaning more on the technical side where they can watch the show right from their homes rather than being there in person,” Swaby said. “So that’s why the tickets are so affordable. We just want to get people engaged in what online is right now.” Through Hrizan Sports Promotions, Swaby said he’s working on a two-year plan to bring another Commonwealth title fight to the Bahamas. Not since 2008 has a Bahamian been able to hold onto a Commonwealth title – Jermaine ‘Choo Choo’ Mackey was the last of four Bahamians to achieve that feat when he clinched the super middleweight title over Michael Gbenga. Stevie ‘the Heat’ Larrimore, won the super lightweight title in 1989 over Lester Ellis and Ray Minus Jr won the bantamweight title over Paul Ferreri in 1986 and held it until 1990. Gomeo Brennan first won the middleweight title in 1963 over Mick Leahy, only to lose it to Tuna Scanlan in 1964. Brennan regained it in 1965 over Blair Richardson, only to lose it to Richardson a year later in a rematch. “Right now, every British Commonwealth title is being held by a British SEE PAGE 12

Strachan, Thomas in action in Italy ANTHONIQUE Strachan and Donald Thomas have been competiting in Italy in their post-Olympics season. (File photos)

By BRENT STUBBS Senior Sports Reporter bstubbs@tribunemedia.net BAHAMIAN sprinter Anthonique Strachan and high jumper Donald Thomas continued their post-Olympic Games season in separate meets last week in Europe. Competing at the XXXIV Meeting Citta Di Padova in Padova, Italy on Sunday, Strachan made her second appearance since the Olympics in August by placing seventh in the women’s 100 metres in 11.30 seconds. The race was won by American Sha’Carri Richardson in 10.72, followed by the Jamaican duo of Brianna Williams and Javianne Oliver, both timed in 10.97. When contacted in Italy where Strachan is a part of the Jamaica’s MVP Track Club’s training camp, she said it was just another race in her return to competition since she was eliminated in the semifinals of the women’s 200m at the Olympics “I don’t necessarily feel any ways about the race yesterday,” said.

Strachan, who celebrated her 28th birthday on August 22. “I can’t go through the race because I really haven’t had any attachment to it.” There was a lot of hype around Richardson, who was not allowed to compete at the Olympics because of a marijuana violation. She went head-to-head with the top three Jamaican sprinters Elaine Thompson-Herah, Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce and Shericka Jackson in the first meet after the Olympics and finished in last place. While Fraser-Pryce participated in another meet, both ThompsonHerah and Jackson took the day off.

Competing Strachan, however, said competing against Richardson was just like competing against the Jamaicans sprinters, whom she’s been training with in Jamaica. “She’s a normal competitor like everybody else in my eyesight,” Strachan lamented. “I don’t see

anything outside of the normal of her being the next runner in the next lane. I don’t know what she is going through, but I can’t speak on that.” As for her performance, Strachan said she’s “fine with everything” and she “can’t complain” about anything right now. While they were in Padova competing, Fraser-Pryce returned to competition at the Memorial Kamili Skolimowskiej where she won the century in a meet record of 10.81. Switzerland’s Mujinga Kambundji took second in 11.08 with Great Britain’s Daryll Neita third in 11.15. It was Strachan’s second race since the Olympics. She showed up at the startling line for the women’s 100m at the 57th Palio Citta della Quercia in Roverto last Tuesday, running 11.57 for eighth place. Trinidad & Tobago’s Michelle-Lee Ahye won in 11.20. Americans Candice Hill was second in 11.21 and Kayla White got third in 11.24. Strachan, who has produced personal bests of 11.20 in the 100m in

Barcelona, Spain on July 11, 2012 and 22.32 in the 200m at home on June 22, 2013, ran her season’s best of 11.30 at home as well on June 25 and 22.56 at the Olympics on August 2 in Tokyo, Japan. Also at the meet in Rovereto, Thomas competed in his second post-Olympics meet in the men’s high jump where he placed 11th with a leap of 7-feet, 0 1.2-inches or 2.15 metres. American Shelby McEven won the event with a leap of 7-5 ¾ (2.28m). Italy’s Gianmarco Tamberi was second with 7-4 ½ (2.25m) and Ukraine’s Bohdan Bondarenko was third with a season’s best of 7-3 ¼ (2.22m). The 37-year-old Thomas, who didn’t advance to the finals in Tokyo, is the 2007 World champion. He produced a season’s best of 7-5 ¾ (2.28m) on June 12 at the Centre Sportif Bout-du-Monde in Geneve, Switzerland. His lifetime best is 7-9 ¼ (2.37m), which he recorded on June 18, 2016 at the Sostoi Stadion in Szekesfehervair, Hungary.

