Windsor defends golf titles
By BRENT STUBBS Chief Sports Editor bstubbs@tribunemedia.net
The Bahamas Golf Federation’s 2025 Capital Union Bank National High School Golf Championships ended with Windsor School successfully defending their titles in three of the four team divisions.
But there was just as much excitement at the BGF’s Driving Range as Maddison Carroll, Zachary Joseph, Amelie Zalsman and Aidan Gorospe emerged as the respective junior girls and boys and senior girls’ and boys’ individual divisional titles.
Carroll, in repeating as the junior girls’ champion, produced scores of 28 and 29 for her two-day total of 57. Mila Zalsman of Windsor Academy followed with 30-30-60 and Haley Hall of Bahamas Global Academy was third with 28-35-63.
“In the first round, I felt I was playing a bit steady and my game was going very well,” Carroll said. “I had to work on my swing, but I felt everything else went very well.
“My putting was flowing. I made a lot of putts. I managed to birdie the last hole, which made my two-over-par turn into a one-over-par. So that made me tied for the lead.”
Carroll said her swing wasn’t as consistent on the second day as it was on her first day, but she still managed to keep her composure and held on for the win. “I was threeover heading into the last hole and then I made a birdie to keep my lead, so I ended with my round today (Friday) with a twoover-par. So, in total, I was three-over-par.”
Joseph, representing Achiever’s Christian Academy, emerged as the junior boys’ champion with a score of 56 (29-27). Lance Pastoukhov Valdez was second with 61 (29-32) and William West of Windsor School was third with 63 (33-30).
“This is like a regular thing. I don’t have any competition out here. It feels great to win. I’ve been working my butt off lately, pushing myself in the gym,” he said.
“My competitors put up a good fight, but it wasn’t good enough. I just have to stay focused and keep practicing. When I wake up, I go on my knees and pray to God and he has given me the confidence to come out here and to play and to win.”
Windsor School won the junior boys’ team title with 195 (97-98), ahead of St Andrew’s, who got second with 214 (108-106). Lyford Cay International School was third with 253 (129-124).
Amelie Zalsman, a 16-year-old 10th grader at Windsor School, captured her second straight senior
girls’ title with 53 (27-26). Her team-mates trailed her with Grace Crawford second with 56 (29-27) and Roisin Scanion third with 57 (29-28).
“It was a lot of fun. I got to play with all of my team-mates, so that was enjoyable,” Zalsman said. “Last year, we only played one round, but this year, we got two rounds, so it was a lot of fun. I felt very good about the performance.”
And 15-year-old Aidan Gorospe, a tenth grader at USPA Home Schooling, remained the top senior boy, winning his fourth straight title with 54 (28-26).
Luke Grimes of Queen’s College was second with 58 (29-29) and Maximillian Landry of Windsor School was third with 60 (30-30).
“My performance was alright. It was okay the first day, but it was better on the second day,” said Gorospe, who the week before won the BGF’s Junior National title at the Ocean Club on Paradise Island.
“I just made more putts today (the second day on Friday). The competition was good. There were a lot of good competitors out there. It was good to win it again.”
JUNIOR ANTHAYA CHARLTON FOURTH IN LONG JUMP
By BRENT STUBBS Chief Sports Editor
ANTHAYA Charlton, preparing for her first World Indoor Championships this weekend, led a trio of Bahamians in action at the National College Athletic Association’s Indoor Championships over the weekend.
The two-day meet was staged in Virginia Beach, Virginia, and also featured Olympians Antoine Andrews and Javonya Valcourt.
Charlton, in her junior year at the University of Florida, finished fourth in the women’s long jump with a leap of 22-feet, ¼-inches or 6.71 metres, which came on her fifth attempt.
Her series of jumps included 21-83/4 (6.62m) on her first attempt, 21-41/4 (6.51m) on her second, 20-5¾ (6.24m) on her third, 20-6½ (6.26m) on her fourth and 20-10 (6.35m) on her sixth and final attempt.
