09102021 NEWS AND SPORT

WEEKEND FRIDAY

Any Size Soft Drink $1.30

HIGH 90ºF LOW 79ºF

i’m lovin’ it!

Monday,

February

CARS! CARS!

8, 2021

The Tribune Established

Being Bound To

Swear To The Dogmas

1903

Of No Master

The Tribune L A T E S T

Volume: 118 No.199, September 10, 2021

N E W S

tise Call

To Adver

-2351

601-0007 or 502

Starting at

$33.60

CLASSIFIEDS TRADER

ed

VAT includ

Established 1903

O N

T R I B U N E 2 4 2 . C O M

Biggest And Best!

THE PEOPLE’S PAPER: PRICE–$1

DOES THIS LOOK SAFE FOR YOU? ADVANCED POLL DAY COVERAGE ON PAGES 2,3,4,5

By LEANDRA ROLLE Tribune Staff Reporter lrolle@tribunemedia.net

THOUSANDS of people braved long lines, the sweltering heat and little to no social distancing to vote in yesterday’s advanced poll. Although ten schools were designated around New Providence as polling sites, at many places crowds of people were seen huddled close together to gain entry into the voting locations. There were reports that at least one person fainted at a polling location due to the conditions yesterday. National Security Minister Marvin Dames, who

has responsibility for elections, admitted yesterday there were a few “kinks” during the advanced poll, but expressed confidence the voting process will run smoothly for next week’s general election. “This is the first time certainly for us after the amendments and the legislation so if you could recall just in 2017 when we had the advanced poll, it was at one central location where persons were assembled and I think somewhere around 3,000 plus voters,” Mr Dames told reporters at Government High School. SEE PAGE TWO AND THREE

MINISTER of Health Renward Wells has confirmed the government will not prevent people in quarantine from voting in next week’s general election, suggesting that doing so could result in several legal issues for the Minnis administration. His comments came after weeks of concern that people in quarantine or those who have COVID19 would not be allowed to

vote based on statements made by members of the government. Last week, National Security Minister Marvin Dames suggested quarantined people will not be allowed to take part in the election. However, when asked about the government’s stance on the matter yesterday, Mr Wells said every voter will be allowed to exercise their right, including those in quarantine. SEE PAGE FOUR

- SEE PAGE EIGHT

IMMIGRATION OFFICERS ADD TO DISPUTES

By TANYA SMITHCARTWRIGHT tsmith-cartwright@ tribunemedia.net IMMIGRATION officers staged a sick-out yesterday, citing general poor treatment from executives and the lack of proper promotions in the ranks. According to Deron Brooks, vice president northern region of Bahamas Customs, Immigration and Allied Workers Union, the sick-out severely affected operations at the Immigration Department. SEE PAGE SEVEN

... AND QUARANTINED WILL BE ALLOWED TO CAST VOTE

By LEANDRA ROLLE Tribune Staff Reporter lrolle@tribunemedia.net

NAUGHTY: IT’S THE SILLY SEASON - BUT DEAD VOTERS?

‘ASSAULT BY POLICE LEFT ME RUINED’

By FARRAH JOHNSON Tribune Staff Reporter fjohnson@tribunemedia.net

CROWDS at the advanced poll at Gambier Primary School in the Killarney constituency. Photo: Racardo Thomas/Tribune Staff

A SECOND person who claimed police tortured him at the Governor’s Harbour Police Station for a crime for which he was never charged, yesterday said the incident not only caused him injury but contributed to him experiencing considerable financial loss. SEE PAGE SEVEN

ELEUTHERA WATER CUT-OFF THREAT By NEIL HARTNELL Tribune Business Editor nhartnell@tribunemedia.net

CENTRAL Eleuthera residents face having their water supply cut-off at 2.30pm this afternoon with the provider blaming the situation on inaction by the Water & Sewerage Corporation. Aqua Design said the corporation had not replied to the proposal submitted for a new contract to continue

operating its Central Eleuthera reverse osmosis plant beyond September 10.

Alleging it is still owed $1.6m by the corporation across all plants it operates, Aqua Design said in the absence of a response it was now putting into effect the August 6 judgment from the Supreme Court that found it had properly terminated the Central Eleuthera water supply contract. Justice Indra Charles ruled the company was “entitled to terminate” its deal.

FULL STORY - SEE BUSINESS

Nassau & Bahama Islands’ Leading Newspaper

DIANE PHILLIPS: WHY DO SO FEW FAMILIES STAY IN POLITICS?

- SEE PAGE NINE

PAGE 2, Friday, September 10, 2021

THE TRIBUNE

Does this look from page one

THE CROWD at Doris Johnson Senior High School advanced poll. Photo: Donovan McIntosh/Tribune Staff

“But today, I always say to my colleagues, that we’re dealing with a mini election here so you’re talking about 30,000 plus voters so that will come with some little kinks here that the Parliamentary Registration Department is working to kind of figure out and address and I think it’s working. “People are voting and that’s what’s important. At the end of the day, we would want Bahamians to exercise their constitutional rights to vote and that is happening but this is a typical Bahamian election,” he added. When The Tribune first arrived at Government High School shortly before 8am, long lines extended around the block into the Yellow Elder community, with little to no social

distancing observed. The high school was the designated voting site for voters in the Englerston, Mount Moriah and St Barnabas constituencies. About five minutes after 8am, voters were allowed inside the school’s premises, with some enduring the long queues for hours before gaining entry. Heated rows erupted at times between frustrated voters at the Yellow Elder polling site, with some complaining about people skipping lines. “There was little confusion at the door,” voter Marie Meadows told The Tribune. “Some persons was saying they didn’t want the elderly go in before them and then some was saying this (person) was jumping in the line.” At C V Bethel Senior High School, there were also chaotic scenes. As

crowds continued to swell, tents had to be erected to shield voters from the sun. Voters in the Bamboo Town and South Beach constituencies voted at the polling site. “This is chaotic,” said one woman, who asked to remain anonymous. “They had more than enough time. They say election was short but they have more than enough time to do better than this. They have people in here like cattle, they up underneath each other. If they didn’t have COVID before they came, they gone have it before they leave. This is ridiculous. If this is what September 16 gone be like, we in big trouble.” Another voter said the process could have been smoother. “They could’ve put up SEE FACING PAGE

MANY VOTERS SAY NATION HEADED ON WRONG PATH By RASHAD ROLLE Tribune Senior Reporter rrolle@tribunemedia.net QUALITY of life concerns were at the forefront of voters’ minds during yesterday’s advanced poll, with many concluding The Bahamas is headed in the wrong direction. Forty-one-year-old Deca Rolle said her own joblessness influenced her vote while voters like Jared Rigby, a 43-yearold Elizabeth constituent, highlighted the worsening COVID-19 situation and the ailing economy. Most of the people The Tribune interviewed were pessimistic about the direction of the country. “I believe we’re not taking COVID-19 as seriously as we need to be,” Mr Rigby said. “I believe that we’re losing too many innocent lives and just this process alone this morning is going to manifest in a very real way in about two weeks. It’s not organised. We haven’t impressed upon our electorate the severity of the situation we’re facing and we’re going to pay as a country. I don’t believe we planned enough for this event. I believe the growth of our economy and the progress of our people, not just financially but holistically, would have been a real benchmark for me as far as determining factors.” Fifty-three-year-old

Winnie Linden, a Yamacraw resident, said the Minnis administration “had ample time to better” help the country prepare for the influx of COVID-19 patients but failed to do so. However, she said she is not a partisan voter, insisting both major political parties “need to die.” “I have seen nothing tangible from the government from Minnis went in,” she said. “Yes, I agree that he had some unprecedented times but this is the job you elected to do. You wanted this job. You don’t get brownie points. I don’t support the PLP, I

82-year-old Prince Rahming cast his vote for the FNM.

By RASHAD ROLLE Tribune Senior Reporter rrolle@tribunemedia.net A FIGHT over a failure to seal cast ballot envelopes punctuated an at times chaotic day of advanced polling in New Providence yesterday. High drama erupted at the Sadie Curtis Primary School yesterday evening as party officials questioned the actions of the returning officer for the Pinewood constituency. Myles Laroda, the Progressive Liberal Party’s candidate for Pinewood, said it took about one and a half hours for representatives from different parties to convince the officer to seal the envelope with cast ballots. In the interim, some supporters of various

85-year-old J Barrie Farrington, former vice president of Atlantis, at the Doris Johnson Senior High School advanced poll. Photos: Donovan McIntosh/Tribune Staff

VOTERS at Government High School yesterday.

Photo: Leandra Rolle/Tribune Staff

A RBDF officer casting his vote yesterday.

don’t support the FNM, I support the country. I don’t have a bias. I voted for the DNA the last time because I didn’t believe the promises they made in the Hubert administration, the PLP administration and I believe the two of those parties have moved our country the wrong way for too long.” The organisation of yesterday’s advanced polling was a mixed-bag: the process was smooth and featured adequate social distancing at some polling stations but was chaotic elsewhere. People allowed to vote included those with a disability, those 65 years or older or those who are election agents, among others. Ms Rolle, a 47-year-old Seabreeze resident, said having the early election amid surging COVID-19 cases was careless. She said Minnis administration’s failure to deliver on its transparency and accountability promises drove her decision. “There seems to be a lack of accountability, transparency and at the end of the day that’s what the FNM promised when they came

in so at the end of the day I was terribly disappointed to see that they seem to be all the same,” she said, adding that she supported the FNM in the past two election cycles. “I consider myself a swing voter so I’m not colour blind. I’ll support any party but I feel that some decisions that were made were inappropriate and some weren’t even made. The Adrian Gibson scandal. The Lanisha Rolle scandal. . .And I do believe that as a voter we deserve an answer, we deserve to know, even if it’s just rumours, we should get answers.” No incumbent party has won re-election since the Ingraham-led FNM did so in 1997. The Minnis administration has faced some historic challenges, including Hurricane Dorian and the COVID-19 pandemic. Prime Minister Dr Hubert Minnis hopes voters will consider the impact these crises have had on his agenda when they go to the polls. Fifty-nine-year-old Seabreeze resident, Anthony, however, said though he

voted for the FNM all of his life, he has crossed over. “Because of the promises they made and because of their slogan ‘It’s The People’s Time’ and to me they never lived up to it,” he said, adding he believes Dr Minis called an early election “to trick the people and to throw them off.” “Honesty is the number one factor influencing my vote,” he said. “If they say they could do something, do it.” B Rolle, another Seabreeze resident, expressed concern that some elites in the country have been getting preferential treatment. “It seems to be one thing for one group of people and another for another group of people,” she said. “I was undecided until I came here.” Ms Rolle, who said she does not align herself with a particular party, said the party she voted for yesterday is different from the one she voted for in 2017. Some voters, however, championed stability over change and appeared willing to stick with the FNM. Nathan Meadows, a

70-year-old Yamacraw resident, said: “Everything looks like it’s moving straight ahead, looks like plenty of jobs moving forward.” “My area, Nassau East, I’m comfortable with the person who is running in my area,” he said. Likewise, 73-year-old Elizabeth resident, Granville McMinns, said the Minnis administration faced difficult challenges and has done an admirable job dealing with them. “When I look at the country, this present government took over the country in such a bad state and when they took it over it was like one disaster after another disaster and I think they did an exceptional job so far with delivering on some of the things they promised and with trying to help the people,” he said. “They fed the people who lost their jobs, they paid their rent for them, the old folks like myself never missed a day on their pension and they took care of the people in this country well and those who cannot see that they ain’t fit to be around.”

parties cast aspersions on the process and claimed an attempt was underway to “steal” the election. Mr Laroda told The Tribune: “At the end of voting at 6pm, after going through the ballots, the ballots you start with, the used ballots, the unused ballots, usually the cast ballots by constituents are placed in one envelope. That envelope is then sealed and signed by the relevant parties, their leaders or their representatives in the room. What happened today was that in both of the ballot boxes for Pinewood, the cast ballots were left at the bottom of the ballot box and they were not in a sealed envelope. “When the issue was raised to me by both agents in the room, I then spoke

to the returning officer who confirmed to me that the ballot was left at the bottom of the ballot box. He said he was given instructions not to touch the cast ballots. I then said to him that this was the first time doing an election I saw a situation where the cast ballots were not placed in an envelope and sealed. “I spoke to Steven Nesbit of the DNA, Lincoln Bain of the Coalition. We went back to the returning officer and got no relief. We then spoke to Reuben Rahming. As a group of four we went to the returning officer and asked him to rectify the issue. On the third attempt he agreed to return both ballot boxes to the school where they were both emptied and it was discovered that cast ballots were not

in a sealed envelope. They were then placed in a sealed envelope and signed off by the various agents and then the box was locked. “At the end of the day the matter was settled.” Before the matter was resolved, the ballot boxes were sitting in a bus. Mr Laroda did not say he believes the ballots could have been tampered with in the interim. “I’m never gonna cast aspersions on the police and senior civil servants,” he said. “I would hate to believe that leaders of the country would do something as blatant as that, but I would say it was chaotic and the matter could have been rectified in the room because it was raised in the room. The issue was raised by the agent even before

those boxes left the room and were taken to the bus. There was enough chance for them to be in a sealed envelope. “It was rectified but it was very, very frustrating having done this process before, that we had a situation where ballots were left unsealed in an envelope. That caused angst and anxiety among all of the candidates.” Mr Laroda said the whole day was chaotic, noting that earlier, elderly people were directed to the same line as young people. “Only an hour later another line was created where senior citizens were allowed to go.” Last night, PLP chairman Fred Mitchell said he asked Attorney General Carl Bethel in a formal letter

yesterday to address the chaos at the advanced poll and ensure the problems do not recur on September 16. “The standard practice is you take the box and seal it in the presence of all of the agents,” he said. “I’m not surprised our agents are concerned about that not taking place. I was instructed by the leader of the party to write the AG this evening about the general state of the chaos and to ask that they take appropriate measures to ensure this does not repeat itself on the day of the general election. “It is not acceptable to have people wait in lines (for) three hours to go and vote. The law itself allows only two hours to vote from work so clearly this was anticipated to be a quick

ROW OVER SEALING BALLOT PAPERS IN PINEWOOD

THE TRIBUNE

Friday, September 10, 2021, PAGE 3

safe for you? from previous page

some shading for (us) the senior citizens because they had ample time to prepare and make the necessary changes. They should’ve taken in consideration that it would’ve been a bright sunny day today so they should’ve made preparations for both events,” said Glenn Hepburn. At the Gambier Primary School, in the Killarney constituency, a line quickly formed well ahead of the polling station’s opening. By 8.30am, that line snaked its way from inside the school’s gate where police officers stood guard and passed political tents lining one side of the road, stopping just before a popular conch stand at the end of the corner. Many of those waiting in line in the gruelling sun said the wait was hours long. Others who had made it inside the school’s campus huddled under trees and gravitated towards anywhere that looked cool and shaded. Despite this, Gambier Primary was considered one of the more orderly polling stations with VIP voters, including former Prime Minister Perry Christie, former Governor General Dame Marguerite Pindling and Court of Appeal President Sir Michael Barnett. Despite the large crowds, many voters who spoke to this newspaper said they were not concerned about catching COVID-19 as they were fully vaccinated. Yesterday, Mr Dames

said there will occasionally be “bumps and hitches,” but assured the public that things should run smoothly going forward. “From time to time there are some bumps and hitches here and there but for the most part I commend the presiding officers and all of those who are working here today for the job that they’re today,” the Mount Moriah incumbent said. “What we’re talking about here is like a minielection having to figure it all out here and as you could see we have it divided into three constituencies here. There are St Barnabas, Englerston and Mount Moriah and each of them have any number of rooms and I think there are somewhere in the area six candidates representing six political parties. “And so that is new for us but after having said all that I’m encouraged that things will continue to flow and flow smoothly. The thing is, the objective is to give everyone the opportunity to vote and to exercise their constitutional rights and that’s been happening,” he also said. Meanwhile, Education Minister Jeff Lloyd added: “As you would expect for the first time on a permanent register, the first time that we’re having this many persons register and vote on advanced polling day, obviously you would have a little hiccup here and there but I’m pleased what’s going on and how we’re exercising the democratic right.” Additional reporting by Khrisna Russell

By EARYEL BOWLEG Tribune Staff Reporter ebowleg@tribunemedia.net THE president of the Consultant Physicians Staff Association expressed hope that next week’s general election will have more safeguards in place after yesterday’s advanced poll drew long lines and crowds. Dr Sabriquet Pinder-Butler’s comments came after the Ministry of Health confirmed on Wednesday that the highly contagious Delta

variant is the predominant strain in The Bahamas. Asked if a vote was the best thing to happen in this current COVID-19 surge, Dr Pinder-Butler replied: “It absolutely is not the best thing at the moment. I think you know from when we heard the date for the election we knew it was not the best thing. “We spoke about it. We spoke to the government. We’ve been speaking to our Bahamian people as much as possible. Unfortunately,

LONG lines at Doris Johnson Senior High School advanced poll.

