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DAVIS: FOOD LEADER PAID $7K A MONTH PM keeps up attack on programmes during former administration

By KHRISNA RUSSELL Tribune Chief Reporter krussell@tribunemedia.net

WHILE doubling down on criticism of the former Minnis administration, Prime Minister Philip “Brave” Davis said there were “disturbing” commonalities emerging from three separate investigations now underway that sparked great cause for concern.

Speaking about the Minnis administration’s National Food Distribution Task Force, Mr Davis said

the programme’s chairperson, Mrs Susan Holowesko Larson, was paid a salary of $1,750 per week or about $7,000 a month. He told Parliament that it appeared the food programme did not have to give account for how its allocation of $53m was spent, adding that about nine percent or $4.7m of this amount had been reserved for administrative fees and start-up costs.

He also referred to ongoing investigations into the SEE PAGE FOUR

MINNIS: THIS IS WORST EVER BUDGET STATEMENT

By LEANDRA ROLLE Tribune Staff Reporter lrolle@tribunemedia.net

FORMER Prime Minister Dr Hubert Minnis last night slammed Prime Minister Phillip “Brave” Davis’ mid-year budget statement as the “worst” and “most empty” one ever, saying it lacked vision to transform the country’s ailing economy and help hurting Bahamians.

Killarney MP Dr Minnis said since being elected to office, the Davis administration has only adopted policies that have created

more economic hardship for the Bahamian people and accused them of being “heartless”.

“They attacked the food programme feeding the vulnerable and the hungry after his government put a ten percent hike on breadbasket items for those very same people. The prime minister and the PLP high command have very little feeling or heart for... Bahamians especially working families,” Dr Minnis said during his contribution to the mid-year budget yesterday.

SEE PAGE FOUR

Candles for Carissa

CANDLES are raised in memory of young mother Carissa Culmer last night during a vigil at Southern Recreational Grounds attended

by Ann Marie Davis, the wife of Prime Minister Philip “Brave” Davis. Culmer, 24, was found last Thursday hanging by a cord in a hotel room on West Bay Street. See the full story on PAGE FIVE. Photo: Racardo Thomas/Tribune Staff

SWIMMING PIG ATTRACTION INGRAHAM CONFIDENT OF OPPONENTS CELEBRATE WIN MARITAL RAPE LEGISLATION

By NEIL HARTNELL Tribune Business Editor nhartnell@tribunemedia.net

OPPONENTS of an Adelaide-based swimming pigs attraction yesterday hailed the Town Planning Committee for upholding “the rule of law” by denying its application to develop a bar and grill.

Leslie Vanderpool, a resident of Beach Drive where Beyond Da Village Pig Experience is located, said the decision sent a message to all developers and businesses that “people can’t operate like it’s the Wild Wild West” over the planning and zoning regulations.

FULL STORY - SEE BUSINESS

By RASHAD ROLLE Tribune Senior Reporter rrolle@tribunemedia.net FORMER Prime Minister Hubert Ingraham is convinced the Davis administration will criminalise marital rape and solve gender inequality issues pertaining to Bahamian citizenship.

He said he told Prime Minister Philip “Brave” Davis during a meeting yesterday that his administration could demonstrate its commitment to reform by abandoning its appeal of Supreme Court Justice Ian Winder’s citizenship ruling that children born in The SEE PAGE THREE

‘WE WILL HAVE BAHAMIAN UB PRESIDENT’

By RASHAD ROLLE Tribune Senior Reporter rrolle@tribunemedia.net

EDUCATION Minister Glenys Hanna Martin distanced the Davis administration yesterday from the decision of the board of University of The Bahamas to appoint a non-Bahamian president of the institution, saying she expects that “in short order” a Bahamian will ascend to the top post.

Former Prime Minister

DR ERIK ROLLAND Hubert Ingraham later criticised her in an interview with reporters, saying

the president should be the person that is best suited for the role regardless of nationality.

Their comments came after UB board chair Allyson Maynard-Gibson announced on Tuesday that Dr Erik Rolland will be UB’s new president. One Bahamian, Dr Ian Strachan, had been shortlisted for that role and had the backing of the union that represents staff and faculty.

SEE PAGE SEVEN

Nassau & Bahama Islands’ Leading Newspaper

FRONT PORCH: LENT PILGRIMAGE AND SPIRITUAL EXERCISES

- SEE PAGE EIGHT

PAGE 2, Thursday, March 17, 2022

THE TRIBUNE

THE LAUNCH of a community mobile police station on Thompson Lane off East Street yesterday.

Photos: Donavan McIntosh/Tribune Staff

Mobile police station launched

By EARYEL BOWLEG Tribune Staff Reporter ebowleg@tribunemedia.net DAYS after a spate of murders at Thompson Lane, a 24-hour mobile police station was launched in the area yesterday.

The station was set up with the intention of allaying the fears of members of the community after the recent killings.

Officer-in-charge of the Southern Division CSP Demeritte said officers hope to bring calm to the community. “We’re not going to allow just a handful of thugs to just come and put the fear of crime in this community so we’re here today and we’re going to be all over New Providence. We’ve teamed up with our neighbourhood police, our community police officers as well as officers from the drug enforcement unit and other law enforcement partners to just bring the fear of crime down in our communities,” CSP Demeritte said.

Supt Audley Peters said

mobile units will go to other areas as needed.

“We have a number of these units in place. At the moment, this unit is going to be placed here at Thompson Lane and if another area warrants one we will place that unit at that area. But, however, we have officers who (are) out and about on the streets conducting the various stop and searches.”

“If you would’ve (driven) into this community, you would find that a certain number of corridors that are into this community and those corridors are being tactfully manned with the intention of controlling and monitoring individuals who may be having an interest of coming into this area.”

Community resident Caroline Rahming said she feels much safer with the mobile station in place.

“The police were working very hard. They’re doing their best and I really appreciate it because when the incident happened on Saturday children were around and … I could’ve gotten hurt myself, but

they’re doing an excellent job,” the 47-year-old told The Tribune.

Yesterday, Acting Commissioner Fernander said police are following promising leads in all of the recent murders over the past week.

“We have a number of persons in custody at this time and detectives are interviewing all of them at this time,” he said.

Asked when the suspects would be prosecuted, he said: “We have the entire weekend coming with the suspects that we have in custody now and hopefully

by Monday we will be able to report some good news.”

Four separate shooting incidents over the weekend left five people dead and two others in hospital in critical condition.

The latest killings took place on Sunday after 6pm on Thompson Lane, less than 24 hours after two other men, one of whom died, were shot on the same street.

On Monday, Mr Fernander said the weekend killings were gang-related and the result of friction over drug turf.

ACTING Commissioner Clayton Fernander at the launching of the mobile police station.

THE COMMUNITY mobile police station on Thompson Lane off East Street yesterday.

THE TRIBUNE

Thursday, March 17, 2022, PAGE 3

Former PM: Bahamas had no choice over sanctions

By RASHAD ROLLE Tribune Senior Reporter rrolle@tribunemedia.net

FORMER Prime Minister Hubert Ingraham said The Bahamas has no choice but to sanction Russia after its deadly invasion of Ukraine.

He said The Bahamas should close its ports to Russian vessels.

“The Bahamas has no choice but to sanction Russia just as the western world has done in terms

of shipping, in terms of banking, in terms of whatever other transactions, much like night follows day,” he said. “I can’t imagine us dragging our feet on it either. I noted the prime minister’s comment when he came out of CARICOM. That’s what CARICOM said but that can’t be The Bahamas’ position. It’s not in our interest to be otherwise than supportive.

I think the same things applies to our skies, our

seas for boats and what not in terms of stuff in our ports.”

In March, Prime Minister Philip “Brave” Davis said CARICOM was awaiting a decision from the United Nations Security Council before taking a position on whether member states should impose sanctions on Russia.

The Bahamas over the weekend ordered financial institutions to halt transactions with Russian people and entities sanctioned

by the United States, the United Kingdom and the European Union.

A notice from financial services regulators said: “After consultation with the government of The Bahamas and with due consideration to interests of this jurisdiction and the financial services sector operator within it, the agencies comprising the Group of Financial Services Regulators (GFSR) hereby direct regulated entities that are licensed

FORMER Prime Minister Hubert Ingraham presenting a book of his speeches to Prime Minister Philip “Brave” Davis yesterday.

Photo: Racardo Thomas/Tribune Staff

INGRAHAM CONFIDENT OF MARITAL RAPE LEGISLATION from page one

Bahamas out of wedlock to Bahamian men are citizens at birth, regardless of the nationality of their mother.

The Office of the Attorney General is currently appealing that ruling to the Privy Council.

Mr Ingraham’s comments to reporters came after he gave Mr Davis the first of three volumes of a book containing his speeches.

The three-term prime minister noted discourse around marital rape and gender equality has been going on for years and he recalled a bill his administration tabled in the House of Assembly in 2009 to criminalise marital rape.

“I said publicly I didn’t have the support amongst my colleagues to pass it,” he said.

Mr Ingraham noted the country’s failed efforts to bring about gender equality through referendums, saying: “It’s not like these things just happened yesterday.”

Asked if he believes the Davis administration will finally criminalise marital rape, he said he has no doubts about it.

“I think Prime Minister Davis will deliver on that and I think he will deliver on a couple other things in connection with gender equality,” he said.

“You know, we tried the hard way. I wanted to make an amendment to the laws that couldn’t be changed by another Parliament. It had to go through another referendum, that’s what I wanted to do. I didn’t just want to change the law and have

somebody come along and change it back. That’s why I went the hard way. Well, The Bahamas having gone the hard way twice, I think Prime Minister Davis will sensibly take the easier way and just do it by legislation and I think he will be successful.”

Mr Ingraham said changes to ordinary legislation can provide the country with complete gender equality as it relates to citizenship.

“My only concern was when I did it by referendum, I didn’t want it to be capable of being changed again by another government just because they came to office. But in terms of the law, the Parliament has that authority to be able to do that. They have the authority to grant citizenship to whomever they wish without condition,” he said.

“I also said when I told him a few minutes (ago) that to demonstrate their sincerity about these equality things, one of the things they could do to start with is

just discontinue the appeal before the Privy Council of the judgement by Winder which gave all these children of Bahamian men citizenship, a right to citizenship. He could start that by just saying, ‘stop wasting my money since I say I am going to change the law.’”

The Minnis administration also pledged early in its term to address gender inequality issues, but never fulfilled its pledge.

During a Rotary Club speech in 2017, then Attorney General Carl Bethel argued that the government could solve unequal rights to citizenship by amending section six of the Bahamas Nationality Act, removing the words a “minister may at his discretion cause the minor child of a citizen of The Bahamas to be registered as a citizen of the Bahamas upon application” and replacing them with “the minister shall cause the minor child of a citizen of the Bahamas to be registered as a citizen of the Bahamas upon application.”

or authorised to operate from or within The Bahamas not to engage in transactions with sanctioned persons, entities or businesses linked to Russia and Belarus.

“Regulated entities should apply the highest level of risk management controls to deter the potential for any misuse of the Bahamian financial system in the current global environments and indeed every circumstance.

“For the purposes of

this directive, sanctions include those issued by the United States, Canada, United Kingdom, the European Union and other jurisdictions, which the GFSR may specify from time to time.”

The GFSR includes the Central Bank of The Bahamas, Securities Commission of The Bahamas, Insurance Commission of The Bahamas, Compliance Commission of The Bahamas and the Gaming Board.

PAGE 4, Thursday, March 17, 2022

THE TRIBUNE

Davis: Food leader paid $7k a month from page one Bahamas Public Parks and Public Beaches Authority and the Bahamas Travel Visa programme. As he began to unpack some of the findings of the ongoing investigations, Mr Davis said it was evident that the former government had used COVID-19 emergency spending to bypass ordinary procurement rules, allowing them to hide their spending decisions.

He noted his previous calls on the former administration to give account for their dealings.

This triggered former Prime Minister Dr Hubert Minnis to tell Parliament: “The member said we are hiding financial spending, that would imply some degree of corruption. I would suggest that the member do the investigations. If he finds any degree of corruption my position is straight.

“If he finds any, charge me, lock me up. If he finds other members, do the same. My position is straight. I am totally anticorruption. Investigate and let the chips (fall) where they may,” Dr Minnis said.

Mr Davis replied that this

PRIME Minitster Philip “Brave” Davis in the House of Assembly.

Photos: Donavan McIntosh/Tribune Staff would not be an issue had of one percent. the member for Killarney “And I could confirm done his job, ensuring there it. I have the information was proper accounting of about it,” he said, holdfunds spent. ing up a sheet of paper.

“Let me warn you, the “Now whether that was best that can be said for the paid or not we don’t know. member for Killarney who That looks like about oversaw and then obscured $4.7m. I thought that this the spending, is that he was was something, they said aggressively incompetent,” NGO. When you say NGO Mr Davis said.

I thinking it was something “In addition to her volunteered. That’s what I salary,” Mr Davis also thought. Were they really said about the food initia- paid this money? We’ll find tive, “while setting up the out. programme, Mrs Susan “Notwithstanding the Holowesko Larson indi- fact that the Ministry of cated to people on a Zoom Social Services has overcall, that she was also sight of food distribution reserving eight percent of programmes, neither the what was being given to her permanent secretary nor (for) administration fees the director of Social Serand she had a start-up cost vices were consulted on the

design and implementation of the food distribution programme.

“It would appear that none of the well established organisations were involved either, such as the Red Cross, or the major churches, who have many years experience of food distribution, and would not have charged for doing so,” Mr Davis said.

“There is a complete absence of records on the spending of the $53m: no standardised reporting of results, and two entities, which received collectively over $15m, have refused to respond to queries as to how the money was issued or used.

“Also, some entities were directed by the chairwoman to pay money to other organisations, which shows at a minimum the haphazard design of the programme.

“We were extremely surprised to hear Mrs Holowesko Larson describe in an interview, the almost $2m surplus payment to Hands for Hunger, as an ‘accounting error’.”

“While the phrase ‘accounting error’ may cover a multitude of sins, what we do know is that on February 17, 2022, she said she knew of no organisation

that had such a balance in an interview with those persons she was talking to.

“But we note that when the entity that had the funds had to return it, they said they had told her of these monies. So, we don’t know where the truth lies, but eventually that will also be known.”

Mr Davis continued: “During the inquiries it was discovered they started off saying that they had a $1.1 something million dollars to return and then they later discovered there is a misapplication or another accounting error where there was another $588,000 that was not properly booked and therefore that $1.1 whatever ended up being $1.77m. And still, no questions were being asked about all of these things.”

Mr Davis questioned what was the point of holding up the money when there were thousands in need of food.

Regarding the Parks and Beaches Authority, Mr Davis said there had been no internal controls, adding management there have claimed they had no specimen signature of the former chairman Shanendon Cartwright.

He said large value

contracts issued by the authority contain three distinct signatures, all purporting to be that of the chairman.

Mr Davis said: “Simple logic dictates that at least two of them must be fraudulent, unless Mr Cartwright authorised someone to sign his signature. Who was signing these contracts?”

In response, Dr Minnis said he was hopeful that an investigation was conducted, adding that he himself had three signatures.

Mr Cartwright, who is also St Barnabas MP, said no one has determined from the former executive himself that any of the signatures were in fact his signature.

Of the Bahamas Travel Health Visa, Mr Davis said someone at the Ministry of Tourism made a verbal agreement with private company, Kanoo, to set up the scheme. It was outside of the normal public service and some $34.5m of the Bahamian people’s money passed through Kanoo November 2020 to August 2021. The company’s private bank account was also outside of the public service and in direct contravention of the law, he said.

MINNIS: THIS IS WORST EVER BUDGET STATEMENT from page one

PLP supporters outside Parliament yesterday.

MINNIS HECKLED OUTSIDE HOUSE

By KHRISNA RUSSELL Tribune Chief Reporter krussell@tribunemedia.net

FORMER Prime Minister Dr Hubert Minnis was heckled and taunted by a small group of Progressive Liberal Party supporters as he walked into the House of Assembly yesterday.

They gathered on Parliament Street after PLP Chairman and Cabinet Minister Fred Mitchell issued a call to supporters to come out to the public square to defend Prime Minister Philip “Brave” Davis after Dr Minnis last week used strong language to rebut allegations made against his administration.

Last Thursday Dr Minnis told The Tribune: “It’s a stupid and immature statement, an irresponsible statement to be made by any prime minister and I can’t wait to get in Parliament to buss his a-and their a-- for talking stupidness.”

In the House of Assembly yesterday morning, Dr Minnis said it was true that he wrote a letter to the police asking for additional security. “It is true that I wrote a letter to the commissioner,” the Killarney MP said.

“What is also true is that such a letter was leaked to a PLP social media group and it could not come from even my lawyer because I made

amendments to the letter that nobody knew other than I, but yet it appeared on social media.”

His request for additional police protection was sparked by Mr Mitchell’s message to PLPs to protect the prime minister.

“I invite all PLPs to the public square this Wednesday and show Hubert Minnis who might get their a—- barked if he fools with Prime Minister Philip Davis on Wednesday as he promises to,” Mr Mitchell told supporters in a voice note on Monday.

Those PLPs were also met by a small group of Free National Movement supporters who came out to back Dr Minnis yesterday.

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“Remove the VAT on breadbasket items and remove the VAT on medicine. Many people are ignoring their medication just to buy food and subsequently having their disease and illness further deteriorate, placing greater stress and strain on our health system. This policy has caused enough suffering.”

The former prime minister also pointed to recent editorials published in a local daily which criticised the government’s performance in office.

As he was delivering his speech, Fort Charlotte MP Alfred Sears rose on the point of order, asking for the comments to be struck from the record, which they ultimately were.

Still, Dr Minnis continued in his attack of the government, saying the Davis administration had no clear vision to help the Bahamian people and accused officials of still being in campaign mode.

He also questioned what the government’s plan was on the way forward following the twin crises of Hurricane Dorian and the COVID-19 pandemic.

“Mr Speaker, we are in

DR Hubert Minnis in Parliament yesterday. difficult times. We are still in “Since coming to office, a pandemic. The people of the new government has Abaco and Grand Bahama not been as serious as my are still recovering from an government in promoting historic hurricane. Russia vaccines. They have failed unjustly invaded Ukraine in this effort. Our vacthree weeks ago, causing cination rate has stalled major shocks to the global around 40 percent. Recent economy,” Dr Minnis told data would indicate about parliamentarians.

45 percent of our popu“The Bahamas needs lation. That rate is not good leadership to navigate enough to protect us from us through these challenges future variants and this and unfortunately, our low vaccination rate is a prime minister has proven threat to our economy,” he that he is not up to the task. said.

