07212016 sports by tribune242

SPORTS SECTION E

THURSDAY, JULY 21, 2016

Road To Rio

Adrian Griffith, Page 3

28-member Team Bahamas named for Rio Olympics By BRENT STUBBS Senior Sports Reporter bstubbs@tribunemedia.net

gainst the backdrop of a $125,000 sponsorship from BTC, the Bahamas Olympic Committee announced a 28-member team to represent the Bahamas at the 2016 Olympic Games in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. The BTC Bahamas Olympic team, scheduled to compete August 5-21, will comprise of 11 females and 17 males, excluding the list of the women’s 4 x 400 metre relay team until the completion of the court hearing for the Russian Olympic team. BOC secretary general Romel Knowles released the team during a pomp and pageantry press conference at the new Thomas A Robinson National Stadium where there was a cultural dance and a junkanoo rush out. As expected, all of the athletes from track and field who qualified were named

to the team, including former women’s co-national 100m hurdles record holder Devynne Charlton, who has suffered an injury and had to shut down the rest of her season. “As I speak to you, I will not be able to announce some young ladies on this team because of an indictment that is happening in track and field,” Knowles said. “Some of you know the story of a federation being suspended. “Our ladies’ team is sitting in 17th place, just one behind a team, I won’t be the judge, who should or should not qualify for the Olympics.” Depending on the outcome of the international ruling, Knowles said they have advised the Bahamas Association of Athletic Associations that they would include the team of Lanece Clarke, Shaquania Dorsett, Christine Armertil and Carmeisha Cox to the team. Knowles said it’s so unfortunate, like a case where he had to present Pauline

BAHAMAS Olympic Committee secretary general Romel Knowles (centre) releases the names of the 28 athletes who will represent the Bahamas at the Rio Olympics August 5-21. BOC President Wellington Miller (far right) and Minister of Youth, Sports & Culture Dr Daniel Johnson (left) look on during the press conference yesterday. Photo by Shawn Hanna/Tribune Staff Davis-Thompson her Olympic medal at Government House after an athlete was tested positive for drugs, that the BOC finds itself in another predicament in not being able to name the women’s relay team for the

Bahamas. Should Russia eventually be banned from competing at the games, the women’s team will be added to the men’s 4 x 400 team, giving the Bahamas two of the four relay teams a lane in

the games. As anticipated, track and field will have a bulk of the competitors on the team, led by triple qualifier Shaunae Miller in the women’s 100, 200 and 400m, along with three male high jump-

A hero’s welcome for Buddy By RENALDO DORSETT Sports Reporter rdorsett@tribunemedia.net BUDDY’s back. The biggest name in Bahamian basketball returned home for the first time since he captivated both local and international media with his historic exploits on the hardwood this season. Hield was treated to a hero’s welcome at the Lynden Pindling International Airport, a welcome that came as a surprise to the New Orleans Pelicans rookie guard. “It was definitely a surprise. I got off the plane and they told me to go to the side door. I was thinking ‘wow, I just got off the plane and I’m in trouble already,’ but it feels good to be back,” he said. “MAD Events has been on my back for like four months now. I feel like this was the perfect time to come. Before the draft, my time schedule was so packed and as soon as I leave Freeport I have to go back to Vegas for another basketball camp. “My schedule is so tight but I said ‘I have to go back home and give back to the kids.’ It’s a great idea and it’s something I always wanted to do. This was the only time I had free. A lot of kids know someone like me can inspire them, especially the young boys and showing them they don’t have to be surrounded by negative things and violence, you can find a way out. I see a lot of young boys, come to Sunrise from Nassau and I just try to mentor them and do what I can to help them.” The aforementioned MAD Events will celebrate Hield for several days this week, highlighted by the “Buddy Hield Invitational” which is all set to be staged at 11am on Saturday (July 23) in the newly refurbished Kendal Isaacs Gym.

ers for the first time in Donald Thomas, Trevor Barry and Jamal Wilson. In addition to athletics, Team Bahamas will carry three swimmers, headed by two-time Olympian Arianna Vanderpool-Wallace, along with rising star Joanna Evans, who both have also qualified for three events. The only other discipline named to the BTC Bahamas Olympic team is rowing with Emily Morley making history as the first Bahamian to compete in the non-traditional water sport. After the announcement of the team, the BOC presented a $5,000 cheque to the Bahamas Lawn Tennis Association to help cover the expenses incurred from the men’s Davis Cup team that travelled to Bolivia. The team of veteran player/captain Marvin Rolle, rookie brothers Spencer and Baker Newman and four-time team member

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‘DIFFICULT DAY 2’ FOR BAHAMAS AT IAAF WORLD UNDER-20 By RENALDO DORSETT Sports Reporter rdorsett@tribunemedia.net

be here and glad to be back home. And I’m especially glad to be able to give back to the kids,” Hield said. “We lack high level training. We have good coaches but the Americans are 10 years ahead of us. When I went to the states I had to put in that extra work. We have the raw talent, freak athletes that can jump out the gym but we need player development.” The activities began with yesterday’s welcome reception. The celebration continues tonight as Hield will be one of 38 sporting legends honoured at the Walk of Fame on Mychal Thompson Blvd, followed by a meet and greet fundraiser at 8pm in Sapodilla Restaurant.

DAY two proved to be a difficult outing for Team Bahamas as they failed to produce a finalist in any of the four events at the IAAF World Under-20 Championships in Bydgoszcz, Poland. In the men’s 110 metre hurdles, Tavonte Mott finished sixth in heat six and was unable to advance with his time of 13.89 seconds. Shakeem Hall-Smith ran to a personal best of 14.03, but also finished sixth in heat five and failed to advance. In the preliminaries of the women’s 400mH, Dreshanae Rolle finished seventh in heat four in 1:02.03. In the men’s triple jump, Holland Martin leapt 14.35m or 47 feet, one inch to finish 15th in flight A and 32nd overall. Our quarter-milers struggled as well with Henri Delauze and Kinard Rolle eliminated in the preliminaries. Delauze finished fifth in heat four in 48.15 while Rolle was fifth in heat three in 48.60. Medal hopefuls Devine Parker and Shaquania Dorsett were both scratched

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WELCOME HOME: New Orleans Pelicans rookie guard Buddy Hield speaks during his press conference and grand welcome yesterday in the VIP Lounge of the Lynden Pindling International Airport. Minister of Youth, Sports & Culture Dr Daniel Johnson looks on. Photo by Shawn Hanna/Tribune Staff The inaugural game will feature 20 of the top boys high school basketball players in the country of varying classes. In addition to showcasing their skills before the country and the biggest name in Bahamian basketball, players will also vie for an opportunity to claim a $10,000 scholarship, awarded to the game’s Most Valuable Player. In addition to the All-Star Game, invited players will also compete in the 3-point shootout and the High Flyer’s slam-dunk contest. A wide cross-section of players invited to the event will include local players abroad like Sebastian Gray of Sunrise Christian Academy and Livingston Bromwell of