Photo: Donovan McIntosh/Tribune Staff

VOTERS CONCERNED OVER SOCIAL DISTANCING A DAY after the Ministry of Health confirmed the highly contagious Delta variant is the predominant COVID-19 strain in The Bahamas, some voters expressed concern about the minimal social distancing at some advanced polling stations. At Sadie Curtis Primary School where constituents of Seabreeze, Nassau Village and Pinewood cast their votes, people were not always six feet apart, causing arguments to break out at times. And during the early hours of voting at Doris Johnson Senior High School where people from Yamacraw, St Annes and Elizabeth assembled, a logjam formed near the entry into the voting area. “There are some logistical issues that are trying to be ironed out,” Elizabeth incumbent Dr Duane Sands acknowledged at the site, noting that organisers were making adjustments.

Asked if he was concerned about the lack of social distancing, the former health minister said “yes”. Some voters also said they felt uneasy among the crowds. “I did not feel safe in there at all just now,” said Mrs Rolle, a 47-yearold Seabreeze woman who voted at Sadie Curtis. “Everyone was bungled up, they did not practice proper protocols around me and there was a lot of arguing in there because people were concerned about their safety. Quite frankly, I think it was not planned properly and as someone who is working next week, it’s terrifying to know that if they don’t fix the glitches we would encounter this next week again.” Yamacraw resident Winnie Linden, 53, described the scene as “careless.” “He had ample time to wait,” she said, referring to Prime Minister Dr

Hubert Minnis. “And he did it in the height of this wave of what you call it, the (COVID) virus. This was a reckless decision.” Jared Rigby, a 43-year-old Elizabeth constituent, said the advanced poll did not appear to be organised. “I saw a total collapse of any semblance of organisation in there this morning because we didn’t sit down and adequately plan what was going to take place and how we were going to make every potential challenge that would present itself today,” he said. Yesterday, the Parliamentary Registration Department said voting for Family Island constituencies at the University of The Bahamas had been extended for an additional 30 minutes and ended at 6.30pm, in accordance with the Parliamentary Elections Act. Other polls closed at 6pm.

DOCTORS CHIEF HOPES FOR MORE SAFEGUARDS NEXT WEEK we know how these things tend to pan out and despite best efforts of reiterating the importance of following the preventative measures some persons tend to congregate and people get excited about voting, especially if certain protocols aren’t in place. “Protocols for voting should be in place so that persons should be social distancing appropriately outside or waiting in cars. It can be problematic if announcements aren’t made in advance. So this is

why we also hoped that the government would’ve made certain announcements in advance of these activities and certainly if it didn’t happen today we hope that it’s in place for next week.” Thousands of people voted yesterday. Despite the country’s COVID-19 infections and virus-related hospitalisations surging, the Free National Movement has held some drive-in rallies. Supporters have been seen getting out of their cars to

cheer the speakers on. Asked if the party should stop the rallies considering the news of the Delta variant, Dr Pinder-Butler said she was not sure if that would “really change much.” “I mean at this particular point we’re in (an) election — I don’t know if that will really change much because we’ve already been having things,” she said. “We all need to be mindful of whatever activities are happening whether

it’s a rally, whether it’s the motorcade…. We cannot play a blind eye and act like COVID isn’t happening in the country. I don’t know why we’re not doing these things. It’s an individual responsibility as the government is responsible for certain things and has been saying things…Irregardless of what we’re doing whether we’re going to the bank, whenever engaging with people at work we all have to practice those measures.”

CHRISTIE BELIEVES CRISIS WILL BRING PLP VICTORY

INGRAHAM WAS INITIALLY TURNED AWAY

FORMER Prime Minister Perry Christie believes that the “enormity” of the country’s COVID-19 crisis will propel Bahamians to vote for the Progressive Liberal Party in the 2021 general election. Speaking to reporters yesterday, Mr Christie leveled criticism at Prime Minister Dr Hubert Minnis, insisting that he made a “disastrous” decision to call a snap election during a pandemic. This election is the first time since 1977 that the former prime minister has not run in a general election. Despite moving away from front line politics following a humiliating defeat in the 2017 general election, Mr Christie had much to say about the PLP’s chances in the September 16 poll. “I’m so happy that history is on the side of the Progressive Liberal Party insofar as no party has won a consecutive election in the last 20 years, since (former Prime Minister Hubert) Ingraham in 1997 and so history is on the side of the Progressive Liberal Party,” the former Centreville MP said. He spoke after voting in yesterday’s advanced poll at Gambier Primary School in the Killarney constituency. “Now that’s a statistic one can overcome. The interesting thing for me is that Brave Davis notwithstanding immense provocation in terms of attacks on his personal reputation has been able to manage a campaign that has taken the high road by and large and that has tried to observe the protocols during this pandemic. “Well the challenge for the country is that the political directors of our country have not seemingly worked together. They have different views, very strong divisions as to how they would go about managing it. “In looking at the obituaries in

FORMER Prime Minister Hubert Ingraham voted around 4pm yesterday after initially being given the runaround by poll workers at the advanced poll. Mr Ingraham and his wife, Delores, arrived at Gambier Primary School around 1pm to vote in the Killarney constituency only to be told there was some issue that would prevent him from casting a ballot. He said he went to two polling stations only to be told his name wasn’t on the list. He left the site visibly upset but returned a few hours later after getting a call from the parliamentary commissioner to apologise about the error. “It was very important to come back to vote today because if your name is on a list for today and you don’t vote today, they are going to have to take your cards, your counterfoil, put it back in the register for next week, in the box for next week, and put your name back on the register,” Mr Ingraham told reporters. “There’s lots of opportunities for errors to be made if that happens and so I thought it best for me to come and vote today so there is no confusion about my vote.” He also said officials need to take several steps to ensure a smoother process next week. He said adequate polling stations need to be set up so that large crowds do not form and that polling officers need to be outside to direct voters to their respective polling divisions.

By KHRISNA RUSSELL Tribune Chief Reporter krussell@tribunemedia.net

FORMER Prime Minister Perry Christie speaking to reporters FORMER Cabinet minister George Smith after voting. yesterday. Photo: Racardo Thomas/Tribune Staff Photo: Khrisna Russell/Tribune Staff the newspapers this morning and what he’s done.” Among them was former AttorMr Christie further blasted the ney General Alfred Sears, who is recognising as everyone does that you cannot now just have it in the government for its handling of the vying for the Fort Charlotte consupplement dedicated to that, pandemic. stituency. He was at the H O Nash “Listen when you have your hos- Junior High School where he newspapers have to put them on now into the general paper. The pitals being overrun and you live expressed concern that voters were enormity of this crisis I think will in an archipelagic country, and you made to stand in the blistering hot propel people into understanding know that if someone gets sick on sun for hours to vote. that maybe this is the time for a dif- one of these islands there is no He said poor planning contribcapacity to deal with them. That uted to only two schools being used ferent path. “That being the case a week from means they have to be brought in if for 11 polling divisions. He said a today I will be in the process of you are going to try and save their country with resources such as The recognising that Brave Davis is the lives and so you’re now well beyond Bahamas could have done a better next prime minister of the Com- that and so there is no doubt that the job. Mr Sears said many people country has to dedicate more money were discouraged and did not vote monwealth of The Bahamas.” He said once Dr Minnis called to the fight. Brave Davis is right because of this. a snap election in the middle of a in the sense that testing has to be Former Cabinet minister George COVID-19 surge, it was logical to free, all of the protocols have to be Smith also took issue with the conclude there was a risk of a super reinforced and established contact wait time, blaming what he called tracing, you are in a war and there- an “incompetent” government. spreader campaign. “So, it is really a disastrous fore you have to treat it that way.” Mr Smith arrived at the school He said with Mr Davis’ lead- at around 7.45am. It took him decision to do that but under our Constitution he has the right to call ership there would be a marked nearly two hours to vote at around it when he thinks it’s best for him difference with how the situation is 9.30am. and he thought it was best for him. handled. He too was of the view that the Other senior members of the Free National Movement govThe people of The Bahamas again will respond, and the results will PLP did not mince words when it ernment’s time in office was in its say whether or not they approve of came to the advanced vote. waning days.

PAGE 4, Friday, September 10, 2021

THE TRIBUNE

‘A lot to do QUARANTINED WILL BE ALLOWED TO VOTE to ensure a smooth vote’ from page one

By KHRISNA RUSSELL Tribune Chief Reporter krussell@tribunemedia.net DEMOCRATIC National Alliance leader Arinthia Komolafe says officials have a lot of work to do to ensure next week’s election runs smoothly based on yesterday’s advanced poll. She spoke to reporters after voting at Gambier Primary School in the Killarney constituency. Mrs Komolafe, the DNA’s candidate for Carmichael, said she felt “safe” during the voting process, adding she was impressed by it. However, she said the same could not be said for other polling stations, such as the one in the Carmichael constituency at Anatol Rodgers Senior High School. “The process there was certainly disorganised from the beginning, even from the outside of the station,” she said yesterday. “There was insufficient space there for the voters to be able to stand. “Of course, the voters initially were not allowed to come inside the polling station. They were required by the police to remain on the outside and we actually

DNA party leader Arinthia Komolafe yesterday. Photo: Racardo Thomas/Tribune Staff got started a bit late. We never entered the gate until minutes to eight, which, of course, you know the polls open at 8 (am), but a bit of the polls, most of the polls there got opened after the 20-minute hour but as the voting process got started it moved a little bit more smoothly. “What we witnessed there in Carmichael and Southern Shores and Golden Gates, which is sharing the polling station at Anatol Rodgers, is that a lot of the senior citizens took advantage of the early voting, and it was unfortunate because a lot of them were (bungled) up on the outside.

Though, he did not clarify how such people will be able to vote on September 16. “To prevent folks (from voting), there’s some constitutional issues I believe, legal issues around all of that and at the end of the day, folks are going to find a way to exercise their democratic right,” Mr Wells reporters at C V Bethel Senior High School where scores of people gathered to cast an early vote in the advanced poll. “The government of The Bahamas and let me say this, in the United States, during the US election, the CDC had put out some guidelines and they said whether you’re COVID positive or whether you’re in quarantine, you can go out to vote in the American elections but the point is that you treat everyone who comes to the poll as if they’re COVID positive, so all Americans were allowed to vote and I think we’re taking that same model but we are putting even more stringent guidelines inside the polls.” This comes after the Progressive Liberal Party wrote to acting Parliamentary Commissioner Lavado Duncanson to confirm whether registered voters will be prevented from voting in the next election if they

“A lot of them had a long walk to get from the gate to the polling division and then there was insufficient signage there so persons didn’t know where to go for their respective constituencies and where to go for their respective polling divisions because quite a bit of the constituencies had multiple polling divisions.” Mrs Komolafe said what was seen yesterday showed there was insufficient planning. “It was clear that we would have some challenges but based upon what we are seeing here today, and I am going to be going throughout the island to look at the other stations, we have a lot of work to do over the next seven days if we’re going to have a smooth process on next Thursday.” The Carmichael hopeful also said she thinks the 2021 general election, her party’s third run for office, will yield seats in the House of Assembly. “The third time’s a charm and we believe that we are going to return seats to the House,” Mrs Komolafe told reporters yesterday when asked by The Tribune about her level of confidence headed into the September 16 election.

VOTERS at CV Bethel High School yesterday. are quarantined or suffering from COVID-19. Former State Minister for Legal Affairs Damian Gomez wrote the letter to Mr Duncanson on Monday 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 “expeditious prosecution of court proceedings” against Mr Duncanson. However, with quarantine people now allowed to vote, the move will likely raise safety concerns about voting on Election Day especially at a time when COVID-19 cases and virus-related hospitalisations are surging. Yesterday, Mr Wells said officials will implement strict protocols inside the polls to ensure voters’ safety but did not say how officials plan to minimise spread for those waiting outside the polling stations. Advanced polling

stations were plagued by long lines yesterday, with little to no social distancing seen in many instances. Yesterday, Mr Wells said: “During this election, we’re treating everyone who comes to the poll as if they are COVID positive because there’s some folks that we know who are COVID positive, some 3,408 when I last checked. I believe it may have gone down slightly. “But we don’t know those who are incubating at this point at time and those who are positive and have not yet gone to get a test and as you know there are persons who are in quarantine and coming out to vote and so at the end of the day, what we’re doing is we’re ensuring that as best as possible we treat every individual as if they are COVID positive so we have those health protocols in place to ensure that the health of the Bahamian people is protected through the process.”

WELLS CALLS FOR STRICTER ADHERENCE TO PROTOCOLS By LEANDRA ROLLE Tribune Staff Reporter lrolle@tribunemedia.net

HEALTH Minister Renward Wells made a strong appeal yesterday for vaccinations and stricter adherence to the current public health measures, saying confirmation of the Delta variant’s presence in the country is “concerning”. Mr Wells spoke after the Ministry of Health on Wednesday confirmed the variant had been detected in the country and is now the predominant strain. He said while the confirmation was not entirely surprising, it’s still worrisome to hear given the massive strain already placed on the nation’s healthcare system due to increasing infection rates and hospitalisations. “The Delta variant is the most virulent and it has the highest rate of fatality for any COVID variants. It is the variant that is (throughout) the globe right now causing massive problems both in India and the UK, all over the globe really with hospitalisations and deaths,” he told reporters at

VOTERS packed closely together at CV Bethel High School yesterday. an advanced poll site. “We expected in the ending part of June that we may have had the Delta variant so that’s why we sent all of the samples off and we pressed a lab in Brazil to get them back to us as quickly as possible because at the end of June, we started to see a dip in our numbers for COVID positive. “And all of a sudden it started shooting up again and the rate was greatly multiplied so that told us

Death Notice For Ms. Laura Nottage, 54

of Jubilee Gardens Subdivision, off Gladstone Road died at the Princess Margaret Hospital on Thursday, 26th August, 2021.

She is survived by her children: Glenroy Ferguson, Travis Williams, James and Kyle Nottage; grandchildren: Asjae and Jayla Nottage; sisters: Cyprianna Minnis, Angela Mullings and Rosemary Gardiner; brothers: Terrance Williams and Clovis Minnis and a host of other family members, relatives and friends. Funeral arrangements will be announced at a later date.

we (were) dealing with something that was different than what was currently in the community.” According to Mr Wells, the sudden uptick in cases seen in June was what prompted officials to reimpose certain COVID-19 measures in July. However, when asked if government was considering tightening restrictions even further due to Delta’s presence, Mr Wells said officials don’t see a need to do so at the moment.

Photos: Leandra Rolle/Tribune Staff

“We have the protocols in place,” he added. “There is no need to necessarily strengthen the protocols. It’s just the need for greater adherence to ensure that we keep the spread down as much as possible. The government does have measures in place. “We reduced curfews, but you know we have the solution for what ails us and that is for our people to go out and get vaccinated. I say it all the time, I got mines (sic). You got yours

Death Notice For

Sharon Lugurna Johnson, 58 a resident of Milton Street, died at her residence on Monday, August 30, 2021. She is survived by her 1 son: Michael Lockhart Jr.; 1 daughter: Cecilia Leadon; 4 brothers: J. Samuel Johnson, Pastor Charles & Dereck Johnson & Edward Gibson; 8 sisters: Sandra Dean, Carla & Joanne Johnson, Deborah Thompson, Andrea Maynard, Violet Bovil, Audrey Symonette & Albertha Jackson; grandchildren: Michaela, Mahalia & Mykah Grace Johnson; 1 uncle: Ellerson Gibson; numerous nieces & nephews & a host of other relatives & friends. Funeral arrangements will be announced at a later date.

and get vaccinated.” In Wednesday’s statement, health officials said 98 samples were sent to a laboratory in Brazil for variant testing. However, of those samples sent, 41 showed sequencing for the Delta variant, 39 for the Alpha variant while one was positive for the Gamma strain. The remaining 18 samples are still going through the genomic testing process. Confirmation of the contagious Delta strain comes as the nation seeks to arrest control of an already raging COVID-19 pandemic. It also comes as the country prepares for an early election. COVID concerns were reignited yesterday after thousands of voters in New Providence and Grand Bahama gathered at the polls to cast an early vote, with little to no social distancing seen in many instances. “It is a concern and unfortunately, persons are clustering because of the heat,” Mr Wells told reporters when asked about the crowded scenes at CV Bethel High School.