The mid-year budget he “When the now governpresented does little to help ment was in opposition, people rebound from the they claimed to have many difficulties they face.” answers. Now in office, Dr Minnis said it the government does not appeared the government appear to have a clue as to has no real solutions to deal how to boost the vaccinawith the country’s woes as tion rate. the well-being of he pointed to their “failure” our economy is at stake. the to even boost vaccinations wellbeing of our people is numbers in the country. at stake.”

THE TRIBUNE

Thursday, March 17, 2022, PAGE 5

Govt has approved baseball stadium funds

By LEANDRA ROLLE Tribune Staff Reporter lrolle@tribunemedia.net WORKS and Utilities Minister Alfred Sears revealed yesterday that the government has approved funding for construction works to resume at the Andre Rodgers Baseball Stadium.

Speaking in the House of Assembly yesterday, Mr Sears told parliamentarians he was recently informed that some $5m was transferred to the project’s contractor.

He made the remarks as St Anne’s MP Adrian White was praising the work done on the stadium by the former administration

during his contribution to the mid-year budget debate.

However, Mr Sears took issue with Mr White’s comments yesterday, insisting that little progress was made to the project under the Minnis administration.

Mr Sears said: “The honourable member would be quite aware that for essentially four years, the Andre Rogers Baseball Stadium that you just referred to, $24m would’ve been invested on the ground and for the past four years, it has basically been at a standstill but I am happy to announce, Mr Deputy that the Cabinet has just approved funding and I have just received a notice today, in fact within the

hour, from the contractor that he is now in receipt of $5m which will enable him to move forward.”

This prompted a response from Marco City MP Michael Pintard, who told parliamentarians that Mr Sears’ assertions were simply not true.

The Free National Movement leader said not only did the Minnis administration carry out works on the project, but said they also resolved several “outstanding issues” left in place by the Christie administration.

“Mr Deputy, the member for Fort Charlotte spoke on this matter some time ago and what he omitted to say, and I correct him on the record of this House with

no objection from him, and that is the escalating cost for the stadium occurred under the Progressive Liberal Party prior to 2017,” Mr Pintard said in the House of Assembly.

“So, the figure that he referenced and the ballooning figure as a result of some of the omissions in the design again occurred prior to 2017.

It is not true that for four and a half years nothing happened with the stadium.

“Even what he said is an amendment to what he said originally wasn’t good enough. Work did in fact occur, including settling some of the outstanding issues that were left undone by the PLP and it was advanced in the years

leading up to, the two years in particular, leading up to the election and so we have present, the most recent minister of youth, sports and culture who can lay out those items that were done but it is wrong for him to continue to come here and say that nothing was done in four and a half years because it’s not factual.”

However, Mr Sears fired back and said Mr Pintard had misunderstood what he initially said.

“Marco City has contradicted St Anne’s by stating that some work was done but he said the $24m was on the ground and his allegation was that there were certain things under the previous PLP. I never said

nothing was done in the past four years. I said very little was done,” Mr Sears added.

Construction began on the stadium in September 2016 and was supposed to end in November 2017, Mr Sears said in January.

However, he said the project was greatly delayed and impacted by a number of issues, including an escalation in the cost of materials, equipment and labour because of the transition between administrations.

The works minister also revealed earlier this year that more than $31m will be needed to complete the Andre Rodgers Baseball Stadium.

CANDLES FOR CARISSA A CANDLELIGHT vigil was held last night at Southern Recreational Grounds in memory of young mother Carissa Culmer.

Culmer, 24, was a victim of domestic violence whose story gained national attention last year after a video she made about her ordeal went viral.

Last Thursday, Culmer was found hanging by a

cord from a ceiling in a hotel room on West Bay Street. Police suspect she committed suicide in front of her toddler son.

Her death elicited an outpouring of support, with several prominent figures calling for more help for domestic violence victims and those suffering from mental health challenges.

ANN MARIE DAVIS, the wife of the Prime Minister, speaking at the event.

BISHOP Lawrence Rolle at the candlelit vigil.

THE CANDLELIGHT vigil for young mother Carissa Culmer, pictured inset, at Southern Recreation Grounds last night.

Photos: Racardo Thomas/Tribune Staff

TWO STAFF FIRED AT DRA

By DENISE MAYCOCK Tribune Freeport Reporter dmaycock@tribunemedia.net

DISASTER Reconstruction Authority executive chairman Alex Storr confirmed yesterday that two employees were terminated this week at the DRA office in Grand Bahama.

He declined to comment further on why the two individuals were dismissed.

This is the second round of dismissals at DRA in Freeport.

According to sources, DRA officials flew to Freeport on Tuesday. The Tribune understands that a supervisor and a manager were let go.

The DRA is in the process of restructuring the authority following allegations of reported gross mismanagement under former DRA officials.

One of the individuals who was let go on Tuesday said the termination was expected with the change in government.

“I expected this,” said the employee, who did not

want to be identified. “They came to the office on Tuesday and informed me and a manager there. This is not the first, they also fired seven persons at the office prior to this.”

The employee believes that the termination was political.

“They hired their own people from Nassau, and the ones they let go earlier were believed to be PLPs, and so they are being brought back one by one, and some will be rehired and returned on Monday,” the individual said.

The employee said that political terminations affect not only the individual, but also their families.

Michael Pintard, opposition leader, has condemned what he calls the “vicious cycle” of terminating Bahamians whenever a new political administration is elected to office.

He stressed that the ongoing termination and layoffs at government agencies are troubling because ordinary working Bahamians are

being put out of jobs.

When contacted yesterday, Free National Movement Chairman Dr Duane Sands said an investigation will have to be conducted to determine if there was just cause.

“We have watched with consternation and disappointment countless regular, ordinary Bahamians oftentimes on subsistence salary being let go from Urban Renewal and off their roadside contracts, and it appears as if the individual’s political affiliation is a significant reason why they are no longer allowed gainful employment,” Dr Sands said.

“We have not seen this kind of behaviour in The Bahamas in decades,” he added. “We hope and pray it ends because all Bahamians need to eat and live. So, the details of these terminations at DRA will have to be investigated and determined if there is just cause for rendering additional Bahamians and families destitute.”

AIRPORT AUTHORITY SIGNS UNION DEAL

By EARYEL BOWLEG Tribune Staff Reporter ebowleg@tribunemedia.net

THE Airport Authority signed a recognition agreement with the Public Managers Union this week.

Cassandra CartwrightLewis, union president, explained that PMU is now the bargaining agent for middle management at the Airport Authority.

“This is a good day for both the Public Managers Union and the Airport Authority,” she said at a press conference on Tuesday. “On behalf of our executives and members of all entities, the University of The Bahamas, the National Insurance Board (NIB), and now our new members there at the Airport Authority, we look forward to cordial relationships and

building the entity moving forward.”

On behalf of the board of directors and the executive management of the AA, Acting General Manager Peter Rutherford called it a “banner” day from them to get to this juncture where they signed the voluntary recognition, which is the first step in establishing a relationship between the two.

“I would like to share the commitment of my team that we look forward to enjoying a cordial relationship,” he said. “Not only for the interest of the employers, but for the trade union movement at large and those who have gone on long before us. I think this signing is a symbol of unity, but I want it to represent also an element of cohesion that we want to

exist and not only to see our employees as your members, but as who they are — they are human beings.

So we want to make sure that this is a step in the right direction to make sure that all sides communicate and agree with the respect that is deserving of everyone.”

He added: “The Airport Authority was constituted in 2000 or 2001. So really and truly you would’ve had line staff becoming members of a union. Essentially, this would represent the first time in the organisation’s existence that managers would have some forum where they can discuss and adjudicate matters on their own. So 20 years is a long time to go without any kind of representation and I think that is the message that this here actually heralds today.”

PAGE 6, Thursday, March 17, 2022

THE TRIBUNE

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Finger pointing and name calling won’t take us forward THERE were some ridiculous political antics on show yesterday, with the leading figures of the PLP right at the heart of them.

Those antics began even before a word was said in Parliament, after Fred Mitchell, who juggles the roles of Foreign Minister representing the people and PLP chairman representing the PLP, sending out a voice note inviting “all PLPs to the public square this Wednesday and show Hubert Minnis who might get their a** barked if he fools with Prime Minister Philip Davis on Wednesday as he promises to”.

The result? Former Prime Minister Dr Hubert Minnis was heckled by a group of PLP supporters as he walked into the House of Assembly. It also prompted a group of FNM supporters to come out as well – and led Dr Minnis to ask for more police protection.

Both Mr Davis and Dr Minnis are elected representatives, either one should be able to go about their business without groups of supporters being drummed up to heckle them.

This lowers the standard of our political environment. Not long ago, the reason given by press secretary Clint Watson for barricades being put up to prevent the media interviewing cabinet ministers was that it was part of the RBDF’s security protocols. How is inviting groups of supporters to show up and “show Dr Minnis who might get their a** barked” contributing to a safe environment?

The antics continued inside, where Mr Davis railed against the previous administration, talking about “disturbing” commonalities emerging from three separate investigations.

Here’s the thing, however – if you have an investigation under way, you let it continue without interference. You don’t go into Parliament to call the play by play as investigators are still gathering the information.

Might there be things these investigations uncover that proves to be disturbing? Perhaps so, but the Prime Minister putting pressure on from inside Parliament is far from helpful, and could call into question the independence of the process.

Looking at some of the accusations he

did make, Mr Davis made much noise about nine percent of the National Food Distribution Task Force funds being allocated to administration costs.

He said: “I thought that this was something, they said NGO. When you say NGO I thinking it was something volunteered. That’s what I thought.”

What nonsense. It seems disingenuous to say the least for the Prime Minister to not realise that non-governmental organisations (NGOs) around the world have costs they have to meet, and therefore set an administration budget to cover such things. That can be everything from covering the costs of submitting accounts to putting fuel in trucks to carry the food to where it’s needed. It can be rental costs for storage, it can be paying professionals in the areas where that is needed to conduct the operation.

Charity assessment organisation Charity Navigator, for example, reports the average charity spends about 15 percent on administrative costs – significantly higher than the nine percent spent here.

It should not come as a surprise to the leader of the nation that you can’t do everything for free when trying to run a nationwide programme to feed thousands of people.

Mr Davis also continued to rail against the Bahamas Travel Visa programme – despite the Auditor General praising that scheme – and the Bahamas Public Parks and Public Beaches Authority.

Meanwhile, his predecessor, Dr Minnis said that the budget statement was one of the “most empty” ever.

Perhaps that’s the reason for all these antics. Why isn’t Mr Davis talking about all the great things his government intends to do and what this budget statement will mean for the nation? Why instead is he pointing the finger at those who came before him and making public findings of incomplete investigations?

Is it all a distraction? Look over there, not over here?

Let the investigations continue, Mr Davis, and act upon the findings when they’re done. Until then, tell us what you are going to do. You can’t get away with blaming your predecessors forever.

Keep on going even when it seems too hard EDITOR, The Tribune.

PLEASE allow me space in your esteemed publication to express myself with the hope of connecting to others.

Do you know that feeling of being inspired by something or someone? You watch a movie, or simply read a quote, listen to someone’s words and it rings true to your heart. Does it make you feel motivated from within? makes you reach higher? dig deeper? convince you to try and reach a goal?

As Bahamians we are told, and in turn tell our children, to follow our dreams, pursue our goals and reach for the stars!

We may well face obstacles along the way and we try our very best, taking the moral high road, maintaining professionalism, jumping through hoops and taking the good with the bad.

Our objective to succeed is innately coupled directly with possessing tenacity, perseverance, faith,

endurance and hope, just to name a few, as that’s what keeps our eye on the prize. We have to believe in ourselves.

Faced with overwhelming frustration, when do we draw the line and give up?

You don’t! There are many boundaries that Bahamians face, however in pursuing something that makes so much sense should it be the government that holds an iron ceiling over us?

Ultimately, along your journey to success, you will arrive at a stage of needing something from government. This process will be skewed and imbalanced, it will not be the same line for foreigners, nor the politically elite, it may actually be them joining the effort to hold you down.

Government will impose themselves and oblige you to obtain something from one of their agencies, with full knowledge that they have absolutely no inclination to provide this essential component to you.

Personally, I have had to endure ten years of asking

government. I have had to grovel, beg, correspond endlessly, to move the Paradise Island Lighthouse & Beach Club project to fruition. So anyone that reads this I wish to encourage you: don’t give up, let fear inspire you, let their jeers fuel you, know that mountains are steepest nearest the summit.

Continue to have confidence in yourself to succeed. While we know that the government has authority over us, it does mean they will succeed in killing our business ideas and desires, while their feet are upon our necks, holding us back, our very own fellow Bahamians: rise above and conquer their imposition of status quo and greed! Stand tall and stand with others in support. Today it’s me: tomorrow may well be you.

How will we explain this to future generations when they ask us why we allowed those feet to walk over us?

CAPTAIN TOBY C.S. SMITH Nassau, March 16, 2022

Tribute to trailblazer Burrows EDITOR, The Tribune.

“GIVE me my flowers now,” have been said regarding several events to honour trailblazers. But for one young man, the urgency to recognise his contribution to a whole country has become more evident. As we mourn the passing of a junior baseball icon in the recent death of Jeff Albury, we must act now.

Greg Burrows, Sr, is the visionary who can be considered the savior of baseball in the Bahamas.

Yes, there is the Bahamas Baseball Association limited junior programme and the Junior Baseball League of the Bahamas, but there is the vibrant and ongoing Freedom Farm Junior Baseball Development League.

Greg founded Freedom Farm more than 30 years ago, and today we are grateful because we could have lost an entire generation. Young men needed an outlet, especially after the debacle in the baseball league.

More than 20 years ago, following the internal feuding in the Bahamas Baseball Association, the governing body of baseball in the Bahamas and the liaison to the International Baseball body, Greg founded this league. His intention was to offer the young people who had an interest in baseball to develop their talents and skills. His league started with T-Ball, then the Coach Pitching and the different age category of junior baseball.

Today, the proof is in the pudding as more than 800 young people play baseball on a regular basis and the Bahamas won the Cal Ripken Little League Baseball World Series through the Freedom Farm Baseball League. Not to go unnoticed hundreds of Bahamians received baseball scholarships through Freedom Farm. At present there are several products

LETTERS letters@tribunemedia.net of Freedom Farm playing professional baseball in the United States.

Despite all of these efforts of baseball in the Bahamas, the mere fact that many more Bahamians are still missing out on millions of dollars in scholarship opportunities, has been a driving force by Greg to introduce baseball in the school system of the Bahamas. Finally, his dream of that happening is going to be realized come this September when the Ministry of Education will allow Baseball to be a part of the School Sports Curriculum.

But this tribute is about Greg Burrows, Sr, to whom the country owes a great debt. He came around at a time when the Bahamas needed a saviour. We got one in Greg.

Baseball was started years ago when the US ships came to Nassau and played baseball at Clifford Park.

Many young men who were idle at the time got involved and learned the game through these sailors. This was a God-send as Bahamians benefitted greatly.

Hundreds got involved in baseball and the league was started. Bahamians got opportunities to go off to college and play professional baseball. People like Andre Rodgers, Wenty Ford, Fred “Papa” Smith and countless others got their chance to play pro-ball and then come back and lend their skills and knowledge to the young men.

Baseball thrived, but something happened, and the country was deprived of the opportunity for young men to get the opportunity for college and to play pro ball.

This is when Greg Burrows came on the scene and started the Freedom Farm Baseball League for young boys to learn the game and

develop their skills.

More than 30 years later, hundreds of young men have gotten scholarships to play baseball because of their exposure through Freedom Farm. And to top that off, dozens got baseball contracts to play professionally. As a matter of fact, several millionaires were born when young Bahamians signed contracts and got millions as signing bonuses.

All of this took place because of Greg and his Freedom Farm Baseball League. We must say thanks to Greg and go even further by paying a national tribute to him for all that he has done.

Greg worked for Lowe’s Wholesale and his boss at the time, the late William Cash II was very fond of Greg and encouraged him in what he wanted to do.

Greg would be the first to tell you that his mentor and supporter was Mr Cash, and he owes a deal to him.

Baseball is alive and kicking and expected to get even better. The opportunity for The Bahamas to be on the world stage with baseball is more evident with the soon-to-be opened national baseball stadium. In addition, the first major Little League Baseball Championship for the region will take place in the new stadium this July. Again, all of this because of Greg who is the Commissioner for the region for the Babe Ruth Little League Baseball.

Many of us put personalities first, but heck even the Alcoholics know that principles come before personalities.

We must recognise Greg Burrows and pay homage to him for his contribution to the further development of baseball, especially at a time when baseball had died.

Give me my flowers now”, is what we need to do to Greg Burrows, Sr. Now is the time!

TY ORLANDER Nassau, March 16, 2022.

THE TRIBUNE

Thursday, March 17, 2022, PAGE 7

ACCUSED OF ATTACK ON LOVE RIVAL WITH CUTLASS

By PAVEL BAILEY

EDUCATION Minister Glenys Hanna Martin in Parliament yesterday.

Photo: Donavan McIntosh/Tribune Staff

‘We will have Bahamian UB president’ from page one During her contribution to the mid-year budget debate in the House of Assembly, Mrs Hanna Martin said: “I wish only to say that the University of The Bahamas in the selection of a president under the charter enjoys autonomy. That’s the charter and the University of the Bahamas Act. That is not a decision that is delegated to anyone and so I also note that the board has been very occupied with making decisions to cause for the university to attain accreditation and to become a stabilised academic force in the life of our country.

“It is also important to note that the search for the president was completed before we came into office. I must make it clear that it is the policy of The Bahamas government that Bahamians be empowered… and while we must accept the

decision of the board of trustees, we are confident but we also urge and expect that in short order a Bahamian will hold that prestigious post. I hope I made myself clear.”

Mr Ingraham, meanwhile, said the Davis administration should live with the decision of UB’s board, whether it disagrees with the choice or not.

“When I was in office,” he said, “I gave the College of the Bahamas autonomy and they went out and they selected a president. I did not agree with their selection, but I lived with it because I gave them the authority to do so and I think that the present government ought to do the same thing.

“I heard Minister Glenys Hanna Martin say on the radio while I was driving earlier today that it’s going to be short-lived before a Bahamian takes the job. In my opinion that is a wrong posture to take.

Whatever they have decided,

whatever contract that gentleman has gotten, he should be allowed to live out his contract and at the end of the exercise they could then do what they need to do about Bahamianisation, etc.