Alexis Brown, a senior at Baylor, soared 22-7¾ (6.90m) in the fourth round to win the title.
Tacoria Humphrey, a senior at Illinois, was the runner-up with 22-13/4 (6.75m) in the first round and Alyssa Jones, a junior at Stanford, was third with 22-¼ (6.71m).
Charlton, 21, went into the championships having posted a previous nation leading mark of 22-103/4 (6.98m) on January 31 for a new Bahamas national indoor record. She was named to the Bahamas Association of Athletic Associations’ national team that will compete at the
THE Bahamas men’s national beach soccer team saw their storybook run come to an anticlimactic finish yesterday evening at the 2025 CONCACAF Beach Soccer Championship hosted at the Malcolm Park Beach Soccer Facility. After concluding the group phase as the top finisher in Group B, the host team lost a nail-biter 3-2 against Guatemala in the semifinals on Saturday night and got outplayed by the USA 6-2 in the third place matchup yesterday. Meanwhile, El Salvador defeated Guatemala 2-1 in the finals to claim the CONCACAF Beach Soccer title honours. The 0-2 showing over the weekend left the “Junkanoo Beach Boyz” with yet another fourth-place finish
at the biennial tournament. Francis Farberoff, head coach of Team Bahamas, spoke about what went wrong for the host team in the final two matchups.
“I think it was a heartbreaker yesterday. The guys put in a lot of work and we fell short yesterday. The game was right there and we were about to take the momentum of the game and, with that unlucky bounce, they scored the winning goal and I think that deflated the group. We tried to motivate them and keep them going - it is just the game today, fighting for third place wasn’t enough I guess. We started but the other team wanted it more and we just didn’t compete as hard as the other team,” he said.
Goalkeeper Michael Butler got Team Bahamas on the scoreboard first with a goal at the 7th minute of the first period.
The USA, who lost to The Bahamas in the group phase, took some time before getting their first goal, but finally broke the barrier when Nico Perea scored the equaliser for the visitors at the 2nd minute to conclude the first period of play. The USA’s Antonio Chavez connected on a bicycle kick within the first minute of the second period to put his team on top 2-1. Team USA kept the goals coming with Tanner Akol and Cody Valcarcel scoring at the 3rd and one minute mark of the second period. The “Junkanoo Beach Boyz” were already in an insurmountable 4-1 hole headed into the third period but the USA continued to score. Ricardo Carvalho and Gabe Silveira joined the scoring action with goals at the 6th and 5th minute marks of the third period. The host team’s Wood Julmis made good on an open goal to score the second point for The Bahamas and his fifth goal of the tournament. Despite coming up short in their bid to qualify for the 2025 FIFA Beach Soccer World Cup, coach Farberoff expressed that Team Bahamas has a lot of talent but needs more
36-MEMBER SWIMMING TEAM SELECTED FOR THE CARIFTA GAMES
By BRENT STUBBS Chief Sports Editor bstubbs@tribunemedia.net
WITH a 36-member team selected, all attaining the qualifying standards, Bahamas Aquatics’ president Algernon Cargill said the Bahamas is poised to go to Trinidad & Tobago and capture its seventh straight CARIFTA Swimming Championship title.
After a three-hour selection process yesterday, coming after the completion
of the Last Chance Meet on Friday and Saturday at the Betty Kelly Kenning Swim Complex, Bahamas Aquatics named the team. Managed by Celestial Darville, the team will head to the games on a Bahamasair charter on Wednesday, April 16.