“That’s the issue. Folks are clustering more because of the heat, but during this election and I believe the parliamentary registrar would’ve spoken to it, we’re treating everyone who comes to the poll as if they are COVID positive because there’s some folks that we know who are COVID positive, some 3,408 when I last checked. I believe it may have gone down slightly, but we don’t know for those who are incubating at this point of time and those who are positive and have not yet gone to get a test and as you know there are persons who are in quarantine and coming out to vote and so at the end of the day, what we’re doing is we’re ensuring that as best as possible we treat every individual as if they are COVID positive so we have those health protocols in place to ensure that the health of the Bahamian people is protected through the process,” he added. Asked if he was also worried that Election Day will lead to further spread of the virus, Mr Wells said there is always a concern. This, he added, is why it’s so important for Bahamians to get vaccinated. He said: “There is always concern, the fact that we have further confirmation that the Delta variant is here and so the concern is that we continue to adhere to the health protocols and that we continue to go and get vaccinated and I believe that once we continue to do those things, we’ll see the downward trend and the flattening of the curve for the COVID-19 numbers that we’re currently having. The Ministry of Health even in these circumstances, we’re treating everyone as if they’re COVID positive.”

HOSPITALISATIONS HIT NEW RECORD COVID-19 hospital cases have climbed to a new record of 195. In its September 8 dashboard, released yesterday, the Ministry of Health also reported 136 new cases of the virus. The country now has 19,275 confirmed cases of the virus since the start of the pandemic. There are 3,400 active cases. The majority of these new cases — 115 — are in New Providence. Health officials also said that of the 195 cases in hospital, 47 are in Doctors

Hospital; nine are at the South Beach Acute Care and Referral Centre; 113 are at Princess Margaret Hospital and 26 are in Grand Bahama Health Services. Eighteen people are now in the intensive care unit, up from 15 the previous day. The startling numbers came a day after health officials confirmed the highly contagious Delta variant is the predominant coronavirus strain in the country.

THE TRIBUNE

Friday, September 10, 2021, PAGE 5

GB voters waiting hours By DENISE MAYCOCK Tribune Freeport Reporter dmaycock@tribunemedia.net THERE were complaints about long waiting times from voters in Grand Bahama who queued for hours to vote in the advanced poll. There was also a bit of a challenge in terms of social distancing at the polls, particularly at the Marco City site, where some 770 people were registered. When The Tribune arrived at the Jack Hayward Senior High School, concerns were raised by two of the candidates over a tent that was being erected by incumbent Michael Pintard’s team to provide shade for voters. PLP candidate for Marco City Curt Hollingworth claimed that it was a contravention of the law and sought assistance from election and police officials. However, Mr Pintard was able to bring resolve to the situation after a discussion with the candidates. Mr Pintard explained that it was very hot, and the primary concern was

the comfort of the people, particularly those senior citizens who are taking their time to participate in the democratic process. He said he was pleased with the turnout. “It is extremely hot and the reason we did the early poll is to impact the condition of senior citizens and others,” he said. “Senior citizens, some with ailments, standing for long periods of time is a problem. And we thought let’s help folks by providing as many umbrellas as possible and providing some tents to form a tunnel as protection from the sun so persons can walk through the tunnel in order for them to be shaded from the sun, as well as inclement weather.” According to reports, people had started queuing up at 4am when election workers had arrived at the gymnasium to prepare the poll for 8am. There were three polling stations in operation. Water and soft drinks were being offered to voters as they waited outside. Some said they were waiting for hours.

VOTER Laurel and her husband in East Grand Bahama. Photo: Denise Maycock/Tribune Staff

Mr Pintard is confident that residents of Marco City will support him again as the MP for the area. At the rally on Wednesday at Independence Park, Mr Pintard told supporters that he and his team assisted people regardless of their political colours. “I feel good,” he said on Thursday. “We have made commitments to the residents of Marco City. We are really a coalition made of FNM supporters, and we benefited from the support from members of the PLP, the DNA, and independents, and we want to keep that relationship going. We believe there are a number of critical issues affecting Bahamians regardless of their political stripes that require bipartisan working together in order to address those issues.” At the Jack Hayward Junior High School, where Pineridge residents voted, people were frustrated with the slow pace of the line, even though the lines were not as long as Marco City. When The Tribune arrived around noon, none of the candidates was there. Voters were seated under the covered corridors in the shade. A voter who gave his name as Mr Deveaux, a retired civil servant for 12 years, said he did not want to be caught up in the crowd and long lines in the general election on September 16. He did not mind the wait. “I am voting in the advanced poll trying to beat that crowd. I am 77 and I am too old to be on that long line,” he said. “(I) came here at 9.30am, but I don’t care if I am here until midnight, I am not leaving until I vote.” A group sitting and standing behind him expressed

VOTING in West Grand Bahama. their frustration over how slow the process was. “It is hot, and it is taking too long,” one woman complained. At the St George’s Senior High School, the East Grand Bahama site, officials said the process went smoothly. A resident named Laurel and her husband, who is a disabled senior citizen, had just voted. She said the process was not long. “It was only 20 minutes, thank God,” she said, assisting her husband. “I came out today to vote, because it is always important to cast your vote because you will hopefully determine the future for this country. You hope that the party that wins that you would have voted for would chart the course for the future, not only for the present, but for future generations.” East Grand Bahama candidate Kwasi Thompson was pleased with the voter turnout. “We had a large number of persons who showed up

Photo: Vandyke Hepburn

VOTING in Eight Mile Rock. early to vote and the process went smoothly,” he said. “We had minor issues with a number of persons who had not registered on the advanced poll and their names were not on the register, however, they will be able to vote during the general election on September 16.” He is confident the FNM will be re-elected. PLP candidate for East Grand Bahama James Turner was also pleased

Photo: Vandyke Hepburn with the turnout. “I feel good, and I am encouraged by what I see here,” he said. “I am seeing a level of enthusiasm I have not experienced or seen on Grand Bahama in a very long time.” The advanced poll for West Grand Bahama was held at the Eight Mile Rock High School gymnasium. Efforts to reach officials and candidates proved fruitless up to press time.

I’ve heard of one or two of them, but as far as I am aware, the process was well organised and is going smoothly.” Houston Consul General Lynden Rose said all was going well there at the time when he spoke to The Tribune. “Everything is going great,” Mr Rose said. “I don’t have the exact numbers, but so far, before I left, there were about 16 people who voted. We had about 30 people register for the advanced polls and so far about half of them have come in so far. “There was a steady flow because Texas is one of the largest states in America so we are going to have people driving from different places to vote. So I anticipate everyone who has registered would come and take advantage of advanced voting. It will be steady all day. “We had no hiccups during the day. I think Ms Miller and her team, from the Parliamentary Registrar’s office, has been doing

an excellent job so I have no questions that everything will continue to go smoothly for the rest of the day.” Sidney Collie, Bahamian Ambassador to the United States who is based in Washington, also reported smooth sailing with the advanced poll in his area. “The polls opened on time at 8am and (are) scheduled to close at 6pm,” Ambassador Collie reported. “The actual polling division was set up at the consul’s office. I went down to vote at 10am and the voting process seemed very smooth. “The parliamentary team was completely in charge of the voting process, along with the police officers. The numbers while I was there were very light and I suspect everything was fine. I didn’t foresee any problems. “I think in the Washington area there are just over 50 persons registered to vote. It was very quiet, the team was in place and they are proceeding smoothly.”

SOME OVERSEAS BAHAMIAN VOTERS DISENFRANCHISED By TANYA SMITHCARTWRIGHT tsmith-cartwright@ tribunemedia.net A FOREIGN mission official has said all did not go well with the advanced polls overseas leaving some Bahamian voters disenfranchised and possibly unable to vote in this year’s general election. An advanced poll was held yesterday in The Bahamas and also in various countries around the world where there are Bahamian foreign missions. Election workers, senior citizens, military and those living and working abroad were among those eligible to vote in the advanced poll. The Tribune spoke to several heads of Bahamian foreign missions to see how the process went. Linda Mackey, Consul General in Florida, had concerns, not only about some names that were left off the register, but the number of people who were added to the register after the deadline. “We had a few voters who were disenfranchised,” said Ms Mackey. “They were approved to vote but their names were not on the register. “We have concerns about our registry. I was told that Miami’s list was cut off at August 27 and on August

MEMBER and students of Howard University Swim team, from left, Luke Thompson, Gabreille Albury, and Mark Thompson all voted for the first time at the Bahamas Embassy consular annex in Washington DC yesterday. needs to be reconciled. “We had at least 20 more people added and I don’t know where those names came from and there are others who should have been in that initial count whose names are not on the register.” Ms Mackey said she doesn’t know where the breakdown occurred and explained the options given to those whose names were ALICIA Lightbourne drove not registered. from North Carolina to vote for “Atlanta had the same the first time. She said it was issue,” she continued. her civic duty to do so. “There are only two options 28 I was told our number of when you come across a registrants was either 119 or situation like that: either 121. Today it was 140. Per- vote on a yellow ballot or sons who were approved, you have to go to Nassau their names do not appear to vote. For some people on this new registry. That on both, that was not an

option. “I know when I voted this morning (Thursday) just before 11 o’clock there were already two persons who were in that situation. Atlanta had already experienced a few of them as well. “We’re not sure where the breakdown happened, but if you have an approval from the Parliamentary Registration (Department) how can you have an approval and not be on the register is the real question.” Astra Armbrister-Rolle, Consul General in Atlanta, admitted there were some anomalies but said for the most part, things went smoothly. “Well when I came in to vote, and I voted fairly early, the process was quite smooth,” Ms ArmbristerRolle said. “I walked in, was made to sanitise and they made sure that my mask was fitted properly. “There was a lot of space in the office that they were using for the voting so people could keep their distance. The process for me was quite smooth. You would probably know that as heads of mission we’re not supposed to be involved in the process at all. So I cast my vote and then I left the premises. “I’m sure that there are reports of anomalies,

DAVIS: ‘TELLING’ INGRAHAM HASN’T ENDORSED MINNIS By RASHAD ROLLE Tribune Senior Reporter rrolle@tribunemedia.net

PROGRESSIVE Liberal Party leader Philip “Brave” Davis said it is telling that former Prime Minister Hubert Ingraham has endorsed Elizabeth MP Dr Duane Sands for re-election, but not Prime Minister Dr Hubert Minnis. Mr Davis was speaking during a virtual PLP rally last night. He said: “The current Prime Minister seems paralysed, though, by how hard the problems are. I noticed the other day that Hubert Ingraham endorsed one of Minnis’ colleagues – but declined to endorse the Prime Minister. That tells you something, ey? Don’t feel too bad for him – don’t worry – I’m going to rescue him from a job he doesn’t really want, and can’t really do. Because we can’t afford five more years of this – the incompetence, the lack of compassion, the expensive mistakes, the failures and scandals, the government contracts for members of Cabinet. And their girlfriends. And their brothers. And their campaign officials.”

PLP leader Philip ‘Brave’ Davis speaking to a supporter of the FNM yesterday. Photo: Khrisna Russell/Tribune Staff Mr Davis encouraged supporters to vote in the September 16 general election. He said: “We’ve been working together for change – and now it’s only seven days away. Seven days and ‘A New Day’ will dawn in our beautiful country. Seven days until we

leave the confusion and chaos behind – and start on a path to recovery and renewal. “We all know voting is essential to democracy. That’s why so many Bahamians are angry about how this election has been handled. Everywhere I go — and it doesn’t matter where — if I’m Over-the-Hill or in San Sal or Crooked Island or South Eleuthera — everywhere I go young Bahamians are telling me— ‘I want to vote but I didn’t have time to register.’ “A lot of people were caught offguard – they didn’t think Minnis would call a snap election, in the middle of our country’s worst month during this pandemic. In fact he kept telling us that elections were not due until May 2022. And you know what? They think this government deliberately wanted to exclude young Bahamians. They believe the government didn’t give them enough time because they know young people are hungry for change, and this government can only offer them more of the same. So let me say this to all of you who are registered: please vote next week, and please make sure your aunties and cousins and friends vote too.”

Death Notice For

Jane Gregoria Bain, 65 a resident of Gladstone Road, Edgar’s Close, New Providence, Bahamas has peacefully passed away at her residence on Wednesday, September 1st, 2021 surrounded by the love of her immediate family. She is survived by her husband: Elverton H. Bain; children: Elverton G. Bain (Cleopatra Bain), Jedai Bain and Revé Bain; sister: Velma Williams; brother: Ralph Williams; 12 grandchildren, 1 great grandchild, and a host of other relatives and friends. Arrangements are being handled by Rest On Funeral Chapel Limited. Memoiral service will be announced at a later date.

PAGE 6, Friday, September 10, 2021

THE TRIBUNE

The Tribune Limited NULLIUS ADDICTUS JURARE IN VERBA MAGISTRI “Being Bound to Swear to The Dogmas of No Master”

LEON E. H. DUPUCH,

SIR ETIENNE DUPUCH,

jamaaltheartist@gmail.com

Publisher/Editor 1903-1914 Kt., O.B.E., K.M., K.C.S.G., (Hon.) LL.D., D.Litt .

Publisher/Editor 1919-1972 Contributing Editor 1972-1991

EILEEN DUPUCH CARRON,

C.M.G., M.S., B.A., LL.B. Publisher/Editor 1972-

Published daily Monday to Friday

Shirley & Deveaux Streets, Nassau, Bahamas N3207 TELEPHONES

News & General Information Advertising Manager Circulation Department Nassau fax Freeport, Grand Bahama Freeport fax

(242) 322-1986 (242) 502-2394 (242) 502-2386 (242) 328-2398 (242)-352-6608 (242) 352-9348

WEBSITE, TWITTER & FACEBOOK www.tribune242.com

@tribune242

tribune news network

Is it really safe to cast our votes? THEY stood in their thousands yesterday to vote. In the heat. In crowded lines. In the middle of a pandemic. At many places for yesterday’s advanced poll, The Tribune saw people huddled close together to gain entry to voting locations. No matter how many times experts have said we should observe social distancing, people have had to crowd together in order to exercise their simple right as a citizen to vote. And to add to the mix, those who are in quarantine will be able to vote next week – but Minister of Health Renward Wells has not clarified how those people will be able to vote, and what will be done to prevent them mixing in with everyone else. It’s a mess. Neither the election nor the pandemic has come as a surprise. We’ve been dealing with the pandemic for a year and a half, so we knew it was here and that quarantined voters might be an issue. Nothing seems to have been done to resolve it and here we are scrambling at the last minute to find a safe way to vote. The election itself was called after months of speculation, so there was ample time to find solutions before now. Instead, here we are with people queuing for hours in the sun closely packed next to others who may or may not have the virus – but these are conditions only offering COVID a chance to spread. The cost of it all will be seen a couple of weeks after the election, when the virus has developed in others and the already overloaded hospitals will have to deal with the consequences. Despite that, National Security Minister Marvin Dames only admitted to “kinks” with yesterday’s process, while saying he expects things to run smoothly next week. Mr Wells, meanwhile, said yesterday that “during this election, we’re treating everyone who comes to the poll as if they are COVID positive”. Really, Minister? Is that why there was little social distancing to be seen at a number of locations? If you’re assuming everyone is COVID positive, then that means you’re looking on as the virus spreads. It looks increasingly like there’s going to be no guidance at all and people who are supposed to be in quarantine will just line up alongside everyone else. Is that it, Minister? Or would you like to clarify the position with election day next week? Other solutions could have been worked out. Proxy voting, mail-in voting, drop box voting, all of those might have been options for people in

quarantine – if it had been worked out sooner. People could have been confirmed to have been in quarantine and as a result able to vote in another manner. Why didn’t we? Were voting rights so easily overlooked? Don’t rely on others to keep you safe when you go to vote next week. Take water to drink, take sanitiser, take masks and do your best to keep your distance. Take your safety into your own hands – and don’t be afraid to ask police officers at polling stations to play a part in keeping people distanced. At every election, we urge people to use their votes wisely. This time, act wisely when you cast your vote too, and stay safe.

Government silence

There has been a pattern recently with court cases involving the government. The court sets a deadline for the government to act – most notably this has happened in immigration cases where the government has been given a deadline to present its case over why detainees were held. The deadline arrives, and the government has nothing to present. The other side wins the case, and off they go. In the case reported today on our front page and in the business section, the result is that residents in central Eleuthera may have their water cut off this afternoon. The government was given until today to respond to a proposal for a new contract for the company operating the reverse osmosis plant there to continue. That ruling came in a court case last month, in which Supreme Court Justice Indra Charles said the company was entitled to terminate its deal – but gave a stay of execution until today for both sides to work out their differences. The government reportedly owes that company $1.6m across all the plants it operates. But after offering a proposal, all the company has received is silence. The company, Aqua Design, said that barring any change in position by the Water and Sewerage Corporation – which would mean a change this morning – it will cease production of water at the plant. It should be a simple matter. There’s a bill. It should be paid. Without payment, the company is not obliged to keep working. Is silence really the best answer the government can give? And what answer will it give residents who have no water after 2.30pm today? They have done nothing wrong, and absolutely don’t deserve to be caught in the middle.

All packed close in on Bahamasair EDITOR, The Tribune.