“I never forget I was invited to go to Jamaica to speak at their technical college at graduation. I was amazed to find how many non-Jamaicans, foreigners were lecturing at that place and Jamaica has all manner of people capable of doing that. Our vocational school here now, BTVI, is headed by a foreigner now, today. Nothing wrong with that if that’s the best man for the job. I obviously would like to see a Bahamian in the job, but whoever the best man for the job is, you apply and I give you all the authority to interview, assess. I may not like what you decide, that’s a different story, but I have to live with it,” Mr Ingraham said.

A MAN was arraigned yesterday for allegedly attacking the father of his girlfriend’s child with a cutlass last week.

Ranaldo Neymour, 27, of Rosedale Street, appeared before Acting Assistant Chief Magistrate Carolyn Vogt-Evans accused of attacking Nathan Moreau in New Providence on Wednesday, March 9.

On that day, Neymour was accused of attacking Moreau with a cutlass, hitting him twice on his wrist and once on his left arm.

Neymour was later arrested for this and charged with assault with a dangerous instrument and causing harm.

In court Neymour pleaded not

guilty to both charges against him.

When asked if he agreed with the facts stated in his case by the magistrate he said he did not. Neymour said that he did not attack the complainant with a cutlass.

The accused explained that he actually hit Moreau with a bat.

He explained that he did so in self defence.

As the accused had no criminal record, Magistrate Vogt-Evans set his bail at $5,000 with two sureties.

The magistrate also instructed Neymour to sign in at South Beach Police Station on the last Sunday of every month until his trial and warned him not to have contact with the complainant or any witnesses in the matter.

Neymour’s trial was adjourned to May 23.

IN COURT OVER THREATS TO WOMAN

By PAVEL BAILEY

A MAN appeared in court yesterday accused of trespassing at Margaritaville Resort, threatening a woman and stealing property from the hotel on Monday.

Jonathon Lightbourne, 36, of Farrington Road, appeared before Senior Magistrate Derence Rolle Davis yesterday on four separate charges: trespassing, threats of death, stealing and disorderly behaviour in a police station.

On March 14 around 11am, Lightbourne allegedly trespassed onto the Margaritaville Beach Resort on Bay Street and while there threatened a woman named Terrenique

Dean. He also reportedly stole a 48” blue single Rave Sport floatation tube that belonged to the resort, worth over $40.

Later that same day after his arrest around 6pm Lightbourne also allegedly behaved in a disorderly manner while in custody at the Nassau Street Police Station.

While Lightbourne pleaded guilty to the trespassing charge in court, he pleaded not guilty to the three remaining charges against him.

As the prosecution had no objection to bail, Magistrate Rolle Davis granted the accused bail at $650 with one surety.

Lightbourne’s case was adjourned to April 8.

MAN ACCUSED OF CAUSING HARM

By PAVEL BAILEY

A MAN was arraigned yesterday accused of causing harm to another man in the parking lot of a water depot last weekend.

Shanton Riley, 29, appeared before Acting Assistant Chief Magistrate Carolyn Vogt-Evans for causing harm to Earl Lockhart on March 12.

Around 4.20pm that day, Riley allegedly intentionally caused harm to Lockhart while both were at the Aquapure parking lot on Bernard Road.

While Riley was initially charged with assault, the prosecutor, Sergeant Barr, successfully requested for the charge to be amended to causing harm instead.

In court Riley pleaded not guilty to the charge. The prosecutor did not object to bail.

Magistrate Vogt-Evans set Riley’s bail at $1,000 with one surety on condition that he sign in at the Wulff Road Police Station on the last Sunday of every month.

The magistrate also warned Riley not to interfere with the complainant or any witnesses in the matter.

His case was adjourned to May 23.

PAGE 8, Thursday, March 17, 2022

THE TRIBUNE

Lenten pilgrimage and spiritual exercises “Love alone allows man to forget himself... it alone can still redeem even the darkest hours of the past since it alone finds the courage to believe in the mercy of the holy God.” – Karl Rahner, S.J. THE days of Lent are like a mini-pilgrimage, a retreat, a time for spiritual exercises and practices in preparation for the celebration of Easter and rebirth.

A dear friend, a source and example of mercy and healing, who lives overseas, attends daily mass during Lent at a parish not far from his residence.

The celebrant is a priest in his mid-80s. He has suffered a stroke. He labours and struggles with the prayers of the Church, including the Eucharist prayer.

He is necessarily deliberate as he celebrates mass,

something he has done thousands of times during his priesthood. Yet, every mass is something of a sacred and arduous task.

After Lent, the friend intends to thank the priest

for his witness and continued service, praying and celebrating the Liturgy through and despite his infirmities, advanced age and ongoing recovery. The friend understands better than many what such struggle and courage entails because he too is a priest.

What does it take for the octogenarian cleric to summon his “memory, understanding and entire will” to be present at the Eucharist and to serve those who gather for communion and to find solace and hope in the liturgies of Word and Eucharist?

The younger priest, observing his elder, is reminded that prayer is never easy. It should not be rote and without meaning. Prayer is difficult. It is not a performance art in which we are showing off for others or attempting to appease God.

Prayer is not entertainment or a business service during which we often too easily pretend to pray or engage in pseudo prayer as a means of greedily raking in money for prosperity gospel hucksters. And prayer is not loud bombast and frenzy seeking to impress others with how holy art thou.

Fr Karl Rahner, SJ, one of the giants of 20th century theology, reflected: “Meditating on the nature and dignity of prayer can cause saying at least one thing to God: Lord, teach us to pray!”

time to disclose dark areas of our lives which desperately need light. We might finally decide to seek help and advice in terms of spiritual direction, pastoral or grief counselling, or therapy from a psychologist or psychiatrist.

There is a series of commercials on television, one of which includes a man in a gym, who cannot lift the weights off his chest. When offered help, he refuses, stating, “You don’t know my family!” Translation: “We don’t go to therapy, we have to pretend to be strong!” The deadliest sin: pride!

None of us are wise or strong or insightful enough We are forever learning to carry life’s burdens how to pray. This Lent may alone. Pride often renders be an opportunity to renew us afraid to be vulnerable one’s prayer life, including, enough to disclose our potentially, new forms of deepest sins and failures, prayer. “Lord, teach us to our daily struggles, and chronic spiritual and psypray!”

The German-born chological wounds and Rahner, with a deeply mys- pain, often from childhood, tical and compassionate which often grow worse as spirit, reminds: “When [a we age.

Our interior lives can person] is with God in awe and love, then he is pray- become like undrained ing. Because prayer is an septic tanks, growing more engagement and attitude toxic and filled with stench, of love, we are forever which we transmit to others. Imaggrowing and a septic develop‘Dust is the symbol ine tank never ing a richer of coming to drained or and deeper teeth never prayer life.” nothing: it has brushed or a How do no content, no wound never we spend form, no shape; it cauterised, time with bound and God in awe blows away, the healed or a and love? An empty, indifferent, body never older cousin washed. and friend colourless, aimless, Our spirsays the older unstable booty of itual and he gets, the senseless change, inner lives less he asks can become God for to be found as calcified, something. everywhere, and as sick and Much of his nowhere at home.’ as dysfunctime in pray tional. One is now spent in awe and adoration of the of the most tragic things in sacredness of creation and life is those who can never truly disclose themselves to life.

Rahner also muses: “We another, whether a cleric, chatter so loudly to try to a friend, a therapist or make ourselves forget that someone who can grant perspective and understanding. we are dying.”

Lent is a particular time to remember that our earthly pilgrimage is not an end itself, that our own It is essential to human death may be more immi- growth and recovery to nent than we realise, and have genuine witnesses that all that we do is in the to our lives, who know context of the finitude of the mess and pus or darkever depleting days and ness of who we may be at nights. times, and who may help us We viscerally know that to heal and to restore our we do not have the time better selves, loving us merwe think we have. But we cifully to new life. are good at pretending.

It is liberating to disclose Lent is an opportunity to to another the detritus and practice or to begin spir- truth of our lives! The truth itual or other exercises of one’s life is that much that may help us to heal, of that life may have been to grow, to become kinder, erected on a foundation and to do less harm to and scaffold of lies and others. untruth.

We carry slights, burEspecially as we age, dens, injuries, traumas, and grow closer to death, disappointments and pat- we might still summon terns of sin that are not the courage to bear more easily arrested or ever of our souls and wounds fully healed. Sharing these with another, who may burdens with a spouse or help to unburden habits of partner, a family member or the heart and mind which friend, or a minister, priest remain unhealed and which or counsellor, may serve as paralyze and pain us still, a gateway to healing and no matter our age or state greater freedom. of life.

We spend inordinate time As Rahner implores: avoiding the essentials of “Love alone allows man life, anesthetising ourselves to forget himself... it alone through all manner of can still redeem even the avoidances, pretensions and darkest hours of the past distractions. since it alone finds the courThis Lent, perhaps it is age to believe in the mercy

LEARNING

ESSENTIAL

of the holy God.” And to accept the mercy of our companions.

As people of faith, the ongoing disclosure of our full selves to the God of Mercy, may help to redeem, replenish and renew our spirits. It is this love and the sacrifice demonstrated through the Paschal Mystery or pilgrimage of love of Jesus Christ, that we will celebrate on Easter Sunday.

During these days in Lent, it is an opportunity to reflect on our need for ceaseless conversion. What practices, exercise and attitudes might we renew or adapt to promote greater interior and effective freedom.

Fr Karl Rahner’s Ash Wednesday meditation reminds us of our destiny. It is also a meditation on the need for humility and perspective about the nature of our brief and fractured pilgrimage.

DUST

Rahner offers: “Dust – truly a splendid symbol.

Dust, this is the image of the commonplace. There is always more than enough of it. One fleck is as good as the next.

“Dust is the image of anonymity: one fleck is like the next, and all are nameless. It is the symbol of indifference: What does it matter whether it is this dust or that dust? It is all the same.

“Dust is the symbol of nothingness: because it lies around so loosely, it is easily stirred up, it blows around blindly, is stepped upon and crushed – and nobody notices. It is a nothing that is just enough to be – a nothing.

“Dust is the symbol of coming to nothing: it has no content, no form, no shape; it blows away, the empty, indifferent, colourless, aimless, unstable booty of senseless change, to be found everywhere, and nowhere at home.

“Truly, then, scripture is right. We are dust. We are always in the process of dying. We are the beings who set our course for death, when we set out on life’s journey, and steer for death, clearly and inexorably. We are the only beings who know about this tendency to death. We are dust!”

And Fr Rahner invites us to be loving and gentler toward ourselves and others: “Not everybody, however, has a genuine sense of humour. That calls for an altruistic detachment from oneself and a mysterious sympathy with others which is felt even before they open their mouths.

“Only the person who has also a gift for affection can have a true sense of humour. A good laugh is a sign of love; it may be said to give us a glimpse of, or a first lesson in, the love that God bears for every one of us.”

Love and laughter, two necessary companions during the pilgrimages of Lent and life.

THE TRIBUNE

Thursday, March 17, 2022, PAGE 9

‘Subtext’ in the crisis in Ukraine E

LAINE is a New Yorker who has travelled extensively and worked overseas, including in the Caribbean where she fell in love with The Bahamas. She is definitely “woke.” To describe her as a fervently liberal anti-Trumper is a huge understatement.

“Perhaps the only good thing that has come out of this whole Russian assault on Ukraine is the degree to which it has provided emphatic support for the notion that Donald Trump was a selfish, willfully ignorant moron whose public worship of a cretinous thug like Vladimir Putin exposed his startling lack of qualification for the post of president of the United States,” Elaine explained the other day.

Elaine makes no secret of her enthusiasm for “cancelling the culture of fools like the entire Trump family and the sycophantic villains in the Republican party who bow down to him in venal if hopefully superficial and transitory obeisance.”

Her point of view is abundantly clear.

This is all to provide context for what she said next.

“You know,” she began over a cup of coffee

UKRAINIAN President Volodymyr Zelenskyy speaks to the U.S. Congress by video to plead for support as his country is besieged by Russian forces, at the Capitol in Washington, Wednesday.

(AP Photo/J. Scott Applewhite, Pool)

mercifully without masks, “I have to confess something. When I look at the images of these poor Ukrainian refugees fleeing their country, and enduring almost unimaginable suffering from the Russian assault on their country, I can see myself and my family.

“I see mothers bundled in their puffy coats. I see five and six-year-olds pulling their little rolling suitcases along behind their mothers on the way to the relative safety of Poland or wherever. They are all wearing knit hats, many with pompoms on the top.

Many are clutching cherished pets. These people are all white. They look like me. They look like some of my neighbours.”

Elaine was aghast, mortified at her own revelations.

“I feel the agony and despair of these Ukrainians in personal, intimate ways that I cannot feel the misery of, for example,

Haitians or Palestinians.

I’m not saying that I don’t feel badly for Haitians or Palestinians, who are obviously also suffering terrible hardships and tribulations, and whom I support by financial and rhetorical means. But, God help me, it’s not the same.”

When Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelensky addressed a joint session of the American Congress yesterday at the very unnewsworthy hour of 9am via video conference, there were indications that he understands Elaine’s point of view. Zelensky, an experienced actor who is giving the performance of a lifetime before the eyes of the world, is simultaneously setting himself up for both a Nobel Peace Prize and an Academy Award. Zelensky is giving a new, enhanced dimension and meaning to the notion of rising to the occasion.

His appearance before the Congress, in some ways

Sports-related distractions

W

e’ve all been drawn to our TV screens and computers to follow the latest horrific and heroic developments from Ukraine.

But have you been tempted by the amazing variety of sports-related distractions on offer during the same time? Here are some of them, including the first one which concerns both sports and politics: At first, only English Premier League fans would have noted that the owner of Chelsea FC in London, after outcry in Parliament and elsewhere, was sanctioned by the British government.

Roman Abramovich, a Russian oligarch who has reportedly enriched himself to the tune of some $13 billion by his friendship and allegiance to Putin, has now seen his football club put in financial chains by the UK government.

Not only can Chelsea no longer sign new players or extend the contracts of current ones. They cannot even sell tickets for matches this season anymore. The British government justified these measures.

A document released

by HM Treasury’s Office of Financial Sanctions Implementation described Abramovich as “a proKremlin oligarch” who was “associated with a person who is or has been involved in destabilising Ukraine and undermining and threatening the territorial integrity, sovereignty and independence of Ukraine, namely Vladimir Putin, with whom Abramovich has had a close relationship for decades”.

“These measures,” said a spokesman for British Prime Minister Boris Johnson, “are obviously designed to punish Putin and ensure any revenue generated cannot make its way through to the Russian war machine.”

Chelsea, the current reigning world and European men’s club champions whose women’s team is also collecting trophies, is trying to negotiate a way through this thicket while maintaining its third-place standing in the Premier League and progress through this year’s

Champions League.

It is anticipated that PM Johnson will find a way to placate Chelsea’s millions of fans, many of whom defiantly hoisted a banner at its last game praising “The Roman Empire” of success bankrolled by its Russian former owner.

But consider the other tantalising distractions sport presently offers: There was a picture the other day of the greatest of all time NFL quarterback Tom Brady smiling alongside greatest of all time soccer goal scorer Cristiano Ronaldo at a Manchester United game where Ronaldo set his record. Two days later, Brady ended his 40-day retirement and rejoined the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.”

Super Bowl winners Russell Wilson (traded by Seattle to Denver) and Aaron Rodgers (staying in Green Bay) figured out their futures. Superstar QB Deshaun Watson was not indicted by a Houston grand jury for alleged sexual misconduct in massage spas

and immediately attracted at least four teams willing to trade a king’s ransom for his services.

The Major League baseball season is back on after owners and players agreed to a new contract. The full season will begin a week before Easter and the entire schedule will be played. As part of the settlement, the designated hitter rule will finally be employed in the National League.

The most wide-open American college basketball playoffs in years began this week. March Madness will see the final appearance on the men’s tournament sidelines of Duke coach Mike Krzyzewski after 42 years and five national championships.

And after the stunning recent trade of James Harden from the Nets to the 76ers in the NBA, both teams join the front-running Miami Heat, defending champion Milwaukee Bucks and resurgent Boston Celtics in a suspenseful run-up to this year’s playoffs.

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like his earlier appearances before British and Canadian parliaments, subliminally appealed to the whiteness and Europeanness of his audiences.

And while the words of his appeal for more assistance from the West in his country’s existential struggle with his invader are couched in universal terms, there’s a subtext. That subtext is that he is a European speaking to other Europeans.

The Ukrainian president is not only an orator with gifts not seen in the White House since at least the days of Ronald Reagan (perhaps not coincidentally, another actor), but Zelensky also has some talented speechwriters and editors.

As he had evoked Winston Churchill in his remarks to Parliament, Zelensky vividly recalled for his American audience the horrors of the

9/11 attacks on New York City, Washington, DC, and the American sense of impregnability.

He also made reference to the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbour 60 years earlier.

But among his many achievements, this Ukrainian leader has, perhaps most amazingly of all, survived so far.

One would imagine that Putin and his generals

must have devoted quite a bit of time to figuring out how to get Zelensky out of the way, inasmuch as he personifies the dogged, indefatigable and inspiring continued Ukrainian resistance to the growling Russian bear in its midst.

Putin’s failure so far to martyr Zelensky is emerging as a powerful symbol for the Russian’s inability to subjugate his neighbour.

REFUGEES FLEEING UKRAINE

T

he Russian invasion of Ukraine was launched three weeks ago. During that time, an estimated 2,863,000 Ukrainians have left the country for hopefully safer lives as refugees. Most have left family members and other loved ones behind, as well as virtually all of their worldly possessions. Their plight has captured the world’s attention.

The New York Times published an interesting analysis the other day, comparing this flood of refugees to others in the past forty years. Their researchers found that in just the past three weeks, the Ukrainian total has nearly reached the total outmigration of Venezuelans during the entire year 2017-18.

The number of fleeing Ukrainians has also surpassed the yearly total numbers of those leaving Afghanistan (198081), Rwanda (1993-14), Syria (2012-13), Iraq (2005-06) and South Sudan (2016-17), at the height of the civil strife in those nations.

PAGE 10, Thursday, March 17, 2022

THE TRIBUNE

PAHO cautions that some restrictions could return

By EARYEL BOWLEG Tribune Staff Reporter ebowleg@tribunemedia.net A PAN AMERICAN Health Organisation official said adjustments of COVID-19 restrictions must be “dynamic” in the context of each country’s individual situation, but added it should not be surprising if certain protocols are reimplemented as the trends fluctuate.

PAHO director of health emergencies Dr Ciro Ugarte made his comments after the Ministry of Health and Wellness further relaxed COVID-19

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restrictions over the weekend, which included loosening mask requirements for those in hotels or outdoors and adjusting protocols for social gatherings.