Ridley College, the GSSSA, Hugh Campbell and National Championship MVP Corey Sands of CC Sweeting, Adam Johnson of the BAISS champion Prince William Falcons, the dynamic backcourt of Franco Miller Jr and Janeko Russell of the Tabernacle Baptist Falcons and Phillipe’s own Kaleel Solomon and Romero Cornish of the Sunland Baptist Stingers. Ticket prices for the invitational are $10 for adults and $5 for kids. “I just want to thank everyone involved. It’s going to be a fun week, a great week for the kids. I’m looking forward to the kids competing. Hopefully, I’ll be able to talk to them and inspire them in some type of way. Hopefully I can get a camp down here. I’m excited to

Jones and Sun back in win column By RENALDO DORSETT Sports Reporter rdorsett@tribunemedia.net JONQUEL Jones and the Connecticut Sun got back on the winning track on the road. The Sun defeated the Dallas Wings 89-78 yesterday at the College Park Center in Arlington, Texas. Jones played just five minutes and finished with three points, three rebounds and one blocked shot. The Sun, ranked 11th in the WNBA’s AP ranking, improved to 7-16 on the season. Jasmine Thomas led the team with 20 points and three blocked shots - both season highs - while Courtney Williams scored 14 points and Morgan Tuck added 13. They took an early lead and never let up as they opened with

an 11-2 run. The Sun would never trail in the game. The Wings fell to 9-15 on the year. They fell behind at a major disadvantage when the Sun went on a 25-11 spurt. That gave Connecticut its biggest lead of the game (42-26) with 3:30 left in the first half. Dallas has lost five in a row and six of its last seven. Jones returned to the bench after spending five games in the starting lineup. While Buddy Hield arrived back in the Bahamas yesterday, he took time out in his first press conference to acknowledge the connection he and Jones have had over the course of their careers. He said the pair have promised to collaborate to assist the growth of the local girls’ game for young women. “Me and Jonquel have been competing all our life going to the

same Moon McPhee basketball camp. We had a bet this summer over who would get drafted higher and we both got drafted the sixth pick. “It was good to see her achieve these things. I was very proud of her, she worked very hard and she beat up on me a few times too. I know she’s busy now in the summertime because they’re in season and the season is at their peak,” he said. “I have talked to girls’ basketball coaches at Oklahoma University about coming down here and putting on camps, bringing the players and teaching the girls how to play basketball, just giving a higher level of skill. “I have to reach out and talk to Jonquel and hopefully we can expand on this. It’s only going to get better and better every year. That’s my vision and I’m looking forward to it.”

FORWARD Jonquel Jones and the Connecticut Sun defeated the Dallas Wings 89-78 yesterday at the College Park Center in Arlington, Texas. (AP)

PAGE 2, Thursday, July 21, 2016

THE TRIBUNE

BTC Supports Rio Olympic Team – Bahamas Olympic Committee President Wellington Miller (centre) receives a cheque for $125,000 to support the national Olympic team from Leon Williams, CEO of Bahamas Telecommunications Company, the team’s major sponsor. Looking on is Minister of Youth, Sports & Culture Dr Daniel Johnson (5th from left) and Chef de Mission Roy Colebrook (2nd from right) together with Olympic and BTC officials. Photo by Kevin Major/BOC

‘DIFFICULT 28-member Team Bahamas named for Olympics DAY 2’ FOR FROM PAGE 1 BAHAMAS AT IAAF WORLD UNDER-20 Kevin Major Jr returned home after going through the week long tournament undefeated to advance out of Zone III and back into Zone II for 2017. In turn, BTC’s Chief Executive Officer Leon Williams and Vice President, Marketing, Brand & Communications, Eldri FergusonMackey, presented the BOC with a cheque for $125,000 for their second consecutive sponsorship of the Olympic team. Ferguson-Mackey said the cheque is to assist the BOC in their expenses for the games and she complimented their brand ambassadors, Demetrius Pinder, Arianna Vanderpool-Wallace and Shaunae Miller, who all made the team, indicating that they are expecting some gold from them. In response, BOC president Wellington Miller said the cheque would go a long way in taking care of their expenses for the games, which Romel Knowles echoed that the BOC will be spending on airfare tickets and the per diam for the athletes. Williams, who made the presentation just 24 hours after they gave $30,000 to the National Sports Authority to assist in hosting the Haitian versus Jamaican soccer game next Friday at the stadium, said BTC is excited about not only sponsoring Team Bahamas, but to

also be in a position to allow Bahamians to watch the games live from Rio. “We are looking for some medals, preferrably gold,” Williams said. “For the first time, BTC will be bringing you live the Olympic coverage through our FLOW competition. “We’re launched in Bimini and Inagua and we have beta testing in Long Island, Andros and Cat Island and for the first time in history, they will be able to watch Bahamian athletes compete. BTC and FLOW TV have the broadcast rights to the Olympics.” Through this partnership, Williams said Bahamians won’t have to worry about the broadcast of the Bahamas during the march pass being interrupted by the commercials played by the American, Canadian and British channels during their airing of the opening ceremonies. “This time around, we hope that it will be different because it will be on our Caribbean network FLOW,” he said. “Wherever there is a Caribbean network, you will get to watch it brought to you by FLOW.” For those persons who don’t have the 260 channels offered by BTC, they can access their webpage www.btcbahamas.com/btctv and watch the live coverage or on your cellphones where they can watch FLOW TV as well. Also addressing the audience

were Minister of Youth, Sports and Culture Dr Daniel Johnson, who wished the team every success; Roy Colebrooke on the role that he plays as chef de mission; Ralf McKinney as the team manager and Cora Hepburn, a vice president of the BOC, who will serve as the chaperone attache for the team. • Here’s a look at the athletes selected to represent the Bahamas at the Rio Olympics ATHLETICS Men – Trevor Barry (high jump); Shavez Hart (100/200m); Demetrius Pinder (200/4x400m relay); Chris ‘Fireman’ Brown (400m/4x400m relay); Michael Mathieu (4x400m relay); Jamal Wilson (high jump); Donald Thomas (high jump); Leevan ‘Superman’ Sands (triple jump); Stephen Newbold (4x400m relay); Jeffery Gibson (400m hurdles); Adrian Griffith (100/200m); Jamial Rolle (100m); Latario Collie-Minns (triple jump); Alonzo Russell (400m/4x400m relay); Steven Gardiner (400m/4x400m relay) and Teray Smith (200m). Women – Tynia Gaither (100/200m); Anthonique Strachan (200m); Sheniqua ‘Q’ Ferguson (200m); Shaunae Miller (100/200/400m); Bianca Stuart (long jump); Devynne Charlton (100m hurdles); Adanaca Brown (100m hurdles) and Pedrya Seymour (100m hurdles).