THE following was sent to my iPhone today that I thought might interest your readers. The letter writer said: My observations from my trip last week to my other home in Florida, 85 per cent of the people are wearing masks. I was surprised by the number of old people that were not. (Guess they felt lucky). Social distancing was maintained in all stores and areas until I got on Bahamasair coming home and

LETTERS letters@tribunemedia.net we were packed in like sardines. I was in seat 9D. Upon leaving the plane I turned around and from the wings down all seats were empty of passengers. I thought how odd that they would pack us all to the front of the plane when the whole back was empty. Well, at Customs I saw a woman get off with what

looked like all her household furnishings. Huge boxes with chairs and I guess couches, etc. So whoever this woman was obviously had enough pull to put so much weight into the luggage section of the plane that to balance it we had to all cram into the front! Like, seriously, imagine risking all our lives being jammed together for someone’s home goods? JUST CURIOUS Nassau September 9, 2021.

Extraordinary death total EDITOR, The Tribune. EXTRAORDINARY number of deaths Bahamas/COVID Statistics are readily available online. Pre COVID in 2009 the USA had 790 deaths per 100,000 citizens. If you pro rata this statistic to The Bahamas with our population

of 400,000 we should have 3,160 deaths per year. This equates to 61 people dying per week in Thursday’s enormous obituaries section of The Tribune there are 189 recorded deaths this week. In one week we have 128 more deaths than we should have!

Citizens of the Bahamas who are reluctant or refusing the vaccine are taking an insane risk with their own lives. Why die if you don’t have to? Frankly it’s madness.

It is a disgrace and a disgrace to tourists in Zimbabwe who want the country to prosper and face such challenges. The sad thing is that the Zimbabwean government has taken action today because they have met a smart person but there are people who are constantly being robbed of their money by officials unannounced. This is the time for the whole world to see the

corruption perpetrated by the Zimbabwean government because immigration officials work with the government. President Emmerson Mnangagwa and his reckless and irresponsible ZANU PF government should be removed from power by all means necessary to end the corruption.

THE REALIST Nassau, September 9, 2021.

Corruption in Zimbabwe EDITOR, The Tribune.

SADLY, the Kenyan national who goes by the name African Tigress visited Zimbabwe for tourism on the 31 August 2021. At the Robert Mugabe International Airport, the immigration officials threatened her with deportation unless she gave them something. It is obvious that many people are being deprived of their money by immigration officials.

KUDZAI CHIKOWORE London, England September 1, 2021.

THE TRIBUNE

Friday, September 10, 2021, PAGE 7

‘Assault by police left me ruined’ from page one Dale Gibson, Jr, Chavette Strachan and Kenton Fines said they were handcuffed, beaten and fish-bagged after police arrested them in connection with an armed robbery and shooting incident that occurred at the C and AA Service Station in Palmetto Point, Eleuthera in January 2018. The trio were later released from police custody without being charged. However, they were told that the time had expired for their matter to be addressed by the Royal Bahamas Police Force, despite the timely complaints that they had made. Now, they are seeking

damages for the inhumane treatment they alleged they endured while being detained. When he was cross-examined yesterday, Mr Gibson told the court that he sought medical treatment at Rock Sound Clinic the day after he was released from custody because he had bruises all over his hands, neck, legs and feet after officers “bagged” him and hit him in his side and back. He also said when he was released from custody, his “breathing was not as healthy” as before. “The police didn’t ask if I had a health problem or anything, they just proceeded with all of their abuse,” he said. “One of my lungs was punctured

when I was 19 after I got robbed and somebody take my chain and stabbed me up. I had lung problems after that and I had a training tube to learn how to breathe again because my lungs were filled with blood.” Mr Gibson said while he “always had breathing problems”, they were never as “severe” before the alleged attack by police. “That whole week my chest was hurting,” he continued. “All along it didn’t hurt, it just gave a little sharp sticking, but after that, it was hurting. It was a real sharp sticking in my chest then. I also complained (to the doctor) about my neck, ribs and back — all the spots that

they hit me. He gave me a prescription for painkillers and then marked all the spots that were bruised and injured.” Mr Gibson said his reputation has been tarnished as a result of the officers’ actions, causing him to suffer financial and relationship loss. He said he was formerly a private home caretaker with multiple sources of income, but after his arrest he lost all of his “extra jobs”. “I had more sources of income before this incident, but after I get into all of these problems the people tell me they don’t want no thieves to work for them,” he explained. “Everybody let me go, except my aunty and I lost two contracts of

the yards on the side of her house.” He added: “I lose my wife too and all her family (because) they told me they don’t want to have nothing to do with no thieves, so I lose everything. I ain’t just lose my job, I lose everything. They post (the allegations) online and everybody look at me as a thief after that. Ain’t nobody wanted to give me no job.” It was then suggested to him that he had not suffered any damage to his reputation or financial loss as a result of being arrested. Mr Gibson said he would have to “disagree” with that assertion because when he tried to regain his clientele after the incident, he was turned away.

Mr Fines is the third person who alleged police beat him and poured hot sauce in his eyes while he was in custody. He was also scheduled to give evidence during yesterday’s proceedings, however, his attorney, Fred Smith, QC, said he wanted the Crown’s defence “struck out” before he allowed his client to take the stand. Mr Smith argued that the Crown’s failure to make discovery denied Mr Fines the opportunity to properly prepare for his trial. Justice Loren Klein said he would deliver his ruling on Mr Smith’s application after he reviewed the submissions from both sides. The matter is set to resume on November 29.

IMMIGRATION OFFICERS ADD TO DISPUTES from page one

“What happened today was not orchestrated by the union,” Mr Brooks explained. “This is something that the officers did. For the most part the officers called in sick because they are mentally, physically and emotionally fatigued. “From what we know the officers are frustrated because they are not being treated well. One of their major issues is that they

see other law enforcement agencies having promotion exercises but the Immigration Department has been neglected. The last major exercise was in 2015 and before that it was in 2008 so basically those exercises were few and far apart by comparison. Shortly after 9am I received a call saying that there were two immigration officers at Lynden Pindling International Airport; two senior officers at Grand Bahama International Airport; two

officers at West End; three at Freeport Harbour; three or four officers at headquarters in Freeport; hardly anyone at Hawkins Hill in Nassau; three officers in Bimini and across The Bahamas in general officers just did not show up for duty today.” He explained the reason for the action. “Because of the sick-out the government was unable to collect any government funds in the office today in Freeport because the account section was also

The Public Hospitals Authority (PHA) later issued a press release which said PHA remains open to talks with the union on outstanding issues. It added that a proposed industrial agreement between it and BPSU was approved by PHA’s board of directors in May and a draft Cabinet paper relative to this was submitted to the Ministry of Health for further action on June 15. When asked about the union’s next move after this revelation, Mr Ferguson was tightlipped. However, he expressed doubts that Cabinet would take so long to sign off on a proposal. “This is September and no Cabinet paper takes that

long,” he said. “I’m of the view that (the) government did not intend to give salary increases and I think that (the) government is using union busting tactics with a view to recursing our industrial agreements to expire, noting that these agreements will not be able to be registered and then hence unenforceable. And the union is not about to allow that to happen as these persons are a significant part of what keeps the machinery of this country going.” On Wednesday, Mr Ferguson warned there could be major disruption in hospital and airport services if workers’ longstanding concerns are not immediately resolved.

GOVT ‘UNION BUSTING’ By EARYEL BOWLEG Tribune Staff Reporter ebowleg@tribunemedia.net

BAHAMAS Public Services Union president Kimsley Ferguson believes the government is using “union busting tactics” over a stalled industrial agreement for his members. On Wednesday, BPSU members demonstrated outside Princess Margaret Hospital citing unfair promotion practices, outstanding industrial agreements and other unresolved grievances. Mr Ferguson said they were there for “the myriad of concerns” at the Public Hospital Authority and the Airport Authority.

‘WE’LL HELP POOR, MAKE WEALTHY PAY FAIR SHARE’ By EARYEL BOWLEG Tribune Staff Reporter ebowleg@tribunemedia.net FORMER Attorney General and Progressive Liberal Party Fort Charlotte candidate Alfred Sears said if elected his party will move towards a progressive tax system, reducing the burden on the poor and asking the wealthy to pay their “fair share”. “The Progressive Liberal Party is saying, and this is for the first time in our independent country, we need to develop a progressive form of taxation and it’s already committed to corporate tax,” he said. His comments came during a guest appearance on radio show The Revolution with Juan McCartney earlier this week. “It will be engaging in widespread consultation to see how we could right size the system of taxation and move away from this inequitable tax regime that we

have,” Mr Sears said. “What is interesting about the tax regime that we have is that we have ring fenced our foreign investment primarily in The Bahamas because as you know the large hotels, I mean, they don’t pay the taxes Bahamians pay. They get incentives. They get concessions and... they also get subsidies.” Mr Sears spoke about some of the economic reforms included in the party’s blueprint. The PLP has pledged to reduce VAT to 10 percent and “transform the tax system to make it more equitable and progressive, and to encourage national growth and prosperity”. Mr Sears stated the reduction of VAT is calculated to increase consumer demand where people would have more money to spend with local merchants. The party’s blueprint also calls for existing taxes to be recouped and says the

PLP will “ensure high-end properties pay their real property tax”. Mr Sears talked about the importance of this tax. He explained: “Real property tax, it is a highly under taxed area especially with high value real estate and I have some clients some of whom are within that category and they recognise, they love The Bahamas, that’s why they’re here and they recognise that roads must be maintained, hospitals need to be maintained and a new hospital built. “They are prepared to pay their fair share, so when you read the reduction of value added tax, which is a consumption tax where the people who work on homes are paying the same tax as we are, that is clearly not progressive. That’s clearly not sustainable, so tied with the reduction of value added tax is increasing immediately the real property tax.”

DAVIS WANTS POLICE PROBE OF FAKE DOCUMENTS AN attorney for Progressive Liberal Party leader Philip “Brave” Davis has written to Commissioner of Police Paul Rolle requesting an investigation into “scandalous” and “defamatory” documents circulated on social media this week. “In the midst of the current campaign, it has come to our client’s attention that certain scandalous and defamatory documents . . . are being spread throughout social media,” Owen Wells of McKinney Turner & Co wrote. On Tuesday, documents were spread on social media naming Mr Davis, his wife and a PLP

supporter and containing purported bank statements. Some of the bank statements misspelled Mr Davis’ wife’s first name. The documents alleged Mr Davis was under a US Federal Bureau of Investigation probe for alleged acts while he was minister of works. “It is our clients’ view that the false and malicious attack on their character is intended/designed to influence undecided voters and to impact the outcome of the general election,” Mr Wells wrote. He said the false documents represent a breach of the Penal Code and requested a police

investigation to determine who created the documents and disseminated them online. He said his clients want police to take the necessary steps to prosecute those responsible for criminal libel or any other appropriate charges after an investigation. On Tuesday night, Mr Davis denounced the fake documents. At the time, he said he had reported the matter to the US Embassy in Nassau which promised to investigate. A US Embassy official later said the documents “do not appear to be authentic US government documents”.

affected,” he said. “As it stands now several of the latter squads in particular have some issues. “They are long overdue for confirmations and promotions. For example, when you join the civil service, about 12 months after you are on the job you get an employment confirmation letter. In Customs and Immigration after your second or third year, the most, you transition into the next rank. That has not been happening for those latter squads.

“Officers from Abaco, Bimini and Grand Bahama that are in the 2014 squad have not even gotten confirmation letters yet. Similarly, officers from 2016 and 2017 have experienced some of the same things. “The union has attributed this to bad leadership from the director of immigration. While he was not around when some of these squads joined the civil service, the union is of the view that he could have done more to bring resolution and closure to these issues.

“The officers are also very concerned because there are no proper detention facilities to house detainees that are COVID positive. “The health and safety of customs and immigration (officers) is paramount. We lost an immigration officer in April of this year who was stationed at the South Bimini airport and we lost a customs officer in Grand Bahama to COVID-19.” Mr Brooks could not say if the sick-out will continue today.

BAHAMAS Public Service Union president Kimsley Ferguson.

PAGE 8, Friday, September 10, 2021

THE TRIBUNE LONG lines at CI Gibson Senior High Shool polling station. Photo: Donovan McIntosh/ Tribune Staff

It’s the silly season - but dead voters? THIS may be the “silliest” of “silly seasons’’ in the history of our nation. If you listen to the multiple “attack adds” “fake news” and “conspiracy theories’’ on multiple social media platforms, produced by multiple political parties, both big and small. One could easily end up in a serious state of depression in regards to the next administration for our nation. As tensions heighten leading down the home stretch and toward the

A Comic’s View

By INIGO ‘NAUGHTY’ ZENICAZELAYA

finish line on September 16th it’s clear we as a nation and voting populous must take a step back, exhale and remember we all go back to being Bahamians on September 17th and the global

COVID-19 pandemic will still be looming over us all despite who the next administration is. In fact, we should all have a good laugh at ourselves for some of the political

Graveside Service for LORENE JANETT WILMORE, 74 of Kent Drive, Coral Harbour, will be held on Tuesday, September 14th, 2021, at Lakeview Gardens & Mausoleum, John F. Kennedy Drive. Officiating will be Rev. R. E. Cooper Jr. Due to current Government regulations in respect of Covid-19, masks and physical distancing are required. Graveside attendance is limited to thirty (30) persons. Left to honor her memory are her Daughter: Schvonne; Son: Christian; Sisters: Judy Miller, Karen Miller-Crean (Anthony), and Jacquelyn Forbes-Miller; Brother: Rayoul Miller; Nephews: Ajayi Miller (Latamara), Ryan Johnson, Jarvis and Jeremy Miller, and Lyndon Saunders; Niece: Janae Celestin; Grand-nieces: Di’yaja, Najah, Qoliyah Miller, and Laytriona Drone; Grandnephews: Andrew and Jamar Miller; Relatives & Friends: May Rolle & Family, Tricie Winder & Family, Carrie Winder & Family, Lou Deleveaux & Family, Jenny Hinsey & Family, Betty Miller-Russell, Valderine Miller, Roosevelt and Basil Wilmore, Ethel Rolle, Shannon Dames & Family, Ruthie Newbold & Family, Alpheus Finlayson, Briciemae Gibson, Sis. Mary Godet, Suzanne Mackey and Family, Cora Hepburn, Dorinda Forbes, The Coral Lights, Katie Smith and Family, Mr. Frederick Brown & family, Mr. Randy Cunningham & Family, Mr. Barry Wilmott & Family, Vernita Rolle, Verna May McKenzie, Cyprianna McDonald, Fanny & John Pletka, Rev. R. E. Cooper Jr. & Family, Jacqueline Hepburn, Lashan Ferguson, Evanneth Johnson and the former staff of World Executive Travel, Alpheus Finlayson, Oncology Department Princess Margaret Hospital, Mission Baptist Church, Carmichael Community Bible Church, and Carmichael Bible Church. May Her Soul Rest in Peace! Friends may pay their last respects at Bethel Brothers Morticians & Crematorium, #44 Nassau Street, on Monday September 13th from 10:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.

foolishness and numerous conspiracy theories (later proven to be false) some among us have swallowed hook line and sinker.

‘THE DEAD VOTE’

Recently there have been numerous reports regarding “dead persons” on the fixed ballot potentially voting. I would just like to remind all the potential “dead voters” that before you think about voting for any local political party, take into account the plight of The Dead Democrat Voters of America (DDVOA). A staple of the Democratic Party since the days of Kennedy, the DDVOA has been instrumental in the party’s success, allowing the Dems to continually undermine Republican ideals like fiscal responsibility, individual bootstrapping, and acceptable forms of hate speech.

Surely US President Biden cannot continue to forget about the hundreds of thousands of deceased voters who provided him with victories in such key states like Pennsylvania, Georgia, Michigan, and Arizona. Thanks to recent accounts from Gypsy princess, Ethelinda Esmerelda, a psychic medium to the stars, who had a counsel with some of Biden’s deceased supporters via Zoom and a Ouija board. Finally the world would be able to get in a first hand account from deceased voters like Sarah Bethingham, a Montgomery County, PA resident who died of typhoid in 1922 and voted for Joe Biden in 2020. “When other spirits told me Biden was going to finally give me the representation I deserve, which included healthcare for my pre-existing condition and access to a Netflix account,

Death Notice For

Jane Gregoria Bain, 65 a resident of Gladstone Road, Edgar’s Close, New Providence, Bahamas has peacefully passed away at her residence on Wednesday, September 1st, 2021 surrounded by the love of her immediate family. She is survived by her husband: Elverton H. Bain; children: Elverton G. Bain (Cleopatra Bain), Jedai Bain and Revé Bain; sister: Velma Williams; brother: Ralph Williams; 12 grandchildren, 1 great grandchild, and a host of other relatives and friends. Arrangements are being handled by Rest On Funeral Chapel Limited. Memorial service will be announced at a later date.

