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Volume: 122 No. 29, January 3, 2025

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Family’s horror at baby’s death UB operations uninterrupted as fear rises of a sickout

Grandmother tells of grief after boy dies in car crash

By DENISE MAYCOCK Tribune Freeport Reporter dmaycock@tribunemedia.net A GRIEVING grandmother says the loss of 14-month-old Kengdom Seymour, her last grandson, in a horrific New Year’s Day crash has devastated her family, and the premature posting of the tragedy online has only added to

their pain.

The crash occurred around 6.10pm on Queen’s Highway in West Grand Bahama, involving three vehicles. Kengdom was travelling with his mother, who sustained serious injuries and remains hospitalised. The toddler died of his injuries at the clinic in

By LEANDRA ROLLE Tribune Chief Reporter lrolle@tribunemedia.net OPERATIONS at the University of The Bahamas remained unaffected despite some staff members reportedly calling in sick, raising fears of a sickout.

In a statement, UB said it received no communication from the Bahamas Public Service Union (BPSU), which represents clerical staff, janitors, administrators and other staff, concerning the matter.

BPSU President Kimsley

SEE page three

near $10m cocaine seized at container port in GB

By DENISE MAYCOCK Tribune Freeport Reporter dmaycock@tribunemedia.net NEARLY $10 million worth of cocaine has been seized in a New Year’s Day drug bust at the container port in Grand Bahama.

As a result of a joint operation, Bahamian and US law enforcement officials uncovered 498 kilos of

suspected cocaine — worth an estimated $9.96 million — concealed in duffle bags inside a 40ft container at the Freeport Container Port.

The illicit haul, weighing a staggering 1,277 pounds, was revealed during a press conference on Thursday at Police Headquarters in SEE page two

SEE page five

14-month-old Kengdom Seymour died in a fatal car crash in Grand Bahama on New Year’s Day. His mother was also seriously injured in the three car collision and hospitalised at the clinic in West End.

Govt looking to establish Office of the Ombudsman early this year

By KEILE CAMPBELL Tribune Staff Reporter kcampbell@tribunemedia.net ATTORNEY General Ryan Pinder said government has said it is working to establish the Office of the Ombudsman in the first quarter of 2025, stressing that a wide range of work is required, from outlining job roles to creating training modules.

“We have to understand the staff complement,” he told The Tribune. “The job descriptions. We have to have policies and procedures and operating manuals prepared. We have to have training modules for the public, staff and civil servants.”

The Office of the Ombudsman is supposed to SEE page four

Attorney General Ryan Pinder

Nassau & Bahama Islands’ Leading Newspaper

Human Rights committee still has not held meeting

By EARYEL BOWLEG Tribune Staff Reporter ebowleg@tribunemedia.net HUMAN Rights Bahamas has called for the newly established parliamentary Human Rights Committee to begin its work, emphasising the urgent need to address ongoing issues affecting the Bahamian public.

Parliament’s chief clerk, David Forbes, confirmed to The Tribune that the committee has yet to meet.

He said the body expected to convene soon, perhaps by the end of SEE page four

PAGE 2, Friday, January 3, 2025

THE TRIBUNE

Near $10m cocaine seized at container port in GB from page one

Freeport, where several dark-coloured duffle bags packed with taped packages of cocaine were laid out on a table and the floor.

Chief Superintendent Michael Thurston, head of the Drug Enforcement Unit (DEU), said based on intelligence, officers from the DEU, Bahamas Customs Department, and US Drug Enforcement Agency went to the port.

According to initial police reports, sometime around 1.30pm, law enforcement officials searched a red 40ft container where the suspected drugs were found.

Speaking at the press conference, Chief Supt Thurston described the bust as a “significant seizure,” emphasising that the cocaine was intercepted before it could get on the streets.

“This is a significant seizure, and the value of the cocaine is just under $10m,” he said. “We are in the early stages of this investigation, and I would like to thank our partners in law enforcement, Bahamas Customs and the US Drug Enforcement Agency, as we continue to protect our borders from this kind of illegal activity.”

Despite the success, no arrests have been made, and police remain tight-lipped about the shipment’s origin, saying that it came from a foreign destination.

Chief Supt Thurston explained that the drugs will be transported to New Providence for safekeeping at a secure facility. He stressed the importance of stopping illegal drugs at ports of entry to prevent them from reaching the public or being smuggled abroad.

“This is very significant,” he said. “You can imagine if this hits the streets. When you can get it at the port of entry before it trickles down to the public or is smuggled into the US, it becomes a major problem and is more difficult to detect.

So, this is very significant in my estimation.”

He added that intelligence is key to such discoveries, particularly at large ports like Freeport. A big port such as this, we need intelligence sometimes.”

Superintendent Katrina McPhee of the Bahamas Customs Department said that collaboration between various law enforcement agencies resulted in a successful operation, calling it a proud moment for law enforcement officials.

“This is a very proud moment for us, and we intend to continue our efforts to keep the ports safe, thereby keeping the Bahamas safe, and fulfilling our role in conjunction with other countries such as the US,” she said.

Chief Superintendent Michael Thurston, head of the Drug Enforcement Unit (DEU), said based on intelligence, officers from the DEU, Bahamas Customs Department, and US Drug Enforcement Agency went to the port where they seized nearly $10m worth of cocaine.

Photos: Vandyke Hepburn

Pictures of the Year 2024 See The Weekend Pages 7-10

THE TRIBUNE

Friday, January 3, 2025, PAGE 3

Family’s horror at baby’s death from page one West End. “This is difficult, like a bad dream,” said Kengdom’s grandmother, April Garvey, who said that some relatives learned of the child’s death through social media before all relatives could be notified.

“That is terrible. We had not yet told his mom that he passed, and his daddy found out on social media. We need to stop doing that.”

She said the child’s mother, who remains hospitalised with serious injuries, had not been told her son had died at the time of the Facebook post.

“We need to stop doing that,” Mrs Garvey said.

The crash occurred around 6.10pm on January 1 on Queen’s Highway in West Grand Bahama.

Police said three vehicles were involved: a white Nissan Cube driven by the toddler’s mother, with Kengdom as a passenger; a Nissan Fuga driven by an adult male with two female passengers; and a grey Nissan Cube driven by another adult male.

The vehicles were extensively damaged, with one engulfed in flames. Fire Services responded to extinguish the blaze. All occupants sustained injuries and were transported to the hospital.

The toddler was rushed to the clinic in West End but died of his injuries shortly after arrival. His mother sustained severe injuries, including a broken hip and pelvis, and is awaiting surgery.

“My daughter is coherent, but she has a broken hip and pelvis,” Mrs Garvey said. “At this point, we are trying to make arrangements for her. The doctor that could do the surgery is not on the island, and they

say she can’t do surgery until Wednesday.”

Recounting the moments leading up to the crash, Mrs Garvey said her daughter had only just left home to pick up her other son from Bootle Bay. “She just left home three minutes before the accident,” Mrs Garvey said.

The emotional toll has been overwhelming for the family, particularly for Kengdom’s mother.

“She knows that her son has passed away. It is difficult on her because physically she is dealing with pain and everything, and she is also dealing with the loss of her baby,” Mrs Garvey said.

She described Kengdom as a sweet and loving child who brought joy to everyone around him.

“He was the sweetest baby you could ever imagine,” she said. “The amount of support we have gotten is tremendous, but the support was for Kengdom himself. He touched all kinds of lives. He was a sweet baby and was never a fussy baby. He loved to sing songs like ‘The Wheels on the Bus’ and ‘Up and Down’ with Rachel, and doing the signs.”

Concerns were raised on social media about delays in the ambulance’s arrival at the scene, with reports suggesting it took over an hour for emergency services to respond.

Kingsley Smith, MP for West Grand Bahama and Bimini, extended his condolences to the victims and their families, offering prayers and expressing a commitment to improving infrastructure in the area.

“I wish to assure families, some of whom I know on a deep and personal level, that our collective prayers are with them, especially those related to the young

Woman hospitalised after alleged suicide attempt in GB A 21-year-old Grand Bahama woman was hospitalised on New Year’s Day following an alleged suicide attempt.

Family members found her unconscious in her South Bahama home with self-inflicted injuries and alerted the police.

Authorities later reported that she had consumed a large amount of alcohol and over-thecounter medication.

She was taken to hospital, where she remains in critical condition.

Dr Sandra Dean-Patterson, director of the

Bahamas Crisis Centre, recently told The Tribune that the centre’s hotline saw an increase in calls last year compared to 2023, particularly related to suicidal ideation.

She observed that awareness of stress and suicide attempts has grown, influenced by media reports on these issues.

This increased consciousness may be prompting more people to reach out for help. Additionally, she was of the opinion that overall stress levels in the country are rising.

Kengdom Seymour

life lost,” Mr Smith said.

The absence of streetlights along Queen’s Highway in certain areas, including Bootle Bay and

West End, has been a longstanding issue. The stretch of road has had numerous serious accidents in the past.

A three-car collision in Grand Bahama on New Year’s Day left several injured and a 14-month old boy dead.

Photos: Vndyke Hepburn

Mr Smith urged motorists to exercise caution and diligence when travelling along the highway as investigations into the crash

continue.

Kengdom’s death marks the first traffic fatality for Grand Bahama and the nation’s second for 2025.

Prime Minister Philip “Brave” Davis met with outgoing Commissioner of Police Clayton Fernander and his replacement, Assistant Commissioner of Police Shanta Knowles, at the Office of the Prime Minister yesterday. The commissioner handover ceremony will take place today.

Photo: OPM

PAGE 4, Friday, January 3, 2025

THE TRIBUNE

Govt looking to establish Office of the Ombudsman early this year

Attorney General Ryan Pinder from page one boost accountability within government institutions.

The office is expected to serve as a formal channel for citizens to report grievances, investigate complaints, and make recommendations to improve public administration.

The government has also sought input from various organisations and stakeholders to refine the legislative framework and

operational scope of the Ombudsman Office.

Matt Albury, Executive Director of the Organization for Responsible Governance (ORG), underscored the importance of fully funding and supporting the body, which he described as a vital tool for citizens to address grievances with government agencies and enhance transparency in public administration.

“It’s good to hear that

the attorney general is talking about advancing the Ombudsman Bill,” Mr Albury said. He noted, however, that without proper funding and operational support, the office risks falling short of its intended impact.

He highlighted past challenges with the Freedom of Information Act, where insufficient budget allocations hindered progress.

Mr Albury emphasised ORG’s commitment to

public education and advocacy, urging citizens to engage with their Members of Parliament to prioritise the Office of the Ombudsman in the national budget.

Mr Albury voiced concern over the continued lack of adequate funding and prioritisation for the Freedom of Information Act (FOIA). He noted that despite the passage of the legislation, minimal financial support has stalled its full implementation,

undermining its potential to foster transparency and accountability.

“Last year, when we saw Freedom of Information receiving the same minimal amount in the budget, we had low expectations of what would manifest,” he said.

He emphasised that without proper funding, critical transparency mechanisms like FOIA cannot deliver the intended benefits, leaving citizens without the

tools to hold government institutions accountable.

Mr Albury called for immediate action to ensure FOIA receives the financial backing needed to fulfill its purpose.

“When government hears more folks talking about it, public will can move political will,” he said, calling on Bahamians to use their voices to ensure accountability measures like the Ombudsman Office are realised.