ROWING Emily Morley (women’s single sculls). SWIMMING Women - Arianna VanderpoolWallace (100m butterfly and 50/100m freestyle) and Joanna Evans (200, 400 and 800m freestyles). Men Dustin Tynes (100m breaststroke). Management team Chef de mission - Roy Colebrooke BOC Assistants - Derron Donaldson and Darcy Rahming Sr Manager - Ralf McKinney Chaperone attache - Cora Hepburn Swimming coaches - Lionel Moreau and Andrew Loveitt Swimming team manager Kathy Dillete Swimming delegate - Algernon Cargill (president) Rowing coaches - Beth Robinson and Becky Greene Athletics coaches - George Cleare (head coach), Debbie Ferguson-McKenzie, Rudy Ferguson, James Rolle, Tyrone Burrows and Shaun Miller. Athletics delegates - Rosamunde Carey (president), Iram Lewis, Clarence Rolle and Robert Butler. Medical - Dr Rickey Davis (head doctor); Jenn Davis (chiropractor), Cottrice Robinson (physio), Dwight Marshall, Dr Claussen and Kareen Sherwood-Wallace.

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from competition with “Did Not Start” (DNS) in their respective events, the 100m and 400m. Several athletes will be in competition today. In the men’s 400mH, Branson Rolle will run in heat four, lane four. In the men’s 200m, Samson Colebrooke will run out front in lane nine of heat two. In the evening session, Serena Brown will contest the final of the women’s discus throw after her recordsetting throw in qualification. Brown’s record-breaking feat came on her third and final attempt in the qualifying round and enabled her to join five other qualifiers who got in by posting the best performances to complete the final field of 12 competitors. She will be the 11th out of 12 competitors in action.

THE TRIBUNE

Thursday, July 21, 2016, PAGE 3

At 31, sprinter Adrian Griffith to make his Olympic debut in Rio By BRENT STUBBS Senior Sports Reporter bstubbs@tribunemedia.net ADRIAN Griffith can now be regarded as the elder statesman of the men’s sprints in the Bahamas, having been competing longer than any of the active local competitors. But at the age of 31, he is making just his first Olympics team and he’s excited to represent the Bahamas in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, next month. Griffith, home on a break from his training in Florida, was on hand yesterday at the National Tennis Centre as the Bahamas Olympic Committee officially named the BTC Olympic team that will compete at the games in Rio August 5-21. “I want to thank God because every four years is a process and this is my first Olympics,” said Griffith, who has been competing on the senior circuit since 2006 after he converted from the decathlon to the sprints. “It’s good to be here to represent the athletes who have been named to this team. “I know that everybody is going to go over there to have some fun. Everybody was waiting on this official naming of the team and so now that it’s done, I know that they are looking forward to going to Rio to have some fun and to represent the Bahamas to the best of their abilities. I know everybody wants to try to come back with some type of medal.” The BOC selected all of the athletes who made the qualifying standard, whether they were injured or not. However, they are just waiting on the final verdict with regard to the Russian Olympic Committee on whether or not they

will remain suspended by the IAAF for a widespread doping violation or their ban will be lifted so that they compete. The decision hinges on whether or not the Bahamas women’s 4 x 400m team of Carmeisha Cox, Shaquania Dorsett, Lanece Clarke and Christine Amertil will join the squad, which only has a men’s 4 x 400m team included in the list. “I think everyone earned it. You can’t knock them down,” Griffith said. “Everybody worked hard all season, some of us coming from injuries, but we deserve to be there. You can expect everybody to do their best. You can expect some medals. Everybody is fine-tuning right now. The Olympics is the last dance, so I expect everybody to be ready to compete.” As for Griffith, he along with qualifiers Shavez Hart and Jamial Rolle will be out to become the next Bahamian to break the 10-second barrier in the men’s 100m. No one has done it since Derrick Atkins set the stage, lowering the na-

“I KNOW THAT EVERYBODY IS GOING TO GO OVER THERE TO HAVE SOME FUN. EVERYBODY WAS WAITING ON THIS OFFICIAL NAMING OF THE TEAM AND SO NOW THAT IT’S DONE, I KNOW THAT THEY ARE LOOKING FORWARD TO GOING TO RIO TO HAVE SOME FUN AND TO RE[RESENT THE BAHAMAS TO THE BEST OF THEIR ABILITIES. I KNOW EVERYBODY WANT TO TRY TO COME BACK WITH SOME TYPE OF MEDAL.” ADRIAN GRIFFITH (also top left) in action. tional record to 9.91 seconds when he won the silver at the IAAF World Championships in Osaka, Japan in 2007. “I’m looking forward to it,” said Griffith, who was introduced by BOC secretary general Romel Knowles as the Jamaican Usain Bolt of the Baha-

Time to focus on the Boys of Summer IN a few short months we have become friends. Through the Fourth Quarter Press I have shared some of my most personal and dearest sports moments in all of their grandeur and spectacle. The column grew from my desire to have a platform to share my unsolicited basketball opinions in my own style and flair. As today marks the official start of the lull of the NBA off-season, there is no more perfect time than now to announce that there are going to be some changes moving forward. No, I’m not going anywhere. The point of this latest edition is to simple clarify the direction of and hopes for this column for the next phase. The Fourth Quarter Press will expand beyond everyday basketball conversations and encompass all major sports - basketball, football, baseball, soccer, tennis, hockey, etc - as I provide commentary on these outlets from both an international and a local standpoint. I hope you guys enjoy! July, July, July. Growing up in my household, July was synonymous with dull sporting events and an increase in non-sporting television programming. This month is the sole reason for my affection towards baseball. As a youngster, I did enjoy playing softball but never could convince myself to sit down and observe a full, nineinning baseball game. The long drawn out balls and strikes concept just never held my full attention. Nowadays, July signals a shift for me and baseball. I transition from a casual fan with subjective knowledge of the MLB’s top storylines to an avid, non-stop viewer. The sporting gods seem to have engineered the start of the baseball season to run simultaneously with the high points of the

FOURTH QUARTER PRESS

mas when he invited him to come to the front as he announced the team, indicating that he has qualified in both the 100 and 200. Griffith, however, noted that he will only be concentrating on the quick straight away race in Rio as he will put his emphasis on the century and not concern him-

self with running the deuce in a bid to go after a double appearance in the longer half-lap race. “I like the 100 metres.” he stated. Griffith and the BAAA was also hoping that the men’s 4 x 100m relay would have secured one of the top 16 times in the world in order to qualify for a lane in Rio. But after falling short in their last chance meet at the Blue Marlin Classic,

Griffith said they will now have to lean towards their individual events. “We gave it our best shot, but it was a little too late,” he said. “We had the speed, but I don’t think we had sufficient time to put it all together. We just have to try again next year. But all of the guys are upbeat and I know those who have been selected to the Olympic team will go out there and give it their best shot.”