BAHAMIANS STAR IN MINOR LEAGUE BASEBALL

By RENALDO DORSETT Tribune Sports Reporter rdorsett@tribunemedia.net D’SHAWN KNOWLES has opened September with a productive stretch at the plate while Lucius Fox Jr hit his first home run at the AAA level to highlight the weekend for Bahamian players in Minor League Baseball. Knowles started at shortstop and finished 4-5 with high five RBI and a solo home run in his Inland Empire 66ers’ 7-5 win over the Modesto Nuts on Saturday at John Thurman Field in Modesto, California. He set a new season high for hits, RBI and total bases in Low-A baseball. Knowles’ fifth home run of the season came in the ninth inning against Nuts reliever Juan Mercedes to help his team withstand a late Modesto rally. Through five games in September, the Los Angeles Angels’ No.8 prospect is hitting .304 with seven hits, three runs, two doubles, six RBI and two stolen bases. On the season, the

LUCIUS FOX JR

D’SHAWN KNOWLES 20-year-old outfielder is hitting .224 with 79 hits, five home-runs, 21 doubles, five triples, 48 RBI and 58 runs. In the 2019 season Knowles spent time with the Orem Owlz and was named to the Pioneer League’s All-Star Game roster for their midseason matchup against the Class

A Short Season Northwest League. In 64 games, he hit .241 with a .310 OBP, .698 OPS with 61 hits, 11 doubles, four triples, six home runs, 28 RBI and five stolen bases. Fox hit his first AAA home-run, in his Omaha Storm Chasers’ 5-3 loss to

the Toledo Mud Hens, September 2 at Werner Park in Papillion, Nebraska. Fox, who played second base and hit leadoff, tied the game in the bottom of the first inning with his solo shot that sent a 3-1 pitch from Pedro Payano down the left-field line. Omaha (61-47) now trails Toledo (62-46) in Midwest Division standings after they won six of the last seven games in the head to head matchup.

Earlier in the season, Fox became the eighth Bahamian to join a Major League Baseball roster for the regular season. His brief call up lasted just a single game when the Kansas City Royals announced his promotion on July 30, hours ahead of a 6-4 loss to the Toronto Blue Jays in Toronto, Canada. Fox did not make his official debut on the field in the contest and the following day, he was optioned back down to the Storm Chasers. On the season with the Storm Chasers, Fox , the 24-year old infielder and No.26 prospect in the Royals pipeline, is hitting .200 with a .317 OBP, .599 OPS, 32 hits, two homeruns, 14 RBI, 24 runs scored and 14 stolen bases. At lower levels of rookie baseball, other Bahamian players have also entered September with hit streaks Ian Lewis, the Miami Marlins No.29 ranked prospect in its pipeline, continues to produce for the club in the Florida Complex SEE PAGE 12

PAGE 12, Tuesday, September 7, 2021

D’ANGELO SWABY TO BRING FIRST VIRTUAL PROFESSIONAL BOXING CARD TO BAHAMAS

THE TRIBUNE

BAHAMIANS STAR IN MINOR LEAGUE BASEBALL FROM PAGE 11

ADARI Grant

League (FCL) and extended his hit streak to five games. The 18-year-old Lewis tripled in the FCL Marlins’ 6-1 win over the FCL Cardinals on September 4. Dating back to August 30, Lewis is on a five game hit streak and for the month is hitting .333 with five hits, eight total bases, three RBI, and three stolen bases, slugging .533 with a .375 OBP. In his first pro baseball season, Lewis is hitting .287, with a .837 OPS, 39 hits - including nine doubles, five triples, three home runs, 27 RBI, 23 runs, and eight stolen bases. In the Dominican Summer League, Adari Grant extended his hit streak to six games in his DSL Cardinals Blue’s 5-4 loss to the DSL Mets yesterday. The 17-year-old shortstop went 2-4 with a triple and scored one run. Since August 27, Grant has had multiple hits in three of six games and is hitting .500 through September thus far. He has averages of .232 with a .691 OPS on the season with 22 hits, one home run, six RBI, and seven stolen bases. Kristin Munroe went 1-2 and scored a run in his DSL Angels’ 4-0 win over the DSL Twins

FROM PAGE 11 fighter,” Swaby pointed out. “So I have a two-year plan where our fighters will go for a zonal title fight next year and with at least five fights under their belt, they can get registered for a [possible Commonwealth title fight. “Once they get on the list, they can be eligible to fight for a title. There are only 54 countries who can fight for a title, which makes it easier for us to get it. Once you have a British Commonwealth title and they defend it, you can move on to fight for one of the prestigious world title fights.” With this being the first venture of its kind in the Bahamas, Swaby said he’s excited about taking the sport to the next level with the PPV boxing show. “I’m really happy to see these guys fighting again,” Swaby said. “Some of them didn’t get in any professional action up to 2019, so it’s good to get them fighting again and to have boxing back in the Bahamas. “I’m really excited about it because a lot of people are catching onto it. It’s like watching Netflix, so I’m pretty excited about it.” Swaby said he‘s hoping that the Bahamian public will be receptive to the new initiative and support the boxing show.