Human Rights committee still has not held meeting from page one January.

In a statement, Human Rights Bahamas encouraged the committee to start its sessions promptly, highlighting several pressing issues.

“As we head into 2025, a number of serious human rights challenges continue to face the Bahamian public,” the group said.

“These include violations of labour and workplace rights; police brutality; arbitrary arrests and detentions; and inhumane prison conditions, among many others.”

The group also expressed optimism about collaborating with the committee,

saying: “We look forward to working closely with this committee to improve the lives of Bahamians and residents in accordance with the rights and protections enshrined in the constitution.”

The parliamentary Human Rights Committee was created to strengthen protections and ensure The Bahamas complies with regional and global human rights standards. Its responsibilities include reporting to Parliament every six months, recommending legislative changes, and investigating alleged human rights violations through public hearings and inquiries.

The committee is composed of five members of the House of Assembly and three members of the Senate.

The resolution to establish the committee was passed on April 26, 2023.

Shortly after, Attorney General Ryan Pinder led a delegation to Geneva, Switzerland, for the United Nations Human Rights Council’s (UNHRC) review of the country’s human rights record.

Human Rights Bahamas stressed that the committee’s work is vital to addressing longstanding issues and improving conditions for citizens and residents alike.

THE TRIBUNE

Friday, January 3, 2025, PAGE 5

UB operations uninterrupted as fear rises of a sickout from page one Ferguson couldn’t confirm the reported action, which occurred as students returned to campus for the new semester.

“Today, we served our students as usual and without interruption. Over the coming days and into next week, orientation activities, academic advisement, and bill payment will continue as scheduled,” UB said.

“We thank our team members who have worked diligently to ensure uninterrupted operations and remain dedicated to providing an exceptional experience for our students and the general public.”

Union of Tertiary Educators of The Bahamas (UTEB) President Daniel Thompson, who also heads UB’s School of Business, said he was informed that three staff members did not report to work.

While he could not confirm what prompted the action, Mr Thompson said he understands that the BPSU was still negotiating a new industrial agreement.

He called for better leadership in the union, noting that several BPSU

members had approached him for representation.

“I am just tired of the janitors and the security persons coming to me complaining about the inability of their leadership to address the issues,” Mr Thompson told The Tribune.

“My position is that good union leadership ought to know how to resolve the issues for the benefit of its members, like we do at UTEB. We don’t let things run out. We sit down, we negotiate the best conditions for our workers and my advice to the BPSU’s leadership is that they must learn how to negotiate, strategise and get the best benefits for their members.”

Tension between UB staff and the institution have been high since last year, when workers repeatedly staged a protest demanding a long-overdue salary review.

Last year, Janyne Hodder, UB’s acting president, acknowledged the workers’ concerns and pledged to hold meetings to address the issue. However, the outcome of those meetings remains unclear.

Bahamas Public Service Union President Kimsley Ferguson

Governor General Dame Cynthia ‘Mother’ Pratt attends service of thanksgiving

Governor General Dame Cynthia ‘Mother’ Pratt, along with Government House staff, attended a service of thanksgiving and praise at Bethel Baptist Church yesterday.

Photos: Patrick Hanna/BIS

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THE TRIBUNE

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

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Publisher/Editor 1903-1914

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Waiting for full accountability A PROMISE was made that there would be an update on the investigation into leaked voice notes that purported to suggest corruption in high places – and an update there was, just before the end of the year.

When passing on the news of the update in the corruption investigation to a colleague, they answered with the question: “Which corruption probe is that?”

To paraphrase Oscar Wilde, to have one corruption investigation may be regarded as a misfortune, to have two looks like carelessness.

This is the one involving voice notes that purported to capture a discussion between a senior police officer, a lawyer and two men who have since been murdered, Michael Fox Jr and Dino Smith.

It was prompted seemingly by a bank car heist at an airport, in which $1.5m was taken. Fox Jr and Smith were suspects in that raid, but were never charged.

Two other men were charged – Oral Roberts and Akeil Holmes. Roberts has also been murdered, he was killed in Fox Hill last year.

Michael Johnson, who was head of the Central Investigations Department, took garden leave as the investigation got under way.

He has now resigned from the police force, Commissioner Clayton Fernander told reporters, and the file on the case is with the Director of Public Prosecutions.

The commissioner also told reporters that the police force could not discharge Mr Johnson because investigations are still ongoing. This seems slightly odd, because over in the other corruption investigation – the US indictment that alleges a wideranging cocaine smuggling conspiracy

– officers have been discharged.

The investigation into the first corruption allegations, the voice notes case, has also led to matters involving other officers being uncovered, the commissioner said, and those will be referred to the incoming deputy police commissioner, who has responsibility for discipline.

The matter now sits in the hands of the DPP, who we hope takes the appropriate time to consider any possible charges and acts accordingly.

There should be neither rush nor dawdle, simple the due amount of time.

If there is appropriate evidence for charges to be brought, then brought they should be, regardless of who may be charged.

This case shook the nation and its faith in the police. To restore that faith, the correct action should be taken. By that we mean to say there should be no pressure beyond that which should be evident in all cases – to tell the truth and to bring any wrongdoing to light. Simply put, justice.

There is a possible link between the two corruption cases – and that we hope will also come to light. The officer in charge of the airport division was one of those indicted in the US in the second investigation.

Whether the $1.5m heist’s location at an airport has any connection, we do not know – but we hope that too will be revealed, one way or the other.

Restoring faith in the force is down to ensuring that the public believes that any who betray the force and its oath will be held to account like any other. That includes being cleared if appropriate.

The new year has started. We await the next step.

Picture of the day

Have a cool, fun, interesting, amazing photo? Have it featured here in The Tribune’s picture of the day! Email your high quality image to pictureoftheday@tribunemedia.net Matthias Hauswirth of New Orleans prays on the street near the scene where a vehicle drove into a crowd on New Orleans’ Canal and Bourbon streets, Wednesday.

Photo: George Walker IV/AP

to secure second term EDITOR, The Tribune.

GENERAL elections are scheduled for 2026, a year or so away. The year 2024 was a very challenging one for most Bahamians, in my opinion.

While the economy has improved tremendously since the years of the pandemic, a large number of Bahamians are still faced with the high costs of living; inflation; crime and the fear of crime and, of course affordable housing.

The Davis administration will have its work in 2025 cut out for it.

Since 1997, no administration has been able to secure a second consecutive term in office. In fact, Mr Hubert A Ingraham, has been the last PM to do so since the hey days of the late great and deeply lamented Sir Lynden Oscar Pindling. May I suggest that no administration is really able to complete its stated agenda in a single term in office.

Time, while longer than rope, is too short to conceptualise and successfully implement meaningful programmes or projects.

The Bahamian electorate, traditionally, has been very unforgiving for incumbent administrations.

Mr Davis, our current Prime Minister, has been preparing for high office, seemingly, all or most of his adult life. He had to literally “claw” his way to the leadership of the New Day PLP, against great odds and naysayers. It did not simply drop into his lap. While he is a likable and competent leader and PM, I suspect that uneasy lies the head that wears the crown. Along with this suspicion, I also suspect that there is a handful of individuals within the leadership ranks of the PLP who believe or feel that they would be able to do a better job in those dual roles as opposed to Brave.

Politics has been defined as war by all and any means necessary. Power is akin to an addictive drug and, again, I suspect that there are any number of persons who are hell bent on ensuring that Brave and his benign administration fails or implode. Whereas the past three years have been more about recovery and reconstruction, this year is really the last one, realistically, for the Davis administration to ramp up its messaging and actual achievement on the ground. Some of those areas include those suggested above.

Tens of thousands of Bahamians have publicly expressed the view,

Letters letters@tribunemedia.net whether valid or not, as having been “forgotten” by both of the major parties. The fringe assorted political groupings, may be capable of generating headlines but it is highly unlikely that any of them would be able to galvanise a majority of the electorate so as to come to power and govern. Bahamians are fickle but they are not fools when it comes down to their retail politics. 2025 will be the year when the New Day PLP must stand, firmly, and deliver for the “forgotten” Bahamian.

At this juncture, in my view, the FNM and its leadership cadre, with the stark exception of Shanendon Cartwright (FNM-St Barnabas), the Deputy Leader of that “coalition”, is not a real threat to the Davis government. This could change at the drop of a pin unless the delivery on promises made back in 2021 are met with positive results. How can this be done?

The PM is the chief executive officer of the nation.

As such he is the front man to whom most Bahamians look to for concrete solutions. People have often questioned me about my political leanings. It has been said/suggested that media personalities should not reveal where their political heart is.

I am, for the record, an adherent of the PLP. But by the same token, I am a firm believer in solid leadership. Brave, in my view, is such a leader But there may be associates and fellow parliamentarians who are “jealous” of his ascendency and may well feel that now is their time. I may be wrong and I hope that I am but politics is a hybrid creature which is often difficult to contain or control. There is, of course, a time and a place for everything But now is definitely Not the time to seek to make the PM look bad in a bogus and meritless attempt to take him down. The New Day PLP Must demonstrate solidarity and cohesion. A house divided among itself cannot stand or inspire confidence.

Like Sir Lynden was forced to do decades ago Brave Must read the riot act to disgruntled and possibly disruptive so called PLP’s. Pindling at an historic national convention of the PLP bluntly told some “rebels”, inclusive

of the late Sir Cecil Wallace-Whitfield; the late Carlton Francis and James “Jimmy” Shepherd , et al, that either they should fish; cut bait or get the hell out of the proverbial boat.

Those gentlemen and their followers did just that... they abandoned the PLP and formed what was then referred to as The Free PLP. Sir Lynden went on to retain leadership of the PLP and continued to vanquished Sophie and his crew at the polls for decades, until the arrival of Mr Ingraham, a former acolyte of Sir Lynden.

In 2025, Mr Davis and right-thinking members and supporters of the New Day PLP will have no time to waste as we strengthen the brand and roll out tangible achievements. NIB stipends must be increased to keep up with inflation and the costs of living.

The new Sir Lynden Oscar Pindling Hospital must be successfully rolled out, if only a highly publicised ground breaking exercise and immediate construction. Larger clinics here in New Providence must be modernised and upgraded into mini hospitals, especially in the larger Family Islands. Affordable housing via private/ public partnerships must be explored along with multi storied residential apartments for singles and families. An additional endeavor must be to get a firm grip on crime and punishment.

Yes, 2025 will be the year when the New Day PLP cements the possibility of successfully contesting the 2025 general elections. Unlike in the case of the premature calling of a general election by Dr Hubert A Minnis (FNM-Killarney).

There is much work yet to be done and either you are a bona fides New Day PLP or simply part company and leave us alone. There are options for disgruntled so called PLP’s and parliamentarians.

In fact, the PM, may well consider the necessity of “cleaning” house now rather than later.

Yes, 2025 will be, I predict a year of very heavy lifting by the enlightened PM and his core supporters and team. There is too much at stake to permit “doll hose” and hybrid socalled PLPs to short circuit his potential legacy. To God then, whom we thank for another year above ground, in all things, be the glory!

Jr

ORTLAND H BODIE, Nassau, January 1, 2025.