The swim competition will take place over the Easter holiday weekend April 19-22 with the open water swim on Wednesday,
QUALIFY FOR CARIFTA AT LAST CHANCE MEET
By BRENT STUBBS Chief Sports Editor bstubbs@tribunemedia.net
BAHAMAS Aquatics held its Last Chance Meet over the weekend at the Betty Kelly Kenning Swim Complex with several swimmers ensuring that they put in their bid for selection to the CARIFTA swim team. Yesterday, Bahamas Aquatics announced a 36-member team following the meet, which produced a number of qualifying performances from swimmers such as Isabella Guccurullo, Zoe Williamson, Alexander Murray, Sienna Campbell and Dexter Russell. Sklyer Smith of Alpha Aquatic and DNDN McKenzie of Mako Aquatic dipped under the girls’ 13-14 1,500m qualifying time of 19 minutes and 48.09 seconds with their first and second place performances of 19:24.88 and 19:29.13 respectively. Alissa Ferguson won the girls 13-14 100m backstroke in 1:12.01 with Smith second in 1:13.07 and Tiah Seymour of Mako third in 1:14.22 as they all surpassed the qualifying standard of 1:14.55. Violet Saralegui of Lyford Cay Swim Club
CHAMPIONS: Junior boys champions Windsor Academy receives their awards from JS Johnson’s CFO Ricardo Underwood.
BAHAMAS’ goalkeeper Michael Butler reacts to a play.
Photo: Chappell Whyms Jr
Windsor Academy defends three out of four golf titles
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As for Grimes, he was pleased with the way things turned out for him and Queen’s College, which is still on a high after their Comets’ track team dethroned St Augustine’s College Big Red Machine during the BAISS Track and Field Championships.
“I had a lot of confidence in our guys and I’m glad that they stepped up to the challenge,” Grimes said. “They didn’t back away from it. I’m so proud of them. “I felt good about my performance. There were a lot of holes that I could have played better, but I’m proud of how I played and I will definitely get better for next year.”
In summing up the performance for Windsor Academy, head coach Katie Roach said she couldn’t ask for anything more from her team. “Mila and the junior girls, after day one, she was seeded fourth and then on day two, she came back strong and secured the silver medal,” Roach said.
“In the junior boys, they had the most competition. I think that was the most competitive competition. We were sitting in first going into day two, but it wasn’t a given as they had to fight hard to defend their title.
“And then with the senior boys and senior girls, we were very strong from day one and that carried over to day two. They wanted to take the trophies at home and they fought hard to defend their titles as well.”
Roach said they will be back next year.
And hopefully to capture all four divisional titles, although she admitted that the junior girls will be their biggest challenge.
WINDSOR Academy receives their senior girls team awards from Jewel Charles of Capital Union Bank and golf executive Craig Flowers.
JUNIOR boys’ champion Zachary Joseph.
MADDISON Carroll receives her awards from Jewel Charles of CUB and golf executive Craig Flowers.
SENIOR girls champion Amelie Zaisman gets her awards from golf executive Craig Flowers and Jewel Charles of Capital Union Bank.
AIDAN Gorospe gets a handshake from golf executive Craig Flowers.
Stingrays stun Knights to win second GSSSA track and field trophy
By TENAJH SWEETING Tribune Sports Reporter tsweeting@tribunemedia.net
THE CV Bethel Stingrays stunned the CR Walker Knights to derail their eighth consecutive title defence at the 2025 Government Secondary Schools Sports Association (GSSSA) Track and Field Championship hosted at the original Thomas A Robinson Stadium.
The Stingrays had the advantage for three consecutive days and finally put the nail in the coffin with a winning team score of 629 points. It was just the second track and field championship victory for the school since their first title win back in 2014.
The Knights went down swinging but ended the three-day meet with 600 points for second place this time around.
The RM Bailey Pacers rounded out the top three with a total of 340 points overall.
Daniel Pratt, head coach for CV Bethel, was elated to witness the Stingrays win their second GSSSA track and field honours.
“It feels great seeing that last year we lost by 32 points for second place and the year before that I think about 60 or so points for second place. It was a lot of little tweaking that we had to do to make the adjustment. The main thing was the kids - they were very focused and we tried our best to keep them working together and as a team we did it,” he said.
After coming up short at the last few meets, coach Pratt said the main goal was to keep extending the lead each day.
“Me, coach Gilcud and coach Johnson were on their case telling them 10 points isn’t enough, 20 points isn’t enough and we were just on them over and over again. We were able to get a lot of persons to take part in different events. As a whole and as a school, I think the kids did an excellent job,” he said.