A person is not required to wear a face mask while in a lobby, corridor or casino of a hotel or while in an outdoor setting where there is at least three feet of space between persons who are not of the same household.

However, Free National Movement Chairman and former Minister of Health Dr Duane Sands called the new relaxations on face masks “glaringly discriminatory”.

Larger events are also allowed to take place under the relaxed rules.

During a PAHO press briefing yesterday Dr Ugarte said that in the case of The Bahamas, the national authorities and

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the Ministry of Health are taking into consideration several criteria to update the health and social measures including the number of new cases and deaths as well the availability of the healthcare sector and ICU beds for symptomatic patients.

“But also they are following what are the vaccination coverage rates as well as what is the situation of the epidemic situation in the countries or places of origin of visitors. So all these features are being analysed and the government is taking the approach following the recommendation of WHO and PAHO regarding how to adjust the measures according to the situation,” he said in a press briefing yesterday.

“In that regard, we consider that this adjustment must come in a dynamic situation. We know very well

how very low trends of new cases may lead to increase of cases if the measures are not followed by the population and it seems to be the case in several parts of the Americas and also we know that what’s happening in other regions.”

He noted the country’s measures for festivals are still in place and the ministry is advising and approving some of these events and public gatherings based on certain standards.

“This is something that we will be following in the future. So this is a recommendation actually for all of the Americas and in the case of The Bahamas the adjustments must be dynamic in the context. We shouldn’t be surprised that some of these measures are relaxed and then come back and then also be applied in certain areas of the country

and not necessarily in the entire country and/or all territories that are in this context.”

Meanwhile he was also asked about the Ukraine war and how inflation affected the medical system in the region. The director pointed to soaring freight costs.

“There are some clear indications that the freight costs, both by sea or by air, are increasing on a daily basis.

“For example, shipment from Asia to the Americas, cost has increased two percent in one day and now the cost is now 196 percent more or higher than the same time last year. And regarding the air freight cost to the east coast or the Caribbean and other areas of the east coast of the Americas it is even higher,” he said.

“So the cost now is 241

percent higher than the rates to this week last year. These are the types of aspects that we are concerned about but also not only the freight costs but also the availability of certain supplies coming from that region and of course you know the high demand of personal protective equipment, equipment, and others particularly in the Asia region may also impact our region. So some of those are being monitored and this is probably a time to consider looking at good procedures in the region.”

The Ministry of Health recorded six new cases of COVID-19 on March 14.

At that point, nine people were in hospital with the virus, two of whom were in the ICU. COVID-19 deaths stand at 773 since the start of the pandemic.

MEETING HELD TO DETAIL ROAD IMPROVEMENTS THE Ministry of Works and Utilities hosted a virtual meeting recently to inform the public about the design, construction and improvement of 0.9 miles of roadway on Village Road between St Andrew’s Drive and Montagu Beach.

Albrion Symonette Jr, resident engineer at the ministry, told participants that the project is to rehabilitate, improve the level of service and execute “critical” capital upgrades to various buried utilities on Village Road.

The scope of the roadworks includes, but is not limited to: new traffic signals at Parkgate Road, Shirley Street and Village Road, removal of existing

pavement, installation of new pavement, electrical ducts, water mains and services and construction of junction improvements at Parkgate Road, St Andrew’s Drive and Queen’s College/ Bahamas National Trust.

“Right now we don’t have a turning lane onto Parkgate Road. One of the big things for this project to ensure the smooth flow of the traffic, is to add a turning lane here - a dedicated left turning lane,” said Mr Symonette.

A turning lane also will be placed at St Andrew’s Road and a 400-year-old silk cotton tree at Parkgate and Village Roads will be removed to provide a turning lane.

Mr Symonette underscored that mitigating measures will be taken once the tree is removed and the highest level of environmental compliance will be maintained to preserve

Village Road, an historic corridor.

Other changes proposed include widening to three lanes from the New Providence Road Improvement Project (at the approach of the Village Road Plaza), a median lane near to Queen’s College which will provide relief to drivers and create additional turning movement.

Investigative works to verify the location of utilities commenced in January.

Once a shipment of duct pipes arrives, permanent work will begin. The completion date of the project is September 2022, before the reopening of school.

Mr Symonette informed participants that in keeping with the traffic management plan, the intention is to not close Village Road. “(We) intend to maintain two-way flow as much as possible without shutting down roadworks. Our

goal is to minimise impact as far as possible to businesses and residents.

“At no point in time, unless absolutely critical, will we close the road. The intention is to leave the road open at all times even at all hours of the night. “(We) will be working (on) the project in several phases. Each phase represents a section of single lane traffic. While phase one is going ahead phases two, three and four will continue to flow freely with two-way traffic.”

Kurt Smith, contractor’s representative for Knowles Construction, confirmed that access will be given to establishments.

“We will ensure that what we are doing provides minimal impact to businesses.

We will allow for access to be provided to the businesses while the work is ongoing.

We will have some trenches open (and) we will be able to identify access for pedestrians to access the businesses in the vicinity of the traffic management zone.

“It is the same thing for vehicular access. We are going to try as much as possible to minimise impact to the businesses. As we traverse and utilise the traffic management plan we’ll have a roving flag person who is able to provide access for vehicles, and pedestrian access, in the work zone and during the working period,” he added.

Photo: Patrick Hanna/BIS

THE TRIBUNE

Thursday, March 17, 2022, PAGE 11

Theatre used as shelter is destroyed by Russia KYIV, Ukraine Associated Press RUSSIAN forces destroyed a theater in Mariupol where hundreds of people were sheltering yesterday and rained fire on other cities, Ukrainian authorities said, even as the two sides projected optimism over efforts to negotiate an end to the fighting.

The airstrike ripped apart the center of the once-elegant building, where hundreds of civilians had been living since their homes had been destroyed in the fighting, Ukraine’s foreign ministry said in a statement.

Many people were buried in the rubble, the statement said, though there was no immediate word on how many had been killed or injured. Satellite imagery from Monday showed the word “children” written in large white letters in Russian in front of and behind the building, the Maxar space technology company said.

“Another horrendous war crime in Mariupol,” Ukrainian Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba said on Twitter, calling the bombing a “massive Russian attack”.

The Russian defense ministry denied bombing the theater or anywhere else in Mariupol yesterday.

In Kyiv, residents huddled in homes and shelters amid a citywide curfew that runs until Thursday morning, as Russian troops shelled areas in and around the city, including a residential neighborhood 1.5 miles from the presidential palace. A 12-storey apartment building in central Kyiv erupted in flames after being hit by shrapnel.

And ten people were killed while standing in line for bread in the northern city of Chernihiv, the Ukrainian General Prosecutor’s Office said.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, meanwhile, went before the US Congress via video and, invoking Pearl Harbor and 9/11, pleaded with America for

UKRAINIAN emergency workers take a body out of debris at the City Hall building in Kharkiv, Ukraine, yesterday.

Photo: Pavel Dorogoy/AP more weapons and tougher sanctions against Russia, saying: “ We need you right now.”

US President Joe Biden announced the US is sending an additional $800m in military aid to Ukraine, including more anti-aircraft and anti-tank weapons and drones. He also called Vladimir Putin a “war criminal” in his sharpest condemnation of the Russian leader since the invasion began.

International pressure against the Kremlin mounted and its

isolation deepened as the International Court of Justice, also known as the World Court, ordered Russia to stop attacking Ukraine, though there was little hope it would comply. Also, the 47-nation Council of Europe, the continent’s foremost human rights body, expelled Russia.

While Moscow’s ground advance on the Ukrainian capital appeared largely stalled, Putin said the operation was unfolding “successfully, in strict accordance with pre-approved plans”. He also

COURT ORDERS SMOLLETT RELEASE DURING APPEAL CHICAGO Associated Press JUSSIE Smollett was ordered released from jail yesterday by an appeals court that agreed with his lawyers that he should be free pending the appeal of his conviction for lying to Chicago police about a racist and homophobic attack.

The decision came after a Cook County judge sentenced Smollett last week to immediately begin serving 150 days in jail for his conviction on five felony counts of disorderly conduct for lying to police.

In an outburst after the sentence was handed down, the former star of the TV show “Empire” proclaimed his innocence and said “I am not suicidal. And if anything happens to me when I go in there, I did not do it to myself. And you must all know that.”

The appeals court, in a 2-1 decision, said Smollett could be released after posting a personal recognizance bond of $150,000, meaning he doesn’t have to put down money but agrees to come to court as

required. It was unclear late Wednesday how soon he may be released.

Smollett’s attorneys had argued that he would have completed the sentence by the time the appeal process was completed and that Smollett could be in danger of physical harm if he remained locked up in Cook County Jail.

The office of the special prosecutor called the claim that Smollett’s health and safety were at risk “factually incorrect,” in a response to the motion, noting that Smollett was being held in protective custody at the jail.

Smollett was being held in his own cell, and was being monitored by security cameras and an officer, the Cook County Sheriff’s Office said after he began serving his sentence last week.

Deputy special prosecutor Sean Wieber also questioned the idea of releasing Smollett because his sentence will be complete prior to an appellate court ruling, saying that under that logic every person facing a sentence shorter than a few years would be able to remain free.

“That simply is not, and cannot be, the rule,” Wieber wrote.

The court’s decision marks the latest chapter in a strange story that began in January 2019 when Smollett, who is Black and gay, reported to Chicago police that he was the victim of a racist and homophobic attack by two men wearing ski masks. He reported that the men assaulted him as he walked near his home in downtown Chicago to get something to eat. One of the men, Smollett said, put a noose around his neck.

The manhunt for the attackers soon turned into an investigation of Smollett himself and his arrest on charges that he’d orchestrated the attack and lied to police about it.

The investigation revealed Smollett paid two men he knew from his work on “Empire” to stage the attack.

A jury convicted Smollett in December on five felony counts of disorderly conduct — the charge filed when a person lies to police.

He was acquitted on a sixth count.

$127.5M SETTLEMENT FOR FLORIDA SCHOOL SHOOTING FORT LAUDERDALE, Florida Associated Press

FEDERAL officials confirmed yesterday that the US Department of Justice has reached a multimilliondollar settlement with the families of most of those killed or wounded in a 2018 Florida high school massacre over the FBI’s failure to stop the gunman even though it had received information he intended to attack.

Attorneys for 16 of the 17 killed at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland and some of those wounded previously announced in November

that they had reached a monetary settlement with the government over the FBI’s failure to investigate a tip it received about a month before the massacre.

The 17th family chose not to sue.

The government’s announcement yesterday said the settlement resolves 40 cases connected to the shooting for $127.5m. The settlement does not amount to an admission of fault by the United States, according to a Justice Department news release.

About five weeks before the February 14, 2018, shooting, an FBI tip line received a call saying a former Stoneman Douglas

student, Nikolas Cruz, had bought guns and planned to “slip into a school and start shooting the place up.”

“I know he’s going to explode,” the caller told the FBI. But that information was never forwarded to the FBI’s South Florida office and Cruz was never contacted. He had been expelled from the school a year earlier and had a long history of emotional and behavioral problems.

Cruz, 23, pleaded guilty last October to 17 counts of first-degree murder. He will receive either a death sentence or life in prison after a penalty trial that is scheduled to start in April.

decried Western sanctions against Moscow, accusing the West of trying to “squeeze us, to put pressure on us, to turn us into a weak, dependent country”.

A senior US defence official said the Russians were still making little tangible progress in much of the country, but have begun shelling the suburbs of Odesa, Ukraine’s third-largest city and a major naval and shipping hub. The official, who spoke on condition of anonymity to discuss US military assessments, said Russia’s aims weren’t clear, but Western officials have long worried about a ground assault on the coastal city.

Another round of talks between the two sides was scheduled yesterday. After Tuesday’s negotiations, Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov said a neutral military status for Ukraine was being “seriously discussed” by the two sides, while Zelenskyy said Russia’s demands for ending the war were becoming “more realistic”.

Hopes for diplomatic progress to end the war rose after Zelenskyy acknowledged on Tuesday in the most explicit terms yet that Ukraine is unlikely to realise its goal of joining NATO. Putin has long depicted Ukraine’s NATO aspirations as a threat to Russia.

Lavrov welcomed Zelenskyy’s comment and said “the businesslike spirit” starting to surface in the talks “gives hope that we can agree on this issue”.

“A neutral status is being seriously discussed in connection with security guarantees,” Lavrov said on Russian TV. “There are concrete formulations that in my view are close to being agreed.”

Russia’s chief negotiator, Vladimir Medinsky, said the sides were discussing a possible compromise for a Ukraine with a smaller, non-aligned military.

Prospects for a diplomatic breakthrough were highly uncertain, however, given the gulf between Ukraine’s demand that the invading forces withdraw

completely and Russia’s suspected aim of replacing Kyiv’s Westward-looking government with a pro-Moscow regime.

Ukrainian presidential adviser Mykhailo Podolyak denied Russian claims that Ukraine was open to adopting a model of neutrality comparable to Sweden or Austria. Podolyak said Ukraine needs powerful allies and “clearly defined security guarantees” to keep it safe.

Another source of dispute is the status of Crimea, which was seized and annexed by Russia in 2014, and the separatist-held Donbas region in eastern Ukraine, which Russia recognises as independent.

Ukraine considers both part of its territory.

The fighting has sent more than three million people fleeing Ukraine, by the United Nations’ estimate. The UN has been able to confirm only 700 civilian deaths, though the actual total is far higher.

In going before Congress, Zelenskyy said that Russia “has turned the Ukrainian sky into a source of death for thousands of people”. But Biden has rejected Zelenskyy’s requests to send warplanes to Ukraine or establish a no-fly zone over the country because of the risk of triggering war between the US and Russia.

The head of the International Committee of the Red Cross, Peter Maurer, arrived in Ukraine to try to obtain greater access for aid groups and increased protection for civilians.

Amid the vast humanitarian crisis caused by the war, the Red Cross has helped evacuate civilians from besieged areas and has delivered 200 tons of aid, including medical supplies, blankets, water and over 5,200 body bags to help “ensure the dead are treated in a dignified manner”.

Nowhere has suffered more than the encircled city of Mariupol, where local officials say missile strikes and shelling have killed more than 2,300 people.

SPORTS PAGE 12

ALBURY, ELISEE ADVANCE IN NJCAA TOURNEY

By RENALDO DORSETT Tribune Sports Reporter rdorsett@tribunemedia.net A PAIR of Bahamians are through to the next round of the NJCAA Division I Men’s Basketball Tournament in Hutchinson, Kansas.

Deyton Albury and his no.5 ranked Chipola College defeated no.12 Hutchinson Community College Blue Dragons yesterday at the Hutchinson Sports Arena.

Albury finished with four points and two rebounds in 14 minutes off the bench.

They will advance to play no.13 Harcum in the quarterfinals at 7pm tonight.

This year marks Chipola’s 17th appearance in the national tournament.

Chipola advanced to the tournament with a 73-64 win over Indian River State College to win the FCSAA

SEE PAGE 16

THURSDAY, MARCH 17, 2022

BAISS track & field returns

By RENALDO DORSETT Tribune Sports Reporter rdorsett@tribunemedia.net

Fidelity Bank and Trust title sponsors

he Bahamas Association of Independent Secondary Schools is set to return to its sporting calendar with athletics as the first inter-school competition in nearly two years.

Fidelity Bank and Trust is on board as the title sponsor for the 32nd BAISS Track and Field Meet, scheduled to be hosted today and tomorrow at Thomas A Robinson National Stadium.

Event organisers expect approximately 500 athletes to compete as nine of the BAISS’ 14 schools have confirmed their participation.

The St Augustine’s College Big Red Machine are the defending champions, but noticeably absent from this year’s field will be perennial contenders - Queen’s College Comets.

Gowon Bowe, group chief executive officer for Fidelity, said youth development is a pillar of his organisation’s community outreach.

SHOWN are Gowon Bowe (left) and Perry Cunningham.

NBA-best road record to 27-6. The Rockets are last in the NBA at 17-52.

Jalen Green scored 22 points for Houston.

MAVERICKS 113, NETS 111 NEW YORK (AP) — Spencer Dinwiddie made a 3-pointer at the buzzer against his former team, lifting Dallas past Brooklyn.

Dinwiddie hit the winning basket with nine seconds left Sunday in Boston and came through in the clutch again after Kevin Durant had given the Nets a onepoint lead with a 3-pointer with 10 seconds to play.

Luka Doncic Doncic finished with 37 points, nine rebounds and nine assists in the Mavericks’ eighth win in nine games. Dinwiddie scored 22 points, 15 in the

SEE PAGE 14

By RENALDO DORSETT Tribune Sports Reporter rdorsett@tribunemedia.net

comes off. With such short notice, certainly for the athletes and for the administrators organising it, if we could remove the burden of ‘how do we pay for this’ then it would allow us to focus on the matter at hand which is developing our youth and watching them focus their talents.”

Outstanding athletes in each division will receive special recognition

SEE PAGE 14

SEE PAGE 16

DOUBLE DOUBLE: AYTON CANS 23 TO HELP SUNS TOP ROCKETS HOUSTON (AP) — Devin Booker scored 36 points, including 15 in the third, Mikal Bridges added 26 and the NBA-leading Phoenix Suns beat the Houston Rockets 129-112 last night for their third straight victory.

Booker shot 15 of 24 from the field and scored at least 30 points for the second time in the last three games. He had 15 points in the third quarter.

Deandre Ayton added 23 points and 11 rebounds, and Torrey Craig — starting in place of the injured Jae Crowder for the shorthanded Suns — had 21 points on 8-of-8 shooting and 14 rebounds.

Also playing without AllStar point guard Chris Paul and the sixth-man Cameron Johnson, Phoenix improved to 56-14 and pushed its

DAUNTE STUART HAS CAREER HIGH FIVE HITS DAUNTE Stuart had a career day at the plate and his Northwestern State Demons baseball programme has been powered to a four-game win streak by a suddenly resurgent offence.

Stuart went 5-6 with two RBI, two doubles and scored three runs in Tuesday night’s 21-7 win over Lamar University at Brown-Stroud Field in Natchitoches, Louisiana.

Stuart doubled to left centre in the first inning to drive in the game’s first run. He also drove in an RBI single in the eighth as the Demons extended their lead 16-5.

Both Stuart and the entire Demons offence got off to a quick start this season but struggled in the midst of a seven-game

T

“Within our organisation we have really started the initiative talking about your actual physical health, financial health, mental health and naturally sports aligns with physical health. To be perfectly honest, another part of the Fidelity principles is the development of sports.