Calling All High

SCHOOL STUDENTS

BY RICARDO WELLS

“JULY SIGNALS A SHIFT FOR ME AND BASEBALL. I TRANSITION FROM A CASUAL FAN WITH SUBJECTIVE KNOWLEDGE OF THE MLB’S TOP STORYLINES TO AN AVID, NON-STOP VIEWER.” NBA season. Even more ironic, as soon as the NBA playoffs, draft and summer league all die down, we find ourselves in the heart of the MLB season. Here we are. The Bulls summer league roster, led by rookie standout Denzel Valentine, clinched the NBA title on Monday night. Today, the MLB’s buy or sell rendition is underway with storylines appearing from all angles. Here are my top three. 1 Mets pitching The New York Mets are again this season flirting with success. Coming off a World Series berth last season, the Queens bunch is focused on returning to the big dance and coming away with the title on the strength of their star-studded pitching squad. Despite losing staff ace Matt Harvey earlier this year to arm issues, the Mets still posses two of the leagues top five pitchers based on earned run averages (ERA): third ranked Jacob deGrom and fifthranked Noah Syndergaard. Backed up by a quality bullpen headlined by Jeurys Familia and his 41-consecutive saves the Mets are poised to do something special.

2 Are the Yankees buyers or sellers? Across Queensboro Bridge, down in the Bronx, the Yankees now find themselves in a bit of a pickle. Only 6.5 games out of first in the American League East and 1.5 out of that coveted second wildcard spot, the Yankees are not necessarily done for the year. In fact, this past weekend’s series against their arch rivals, the Boston Red Sox, saw skipper Joe Girardi coin two consecutive games “the most important of the year”. The Yanks went 1-1. There has been a lot of chatter on how best the Yankees can regain their footing after a rough start, with even some pundits and writers calling for major shakeups up and down the roster. While I don’t speak any major changes to happen, the Yankees could look to move Carlos Beltran for some pitching help. 3 Will the Royals find away to steady their crowns? The other team from last year’s World Series, the Kansas City Royals, are still rounding into form. Their bats have been non-existent for much of the year. Currently sitting in third in the American League Central, eight games out of first place, the Royals have a lot of work to do. The team’s sporadic play has left so many questions, forcing many to believe that there is just no way the team can ‘right’ its ship. • Ricardo Wells writes Fourth Quarter Press every Thursday. Comments to rwells@tribunemedia.net

Every year in August THE TRIBUNE publishes a popular Back to School supplement as a guide to the following academic year. In the supplement we feature the profiles of high school students across the Bahamas and Family Islands. We want profiles from as many schools and students as possible to make this guide essential and informative.

Profiles must include 1. Name 2. Age 3. School 4. Grade 5. Parent name or names 6. Goals and aspirations, prizes won and honours awarded

7. Name of college they will be attending (if attending) Plus a suitable photograph in .jpeg format (graduation or any other image).

How to submit profiles Email to back2school@ tribunemedia.net with ‘Back To School’ in the subject field and photos in .jpeg format. By post to Back To School, The Tribune, Shirley Street & Deveaux Streets, PO Box N-3207, Nassau. By hand to The Tribune office The deadline for the profiles is July 29, 2016 and there is no cost involved. For any questions please contact Tribune Features at 5022373 or 502-2387 or 502-2411.

PAGE 4, Thursday, July 21, 2016

THE TRIBUNE

Kerber avoids Lister upset at Stockholm Open CHARDY, BASTAD, Sweden (AP) — Top-seeded Angelique Kerber dropped a set before beating local wild card Cornelia Lister 2-6, 6-4, 6-2 yesterday in the second round of the Stockholm Open. The second-ranked German, who lost to Serena Williams in the Wimbledon final earlier this month, struggled to adjust to the change of surface on the clay in Bastad. “It was difficult, because this was my first match after grass on clay again,” said Kerber, who was returning to Bastad for the first time in five years. “The first matches are always a little bit tricky for me.” The left-handed Australian Open champion suffered a left elbow injury early in the match that taxed her normally powerful strokes. The 22-year-old Swede was quick to capitalise on Kerber’s difficulties, breaking her serve three times in the first set to get an early lead, but Kerber bounced back after receiving treatment during a medical timeout. In other games, second-seeded Sara Errani of Italy defeated Switzerland’s Viktorija Golubic 7-6 (6), 6-1, and Karin Knapp of Italy beat 2014 champion Mona Barthel of Germany 6-0, 7-5. Errani lined up a quarter-final

BERLOCQ ADVANCE AT CROATIA OPEN

ANGELIQUE Kerber of Germany celebrates after beating Venus Williams of the US in their singles match on day eleven of the Wimbledon Tennis Championships in London, Thursday, July 7. (AP) against Czech qualifier Katerina Siniakova, who ousted fifthseeded Anna Karolina Schmied-

lova of Slovakia 6-3, 4-6, 6-4. Sixth-seeded Laura Siegemund of Germany beat Lucie

Hradecka of the Czech Republic 7-5, 7-6 (4) to advance to the last eight.

UMAG, Croatia (AP) — Thirdseeded Jeremy Chardy beat past Serbian qualifier Nikola Cacic 6-2, 6-0 yesterday to advance to the quarter-finals of the Croatia Open. In his Croatia Open debut, Chardy needed just 44 minutes to complete the victory — winning 94 per cent of his first-serve points and facing no break points. Cacic had recorded his first tourlevel victory on Monday when he defeated Britain’s Aljaz Bedene in the first round. Chardy will next face Carlos Berlocq of Argentina, who was leading 7-5, 3-0 in the second set against eighth-seeded Jiri Vesely of the Czech Republic when his opponent retired because of a shoulder injury. Last year’s finalist, Fabio Fognini of Italy, advanced with a 6-4, 6-1 victory over Renzo Olivo of Argentina. Fourth-seeded Fognini is playing in Umag for the ninth consecutive year. Damir Dzumhur of Bosnia-Herzegovina rallied to defeat Thomas Fabbiano of Italy 4-6, 6-1, 6-2.

