SPORTS SECTION E
Tennis, Page 7
WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 17, 2018
Bahamas Baseball Association is governing body By BRENT STUBBS Senior Sports Reporter bstubbs@tribunemedia.net fter helping to steer a resurgence in the sport over the past 15 years, the Bahamas Baseball Federation has decided to cease all operations and allow the Bahamas Baseball Association to carry out its mandate as the governing body. BBF president Teddy Sweeting confirmed through a press release that during their annual general meeting on December 2, the membership agreed to the following: • Suspend all national operations until the Bahamas Baseball Association’s elections are held in 2020. • Encourage all baseball leagues (members of the BBF and non-members) to seek
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membership in the Bahamas Baseball Association. • BBF to support the BBA, wherever needed, with the hosting of the 2018 National Baseball Championships. When contacted for further clarification, Sweeting said it was a hard line decision, but one that they all agreed to in the best interest of the sport. “We wanted to take a look at the constitution in respect to amending the constitution so that once members join, only members will be allowed to vote for the leadership,” Sweeting said. “We got them to amend the constitution and now we want them to go and properly set up the process so that members can now join and get ready for the next election.” As a result, Sweeting said the BBF has decided to cease all operations and will allow the BBA to
TEDDY SWEETING function as the governing body on the local and international scene. Since the BBF was formed in 2003
with Greg Burrows serving as the initial president, they were able to host a successful national championships and carried a number of junior national teams to compete in various international competitions. However, the federation, which had Craig ‘Salty’ Kemp serving as its second president before Sweeting took over from him, was not able to get into any of the major international tournaments like the Central American and Caribbean Games, which ultimately lead into qualification for the Olympic Games. As the governing body for baseball in the country, the BBA, under its former president Jim Wood, who passed away in December 2014, still held the international sanctioning. Since Wood’s death, Sam Rodgers has assumed the leadership of the BBA. He served as the interim
president before he was voted in during the last elections held in 2016. Over the last two years, the BBA has been working on bringing all of the fractions back under their fold with the BBF opting until now to join. It’s not known if Freedom Farm, which is still headed by Burrows, will follow suit. There are also one or two organisations in Grand Bahama that have not indicated as yet if they intend to join the BBA. Sweeting, who served previously as the secretary general under the presidency of both Burrows and Kemp, said they were advised by the International Baseball Federation that the Bahamas is too small to have a division at the top of the governing body and they should come together
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Regulators top Pros, Elites beat Stampers THE New Providence Basketball Association continued its regular season action at the AF Adderley Gymnasium on Monday night with the Elites Basketball Club and the Leno Regulators winning the double header. In the opening game, the Elites Basketball Club knocked off the Triple K Stampers 97-88, while Leno prevailed with a 98-89 decision over the Island Game Pros in overtime in the feature contest. • Here’s a summary of the games: Regulators 98 Pros 89 Carlos Thompson Sr canned a three-pointer in the first 30 seconds of the extra five minutes to go up 82-79 and they never looked back. Thompson Sr picked up where he left in regulation as he sunk a pair of free throws with seven seconds left to even the score at 79-79. In playing 30 minutes and 49 seconds, Thompson Sr finished with 21 points with eight assists, five rebounds and a steal to help lead Leno to victory. Kenneth Pratt, however, was the top scorer for the Regulators with 25 points, 10 rebounds and seven assists. Hakeem Walkes came off the bench with 14
points and four rebounds and Cruz Simon added 10 points with seven rebounds, three assists and two steals. In a losing effort for Island Game, Derrick Ferguson had 22 points and three assists, Tyrone Sands had 18 points, 14 rebounds, four block shots, three assists and two steals and Colton Albury had 17 points and 11 rebounds. The Pros also saw Steve Miller score 11 points with eight rebounds, six assists and two steals, Lance Rolle also had 11 points with seven rebounds and Duran Burrows came off the bench to add 10 points, three rebounds and three assists. Island Game opened the game, taking a 26-12 lead at the end of the first quarter. Leno, however, stormed back for a 40-37 deficit at the half. The Pros surged further ahead 66-48 at the end of the third only to watch as the Regulators rallied for a 19-10 rout in the fourth to force the extra period. Leno outscored Island Game 60-32 on points in the paint and they held a 20-14 advantage on points from turnovers. They also had a 21-14 difference on second chance points. The Regulators also had a 58-52 advantage in
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ON THE REPLAY: The Regulators prevailed with a 98-89 decision over the Island Game Pros in overtime of the NPBA feature contest at AF Adderley Monday night. Photo: Shawn Hanna/Tribune Staff
Waltiea Rolle wants out of Turkish second division SOFTBALL By BRENT STUBBS Senior Sports Reporter bstubbs@tribunemedia.net AFTER spending the past four months playing in the Turkish women’s second division, Bahamian professional basketball player Waltiea Rolle wants out. The 6-foot, 8-inch centre, who has been the focus of attention
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for the Edremit Belediyes Gurespor, has advised her agent that the team is not one that is conducive to her future development. “Our head coach just quit and we got a new coach, but I don’t think I will be staying on this team,” Rolle told The Tribune in an interview. “My last game is this weekend. “There’s a lot of things going on. It’s a stressful situation that I’m in with the team. They never keep me updated on certain things and there are a lot of financial issues.” Rolle, 27, has not yet decided where she will go. She’s waiting on her agent to make the determination where she will play the remainder of the season before she comes back home. Over the four-month period, Rolle has helped her team to an 11-5 win-loss record, having lost their final game 70-58 on Friday to Mersin University in which she contributed 11 points on 4-of-11 shooting from the field and 3-for-4 from the free throw line.
She also pulled down like my legs and stuff. 11 rebounds, dished out I need to strengthen three passes, stole two them. But overall, I feel balls, added a block shot good about my game.” and had four turnovers Based on putas she played a total of ting up double digit 32 minutes. figures in both points Through the season, and rebounds in all of Rolle is averaging 26.6 her games so far, Rolle minutes, shooting 97-forsaid she’s proven that 172 from the field for an she has the capability of average of 56.4, 35-forplaying in the league’s 47 from the foul line for division one. ROLLE a 74.5 average or a total “I feel I am capable average points of 15.3 of playing on the divialong with 9.6 rebounds 1.9 assists, sion one level,” she said. “Some 1.1 steals, 2.1 blocks per game. of the players that I play against “I feel like my game is still are pretty decent too. I feel they there. When you get home, you should be playing division one get relaxed and stuff,” said Rolle, too. But I guess it’s all about the who has left behind two young connection and who your agent children in the Bahamas to pursue knows.” her career. “But I feel once you Rolle and Edremit will play get back into the rhythm of things, again on Saturday on the road everything comes back to you. against Bodrum, the top ranked “I think my game is going pretty team in their league. They are good. It’s getting better as always. I just need to work on my strength, SEE PAGE 3
COMMUNITY MOURNS ONE OF ITS MOST FAITHFUL FANS THE sporting community, especially softball, has lost one of its most faithful fans after Vivian Austin Knowles passed away at his residence on Flamingo Avenue, Farrington Road, on Monday, January 8. Knowles, better known as “Chief,” was dumb, but he didn’t let his handicap stop him from coming out and watching the games, especially when the Budweiser Eagles and then the Truckers played in the
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