So when we think about putting together youth sports, it certainly was a natural fit,” he said. “This was one that we wanted to ensure

-Nadal, Page 16

YANKEES, METS AND ALL MLB AGAIN AFFECTED BY COVID IN 2022

By JAKE SEINER AP Baseball Writer

PHOENIX Suns’ JaVale McGee hangs on the rim after dunking the ball against the Houston Rockets during the second half last night in Houston. The Suns won 129-112.

(AP Photo/David J Phillip)

TAMPA, Florida (AP) — The cardboard cutouts are long gone. Same with all that phony, pumped-in stadium noise. For players, there’s no more face masks in dugouts or clubhouses.

Far less spitting into testing cups, too.

Yet, amid COVID-19 restrictions in Canada and New York, one thing has become clear over the past week while baseball speeds toward the 2022 season: “Life is not back to normal yet,” Yankees reliever Zack Britton said yesterday.

Fans of the Yankees and Mets were shaken Tuesday by confirmation from New York City that the same private employer vaccine mandate that has sidelined NBA star Kyrie Irving for Brooklyn Nets’ home

SEE PAGE 17

NCAA Tournament Study: Racial gap features dynamic guards, shrinks in grad rates backcourt wizards for NCAA men’s teams

By LARRY LAGE AP Sports Writer

By AARON BEARD AP Basketball Writer A DIVERSITY report for graduation rates among this year’s NCAA Tournament teams found the gap between white and black men’s players has shrunk compared to last season.

The study released yesterday from The Institute for Diversity and Ethics in Sport (TIDES) at Central Florida found that racial gap in average Graduation Success Rate (GSR) scores had declined from about 13.4 percentage points last year to 11.4 this season. That was due to gains by black players (up 3.4 percentage points to 83.7%) outpacing those by white players (up 1.3, to 95.1%), “The gap has frequently narrowed, and especially on the men’s side, when the white graduation rate went down

SEE PAGE 14

MOELLER takes a photo of the NCAA bracket for the NCAA college basketball tournament on the side of the JW Marriott in downtown Indianapolis in 2021.

(AP Photo/Darron Cummings)

NCAA Tournament teams rise and fall with guard play. Look no further than last year for evidence.

Second-seeded Ohio State lost to No. 15 Oral Roberts in overtime after guard Duane Washington Jr missed a career-high 14 shots, including a step-back jumper in the closing seconds of regulation with the score tied.

Baylor won its first national title in men’s basketball, leaning heavily on three guards in a 16-point win over over Gonzaga.

All-America guard Jared Butler, MaCio Teague and Davion Mitchell accounted for 65% of the Bears’

scoring in the championship game. In this year’s tournament, here are some backcourt wizards to watch: OCHAI AGBAJI, KANSAS In the one-and-done and one-time transfer era, the 6-foot-5, 215-pound shooting guard stayed at the same school for four years and went from a three-star prospect to a first-team All-America player.

Agbaji averages nearly 20 points for the top-seeded Jayhawks.

JADEN IVEY, PURDUE In the NBA draft in June, he might be the first guard selected. Scouts love his explosive hops, blazing speed, scoring knack and defence.

Even Memphis Grizzlies star Ja Morant is a fan.

The 6-4, second-team AllAmerica shooting guard averages 17 points for the third-seeded Boilermakers.

JOHNNY DAVIS, WISCONSIN An ankle injury stunted his game recently, leading to a 3-of-19 performance in a loss to Michigan State in the Big Ten Tournament, and a week of rest might get him right. The third-seeded Badgers certainly need him at full strength he averages almost 20 points.

BENNEDICT MATHURIN, ARIZONA First-year coach Tommy Lloyd inherited quite a

SEE PAGE 14

THE TRIBUNE

Thursday, March 17, 2022, PAGE 13

‘Finally’, GSSSA is back

By BRENT STUBBS Senior Sports Reporter bstubbs@tribunemedia.net AFTER a twoyear hiatus due to the coronavirus pandemic, the Government Secondary Schools Sports Association is back and will begin with the return of its High School Track and Field Championships.

But instead of having it spread over three to four days as it was done prior to 2020, the meet has been reduced to one day on Saturday at Thomas A Robinson National Stadium with competition in all events being staged for the junior and senior high schools combined.

GSSSA president Varel Davis thanked Mario Bowleg, the Minister of Youth, Sports and Culture and the Ministry of Education and its staff for allowing them to restart the inter-school competition in the midst of the pandemic.

“It’s with great pleasure to say that the Government Secondary Schools Sports Association after-school programme is back,” Davis stated. “It’s been a long time. I’ve been praying that we finally get back.

“Everywhere I go, students have been asking me when are we going to have after-school sports because ‘I can’t wait.’ It’s a one-day meet, but I can tell you this, the parents are excited, the kids are excited and the teachers are excited and so we can’t wait until Saturday to showcase what the government schools have to offer.”

Meet director Fritz Grant said there will be a total of seven schools from both the junior and senior high schools competing and all of the rules from World Athletics will be adhered to as it pertains to the level of competition.

He also noted that all of the COVID-19 rules will be implemented to ensure that they have a safe and productive meet once they begin competition at 9am.

Athletes will have the opportunity to use the old Thomas A Robinson Track and Field Stadium to warm up.

Grant, however, said there will not be any overall champions because of the fact that all of the

By ROB HARRIS AP Global Soccer Writer

SEATED, from left to right, at the GSSSA press conference are Dwayne Higgins, Fritz Grant, Dr Virginia Romer and Varel Davis.

Standing from left are Keisha Pratt, Mike Sands, Kendal Campbell, Fiona Tucker and Quinton Brennen. schools are not yet back to full face-to-face learning in the classrooms, but medals will be presented to the first three finishers in every event.

Without the inter-house competition that is normally used to determine their teams, Grant said a lot of the schools will be relying on the performances of their athletes from their participation in the club meets held so far on the Bahamas Association of Athletic Associations’ calendar of events.

Dwayne Higgins, the acting assistant director with responsibility for student development in the Ministry of Education, said everybody knows the value of sports in nation-building and with the Bahamas being dubbed a “sports power”, it’s only fitting that the Ministry throws its support behind the GSSSA and their sporting programme.

“So this year, even with the challenges of COVID19 and moving towards a more normal condition, this is one of those first steps we want to take,” Higgins said.

“As a representative for the Ministry of Education, this is one of the goals and we want to take sports into a developmental way so the student-athletes can develop themselves.”

Having worked with the Principals Association, the GSSSA and the students, Higgins said the ministry is looking forward to normalcy and the

one day track and field meet to begin branding the schools and students on the idea of building characters through sports.

Hopefully, Higgins said a number of athletes from their schools will end up qualifying for the return of the CARIFTA Games in Kingston, Jamaica, over Easter holiday weekend.

Dr Virginia Romer, the president of the New Providence Association of Principals Public Secondary Schools, said as the governing body for the GSSSA, they are excited about the resumption of sports within their schools.

“It’s been more than 18 months that our students have participated and in the education of our students, our goal is to address not only the intellectual aspects of our students, but also the physical,” she said.

“Unfortunately, the pandemic had a major effect on the physical and wholeness of education. This weekend, our students and coaches are excited and looking forward to this event.

“We felt it is important to have this event, especially how this year is CARIFTA and we want to have the best of our athletes to have a fair opportunity to make the CARIFTA team,” she added.

While this is just the beginning of the return of sports in schools, Romer said they are looking forward to whatever events are staged during the rest of the school year, but more importantly next

year when everything is expected to be back to normal.

Mike Sands, the president of the North American, Central American and Caribbean (NACAC), said on behalf of track and field and sports in general, young people need so much positive things to be happening in their lives and he’s happy to see that the GSSSA is getting back on track.

Referring to a quote from Nelson Mandela, who said “sports has the power to change the world. It has the power to inspire people. It has the power to unite people. It speaks to the language that they understand,” Sands congratulated the administrators and the authorities for having the vision to see that the Bahamas now needs to be moving into that direction.

As a labour of love, Sands encouraged the administrators and coaches to continue to move into the direction that they are heading into as they continue to provide avenues for the young people to excel in sports.

He noted that the GSSSA meet comes in an opportune time as it provides an avenue for athletes to prepare for the Bahamas Association of Athletic Associations’ final trials over the weekend of April 1-2 and he noted that the coaches will be compiling the results of the other participating countries to see where the Bahamas fits into the equation.

With the games being in their backyard, Sands said Jamaica will be ready, so much so that they have issued a challenge for the Bahamas in a “battle of the bands” competition with the reggae music compared to junkanoo.

“It’s going to be an exciting time,” Sands said. “So I’m hoping that our athletes make the qualifying standards.”

At the GSSSA meet, Sands said for the first time the new format for the mixed relays will be contested where World Athletics has now made it standard with every competition contested in a specific order with a boy leading off, handing off to a girl to a boy to a girl anchoring.

Quenton Brennen, the general manager of the National Sports Authority, said after a two-year hiatus, they are looking forward to hosting the GSSSA in their one-day meet and hopefully it will provide some great competition across the board with more athletes making the CARIFTA team in addition to the private schools.

Davis said once the meet is finished, the GSSSA will be looking at staging soccer competitions for boys and girls.

And hopefully softball for girls and baseball for boys before the end of the school year.

She added they will go back to their full sporting calendar of events starting in the new school year in September.

March Madness: Wisconsin’s Johnny Davis rises to stardom

By STEVE MEGARGEE AP Sports Writer MADISON, Wis. (AP) — Wisconsin guard Johnny Davis drives to the basket with the same ferocity he used to show while running over defenders as a high school quarterback.

Davis’ emergence as the Big Ten player of the year and a likely NBA lottery pick has been one of college basketball’s biggest surprises this season.

The 6-foot-5 sophomore believes his football experience made him a better basketball player.

“Playing football and taking shots, as a quarterback especially, it just prepares you for that physicality and allows you to get knocked down and get back up real quick,” Davis said.

Davis has averaged 19.7 points and 8.2 rebounds to earn Associated Press AllAmerica first-team honors and help Wisconsin win a share of the Big Ten title.

Davis’ Badgers (24-7) are seeded third in the NCAA Midwest Region and play Friday against Colgate (2311) in Milwaukee.

“I think people give him a lot of credit for being an incredible scorer, but he’s an incredible basketball player,” teammate Brad Davison said. “He does everything.

Defensively.

Rebounding. He’s not out there (just) trying to score.

He’s trying to win.”

Johnny Davis and his twin brother – reserve

CHICAGO CUBS OWNERS LAUNCHING BID TO BUY EPL CLUB CHELSEA

guard Jordan Davis – are Wisconsin basketball teammates who played football together at La Crosse (Wisconsin) Central High School. Johnny was the quarterback while Jordan played receiver.

They played football at the suggestion of their father, Mark Davis, who had a 31-game stint with the Milwaukee Bucks in 1988-89 and played 13 seasons of professional basketball. He wanted his kids to play plenty of sports rather than specializing in one.

Mark Davis says Jordan originally was the more physical basketball player while Johnny relied on finesse. Football helped Johnny learn to relish contact.

“Even when we tried to tell him to take some slides in football and run out of bounds, he would still be willing to (say), ‘Hey, If we need that yard, I’m going to run that guy over and get that yard,’” said Tony Servais, his high school football coach.

That attitude eventually carried over to basketball.

“Football taught him to be tougher,” Mark Davis said. “That’s why, when he drives to the basket, the contact means nothing to him. He’s going to play through it.”

That approach can have its drawbacks.

Davis injured his left ankle during Wisconsin’s regular-season finale when he landed awkwardly on a

WISCONSIN’s Johnny Davis (1) shoots during the second half of an NCAA college basketball game in February. drive after taking a shot to the face from Nebraska’s Trey McGowens. Davis returned for the Big Ten Tournament but shot 3 of 19 in a quarterfinal loss to Michigan State.

Davis says the ankle feels fine now.

The Davis twins aren’t the only Wisconsin basketball players with football experience. Davison and D’Mitrik Trice – who played at Wisconsin from 2016-21 – were high school quarterbacks. Reserve forward Carter Gilmore was a wide receiver.

“We’ll recruit kids, and they’ll be like, ‘Hey, now that you offered me a scholarship and I’m maybe going to be a Division I player, should I stop playing football?’ “ Wisconsin assistant coach Joe Krabbenhoft said. “We’ll say,

‘No. No. No. Keep playing football. And if you’re not playing football, maybe it’s something you should try.’

It translates.”

While football improved Davis’ toughness, his desire was never an issue.

That was evident from his elementary-school days, when he and his twin brother raced home to play one-on-one each day.

“I’d end up with a bloody nose, or he’d end up with a bloody nose, or cuts on our knees or something like that,” Jordan Davis said.

His confidence became more apparent after he helped USA Basketball win gold at the FIBA U19 World Cup last summer.

Davis had averaged 7 points, 4.1 rebounds and 24.4 minutes on Wisconsin’s senior-laden team last season. After getting selected for that World Cup team, Davis returned to campus knowing he could make a much bigger impact.

“Not that he ever probably didn’t think he was the best player in the gym, but you could see it on his face the first day he came back,” Wisconsin coach Greg Gard said. “It was like, ‘Whoa. OK.’ The confidence was the biggest thing, just the swagger he came back with.”

Even so, Davis didn’t anticipate this level of success. Neither did his dad.

“I was expecting maybe a 15-point scorer,” Mark Davis said. “We’d probably end up fifth, sixth, seventh

in the Big Ten and him having a good season to where we’d be like, ‘Here’s what we’ve got to do to concentrate on the draft for next season, probably coming out after his junior year.’”

Davis instead is a probable top-10 selection in this year’s draft.

The Maui Invitational served as the catalyst.

Davis averaged 23.7 points in victories over Texas A&M, Houston and Saint Mary’s.

“Playing three games in three days is a grind and really makes you bond together as a team,” Davis said. “I felt that was a turning point for the whole season.”

He hasn’t looked back since while performing his best away from home.

He had 37 points and 14 rebounds at Purdue, 24 points at Ohio State, 22 points and 15 boards at Illinois, 25 points at Michigan State, 30 points at Indiana.

Wisconsin was 12-3 away from Madison.

“He wants to win every argument or card game,” Krabbenhoft said. “He’s one of those guys. He isn’t walking up from a game unless he’s won that game.

He’s just a competitor like that. Winning drives him.”

Just as it did when he was leading a huddle.

“I loved playing football,” Davis said. “I still miss playing. But I just think I had a better career and a lot more going for me in basketball.”

LONDON (AP) — The owners of the Chicago Cubs said yesterday that they will make a bid to buy Premier League club Chelsea.

The Ricketts family went public with its interest in the buyout with Chelsea owner Roman Abramovich forced to sell up after he was sanctioned by the British government and banned by the Premier League over his links to Russian President Vladimir Putin amid the war on Ukraine.

In a statement released by a London-based communications firm, the Ricketts family said it was leading an investment group that will make its formal bid for the reigning world and European champions on Friday.

“As long-time operators of an iconic professional sports team, the Ricketts family and their partners understand the importance of investing for success on the pitch, while respecting the traditions of the club, the fans and the community,” the statement said.

“We look forward to sharing further details of our plans in due course.”

The British government is allowing Chelsea, as a frozen asset of Abramovich’s, to continue playing under restrictions of a special license. The government now has oversight of the buyout process which the Raine Group, an investment bank, has been working on since Abramovich last week announced, before having his assets frozen, that the west London club was up for sale.

Anther consortium weighing a bid features Todd Boehly, part owner of the Los Angeles Dodgers, Swiss billionaire Hansjorg Wyss and Jonathan Goldstein, a London-based property investor who is CEO of Cain International.

British property developer Nick Candy has also expressed an interest in bidding while former British Airways chairman Michael Broughton is leading a consortium — which includes track great Sebastian Coe, president of World Athletics — that also is set to submit a bid.

Broughton brokered the sale of Liverpool in 2010.

NBA LATE NIGHT JAZZ 125, BULLS 110 SALT LAKE CITY (AP) — Donovan Mitchell scored a Utah-record 25 of his 37 points in the third quarter, Jordan Clarkson added 26 and Utah beat Chicago.

Mitchell made a franchise-record seven 3-pointers in the third period on nine attempts.

He broke Karl Malone’s team mark of 22 points in a quarter.

Mitchell finished with nine 3-pointers, besting his previous career best of seven.

Chicago’s Zach LaVine, who has been affected by a sore left knee, made five 3s and had 33 points in tying his highest scoring output in four months.

DeMar DeRozan added 25 points. The Bulls have lost seven of nine.

SPURS 122, THUNDER 120 SAN ANTONIO (AP) — Dejounte Murray had 26 points and 12 assists and San Antonio held on to beat Oklahoma City.

Lonnie Walker IV made a a 3-pointer with 1.8 seconds as San Antonio salvaged a victory after blowing a 16-point lead. Walker, who had 20 points.

The Spurs had a season-high 19 3-pointers in handing the Thunder their seventh straight loss.

Shai Gilgeous-Alexander had 34 points to lead Oklahoma City.

PAGE 14, Thursday, March 17, 2022

THE TRIBUNE

Scoring spree: 50-point games are the rage in NBA right now

By TIM REYNOLDS AP Basketball Writer TURNS out, March has more madness than just college basketball.

The NBA is getting a taste as well.

Kyrie Irving’s 60-point barrage at Orlando on Tuesday night was the seventh 50-point effort in the league so far this month — with half of March remaining. His career-best performance came one night after Minnesota’s Karl-Anthony Towns also scored a career-high 60, a number nobody in the league had reached this season until this week.

Even Kevin Durant — one of the most elite scorers ever, someone who had 53 in Brooklyn’s win over New York on Sunday — is marvelling at what’s happening right now.

“Sixty, the night after Karl Towns had an incredible performance and

then to have Kyrie do it the next night, the league is an amazing place right now,” Durant said. “You’re seeing a lot of talent and skill being displayed, on display, every night. And this was one of the elite ones.”

All of March has been a showcase for the elite ones.

March’s seven 50-point games have come in a span of 11 days. LeBron James started it on March 5 by scoring 56 for the Los Angeles Lakers against Golden State.

Jayson Tatum had 54 points for Boston one day later against Brooklyn.

With that, the madness was off and running.

Irving had 50 on March 8 at Charlotte. James had 50 again on Friday against Washington. Durant had his 53 on Sunday, Towns answered that with 60 on Monday and Irving then had a 60-point night of his own. “As you see across

LOS Angeles Lakers’ LeBron James celebrates his basket against the Toronto Raptors during first half of an NBA basketball game Monday, March 14, 2022, in Los Angeles.

(AP Photo/Jae C Hong) the league, guys are just games at the restart bubble putting up crazy numbers,” inside Walt Disney World.

Irving said.