Archer strikes out 11, Rays beat the Rockies 11-3 By PAT GRAHAM AP Sports Writer DENVER (AP) — Chris Archer struck out 11 over six innings for his first win since June 6, Tim Beckham had a careerhigh five hits and the Tampa Bay Rays beat the Colorado Rockies 11-3 yesterday. Evan Longoria kept up his hot hitting with two doubles as the Rays took two of three to capture their first road series since June 6-8 at Arizona. Longoria turned in a big series with two doubles, two triples, a homer and five RBIs. Archer (5-13) allowed two runs and four hits to halt a slide in which he had lost six of seven starts. Jorge De La Rosa (67) lasted only four innings and gave up nine runs, seven of them earned. He usually fares well at Coors Field — with a better home ERA (4.27) than on the road (4.38) since joining Colorado. Tampa Bay trailed 2-1 before breaking open the game with three runs in third and five more in the fourth. Former Rockies outfielder Corey Dickerson had three hits, including a triple, to increase his career average in this park to .360. He was traded to the Rays last January for reliever Jake McGee. With two doubles Wednesday, Longoria has 50 extra base hits this season. Only one other Tampa Bay player, Aubrey Huff in 2003, had that many through 94 games. Longoria is playing well as the August 1 deadline approaches for trades without waivers. Rays manager Kevin Cash said he

can’t imagine a lineup without Longoria. “They are rumours, and at this time you just hope they stay that way,” Cash said before the game. Archer allowed two runs in the second but quickly settled into a groove. He struck out the side in the fourth and the sixth — his last pitch a 96 mph fastball that Mark Reynolds couldn’t hit. TRAINER’S ROOM Rays: RHP Alex Cobb (Tommy John surgery) is scheduled to throw a bullpen session today. OF Kevin Kiermaier got the day off. FEELING PRESIDENTIAL Rockies manager Walt Weiss is playfully campaigning for his man: Gerardo Parra. Weiss wore a “Parra for President” T-shirt before the game. The shirts were created as a joke before the season and Parra’s teammates constantly wear them. More pressing than getting Parra into the White House is getting him back on the field. The outfielder is on the disabled list with a sprained left ankle. THIS & THAT Rockies hitting coach Blake Doyle was throw out early in the game for something he said from the dugout to home plate umpire Paul Emmel concerning the strike zone. The Rockies tied a season high by striking out 15 times. Every position player in the Rays lineup had a hit except Casali. There was review over a tag at home plate in the second inning that lasted 6 minutes, 28 seconds, and had players just standing around. Archer threw warmup pitches.

MAJOR LEAGUE BASEBALL STANDINGS

TAMPA Bay Rays starting pitcher Chris Archer delivers a pitch to Colorado Rockies’ Charlie Blackmon in the first inning of a baseball game yesterday in Denver. (AP)

Athletics rally from 3 down to beat the Astros 4-3 in 10 By MICHAEL WAGAMAN Associated Press OAKLAND, California (AP) — Marcus Semien rounded third base on Josh Reddick’s 10th-inning infield single, and Reddick’s first thought was disbelief. Then Semien slid home for the game-ending run not long after Oakland wasted a big opportunity in the ninth. Semien scored from second base on Reddick’s two-out infield single to lift the A’s to a 4-3 win over the Houston Astros on Tuesday night. “It was a really good game for us,” manager Bob Melvin said. “There was a lot of fight tonight, for sure. A lot of good things transpired.” The A’s rallied from three runs down and trailed 3-2 before Coco Crisp’s tying double off Astros closer Will Harris in the ninth. After the Astros stranded the bases loaded in the top of the 10th, Reddick won it with the sixth walkoff hit of his career. Semien singled with two outs off Pat Neshek (2-2) and stole second. Yonder Alonso walked before Reddick singled to deep shortstop. Houston’s Carlos Correa fielded the ball cleanly but threw wide of home as Semien slid safely in with the winning run. “I was wondering why he was going and being sent in the first place,” Reddick said of Semien. “Then I saw

the throw and I was like ‘Thank you, thank you, thank you.’ I think he’d agree he had no business going. But sometimes you have to push the issue, and it worked.” Crisp finished with two hits while Ryon Healy added two hits and two RBIs for the A’s. Oakland has won four of five since the All-Star break. Jose Altuve matched his career-high with four hits while George Springer hit his career-high 21st home run for the Astros. “Definitely a winnable game,” Houston manager A.J. Hinch said. “Really this game was more about us not being able to close the game out. Late in the game it never felt like we had enough runs and it turned out we didn’t.” Mark Rzepczynski (1-0) got the last out in the top of the 10th for the win. Houston starter Dallas Keuchel took a shutout into the seventh before giving up consecutive one-out hits to Billy Butler and Jake Smolinksi. Healy followed with a two-run double off reliever Ken Giles to pull the A’s to 3-2. Oakland tied the game in the ninth with back-to-back doubles by Stephen Vogt and Crisp. Crisp thought he had homered and slowed rounding second before getting caught in a rundown. Altuve padded his majors-leading hit total with his sixth four-hit game of the season. Houston’s All-Star second baseman singled in the first, doubled and scored in the third and tripled and scored in the fifth. He struck out look-

ing in the eighth and singled again in the 10th. Keuchel allowed two runs and five hits over 6 1/3 innings. The reigning AL Cy Young Award winner, who beat the A’s in his final start before the All-Star break, struck out six and walked three. A STEP FORWARD A’s starter Daniel Overton, who was called up from Triple-A Nashville before the game, allowed three runs over 6 1/3 innings. The rookie left-hander struck out six and didn’t walk a batter for the first time in three career starts. ROAD WARRIOR Altuve’s three hits raised his ALleading average to .352 and extended his road hitting streak to 18 games. The diminutive infielder has also reached safely in 34 consecutive road games, the second-longest streak in Astros history. TRAINER’S ROOM Athletics: Rich Hill’s status remains in limbo because of a blister on the middle finger of his left hand. Hill left his most recent start Sunday after throwing just five pitches. RHP Andrew Triggs was placed on the 15-day disabled list with a bruised left shin. INF Tyler Ladendorf was optioned to Triple-A Nashville and LHP Daniel Coulombe was called up from the minors.