yesterday. The 17-year-old infielder, now the No. 26 prospect in the Los Angeles Angels’ organisation, is on a four game hit streak in September, hitting .417. Munroe, who signed in May and received his first minor league assignment in June is hitting .222 with a .649 OPS, .364 OBP, two doubles, one triple, seven RBI, 13 runs scored, and eight stolen bases. Also in the DSL, Everette Cooper had his first multiple hit game of his career for the DSL Astros. The 18-year-old outfielder went 2-3 with an RBI and scored a run in a 9-8 loss to the DSL Athletics.

IAN Lewis

DANRAD KNOWLES SCORES GAME HIGH 17 IN FIRST APPEARANCE IN SPAIN By RENALDO DORSETT Tribune Sports Reporter rdorsett@tribunemedia.net It took just days for Danrad Knowles to display the flashes of brilliance AD Cantbasket 04 expected when they signed the former Houston Cougar to his first pro contract. In his first appearance with the club, Knowles scored a game high 17 to lead Cantbasket to a 62-60 win over Getxo ST at the Fadura Sports Center in Gexto, Spain. Knowles led his team to an early 27-21 lead at the half but trailed 47-44 headed into the final quarter. But the 6’10” rookie scored several key field goals down the stretch in the fourth.

Agrupación Deportiva Cantbasket 04, is based in Santander, Cantabria, Spain, and competes in Liga EBA. Liga Española de Baloncesto Aficionado (EBA), commonly known as Liga EBA, is a Spanish basketball championship that is the fourth tier level in the Spanish basketball league system, after the Liga ACB, LEB Oro, and LEB Plata. The team opens the regular season September 18 in Logroño, Spain against LBC Cocinas.com. Knowles last played locally in the New Providence Basketball Association with the Discount Distributors Rockets, where he averaged 10 points and 7.5 rebounds per game.

As a prep prospect, Knowles was ranked 51st in the ESPN top 100 and he eventually committed to the Houston Cougars over Baylor and Arkansas. As a redshirt freshman, he finished with averages of 7.1 points and 4.3 rebounds per game. As a sophomore he posted career highs across the board and scored 9.9 points and grabbed 5.6 rebounds per game in just over 27 minutes on the floor. As a junior, his numbers dipped under new head coach Kelvin Sampson and he played in just over 17 minutes per game and scored six points and grabbed 3.7 rebounds per game. Following his senior season, Knowles finished

his career as school record holder with 72 conference games played and was tied for fourth in Houston career history with 126 games played. He finished his senior season with averages of 7.5 points, 3.7 rebounds and one blocked shot per game while shooting 45 percent from the field. He was selected by the Grand Rapids Drive with the 65th overall selection of the 2018 G-League Draft. The Grand Rapids Drive are the G-League affiliate of the Detroit Pistons. With the senior men’s national team programme, Knowles was most recently a member of team Bahamas’ team at the FIBA AmeriCup Qualifiers and World Cup China 2019 Qualifiers.

DJOKOVIC BEATS LAST AMERICAN TO EXTEND GRAND SLAM BID By HOWARD FENDRICH AP Tennis Writer

NEW YORK (AP) — For half an hour and a full set at the start, then one particularly compelling and competitive game later, Novak Djokovic’s opponent in the U.S. Open’s fourth round, Jenson Brooksby, gave him fits and created a raucous atmosphere under the lights at Arthur Ashe Stadium. That let Djokovic, above all, and everyone else, too, know that Brooksby — a 20-year-old wildcard entry from California who is ranked 99th and never before had been on this sort of stage — belonged. And then, not surprisingly, Djokovic showed why he is who he is and how he’s managed to move within three victories of the first calendar-year Grand Slam in men’s tennis in 52 years. Settling in and sending messages, to the fans with roars and to Brooksby with some staredowns, No. 1 Djokovic improved to 25-0 in majors this year by winning 1-6, 6-3, 6-2, 6-2 on Monday night. He extended his pursuit of a true Slam and a record-breaking 21st major championship while also eliminating the last American singles player in the tournament. It is the first time in the history of an event that dates to the 1880s that no man or woman from the host country reached the quarterfinals. One key to the turnaround by Djokovic, as good a returner as there is: He broke in Brooksby’s initial service game in each of the last three sets. Perhaps affected by the physical nature of the extended exchanges, Brooksby was visited by a trainer after the second set and again after the third. Still, for someone who never had set foot on Ashe’s blue court until about two hours before the match, when he got a chance to practice there, Brooksby never seemed overwhelmed by the setting or the circumstances. His 6-foot-4 strides and reach, his anticipation, his variety including a well-disguised two-handed