I thought, ‘eh, why not? I’ve heard good things about The Crown.’ But here I am, a year later, and I still don’t know what happened to Queen Elizabeth.” Then there’s the case of Bernard James a ghost who is currently stuck haunting The Kennesaw House in Savannah, Georgia that is home to seven hundred other spirits. For the last ten elections, Democrats have promised us that we would finally be able to relocate. But then the results come in, and we don’t even get a thank you. I was promised a house by the Chesapeake and an Instagram account dammit.” I will leave you local “poltergeist” to decide amongst yourselves as to who your next PM and government will be. I’m off to debunk the other bit of hot fake news, you know the one about ‘secret apartments’ in the ballot boxes.

‘LET YOUR CONSCIENCE BE YOUR GUIDE’

Until next week, we amongst the living all know about politicians who make sweeping campaign promises with no intention to follow through once elected. We also know supporters of local political parties will regurgitate anything to promote their party and influence voters. Consider the source in regards to all the noise in the market. Quietly examine any literature produced by the various parties and vote for the one that resonates best with you. Your choice is personal and your vote is between you and God. All the proper election safeguards as far as voting and a fair election and election process are in place. Additionally all the proper social distancing protocols will be in place as if all voters had tested positive for COViD -19. There is no reason for you not to be able to vote, so exercise your right respectfully, quietly and most important wisely.

THE TRIBUNE

Friday, September 10, 2021, PAGE 9

PASSING the baton - descendants of former Bahamian political leaders who took up the profession include Sir Milo Butler and granddaughter Loretta Butler-Turner, Sir Orville Turnquest and Tommy Turnquest, Sir Roland Symonette and Brent Symonette, Sir Arthur Foulkes and Dion Foulkes, and AD Hanna and Glenys Hanna Martin.

Why do so few Bahamian families stay in politics? MANY years ago, a very well-known politician cum head of a major sporting body said he was getting out, leaving the public spotlight. I asked him quietly in a social setting one evening, “Why? Why when you are at the top of your game, everyone knows your name, you can travel anywhere, get an audience with anyone, why leave now and kiss it all goodbye?” “Do you know how much it cost me to give up private practice and do this?” he answered, treating the word ‘this’ with such disdain it left a taste like rotten tomatoes. Never having been a politician, head of a sports organisation or an attorney, I answered no, no idea what it cost. I thought politicians made money given the headlines we read. Anyway, days after that conversation, the man did as he predicted he would. He vanished from the public eye, presumably returned to a more lucrative private life, and several years later, died and was buried with little fanfare. But I always remembered what he said because it turned what we all think on its ear – don’t politicians get

By Diane Phillips

richer, not poorer? Doesn’t holding public office lead to better offers after you leave office? Don’t Cabinet ministers always seem to gain weight? OK, the last question was a bit snarly (though it feels true enough). But if you dive deep enough into the man who chose anonymity over headlines, it is at minimum a partial explanation for why, in The Bahamas, we can only point to a handful of families with more than one person who has held office. The recent state funeral for AD Hanna was a stark reminder of the rarity of political legacy passed from one generation to the next. The even more recent attention to the wealth among candidates re-awakened interest. The ups and downs of financial worth can also be misleading. Sure, increase in wealth

of someone holding office could be linked to the obvious, though it could also be connected to success in business. For everyone out there thinking whoever is penning these words is a Pollyanna, it happens. That is not to say that some may not have not benefitted from contracts, but hinting that everyone gained as a direct result of MP-ism is unjust.

HOSTAGE TO MICROSCOPIC SCRUTINY In fact, wealth may be among the least important of causes in politics as to why the dearth of desire to carry on the legacy created by a family forebear. In a small society where everyone knows everyone or everyone knows someone

who knows everyone, what would it take to find leaders who want to serve knowing they will be held hostage to public scrutiny and microscopic negative social media blasting? Is that why so few Bahamian families pass the will to serve in a public office from generation to generation? Law firms are packed with fathers and sons or daughters who follow in their footsteps. One prominent family has produced four offspring in the medical field. Retail and wholesale are generational jobs in waiting for those who want to pick up the hours and hard work. But not leadership in politics. Depending on the outcome of the September 16 election, there may be only one individual carrying on the family tradition until appointments are made. If the PLP wins and Glenys Hanna Martin holds on to her seat, she would be the only descendant of recent political history to do so. If the FNM succeeds and continues to be the majority party, and Dion and Michael Foulkes hold on as senator and MP respectively, and Carl Bethel is

again appointed Senator, there could be three individuals with a direct family history to the leaders who shaped this nation. You can name the families whose offspring picked up the baton passed by their ancestors - Sir Milo Butler to Loretta Butler-Turner, Sir Roland Symonette to RH ‘Bobby’ Symonette and to Brent Symonette, Sir Orville Turnquest to Tommy Turnquest, Sir Arthur Foulkes to Dion (Senator) and to Michael Foulkes, MP and AD Hanna to Glenys Hanna Martin. It is hard to overlook the reality that each of those who has carried on the family banner in leadership was the son or daughter (or granddaughter in the case of Loretta Butler-Turner) of someone who was knighted and while Glenys Hanna Martin was an outlier, remember her late father was offered a knighthood and declined. Is there something to that status that breeds a greater sense of responsibility to serve, to lead, to carry on the family’s position and place in history? Does The Bahamas, in fact, have a

small but powerful reserve of noblesse oblige? There are thousands of last names in The Bahamas and only five whose sons or daughters have followed in the footprint of history, sought, won and held political office. Compare that to other countries, even to the state of Florida where it seems they only have to change the first initial on many signs identifying mayoral, congressional and senatorial seats. So why is political office not more attractive to leading families of The Bahamas? Is there too little reward, not just financially which we already know, but intrinsically? Is there too much to lose and too little to gain? Is it because the job has a recent history of being so temporary with no guarantee the contract will be renewed and no advance information about when that contract date may be up? Somehow, there is a sadness about a nation with so much potential and so few with a history of courage willing to take a chance at leading, guiding and maybe even shaping its destiny.

Graveside Service For Gervaise “Dollar Bill” Charles Anderson 34 of Odle Corner, will be held on Thursday September 14, 2021 at WoodLawn Gardens , Soldier Road at 11:00 a.m. Officiating will be Rev. Cecil Newbold, assisted by Rev. Kelli Jolly and other ministers. Left to mourn his passing are, Parents: Edward Anderson and Leanda & Destri Colebrook Sr.; Children: Gervaise (Boyo), Gerkaiya & Giovanni Anderson; Brothers: Gerzario and Jamal Anderson, & Destri Colebrook Jr.; Sister: Gerxanya (Dai Dai) Colebrook; Niece: Nazaria (Itzie) Anderson; Nephew: Erin Anderson; Grandparents: Cecil & Vernie Newbold; Aunts: Tiska (Reno) Armaly, Deborah Anderson, JamiaNewbold, Tirihia Roker Landry, Nadia Bain, Elenor Williams, Beverley Miller, Marion (Andrew) Astwood, Deborah Jones; Uncles: Antonio Bodie, Romeo, Cecil & Jamal Newbold, Fredrick (Lawonda) Anderson, David Williams; Godchild: Ar’Tha Johnson, Nathaniel Hart Jr., Genesis Wallace Jr., Gerald Jr.; Cousins: Tafari Thompson, Alana & Aquini Zoncile, Giovanna, Alleyne, Jenny, Clarice & Darelle Taylor, Gretchen Forbes, Patrick Kelly, Cleo McKenzie, Andrew, Andera, Andero Astwood, Andrecia Taylor, Samantha, Adderley, Cordero, Deanza, Omar, Dominique, Frederick Jr., Fredericka, Rochelle & Fredrick Wildgoose, Apryll Williams, CheaBethel, Dr. Thomas & Nakia Smith, Joyvone Wilson & Kimberly Williams; Grandaunts: Elosie Cooper, Maria Roberts, Cynthia Taylor, Irene Ramsey, Rudy & Florence, McDonald, Thelma Stubbs, Cessarina Culmer, Alcie Bannister, Joyce & Margaret McDonald; Granduncles: Rubben (Linda) McDonald, Leacher Newbold, Eulond (Andrea) & Wilson Kelly, Reginald, Gregory & Huey Edgecombe; Godparents: Doyle (Sharlene) Bethel, Wayde (Dominique) Swann, Mathew Sweeting, Anthony Fisher, Ricardo Adderley, James Bastian, Sophia (Andrew) Hunter, Caliope (Dwight) Bootle, Marsha Major, Anamae Flowers. Other Friends & Relatives: Davanna Mitchell, Bennis Toussaint, Jenny, AJ Myron, Junior, Cordero, Jaso, TJ, N.J, R.J, Dinkey, Leonise, Racheal, Yolanda, Sirlyndrea, Sydney, Cassell Higgs, & Family, Cyprianna Cleare, Christine Dorvil, Rosella Taylor, Rev. Cecil Newbold, Wesley Methodist Church MCCA, Thelma Gibson Women’s Group, Island Wholesale, The Saxons Off Shoulder Dancers Junkanoo Group, Bishop Delton Fernander & the New Destiny Family, Joy Sargent, Aldeka Thompson, Tomico Collie, Rickisha Fernander & the entire Odle Corner Family. Viewing will be held in the Legacy Suite of Vaughn O. Jones Memorial Center, Mt. Royal Avenue and Talbot Street on Monday from 11:00 am to 5:00 pm.

SPORTS

PAGE 11

FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 10, 2021

Thomas seventh in the Diamond League Final By BRENT STUBBS Senior Sports Reporter bstubbs@tribunemedia.net

GRAND Bahamian Donald Thomas, the lone Bahamian competing in the World Athletics’ Wanda Diamond League Final, didn’t fare that well in the men’s high jump on Thursday at the Weltklasse, Zurich. The 37-year-old multiple Bahamian national champion finished at the bottom of the seven-man field with a leap of 7-feet, 4 1/4-inches or 2.24 metres. Italy’s Gianmarco Tamberi, who shared the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games’ gold medal with Mutam Essa Barshim from Qatar, won the Diamonds League title with 7-8 (2.34m). Andry Protsenko of the Ukraine was second with a season’s best of 7-6 1/2 (2.30m) and Iiya Ivanyuk, an Authorised Neutral Athlete, was third with the same height, but more knockdowns on the countback. Thomas, the 2007 world champion who has won a medal at just about every international meet except the Olympic Games, came into the Diamond League Final with a season’s best of 7-5 ¾ (2.28m) and a lifetime achievement of 7-9 ¼ (2.37m). Thomas didn’t advance to the finals in Tokyo. The Diamond League Final is the culmination of a series of 14 of the best invitational athletics meetings around the world. Athletes generate points in order to qualify in their various disciplines at the end of the competition. The Diamond League, which got

started in 2010, began this year in Gateshead, Great Britain on May 23. It followed with events in Doha (May 28th), Rome (June 10th), Oslo (July 1st), Stockholm (July 4th), Monaco (July 9th), London (July 13th), Eugene, Oregon (August 21st), Lausanne, Switzerland (August 26th), Paris, France (August 28th) and Brussel, Belgium (September 3rd). Thomas, a perennial contender in the Diamond League Final, went into the Zurich final yesterday in seventh place with 14 points in four meets. Ivanyuk was the leader with 27 in four meets as well. Protsenko was second with 23 in four meets, while Tamberi was third with 16 in three meets. For his efforts, Thomas pocketed $1,000 as opposed to Tamberi’s hefty $30,000 for his victory. No other Bahamian accumulated sufficient points in order to secure a spot in this year’s Wanda Diamond League Final. Both Steven Gardiner and Shaunae Miller-Uibo, coming off their gold medal performances in the men and women’s 400 metres at the Olympics in Tokyo, competed in sufficient meets in order to qualify. Due to the surge in Covid-19, their competitions were limited mainly to the United States, expect for the Olympics Games. Miller-Uibo, along with Tonique Williams, are the only Bahamians to win a Diamond League Final, both coming in the women’s 400m. Williams and Gardiner are also the only two Bahamians to win both the World Championships and Olympic titles in the same event.

DONALD Thomas in action. (File photo)

GSSSA WILL STILL HOLD ELECTION OF OFFICERS By BRENT STUBBS Senior Sports Reporter bstubbs@tribunemedia.net

RETURNING TO FRANCE: Dominick Bridgewater

DOMINICK BRIDGEWATER SET FOR RETURN TO FRANCE’S NM2 LEAGUE By RENALDO DORSETT Tribune Sports Reporter rdorsett@tribunemedia.net DOMINICK Bridgewater is set to return to France’s NM2 League for a second stint with Sapela Basket 13. A member of the FOSSur-Mer Byers of the Pro B League, the team placed Bridgewater on loan to Sapela Basket 13 last offseason when he made his NM2 League debut. He averaged 16.7 points and 10.4 assists per game with three double double in four games. The first Bahamian to sign a professional basketball contract straight out of high school, Bridgewater spent his first season as a member of

the club’s Epoirs (Junior League – U21). In 28 games, he averaged 15.7 points, 4.1 assists and 4.2 rebounds per game. After a promising start to his second season in the U21 ranks, was made eligible to the A roster with a call up to participate in the LNB Pro B Leaders Cup. At the time of his call up, Bridgewater dominated the NM3 league at 23.7 points and 7.5 assists per game. Following his stint with Sapela, Bridgewater joined the Byers’ Pro B roster for a brief callup for the first time in his career. He appeared in three games in limited minutes and made his SEE PAGE 12

ALTHOUGH they are forced to suspend all afterschool sporting activities with schools on virtual classes, the Government Secondary Schools Sports Association is still looking at holding its election of officers. The GSSSA held their annual general meeting on Wednesday when it was agreed that because there are no in-person classes, their after school sports will have to remain on hold for another year. But incumbent president Varel Davis said the GSSSA agreed that they will still hold their election of officers in about two weeks, once the country has completed the general election. “I will be seeking reelection for the president post,” said Davis, who was first elected as the GSSSA president in 2015 and re-elected. “This position is not an easy one but through God’s grace and mercy I was able to accomplish a lot.” Davis, a physical education teacher at the CH Reeves Secondary High School, thanked her family, the Principals Association, her GSSSA executive team and its members and her coworkers at CH Reeves for their assistance and support over the past years. This will mark the second year of no sporting activities for the GSSSA after all sporting activities were halted in the country in March, 2020 when the coronavirus pandemic started to spread.

hopefully to start in the second semester of the school year in January. She indicated that softball, baseball, track and field and soccer with protocols In place would be their priority sports. “We know that this all depends on if the virus is under control and we are able to get back to school face to face,” she stressed. “We are hopeful and praying things will get better for our kids’ sake. “It’s been very tough for some of athletes last year especially those ones who were trying to get scholarships. “We just hoping that we could get sports started.”

Staff

GSSSA president Varel Davis.

But Davis said she’s optimistic that things will turn around. “We were hoping that we would be able to start this term since we haven’t engaged in any sports last year,” Davis said. “We do understand the health and safety for all is very important. “We are optimistic that

if not this term hopefully next term we would be able to engage in after school sports. We will put a plan together.” Once the general elections are held on Thursday, September 16, Davis said the GSSSA will be applying to the government for the return of after-school sports,

There’s been no new changes in the various sporting departments at the schools, but there was one addition with Bradley Cooper Jr, a graduate of the University of the Bahamas, joining the staff at RM Bailey Secondary High. Davis said the GSSSA will continue to pray that things will get better so “we could open up schools face to face” and “get back to do what we love to do as coaches, which is to coach. “We miss it and the students miss it as well.” In addition to serving as the GSSSA president, Davis is also a coach for the Bahamas Basketball Federation’s National Junior Girls team. The married mother of two boys, who also play basketball, is a former senior women’s national team point guard.

PAGE 12, Friday, September 10, 2021

DOMINICK BRIDGEWATER SET FOR RETURN TO FRANCE’S NM2 LEAGUE

THE TRIBUNE

Davis set for professional basketball debut in Spain’s LEB Silver League By RENALDO DORSETT Tribune Sports Reporter rdorsett@tribunemedia.net

FROM PAGE 11 debut with four points and three assists. Domnick Bridgewater’s season in France’s NM3 League came to an early end due to COVID-19, but he received the call-up for another promotion in the For-Sur-Mer Provence basketball system. Also in French basketball, veteran forward Jaraun “Kino” Burrows made his debut with St. Thomas Basket Le Havre Nationale Masculine 1 (NM1) League. Burrows scored 19 in a 105 - 83 preseason win over Rueil AC. Burrows followed with 10 in a 76-71 loss to Rouen MB. Last season, Burrows completed his second stint with the FOS ProvenceBasket Byers of the LNB Pro B League. In 11 games, he averaged 6.1 points and 3.5 rebounds per game en route to the Byers claiming the league championship and receiving a promotion to JEEP Elite Pro A for the second time in club history. Prior to his time with the Byers, Burrows was with another LNB Pro B club, Aix-Maurienne Savoie. In 22 games with the club, he averaged 13.8 points, 5.8 rebounds, 2.9 assists, and 1.3 steals per game. He was also named League Player of the Week twice. Burrows first signed with the Byers in April 2017 for a late-season playoff run. In 12 games, he averaged 10.7 points, four rebounds and three assists in just over 25 minutes per game and the team reached the Pro B semifinals. In 2018, in his first full season with the club, Burrows averaged 13.9 points on 61.5 percent shooting from the field and 5.1 rebounds in just over 25 minutes per game. He helped the club to a French LNB Pro B title and was granted promotion to Pro A for the first time in club history. The 6’8”, 220-pound veteran forward’s career has also included stops in Sweden, Finland, Eastern Europe and South America.