THE TRIBUNE

Thursday, July 21, 2016, PAGE 5

Quintana cracks on Alpine stage, Froome extends the Tour lead By SAMUEL PETREQUIN AP Sports Writer FINHAUT-EMOSSON, Switzerland (AP) — Nairo Quintana was expected to celebrate Colombia’s national holiday with a major offensive in the Alps that would see him close in on Tour de France leader Chris Froome. It didn’t happen. Despite being a specialist in mountain stages, Quintana surrendered to the defending champion in the first Alpine leg of this year’s Tour - won by Russian allrounder Ilnur Zakarin yesterday. Froome made the most of a brutal final ascent to the artificial lake of Finhaut-Emosson to tighten his grip on the race and take another step toward a third title in four years at cycling’s biggest event. “It’s been a very difficult Tour for Nairo,” said Froome, after the Colombian lost another 28 seconds. “He’s still a great rival and a big challenger for me, but he lost more time today. I think for him to re-enter into the game again he’s going to have to do a real good time trial tomorrow.” Having already lost a considerable amount of time during the two first weeks of racing, Quintana was expected to be in the thick of the action in the Alps. Instead, he was powerless to do anything but watch when Froome accelerated with less than two kilometres left. “My yellow dream is over, but I’m just 26, and the riders in front of me have more experience,” said Quintana, who finished twice runner-up at the Tour behind Froome in 2013 and 2015. “I have many years left to realise that dream.” While Quintana struggled, Froome reasserted his superiority over his direct rivals in the sizzling heat that hit the Swiss Alps.

RUSSIA’s Ilnur Zakarin celebrates yesterday as he crosses the finish line to win during the 17th stage of the Tour de France cycling race over 184.5 kilometres (114.3 miles) with start in Bern and finish in Finhaut-Emosson. (AP) “I’m feeling better than I’ve ever felt in the third week of a Grand Tour before,” Froome said. Given the big gaps which the Kenya-born rider has already opened up, the news does not bode well for his rivals. With four stages remaining before the finish in Paris, Froome leads Bauke Mollema by 2 minutes 27 seconds overall. Adam Yates is third, 2:53 off the pace and Quintana sits in fourth place, 3:27 behind his British rival. Once the stage reached the mountains, Froome’s teammates

deployed their usual tactics, moving to the front to set a sustained tempo and tire his rivals. Riding several minutes behind the breakaways, Richie Porte finally attacked from the yellow jersey group around two kilometers from the finish. On the steep ramps leading to the line, Quintana, Yates and Mollema were unable to respond, and Froome accelerated. Quintana first followed the defending champion’s frenetic pace but cracked after a few hundred meters.

Porte — who rode in support of Froome at Team Sky before he joined BMC this season — crossed the finish line with his former leader. Along with the 28 seconds lost by Quintana to Froome, Mollema reached the summit 40 seconds behind the defending champion. “I really want to be on the podium, so these are the moves you have to pull,” said Porte, who moved to sixth overall, 4:27 back. “I thought Quintana was the one who was going to go, so I sat on his wheel. It was a good attack and

Froome was the only that came with me. I think it’s a good day.” Zakarin was part of a breakaway that formed early in the 184.5-kilometre (114.6-mile) stage starting in Bern. It featured two major climbs in the final 30 kilometres: the Col de la Forclaz, a 13-kilometre climb with an average gradient of 7.9 per cent, and the brutal beyond-category 10.4-kilometre ascent to the finish line. The day began with an early crash involving Quintana’s teammate Gorka Izaguirre, who was forced to abandon with a suspected fractured collarbone. After several breakaway attempts, a group of 14 riders including world champion Peter Sagan formed at the front of the race. Froome’s teammates did not chase and the leading pack built a 13-minute gap. The scenic route near Mont Blanc took the peloton up and down serpentine roads between neatly arranged vineyards with snowcapped peaks in the distance. Once the pack reached the mountains, Sagan got dropped at the bottom of the Col de la Forclaz. Rafal Majka and Jarlinson Pantano jumped out of the pack on the descent and started the final climb with a small lead of 30 seconds. Zakarin joined them and launched a furious attack on the last climb with 6.5 kilometres left. Zakarin, who was suspended in 2009 for two years after testing positive for the forbidden anabolic steroid methandienone, finished 55 seconds ahead of Pantano. Majka was third, 1:26 back. The race now crosses back into France for Stage 18 today, a 17-kilometre individual time trial from Sallanches to Megeve.

Russian athletes await key ruling on Olympic track ban By IULIIA SUBBOTOVSKA and STEPHEN WILSON Associated Press ZHUKOVSKY, Russia (AP) — Long jumper Ekaterina Koneva says she’ll cry. World hurdles champion Sergei Shubenkov says he’ll drown his sorrows. A day before a sports court rules on Russia’s appeal against the ban on its track and field team from the Olympics, star Russian athletes at a meet near Moscow pondered how they will react if they lose their case and can’t go to Rio de Janeiro. “What if we are not admitted, what do we do?” asked Koneva, a world championship silver medallist who would be a contender for gold if allowed to go to Rio. “I hope they will tell us something good.” Shubenkov said: “I will get drunk.” The Court of Arbitration for Sport in Switzerland will rule today on an appeal filed by Russia’s Olympic track and field team of 68 athletes against a ban imposed by the sport’s world governing body, the IAAF, following allegations of state-sponsored doping and cover-ups. As it stands, the IAAF has approved just two Russians to compete, as “neutral athletes,” after they showed they had been training and living abroad under a robust drug testing regime. One is doping whistleblower Yulia Stepanova, the other is Florida-based long jumper Darya Klishina, who has received threats online from Russian fans who think she would betray her country by competing if the rest of the team is banned. Today’s ruling is likely to weigh heavily on whether the International Olympic Committee could exclude the entire Russian team — across all sports, not just track — following new allegations of a vast state-sponsored doping programme that covered many Olympic sports. Canadian lawyer Richard McLaren, who was commissioned by the World AntiDoping Agency, issued a report Monday that accused

Russia’s sports ministry of orchestrating a vast doping programme that affected 28 summer and winter Olympic sports. The Russian appeal of the track ban was heard by a CAS panel on Tuesday in Geneva, with two-time Olympic pole vault champion Yelena Isinbayeva on hand to represent the athletes. IAAF President Sebastian Coe also attended the hearing. Two high-profile sports lawyers presented each side — California-based Howard Jacobs for the Russians, British attorney Jonathan Taylor for the IAAF. The decision will be closely scrutinised by the IOC, which said Tuesday it would “explore the legal options” for a possible total ban on Russia but would wait until after the CAS ruling before making a final decision. If the IAAF ban is thrown out and the Russian track athletes are let back in, that would seemingly rule out the IOC imposing a blanket ban. If the ban is upheld, however, it would keep the option open. The uncertainty is weighing heavily on Russian athletes. “It puts a lot of pressure on us,” said Koneva, who herself once served a twoyear doping ban. But the legal wrangling may not be over yet. Should the IOC then impose a total ban across all sports, Russian athletes — though probably not the track and field team — could conceivably appeal again to CAS. The case dates back to November, when the IAAF suspended Russia’s track and field federation following a World Anti-Doping Agency commission report that alleged systematic and state-backed doping in the country. The International Association of Athletics Federations upheld the ban last month, a decision accepted by the IOC. The Russian appeal questions the validity of the IAAF decision and seeks to ensure the participation in Rio of “any Russian athlete who is not currently subject to any period of ineligibility for the commission of an anti-doping rule violation.”