There were also seven such It matches the highest games in March 2019. number of 50-point games The last month with in the same calendar month more 50-point games in in the NBA in the last 60 the NBA was nearly six years. August 2020 also decades ago — all the way had seven 50-point efforts, back to December 1962. four of those being playoff There were nine of them

BAISS

NBA

in memory of Anwer Sunderji, former CEO and director of the Fidelity Group.

“He was a very big advocate of youth development, his focus was on education, but it was always toward the youth. We saw this as a fitting way to memorialise him and we certainly, as we pause and remember his impact on not just financial services and this organisation, but the wider community,” Bowe said. “He went about it in a quiet manner, but he was a giant among us. We recognise his legacy in part by recognising the success of the youth.”

Perry Cunningham, president of the BAISS, said he hoped for the partnership between the organisations to continue in the near future.

The BAISS has sought approval to have both volleyball and swimming competitions before the academic year concludes.

“Every year the BAISS tries to find ways and means to fund this great event and we thank Fidelity bank which has come on and partnered with us for this event,” he said. “I cannot say how grateful we are and we look forward to making things happen for our young people even in a pandemic.”

Marici Thompson, chairperson of the BAISS Sports Committee, said that while conditions of the meet may be different for athletes and spectators amid the pandemic, the atmosphere of competition will remain the same.

“Some of the schools participating will only be sending athletes that are a part of track clubs and that it because most of the schools have not had the opportunity to have interhouse competition and those club athletes, they have been active,” she said.

The final day of competition tomorrow will be open for students and spectators.

COVID-19 testing will not be required for entry but Thompson said required protocols will be in place, including a limited amount of spectators.

“We have to limit the amount of spectators in the stands, we can only allow a certain amount. We have to fulfil all the safety protocols. That will affect how many people will be coming out. We are not requiring testing, because it is open air but we are going to ask families and students to space out, maintain social distancing and to make sure everyone is wearing a mask,” she said. “The whole atmosphere will be different than years past, but we are still going to liven up the stadium, have a good time and, despite all of the restrictions, we will have a good time.”

In 2020, the Big Red Machine won by the slimmest of margins to regain the title from the Comets who took the title in 2019.

In a stunning 8.5 point victory, SAC scored 1,287, followed closely by Queen’s College with 1,278.50 points.

The St John’s College Giants re-emerged as a challenger to the top two contenders with an impressive third place finish with 656 points, while St Anne’s Blue Waves clinched fourth place with 417.83 points and the Temple Christian Suns rounded out the top five with 359.33 points.

fourth quarter. Durant had 23 points, 10 assists and six rebounds. Goran Dragic scored a season-high 21 points.

TIMBERWOLVES 124, LAKERS 104 MINNEAPOLIS (AP) — Karl-Anthony Towns scored 16 of his 30 points in the fourth quarter to help Minnesota beat Los Angeles.

Anthony Edwards had 20 of his 27 points in the second quarter to lead the early surge by the Timberwolves, who never trailed on their way to their ninth victory in 10 games.

LeBron James, playing through knee soreness, had just 19 points to lead the Lakers. They fell a seasonworst 11 games under the .500 mark at 29-40.

76ERS 118, CAVALIERS 114 CLEVELAND (AP) — Joel Embiid had 35 points and 17 rebounds, James Harden

FROM PAGE 12

NCAA

FROM PAGE 12 team from fired coach Sean Miller, and no player was more valuable than Mathurin. The 6-6 second-team All-America shooting guard averages 17.4 points and 5.6 rebounds for the topseeded Wildcats.

COLLIN GILLESPIE, VILLANOVA College basketball seems to have better shooting guards than point guards, but Gillespie is a good 1. He directs an offence that has six players averaging at least nine points. The 6-3 fifth-year senior averages 15.9 points, 3.8 rebounds and 3.3 assists for the second-seeded Wildcats.

PETER KISS, BRYANT The nation’s leading scorer played for Bryant in a First Four game against fellow 16 seed Wright State last night. The high-scoring, trash-talking guard

FROM PAGE 12

added 21 points and added 11 assists and Philadelphia beat Cleveland. Embiid was a game-time decision with a sore back, but showed no signs of the injury on his 28th birthday. The All-Star center shot 13 of 19 from the field and had five assists in 35 minutes.

Darius Garland had 22 points and seven assists for the Cavaliers.

KNICKS 128, TRAIL BLAZERS 98 NEW YORK (AP) — RJ Barrett scored 31 points, Julius Randle added 20 points and nine rebounds and New York beat Portland.

Immanuel Quickley had 18 points, and Evan Fournier added 14. Jason Hart scored 17 points for Portland. The Trail Blazers have lost eight of nine and six in a row on the road.

HORNETS 115, HAWKS 106 CHARLOTTE, N.C. (AP) — LaMelo Ball had 22 points, 11 assists and eight rebounds, P.J. Washington scored 13

that month, six by Wilt Chamberlain of the San Francisco Warriors, the other three by Elgin Baylor of the Lakers.

Chamberlain had eight all by himself that October.

He made 50-point nights look ordinary in those days; the NBA had 19 of them in December 1961, 15 in January 1962 and 12 in February 1962.

They’ve been considerably more sporadic since.

That is, until this week.

“I feel like any time I touch the ball, I’m unstoppable,” Towns said after his big night.

These days, he’s not the only one who seems to be that way. “When you’re a kid, scoring a bunch of points, it means something,” Irving said. “But when you’re in the best league in the world, doing it against the greatest athletes that are playing our game, it means a little bit more.”

of his 16 points in the fourth quarter and Charlotte beat Atlanta for its third straight victory.

Montrezl Harrell added 20 points off the bench and Terry Rozier and Miles Bridges each had 18 points. Clint Capella had 17 points and 15 rebounds for the Hawks. Trae Young had 15 assists but was held to nine points on 3-of-12 shooting.

NUGGETS 127, WIZARDS 109 WASHINGTON (AP) — Nikola Jokic had 29 points and 13 rebounds in an efficient 26-minute performance to help Denver cruise past Washington.

Jokic reached 10,001 career NBA points — all with Denver — and added eight assists while falling two shy of his 19th triple-double the season. He shot 10 of 14 from the floor, hitting both 3-pointers and all seven foul shots he attempted.

Deni Avdija scored 19 points for Washington.

WRIGHT STATE BEATS BRYANT 93-82

By JACOB BENGE Associated Press DAYTON, Ohio (AP) — Tanner Holden had 37 points and 11 rebounds and Wright State beat Bryant 93-82 last night for its first NCAA Tournament victory.

Playing inside the University of Dayton Arena just 12 miles from its home court, Wright State (22-13) advanced to play top-seeded Arizona in San Diego on Friday in the West Region. “It was a franticpaced game,” Wright State coach Scott Nagy said. “We haven’t had many teams this year come at us like that just after every make and miss and turnover.”

Holden was 11 of 15 from the field. Tyler Calvin added 21 points, and Grant Basile had 14. Peter Kiss, the NCAA’s leading scorer, led Bryant (22-10) with 28 points.

“Our guys played hard enough to win, we just didn’t play well enough to win,” Bryant coach Jared Grasso said.

The Raiders led 44-42 at halftime behind 20 points

scores 25.1 points a game on dunks, shots off the dribble and long jumpers from behind the 3-point arc.

JAMES AKINJO & ADAM FLAGLER, BAYLOR The Bears lost their terrific trio of guards to the pros last year and reloaded with Akinjo, an Arizona transfer, who previously played at Georgetown.

The new-look backcourt paired the third-team All-America guard with Flagler, who started his college career at Presbyterian College.

Akinjo and Flagler each average 13.4 points and combine for 8.8 assists for the top-seeded defending national champions.

ANDREW NEMBHARD & RASIR BOLTON, GONZAGA The reigning runner-up is led by a pair of second-team All-America players in Chet Holmgren, the likely No. 1 pick in the NBA draft, and Drew Timme. A senior backcourt sets up the big

BRYANT guard Peter Kiss, centre right, drives past Wright State’s Grant Basile (0) in the first half in the NCAA tournament yesterday.

(AP Photo/Jeff Dean) from Holden. Both teams HOLDEN’S were seeded 16th.

HOT HAND GUARDING THE Holden made a season-high NATION’S BEST 14 free throws, including a Kiss entered the game aver- perfect 8-for-8 clip in the first aging 25.1 points per game. half. He finished just one point Wright State guard Tim shy of tying his career high.

Finke drew the assignment of “I think it was definitely a guarding Kiss. Finke forced good booster for us,” Holden Kiss to make four turnovers said. “Emotionally, I thought and shoot below his season the crowd did a great job average of 45.6% from being energetic and getting the field. “Tim’s a fantastic into it. It’s awesome to be able defender. We’ve known that to do this, like Grant said, in all year,” Basile said. your backyard.”

men for success. Nembhard ranks among the nation’s leaders with 3.24 assists for every turnover.

Bolton is one of five players averaging 11-plus points for the top-seeded Bulldogs.

ALFONSO PLUMMER & TRENT FRAZIER, ILLINOIS Kofi Cockburn gets a lot of credit, rightfully so, but teams have a better chance of collapsing on the All-America center than they do trying to corral Plummer and Frazier.

The dynamic duo combines to average 27 points, with more than half of that production coming from behind the 3-point line.

R.J. COLE & TYRESE MARTIN, CONNECTICUT It’s no surprise that coach Dan Hurley has a strong backcourt, a pair of seniors who attended another college for two years.

Cole, a former Howard star, leads the fifth-seeded Huskies with 15.7 points and 4.1 assists per game.

Martin, who previously played

at Rhode Island, averages 13.7 points and 7.6 assists.

JD NOTAE, STANLEY UMUDE & AU’DIESE TONEY, ARKANSAS Coach Eric Musselman loves free-flowing basketball and he has a backcourt to make it happen, led by Notae, a thirdteam All-America guard.

Notae leads the team with 18.4 points while Umude and Toney combine for nearly 22 points and 10 rebounds a game.

TEVIN BROWN & JUSTICE HILL, MURRAY STATE If you’re not a Kentucky fan and looking for a lower-seeded team with good guards to make a surprise appearance in the Sweet 16, consider the seventh-seeded Racers.

Murray State opens with 10thseeded San Francisco, which also has a strong backcourt, before potentially playing the secondseeded Wildcats in a Bluegrass State matchup.

NFL WOMEN’S FORUM ATTRACTS GMS, COACHES FROM ALL 32 TEAMS

By BARRY WILNER AP Pro Football Writer DURING the sixth annual NFL Women’s Forum, coaches and general managers from the 32 teams were asked to spend one hour participating. Some stayed several hours longer, with Brian Daboll, recently hired as head coach of the New York Giants, stressing he wanted to learn more about the programme.

“This was at the beginning of the free agency period,” said Sam Rapoport, the league’s senior director, diversity, equity and inclusion and the creator of the forum. “That’s the attitude one of our coaches had. He wanted to learn more not only about the participants but about how he can better learn in this space.”

Daboll hardly was alone as 45 young women from colleges on all levels attended the invitational event this week. So did team owners, executives and personnel from the football and business sides of all 32 franchises. There were 73 speakers this year.

“It goes beyond job opportunities,” Rapoport explained, “though that is one of the outcomes we’d look to see. But it’s also about development and education, connecting women with people at all levels. It creates a network, not with women only but with people who believe in this cause and want to see it move forward.”

STUDY

FROM PAGE 12 rather than the black graduation rate going up,” institute director and lead report author Richard Lapchick told The Associated Press. “So the fact that this went up is really an important thing to note for the Black student-athletes.”

The racial gap also exists on the women’s side, but is smaller.

This year’s gap 6.3 percentage points and was only slightly higher than last season (6.1), with white women’s players up to 98.8% this year and black women’s players up to 92.5%.

As an example, the study found that 10 men’s teams had white players ahead of black players in graduation rates by a gap of at least 30 percentage points. UCLA, which reached last year’s Final Four, had the biggest at 71 percentage points, while the list included a No. 1 seed in Arizona, Saint Mary’s and Indiana all at 50. By comparison, only four women’s teams in this year’s tournament field fit that category: Mount St. Mary’s (40), Arkansas (37), UNLV (37) and Utah (33).

Women continue to out perform men in average GSR, though the gender gap shrunk significantly from 10.7 percentage points last year to 6.7, with women at 93.9% and men at 87.2%.

Lapchick noted, though that the women have less room to improve with their routinely higher scores.

“The gap has narrowed, so that’s somewhat encouraging,” Lapchick said. “But it always says to me that the emphasis has been much stronger on the women’s side. I think it’s gotten stronger on the men’s side as they’ve realised with academic reforms they could not make postseason play.”

The study looked primarily at the GSR, which was developed to allow the NCAA to track the progress of Division I student-athletes for six years following their entrance to schools. GSR doesn’t penalise schools for athletes who leave in good academic standing and counts transfers at their new schools, while a federal graduation rate would consider them non-graduates and doesn’t factor in those common roster movements.

THE TRIBUNE

Thursday, March 17, 2022, PAGE 15

ROOT’S 119 HELPS ENGLAND MAKE STRONG START TO 2ND TEST

ENGLAND’s captain Joe Root, right, leaves the pith at the end of day one of their second cricket Test match at the Kensington Oval against West Indies in Bridgetown, Barbados, yesterday.

WEST Indies’ Jason Holder, far right, celebrates the dismissal of England’s Dan Lawrence during day one of their second cricket Test match at the Kensington Oval in Bridgetown, Barbados, Wednesday, March 16, 2022.

(AP Photos/Ricardo Mazalan)

England beats India in must-win match at Women’s World Cup

By STEVE MCMORRAN AP Sports Writer WELLINGTON, New Zealand (AP) — England ended a run of three straight losses with a fourwicket victory over India in a must-win encounter yesterday to keep alive its chance of defending the Women’s Cricket World Cup title.

England lost its opening three matches to Australia, the West Indies and South Africa and went into the match at Mount Maunganui, a repeat of the 2017 World Cup final, languishing in seventh place in the eight-team standings.

Captain Heather Knight’s decision to bowl first on a new but dry and flat-looking wicket at the Bay Oval paid off when England bowled out India for 134 in just over 36 overs.

England slumped to 4-2 in a nervous start to its reply but was rallied by Knight and vice-captain Nat Sciver. Sciver scored 45 and Knight was 53 not out as England reached its target in the 32nd over.

India named the same batting lineup that scored 317-8 in its previous match against the West Indies.

But Anya Shrubsole bowled a potent spell with the new ball, dismissing Yashika Bhati and Mithali Raj to leave India 25-2 in the sixth over.

Off-spinner Charlie Dean then cut through the India middle order, taking the wickets of Harmanpreet Kaur — a

century-maker against the West Indies — and of Sneh Rana and Pooja Vastrakar as India struggled to mount a recovery.

Two run-outs contributed to India’s problems and they were 86-7 when Vastrakar was out.

Sophie Ecclestone claimed the crucial wicket of Smitri Mandhana (35), who made 123 against the West Indies, and Dean returned to end the innings and return 4-23 from 8.2 overs.

“To go out there and perform was pretty special,” Dean said. “We talked about keeping it simple and we pulled it off today.

It’s not the World Cup we have hoped for but the girls are really in this. This will keep us going in this World Cup.” Shrubsole followed the policy of fuller lengths to achieve a personal milestone.

She bowled across the left-handed Yastika Bhatia in the fourth over and brought the ball back enough to beat the bat and claim her 100th wicket in one-day internationals.

India’s opening bowler Jhulan Goswami later

HEATHER KNIGHT, of England, bats during the women’s world cup cricket match between England and India at Bay Oval, Mt Maunganui, New Zealand, yesterday.

(John Cowpland/Photosport via AP) claimed her 250th ODI wicket.

England’s fielding picked up a notch in this match.

Dropped catches have been costly recently but none went down yesterday and sharp fielding brought the run out of Deepti Sharma in the eight over.

Having been unable to score from 10 balls, Sharma drove just wide of mid-off and ran but Kate Cross pounced on the ball and, with three stumps to aim at, hit directly with Sharma well short of her ground.

England began its chase for India’s modest total with the chance of improving its net run-rate,

BELARUSIAN President Alexander Lukashenko, left, and Russian President Vladimir Putin speak to each other during their meeting in Moscow, Russia, Friday, March 11, 2022. (Mikhail Klimentyev, Sputnik, Kremlin Pool Photo via AP)

RUSSIA AND BELARUS BANNED FROM MULTI-SPORT EURO CHAMPIONSHIPS MUNICH, Germany (AP) — Athletes from Russia and Belarus were formally banned yesterday from the multi-sport European Championships in August.

Organisers of the August 11-21 championships in Munich, Germany, said they supported decisions by officials from the nine

individual sports not to invite Russian and Belarusian athletes and officials.

They have followed on the guidance from the International Olympic Committee.

“We are united in our condemnation of Russia’s war on Ukraine,” organising committee chairman Libor Varhaník said.

The sports are canoeing, cycling, gymnastics, rowing, sport climbing, table tennis, track and field, triathlon and volleyball.

Though swimming is an exception among Olympic sports in trying to let Russians continue competing, it is not part of the collective European Championships format launched in 2018.

which might play a role later in determining the semifinalists.

But it was set back by the loss of Danni Wyatt in the second over and Tammy Beaumont in the third.

England’s opening partnerships at the tournament before Wednesday’s match have averaged only 11 runs and remain a cause of concern.

Sciver’s 46-ball innings set England back on track and Knight reached her 23rd ODI half century from 66 balls.

England’s run rate increased with cameos from Amy Jones, whose 10 runs included a six, and

Sophia Dunkley whose 17 included four boundaries.

But two late wickets added again to the drama.

“To win this, I think we needed that,” Knight said.

“It was a little bit scrappy and we lost more wickets than we would have liked but to get over the line is really nice for us and hopefully the start of a momentum shift.”

India now also faces pressure to reach the top four and faces unbeaten Australia in its next match on Saturday.

Harmanpreet Kaur sustained a knee injury to cause some concern for the India team.

BRIDGETOWN, Barbados (AP) — Joe Root lit up the Kensington Oval with his 25th test century as England made a strong start to the second match of the series against the West Indies yesterday.

Playing with confidence after a knock of 109 in the second innings of last week’s draw in Antigua, Root was even better in Barbados as he reached 119 not out from a total of 244-3 on the first day.

Around 8,500 visiting fans were present to take in the spectacle and all four corners of the famous old ground received a wave of the England captain’s bat as they sang his name long and loud.

By reaching a quartercentury of test hundreds, Root vaulted past illustrious names such as Viv Richards, Greg Chappell and Mohammad Yousuf as well as contemporaries David Warner and Kane Williamson.

Dan Lawrence had looked certain to follow his captain to a century, but there was a sting in the tail for him as he picked out short cover one ball before the close. He had just hit back-to-back fours to reach a career-best test score of 91, but fell to the ground in despair after his exuberance cost him a three-figure score.

