SPORTS SECTION E
THURSDAY, OCTOBER 2, 2025
SECOND SPOT FOR BODYBUILDER TEAM By BRENT STUBBS Chief Sports Editor bstubbs@tribunemedia.net THE Bahamas Bodybuilding, Wellness and Fitness Federation’s 17-member national team returned from the 52nd Central American and Caribbean Bodybuilding Championships with second place. The championship was staged at the Pavilion on the Ramp in Rodney Bay, Gros Islet, in St Lucia over the weekend and Team Bahamas was led by the gold medal performance from junior sensation Shantae Rahming from the newly formed Southern Bahamas Association in North Andros. The Bahamas, also with Alexander Kemp competing in four divisions and earning two medals, ended up with a gold, three silver, six bronze, four fourth places, two fifth and a sixth place to come in second behind champions Barbados. Rahming captured the lone gold in the bikini fitness junior category and she teamed up with George Wilson for the bronze in the fitness pairs category. She also got third in both the women’s fitness model and
SHANTEA Rahming with team manager and head coach Wellington ‘Cat’ Sears. the bikini fitness 164cm. Kemp got a silver in the men’s fitness), bronze in the men’s fitness model), fourth in the fifth challenge) and
sixth in the men’s physique open. Grand Bahamian Orick Nesbitt claimed the silver in the men’s super
Gremlins and Ballers triumph THE SWD Gremlins and the Ballers Elite both pulled off game one of their respective New Providence Softball Association’s men and women best-of-five playoff series on Tuesday night at the Bankers Field at the Baillou Hills Sporting Complex. The SWD Gremlins stopped the Titans 13-0 in their series and the Ballers Elite outslugged the Black Scorpions 15-8. Game two in both series will be played tonight. The two winners will go on to play the winners of the other half of the semifinal series between the men’s Renegades and the Chances Mighty Mitts and the ladies’ Sunshine Auto Wildcats against the Platinum Pool Sharks. Both the Renegades and the Wildcats are currently leading 2-0 in their series. Here’s a summary of the other half of the other semifinals series played on Tuesday: SWD Gremlins 13, Titans 0: Angelo Watson and Gee Bethel provided. 1-2
offensive punch and Norman Bastian was solid as a rock on the mount as the Gremlins won their men’s semifinal series opener. Watson went 1-for-1 with a double, driving in three runs and scoring another, while Bethel was 1-for-3 with a triple, three RBI as well and a run scored. Bastian produced a pitcher’s shutout in the abbreviated game. Mariano Cartwright was tagged with the loss. The Gremlins scored two runs in the first and third, but had a breakout second inning as they erupted for nine unearned runs to push the game out of reach. Ballers Elite 15, Scorpions 8: The Ballers Elite had a ball, rapping the Scorpions apart with 14 hits on 15 runs in their rout as they took the initial lead in their ladies’ semifinal series. Kenesha Kelly went 2-for-2 wirth a triple, a RBI and three runs scored; SOFTBALL - SEE PAGE TWO
heavyweight) and 4th in the men’s masters, while Kyle King was a bronze medalist in the classic bodybuilding 175cm. Jackie Cleare clinched a bronze in the bikini fitness 172cm, 4th in the bikini masters) and she teamed up with Judah Forbes in the fitness pairs. Denica Thompson was 4th in the women’s wellness. Khalid Ross was 5th in the classic bodybuilding; Ryan Payne was 4th in the men’s physique masters and 6th in the men’s physique 176cm. In addition to competing with Rahming, Wilson was fifth in the men’s phyisque up to 176cm to round out the performances from Team Bahamas. Federation president Wellington ‘Cat’ Sears, who serves as the head coach, said it was an improvement from last year’s when the Bahamas placed eighth. The difference this year, he said, was the fact that the federation was able to host a national championship to select the team. It was the second year that Sears has taken over as the new president of the federation. “Representing The Bahamas under a legitimate federation is an honor and a privilege,” Sears said.
“There is a big difference between competing for yourself in an unsanctioned event and competing for your country under a recognised organisation. “Our athletes carried the flag proudly and proved the strength of Bahamian talent on the international stage. More importantly, through our junior programme, we are committed to saving our young men and women from violence by creating positive opportunities through sports and fitness.” Every medal won, according to Sears, is a testament to hard work, discipline, and national pride. “We are proud of this team and we are just getting started,” he stated. He thanked the sponsors, including Island Luck and the Ministry of Youth, Sports and Culture, who made it possible for the team to travel, despite the fact that they had to take the long route in a cost saving factor. “I think the travel played a major factor because we had to stay overnight instead of going directly to St Lucia from Florida,” Sears said. “But overall, the performances were excellent. “It was really rough, but we made it just in the nick
of time. We had to stop overnight in Jamaica and twice in Trinidad before we got to St Lucia. So it was rough.” From the team’s performances, Sears said the federation will now have to concentrate a lot more on its junior program to build the sport for the future. “The country’s lone gold medal came from the junior division, earned by a competitor from the Southern Bahamas Bodybuilding Association in North Andros,” Sears stressed. “This achievement underscores the promise of the federation’s junior program, which has been identified as a key focus for future development.” Sears emphasised that the results are part of a longterm vision to strengthen the sport at the grassroots level, with a particular focus on youth development and community impact. Plans are in the works right now, according to Sears, to host a National High School Bodybuilding Championships, but the federation is trying to ascertain the best month to be able to accommodate the student-athletes, especially those who are preparing for graduation.
SIDELINED JAZZ: IT’S TOUGH WHEN YOU’RE WATCHING By JONATHAN BURROWS Tribune Sports Reporter jburrows@tribunemedia.net
JASARADO “Jazz” Chisholm was not in the Yankees’ starting lineup on Tuesday in game one of the AL Wild Card Series against the Red Sox in which they lost 3-1, a move that shocked many given his breakout season and no reports on any injury or rehabbing. Facing Boston’s left-handed ace pitcher Garret Crochet, Yankees manager Aaron Boone opted to start Amed Rosario at second base instead of Jazz. Rosario had produced a strong track record against Crochet, going 5 for 8 with a home run during the regular season, which Boone cited as part of his reasoning for starting him over Jazz. “Every player is not going to agree with every decision that I have to make, and that’s okay. I try to help them understand the thought process and what I’m thinking, and I did that with Jazz,” Boone said. Chisholm was informed of the decision via text message the night before the game. After the game, he appeared visibly frustrated. When asked if he was surprised not to start, he said “I guess, yeah.” On another question from a reporter, he answered “It’s always tough when
you’re watching when your team is down.” Boone stood by his decision, framing it as a strategic choice aimed at matchups. He emphasized that he chooses lineups with broader considerations in mind, not simply rewarding past performances. Boone also acknowledged Jazz’s emotional response, saying “he is a guy that wears his emotions on his sleeves. Wasn’t necessarily how I would handle it, but then again, I don’t need him to put on a happy face on.” Earlier in September, Jazz made it clear that he hoped to remain with the Yankees beyond his current contract. In a feature in Sports Illustrated, he said: “I don’t want to leave New York. If you’ve ever played here, you would never want to leave. At the end of the day, it just depends on whether they want me.” Jazz benching in a crucial playoff game conflict, at least in optics, with the notion that he is a fundamental piece the club should build around. This move may feed narratives about how Boone and the Yankees’ front office view Jazz’s role on the team. If the organization views him as a franchise cornerstone, this benching may become a part of a broader conversation about how much faith the Yankees really do have in Jazz.