JENSON BROOKSBY, of the United States, reacts during his match against Novak Djokovic. (AP Photo/ John Minchillo)

NOVAK DJOKOVIC, of Serbia, serves against Jenson Brooksby, of the United States, during the fourth round of the U.S. Open tennis championships, Monday, in New York. (AP Photo/John Minchillo) backhand slice, his think-stepsahead point construction, his commitment to patterns drawn up by his coach at home in Sacramento since age 7, Joe Gilbert — all left Djokovic a tad discombobulated early. In the first set, Brooksby made one unforced error, Djokovic 11. And Brooksby won 14 of the points that lasted five strokes or more, Djokovic four. When Djokovic netted an overhead to move Brooksby two points from the set, most of the spectators in the 23,000-plus-capacity arena — excited to be back after last year’s ban on audiences amid the pandemic — rose, clapping and screaming. When Djokovic missed a return to cede that set to his foe, Brooksby waved both arms and heard more loud support. But Djokovic quickly heard his own cheers. He broke to go up 2-0

in the second set and punched the air and shouted. At 3-1 arrived an epic game: six break points, nice deuces, 24 points in all, spread out over nearly 20 minutes. Djokovic pushed the ball into the net to end that game and make it 3-2, prompting Brooksby to hop and jump and windmill his arm and cry, “Let’s go!” And then, quick as can be, Djokovic regrouped. With Brooksby gasping for air, Djokovic broke right back and, soon enough, the outcome was clear. Djokovic, a 34-year-old from Serbia, next meets No. 6 Matteo Berrettini of Italy in a rematch of the Wimbledon final, The other quarterfinals on the men’s side: No. 4 Alexander Zverev of Germany vs. Lloyd Harris of South Africa, No. 12 Felix Auger-Aliassime of Canada vs. 18-year-old Carlos Alcaraz of Spain, and No. 2 Daniil Medevev

of Russia vs. qualifier Botic van de Zandschulp of the Netherlands. And the women’s round-ofeight matchups: No. 2 Aryna Sabalenka of Belarus vs. No. 8 Barbora Krejcikova of the Czech Republic, No. 5 Elina Svitolina of Ukraine vs. 19-year-old Leylah Fernandez of Canada, No. 11 Belinda Bencic of Switzerland vs. 18-year-old Emma Raducanu of Britain, and No. 4 Karolina Pliskova of the Czech Republic against 2019 champion Bianca Andreescu of Canada or No. 17 Maria Sakkari of Greece Brooksby’s exit — certainly no shame in losing to Djokovic, of course — followed the fourthround departures earlier Monday by No. 22 seed Reilly Opelka from the men’s draw with a 6-7 (6), 6-4, 6-1, 6-3 loss to Harris, and by unseeded Shelby Rogers from the women’s draw with a 6-2, 6-1 loss to Raducanu.

Rogers upset Ash Barty, a two-time major champion who is ranked No. 1, in the third round, but was unable to produce the same level of tennis in what she termed a “pretty embarrassing” performance Monday. The bracket began with a tournament-leading 21 U.S. men in the field — the 14 Americans in the top 100 of the ATP rankings are more than any other country — and 13 entrants reached the second round, the most since there were 15 in 1994. “We’ve got a huge group of guys there,” Opelka said. “We just don’t have the world-beaters.” There were 22 American women in the field, also the most of any nation. But four withdrew before play began because of injury or illness: 23-time Grand Slam champion Serena Williams, seven-time Grand Slam champion Venus Williams, 2020 Australian Open champ and French Open runner-up Sofia Kenin and 2021 Australian Open runner-up and 2020 U.S. Open semifinalist Jennifer Brady.

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Tuesday, September 7, 2021, PAGE 13

MINNESOTA LOSES STAR RB IBRAHIM TO SEASON-ENDING LEG INJURY By DAVE CAMPBELL AP Sports Writer MINNEAPOLIS (AP) — With a senior-laden lineup led by running back Mo Ibrahim, Minnesota entered the season with a prime opportunity to bounce back from a rough year and compete with rivals Wisconsin and Iowa for the West Division title. One week in, the Gophers have already been handed a major setback. Ibrahim will miss the rest of the season because of a lower left leg injury, coach P.J. Fleck announced Monday. The fifth-year player from Baltimore will have surgery Tuesday and need four to six months to recover. He was a secondteam preseason Associated Press All-America selection. “This isn’t like you can just say, ‘OK, we’ll just put the next guy in.’ You can’t do that. He’s such a special player, and I think he’s the best back in the country for a lot of reasons. One of the biggest reasons is he’s an unbelievable person, the hardest worker on this team, the heartbeat of the team,” said Fleck, who declined to specify the injury but said Ibrahim sustained a tear. The severity suggested an Achilles tendon. Ibrahim was hurt on the second-tolast play of the third quarter Thursday against fourthranked Ohio State, when he ran to the right side for 1 yard and tried to escape a tackle by safety Ronnie Hickman. After Ibrahim planted his left foot, slowmotion replays on the Fox broadcast showed his leg react as if something had popped inside. “The specific part, I always leave up to the kids. Not that I’m hiding information. “Everybody can watch the video, see it a million times and create your own assumptions,” Fleck said. “I just think there’s something personal to the injury, the exact, specific part.”