THE TRIBUNE

Friday, January 3, 2025, PAGE 7

US Coast Guard hands DPM meets with American media over 14 migrants to personality Armstrong Williams Bahamian authorities THE US Coast Guard handed over 14 migrants to Bahamian authorities following the interdiction of an illegal maritime migration attempt.

It is not clear whether the migrants left for the US from The Bahamas.

The operation was conducted by Customs and Border Protection’s Air and Marine Operations and US Coast Guard crews east of Key Biscayne.

Superintendent of Immigration Bernard Pratt

reported that the group comprised two females and 12 males, including four Chinese nationals, eight Dominicans, one Ecuadorian, and one Colombian.

The migrants were initially taken into custody at the Department of Immigration headquarters in Grand Bahama.

They will later be sent to New Providence, where they will be held at the Detention Centre pending repatriation.

Man accused of unlawful sex with 15-year-old girl

By PAVEL BAILEY Tribune Staff Reporter pbailey@tribunemedia.net A 22-year-old man was granted bail after he was accused of molesting a 15-year-old girl twice last year.

Senior Magistrate Raquel Whyms arraigned Dillian Simon on two counts of unlawful sexual intercourse.

The defendant allegedly had sexual intercourse with an underaged teenage girl on two occasions between September 1, 2024 and October 1, 2024.

The defendant elected to have his matter heard in the Magistrate’s Court after he was informed that the Director of Public Prosecutions would allow the matter to be heard there.

Simon pleaded not guilty to both charges.

His bail was set at $7,000 with one or two sureties.

Under the terms of his bail, Simon must sign in at the Central Police Station every Monday and Wednesday by 7pm.

Simon’s trial is set to begin on March 28.

Sergeant 2257 Wilkinson was the prosecutor.

Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Tourism, Investments and Aviation Chester Cooper sat for an interview with US talk show host and media entrepreneur Armstrong Williams, December 30, 2024 at Atlantis, Paradise Island. Deputy Prime Minister Cooper is pictured, left, chatting with the media personality.

Photos: Kemuel Stubbs/BIS

Exuma man admits to having unlicenced firearm

By PAVEL BAILEY Tribune Staff Reporter pbailey@tribunemedia.net A 21-year-old Exuma resident admitted to having an unlicensed gun on the Family Island on Christmas Day. Chief Magistrate Roberto Reckley arraigned Crestwell Farrington virtually on possession of an unlicensed firearm.

The defendant was reportedly found with a black and silver Taurus 9 x 19 pistol in North Sound, Exuma, on December 25.

An attempted murder

wanted poster for the defendant was posted by the Royal Bahamas Police Force last week.

Farrington pleaded guilty to the charge.

The defendant was informed that he would be remanded to police custody on the family island until he is sentenced in New Providence for the charge on Monday.

Inspector Deon Barr served as the prosecutor.

Monique Gomez represented the accused, and Magistrate Cristian Palacious oversaw the case in Exuma.

Accused of breaking into home, assault and threats

By PAVEL BAILEY Tribune Staff Reporter pbailey@tribunemedia.net A MAN was granted bail after being accused of breaking into a woman’s home in Nassau Village and threatening her with death.

Senior Magistrate Algernon Allen, Jr, arraigned Leslie Hanna, 57, on housebreaking, threats of death and assault with a dangerous instrument.

The defendant allegedly broke into a woman’s residence on Forbes Street and threatened her with death between December 27 and 28, 2024.

During this incident, the defendant reportedly assaulted the same woman

with a piece of wood.

Although the defendant pleaded not guilty to the housebreaking and threats of death charges, he pleaded guilty to the assault charge.

Hanna claimed that he missed and hit the complainant with the piece of wood.

The defendant was given $7,000 bail with one or two sureties. Under the terms of his bail, Hanna will be fitted with a monitoring device.

He must also sign in at the Elizabeth Estates Police Station every Monday and Wednesday by 7pm.

Hanna’s trial is set to begin on March 11.

$1,000 fine for possession of a fake police certificate

By PAVEL BAILEY Tribune Staff Reporter pbailey@tribunemedia.net A MAN was fined $1,000 last week after admitting to having a fake police character certificate earlier this week.

Senior Magistrate Anishka Isaacs arraigned Likenson Sileron, 23, on possession of a forged document.

Authorities reportedly found Sileron with

a forged police character certificate, knowing it to be fraudulent, on December 30.

Sileron pleaded guilty to the charge and was fined $1,000. He also risks a four-month prison term if he fails to pay.

After paying half his fine in court, the defendant was told to pay the remainder of his debt on January 9.

Assistant Superintendent of Police Bowles served as the prosecutor.

To advertise in The Tribune, contact 502-2394

American talk show host and media entrepreneur, Armstrong Williams paid a courtesy call on the Minister of Social Services, Information and Broadcasting, Myles LaRoda, on Tuesday, 31st December, at the Ministry of Social Services on John F Kennedy Drive.

Pictured from left: Permanent Secretary Phedra Rahming-Turnquest, Minister Myles LarRoda, Armstrong Williams, president of the Bahamas Christian Council Bishop Delton Fernander, and consultant to the Ministry of Social Services, Dr Debbie Bartlett.

Photos: Patrice Johnson/BIS

How can our classrooms become more inclusive?

PAGE 8, Friday, January 3, 2025

A myriad of problems and challenges have hindered the success of inclusive education. Many schools have discovered that the concept looks good on paper, but putting it into action is a different ball game. While inclusion appears to be the way forward for education, it is highly unlikely that we can achieve complete success until we address the problems that arise.

Inclusive education can best describe the process by which all learners are included in a shared learning environment with their peers. Inclusive education seeks to provide equitable learning opportunities for all students, regardless of their physical, intellectual, social, emotional, linguistic, or other conditions. It emphasises removing barriers to participation and learning, ensuring that all learners —especially those who have traditionally been marginalized or excluded, such as children with disabilities, ethnic minorities, or those from low-income families — can thrive in the same classrooms and learning environments as their peers. The need to do away with segregated classrooms is more evident than ever before, and every step toward achieving inclusion is a step in the right direction.

So, how can our classrooms become more inclusive? We must consider class size and how it affects inclusive education, train our teachers in the field, and equip schools with the necessary resources to make inclusion work. The Bahamian education system, like many others, has made significant strides toward inclusion but is faced with insurmountable challenges that may hinder the success of inclusive classrooms as schools struggle to become fully inclusive. “It’s an idea many people like — in theory. But in practice, schools struggle with how to make it work.” Colabrese and Taddese, (2017). What, then, are some of the challenges surrounding inclusive education? To date, three of the purported challenges are: class sizes are too large for any one teacher to manage and teach effectively, many of the teachers lack the necessary skills and training needed to cater to learners with special needs, and our schools are not equipped with the required resources or infrastructure to accommodate these learners.

Class size and its affect on inclusive education Class size can significantly impact the effectiveness

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By Cordero Johnson of One Eleuthera Foundation

Cordero Johnson - Dean of Continuing Education and Workforce Development at The Centre for Training and Innovation (CTI) of inclusive education by influencing the level of individual attention and support teachers can provide to diverse learners, including those with disabilities.

Smaller class sizes often allow for more personalised instruction, facilitating better engagement and understanding among students with varying needs. In contrast, larger classes may hinder teachers’ ability to implement differentiated strategies and monitor student progress closely, leading to potential educational gaps.

Additionally, smaller classes

can foster a more inclusive classroom environment where students feel more comfortable participating and collaborating with peers.

Teachers lack the necessary training to cater to students with special needs The lack of teacher training has played a detrimental role in hindering the success of inclusive education.

Most of our teachers do not receive the training needed in their B.Ed. programmes to cater to students with special needs, so they enter the

classrooms without knowing how to teach these students.

This has caused many gaps in teaching and learning and has put a dent in the success of inclusive education. Many teachers feel inadequately prepared to address the diverse needs of students with special needs due to insufficient training and resources. This gap in preparation can hinder effective teaching and learning, as educators may lack knowledge of inclusive strategies, individualised education plans (IEPs), and supportive technologies. Addressing this issue through comprehensive training programmes, ongoing professional development, and collaboration with special education specialists is crucial to empower teachers and enhance student educational outcomes.

Schools are not equipped with the necessary resources to accommodate students with special needs Added to the importance of collaboration and the team effort required in achieving inclusive classrooms comes the burden of insufficient resources to support inclusion. There are so many dynamics to ensuring that inclusion works, and one of the greatest struggles or setbacks has been the lack of resources.

Placing students with special needs in a general classroom will not make their problems go away.

They will no longer be able to get the individualised attention they receive when segregated, making the

learning experience much more painful and difficult.

Many schools struggle to provide adequate resources for students with special needs due to funding limitations, lack of trained staff, and insufficient specialized programmes. This leads to challenges in meeting individual learning requirements, which can hinder the academic and social development of these students.

Advocacy for increased funding and support, as well as training for educators, is crucial to ensure that all students have access to an inclusive education and effective teaching practices.

As there is not one singular problem that hinders the success of inclusive education, there cannot be a single ‘quick fix’ solution.

Schools have developed and grown by the trial-anderror method. Countless mistakes were made, yet they triumphed simply because they did not give up. Since the idea of inclusion was presented to the world some decades ago, significant strides have been made to include all learners in one classroom setting, but unfortunately, that did not happen without encountering challenges.

Although other challenges face inclusive classrooms becoming successful, we will continue to experience noticeable failure until we eradicate the three problems presented in this article.

Inclusive education is grounded in human rights, equality, and social justice principles. It aligns with international frameworks

such as the United Nations Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (UNCRPD) and Sustainable Development Goal 4 (Quality Education), which emphasise inclusive and equitable education for all. Inclusive classrooms enhance learning outcomes and prepare students to contribute to a more just and compassionate society.

These classrooms foster environments where diversity is celebrated, and all students — regardless of their abilities, backgrounds, or circumstances — are empowered to thrive academically and socially.

While challenges such as large class sizes, insufficient teacher training, and limited resources remain, overcoming these obstacles and embracing this transformative approach is essential for building an equitable education system for our students.

• Established in 2012, the One Eleuthera Foundation (OEF) is a non-profit organisation located in Rock Sound, Eleuthera.

For more information, visit www.oneeleuthera.org or email info@oneeleuthera. org. The Centre for Training and Innovation (CTI) is the first and only postsecondary, non-profit education and training institution and social enterprise on Eleuthera. CTI operates a student training campus in Rock Sound, Eleuthera, with a 16-room training hotel, restaurant and farm.

For more information about CTI’s programmes email: info@oneeleuthera.org.

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New Orleans attack reminds us of what we want to forget

Friday, January 3, 2025, PAGE 9

A black flag with white lettering lies on the ground rolled up behind a pickup truck that a man drove into a crowd on Bourbon Street in New Orleans, killing and injuring a number of people, early Wednesday morning, January 1, 2025. The FBI said they recovered an Islamic State group flag, which is black with white lettering, from the vehicle.

Photo: Gerald Herbert/AP Barely three hours into the new year, a white truck barrels through a crowd on one of the liveliest streets in the world, Bourbon Street in New Orleans where on an ordinary night the sound of jazz pours out of lounges and fills street corners.

But this was not the earthy tone of a trumpet or the sexy beckoning song of a sax. The sound crackled.

At first, New Year’s Eve revellers thought what they heard was firecrackers, maybe a replay of the midnight explosion of colour as one year rolled into the next.