WADA REINSTATES RIO OLYMPIC DRUG-TESTING LABORATORY By STEPHEN WADE AP Sports Writer

LONG jumper Ekaterina Koneva competes in the Russian Cup athletics competition in Zhukovsky, near Moscow, Russia, yesterday. A day before a sports court rules on Russia’s appeal against the ban on its track and field team from the Olympics, star Russian athletes at a meet near Moscow pondered how they will react if they are banned from Rio Olympics. Ekaterina Koneva says she’ll cry.

RUSSIAN javelin thrower Vera Rebrik competes in the Russian Cup athletics competition in Zhukovsky, near Moscow, Russia. (AP Photos) The CAS case hinges on a central issue: Can all of the country’s track athletes be banned collectively and is it right to punish those who have not been accused of wrongdoing? In extending the ban, the

IAAF said Russia’s entire drug-testing system had been corrupted and tainted and there was no way to prove which athletes were clean. Letting Russian athletes compete in the games would undermine the cred-

ibility of the competition, according to the IAAF. For now, Russia’s track athletes remain in limbo. “It’s very sad and frustrating, all these thoughts in our heads,” Koneva said. “But hope dies last.”

RIO DE JANEIRO (AP) — The World AntiDoping Agency said yesterday it has reinstated the laboratory that will carry out drug testing for the Rio de Janeiro Olympics, which start in just over two weeks. The lab was shuttered last month for what WADA called “nonconformity with International Standard for Laboratories.” In a statement on Wednesday, WADA said the Rio laboratory “has successfully complied with the ISL’s requirements for reinstatement and no further suspension is required.” The statement will be a relief for local organisers and the International Olympic Committee, which would have been forced to send thousands of samples abroad for testing. The Rio Olympics have faced myriad problems: the Zika epidemic, soaring crime and security worries, slow ticket sales and severe water pollution in venues for sailing, rowing, canoeing, triathlon and distance swimming. “Athletes can be confident that anti-doping sample analysis has been robust throughout the laboratory’s suspension, and that it will also be during the Games,” Olivier Niggli, director general of WADA, said in a statement. He said the lab would be running “optimally” when the Olympics open on August 5. A statement from the Brazilian sports ministry, which oversees the Brazilian Doping Control Authority, said it received the news “with satisfaction” and said the laboratory was already up and running. The statement said Brazilian officials had followed “closely WADA’s review process the last few weeks.”

PAGE 6, Thursday, July 21, 2016

THE TRIBUNE

Thursday, July 21, 2016, PAGE 7

TIGER WOODS OUT OF THE PGA CHAMPIONSHIP AS REHAB CONTINUES (AP) — Tiger Woods withdrew from the PGA Championship, the first time he will go an entire year without playing a major. The decision, while not a surprise, also means he will go an entire PGA Tour season without playing. His agent, Mark Steinberg of Excel Sports Management, said in a text to The Associated Press on Tuesday that Woods will not play the remainder of the tour season as he continues to rehab following back surgeries. That would have amounted to only three more tournaments before the start of the FedEx Cup playoffs. Steinberg said Woods will continue to work hard

TIGER WOODS watches his tee shot on the second hole during the final round of the Wyndham Championship golf tournament at Sedgefield Country Club in Greensboro, N.C. on August 23, 2015. The veteran golfer has withdrawn from the PGA Championship, the first time he will go an entire year without playing a major. (AP)

THe WeaTHer repOrT

5-Day Forecast

TOday

OrlandO

High: 93° F/34° C low: 76° F/24° C

Tampa

FrIday

saTurday

sunday

mOnday

Clouds and sun, a t‑storm in spots

Partly cloudy, a t‑storm in spots

Partly sunny, a t‑storm in spots

Some sun with a t‑storm in the area

Periods of sun, a t‑storm in spots

High: 93°

Low: 79°

High: 91° Low: 78°

High: 90° Low: 77°

High: 91° Low: 79°

High: 92° Low: 79°

AccuWeather RealFeel

112° F

93° F

109°-90° F

101°-86° F

106°-89° F

105°-89° F

The exclusive AccuWeather RealFeel Temperature® is an index that combines the effects of temperature, wind, humidity, sunshine intensity, cloudiness, precipitation, pressure and elevation on the human body—everything that affects how warm or cold a person feels. Temperatures reflect the high and the low for the day.

almanac

aBaCO

High: 87° F/31° C low: 80° F/27° C

6‑12 knots

High: 92° F/33° C low: 80° F/27° C

4‑8 knots

FT. lauderdale

FreepOrT

High: 90° F/32° C low: 79° F/26° C

W S

WesT palm BeaCH

uV inDex toDay

TOnIGHT

High: 92° F/33° C low: 77° F/25° C

High: 90° F/32° C low: 79° F/26° C

mIamI

High: 89° F/32° C low: 78° F/26° C

7‑14 knots

Key WesT

High: 89° F/32° C low: 80° F/27° C

eleuTHera

nassau

High: 93° F/34° C low: 79° F/26° C

N E

The higher the AccuWeather UV IndexTM number, the greater the need for eye and skin protection.

tiDes For nassau High

Ht.(ft.)

Low

Ht.(ft.)

Today

9:36 a.m. 9:58 p.m.

2.9 3.5

3:37 a.m. 3:37 p.m.

0.0 0.0

Friday

10:22 a.m. 10:42 p.m.

3.0 3.4

4:19 a.m. 4:23 p.m.

0.0 0.0

Saturday

11:09 a.m. 11:28 p.m.

3.0 3.3

5:03 a.m. 5:13 p.m.

0.0 0.1

Sunday

12:00 p.m. ‑‑‑‑‑

3.1 ‑‑‑‑‑

5:48 a.m. 6:07 p.m.

0.0 0.2

Monday

12:18 a.m. 12:55 p.m.

3.2 3.1

6:37 a.m. 7:05 p.m.

0.0 0.3

Tuesday

1:12 a.m. 1:54 p.m.

3.0 3.2

7:30 a.m. 8:08 p.m.

0.0 0.4

Wednesday 2:10 a.m. 2:57 p.m.

2.9 3.2

8:27 a.m. 9:14 p.m.

0.0 0.4

sun anD moon Sunrise Sunset

6:32 a.m. 8:00 p.m.