Runs Ibrahim gave the Gophers the lead with his touchdown runs and set up their first score with a 56-yard run on fourth-and-1 from their 29. They were ahead 21-17 with 5:20 remaining in the third quarter before the Buckeyes pulled away for good. Gearing up for a heavy dose of carries for their workhorse, the groundoriented Gophers tried to keep Ibrahim fresh throughout spring and summer practices. “But it’s football. You can’t control the injuries when you get onto the field and you’re playing in games,” Fleck said, describing Ibrahim’s outlook as “completely optimistic” even after their postgame conversation when it was clear he was seriously hurt. “He’s got a smile on his face: ‘I’m going to be just fine,’” Fleck said. Ibrahim was unavailable to reporters, but he backed his coach’s assessment up with a deeply introspective statement posted Monday to his Twitter account: “What if everything you are going through is preparing you for what you’ve asked for?” Ibrahim would be eligible for a medical redshirt, should he wish to return to school for a sixth season with the program. “Whether he comes back or goes to the NFL, it’s a choice he’ll make. Not now, but later,” Fleck said. Ibrahim rushed 30 times for 163 yards before the injury, moving into eighth place on the programme’s career rushing yards list (3,003). His per-game average (103.6) is slightly higher than that of the all-time leader Darrell Thompson (103.4), who racked up 4,654 yards from 1986-89. Ibrahim is also tied for fourth in career touchdowns (33), not far behind the alltime leader Thompson (40). Fortunately for the Gophers, running back has long been one of their deepest positions. Treyson Potts (third year), Cam Wiley (third year) and Bryce Williams (fourth year) are next in line. Wiley (179 yards, one touchdown) and Potts (121 yards, one touchdown) saw limited action in 2020.

ALEXANDER ZVEREV, of Germany, celebrates after winning his match against Jannik Sinner, of Italy. (AP Photo/Seth Wenig)

BELINDA BENCIC, of Switzerland, celebrates her win over Iga Swiatek, of Poland. (AP Photo/Elise Amendola)

Olympic champs Zverev, Bencic reach US Open quarterfinals By BRIAN MAHONEY AP Sports Writer NEW YORK (AP) — Alexander Zverev and Belinda Bencic want a trophy in their hands to go with the gold medals they had around their necks. The Tokyo Olympics tennis champions both moved into the quarterfinals of the U.S. Open on Monday, getting a step closer to their first Grand Slam titles. Zverev beat Jannik Sinner 6-4, 6-4, 7-6 (7) for his 15th straight victory. The No. 4 seed from Germany started that run in Japan, carried it through a title in Cincinnati and then kept right on going at the U.S. Open, where he was the runner-up to Dominic Thiem last year. “I’m happy where I am, I’m happy with how things are, and I’m happy with how things were the last few months,” Zverev said. “I’m in the quarterfinals now, and from here on, the matches will definitely not get easier.” Zverev said his gold medal is with him in New York. The 24-year-old,

who has been accused by a former girlfriend of domestic abuse, joked in his on-court interview that he cuddles with the medal when he’s in bed because he doesn’t have a girlfriend. He said keeping the medal with him is a way to remind himself of his success over the last month. He pointed to the confidence he’s gained from it as a reason he pulled out a couple of close games late in the second set, then came from behind to take the tiebreaker. “I think that’s maybe the last few months for me, right there,” he said. Bencic also had her best result in a major at the U.S. Open, reaching the semifinals in 2019 in her last appearance. The 24-year-old from Switzerland is a victory away from getting back there after beating 2020 French Open champion Iga Swiatek 7-6 (12), 6-3. The 11th-seeded Bencic pulled out the lengthy first-set tiebreaker, then took the second set in 43 minutes — only about 20 more than the tiebreaker lasted.

“The set was so even, so I think in the tiebreak it’s always a little bit about luck,” Bencic said. But luck doesn’t explain her results in New York, where she has reached the last eight in three of her six appearances. She was a quarterfinalist in 2014 in her debut. Bencic will play Britain’s Emma Raducanu, 18, who joined fellow teenager Leylah Fernandez in the women’s quarterfinals by beating American Shelby Rogers 6-2, 6-1.