Earlier, the West Indies contributed to its own struggles, sparing Root a review on 23, dropping him on 34, and putting down Lawrence late on.

Root’s day had started with an 11th-hour change to his team sheet, with Craig Overton dropping out of the team in the morning after feeling unwell overnight. In came uncapped seamer Matthew Fisher.

Having already selected one debutant in the shape of paceman Saqib Mahmood, England now had two untried seamers in the same attack for the first time since Tim Bresnan and Graham Onions in 2009.

Root delayed their introduction by winning the toss and batting first, with gentle batting conditions not preventing England suffering its customary early loss.

Zak Crawley followed up his century in Antigua with a seven-ball duck.

Uncertain about whether or not to play at Jayden Seales, he sent a tentative edge straight through to the keeper.

PAGE 16, Thursday, March 17, 2022

THE TRIBUNE

Nadal improves to 18-0 with win over Opelka

By BETH HARRIS AP Sports Writer INDIAN WELLS, Calif.

(AP) — Nursing a nagging foot injury, Rafael Nadal became the second player in ATP Tour history to start a season 18-0, edging Reilly Opelka 7-6 (3), 7-6 (5) on Wednesday in the fourth round of the BNP Paribas Open.

Only Novak Djokovic has gotten off to better starts since 1990. The Serb went 26-0 to begin 2020 and 41-0 to open 2011.

“I can’t say it’s a dream because I even couldn’t dream about that three months ago, two months ago,” Nadal said. “I am just enjoying every single moment.”

Last year, Nadal’s playing time was interrupted

by COVID-19 and injuries, creating doubt about the Spanish star’s ability to recover well enough to maintain his exacting

standards. But he won his record 21st Grand Slam title at the Australian Open in January and has continued on a tear.

“I am just very happy to be playing tennis,” said Nadal, who turns 36 in June. “Today was a little bit worse than other days.

It’s true that the last couple of days the foot has been bothering me a little bit more.”

Nadal has already withdrawn from the Miami Open that follows Indian Wells. He wants extra time to prepare for the clay court season that isn’t as punishing as hard courts.

Nadal rallied from a 2-4 deficit in the second set to lead 6-5. Opelka held after three deuces when Nadal netted a forehand chasing the American’s drop shot to force the second tiebreaker.

Nadal led 4-1 in the tiebreaker when Opelka struggled on his service

RAFAEL NADAL, of Spain, returns to Reilly Opelka at the BNP Paribas Open tennis tournament yesterday.

(AP Photo/Marcio Jose Sanchez) returns. On his serve, lot of risks, but at the same though, the 6-foot-11 time don’t allow him to go American closed to 4-3, in and go for the shot,” hitting winners on a drop Nadal said. “Is trying to find the right balance shot and a forehand.

Again on his serve, between these two things.”

There were no service Opelka closed to 6-5.

But Nadal closed it out breaks in the first set. by pulling Opelka out of Opelka fought off the only the court and the Ameri- break point in the seventh can’s backhand landed game with a smash and forehand winner. Nadal wide.

“It’s about trying to hit held at love for 6-all, forcballs that you don’t take a ing the tiebreaker. Opelka

led 3-2 with a forehand winner down the line.

Nadal won the next five points, all on errors by Opelka, to take the set.

Nadal improved to 19-0 against American opponents since losing to John Isner at the 2017 Laver Cup. Nadal, a three-time champion in the desert, advanced to the quarterfinals against wild-card Nick Kyrgios. The Australian advanced to his first ATP Tour quarterfinal since winning Washington in 2019 after 10th-seeded Jannik Sinner withdrew because of illness.

Taylor Fritz fired 14 aces in outlasting Alex de Minaur, 3-6, 6-4, 7-6 (5).

“I have more confidence in my shot, so when it comes crunch time, I feel like I can kind of trust what I want to do, trust my game,” said Fritz, who reached the semifinals at Indian Wells last year.

Djokovic, Russian players expected to compete at the French Open

By SAMUEL PETREQUIN AP Sports Writer NOVAK Djokovic will be allowed to play at the French Open even if he is not vaccinated against COVID-19 as long as the coronavirus situation in France remains stable, organizers said yesterday.

Russian tennis players, including top-ranked Daniil Medvedev, will also be admitted to play in the tournament but as neutral athletes because of the war started by their country in neighboring Ukraine.

Organisers said there is nothing at the moment preventing Djokovic from defending his title at the clay-court Grand Slam.

France this week lifted measures requiring the need to wear face masks in most settings and allowing

people who aren’t one short of the vaccinated back record held by into restaurants, Rafael Nadal sports arenas and after the Spanother venues. “At iard won this this stage there is year’s Australian nothing to stop Open. him returning French tennis to the courts,” federation presiFrench Open dent Gilles director Amelie Moretton said NOVAK Djokovic Mauresmo said at that although a news conference.

Djokovic is now free to Djokovic was deported play, French authorities from Australia in Janu- might be forced to introary after a legal battle duce new restrictions if the over whether he should be virus situation deteriorates allowed to enter the coun- before the tournament try, forcing him to miss starts on May 22. “It is not the Australian Open. He up to us,” Moretton said. told the BBC last month “Today there is a little that he was willing to miss virus that is going around. upcoming Grand Slam We are quite confident that tournaments as well if the lights are green, but we they required him to get are all cautious about what vaccinated. has happened over the last Djokovic has won the two years.”

French Open twice and has Asked whether Rusa total of 20 major titles, sian tennis players will be

STUART

RBI, seven doubles and scored nine runs.

The surging Demons, winners of four straight, welcome South Dakota State to Brown-Stroud Field for a four-game series presented by the Natchitoches Historic District Development Commission beginning 6pm Thursday.

The series also includes a 2pm Friday doubleheader and a 2pm Saturday series finale.

A preseason AllSouthland Conference selection, Stuart delivered the go ahead RBI double in the eighth inning of the

Demons’ 5-4 win over Stephen F Austin in the season debut.

Stuart is one of 22 lettermen that have returned to the Demons’ roster this season, but the team is out to a surprising 7-9 start.

Stuart, a 5’11 180-pound infielder, played last season predominantly at second base and was named a Freshman All-American

by Collegiate Baseball magazine.

He became the first position player in school history to win the award. He was also previously named to the Southland Conference second team when the league announced its annual awards.

Stuart was the Demons leader in batting average (.278), doubles (13), home runs (7), RBIs (30) and total bases (84). He drew more walks than any other player in the Southland Conference and ranked 16th in the nation with 44.

His walk total ranks sixth in school single-season history, one away from moving him into a three-way tie for fourth place.

DEANGELO Elisee

DEYTON Albury

- averaged a team-leading 3.3 blocks, 9.6 points and 4.3 rebounds per game.

The Cobras defeated USC-Salkehatchie 68-66 in the Division 1 Region 10/Atlantic District

Tournament Championship to earn an automatic bid to the tournament.

Twenty-four teams entered the tournament in Hutchinson, Kansas, which runs through March 19.

FROM PAGE 12 losing streak. “What a crazy game,” Demons head coach Bobby Barbier said. “Runs are pouring in right now. We went for a couple of weeks where it was hard to cross the plate.

It rewards those who stick with it. If you stick with it, fight through tough times and you get the rewards.

We talked about moving past the tough times, now we have to move past this.

We’ve got four games in three days coming up really quick.”

Stuart’s offence coincided with the rest of the Demons roster to end the streak with a three-game sweep over Alcorn.

In game one, Stuart went 3-5 with a double and scored three runs, in game two he hit his first home run of the season and drove in three RBI, followed by a two RBI game to sweep the series.

The recent stretch has boosted Stuart’s season average to .339 with 11

DAUNTE Stuart

NJCAA

FROM PAGE 12 State Title and earn an automatic bid.

Deangelo Elisee and his no.11 ranked Triton Trojans defeated Garreth Edgecombe and the no.22 Caldwell Community College Tech Cobras 88-62 in the opening round.

Elisee finished with eight points, six rebounds and two assists. Triton advanced to face no. 6 Indian River State in the second round.

The Trojans finished the season at 27-5 and secured one of eight at large bids in the field. In 32 games this season with 18 starts, Elisee - the 6’9” freshman forward

allowed to compete at the tournament in the light of the war in Ukraine, organisers said they plan to stick to decisions suspending Russia and ally Belarus but allowing their players to compete as neutral athletes.

The seven groups that run the sport around the world have condemned the war; cancelled events in Russia and Belarus; kicked those two nations out of the Billie Jean King Cup and Davis Cup team competitions; and announced on March 1 that players from those countries will be allowed to compete in WTA, ATP and Grand Slam tournaments but not under the name or flag of Russia or Belarus.

“We are holding this line,” said Amelie OudeaCastera, the French tennis federation director general.

Other sports, including track and field, soccer and figure skating, have barred Russian and Belarusian athletes from competition.

Wimbledon organisers are having conversations with the British government about whether Russian players should be allowed to compete at the grass-court tournament this year if they don’t distance themselves from President Vladimir Putin.

Oudea-Castera said French organisers don’t plan to start a detailed and individualised analysis of players’ individual situations, which “can be extraordinarily dependent on the family situations experienced by each of them.”

“We will be very happy to be back together, we are delighted,” Moretton stated.

ALL GRAND SLAMS TO USE 10-POINT TIEBREAKER IN FINAL SET LONDON (AP) — All four Grand Slam tennis tournaments will now use a 10-point tiebreaker when matches reach 6-6 in the final set.

The Grand Slam Board announced the trial move, taking effect immediately, on behalf of the Australian, French and US Opens and Wimbledon yesterday.

“The Grand Slam Board’s decision is based on a strong desire to create greater consistency in the rules of the game at the Grand Slams, and thus enhance the experience for the players and fans alike,” it said.

The Australian Open already uses the 10-point tiebreaker. The French Open, which begins May 22, was the only major to not use a deciding tiebreaker. Wimbledon had employed a seven-point tiebreaker from 12-12, and the US Open used a sevenpoint tiebreaker from 6-6.

“Under this trial, if the score reaches six games all in the final set, the match winner(s) will be the first player(s) to win 10 points with an advantage of two or more points,” the Grand Slam Board said.

Amelie Mauresmo, a two-time Grand Slam champion who is now the tournament director of the French Open, said the goal was consistency.

“The central idea of the four Grand Slam tournaments was absolutely to line up. That was really the priority,” Mauresmo said.

“For the sake of consistency, for the understanding of the fans, the players, the media.”

Mauresmo added that the move will help preserve “players, the interest of the spectators and TV viewers.

We could no longer afford to operate differently.”

The plan has been approved by the Rules of Tennis Committee governed by the International Tennis Federation and applies to all Grand Slams across qualifying, men’s singles and doubles, women’s singles and doubles, wheelchair and junior events in singles.

1-point gap: Liverpool closes on City with 9th straight win

By STEVE DOUGLAS AP Sports Writer LIVERPOOL hasn’t been this close to Manchester City in three months.

The gap is down to one point in a Premier League title race that looks set to go down to the wire after Liverpool’s 2-0 win at Arsenal yesterday.

That’s nine straight league wins for Liverpool, which has a momentum that City can’t quite match with nine games left of the season.

Timing is everything.

Just ask Diogo Jota.

The Portugal forward was about to be substituted when he was set free down the left by a brilliantly threaded pass

by Thiago Alcantara and found the bottom corner with a precise shot in the 54th minute.

It didn’t save Jota from being immediately taken off and the player who replaced him, Roberto Firmino, diverted in a deftly taken second goal in the 62nd to further puncture the optimism inside Emirates Stadium that had been generated by a strong first-half display by Arsenal.

It was the kind of decisive substitution by Jurgen Klopp that City manager Pep Guardiola failed to make in the leaders’ 0-0 draw at Crystal Palace on Monday, a result that gave

LIVERPOOL’S ROBERTO FIRMINO, right, embraces teammate Andrew Robertson following the English Premier League soccer match between Arsenal and Liverpool at Emirates Stadium in London yesterday.

(AP Photo/Ian Walton) Liverpool the chance to defender Andrew Robertget closer to City than any son said. “They are ahead. time since December 16.

They have still got a point Liverpool plays its next advantage. We still need to game — at home to lowly go to their place.”

Watford — before City “We’re in the race,” is next in action in the Robertson added. “A lot league, so is likely to go of people didn’t think we into the lead for the first were going to be come time since early October.

January time but we are And then comes the definitely in the race and big one, with City host- we just need to keep ing Liverpool on April focused on what we are 10 in a match that could doing and keep pickhave a major bearing on ing up as many points as the destination of the possible.” title. Both teams know The loss was a setback winning all nine of their to fourth-place Arsenal’s remaining games will hopes of securing the clinch the championship. final Champions League Liverpool has the supe- qualification place, esperior goal difference by 5. cially with north London “I’d still rather be in Man rival Tottenham winning City’s position,” Liverpool yesterday.

THE TRIBUNE

Thursday, March 17, 2022, PAGE 17

‘Give me my flowers now’ “GIVE me my flowers now”, has been said regarding several events to honour trailblazers. But for one young man, the urgency to recognise his contribution to a whole country has become more evident. As we mourn the passing of a junior baseball icon in the recent death of Jeff Albury, we must act now.

Greg Burrows Sr is the visionary who can be considered the saviour of baseball in the Bahamas.

Yes, there is the Bahamas Baseball Association’s junior programme and the Junior Baseball League of Nassau, but there is the vibrant and ongoing Freedom Farm Junior Baseball Development League.

Greg founded Freedom Farm more than 30 years ago, and today we are grateful because we could have lost an entire generation. Young men needed an outlet, especially after the debacle in the baseball league.

More than 20 years ago, following the internal feuding in the Bahamas Baseball Association, the

MLB

FROM PAGE 12

games would also apply at the outdoor baseball parks in the Bronx and Queens.

That concern ratcheted to another level after Yankees star Aaron Judge took a hard side-step when asked Tuesday if he was vaccinated.

The Mets also could be seriously affected. Last year, they were among six teams that did not reach the 85% vaccination rate among on-field staff, including players, necessary for relaxed virus protocols under Major League Baseball’s health and safety plan.

Yankees chairman Hal Steinbrenner said yesterday that team president Randy Levine is speaking with the

governing body of baseball in the Bahamas and the liaison to the international baseball body, Greg founded this league.

His intention was to offer the young people who had an interest in baseball a platform to develop their talents and skills. His league started with T-Ball, then Coach Pitch and the different age categories of junior baseball.

Today, the proof is in the pudding as more than 800 young people play baseball on a regular basis and the Bahamas won the Cal Ripken Little League Baseball World Series through the Freedom Farm Baseball League.

Not to go unnoticed, hundreds of Bahamians received baseball scholarships through Freedom Farm. At present there are several products of Freedom Farm playing professional baseball in the United States.

Despite all of these efforts of baseball in the Bahamas, the mere fact that many more Bahamians are still missing out

on millions of dollars in scholarship opportunities, has been a driving force by Greg to introduce baseball in the school system of the Bahamas. Finally, his dream of that happening is going to be realised come this September when the Ministry of Education will allow baseball to be a part of the school sports curriculum.

But this tribute is about Greg Burrows Sr, who the country owes a great debt to. He came around at a time when the Bahamas needed a saviour. We got one in Greg.

Baseball was started years ago when the US ships came to Nassau and played baseball at Clifford Park.

Many young men who were idle at the time got involved and learned the game through these sailors. This was a God-send as Bahamians benefitted greatly.

Hundreds got involved in baseball and the league was started. Bahamians got opportunities to go off to college and play professional baseball. People like Andre Rodgers, Wenty Ford, Fred “Papa” Smith

and countless more got their chance to play pro ball and then come back and lend their skills and knowledge to the young men.

Baseball thrived, but something happened, and the country was deprived of the opportunity for young men to get the opportunity for college and to play pro ball.

This is when Greg Burrows came on the scene and started the Freedom Farm Baseball League for young boys to learn the game and develop their skills.

More than 30 years later, hundreds of young men have gotten scholarships to play baseball because of their exposure through Freedom Farm.

And to top that off, dozens got baseball contracts to play professionally.

As a matter of fact, several millionaires were born when young Bahamians signed contracts and got millions as signing bonuses.

All of this took place because of Greg and his Freedom Farm Baseball League. We must say thanks to Greg and go even

further by paying a national tribute to him for all that he has done.

Greg worked for Lowe’s Wholesale and his boss at the time, the late William Cash II, was very fond of Greg and encouraged him in what he wanted to do.

Greg would be the first to tell you that his mentor and supporter was Mr Cash, and he owes a deal to him.

Baseball is alive and kicking and expected to get even better. The opportunity for The Bahamas to be on the world stage with baseball is more evident with the soon-to-be opened national baseball

stadium. In addition, the first major Little League Baseball Championship for the region will take place in the new stadium this July.

Again, all of this is because of Greg who is the commissioner for the region for Babe Ruth Little League Baseball.

We must recognise Greg Burrows and pay homage to him for his contribution to the further development of baseball, especially at the time when baseball had died.

“Give me my flowers now” is what we need to do for Greg Burrows Sr. Now is the time!

city about finding a solution before opening day April 7.

New York City Mayor Eric Adams said at a news conference yesterday that athletes were not his top concern but added that he would work with MLB. “We’re going to do an analysis. Baseball season is not tomorrow. It’s not next week. We are going to work this out. We will ensure the safety of New Yorkers without continuing the spread of COVID,” he said, adding “but I’m not going to be rushed in based on a season schedule.”

Britton, a member of the players’ association’s executive subcommittee, said yesterday that the union was also in communication with government officials and had anticipated there might be complications.

“We knew just because the Irving stuff was going on,” Britton told The Associated Press. “I think the indoor-outdoor venue was maybe like a little bit of a question mark on that.

But I think it was something that we knew might be something we needed to tackle before the season starts.”

“Hopefully logic prevails,” first-year Mets ace and fellow subcommittee member Max Scherzer told reporters.

The union and league agreed as part of a new labour contract settled last week that unvaccinated players won’t receive pay or service time if they miss games in Toronto against the Blue Jays due to Canada’s vaccine requirement for entry. The boarder

issues have led to speculation about an unusual homefield advantage for the Jays.

The Boston Red Sox are better prepared for that after several players were vaccinated this offseason, including Xander Bogaerts and Christian Arroyo. The club failed to reach 85% vaccination last year and was hit hard by the virus late in the season.

Ace left-hander Chris Sale said yesterday he has chosen to remain unvaccinated, but he’ll miss Boston’s first visit to Toronto from April 25-28 anyway because of a stress fracture in his rib cage.