STOKES OUT, MILLS IN FOR ENGLAND’S T20 WORLD CUP SQUAD LONDON (AP) — Ben Stokes was left out and fast bowler Tymal Mills brought back by England for its Twenty20 World Cup squad on Thursday. Stokes is taking an indefinite break from cricket to manage his mental health and recover from a finger he broke in April. He came back in July to captain a scratch England team to a remarkable 3-0 win over Pakistan while the senior players were isolating during a coronavirus outbreak. His absence is a blow to England’s chances of adding the 20-over world title to the 50-over world title he helped them win in 2019. England has until Oct. 10 to finalise its 15-man squad and coach Chris Silverwood said this week he’ll leave it as late as possible to check on Stokes’ availability for the tournament next month in the United Arab Emirates and Oman. But if he changes his mind, he is not expected to be included unless there’s an injury. Meanwhile, Mills was included despite last playing for England in February 2017. He’s effectively in for Jofra Archer, who is out for the year after elbow surgery. Mills has helped Sussex reached the T20 Blast final, and the Southern Brave win the inaugural Hundred. “He has all the skills to succeed at this level,” Silverwood said in a statement “His exceptional pace is a standout, and the way he has spearheaded Sussex and Southern Brave’s respective attacks in the short-form game has shown that he relishes the pressures of the big stage. We can’t wait to see him play in a major international tournament.”

RADSHAD DAVIS will make his professional basketball debut in Spain with JAFEP Fundación Globalcaja La Roda of the LEB Silver League. The LEB Silver is the third tier in the Spanish basketball league system, after the Liga ACB and LEB Oro. La Roda opens its 26-game regular season on October 9 on the road against Real Canoe. Davis signed to the Spanish based agency, Helping Ballers, last spring after he chose to forego his option of a final year of his NCAA eligibility at Florida International University. In his lone season with the FIU Panthers, Davis appeared in 16 games and averaged 13.1 points, 6.4 rebounds and 1.6 steals per game. He shot 48 percent from the field, 34 percent from three point range and 83 percent from the free throw line. He posted three double doubles on the year. He scored a career high 28 points against Flagler in just the second game of the season and posted 10 rebounds on three different occasions. “During my tenure at FIU, all my coaches did an excellent job of helping to mold me into the player that I am today,” Davis said after he

RADSHAD DAVIS

announced his pro decision, “and now, I can undoubtedly say that I am a better player and individual because of this. It was a pleasure to be a part of such an outstanding organisation and I am forever grateful for the opportunity.” The 6’5” wing transferred to FIU after spending two seasons with the Texas-Arlington Mavericks. Prior to UTA, he played at the JuCo level with the Missouri State UniversityWest Plains Grizzlies. He concluded his final season with the Mavericks with averages of 8.6 points and 6.2 rebounds per game on the season. As a junior, he averaged 8.0 points and 5.5 rebounds per game. He finished second on the team in field-goal percentage at 51 percent and shot 78 percent from the free-throw line. Prior to UTA, he played at the JuCo level with the Missouri State University-West Plains Grizzlies. As a sophomore, he averaged 16.5 points, 6.7 rebounds, 3.4 assists and 1.3 steals per game against all opponents. He finished second in the region in both scoring and rebounding. He also received All-Region 16 first team. Davis starred locally for the CC Sweeting Cobras when he was named Hugh Campbell MVP in his 10th grade year. He matriculated to Sunrise Christian Academy in Bel Aire, Kansas.

NAUGHTY’S NFL PICKS 2021 Well, the best time of the year, the NFL season is finally upon us. So that means it’s time once again to go head to head with my colleague from AP Sports, Barry Wilner. In fact, I’m looking for four in a row and official ‘dynasty’ status among pig skin prognosticators world wide. Let’s have a closer look at who I like for the season and in week one: • DIVISION CHAMPS: AFC EAST - Buffalo Bills AFC NORTH - Baltimore Ravens AFC SOUTH - Tennessee Titans AFC WEST - Kansas City Chiefs

NFC EAST - Dallas Cowboys NFC NORTH - Green Bay Packers NFC SOUTH - Tampa Bay Buccaneers NFC WEST - Seattle Seahawks • SUPER BOWL: Dallas Cowboys vs Kansas City Chiefs (It could happen) • NFL WEEK ONE: THURSDAY COWBOYS 27 - BUCS 24 SUNDAY JAGS 24 - TEXANS 17 WFT 23- CHARGERS 17 COLTS 27- SEAHAWKS 24

PANTHERS 27 - JETS 20 VIKINGS 24 - BENGALS 23 TITANS 27 - CARDINALS 24 49ERS 31 - LIONS 20 BILLS 27 - STEELERS 24 FALCONS 24 - EAGLES 20 CHIEFS 34 - BROWNS 27 PACKERS 27 - SAINTS 24 BRONCOS 20 - GIANTS 17 DOLPHINS 27 - PATRIOTS 24 RAMS 30 - BEARS 20 RAVENS 27 - RAIDERS 20 Be sure to look out for all of your Fantasy Football updates starting next week right here. Good luck this week . . . let there be football!!

SIX ROOKIES ON US RYDER CUP TEAM

By DOUG FERGUSON AP Golf Writer

THE only experience that matters to Ryder Cup captain Steve Stricker is how the youngest U.S. team in history prepares for Whistling Straits in a bid to win back that shiny gold chalice. Equipped with the most captain’s picks in Ryder Cup history, Stricker added four more rookies to his team on Tuesday to join the six players who earned automatic spots. His six selections included obvious choices and, as always, a few that could have gone either way. Among those left out was Patrick Reed. Stricker chose the next four players in the Ryder Cup standings — Tony Finau, Xander Schauffele, Jordan Spieth and Harris English — along with Daniel Berger and Scottie Scheffler. “We are looking to the best players to perform here at Whistling Straits, and these six guys that we picked we feel like fit Whistling Straits to a T,” Stricker said. Missing was Reed, who thrives in team events with his bullish personality and great short game. He has a 7-3-2 record in three previous Ryder Cups and is undefeated in singles. Reed, however, hasn’t seriously contended in the 18 tournaments he has played since his lone victory at Torrey Pines. Of greater concern to Stricker was his health. Reed was hospitalised for five days with pneumonia in his lower lungs that made him fear for his life, missing the final two qualifying events. He returned at the Tour Championship and tied for 17th in actual score against a 30-man field. “That was a very, very difficult call — kind of lost sleep over that one,” Stricker said. “He’s a tremendous competitor. He brings a lot to match-play golf. His record here at the Ryder Cup is pretty darned good. ... It was just

TONY Finau hits from the tee on the second hole during second-round play in the Tour Championship golf tournament at East Lake Golf Club, Friday, Sept. 3, in Atlanta. (AP Photo/Brynn Anderson) the uncertainty of his health and really the lack of play that led to our decision down the stretch.” Stricker made it clear he wanted players whose game suited Whistling Straits — a course along the bluffs of Lake Michigan that tends to favor power — and said he wanted his players to know it well ahead of the Sept. 24-26 matches. All 12 players and their caddies are expected for a two-day practice session over the weekend. “My message from day one has been to try to outprepare the other team,” he said. The six picks join six who earned automatic spots — Collin Morikawa, Dustin Johnson, Bryson DeChambeau, Brooks Koepka, Justin Thomas and Patrick Cantlay. All are among the top 21 in the world ranking. Six have never played in a Ryder Cup. Eight are still in their 20s, and the average age (29) is the youngest ever for the Americans.

“I think it’s a good time for a younger influx of players,” said Schauffele, the 27-year-old Californian and Olympic gold medalist. Stricker said U.S. rookies have compiled a 40-29-17 record in the Ryder Cup dating to 2008. Europe, which has won nine of the last 12 dating to 1995 and is coming off a sound victory in Paris, does not finalise its team until after this week’s BMW PGA Championship at Wentworth. Nine players earn spots, and Padraig Harrington has three captain’s picks. The six rookies are the most for an American team since 2008, when Paul Azinger introduced his pod system and the U.S. secured a rare victory at Valhalla. Scheffler, 25, is the first American to be picked without Ryder Cup experience or having won on the PGA Tour since Rickie Fowler in 2010 at Wales. Scheffler has been a steady presence who ranked seventh in birdies on the PGA

Tour this season. What first got Stricker’s attention was the Dell Match Play in March, when Scheffler mowed down Ian Poulter, Jon Rahm and Matt Kuchar — all renowned for match play — before losing in the championship match to Billy Horschel. Scheffler has finished in the top 20 in his last six majors, going into the final round in contention in three of them. “His stats across the board are very solid from top to bottom, and the guy makes a lot of birdies, which should do us very well going around Whistling Straits,” Stricker said. Scheffler, Morikawa and the 32-year-old English, a two-time winner this year, are the only true rookies. Their only experience was the Walker Cup. Schauffele and Cantlay were a strong team at the Presidents Cup in 2019, while Berger played in the Presidents Cup in 2017. Stricker said he and his assistants did not

concentrate too heavily on the last month of the season, but rather on a consistent body of work over the last two years and games that would be a good fit for the golf course. “That’s what made the choices in my eyes pretty easy, and after consulting with the six guys that made the team and my assistant captains, we landed on these six guys pretty easily just because of their form, the way they fit Whistling Straits, their demeanors on and off the golf course and in the team room,” he said. Stricker was captain of the Presidents Cup team in 2017, and he was an assistant Ryder Cup captain the last three times. The U.S. team typically has eight automatic qualifiers and four captain’s picks. That was increased to six for this Ryder Cup because of uncertainty over how the COVID-19 pandemic — which postponed the matches for one year — would affect the tour schedule.

THE TRIBUNE

Friday, September 10, 2021, PAGE 13

PATS’ REVAMPED DEFENCE EXPECTS TEST FROM MIAMI’S TAGOVAILOA By KYLE HIGHTOWER AP Sports Writer FOXBOROUGH, Mass. (AP) — The Patriots remade their defence in the offseason in hopes of bringing back the unit’s disruptive reputation. New England’s first chance to show off those upgrades will be in Sunday’s season opener against the Miami Dolphins and explosive young quarterback Tua Tagovailoa. “We’re excited for the challenge,” linebacker Kyle Van Noy said. “In the division, a lot on the line right off the bat. You couldn’t ask for anything better.” The Patriots went from being the NFL’s stingiest defence in 2019 to ranking in the middle of the pack this past season. Seeking to improve the unit, coach Bill Belichick went to the freeagent market. New England signed two of the top players available in linebacker Matt Judon and tackle Davon Godchaux. Van Noy also returned to the fold after spending last season in Miami. That trio joins a core group of holdovers from last season including cornerback J.C. Jackson and linebacker Dont’a Hightower, who is back after opting out in 2020 because of COVID-19 concerns. The defence’s first task will be to corral the shifty Tagovailoa. The Dolphins also return tight end Mike Gesicki and have new playmakers including Jaylen Waddle, Tagovailoa’s former Alabama teammate. After missing the first meeting with New England last season as he rehabbed from hip surgery, Tagovailoa ran for two TDs and led the Dolphins to a 22-12 win in Miami, becoming the first rookie quarterback to win against against Belichick since 2013 and the sixth to do it during his 21-year tenure in New England. He said his approach to facing a Belichick defence for the second time is straightforward. “I try to put myself in a situation where I’m Bill Belichick. If I was Bill Belichick, what would I want to do to stop myself?” Tagovailoa said. “That’s kind of how I try to go about that.” He said preparing for the Patriots this time has been a little easier. “Only because of the experiences I’ve had with a veteran like (Ryan Fitzpatrick) and then carrying it over to the experiences I’m now having with Jacoby (Brissett) in the room and just different ways of coaching,” Tagovailoa said. “For me, I try to find the middle and what works for me as far as my preparation going into a week like this.” Patriots linebackers coach and defensive player caller Steve Belichick said he expects Tagovailoa to attack them in multiple ways Sunday. “He’s definitely a dangerous player, can do a lot of things really well, throw the ball anywhere on the field, definitely elusive and a tough guy to tackle, smart guy,” Belichick said. “So we have to be ready to go on all three levels to handle him as well as everybody else on their offence. “So it’ll be a tough challenge Week 1. Hopefully we can get the guys ready to go.” The Dolphins will be debuting a new play caller on offence after George Godsey took over those duties from Chan Gailey, who resigned in January. It will be the third straight year coach Brian Flores has had a different offensive coordinator. While Miami’s schemes didn’t look demonstratively different from last year in the preseason, Godsey said the challenge for him and co-offensive coordinator Eric Studesville will be to find new ways to keep defenses off balance. “There’s some new pieces and we’re trying to make them all fit into a game plan,” Godsey said. “Everybody’s got a role, whether it’s normal downs, third down, red area, two-minute, four-minute. Everybody’s got a role. We’re trying to maximize everybody’s ability as much as possible.”

LEYLAH FERNANDEZ, of Canada, reacts after winning the first set against Aryna Sabalenka,of Belarus, during the semifinals of the US Open tennis championships, Thursday, in New York. (AP Photo/Elise Amendola)

Unseeded Fernandez, 19, reaches first Grand Slam final at US Open By HOWARD FENDRICH AP Tennis Writer NEW YORK (AP) — Leylah Fernandez’s first major semifinal, at the U.S. Open just days after her 19th birthday, did not go her way at the start. She recovered from dropping the initial three games to take a lead, before No. 2 seed Aryna Sabalenka pushed a match filled with momentum swings to a back-and-forth third set. No matter what, Fernandez did not worry. Didn’t waver. And why would she at this point? The Canadian’s poise, it seems, is as limitless has her potential. And no foe, no matter how accomplished or highly ranked, poses an insurmountable problem. Speedy afoot and steady at crunch time, the unseeded Fernandez edged Sabalenka 7-6 (3), 4-6, 6-4 on Thursday night in Arthur Ashe Stadium, earning right to play for a Grand Slam title. It was the 73rd-ranked Fernandez’s fourth consecutive three-set victory over a seeded opponent. First came No. 3 Naomi Osaka, the 2018 and 2020 U.S. Open champion. Then came No. 16 Angelique Kerber, the 2016 champ. That was followed by No. 5 Elina Svitolina and Sabalenka.

“That’s years and years and years of hard work and tears and blood,” said Fernandez, who could give Canada its second U.S. Open women’s title in quick succession, following Bianca Andreescu’s triumph in 2019. “Everything. On court, off court. Sacrifices.” Fernandez was born in Montreal to an Ecuadorian father — who is also her coach, although he is not with her in New York, instead offering coaching tips in daily phone conversations — and a Filipino Canadian mother. The family now lives in Florida. In Saturday’s final, the lefthanded Fernandez will face either another unseeded teen, 18-year-old qualifier Emma Raducanu of Britain, or 17th-seeded Maria Sakkari of Greece. Neither of them has participated in a Grand Slam title match, either. At the end of the first set and again the third, it was Sabalenka, a Wimbledon semifinalist in July, who let things get away from her. In the last game, she double-faulted twice in a row to set up match point, then sailed a forehand long. Fernandez collapsed to the court and put her hands to her face. Nearly 2 1/2 hours before that, it was Sabalenka who looked in control, claiming 12 of the first

14 points for a 3-0 lead. Just eight minutes had elapsed and most spectators were yet to reach their seats. Not until later did the 20,000-plus in the stands rally the fist-aloft Fernandez with chants of “Let’s go, Leylah! Let’s go!” accompanied by rhythmic clapping. Sabalenka tried at times to get them on her side, waving her arms to ask for some support, too. She showed nary a hint of hesitancy. Truly not a trace of nuance, either. Her game is built on power with a purpose. Full speed ahead, always. Serves at up to 120 mph. Groundstrokes generated with full force. And most swings of her racket announced with a loud grunt, winners noted with a shaking fist. Fernandez got herself going eventually, as anyone who has watched her play over the last two weeks might have expected. Her style is all about reflexes and court coverage, reaching everything and immediately redirecting balls back over the net, although she did produce one early love hold that featured a trio of aces and a service winner, albeit much slower than Sabalenka’s deliveries. Fernandez went from 4-1 down to 4-all in a blink. Sabalenka came within a point of taking that set,

leading 6-5 while Fernandez served at 30-40. But that chance was wasted when a forehand found the net. In the tiebreaker, Sabalenka went up 2-0 and then completely lost her way. Every point won by Fernandez came courtesy of a miss by Sabalenka, including a flubbed overhead that landed several feet long and a double-fault to hand over a set point. A backhand return into the net — Sabalenka’s fourth miss when replying to a second serve in the tiebreaker — ended that set to roars from the crowd. It was the sort of lapse that contributed to Sabalenka never getting past the fourth round in her first 15 Grand Slam appearances, until a breakthrough run to the Wimbledon semifinals in July. In the second set, Sabalenka regained her form and Fernandez took a step back. Fernandez was two games from victory, serving at 4-all in the second, when she sailed a backhand beyond the baseline to get broken. Sabalenka held at love, and on to a third set they went. And that, of course, was Fernandez’s time to shine. This is only her seventh Grand Slam appearance — impossible as that is to tell.