Qualifier Raducanu reached the fourth round and Wimbledon and has now gone a step further at the year’s last Grand Slam tournament. She is the third qualifier in the professional era, which began in 1968, to reach the U.S. Open quarterfinals, joining Barbara Gerken in 1981 and Kaia Kanepi in 2017. “Belinda is a great player who’s in great form, so I know I’m going to have to bring it on Wednesday,”

Raducanu said. Rogers beat No. 1 Ash Barty in the third round and jumped to a 2-0 lead Monday before Raducanu reeled off the next 11 games. Zverev’s winning streak includes a victory over Novak Djokovic in the semifinals at the Olympics. He hit 17 aces Monday and will play South African Lloyd Harris, who eliminated No. 22-seeded American Reilly Opelka 6-7 (6), 6-4, 6-1, 6-3. “Winning Olympics, winning Cincinnati, and now here he’s playing well, so I think he’s serving well,” Sinner said. The top-ranked Djokovic was in action later Monday against 20-year-old American Jenson Brooksby in the same stage where he was eliminated at last year’s U.S. Open. It was in the fourth round that Djokovic was defaulted for accidentally hitting a line judge in the throat with a tennis ball after dropping a game in his match against Pablo Carreño Busta.

MUGURUZA ‘WASN’T VERY HAPPY’ WITH KREJCIKOVA AFTER OPEN LOSS By HOWARD FENDRICH AP Tennis Writer

NEW YORK (AP) — Garbiñe Muguruza did not like how her topsy-turvy fourth-round match at the U.S. Open against Barbora Krejcikova ended. And that was not just because Muguruza lost. It also had to do with what Krejcikova did toward the end of her 6-3, 7-6 (4) victory that finished after 1 a.m. as Sunday became Monday — behaviour that two-time major title winner Muguruza told the reigning French Open champion was “so unprofessional” during a brief-as-can-be handshake at the net. Told by a reporter afterward that she seemed upset, two-time major champion Muguruza replied: “Well, I think, between players, you know a little bit how to behave in certain moments and, yeah, I wasn’t very happy at the end of the match.” The eighth-seeded Krejcikova took a medical timeout while down 6-5 in the second set after saying she wanted to see the trainer. When play resumed after the break, Krejcikova won seven points in a row. She also angered the ninthseeded Muguruza by taking her time between points down the stretch, slowly walking over to her towel. When the match was done, Krejcikova stayed in her sideline chair, hunched over, until eventually leaving the court with some assistance and looking wobbly. She did not appear at a post-match news conference. In comments distributed by the U.S. Tennis Association, Krejcikova said: “At the end, I was really struggling and I feel

GARBINE MUGURUZA, of Spain, left, shakes hands with Barbora Krejcikova, of the Czech Republic, after Krejcikova won during the fourth round of the US Open tennis championships, Sunday, in New York. (AP Photo/Frank Franklin II) really bad right now. I don’t really know what happened, but I couldn’t breathe. I started to feel dizzy, and the whole world was shaking. It never happened to me before.” Krejcikova is headed to the U.S. Open quarterfinals in her singles debut at the hard-court Grand Slam tournament. Krejcikova had participated in the main draw of singles at only four Slams — two each at the Australian Open and French Open — before collecting the title at Roland Garros in June. She also won her third Grand Slam doubles trophy in Paris. Krejcikova then got to the fourth round in her

first singles appearance at Wimbledon in July, and added this run at Flushing Meadows. The 25-year-old from the Czech Republic plays No. 2 seed Aryna Sabalenka on Tuesday for a spot in the semifinals. Muguruza won the French Open in 2016 and Wimbledon in 2017, and she was the runner-up at the Australian Open last year. But she has never made it past the fourth round in nine trips to the U.S. Open.

BARBORA KREJCIKOVA, of the Czech Republic, is checked by medical personnel during her match against Garbine Muguruza, of Spain. (AP Photo/Frank Franklin II)