Then they saw the bodies, the blood, the crowd running, screaming, chaos erupting. The truck was a bomb, or what was left of it. Police identified the flag – Isis.

Terror struck the US in a way it had not in years.

By the end of the next day, ten lay dead, many others fighting for their lives in hospitals. A day later, the death toll rose to 15.

The driver - an American citizen born in Texas, a former Army veteran who posted on social media shortly before the threeblock-long murder spree that he wanted to kill as many people as possible lay among the dead, shot by law enforcement, He left a trail of what inspired him - the Islamic terrorist organisation and its rhetoric of hate.

By Diane Phillips America was shocked.

New Year’s Day and the news, usually of parades and football and celebs and news anchors revolutions of their resolutions, was devoted entirely to the massacre in New Orleans.

There were countless interviews with those who were there the second a country that had been spared the violence that much of the rest of the world had been enduring woke up.

New Orleans was the wake-up call for America that was as unwanted as it was inevitable. Terrorism was not something that happened 24 years ago when planes flew into building It was there, underground, simmering, all along. It was not something to be remembered, but something to remember still existed, seething in those suffering from emotional overcharge or drinking the Isis Kool-aid.

So much bitterness, fury and anger around the globe that at some point it had to drop a pin in mid-America, the country that led the world in mass

shootings but had for the last 20 years escaped the violence of large-scale ethnic terrorism.

Had the US been lucky?

Or had law enforcement and all the policies and restrictions implemented following 9/11 prevented other incidents? Did it really make a difference that we remove belts, sweaters and shoes before going through security at an airport? Do divers still check the underbellies of cruise ships looking for anything awry attached to the hull in harbours and ports?

We comply with those rules of removing items of clothing and limiting carry-on liquids to three ounces not because we believe that doing so makes any difference but because we are told to do so and for the most part, Western society is a pretty obedient gaggle of humanity. Maybe all that stuff we think of as silly when we do it really has made a difference, maybe there would have been another attempt at a shoe bomb.

We will never know.

What we do know – and this is the critical part – is that terrorism is alive and we will never feel quite as comfortable and safe as we did before New Orleans, The New Year’s incident triggered our fear button. We will begin looking over our shoulder again. We will be suspicious of the person in line behind us or standing next to us looking nervous.

We will be right back to where we were more than two decades ago, uneasy when traveling or in a crowd, more protective of our children or elderly in our family, less eager to take chances in unknown areas. Will an increase in fear of travel and crowds affect tourism in The Bahamas? It could, but we hold our breath, caught between not wanting trouble and not knowing how to spot it or stop it.

Here is something else we know. We know that most violence involves guns, not bombs. And we know that guns in the hands of those with undiagnosed or underdiagnosed mental issues are deadly weapons most often unleashed on the innocent. We may not be able to stop the heinous act of an Army veteran who turns to Isis when everything else in his life turns sour, but we can stop the mass shootings and make schools, parks, churches, synagogues,

malls and public spaces safer if we take mental illness more seriously.

Well-adjusted, mentally stable citizens do not pick up guns and randomly shoot up a school, leaving children they do not even know dead and their parents wondering how they will go on living. We must somehow get through to both health insurance companies and to the public, Treating mental illness for what it is – illness – is the single strongest weapon in the fight against internalized anger that grows into uncontrolled rage satisfied only by the knowledge that you have hurt others as you have been hurt yourself.

Why do we believe it is okay to see a dermatologist for a pimple that won’t go away and not see a psychiatrist for a mental issue akin to an emotional boil about to burst? Why will an insurance policy allow for the dermatologist’s visit and deny for mental attention?

Let New Orleans be a lesson. As awful as it was, as unjust and unwarranted and unwanted as it was, let its legacy be a turning point, the start of a new year and a new frame of reference – the most important disease in the world is the one that affects the brain and controls behaviour. Let us celebrate those who seek mental health and

understand that wellness does not stop at the base of the neck but is the basis for a secure and civil society, keeping all of us and all our children safe.

For those with feelings of depression or desperation, be proud to seek help. For those who know someone who needs that help but will not reach out, help them, stand by them and reach out with them. And for anyone whose insurance will not cover mental well-being, turn your anger into a campaign for until we recognize that mental disease is as real as a flu and a lot more important than a pimple we will continue to be a people who rightly have a reason to live in fear.

Bahamian Fun Fact Last week’s column that focused on John Watling’s as an example of how historic preservation can lead to economic success with an authentically Bahamian flair drew a lot of positive comments, but there was a fun fact I forgot to include.

When the original estate that is now known as John Watling’s Rum Distillery was sold to the Toothe’s from New Jersey for £15,000 in 1921, the telephone number was 2.

Government House was 1. Talk about a simpler life…

Action for Achievement Toastmasters Club donates to Persis Rodgers Home On December 19, Action for Achievement Toastmasters Club 1095 demonstrated its commitment to community service by presenting a thoughtful donation of food items and a monetary contribution to the Persis Rodgers Home for the Aged. This initiative is part of the club’s ongoing community outreach efforts to uplift and support the well-being of senior citizens in our community.

The presentation took place at the Persis Rodgers Home for the Aged, where representatives from the Toastmasters Club presented the donations to the administrator and management of the facility.

The donation reflects the club’s dedication to fostering a sense of community

and assisting the needs of the elderly with care and compassion.

According to the club’s president, Domica Davis, “At Toastmasters, we are not just about personal growth and communication; we are also about making meaningful contributions to society. We hope that today’s gesture helps to ease some of the challenges faced by the Persis Rodgers Home for the Aged and shows our seniors that they are valued members of our community.”

Persis Rodgers Home for the Aged serves as a haven for the aged, providing a safe and nurturing environment for its residents. The donations of food items and financial support were most welcomed and will aid the facility by meeting

key needs of the home to continue its mission of delivering high-quality care to its residents.

Action for Achievement Toastmasters Club 1095 thanks all its members and sponsors for their generous contributions, which made this donation possible. The club remains steadfast in its commitment to building a better and more inclusive community. Club meetings are scheduled the 2nd & 4th Tuesdays each month at The General Southern Community Clinic, #14 Soldier Rd. Caption: From left, Distinguished Toastmaster Andrew Albury - club secretary; Deborah Turner - Seniors Home staff; Frances Ledee - Seniors Home administrator; Domica Davis - Toastmaster

Club president; Toastmaster Myrtle McCartney;

Toastmaster Darnell Bain club treasurer; Toastmaster

Candace King sergeant-at-arms.

club

join the club Our Clubs and Societies page is a chance for you to share your group’s activities with our readers.

To feature on our Clubs and Societies page, submit your report to clubs@tribunemedia.net, with “Clubs Page” written in the subject line.

For more information about the page, contact Stephen Hunt on 826-2242.

Caption: From left, Distinguished Toastmaster Andrew Albury - club secretary; Deborah Turner - Seniors Home staff; Frances Ledee - Seniors Home administrator; Domica Davis - Toastmaster Club president; Toastmaster Myrtle McCartney; Toastmaster Darnell Bain - club treasurer; Toastmaster Candace King - club sergeant-at-arms.

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PAGE 10, Friday, January 3, 2025

Photographs of the New Year’s Junkanoo Parade

Photos: Dante Carrer/Tribune Staff

THE TRIBUNE

THE TRIBUNE

Friday, January 3, 2025, PAGE 11

FBI says driver in New Orleans rampage acted alone, was ‘100%’ inspired by Islamic State group NEW ORLEANS Associated Press The Army veteran who drove a pickup truck into a crowd of New Year’s revellers in New Orleans acted alone, the FBI said Thursday, reversing its position from a day earlier that he likely worked with others in the deadly attack that officials said was inspired by the Islamic State group.

The FBI also revealed that the driver, ShamsudDin Jabbar, an American citizen from Texas, posted five videos on his Facebook account in the hours before the attack in which he proclaimed his support for the militant group and previewed the violence that he would soon unleash in the famed French Quarter district.

“This was an act of terrorism. It was premeditated and an evil act,” said Christopher Raia, the deputy assistant director of the FBI’s counterterrorism division, calling Jabbar “100% inspired” by the Islamic State.

The attack along Bourbon Street killed 14 revellers, along with Jabbar, who was fatally shot in a firefight with police after steering his speeding truck around a barricade and plowing into the crowd.

It was the deadliest ISinspired assault on US soil in years, laying bare what federal officials have warned is a resurgent international terrorism threat. It also comes as the FBI and other agencies brace for dramatic leadership upheaval — and likely policy changes — after President-elect Donald Trump’s administration takes office.

Seeking to assuage concerns about any broader plots, Raia stressed that there was no indication of a connection between the New Orleans attack and the explosion Wednesday of a Tesla Cybertruck filled with explosives outside Trump’s Las Vegas hotel. The person inside

that truck, a decorated US Army Green Beret, sustained a gunshot wound to the head before the explosion, and a handgun was found at his feet inside the charred vehicle, authorities said.

The FBI continued to hunt for clues about the 42-year-old Jabbar, but said that a day into its investigation, it was now confident he was not aided by anyone else in the attack, which killed an 18-year-old aspiring nurse, a single mother, a father of two and a former Princeton University football star, among others.

The attack plans also included the placement of crude bombs in the neighbourhood in an apparent attempt to cause more carnage, officials said.

Two improvised explosive devices left in coolers several blocks apart were rendered safe at the scene.

Other devices were determined to be nonfunctional.

Officials examined the possibility that individuals seen in surveillance video standing near one of the coolers may have been somehow involved in the attack. But authorities concluded that they were not connected “in any way,” though investigators still want to speak with them as witnesses, Raia said.

Investigators were also trying to understand more about Jabbar’s path to radicalisation, which they say culminated with him picking up a rented truck in Houston on Dec. 30 and driving it to New Orleans the following night.

The FBI recovered a black Islamic State flag from his rented pickup and reviewed five videos posted to Facebook, including one in which he said he originally planned to harm his family and friends, but he was concerned that news headlines would not focus on the “war between the believers and the disbelievers,” Raia said. He also left a last will and testament, the FBI said.

Jabbar joined the Army in 2007, serving on active duty in human resources and information technology and deploying to Afghanistan from 2009 to 2010, the service said. He transferred to the Army Reserve in 2015 and left in 2020 with the rank of staff sergeant.

A US government official, speaking on condition of anonymity because the official was not authorized to speak publicly, said Jabbar travelled to Egypt in 2023, staying in Cairo for a week, before returning to the US and then travelling to Toronto for three days. It was not immediately clear what he did during those travels.

Abdur-Rahim Jabbar, Jabbar’s younger brother, told The Associated Press on Thursday that it “doesn’t feel real” that his brother could have done this.

“I never would have thought it’d be him,” he said.

“It’s completely unlike him.”

He said that his brother had been isolated in the last few years, but that he had also been in touch with him recently and did not see any signs of radicalisation.

“It’s completely contradictory to who he was and how his family and his friends know him,” he said.

Chris Pousson, 42, of Beaumont, Texas, said he became friends with Shamsud-Din Jabbar in middle school, describing him as someone who was quiet and reserved and did not get into trouble.

After high school, he said, they reconnected on Facebook around 2008 or 2009 and would message back and forth throughout the next decade.