WHAT MAKES NOVAK DJOKOVIC GREAT? SHOTS, YES, BUT ALSO MIND

By HOWARD FENDRICH AP Tennis Writer

NEW YORK (AP) — Ask other tennis players what makes Novak Djokovic great, what has pushed him to the brink of the first calendar-year Grand Slam by a man in more than a half-century, and the responses might include a mention of the way he returns serves or his ability to cover the court or his two-handed backhand. And so on. What they also invariably praise are his mental strength and physical stamina, his focus and his fitness, especially when it comes to the best-of-five-set format used at the major tournaments where he is 26-0 in 2021 heading into his U.S. Open semifinal against Tokyo Olympics gold medalist Alexander Zverev on Friday. Just a sampling of assessments from male and female pros: — Sam Querrey: “His best trait is his mind.” — Maria Sakkari: “Novak is from a different planet. Really. I mean, the way he plays, and the way he sees, tennis (is) like no one else.” — Steve Johnson: “His belief is so high.” — Dusan Lajovic: “The persistence and level of consistency that he has is just unquestionably his biggest weapon.” — Jessica Pegula: “I don’t see any weaknesses. We’ve seen him cruise through tournaments. “We’ve seen him come from behind and get himself out of situations. He seems to conserve his energy and

NOVAK DJOKOVIC, of Serbia, watches a return to Matteo Berrettini, of Italy, during the quarterfinals of the U.S. Open tennis tournament Wednesday, in New York. (AP Photo/Frank Franklin II) know when to turn it up.” The latest to stand across the net from Djokovic was No. 6 seed Matteo Berrettini of Italy in the U.S. Open quarterfinals. Like Djokovic’s previous two opponents at Flushing Meadows, Berrettini grabbed the 77-minute opening set. Like in Djokovic’s previous two matches — and six others at Slams this season when he dropped one or two sets to start — he won, as Berrettini faded to a 5-7, 6-2, 6-2, 6-3 defeat. It brought to mind what former player Andy Roddick, the 2003 U.S. Open champion who went 5-4 against Djokovic from 2007-12 when their careers overlapped, tweeted a couple of days earlier: “First he takes your legs ……. Then he takes your soul.” So which is tougher to overcome against Djokovic, the prowess of his body or

his mind? “A little bit of both. Even if you see him get flustered, he can get ... in his zone. That’s something that, over time, he’s created. “You feel that from the other side of the net,” Berrettini said. “From a physical standpoint, I feel like I can play at a high level, but it almost seems like he doesn’t get fatigued. It’s kind of like he says, ‘OK, bring it. Tired? I can stay here for three or four days.’ That’s the sensation.” Berrettini is all too familiar with that sensation. He also took the first set on the way to a fourset loss in the Wimbledon final in July, which followed Djokovic’s triumphs at the Australian Open in February and the French Open in June. “You need to keep up that physical and mental intensity that we had in the

first set for four or five sets. That’s the key. It’s not a given that you can’t do that, but no one in the world has managed to,” Berrettini said, then added with a chuckle: “There are 8 billion of us, and no one has done it.” Now it’s Zverev’s turn to try. He enters Friday on a 16-match winning streak, including coming back from a set and a break down to upset Djokovic 1-6, 6-3, 6-1 in the semifinals of the Summer Games on July 30. “I feel like I was the first player to beat him in a very big match this year. That does give you something,” said Zverev, who lost in the 2020 U.S. Open final to Dominic Thiem. One not-so-insignificant difference between that Olympic match and what awaits Friday: The contest in Japan was best-of-three-sets.

The longer format, everyone agrees, favours Djokovic. Which is at least part of the reason that if the 34-year-old from Serbia can win against Zverev and win again in the final — where the foe would be No. 2 Daniil Medvedev or No. 12 Felix Auger-Aliassime — Djokovic would become the first man since Rod Laver in 1969 to collect all four major singles tennis championships in one year. Such a feat requires excellence in match after match, over month after month, on hard courts, clay courts and grass courts, against players of various size and skill. So how does Djokovic explain what he’s been able to do? “I’ve worked over the years to perfect my game so that my game can have literally no flaws. “Every player has some weaknesses in his game. There’s always something you can improve. I want to have as complete of an allaround game as I possibly can, so that when I’m playing someone, I can adjust on any surface, I can come up with different styles of play, I can tactically implement the game that I need for that particular match in order to win,” he said. “Of course, I want my opponents to feel that I can get any ball, that I can play comfortably from back of the court, (at) the net, serving, returning,” Djokovic continued. “Over the years, working on perfecting the game has really helped me, I think, just be very adaptable to anybody’s game and to any surface.”

PAGE 14, Friday, September 10, 2021

THE TRIBUNE

EDUARDO ESCOBAR’S HOMER LIFTS BREWERS PAST PHILLIES 4-3 By JIM HOEHN ASSOCIATED PRESS MILWAUKEE (AP) — Eduardo Escobar hit a tiebreaking solo homer in the sixth inning, and the Milwaukee Brewers topped the Philadelphia Phillies 4-3 on Wednesday night. Milwaukee, which won the final two games of the series after dropping the opener, extended its lead to 12 games in the NL Central over Cincinnati, which lost 4-1 to the Chicago Cubs. “At this point, it’s stacking up wins and if teams behind us lose, it gets tough on them, for sure,” Brewers manager Craig Counsell said. “We know it’s in our hands right now. You work this hard to build this lead and it’s in our hands. So that’s how you see it. Take care of our business, and we’ve earned that.” Philadelphia remained 2½ games behind NL East-leading Atlanta. Escobar drove an 0-1 pitch from Connor Brogdon (5-4) deep to right for his 25th homer. The infielder was acquired in a July trade with Arizona. Escobar, on the injured list from Aug. 24 through Sept. 2, homered for the first time since Aug. 2. In 17 career games against Philadelphia, Escobar is batting .356 (21 for 59) with four homers and 22 RBIs. “It had been a long time since I homered, but I still fight every at-bat, come every day to the ballpark and work really hard,” Escobar said. Milwaukee’s bullpen covered 5 1/3 scoreless innings in relief of Freddy Peralta. Aaron Ashby (2-0) got six outs and Brad Boxberger pitched a perfect seventh. Devin Williams worked the eighth before Josh Hader closed it out for his 30th save in 31 opportunities. Bryce Harper hit his 29th homer for Philadelphia in the first, but Milwaukee responded with two runs in the bottom half. Kolten Wong singled and scored on Omar Narváez’s one-out double off Kyle Gibson. Consecutive walks by Luis Urias and Daniel Vogelbach forced in another run. Gibson escaped the bases-loaded jam by striking out Lorenzo Cain and Jackie Bradley Jr. The Brewers made it 3-1 in the second when Peralta singled, moved to third on Wong’s double and scored on Christian Yelich’s infield hit. Philadelphia tied it with two unearned runs in third. The Phillies loaded the bases on singles by Travis Jankowski and Odubel Herrera around an error on Gibson’s attempted sacrifice bunt. Harper walked to force in a run and J.T. Realmuto followed with an RBI fielder’s choice. “This is one of those games, yeah, it would be great to have, but that’s a really good team over there and more than likely the team that we’re going to see in October when we get there,” Gibson said. “So, to play them pretty tight, to have multiple chances there in the last two innings against their best guys, you really can’t ask for anything else.” It was the second consecutive abbreviated start for Peralta since a stint on the 10-day injured list with right shoulder inflammation. He allowed three runs, one earned, and four hits in 3 2/3 innings. “I don’t think he’s locked in, but I think he’s healthy. I don’t think there’s any question about that,” Counsell said. “I thought the velocity was outstanding today. I think we’ve just got to keep getting him out there on regular turn.”

ST. Louis Cardinals’ Tyler O’Neill celebrates as he rounds the bases after hitting a solo home run during the fifth inning of a baseball game against the Los Angeles Dodgers Thursday, in St. Louis. (AP Photo/Jeff Roberson)

O’Neill homers, Cards win 2-1 to salvage split with Dodgers By JOE HARRIS Associated Press ST. LOUIS (AP) — Tyler O’Neill hit a tiebreaking homer, Cardinals relievers combined for five scoreless innings, and St. Louis salvaged a split of its four-game series against the Los Angeles Dodgers with a 2-1 win on Thursday. The Cardinals climbed within three games of the San Diego Padres for the final NL wild-card spot, while the Dodgers fell 2 1/2 games behind the NL West-leading San Francisco Giants. “Two-and-a-half games is not very much,” Dodgers shortstop Trea Turner said. “A lot of things can happen in the last 20 games and I don’t try to watch the scoreboard or pay attention to that stuff. You try to control what’s in front of you and today was this game and didn’t get the job done so we move on to tomorrow.” O’Neill’s fifth-inning drive off Phil Bickford (3-2), his 25th homer this season, barely cleared the left field wall, inching past the outstretched glove of Steven Souza Jr. “He’s really grown into the consistent player that he really wanted to be and is capable of,” Cardinals manager Mike Shildt said. “He’s prepared for every at-bat. This is a sharp kid. He does his homework.”

The homer made a winner out of Alex Reyes (6-8), who pitched two scoreless innings in his fifth appearance since being demoted from the closer’s role. “I’m feeling healthy and my arm’s feeling good,” Reyes said. “As a competitor I’m willing to pitch wherever and whenever my name is called go out there and get quick outs.” Cardinals catcher Andrew Knizner said Reyes came through in a pivotal part of the game. “His stuff was coming out good,” Knizner said. “Fastball was good. Slider was good, mixing all of his pitches. And I think if you go back and look at the game, his innings right there kind of set the tone for the back half of that game.” T.J. McFarland and Luís Garcia combined for two scoreless innings to bridge the gap to Giovanny Gallegos, who earned his sixth save with a perfect ninth. The Dodgers mustered just four hits against five different Cardinals pitchers. “Just that time where results matter,” Dodgers manager Dave Roberts said. “And so, the process has been good and we still got to just keep grinding and expect good things happen.” Neither starter lasted long.

Dodgers right-hander Tony Gonsolin, who was activated before the game, threw 55 pitches in three innings in his first start since July 30. He had been sidelined with right shoulder inflammation. Gonsolin allowed Knizner’s RBI double in the second. Cardinals righty Jake Woodford threw 66 pitches in four innings while making his first start since being recalled from Triple-A Memphis on Sept. 3. He surrendered Turner’s RBI single in the third. “It’s a great lineup, especially at the top,” Woodford said. “I thought they made some adjustments and I kind of dug myself in the hole a little bit there too, so definitely some stuff to work on and go back and review.” CURTAIN CALL Albert Pujols received another standing ovation from the 31,173 in attendance as he walked to the plate for a pinch-hit appearance in the seventh inning in what could be his final plate appearance at Busch Stadium. Pujols drew a walk, which drew boos from the crowd who wanted to see the Dodgers slugger swing the bat one last time. Pujols played for the Cardinals from 2001-2011 and led the team

to World Series championships in 2006 and 2011. STILL STREAKING Turner extended his career-best hitting streak to 16 games with a first-inning double. It’s the longest streak for a Dodgers player this season. TRAINER’S ROOM Dodgers: Recalled RHP Andre Jackson, optioned RHP Mitch White and designated RHP Neftalí Féliz for assignment. Cardinals: LHP Wade LeBlanc (left elbow) will miss the rest of the season. UP NEXT Dodgers: LHP Julio Urías (16-3, 3.11 ERA) starts off a six-game homestand with the first of three against the San Diego Padres and RHP Joe Musgrove (10-8, 2.87) on Friday night. Urías is 2-1 with a 3.23 ERA in 10 career appearances (five starts) against the Padres. Cardinals: LHP Jon Lester (5-6, 4.89) will start the opener of a pivotal three-game home series against the wild card-contending Cincinnati Reds and RHP Tyler Mahle (11-5, 3.76) on Friday night. Lester has allowed one hit in his last two starts (11 1/3 innings) against the Reds.

MANAEA FANS 9, A’S BEAT WHITE SOX 3-1 By BEN ROSS Associated Press

OAKLAND, Calif. (AP) — Sean Manaea struck out nine in seven dominant innings, and the Oakland Athletics beat the Chicago White Sox 3-1 on Thursday. Manaea (9-9) allowed one run and five hits in his first win since July 28. The lefthander went 0-3 with an 8.00 ERA in his previous six starts. Tony Kemp and Matt Chapman each drove in a run for Oakland, which took two of three games in the series. “It’s huge,” Manaea said. “Especially against those guys. Those guys are a playoff team. “Anytime you get a team like that, it’s a good indication of how we stack up. So playing against those guys and getting these last two wins was huge and definitely, I think a big momentum push for us.” Added A’s manager Bob Melvin: “This was a big series for us. ... To be able to come back after the first loss and win two games kind of shows you what this team is made of.” José Abreu had two hits and drove in a run for the AL Central-leading White Sox, who have lost 10 of their last 11 regular-season games at the Oakland Coliseum. Kemp put the A’s ahead with a run-scoring triple against Reynaldo López (3-2) in the second. The White Sox tied it when Abreu singled home César Hernández in the

missed his second straight game with a bruised right knee after getting hit by a foul ball while sitting in the dugout Tuesday night. Manager Tony La Russa is hopeful he can return Friday. ... SS Tim Anderson (left hamstring strain) took ground balls before Thursday’s game. He has been on the IL since Sept. 1. Athletics: Kemp returned to the lineup after missing Wednesday’s game with a left wrist ailment. ... RHP Chris Bassitt threw more than 20 pitches off flat ground and will throw a bullpen session on Saturday. He underwent facial surgery on Aug. 25 to repair three cheekbone fractures from an Aug. 17 line drive against the White Sox in Chicago. ... OF Seth Brown, on the COVID-19 IL since Aug. 27, will make a rehab start for Low-A Stockton on Thursday night and is expected to return to the A’s on Friday.

OAKLAND Athletics pitcher Sean Manaea walks to the dugout after retiring the Chicago White Sox during the seventh inning of a baseball game in Oakland, Calif., Thursday. (AP Photo/Jeff Chiu) third, giving him 104 RBIs on the year. Oakland answered with two unearned runs in the bottom of the third. López attempted to pick off Starling Marte at second base, but his throw went into centre field, allowing Marte to score and Matt Olson to go from first to third. Chapman then drove in Olson with a sacrifice fly. López was charged with one earned run and six hits

in five innings. “I had to battle through a few things,” the righthander said through an interpreter. “My stuff wasn’t as good as it usually is. “Today was one of those days you have to battle through, and even though I didn’t have my best stuff I was able to get through five innings. I made one mistake, I paid for it.” Andrew Chafin pitched

a scoreless ninth inning to record his third save. TRAINER’S ROOM White Sox: RHP Lance Lynn, on the 10-day injured list since Aug. 31 with right knee inflammation, is slated to start Sunday against the Red Sox. ... RHP Lucas Giolito (left hamstring strain) is scheduled to start Tuesday against the Angels. He has been on the IL since Sept. 3. ... LF Eloy Jiménez

UP NEXT White Sox: LHP Carlos Rodón (11-5, 2.41 ERA) is expected to start Friday night when Chicago returns home to open a threegame series against Boston. Rodón was originally scheduled to pitch in Oakland but had his start moved back due to shoulder soreness. Athletics: RHP Paul Blackburn (0-2, 4.12 ERA) will open a three-game series against Texas on Friday night. It will be the fifth start this season for Blackburn, who is seeking his first win since 2018.