PAGE 14, Tuesday, September 7, 2021

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UEFA CLEARS WAY FOR AWAY FANS TO TRAVEL FOR CHAMPIONS LEAGUE NYON, Switzerland (AP) — Ahead of the Champions League group stage starting next week, UEFA cleared the way on Monday for away team fans to travel and attend games internationally. UEFA cited vaccine programmes across Europe for relaxing its rules. The opening Champions League games on Sept. 14 include Bayern Munich playing at Barcelona and Manchester United visiting Swiss champion Young Boys. The COVID-19 pandemic meant fans were excluded for nearly all UEFA-organised games last season, and for the qualifying rounds of the three club competitions this season, including the Europa League and Europa Conference. UEFA has lifted that ban, allowing fans to travel if allowed by health and government rules enforced in the home team’s city. UEFA said “5% of the total allowed stadium capacity will be reserved to fans of the away team, subject to any decision in this respect falling under the responsibility of the relevant competent authorities.” “Ongoing vaccination campaigns across Europe” were cited by UEFA, plus countries allowing freer movement for people who were vaccinated or recovered from COVID-19 to go to public events without being tested. Players and officials will also benefit from the easing of UEFA rules by allowing them to enter highest-risk areas at stadiums without further testing. UEFA said teams still must verify the rules in place at national borders before traveling for an away game. “This includes checking if the type of vaccination of all individuals of a team delegation is accepted by authorities of the country which they are going to visit for the match,” UEFA said. The Russian vaccine Sputnik is not recognized in England where Chelsea hosts Zenit St. Petersburg on Tuesday.

EUROPEAN SOCCER CLUBS REUNITE TO TALK WORLD CUPS, BAILOUTS By GRAHAM DUNBAR AP Sports Writer GENEVA (AP) — European soccer clubs were offered backing from UEFA on Monday to oppose FIFA’s push for biennial World Cups while being promised a “multibillion debt fund” to stabilise their industry in the pandemic. For the first time since the pandemic started and the Super League project collapsed, about 160 members of the European Club Association met to hear the vision of their new leader, Nasser alKhelaifi, who kept his Qatar-owned club Paris Saint-Germain out of the Super League plan in April and helped to sink it within days. “I will not spend much time talking about the … ‘not-so-Super League’ because I do not like to focus on fabulists and failures,” al-Khelaifi said in a speech published by the ECA, whose previous chairman, Andrea Agnelli, resigned in April because his club Juventus was a Super League founder. Al-Khelaifi spoke alongside his close ally UEFA president Aleksander Ceferin to start an intense week of talks in European soccer against a backdrop of FIFA pushing a proposal for two-yearly World Cups for men and women. If approved, it would create a marquee tournament every year. They detailed ideas the ECA and UEFA are working on to help European soccer recover from billions in lost revenue and disruption caused by the COVID19 pandemic.

UNITED States forwards Christian Pulisic (10) and Josh Sargent (9) leave the pitch following a 1-1 draw with Canada in a World Cup soccer qualifier, in Nashville, Tenn. (AP Photo/Mark Humphrey)

Pressure mounts on US after two draws in World Cup qualifying By RONALD BLUM AP Sports Writer NASHVILLE, Tenn. (AP) — Players walked off the field dejected. Nervous American fans are in an uproar. No, this wasn’t four years ago. This is the here and now for the U.S. soccer team, which has just two points after its first two World Cup qualifiers, three injured regulars and a team leader sent home for violating COVID-19 protocols. A 1-1 draw at home against Canada, which last reached soccer’s showcase in 1986, caused concern and ratched pressure. Instead of a revival under coach Gregg Berhalter, the Americans are sputtering heading into Wednesday night’s game at Honduras, their third in a seven-day span. The U.S. hasn’t won a qualifier since 2013 in Central America, where it has one win and three draws in its last eight matches. “The hole’s starting to get a little deeper,” former American defender Marcelo Balboa, now a commentator for Univision, said Monday. “It puts more emphasis on the away game in Honduras, which

we know, the grass will be thick. It’ll be hot. “It’ll be humid. The fans will weigh — the buzzing sound for three hours leading up to the game surrounding the stadium.” Defender Sergiño Dest (sprained ankle), goalkeeper Zack Steffen (back spasms, positive COVID test) and midfielder Gio Reyna (strained hamstring) won’t make the trip. Jordan Morris, Paul Arriola and Tim Weah already were hurt before the opener.

Roster Midfielder Weston McKennie, a member of the team’s six-man leadership council was told to return to Italy by Berhalter after violating team COVID-19 protocols. McKennie, among the top American players, was kept off Sunday’s game-day roster by Berhalter for the rules violation. Breaking COVID-19 protocols by hosting a party caused him to be dropped by Juventus for its Derby della Mole against Torino in April. “There are high expectations for

those who are a part of the U.S. men’s national team, and in order to be successful it’s important that everyone in the group is accountable,” Berhalter said in a statement. San Jose midfielder Jackson Yueill was added to the roster and trained with the team Monday at Lipscomb University. This team has its most accomplished roster, led by players headed to this season’s Champions League in Christian Pulisic (Chelsea), Tyler Adams (RB Leipzig), McKennie, Dest (Barcelona), Steffen (Manchester City), Reyna (Borussia Dormund), Brenden Aaronson (RB Salzburg), John Brooks (Wolfsburg) and Jordan Pefok (Young Boys). They have managed only slightly better than the awful start to the previous cycle, when the U.S. opened with a 2-1 home defeat to Mexico and 4-0 thrashing at Costa Rica. “It’s a team sport,” Adams said. “It doesn’t matter where we come from. If we don’t go out there and do the things that we’re good at, that we’re just a group of names on a piece of paper. Other teams, maybe they don’t have the players

that play for these big clubs, but it doesn’t matter.” And suspensions may become a factor soon. Defenders John Brooks, DeAndre Yedlin and Mark McKenzie have received yellow cards along with Adams and Pefok. Any of those would receive a onegame ban for an additional single yellow card. Play in the first two games was subpar.