Much else about the sport will take significant steps toward normalcy.

Under updated health and safety protocols

announced yesterday, intake COVID-19 testing remains, but after that, players will only be tested when showing signs or reporting symptoms. Players and team personnel only have to wear masks in clubhouses and other indoor areas if mandated by local regulations.

The league is also maintaining an ability to move games if the public health situation in an area deteriorates and will “postpone games only if necessary to protect the health and safety of club personnel, players and umpires.”

The COVID-19 injured list remains, but players with a positive test can exit with two negative tests.

HIGH FLYING BIRDS The star-studded Blue Jays added a three-time

Gold Glove winner to their infield, acquiring third baseman Matt Chapman from the payroll-shedding Oakland Athletics.

A five-year veteran, Chapman hit .201 with 27 home runs and 72 RBIs in 151 games for the Athletics last season. He was a firsttime All-Star in 2019.

Since the end of the lockout, the A’s also dealt All-Star righty Chris Bassitt to the New York Mets and first baseman Matt Olson to Atlanta. The three trades cut Oakland’s projected payroll by about $30 million. Oakland received right-hander Gunnar Hoglund, Toronto’s top pick in the 2021 amateur draft, minor league left-hander Zach Logue, left-handed reliever Kirby Snead, and infielder Kevin Smith.

GREG Burrows Sr

THE TRIBUNE

Thursday, March 17, 2022, PAGE 19

COMMONWEALTH CUTS THE RIBBON AT NEW HURRICANE HOLE STORE

COMMONWEALTH Brewery Limited (CBL) has announced its retail chain, 700 Wines and Spirits, is expanding to Paradise Island with the opening of its new location in The Hurricane Hole Marina.

700 Wines & Spirits is The Bahamas’ largest wines and spirits retailer with more than 40 locations across 13 islands.

Wenrick Clarke, director of sales, said the opening of this location has allowed the company to grow with its customers and the community.

“Hurricane Hole provided an opportunity for us to open a new location on Paradise Island and afford patrons access to our wide variety of brands,” said Mr Clarke.

“Hurricane Hole is going to be a marvel for the local and international community once completed, and we are honoured to be on this journey with them.”

He said tourism has been vital to the economic fabric of the economy and that tourists and tourism play a key role in the success of the company’s business.

700 Wines & Spirits commercial manager Jana Stubbs said the new location has all the familiar aesthetics that customers have come to know and love about the retail chain but with a modern twist.

“This location is our largest store to date measuring in at 5,000 square feet and featuring 15 reach-in coolers and separate ‘mini-stores’ for wines and spirits,” said Jana.

“It will also be the home to a state-of-the-art enomatic (wine dispenser) system where customers can try wine and spirits products without having to purchase the entire bottle first.

“Superior customer service is the heart of our business and customers can expect to be greeted by knowledgeable, friendly team members who are well versed in product knowledge about all their favourite brands.”

700 Wines & Spirits takes great pride in providing top-tier local and international brands for every occasion.

WENRICK CLARKE, sales director at Commonwealth Brewery during the grand opening in Hurricane Hole.

FROM left, Wenrick Clarke, sales director at Commonwealth Brewery Ltd; Jurgen Mulder, managing director of CBL; Charlene Carey, retail supervisor, CBL; Khaalis Rolle, president of Sterling Global Advisory Service; and Bill Greene, of Sterling Global Developments Ltd during the ribbon cutting ceremony at Hurricane Hole.

PAGE 20, Thursday, March 17, 2022

THE TRIBUNE

MARCO ROLLE, left, Alpha Phi Alpha representative, University Bahamas Chapter alongside Cherilyn Bethel, RF marketing coordinator and donations committee member.

RF SUPPORTS COLLEGE FAIR EVENT FOR THIRD YEAR RF BANK & Trust is supporting the Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity for the third year in organising the Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCU) College Fair.

The event is slated for April 23 and will be fully virtual.

The annual event is hosted by the fraternity with the goal of creating opportunities for Bahamian students to receive scholarships to attend HBCUs in the United States.

“We are pleased to advise that some of the brightest graduating students from

both private and public high schools have received ‘fullride’ scholarships at our HBCU College Fair,” said Algernon Cargill, HBCU committee member.

“We are appealing to Corporate Bahamas to once again support our efforts and make this year the most

successful yet.”

“Education is one of RF’s core philanthropic pillars and this event aligns wholly by providing the opportunity for young Bahamian men to not only meet with HBCU recruiters, but to potentially earn onthe-spot acceptances and

scholarships,” said Rachael Allahar, RF group head of marketing and public relations.

“It’s been proven that undergraduate degree holders earn higher wages and RF is happy to support any initiative that equips individuals with the

tools needed to create and manage wealth.”

The previous two fairs have raised more than $5m in scholarships for Bahamian students.

Students interested in attending are encouraged to visit the website: www. thinkhbcu242.com.

COURTESY CALL BY NFA TO ATTORNEY GENERAL

FROM left, Dr Donna Miller, acting under secretary, Rchetta Godet, vice president, NFA, Nikolette Elden, director of marketing and public relations, NFA, Christanell Gordon, treasurer, NFA, Malvin Gordon, president, NFA, Ryan Pinder, Attorney General, Jomo Campbell MP, Minister of State for Legal Affairs, Cecilia Strachan, permanent secretary in the Office of the Attorney General, Virgil Sturrup, director, NFA Gamal Newry, director, NFA

THE Executive Board of National Firearms Association (NFA) paid a courtesy call to Attorney General Ryan Pinder on March 3 to discuss the goals of the association.

President of NFA Bahamas Malvin Gordon said: “Our main goal and objective of the organisation is to make training and international accredited certification accessible for both civilians and law enforcement.

“We wish to create and promote an outlet for licenced firearms owners by elevating sports shooting and hunting in our country.

“In light of recent and history of attacks against women, we are preparing to launch a series of courses which seek to empower women such as Strong Women Achieving Goals (SWAG) and NRA’s award winning Refuse to be a Victim seminars.”

Gamal Newry, director of the NFA, said: “Over the next few weeks, we will also be launching programs specifically created for corporate Bahamas to promote safety and self-awareness as well as providing training to staff to aide in workplace violence, evacuation plans, and conflict resolution.

“When you think of the NFA it’s not only a firearms organisation but an organisation that provides

framework for organisations that address these unfamiliar situations.”

Mr Pinder lauded the NFA for their efforts and said: “I believe a partnership between the National Firearms Association and the government is needed and sharing best practices for matters with respect to proper training for licenced firearm owners, anti-crime and personal safety training as well as having an established organisation around from the private sector that will aid in helping to remove the phobia around licenced firearm ownership. Education is important. I would like to see a proper range where the public can train and use recreationally that will eliminate the need for licenced firearm owners to discharge their firearms in the bushes. He went on to add that he would like to see the country move into a more open direction as it relates to licenced firearms for law-abiding citizens.”

During the coming weeks, the NFA will continue its series of crime prevention, firearm safety and certification courses in New Providence with additional courses slated for Grand Bahama and Abaco .

For details of upcoming courses and events and how to become a member, visit www.nfa.org.bs or NFA’s social media pages.

To advertise in The Tribune, contact 502-2394

THE TRIBUNE

Thursday, March 17, 2022, PAGE 21

A RESEARCH assistant demonstrates how to prepare a sample for sequencing at the Wellcome Sanger Institute, Genome Campus, Hinxton, in Cambridgeshire, England.

UK REDUCES COVID TESTS DESPITE RISE IN CASES LONDON Associated Press

AFTER dropping nearly all coronavirus restrictions last month, Britain is now ending some of its most widespread COVID19 testing and monitoring programmes, a move some scientists fear will complicate efforts to track the virus and detect worrisome new variants.

Officials have largely dismissed those concerns, despite a recent uptick in cases across Europe, insisting that high immunisation rates will help dampen future waves of disease.

Based on how quickly new variants have arisen, some experts suggest the next one could arrive as early as May. They warn that UK authorities should be using the time to prepare, rather than winding down their pandemic defences.

Mark Woolhouse, an epidemiologist at the University of Edinburgh, called it “an unfortunate pattern” that has been seen repeatedly throughout the outbreak.

“Every time one wave of COVID passes, the government acts as if it’s the end of the pandemic,” he said.

Without testing and monitoring, new clusters or signs that the virus is evolving could be missed, Woolhouse said.

“I do not understand why governments are not learning this lesson,” he said.

Last week, the UK announced it was suspending funding for one of the world’s biggest and most comprehensive coronavirus monitoring programmes, in addition to ditching research that tracks in real time symptoms and infections in health workers. And as of April, free COVID-19 tests for most people in England will also end.

As most COVID-19 restrictions are relaxed across Europe, including Austria, Britain, Denmark, Germany and France, the numbers of infections have inched higher in recent days. The uptick is driven in part by the slightly more infectious omicron descendant BA.2 and by people largely abandoning masks and gathering in bigger groups.

In the last two weeks, COVID-19 hospitalisations and deaths have both risen slightly in Britain.

British Health Secretary

Sajid Javid described the increase as “expected” and the country as “in a very good position”.

Numerous health leaders in the UK have questioned the wisdom of abandoning free testing and measures like stopping financial support for people with infections who are isolating.

“The government cannot wave a magic wand and pretend the threat has disappeared entirely,” said Matthew Taylor, chief executive of Britain’s National Health Service.

Other officials, however, have pointed out that the testing and monitoring programs are enormously pricey. Last month, Swedish authorities halted wide-scale testing, saying that the cost and relevance was no longer justifiable.

“If we were to have extensive testing adapted to everyone who has COVID19, that would mean half a billion kronor a week (about $55m) and two billion a month ($220m),” said Swedish Public Health Agency chief Karin Tegmark Wisell last month, when their testing programs were shelved.

UK officials have now apparently made the same calculation.

“The question is whether we can afford to keep using these expensive tools if it appears that COVID is becoming endemic,” said Julian Tang, a virologist at the University of Leicester.

He said it was likely the virus was evolving into a more transmissible and less dangerous form, but acknowledged that process could take years — and that we would probably face sporadic surges until that happens.

Salim Abdool Karim, an infectious diseases epidemiologist at the University of KwaZulu-Natal who previously advised the South African government, said there were clues in COVID-19’s track record that allow for an “educated guess”. As the country that first detected omicron and where it spread first, South Africa has been closely monitored by many European and other public health scientists to see what might come next in the pandemic.

Karim predicts the next big surge of disease could come within weeks, noting that South Africa had been hit with COVID-19 surges every three months.

PAGE 22, Thursday, March 17, 2022

THE TRIBUNE

INTERN PROGRAMME RESUMES COLLEGE students and recent graduates considering career possibilities within the insurance industry can now apply for summer internships with the CG Atlantic Family of Companies, which includes CG Atlantic General, CG Atlantic Medical & Life, CG Atlantic Pensions and CG Atlantic Agents & Brokers.

The in-person programme introduces successful applicants to various aspects of the insurance business.

“We are really pleased to resume this programme,” CG CEO Naz Farrow said. “We take pride in being a people-first company and these

internships exemplify that commitment.

“For the successful applicants, the internship is a special opportunity for professional growth and development, helping them explore career possibilities close to home while earning a paycheque.

“For us as a company, the internships are a way to invest in the future by tapping into the strength and promise of young and by deepening our connections in these important market communities.”

The summer programme, which runs from June 6 to August 5, offers internships

in CG’s three key markets: The Bahamas (CG Atlantic), Cayman (CG BritCay) and Bermuda (CG Insurance).

The departments that have available internship openings include Property & Casualty, Medical, Pensions, Life, Risk and Compliance, Finance, Talent, Marketing and Legal.

Interns will have the opportunity to take part in career and networking activities including tea o be eligible, applicants must be a citizen of the county in which they are applying, enrolled in a fully accredited degree programme or graduated from one no earlier than October 2021. m

building, community service days, mentor assignment, professional skills training and on-the-job coaching.

The application process is now open with application forms available online at https://coralislegroupltd.formstack.com/forms/ internship_application.

All applications must be submitted by Friday, March 25, 2022 to be considered.

To be eligible, applicants must be a citizen of the county in which they are applying, enrolled in a fully accredited degree programme or graduated from one no earlier than October 2021.

THE WEATHER REPORT

5-Day Forecast

TODAY

ORLANDO

High: 82° F/28° C Low: 60° F/16° C

TAMPA

uV inDex toDay

TONIGHT

FRIDAY

SATURDAY

SUNDAY

MONDAY

Partly sunny, a shower in the p.m.

A moonlit sky

Mostly sunny and nice

Partly sunny and humid

Partly sunny with a thunderstorm

Clouds and sun, a shower; breezy

High: 83°

Low: 73°

High: 82° Low: 72°

High: 83° Low: 71°

High: 82° Low: 70°

High: 81° Low: 69°

AccuWeather RealFeel

AccuWeather RealFeel

AccuWeather RealFeel

AccuWeather RealFeel

AccuWeather RealFeel

AccuWeather RealFeel

92° F

79° F

90°-76° F

91°-75° F

91°-74° F

86°-69° F

High: 80° F/27° C Low: 63° F/17° C

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

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almanac

E

W

ABACO

S

N

High: 80° F/27° C Low: 72° F/22° C

8-16 knots

S

High: 83° F/28° C Low: 71° F/22° C

7-14 knots

FT. LAUDERDALE

FREEPORT

High: 82° F/28° C Low: 72° F/22° C

N E S

E

W

WEST PALM BEACH

W

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High: 81° F/27° C Low: 72° F/22° C

MIAMI

High: 83° F/28° C Low: 73° F/23° C

4-8 knots

Statistics are for Nassau through 2 p.m. yesterday Temperature High ................................................... 82° F/28° C Low .................................................... 69° F/21° C Normal high ....................................... 79° F/26° C Normal low ........................................ 65° F/18° C Last year’s high ................................. 82° F/28° C Last year’s low ................................... 66° F/19° C Precipitation As of 2 p.m. yesterday ................................. 0.00” Year to date ................................................. 4.38” Normal year to date ..................................... 3.76”

ELEUTHERA

NASSAU

High: 83° F/28° C Low: 73° F/23° C

Forecasts and graphics provided by AccuWeather, Inc. ©2022

High: 81° F/27° C Low: 74° F/23° C

N

KEY WEST

High: 82° F/28° C Low: 75° F/24° C

High

E

W

7-14 knots

S

7-14 knots

Low

Ht.(ft.)

8:02 a.m.

8:22 p.m.

2.9 2.7

1:51 a.m. -0.1 2:22 p.m. -0.2

Friday

8:41 a.m.

9:03 p.m.

2.9 2.9

2:34 a.m. -0.3 2:58 p.m. -0.3

Saturday

9:21 a.m.

9:44 p.m.

2.8 3.0

3:18 a.m. -0.3 3:35 p.m. -0.4

Sunday

10:02 a.m.

10:28 p.m.

2.8 3.1

4:02 a.m. -0.4 4:14 p.m. -0.5

Monday

10:45 a.m.

11:15 p.m.

2.6 3.1

4:49 a.m. -0.3 4:56 p.m. -0.5

Tuesday

11:32 a.m.

-----

2.5 -----

5:40 a.m. -0.2 5:42 p.m. -0.4

Wednesday 12:07 a.m.

12:25 p.m.

3.0 2.3

6:35 a.m. 0.0 6:35 p.m. -0.2

sun anD moon Sunrise Sunset

7:17 a.m.

7:20 p.m.

Moonrise Moonset

6:58 p.m.

7:06 a.m.

Full

Last

New

First

Mar. 18

Mar. 25

Apr. 1

Apr. 9

ANDROS

SAN SALVADOR

GREAT EXUMA

High: 82° F/28° C Low: 74° F/23° C

High: 82° F/28° C Low: 77° F/25° C

N

High: 82° F/28° C Low: 75° F/24° C

E

W S

LONG ISLAND

tracking map L

Ht.(ft.)

Today

High: 81° F/27° C Low: 75° F/24° C

N

S

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

tiDes For nassau

CAT ISLAND

E

W

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

High: 82° F/28° C Low: 76° F/24° C

8-16 knots

MAYAGUANA High: 83° F/28° C Low: 77° F/25° C

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

CROOKED ISLAND / ACKLINS RAGGED ISLAND High: 82° F/28° C Low: 77° F/25° C

H

High: 82° F/28° C Low: 77° F/25° C

GREAT INAGUA High: 84° F/29° C Low: 77° F/25° C

N

E

W

E

W

N

S

S

8-16 knots

10-20 knots

marine Forecast ABACO ANDROS CAT ISLAND CROOKED ISLAND ELEUTHERA FREEPORT GREAT EXUMA GREAT INAGUA LONG ISLAND MAYAGUANA NASSAU RAGGED ISLAND SAN SALVADOR

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

WINDS SW at 7-14 Knots SE at 7-14 Knots SE at 7-14 Knots SE at 7-14 Knots SSE at 10-20 Knots SE at 8-16 Knots ESE at 12-25 Knots ESE at 10-20 Knots SSE at 8-16 Knots SE at 8-16 Knots SSW at 7-14 Knots SSE at 7-14 Knots SE at 7-14 Knots ESE at 8-16 Knots SE at 10-20 Knots ESE at 10-20 Knots SE at 10-20 Knots ESE at 10-20 Knots SE at 10-20 Knots ESE at 10-20 Knots SSE at 7-14 Knots SE at 8-16 Knots SE at 8-16 Knots ESE at 8-16 Knots SE at 8-16 Knots SE at 8-16 Knots

WAVES 3-6 Feet 3-5 Feet 0-1 Feet 0-1 Feet 3-6 Feet 3-5 Feet 4-7 Feet 3-6 Feet 3-5 Feet 3-5 Feet 1-2 Feet 1-2 Feet 1-2 Feet 1-2 Feet 2-4 Feet 2-4 Feet 3-5 Feet 2-4 Feet 5-9 Feet 4-7 Feet 1-2 Feet 1-2 Feet 2-4 Feet 2-4 Feet 1-3 Feet 1-3 Feet

VISIBILITY 7 Miles 10 Miles 7 Miles 10 Miles 9 Miles 10 Miles 10 Miles 10 Miles 10 Miles 10 Miles 7 Miles 10 Miles 10 Miles 10 Miles 10 Miles 10 Miles 10 Miles 10 Miles 10 Miles 10 Miles 9 Miles 10 Miles 10 Miles 10 Miles 10 Miles 10 Miles

WATER TEMPS. 75° F 76° F 78° F 77° F 78° F 78° F 79° F 79° F 77° F 77° F 75° F 76° F 79° F 80° F 78° F 78° F 79° F 79° F 78° F 78° F 78° F 79° F 79° F 80° F 77° F 78° F