“If any red flags would have popped off, I would have caught them, and I would have contacted the proper authorities,” he said. “But he didn’t give anything to me that would have suggested that he is capable of doing what happened.”

Flowers are seen near where a vehicle drove into a crowd on New Orleans’ Canal and Bourbon streets, Wednesday, January 1, 2025.

Photo: George Walker IV/AP In New Orleans on Thursday, a still-reeling city inched back toward normal operations.

Authorities finished processing the scene early in the morning, removing the last of the bodies, and Bourbon Street — famous worldwide for music, open-air drinking and

festive vibes — reopened for business by early afternoon.

The Sugar Bowl college football game between Notre Dame and Georgia, initially set for Wednesday night and postponed by a day in the interest of national security, was still on for Thursday. The city

also planned to host the Super Bowl next month.

New Orleans “is not only ready for game day today, but we’re ready to continue to host largescale events in our city because we are built to host at every single turn,” New Orleans Mayor LaToya Cantrell said.

Trinidad and Tobago enact a state of emergency in the face of gang violence PORT OF SPAIN Associated Press A spike in deadly gang violence prompted the Caribbean islands of Trinidad and Tobago to implement a countrywide state of emergency Monday.

The declaration followed a weekend marred by a spate of gang-related violence that resulted in multiple deaths, including five men believed to be victims of reprisal shootings.

“There is no doubt in my mind that we are dealing with an epidemic,” National Security Minister Fitzgerald Hinds told reporters at a press conference.

While the state of emergency will not see a curfew being implemented, residents were told to expect an increased police and military presence.

Law enforcement will also have the ability to conduct searches, detain suspects for 48 hours and conduct arrests without a warrant. Schools, business and other activities, including upcoming New Year’s celebrations are expected to proceed as scheduled.

Acting Attorney General Stuart Young stressed that while there was general concern about the increased violence, there was particular unease about “increased and heightened brazen acts of criminal activity” by gangs carrying illegal weapons.

“The criminal gangs via

The country’s coat of arms is displayed on the facade of a government building in Port-of-Spain, Trinidad and Tobago, August 20, 2024. the use of the high-powered assault weapons and other illegal firearms in areas of Trinidad and possibly Tobago are likely to immediately increase their brazen acts of violence in reprisal

shootings on a scale so extensive that it threatens persons and will endanger public safety,” Young said.

The twin island republic has recorded an unprecedented 623 homicides

for the year to date and, according to Hinds, gangrelated activities have accounted for 263 of them.

Trinidad and Tobago residents are not strangers

to states of emergency.

In 2021 the Keith Rowley administration implemented one to restrict movements and limit the spread of the COVID-19 virus during

Photo: Ash Allen/AP

the pandemic. Ten years earlier, his predecessor Kamla Persad-Bissessar instituted a limited state of emergency and curfew in areas that were declared crime “hotspots.”

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PAGE 12, Friday, January 3, 2025

THE TRIBUNE

Sporting executives express their desires for year 2025 FROM PAGE 16

meetings and building a strong relationship with the Local Umpires Association.

Coaches and umpires clinics/certification - introducing ongoing training, workshops or sessions from a practical and theoretical approach to better equip and educate all coaches and creating a certification process for coaches to ensure participation in some form of BBF training.

Field development Assisting leagues with providing professional advice on enhancing their league facilities and field maintenance; soliciting the support of the government and corporate Bahamas to create new fields in the capital and on all islands and pushing for current fields to have lighting and accessible to all.

Growth of new leagues Organising and arranging the establishment of new leagues both on the capital and islands where the game is absent.

Growth of more players Helping all member leagues to reach out to more kids in the community.

Resurgence of former players - supporting the rebirth of former leagues.

Social media - Redesigning the BBF website with information on its members, history, executives and appropriate links and having a strong presence on Facebook, TikTok and Instagram.

Senior league baseball Working with all interested individuals to get the senior league back and promoting a winter league composed of pro and semi-pro players.

Running an efficient national programme reigniting and forcefully pushing the BB brand name nationally and internationally.

McKenzie said the full details of plans will be released shortly, but he noted that the top seven initiatives are the Coaches and Umpires Clinics; resurgence of Family Island Leagues; resumption of Nassau Senior League; a national high school championship; a BBA National All-Star Weekend; an UB Baseball in 2027 and a national baseball conference.

Bahamas Professional Golfers Federation The BPGF, headed by Glenn Archer, revealed that the primary objective of the federation is to secure quality employment opportunities for qualified and capable Bahamian golf professionals.

At this stage, the federation has been focusing on establishing a strong administrative foundation. As the BPGF continues to evolve into its role as a governing body, it aims to collaborate with the appropriate governmental ministries to advocate for Bahamians to have opportunities to showcase their talent and earn a fair living in the field they have dedicated their lives to.

The second objective of the BPGF is to focus on junior golf. There is a pressing need to expand the foundation of junior golf by ensuring that all children have access to learning the fundamental skills essential for developing their golf game.

The BPGF’s team of professionals possesses the knowledge and experience necessary to foster real growth in young golfers.

Supporting the next generation is a core value of the Federation, and it remains committed to giving back through mentorship and training.

Once the BPGF has successfully trained and nurtured young golfers, the next step is to provide scholarship opportunities.

These scholarships will enable young athletes to attend college, further hone their golf skills, and develop their potential both on and off the course. This critical initiative ensures that the next generation has the support they need

GREG TAYLOR

to achieve their highest aspirations.

Bahamas Aquatics While they are preparing for their annual general meeting and election of officers next weekend, BA president Algernon Cargill said after they had a very successful 2024, they are excited about the outlook for 2025.

“Building on our 2024 CARIFTA Aquatics’ 6th consecutive victory, we will be headed to Trinidad and Tobago to defend our titles and repeat as Carifta champions,” he said.

“We also anticipate the regional Water Polo programme to revive as CARIFTA water polo will be exciting in Trinidad and Tobago.”

Cargill said Lamar Taylor set the pace in 2024 as he became the second Bahamian to advance to the semifinals at the World Indoor Championships in Budapest, following Arianna Vanderpool Wallace.

He noted that the BA is expecting Taylor to have a breakout season as he is now in a super competitive programme at the University of Tennessee and will be competing at the World Championships in Singapore in July 2025.

Cargill said several Bahamians are on swimming scholarships and we expect more to use this gateway for academic success.

“Marvin Johnson will join the Florida Gators at the University of Florida, and he is one of the top recruited swimmers in the USA this year,” Cargill said. “He had multiple full ride offers and chose Florida because of the reputation of the programme and its global success.

“Rhanishka Gibbs and Nigel Forbes are swimming extremely well at Texas Christian University and Nigel particularly is setting many personal bests at TCU. Emmanuel Gadson is at Cornell University in his first season and is already the number 1 ranked breast stroker on Cornell’s team.”

While the elections will take place on Saturday, January 11, Cargill said he will be seeking another four-year term in office and his administration will also be seeking the Bahamas Government approval to host the Goodwill Games in their bid to go for a three-peat at home.

Bahamas Cricket Association “Our season starts on January 27 and 28 at Haynes Oval,” said BCA president Greg Taylor, who watched as the men’s national cricket team qualified in November for the International Cricket Council’s (ICC) Men’s T-20 World Cup Regional Americas Qualifier.

“We have the North American Championships from April 18-26 in the Cayman Islands with teams from the USA, Canada, the Cayman Islands, The Bahamas and Bermuda and we have the World T20 Cup in Canada from August 27 to September 16 with teams from Canada, The Bahamas, Bermuda and the Cayman Islands.”

Locally, Taylor said the BCA intends to start a “softball league” to engage members of the community in playing some format of the game.

“That will be organised as well as the regular league and also we will be targeting the youth again,” Taylor said. “This time, we hope to get volunteers from the association or from

ALGERNON CARGILL

ANYA JAMES

EUGENE HORTON

GLENN ARCHER

KYLE CHEA

LATOYA BAIN

VINCENT STRACHAN

RAMSINGH-PIERRE

outside to get involved in kids coaching,” he stressed.

“Other than that, we will start our programme at the end of January and our national team will be in training having qualified for the final of the World Cup where there will only be one country getting the final spot out of the five teams.

“We hope to continue with coach Andy Moles, who brought us to this point. Hopefully we can get that final spot and help to revitalise the interest in the sport from the local community.”

Bahamas Basketball Federation After watching the Bahamas men’s national basketball team fall short in the final of the Olympic Qualifying Tournament in Valencia, Spain for booking their ticket to the Olympic Games in Paris, France in July, BBF president Eugene Horton said they are eager to press forward to 2025.

He outlined a number of initiatives that the federation hopes to launch.

1. Prepare the men’s national team for the Americup qualification against bCuba and USA in February.

2. Prepare the women’s national team for the Centrobasket Championships.

3. Prepare the junior boys and girls national teams for their upcoming regional tournaments this year.

4. Host the introduction of the national 3x3 basketball competition.

5. Continued Family Island developmental programme.

6. State technical training.

7.

Strengthen sponsorship confidence for upcoming events.

8. Concentrate on the improvement of female basketball.

9. Host coaching clinic to improve the level of coaching in the country.

Boxing Federation of the Bahamas With an election pending, president Vincent Strachan expressed his gratitude to God for everything that transpired in 2024.

“With my strong belief in what He said He will do, if I trust Him, I anticipate a year of success for amateur and elite/professional boxing in the Bahamas,” Strachan said.

“I will continue to work on the plans that I laid out when I assumed office of president in 2018 and that is to continue the development of our boxers from primary to high school levels throughout the country.”

Additionally, Strachan said the federation will continue with the training of coaches and officials and opening training facilities where possible throughout the country.

“With the changes approved by IBA by expanding the playing field for boxing, it is anticipated that the future for boxing is bright,” Strachan revealed.

“At the recent Forum, Congress and IBA professional boxing championship night in Dubai December 6-8, 2024, boxers will receive money in all IBA’S boxing competitions.”

Strachan said he hopes to sensitise the media to focus on regulated boxing events as much as they do for unregulated boxing, especially in New Providence.

“Any professional or amateur boxing that is not approved by the Commission or the Boxing Federation, are in that category,” he stressed. “It is disheartening to see the press exalting events of that nature.”

As for their finances, Strachan said the lack of assistance from the Bahamas Government is a major problem in being able to realise or bring these plans

CLARENCE MCKENZIE

to fruition. “The neglect has contributed to the crime problem in the country,” he stated.

“While millions of dollars are spent on other sports, boxing gets no financial assistance.

“Corporate Bahamas only seems to support it when it is expedient for public relations purposes.”

Whenever the elections are called, Strachan said he will be seeking another four years term as president as he tries to do his best to make boxing better than how he met it.

New Providence Public Primary Schools Sports Association As 2024 came to a close, NPPPSSA president Latoya Bain said she’s looking forward to building around what is in store for us from a sporting perspective.

“2025 is on track to continue our sporting calendar which kicks off on January 18 with our cross country meet,” he said. “I am looking forward to a competitive year.

“The competition is there, the coaches are putting in the work so no school can determine the winner in these tournaments, which also include basketball and track and field this year.”

She simply urged the general public to come out and support their student athletes as they showcase their talent.

Bahamas Equestrian According to president Catherine Ramsingh-Pierre, the Equestrian Bahamas is looking forward to an action-packed 2025 that will see equestrian sport continuing to make strides. “Last year was about growth, outreach and education,” she said.