Movement “We needed much faster ball movement. Everyone could see from the outside it took just way too long on the ball,” Berhalter said. Some faulted the coach for waiting until the 83rd minute to make three substitutions aimed at getting a goal. Berhalter said he held off because he thought Aaronson and Pefok were among the better Americans on the field. “I can understand how it looks like we should have acted quicker 100% in this situation,” Berhalter said.

POLICE INVESTIGATING FOUR ARGENTINA PLAYERS OVER WORLD CUP QUALIFIER CHAOS By MAURICIO SAVARESE AP Sports Writer SAO PAULO (AP) — Four Argentina footballers are being investigated by Brazil federal police for allegedly providing false information upon arrival in Sao Paulo for a World Cup qualifying match. The Brazil-Argentina qualifier on Sunday was interrupted after seven minutes when agents of Brazil’s health agency, Anvisa, insisted they should take England-based players Emiliano Martinez, Emiliano Buendia, Giovanni Lo Celso, and Cristian Romero to the airport for breaching coronavirus protocols. Anvisa said Argentina soccer officials knew since Saturday that the four players — three of whom were on the field — should not play because they were in the United Kingdom 14 days before their arrival, but did not inform authorities as required. Visitors from the U.K. must undergo a mandatory 14-day hotel quarantine. Brazil federal police confirmed to The Associated Press on Monday the four players received a notification to leave the country on Sunday night, and had to give written statements to authorities. They flew with the rest of the Argentina squad to Buenos Aires shortly after. The match was abandoned without a score. Argentina tweeted on Monday that Martinez and Buendia were authorised to return to England so they could rejoin their club Aston

BRAZIL and Argentina’s players talk as the game is interrupted by health authorities during a qualifying soccer match for the FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022 at Neo Quimica Arena stadium in Sao Paulo, Brazil, Sunday. (AP Photo/ Andre Penner)

Villa. It did not discuss the situation for Tottenham’s Lo Celso and Romero. Anvisa director Alex Campos said Argentina “repeatedly ignored the agency’s recommendations.” “They were first informed Saturday morning about the players entering the country with false information,” Campos told SporTV. “We could have deported them at once. But we recommended the quarantine. There was another meeting in the afternoon, same message. And then Sunday morning we saw they had attended a training session. “We never meant to interrupt the match. We were stopped from acting until the time the match

began. Our only goal was to take the players who were challenging Brazilian regulations,” Campos added. “The match could have continued, the interruption was a decision by sports executives. Argentina tried to put pressure on Brazilian authorities and chose to leave if they didn’t have those players.” Campos also said the four players refused to sign a notification of the incident before leaving. The AP also had access to two documents of the Brazilian Football Confederation dated July 5 and Sept. 2 in which it mentions new government restrictions issued on June 23 for travelers who were in the United

Kingdom two weeks before their arrival. The documents were addressed to José Astigarraga, the secretary-general of South American soccer body CONMEBOL, with copies to the Argentine and Peru soccer bodies. Brazil is to play Peru on Thursday in another World Cup qualifier. Brazil’s soccer body, the CBF, later said in a statement it “followed its institutional role as host entity of the match by informing all those involved about the health legislation in place” in those documents. It also said it sought to “promote an understanding among the entities so health protocols could be complied

with for the match to take place.” The documents also mention the possibility of exceptional waivers to be requested to Brazil’s Chief of Staff office. But the Chief of Staff office said in a statement it has not received requests for Argentine players. The AFA said in a statement that it followed all health protocols. The squad arrived in Brazil on Friday morning from Caracas, where the team beat Venezuela 3-1 the night before. FIFA has also started an investigation. It said it has received official match reports and has passed them on to disciplinary bodies. No date for a decision has been offered, nor a date for a rematch. FIFA added it “regrets the scenes preceding the suspension of the match.” The arrival of the health officials on the pitch caused chaos, as arguments broke out for several minutes between the authorities, football officials, players and coaches at NeoQuimica Arena. Argentina decided to leave for the locker room, where the team stayed for hours. Brazil stayed on the pitch to train. The referee eventually suspended the qualifier.