Moonrise Moonset

9:22 p.m. 8:06 a.m.

last

new

First

Full

Jul. 26

aug. 2

aug. 10

aug. 18

CaT Island

High: 87° F/31° C low: 79° F/26° C

6‑12 knots

7‑14 knots Shown is today’s weather. Temperatures are today’s highs and tonight’s lows.

Statistics are for Nassau through 2 p.m. yesterday Temperature High ................................................... 93° F/34° C Low .................................................... 78° F/26° C Normal high ....................................... 88° F/31° C Normal low ........................................ 75° F/24° C Last year’s high ................................. 91° F/33° C Last year’s low ................................... 78° F/26° C Precipitation As of 2 p.m. yesterday ................................. 0.10” Year to date ............................................... 23.83” Normal year to date ................................... 17.67”

High: 87° F/31° C low: 80° F/27° C

and assess when he can play the following season, which starts in October. In public appearances dating to April, whether it was opening his golf course in Houston or hosting his tournament in Washington, Woods has given no indication when he will be ready to compete. He had his second and third back surgeries last year and has said he wants to take his time making sure it heals. Woods now has gone eight full years since winning his 14th major championship at the 2008 US Open. He was replaced by Harold Varner III at the PGA Championship, which starts July 28 at Baltusrol Golf Club in New Jersey.

andrOs

san salVadOr

GreaT eXuma

High: 87° F/31° C low: 79° F/26° C

High: 87° F/31° C low: 80° F/27° C

High: 88° F/31° C low: 81° F/27° C

W S

lOnG Island

insurance management tracking map

High: 87° F/31° C low: 79° F/26° C

6‑12 knots

mayaGuana High: 87° F/31° C low: 80° F/27° C

Shown is today’s weather. Temperatures are today’s highs and tonight’s lows.

CrOOKed Island / aCKlIns raGGed Island High: 86° F/30° C low: 79° F/26° C

High: 86° F/30° C low: 79° F/26° C

GreaT InaGua High: 89° F/32° C low: 81° F/27° C

8‑16 knots

marine Forecast aBaCO andrOs CaT Island CrOOKed Island eleuTHera FreepOrT GreaT eXuma GreaT InaGua lOnG Island mayaGuana nassau raGGed Island san salVadOr

Today: Friday: Today: Friday: Today: Friday: Today: Friday: Today: Friday: Today: Friday: Today: Friday: Today: Friday: Today: Friday: Today: Friday: Today: Friday: Today: Friday: Today: Friday:

WINDS SE at 4‑8 Knots E at 4‑8 Knots E at 6‑12 Knots ENE at 6‑12 Knots E at 6‑12 Knots E at 6‑12 Knots E at 8‑16 Knots SE at 8‑16 Knots ESE at 6‑12 Knots ENE at 4‑8 Knots E at 6‑12 Knots ESE at 4‑8 Knots E at 7‑14 Knots E at 7‑14 Knots E at 8‑16 Knots ESE at 8‑16 Knots E at 8‑16 Knots ESE at 7‑14 Knots E at 8‑16 Knots SE at 8‑16 Knots ESE at 4‑8 Knots E at 4‑8 Knots E at 8‑16 Knots E at 6‑12 Knots E at 6‑12 Knots ENE at 6‑12 Knots

WAVES 3‑6 Feet 3‑5 Feet 1‑2 Feet 1‑2 Feet 3‑5 Feet 2‑4 Feet 3‑6 Feet 2‑4 Feet 3‑6 Feet 2‑4 Feet 1‑2 Feet 1‑2 Feet 1‑2 Feet 1‑2 Feet 3‑5 Feet 1‑3 Feet 2‑4 Feet 1‑3 Feet 4‑7 Feet 4‑7 Feet 1‑2 Feet 1‑2 Feet 2‑4 Feet 1‑3 Feet 1‑3 Feet 1‑2 Feet

VISIBILITY 5 Miles 5 Miles 5 Miles 5 Miles 5 Miles 5 Miles 5 Miles 5 Miles 5 Miles 5 Miles 5 Miles 5 Miles 5 Miles 5 Miles 5 Miles 5 Miles 5 Miles 5 Miles 5 Miles 5 Miles 5 Miles 5 Miles 5 Miles 5 Miles 5 Miles 5 Miles

WATER TEMPS. 84° F 85° F 87° F 87° F 84° F 84° F 84° F 84° F 83° F 84° F 82° F 82° F 85° F 86° F 84° F 85° F 85° F 85° F 84° F 85° F 86° F 86° F 85° F 85° F 84° F 84° F

PAGE 8, Thursday, July 21, 2016

THE TRIBUNE

Surprise! Buddy Hield gets a hero’s welcome at airport FROM PAGE 1

SURPRISE WELCOME HOME: Buddy Hield arrives in the VIP Lounge at the Lynden Pindling International Airport yesterday. He was treated to a hero’s welcome that came as a surprise to the New Orleans Pelicans rookie guard. Photos by Shawn Hanna/Tribune Staff

Those looking to RSVP for the meet and greet are asked to call 327-2161. On Friday, Hield will conduct an autograph signing session 3pm at the Mall At Marathon and on Saturday night following the invitational, MAD Events will host “the MAD House Party with Buddy Hield” at Mario’s Bowling and Entertainment Palace. Minister of Youth, Sports and Culture Dr Daniel Johnson said Hield has been such a fan favourite based upon his character both on and off the court. “Not since Mychal ‘Sweet Bells’ Thompson have we seen the likes of an individual like Buddy. It’s not just because of all of his awards. - I’ve followed him for a long time, went to many of the games, sat in the corner, went to the Draft - but his character,” Johnson said. “Every year that I have been to support team Bahamas and this young man, people have not spoken about his game, they have not talked about him being the best player in his bracket, what they spoke to is the amazing character of this young man from the Bahamas. They don’t talk about his technique and what he scores, they talk about a special young man from a special place. This is the pride our people have as Bahamians, and you are now one of the ones that we call hero.” After being selected by the Pelicans with the 6th overall pick in last month’s NBA Draft, Hield recently completed play in the Samsung NBA Summer League in Las, Vegas Nevada. He averaged 16.8 points, 5.4 assists and 3.8 rebounds through five games. Joy Jibrilu, the director general of tourism, said Hield continues to inspire the nation. “Buddy-mania is alive and well in the Bahamas. We can let him see the love we have felt over the last few years but this year in particular when he took the 242 to the world. Buddy, wherever you go in the Bahamas over the next few days you will feel the hero’s welcome that is going to be poured out for you. “You have represented the Bahamas so very well and you have made every single one of us proud,” she said. “We are a very small nation and in every generation you may be blessed to find among us there is a special citizen or maybe two who rises to international fame and we cherish these giants. In you Buddy, we recognise that we have a rare Bahamian and that’s why Buddy-mania has lit our landscape so fully.”