“In 2025 we remain committed to these principles but with an even greater emphasis on progress and performance.

“Through strategic planning and collaboration with our regional and international partners we anticipate providing our athletes with fantastic opportunities for development and performance, including a robust calendar of clinics and competitions at home and abroad.”

On the world stage, Ramsingh-Pierre said their top-performing athletes, Kacy Lyn Smith and Anna Camille Vlasov, will continue to compete at FEI CSI competitions with a focus on gaining ranking points.

“We have secured FEI Solidarity funding for athlete scholarships for two athletes (Kacy Lyn Smith and Gabriela Moran) to train and compete in Germany as a part of our strategic plan to field a team of three to the CAC Games in 2026,” she stated.

“For the first time ever we have engaged to hold the FEI World Jumping Challenge, a 3-stage competition, here in Nassau, with the ultimate goal of affording our top juniors the opportunity to qualify for the Youth Olympic Games in Dakar 2026. “We have been invited to return to France for the World Clubs Tournament 2025 where we hope to better last-year’s bronze medal performance and finish with gold.”

Regionally, RamsinghPierre said they are looking forward to engaging with our Caribbean counterparts more meaningfully by fielding full teams to the Grand Caraibe showjumping competitions; hosting Jamaican

equestrian athletes for a clinic and ‘friendly’ competition and competing in more Caribbean Equestrian Association (CEA) events.

And on the national stage, she said they are excited to be holding the first national championship event for our sport.

Their goal is to make this event an exciting and desirable product that can showcase our athletes and our sport.

In short, in 2025 we remain committed to growth but we look forward to more. We have benefited from a broader social media presence and will continue to tell our stories in this manner. As an organisation the Federation is engaged in a process of rules revision to accommodate the changes in our sport and promote participation.

Of course, we are always mindful of the mandates of Clean Sport and our role as Guardians of the welfare of the horse.

2025 is shaping up to be a banner year Rowing Bahamas Kyle Chea, president of Rowing Bahamas, said they are in the process of organising the inaugural National Indoor Rowing Championships, drawing from more than 80 rowers across its member clubs: Nassau Rowing Club (NRC), the Windsor School Rowing Club, and King’s College School, Bahamas Boat Club. This will also be open to the public.

“NRC donated two brand-new Concept2 indoor rowing machines to the Simpson Penn and Willie Mae Pratt Centres, and coaches will work with staff and residents to compete in this competition, as well,” he said. “They aim to surpass their record of working with 2,600 government school students across CR Walker, DW Davis, and CV Bethel in the 2023-24 academic year and work with five Government Schools in the 2024-25 academic year. They have already visited HO Nash.”

Additionally, Chea said the Lake Cunningham Classic will serve as the national club championship regatta in spring 2025, with athletes eligible for international racing at the under-19 and under-23 levels to be determined at that point.

Bahamas Football Association Anya James, who is serving as the first female president of the BFA, said the focus right now is on the CONCACAF Beach Soccer Championships that will take place from March 11-16 with Mexico, El Salvador, Costa Rica, Guatemala, the USA, Panama and Trinidad & Tobago.

But she said there will be more emphasis placed on the youth soccer programme.

The BFA will be heading to Exuma on January 18 to launch a programme there that will be held every Saturday until March.

The programme is being partnered with Disney Cruiseline and will spread around to some of the other Family Islands before the year is over.

In March, James said there will be a Women’s Day Festival that will tie into the International Women’s Day celebrations.

Hopefully they will put on a tournament just for ladies during that day.

James said they will be engaging a lot more of the physical education teachers in the schools as they host the annual Sam Haven High School Invitational May 29-30. However, they will hold the elimination process two weeks before in Grand Bahama and New Providence.

“We are also going to be breaking grounds in renovating one of our soccer pitches at the RALD Developmental Center,” James said. We hope to begin that in May and have it completed by the summer.”

THE TRIBUNE

Friday, January 3, 2025, PAGE 13

Buccaneers Sevens rugby tournament evolves, renamed ‘Neville Boxing Day Sevens’ DECEMBER 26 or Boxing Day in The Bahamas is synonymous with The Buccaneers Sevens tournament dating back over 40 years.

An event nestled in between the regular season enabled those visiting family or home from school to join regular Bahamas based players and create their own team names and showcase the shorter form of 15s rugby.

Teams such as the All Blacks and Drunk Monks are long standing reappearing teams when fathers and sons, younger and older brothers have graced the hallowed Winton turf watched on by regularly over 500 well fed and watered fans who some only see once a year.

The event has always had a philanthropic part to it, however, and it has now evolved into a fully philanthropic event and renamed the “Neville Boxing Day Sevens.”

Due to some very challenging events faced by the stalwart rugby family, whose patriarch is Doc Mike Neville, whose wish is for the game they love, which was ravaged as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic, to be reinvigorated with the next generation of rugby

RUGBY enthusiasts in action in the Neville Boxing Day Sevens rugby tournament. players. To that end, proceeds will be set aside to assist with youth development in 2025 onwards.

“We could not do this without the volunteers of Buccaneers Rugby Club and our sponsors too many to list,” said a press statement.

Match-day Results Round Robin First Alert def.

All-Blacks 26-19.

Drunk Monks def.

First Alert 25-21.

Drunk Monks def.

All-Blacks 31-17 All Blacks def.

First Alert 23 -27 Drunk Monks and First Alert advanced to the championship game where Drunk Monks won the big dance 28-26.

The game was an exciting affair with the connection of Gio Rolle and Jackelo

Pierre proving effective for the drunk monks to take an early lead.

The game would be a back and forward contest from there on with both teams trading impressive trys and converting all of their conversions.

Sean Albury kicked an absolute stunner from a tough angle to keep the Monks ahead. With the game in the last minute and

down by a try and a conversion, First Alert, behind the strong running of Sean Hunt, Kevin Selabie and others, marched down the field to secure a try under the post.

A tie and extra time looked imminent but a savvy play by Brian Baker saw him block the first alert conversion attempt giving Drunk Monks the title with no time left.

NEW YEAR, NEW GOALS: SETTING ATHLETIC RESOLUTIONS FOR 2025 FROM PAGE 16 Tips to Stay Consistent Document Goals: A visual reminder of your resolutions keeps them top of mind.

Partner Up: An accountability partner can keep you on track.

Celebrate Milestones: Progress, no matter how small, deserves recognition.

Looking Ahead to Growth The true essence of New Year’s resolutions isn’t just achieving outcomes, it’s about evolving through consistent effort.

Remember: “Dreams are just wishes without plans.”

At Empire Sports Medicine, we guide athletes in reaching their full potential. Through personalised sports performance training, we help you set and achieve SMART goals in strength, speed, endurance and recovery. This 2025, let’s work together to make your athletic dreams a reality!

• Dr Kent Bazard, a sports medicine physician at Empire Sports Medicine, specializes in ensuring athletes reach their peak performance safely. With extensive experience and a passion for sports health, Dr. Bazard provides insights and guidance for athletes of all ages.

Dolphins face Rodgers and Jets needing a win and some help to complete playoff-bound turnaround

By DENNIS WASZAK JR AP Pro Football Writer EAST RUTHERFORD, N.J. (AP) — The Miami Dolphins were struggling midway through the season, playing nothing like a potential playoff contender.

“We started off 2-6,” wide receiver Jaylen Waddle said, “and look at us now.”

The Dolphins are 8-8 heading into the regular-season finale Sunday against Aaron Rodgers and the New York Jets (4-12) needing a win — and some help elsewhere — to reach the postseason for the third straight year.

It seemed a highly unlikely scenario for Miami just a few weeks ago.

“It’s a long season,” Waddle said.

“We came a long way.

The team grew in different ways with people being in and out of the lineup, being banged up. It allowed the team to grow. Playing meaningful football in January, it means a lot. This team really stepped up to the plate, stepped up to the challenge all year.

“I’m proud of it.”

The Dolphins kept their playoff hopes alive last week by beating the Cleveland Browns 20-3 with Tyler “Snoop” Huntley filling in at quarterback with Tua Tagovailoa dealing with a hip injury.

Huntley could again be under centre Sunday with the season on the line.

Miami also needs a loss

by Denver to Kansas City, which will rest quarterback Patrick Mahomes and start Carson Wentz instead.

So, the Dolphins will also be Chiefs fans this week.

“My wife is from Missouri, actually, so I think I have to be a little bit, right?” defensive tackle Zach Sieler said, drawing laughs.

Meanwhile, Rodgers and the Jets could play the role of spoiler against their AFC East rivals.

New York was in the same spot as Miami, sitting at 2-6 and already having fired coach Robert Saleh. The Jets won against

MIAMI Dolphins wide receiver Tyreek Hill (10) celebrates his touchdown with his teammates during the first half of an NFL football game against the San Francisco 49ers on Sunday, December 22, in Miami Gardens, Florida.

(AP Photo/Rebecca Blackwell) Houston to improve to No peeking 40-14 blowout loss at Buf- to become the first wide another team. Not Tyrel 3-6. But unlike Miami, The Dolphins know part falo last week, so he enters receiver and fifth player in Dodson. The Dolphins New York failed to turn its of their fate is in the hands the finale with 499 for his NFL history to have seven linebacker was waived season around by going 1-6 of the Chiefs, who will kick career in the regular season. or more TDs from scrim- by Seattle in November, since — including a 32-26 off during the same 4:25pm He needs one to join Tom mage in each of his first claimed by Miami a day overtime loss to the Dol- Eastern window as Miami’s Brady (649), Drew Brees nine seasons. Hill is also later and thrust into the phins on December 8. matchup with the Jets.

(571), Peyton Manning four catches from becom- starting lineup in place of Rodgers and the Jets face But several Dolphins (539) and Brett Favre (508) ing the fourth player in injured linebacker Anthony an offseason of uncertainty. insisted they have no plans as the only players to throw NFL history to have 800 Walker Jr. against CleveThe 41-year-old quarter- to keep tabs on that game.

500 regular-season TD receptions and 11,000 yards land. Dodson led Miami back will take some time “I think you know my passes. And with retire- receiving over their first with 15 tackles, an intercepafter Sunday to decide if answer is going to be I’m ment a possibility, it could nine seasons. tion, quarterback hit and a he wants to continue play- going to be worried about be Rodgers’ last chance at Rodgers and Davante pass breakup. ing, and New York — which who I’ve got to block,” the milestone. “I would be Adams have connected “It’s not satisfying at all,” will hire a new coach and fullback Alec Ingold said. fine sleeping in my bed 20 82 times for touchdowns, Dodson said. “I’m not satisgeneral manager — will “What the assignment is, years from now with 499,” including the playoffs, and fied until I go down as the determine whether it what my alignment is. … Rodgers said with a smile. need one to pass Miami’s best ever to do this.” wants to move forward I mean, I can’t imagine “But 500 definitely looks Dan Marino and Mark with Rodgers. “You know the amount of regret that better on paper.”