THE TRIBUNE

Friday, September 10, 2021, PAGE 15

AFTER ALL THE HYPE, RONALDO SET FOR FIRST GAME BACK AT MAN UTD

FIFA UNVEILS BIENNIAL WORLD CUP PLAN, UEFA THREATENS BOYCOTT By GRAHAM DUNBAR AP Sports Writer NYON, Switzerland (AP) — FIFA detailed its plan for reshaping international soccer around playing the men’s World Cup every two years despite European opposition that could lead to a boycott. Joined by retired greats, FIFA unveiled the proposal Thursday but the pushback from Europe was immediate as UEFA president Aleksander Ceferin confirmed it could launch a boycott by its teams which have dominated soccer’s marquee event since Brazil won in 2002. “We can decide not to play in it,” Ceferin said in an interview with British daily The Times. About 80 former internationals including World Cup winners went to Qatar for two days of FIFAhosted talks and emerged with consensus for playing the tournament twice as often. “We all agreed with the new proposal of the calendar,” said Brazil great Ronaldo, who went to four World Cups and won twice. He described FIFA’s proposal as “just amazing.” Still, European soccer leader Ceferin said “as far as I know, the South Americans are on the same page” with resisting FIFA’s plan. “So good luck with a World Cup like that,” Ceferin told The Times in the latest UEFA vs. FIFA fight since 2016 when he and Gianni Infantino were elected to the respective presidencies. Infantino and his allies have since 2018 floated the idea of a biennial World Cup which European soccer has viewed as a commercial and competitive threat to its club and national team events. Arsene Wenger has led the project since FIFA hired the former Arsenal coach last year to be its director of global development. Details floated in recent media interviews and briefings were finally presented Thursday from Qatar in an overall plan to shape the schedule of international games from 2024. The FIFA-managed calendar mandates when clubs must release players to national teams. More top-level tournaments and fewer qualifying games are the priority with a biennial men’s World Cup the key takeaway. Wenger said his priorities were less travel for players and less disruption for their clubs plus giving young talent worldwide “a chance to shine” by also playing more meaningful games. The current system — that typically sees players based in Europe taking long-haul flights home throughout the season in short breaks for nationalteam games — could be replaced by a single block of fewer qualifying games in October. International tournaments would occupy June each year, with players proposed to get a mandatory 25-day vacation in July before rejoining their clubs. Wenger said the balance of players having 20% of their games for national teams and 80% for clubs would stay, though “in a more efficient way.” “I think it is an outdated (status quo),” he said. “It is not linked with the evolution of the modern game. “We will not increase the number of games, we might even reduce it.” Retired greats like Germany’s Jürgen Klinsmann, Roberto Carlos of Brazil, Didier Drogba of Ivory Coast and Denmark’s Peter Schmeichel were enlisted to discuss changing the four-year World Cup cycle in place since the first edition in 1930. “I don’t think anyone disagreed on the frequency” of biennial World Cups, said Schmeichel, who played at just the 1998 World Cup. “It was a really, really long wait for an ambitious player like me to have the next possibility.”

PORTUGAL’s Cristiano Ronaldo reacts during the World Cup 2022 group A qualifying soccer match between Portugal and the Republic of Ireland at the Algarve stadium outside Faro, Portugal, Wednesday, Sept. 1. (AP Photo/Armando Franca) By STEVE DOUGLAS AP Sports Writer THE public relations push has been relentless at Manchester United these past few days, detailing everything about Cristiano Ronaldo from his movements in training, his greatest goals, his reclaiming of the “iconic” No. 7 jersey, to the inside story of his goal celebration. Ronaldo, of course, was immediately added to the giant mural emblazoned outside Old Trafford. United jerseys with his name on the back are flying off the shelves in the club’s megastore. “Cristiano is in the house,” United midfielder Bruno Fernandes said. As if anyone wasn’t aware. One of the best players in the history of soccer is making an emotional return for a second spell at one of the world’s biggest teams, so it’s understandable that Ronaldo has been the talk of the town since his stunning transfer from Juventus was completed last week. His first appearance back at United is likely to be against Newcastle on Saturday and it is one of the most anticipated occasions in the history of the Premier League, even if the match will not be televised live in Britain because of previously agreed broadcasting arrangements. But away from all the glitz, the hype and the marketing, what can the soccer world expect of the 36-year-old Ronaldo in what could be the last big move of his club career? Does his presence virtually ensure United will be “closer to winning” trophies, as Fernandes has said. Certainly, Ronaldo is a still

a guarantee of goals. He has a staggering 785 goals in 1,075 appearances for club and country, after all. He has just become the record scorer of all time in men’s international soccer, with 111 goals, and is coming off a European Championship where he won the Golden Boot with five goals in four games. The top scorer in Champions League history with 134, Ronaldo has delivered the following number of league goals in his last five seasons at club level: 29 in 33 games (2020-21), 31 in 33 games (201920), 21 in 31 games (2018-19), 26 in 27 games (2017-18), and 25 in 29 games (2016-17). However, even if he was top scorer in Serie A last season and had 101 goals and 22 assists in a total of 134 appearances for Juventus, his three years in Turin should perhaps act as a warning for United. Juve steadily declined with Ronaldo there, to the extent that the team only just scraped a fourthplace finish last season to qualify

for the Champions League. In the Champions League, Juve reached the quarterfinals just once with Ronaldo — before he arrived, it got to the final in two of the previous four seasons. That maybe was not all his doing — it was a turbulent period for Juve, which had three coaches in Massimiliano Allegri, Maurizio Sarri and Andrea Pirlo, all of whom had different approaches — yet his presence did wind up being divisive purely for the fact it meant the team seemed to exist as a function to get the best out of him as opposed to working as a unit. More than 28% shots taken by Juventus last season came from Ronaldo. Juventus was the team that supplied the most crosses in Serie A, serving arguably the best header of the ball in the world whose best work increasingly came in the six-yard box. He had 168 shots in total, 31 more than any Premier League player had. “If there’s Ronaldo, you need to have a squad that suits Ronaldo,” Sarri, who was Juventus coach in

the 2019-20 season, said recently. Sarri, who is now coach at Lazio, spoke of the difficulty of managing Ronaldo because he is a “multinational brand who has personal interests that have to be coupled with those of the team.” “But there are also many positive aspects,” he said, “because Ronaldo brings the numbers at the end of the year.” And that’s the balance United will have to strike. Does Ole Gunnar Solskjaer turn his team into one whose main function is to supply Ronaldo, and is that a wise strategy? If Ronaldo starts as a lone striker, does United have the wingers who can deliver a regular supply of crosses that he lives off? In Marcus Rashford and Mason Greenwood, who — when fit — might be first choice, that could be a no, given they are inverted wingers who like to cut inside and shoot. Jadon Sancho, signed this offseason from Borussia Dortmund, could potentially be more valuable due to his ability to stretch defences out wide and send in more dangerous crosses. Solskjaer has said he sees Ronaldo as “more of a centre forward for me at the moment.” “I want him in the box, scoring goals,” he said. If Ronaldo starts as a left winger, which appeared to be his preference at Juventus, does his work rate off the ball come into question and hinder United? And what does that mean for Rashford, who mostly played there in recent seasons? Ronaldo’s scoring ability is not in question as he begins life back in Manchester. It’s how he affects the rest of the team that is the most intriguing aspect of his return to United.

NEW ENGLAND COACH WIEGMAN AGAINST BIENNIAL WOMEN’S WORLD CUP By ROB HARRIS AP Global Soccer Writer

LONDON (AP) — Setting out her vision as England manager, Sarina Wiegman was sure of one thing — the Women’s World Cup should remain every four years. There’s no need for FIFA to push through plans to double the frequency of its flagship tournament, according to Weigman. “The Euros are great, the World Cup is great, the Olympics are great so that is three tournaments,” she said, pitchside at Wembley Stadium on Thursday. “I think if you have a World Cup every two years that is too much for the players at the moment so I wouldn’t be cheering for it right now. “It is too many tournaments, for Europe it is good (at the moment), the development in Europe for women’s football is ahead of most other continents. So for Europe it is not necessary.” Wiegman is taking charge of England after a fiveyear stint in charge of her native Netherlands that saw her win the Women’s European Championship in 2017 and reach the 2019 World Cup final. Jill Ellis, who led the U.S. to victory in that final, is now heading

SARINA Wiegman is unveiled as the new England Women head coach at Wembley Stadium, London, Thursday. Setting out on her vision as England manager, Sarina Wiegman was sure of one thing — the Women’s World Cup should remain every four years. “The Euros are great, the World Cup is great, the Olympics are great so that is three tournaments,” she said, pitchside at Wembley Stadium on Thursday. (Adam Davy/PA via AP) a FIFA technical advisory group that will explore the merits of biennial World Cups. The prospect of more regular World Cups has already been talked up by FIFA Presient Gianni Infantino despite resistance from European football’s

governing body UEFA. “It is about visibility,” Wiegman said, “but I think also think we need to take care of the well-being of the players and sometimes they need a rest.” It’s taken a year since Wiegman’s appointment

was announced for her to start with England. Her last game as Netherlands coach was at the Tokyo Olympics in July, a quarterfinal loss to the U.S. on penalties. The pandemic disruption to the calendar means the Women’s European

Championship, which England is hosting, now starts in July 2022. Then there’s the World Cup in Australia and New Zealand in 2023, followed by the Paris Olympics in 2024 and the Euros in 2025. “Of course because of COVID we have five tournaments in a row, which is enough,” Wiegman said. “At big tournaments you want the best players on the pitch. “If you look now at the competitions in England there are so many games, Champions League, international players and you play for your club team — you play so many games because you are one of the best, you are a gamechanger so when can you have a rest, we should take care of the welfare of the players.” FIFA’s plans could ultimately see men’s and women’s tournaments played every year around June and July. That would prevent women’s football having odd-numbered years largely clear currently for its tournaments in a period of growth and trying to attract new audiences. “You don’t want two tournaments (men and women’s) at the same time,” she said, “because people are going to have to choose.”

PAGE 16, Friday, September 10, 2021

THE TRIBUNE

KAZAKHSTAN’S Ruslan Valiullin celebrates after scoring his side’s opening goal against Ukraine on Wednesday. (AP Photo/ Stanislav Filippov)

KAZAKHSTAN SOCCER PLAYER VALIULLIN FAILS UEFA DOPING TEST KOSTANAY, Kazakhstan (AP) — A player for the Kazakhstan national soccer team who scored twice in a World Cup qualifying game last week has failed a drug test, his club said Thursday. Left-back Ruslan Valiullin tested positive in a sample he gave for UEFA after a Europa Conference League game for Tobol Kostanay on August 12 but wasn’t notified of the result until September 2, the club said. By that time, Valiullin was with the Kazakhstan national team and had scored both goals in a 2-2 draw with Ukraine the day before. He wasn’t in the squad for the team’s subsequent matches against Finland and Bosnia-Herzegovina. “An internal investigation is currently under way with the aim of identifying how banned substances could have entered the player’s blood,” Tobol said in a statement. Kazakhstan Football Federation general secretary Azamat Aitkhozhin told Russian news agency RIA Novosti that Valiullin believed his positive test was the result of “some vitamins” he had been taking. One doping case in a team’s squad is not enough for a result to be overturned under UEFA rules.

GREEK SOCCER CHIEF QUITS OVER ‘TOXIC ATMOSPHERE’ ATHENS, Greece (AP) — Greece’s top soccer official has resigned after just five months in the job, citing a “toxic atmosphere” created by the country’s leading clubs. Theodoros Zagorakis, who captained Greece to victory at the 2004 European Championship and made more than 100 appearances for his country, stepped down from his role as president of the Greek Football Federation on Thursday. Greek soccer has been dogged for decades by fan violence and allegations of corruption, with previous top sports administrators also publicly blaming powerful club owners for the lack of reform. “As long as some people consciously devalue Greek football, maintaining a toxic atmosphere, without reason and cause ... the sport will shrink in the eyes of Greek fans. The only victim is football itself. Nothing else,” Zagorakis said in a statement.

UNITED States’ Ricardo Pepi, (14) celebrates scoring his side’s second goal against Honduras during a qualifying soccer match for the FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022, in San Pedro Sula, Honduras, Wednesday. (AP Photo/Moises Castillo)

Robinson, Pepi, US flip WCup qualifier, beat Honduras 4-1 By RONALD BLUM AP Sports Writer SAN PEDRO SULA, Honduras (AP) — The United States was skidding to another World Cup qualifying failure when Antonee Robinson entered, quickly tied the score and celebrated with a backward somersault. The entire game soon flipped. Ricardo Pepi put the U.S. ahead in the 75th minute, Brenden Aaronson and Sebastian Lletget added late goals and the U.S. rolled past Honduras 4-1 Wednesday night. “I think it’s really important that we did that just to show everyone that at times it’s going to be a hard qualifying process, but we’re ready for the challenges that’ll come ahead,” Robinson said. “We can respond to anything.” Pepi had a goal and two assists in his debut, and the Americans exhaled after a tumultuous week of injuries, positive COVID-19 tests and a huge disciplinary issue. They won for just the second time in 41 qualifiers in which they trailed at halftime (six draws). Coach Gregg Berhalter held a team meeting before the match and told players that opening draws at El Salvador and at home against Canada “wouldn’t have doomed the qualifying.” U.S. goalkeeper Zack Steffen, defender Sergiño Dest and midfielder Gio Reyna had gotten hurt, Steffen tested positive for COVID and midfielder Weston McKennie was sent home by Berhalter for violating team COVID protocols. Berhalter thought the talk helped players begin to relax. “Despite all this crap

UNITED States’s Antonee Robinson celebrates scoring his side’s opening goal against Honduras. (AP Photo/Moises Castillo) that happened in these last couple days, the guys’ spirits were extremely high,” he said. Still, Brayan Moya put 63rd-ranked Honduras ahead in the 27th minute, breaking free of George Bello and heading a cross from Diego Rodríguez past goalkeeper Matt Turner after John Brooks lost the ball. That put the 10th-ranked Americans in a daunting position: They had given up the first goal in 33 previous road World Cup qualifiers, winning two, losing 26 and tying five. Berhalter told players at

UNITED States’ Ricardo Pepi celebrates scoring his side’s second goal against Honduras. (AP Photo/Moises Castillo)

halftime they had to change more than formation. “We need to compete, and that was something I was disappointed with,” he recalled saying. “When they scored, instead of seeing that reaction that we’re used to, I think their heads went down a little bit.” And to make the challenge greater, Christian Pulisic injured his left ankle early in the second half, tried to continue and fell in a heap during a sprint a few minutes later. He was replaced in the 62nd minute. “When Christian goes down, it’s always like, mmm, you take like a deep breath because he’s our best player,”Aaronson said. Pepi, who scored the winning penalty kick in last month’s Major League Soccer All-Star Game against Liga MX, at 18 years, 242 days became the second-youngest American to appear in a qualifier behind Pulisic at 17 years, 193 days in March 2016. The Dallas forward chose to play for the U.S. over Mexico, the 65th player to appear for the Americans since the October 2017 loss at Trinidad and Tobago ended a streak of seven straight World Cup appearances. He was the 42nd since Berhalter was hired in December 2018. “I feel like he had confidence in me,” Pepi said, “so I just went out there and do my thing.” Berhalter made five lineup changes, inserting Pepi, Bello, Mark McKenzie and James Sands for

their qualifying debuts and bringing back Josh Sargent, who started the opener. They were part of a lineup that averaged the youngest ever for the U.S. in a qualifier at 23 years, 85 days, one that had Pulisic, Tyler Adams and Kellyn Acosta in a 3-5-2 formation, with Adams playing wide on the right rather than defensive midfield. At halftime, the U.S. went back to its normal 4-3-3. “We needed to push up much quicker,” Berhalter said, “give our midfielders smaller space to be able to win balls. We wanted to be more aggressive high pressing them, and we thought that would lead to some turnovers.” Criticised for waiting too long to insert substitutes on Sunday, Berhalter injected Robinson, Lletget and Aaronson to start the second half for Brooks, Bello and Sargent. The horn-blowing full house of about 31,000 at Estadio Olimpico Metropolitano quickly was silenced. Robinson tied it in the 48th with his first international goal. Pulisic took a pass from Pepi at midfield, dribbled and dished wide to Lletget, who crossed. Pepi made a backheel drop in the 6-yard box to Robinson, who scored with a rightfooted volley from 8 yards. Pepi put the U.S. ahead in the 75th. Two minutes after replacing Sands, DeAndre Yedlin crossed and Pepi outjumped Marcelo Pereira to loop a header to the left of goalkeeper Luis López.

Pepi burst into the penalty area in the 86th and squared for Aaronson, whose right-footed shot from 12 yards was his fifth international goal and second of qualifying. “I was so fired up today, I don’t know what kind of took over me, but I was just ready to go, and you could see it with all the subs. It was a spark,” Aaronson said Luis López got a hand on Pepi’s shot in the third minute of stoppage time. Lletget, following up on the play, banged the ball into the open net for his eighth international goal. The U.S. scored four goals in a qualifier in Central America for the first time. “We just fought,” Lletget said. “We knew we just had to match their intensity. That was the biggest change in the second half.” Mexico leads the North and Central American and Caribbean region with seven points, followed by Canada and the U.S. with five points each and identical goals for and against. Panama has five points and trails on goals, while Costa Rica and Honduras have two points apiece and Jamaica none. The top three nations qualify. “Maybe we thought it was going to be easier than it was going down to El Salvador, Honduras,” Adams said. “These are tough games, man. You see how hostile the crowds are, but the energy is amazing, the atmosphere is amazing. It’s only going to make us better for the future.”