Clayton for third on the at some point this group would go on the field if Milestone watches NFL’s list of QB-WR duos. will never get together you miss an assignment, Dolphins running back Adams also needs 25 yards (again),” Rodgers said. “So, you miss a block because De’Von Achane needs one receiving to reach 1,000 for just enjoying the last few you’re up there peeking TD catch to join Kansas the fifth straight season, moments with the guys and at a scoreboard. That’s not City’s Kareem Hunt as the and sixth overall. we obviously want to put a professional, and I don’t only players in NFL history Dodson’s Dream good product on the field. think that’s what we should with 10 TD runs and 10 TD Many players would be “And Miami is playing be doing.” receptions over their first pleased with being recogfor something, so we can Mr. 500 two seasons. nized for their impactful kind of send them to vacaRodgers failed to throw a Miami WR Tyreek Hill play during a season in tion as well.” touchdown pass in the Jets’ needs one touchdown which they were cut by

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PAGE 14, Friday, January 3, 2025

THE TRIBUNE

Indea Cartwright excited about being home

By BRENT STUBBS Chief Sports Editor bstubbs@tribunemedia.net NOT only is hurdler Indea Cartwright excited to be home for the Christmas holiday, but she’s even more thrilled that her Liberty Flames football team is here to participate in the ninth Bahamas Bowl.

Cartwright, the redshirtsenior, got a chance to interact with the team yesterday as they participated in the Beach Bash with their opponents - the Buffalo Bulls - at the Atlantis resort.

The Flames and the Bulls will clash in the Bahamas Bowl, the longest running international bowl game in history, that will be played here for the first time on a Saturday, January 4 at 11am at the Thomas A. Robinson National Stadium.

In the past, the game was played during the

Christmas week in December, but organisers decided to push it back to allow more Bahamians to come out and cheer on the teams.

This year, it’s free of charge.

For Cartwright, it’s a pleasure to welcome the Flames’ football team to her home, especially because she wasn’t sure that they would have made it.

“I have some friends on the team who asked me about the Bahamas and now they get to come here and see for themselves, so I’m very happy with that,” she said.

“It’s kind of like my family away from home so I’m just happy to be able to support both my school and bring my family to the game to see what the football team is all about.”

With this being her final collegiate season, Cartwright said she’s looking forward to going out with

a bang before she ventures into the professional ranks.

“This is my third year with Liberty and in May I hope to graduate with my master’s degree in strategic communication. “So right now, I’m just training, getting ready for the indoor season. So I’m looking forward to that. I’m really excited about it.”

The indoor season will open on Friday, January 10 when Liberty University takes on The Burg Open in a home meet in Lynchburg, Virginia.

“My goal each season is to run better than the season before,” Cartwright said. “I want to run a sub-12 in the hurdles this year, break some school records and get my name out there for the pro circuit.”

During her last trip at home in June for the Bahamas Association of Athletic Associations’ National Championships, Cartwright

A LIBERTY Flames football team player shares a moment with basketball player Valerie Nesbitt and track athlete Indea Cartwright, far right. placed fourth behind the field that included world indoor record holder Devynne Charlton, Charisma Taylor and Denisha Cartwright, all of whom went to the Olympic Games in August in Paris, France.

“I really like the atmosphere, competing against those ladies,” said Cartwright of her local arch rivals. “They are where I want to be. But I will try to join them in the next four years.”

In the meantime, Cartwright said she’s looking forward to getting her breakthrough on the senior international scene, either at the World Indoor Championships in Nanjing, China from March 21-23 or the

World Outdoor Championships inTokyo, Japan, from September 13-21.

The 22-year-old Cartwright, a graduate from St John’s College who went on to compete for Oral Roberts University before she transferred to Liberty, said she’s even more thrilled that Grand Bahamian Shania Adderley will be joining her on the Flames’ track team.

“She’s like a little sister to me, so I’m kind of trying to help her get adjusted. She came to college at a very young age at 16. I think she turned 17 in September, but she’s adjusting very well and she’s excited to be there.”

Adderley, a graduate of Tabernacle Baptist

Academy, ran on the Bahamas mixed medley 4 x 400 metre relay team at the World Relays here that qualified for the Olympics.

However, after a bit of controversy, Adderley was eventually taken to Paris, France, but she, nor Lacarthea Cooper, got a chance to compete on the relay team that featured Quincy Penn, Javonya Valcourt, Wendell Miller and Alonzo Russell. The team didn’t make it out of the preliminary rounds.

Cartwright, who has run personal best times of 8.16 in the 60m hurdles and 13.13 in the 100m hurdles, is the daughter of Laresa Farquharson and Elvis Cartwright.

BOSTON Celtics forward Jayson Tatum (0) goes up for a shot during the second half of an NBA basketball game against the Minnesota Timberwolves, Thursday, Jan. 2, 2025, in Minneapolis.

(AP Photo/ Abbie Parr)

JAYSON TATUM’S NEAR TRIPLE-DOUBLE SPARKS CELTICS IN 118-115 WIN OVER TIMBERWOLVES MINNEAPOLIS (AP) — Jayson Tatum had 33 points, nine assists and eight rebounds, and the Boston Celtics beat the Minnesota Timberwolves 118-115 on Thursday night.

Derrick White scored 26 points for Boston, while Sam Hauser — filling in for the injured Jaylen Brown — hit five 3-pointers and scored 15 points.

Julius Randle led Minnesota with 27 points, eight rebounds and seven assists.

Naz Reid added 20 points off the bench, while Jaden McDaniels had 19 points and eight boards. The Timberwolves trailed by eight

with two minutes to play but they had a chance to send it into overtime. However, Anthony Edwards’ 3-pointer fell short at the buzzer.

PACERS 128, HEAT 115 MIAMI (AP) — Tyrese Haliburton scored 33 points and handed out 15 assists, Myles Turner added 21 points and Indiana rolled past Miami.

Pascal Siakam had 18 points and 11 rebounds for the Pacers, who shot 53% and led by as many as 28.

Kel’el Ware led the Heat with 25 points. Bam Adebayo scored 20, Tyler Herro

added 17 and Terry Rozier had 16 for Miami.

Jimmy Butler scored nine points, and didn’t play in the fourth quarter for a second consecutive night.

He also had nine points in Wednesday’s win over New Orleans.

THUNDER 116, CLIPPERS 98 OKLAHOMA CITY (AP) — Shai GilgeousAlexander scored 29 points and Oklahoma City won their franchise-record 13th consecutive regular-season game by beating Los Angeles.

The Thunder trailed by 16 in the first half before

pulling within 52-48 at halftime. Shaking off a cold shooting first half, the Thunder exploded for 42 third-quarter points and an 18-point lead heading into the fourth quarter.

Gilgeous-Alexander also had a game high eight assists for the Thunder, who are 28-5 and have won 17 of their last 18 regular-season games. He did not play in the fourth quarter.

Jalen Williams scored 18 points and Isaiah Hartenstein added 11 points and nine rebounds for Oklahoma City. Amir Coffey led the Clippers with 26 points.

After shooting just 31% in

the first half, the Thunder wound up at an even 50% for the game and added to their league-leading steal total with 11 takeaways.

NETS 113, BUCKS 110 MILWAUKEE (AP) — Cam Johnson scored 26 points, Cam Thomas had 24 and Brooklyn withstood a frantic Milwaukee comeback attempt down the stretch to win.

Brooklyn led by as many as 24 and still owned a 111-90 advantage with less than seven minutes left before the Bucks scored 20 straight points. The Bucks had the ball with a

chance to take the lead, but Giannis Antetokounmpo couldn’t finish on his drive to the basket. Brooklyn’s Ziaire Williams got the rebound and hit two free throws with 6.1 seconds left. Damian Lillard missed two potential tying 3-point attempts in the last 4.1 seconds. Antetokounmpo had 27 points, 13 rebounds and seven assists while shooting 12 of 24 from the floor.

Milwaukee’s Andre Jackson Jr. was ejected from the game with 9.9 seconds left in the first half for making unnecessary and excessive contact with Brooklyn’s Nic Claxton.

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THE TRIBUNE

Friday, January 3, 2025, PAGE 15

Bahamas Bowl players enjoy beach bash at Atlantis resort FROM PAGE 16 Bahamas Bowl, having played here in 2019 when they won 31-9 over Charlotte.

They are coached by Pete Lembo and will be coming into the game with an 8-4 record and 6-2 in their conference.

The Flames, representing Conference USA, sports an 8-3 record and 5-3 in conference play. They are coached by Jamey Chadwell. They played in their first major bowl game against the Oregon Ducks in the Fiesta Bowl last year when they lost 45-6.

It’s shaping up to be an exciting game to watch.

After the players enjoyed their fun time on the beach swimming, playing games, dancing and eating, they say it’s time to “play ball.”

Two of the Bulls players, one making his first appearance here and another from the previous team, are looking forward to participating in the bowl game.

Buffalo’s wide receiver Victor Snow said he’s enjoying his vacation in the Bahamas, although he knows that they have to take care of business on the field on Saturday.

“We are here enjoying the weather, the beach and the resort,” he said. “We are going to play all 60 minutes, all four quarters, expect to play hard, expect us to be disciplined.”

Snow said they are aware of Liberty, who is a solid team, but because both teams can play some “solid football,” it’s going to be an interesting game to watch.

“I expect us to come out and win,” said Snow, who is now in his second year, but playing in his first bowl game. “The Bahamas Bowl is definitely the best bowl game, so we definitely want to win it again.”

For Buffalo’s centre Dom Polizzi, this is his second trip here, having played on the 2019 team.

“It’s awesome,” said Polizzi about his return to the Bahamas. “This is my last year of eligibility and so I want to go out with another victory.”

All season long, Polizzi said he emphasised to his team the importance of

SPORTS CALENDAR FROM PAGE 16

ROAD RACE MACEDONIA WALK RACE AS a part of its celebrations for their annual Men’s Anniversary, Macedonia Baptist Church on Bernard Road, Fox Hill will hold a Family Fun Walk race on Saturday, January 11.

The event, open to the general public, will get started at 6:30am from the church grounds and head west on Bernard Road to Village Road, turn around and head back on Bernard Road to the church.

The registration fee is $10 for men and women in the under-15, under-20, under-40, under-60 and 60-and-over age groups.

There will also be a Pastors/Ministers/Deacons category.

Medals will be presented to the first three finishers in each age group and trophies to the top male and female finisher.

Immediately following the race, a souse out will take place for $10 each.

There will also be a time for persons to engage in a free medical check up.

Interested persons can contact Eric Sweeting at 376-7211 or castellsweet56@hotmail. com or Brent Stubbs at 4267265 or stubbobs@gmqil. com for more information.

TRACK AND FIELDDTSP WOLFPACK CLASSIC THE DTSP Wolfpack Track Club will hold its “I Come To Get Me” Track Classic on Saturday, January 18 at the original

getting to the Bowl Game.

Once they got selected, he said they were all ecstatic.

“We are a close knit group that work really hard,” he said. “We know that Liberty is a good football team that is very well coached, but we are looking forward to pulling off another victory.”

Liberty will be making their first appearance here, but they have a double dose of a pair of Bahamian female athletes on their track and field roster in senior hurdler Indea Cartwright from St John’s College and freshman quarter-miler Shania Adderley from Tabernacle Baptist Academy in Grand Bahama.

Brylan Green, who hopes to play a key role on the Flames’ defensive line, said he heard so much about the Bahamas from Cartwright and now he’s experiencing it all for himself.

“For us to see what you guys do down here in the Bahamas is a blessing,” he said.

“We met some nice people at the hotel. The hospitality here is so nice. I am really enjoying it.”

This is the third bowl game for Green, but he admitted that there’s nothing like being in the Bahamas.

Hopefully, he said they will put it all together and come out with the win.

“If we can play together, which is something we pride on, we will be able to pull it off,” he insisted. “I only know that Buffalo is in New York. We’re not concerned

Thomas A. Robinson Track and Field Stadium.

This year’s meet will honour icon Michael Sands, the president of the North American, Central American and Caribbean NACAC) and is a former public relations and president of the Bahamas Association of Athletic Associations (BAAA).

Sands is a standout sprinter for Penn State who went on to two Olympic Games in 1972 and 1976. He has held several national records, including the men’s 400m.

Meet director Larry Clarke said they are delighted to honour this living legend for his contribution to the sport. He indicated that the track meet will be one that people will not forget.

TRACK AND FIELD RED-LINE CLASSIC THE Red-Line Athletics Track Club will hold its fifth annual Sonja Knowles Classic over the weekend of January 25-26 at the original Thomas A. Robinson Track and Field Stadium.

The meet, sponsored by Slim Jim and Mahatma, will begin at 10am on Saturday, January 25 and conclude on Sunday, January 26, starting at 1pm.

Meet director Tito Moss has indicated that they will offer some awesome customised medals for top three finishers, customised crystal awards for MVPs U7 to U20 boys and girls.

He also noted that they will offer more events for the under-7 to under-13 age groups, but they expect that the under-15 to the open and masters categories will be very competitive with heats and finals in all sprint events. The entry deadline is January 19.

BEACH PARTY: Buffalo Bulls players dancing yesterday during the beach bash at the Atlantis resort on Paradise Island in New Providence, Bahamas.

Photos: Chappell Whyms Jr

about them. But we know it will be a very good game to watch.”

And Flames’ defensive end Donovan Dozier, who previously visited the Bahamas with his family on vacation, said he’s

excited to be back with his collegiate family for the prestigious bowl game.

“It’s been fun, enjoying the tropical weather and the beach,” he said. “I know my teammates are having a great time.”

But on Saturday, Dozier said the Flames are looking forward to getting the job done. “I just want to have this final chance to compete with my guys,” Dozier said. “I know we have some seniors and this

will be their last bowl game, so I just want to do my part and send them off the right way.”

The game is free to the general public and will be carried live on ESPN2 at 11am on Saturday.

Interested persons are urged to send in entries to redlineathletics242@gmail. com and smnbutler@yahoo. com or contact Tito Moss at 425-4262.

ROAD RACE BBSF RUN/WALK RACE THE Bahamas Baptist Sports Federation, now in its second year of existence, will hold its annual Family Fun Run/Walk race on Saturday, January 25.

The dual event, opened to the general public, will get started at 6:30am from the Bahamas Baptist College/Charles W Saunders High School on Jean Street.

The run will begin from Jean Street and head south to Prince Charles Drive. It will travel east on Prince Charles Drive to Fox Hill Road. On Fox Hill Road, the route will head north to Bernard Road, west on Bernard Road and south on Jean Street back to the finish line. The walk will leave Jean Street and travel north to Bernard Road, head west on Bernard Road to Soldier Road, travel south on Soldier Road to Prince Charles Drive, head east on Prince Charles Drive and back to Jean Street and the finish line.

The categories for both the male and female in both events will be under-15, under-20, under-40, under60 and 60-and-over. There will also be a Pastors/Ministers/Deacons category.

Medals will be presented to the first three finishers in each age category, while the top finishers in each event will be presented with a trophy.

There will also be a trophy for the church with the most finishers.

The registration fee is $10 per person and there will be

a souse out priced at $10 for chicken or turkey.

Interested persons are urged to contact Ann Thompson at 425-3557 or email ann837609@gmail. com or Brent Stubbs at 4267265 or email stubbobo@ gmail.com.

TRACK AND FIELD STAR PERFORMERS MEET THE Star Trackers Track Club will hold its 22nd Star Performance Track and Field Classic on Saturday, February 1 at the original Thomas A. Robinson Track and Field Stadium. The event, powered by Baker/ Greyco Limited, will be held from 9am to 5pm. The registration deadline is on Friday, January 24 at 10pm at www.coachoregistration. com. Meet director Dave Charlton promises that the athletes and spectators will enjoy a very competitive meet that will be contested on time.

SWIMMING BA AGM AND ELECTIONS WHEN the Bahamas Aquatics holds its annual general meeting and election of officers on Saturday at 10am at the Balmoral Club, the following persons will be nominated for the various positions during the election of officers: President - Algernon Cargill; first vice president - Lynn Fraino; second vice president Christine Wallace-Whitfield; third vice president - Gena Culmer-Taylor; secretary - Georgette Albury; assistant secretary - Amndrea Strapp; treasurer - Erald Thompson; assistant treasurer - Kendric Albury and Member-at-large - Courtney Barr, Carrie Saidi and Marc-Anthony Thompson.

The nominations closed at

midnight on Wednesday night.

BBSF SOFTBALL LEAGUE THE Bahamas Baptist Sports Federation will hold its 2025 softball league, starting on Saturday, February 8 at the Charles W Saunders High School, Jean Street.

The co-ed slow pitch league will allow each team up to a total of 15 players with the registration fee of $200.

The deadline for team registration with rosters and team payment is Saturday, January 25, 2025.

Interested persons can tournament director

Thomas Sears at 424-2888 or email 242softball@gmail. com or Brent Stubbs at 4267265 or emil stubbobs@ gmail.com BAAA CHURCH SERVICE THE Bahamas Association of Athletic Associations has announced today that their annual church service will be held on Sunday at 11am at the Zion Baptist Church, East and Shirley Street.

The BAAA is inviting all of its executive members, coaches, athletes and spectators to join in the celebratory service to officially start the 2025 calendar year.

SPORTS SECTION E

FRIDAY, JANUARY 3, 2025

Indea, Page 14

Bowl players enjoy Atlantis beach bash

By BRENT STUBBS Chief Sports Editor bstubbs@tribunemedia.net

I

t was a fun day in the sun and on the sand as the Buffalo Bulls and the Liberty Flames participated in the beach bash at the Atlantis resort before they clash in the ninth Bahamas Bowl on Saturday.

The Bulls and the Flames are scheduled to meet at 11am at the Thomas A Robinson National Stadium in the longest running international bowl game in history.

It has been moved from the Christmas week in December and will be played for the first time on a Saturday to accommodate more Bahamian fans in the stands.

This is the second time the Bahamas Bowl will be played between two teams with eight or more wins, following the matchup between Toledo and Ohio, who were both 8-4 when they met in 2017.

Buffalo, representing the Mid-American Conference, will be making their second appearance in the

SEE PAGE 15

Liberty Flames and Buffalo Bulls clash in Bahamas Bowl at Thomas A Robinson National Stadium tomorrow

A WHALE OF A TIME: Liberty Flames players dancing yesterday during the beach bash at the Atlantis resort on Paradise Island in New Providence, Bahamas.

Photo: Chappell Whyms Jr

SPORTING EXECUTIVES EXPRESS THEIR DESIRES FOR 2025

By BRENT STUBBS Chief Sports Editor bstubbs@tribunemedia.net WITH the new year unfolded, various executives of sporting bodies around the country have expressed their desires for the 2025 season.

Bahamas Baseball Association As the newly elected president of the BBA, Clarence McKenzie said they have a comprehensive plan to take the sport to the next level, both locally and internationally.

Here’s what’s on their agenda: Branding - Providing BBA baseballs and lineup sheets to all leagues and promoting our professional players past, present and future.

Identity - Re-evaluating the constitution for its flaws and to clearly establish the role and the relationship of the BBF with its member leagues Unity - Bridging the gap between the member leagues and the executive body, creating an open line of communication and understanding; hosting regular membership meetings; hosting annual town hall

SEE PAGE 12

National bowling team off to Hong Kong

GO TEAM BAHAMAS! An eight member team, comprising four men and four women from the Bahamas Bowling Federation, left town on Thursday for Hong Kong where they will be participating in the International Bowling Federation World Cup. The event will take place from January 6-15. The team will be managed

by Camille Burnside, who will also compete on the ladies’ side with Janice Hoyte, Tara Johnson and Xanae Taylor.The men’s team consists of Greg Taylor, Sonith Lockhart, Loenardo “Lee” Davis and Ansel Ferguson.

THE SPORTS January CALENDAR

going to https://www.atlantisbahamas.com/bahamasbowl.

TRACK & FIELD T-BIRD CLASSIC THE T-Bird Flyers Track and Field Club will hold its 2025 Track Classic over the weekend of January 10-11 at the original Thomas A. Robinson Track and Field Stadium.

There will be two sessions starting on Friday, January 10 at 2pm and concluding on Saturday, January 11 at noon for age groups from under-7 to the open division.

The deadline for registration is January 6 and all clubs and schools can register by emailing Sandra Butler at smnbutler@yahoo.com or coach Foster Dorsett at fdillet@ gmail.com

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NEW YEAR, NEW GOALS: SETTING YOUR ATHLETIC RESOLUTIONS FOR 2025

By Dr Kent L Bazard

BAHAMAS BOWL THE Bahamas Bowl will return with its first staging on Saturday, January 4 at the Thomas A. Robinson National Stadium, starting at 11am.

The game, which will be aired live on ESPN2, will feature Buffalo (8-4), representing the Mid-American Conference against Liberty (8-3), representing Conference USA. This will be the first time the Bahamas Bowl has been played in January, and the first time the game has been played on a Saturday. This is only the second time the bowl has featured two teams with eight or more wins, having hosted UAB (8-4) and Ohio (8-4) in 2017.

The Bahamas Bowl is one of 17 college football bowl games owned and operated by ESPN Events. Fan travel packages are available by

RUGBY TOURNEY RENAMED ‘NEVILLE BOXING DAY SEVENS’

THE start of a new year brings an unparalleled opportunity for athletes to reflect, reset and refocus. To reach peak performance, it’s essential to move beyond enthusiasm and adopt a methodical approach to goal-setting.

Using SMART (Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Relevant, Time-bound) goals enables athletes to create an actionable roadmap to success in 2024.

SMART Goals Matter Vague goals like “get fitter” often fail to produce meaningful results.

Instead, focus on goals like: Specific: “Increase my vertical jump by 5 inches by July.”

Measurable: Track incremental progress through metrics.

Achievable: Set realistic targets grounded in your current capabilities.

Relevant: Align DR KENT your goals BAZARD with your broader aspirations, whether for competition or health. Timebound: Establish deadlines to foster accountability.

Balancing Ambition with Reality Enthusiasm often runs high as the year begins, but staying practical is key.

Take an honest assessment of your strengths and areas for growth. For example: Ambitious Goal: Achieve

a personal best in your 100metre sprint time.

Actionable Steps: Increase sprint-focused training three times weekly while building complementary strength in the gym.

Breaking goals into smaller milestones fosters progress while reducing the risk of burnout.

Maintaining Perspective and Adapting Goals Athletic development is a journey, not a sprint.

Obstacles such as injuries, life changes or new opportunities can arise unexpectedly.

To stay on course: 1. Revisit your goals every quarter to assess progress.

2. Adjust expectations if setbacks occur.

3. Acknowledge achievements as a source of motivation.

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