The newly-crowned champions claimed two out of the four senior divisions.
They won the under20 girls’ division with 186 points and the under-17 boys’ division with 174 points.
The Knights emerged victorious in the under17 boys’ division with 188 points.
The CC Sweeting Cobras snuck away with the victory in the under-20 boys’ division with 173 points.
Track Events Iesha Hanna, representing CV Bethel, ran a swift time of 24.96 seconds for first place in the under-20 girls’ 200m finals. Placing second was CR Walker’s Brey’Elle Cooper in 25.15 seconds. CV Bethel also secured the third spot with Synia Lockhart clocking 27.19 seconds. Lockhart was also successful in the under-20 girls’ 400m hurdles event. She bested her competitors with a winning time of 1:14.27. Her schoolmate Darrenqiue Morris was a few steps behind at 1:16.32. CI Gibson’s Avianna Marshall secured the third podium spot in 1:16.37. The Stingrays got the job done in the under-20 girls’ 4x400m and under-17 boys’ 4x400m relay. The quartet of Kalen Michalle, Darrenique Morris, Iesha Hanna and Synia Lockhart had a winning time of 4:24.06 in the
under-20 girls’ 4x400m event. CR Walker’s relay team of Rachea Nelly, Brey’Elle Cooper, Raynia Russell and Dahija Mesidor came in second with a time of 4:26.99.
The Pacers’ relay team of Bernechia Nelson, Samantha Rolle, Neveah Fernander and Shanae Johnson had to settle for the third spot in 4:42.16.
Over in the under-17 boys’ 4x400m relays, the Stingrays’ Garnet Musgrove, Denim Stuart, Floyd Curry and Andrew Rolle stopped the clock at 3:45.52 for first place.
CR Walker’s relay team of Sidney Corneille, Deontay Rolle, Navardo Allen and Adrian Sweeting fell to second place with a time of 3:45.67. The Rattlers’ quartet of Khamani Davis, Melvens Simeon, Jeremiah Divin and Dijon Pinder dropped to third place with a time of 3:47.16.
CC Sweeting’s Emmanuel Adams was close to
the CARIFTA-qualifying standard of 21.35 seconds in the under-20 boys’ 200m finals. He ended the race in first with a time of 21.55 seconds.
His schoolmate Th’Ron Petit-Frere trailed for second in 21.95 seconds and the Stingrays’ Devon Alexis clinched the third spot in 22.32 seconds.
CR Walker’s Johnathon Higgs was impressive in the under-17 boys’ 200m finals. He produced a winning time of 22.14 seconds which was a little over the CARIFTA-qualifying standard of 22.08 seconds.
Higgs also picked up another win in the under17 boys’ 400m hurdles, clocking 57.73 seconds in the race.
Field Events
Shawnovia Moxey, representing CV Bethel, was the top performer in the under-17 girls’ javelin throw event. She pulled off a winning heave of 20.41m. RM Bailey’s Rania Douglas fell to second with
her throw of 18.83m. Her schoolmate Lazara Merlander ended the event in third at 18.17m.
The Stingrays were also successful in the under-17 boys’ shot put event.
Davario Symonette got the victory with a toss of 12.08m.
Gabriel Jordan, competing for Doris Johnson, nabbed the second spot with a throwing distance of 12.00m.
The Stingrays’ Kaiden Kemp turned in a throw of 10.63m for third overall.
The 2025 GSSSA Track and Field Championships is now in the history books with the SC McPherson Sharks and CV Bethel Stingrays running away with the junior and senior division trophies respectively.
Next up for track and field will be the National High School Track and Field Championships slated for March 20-23 at the original Thomas A Robinson Stadium.
A star is rising for The Bahamas in tennis
YOUNG, up and coming tennis phenom Khai Rees has been invited to play in his first professional tennis tournament at the age of 17. Khai is making his debut into the pro ranks at the ITF M15 Heraklion in Crete, Greece March 17-23. Khai was given a wildcard entry. This is the first level of professional ATP tour play.
The M15 Heraklion is an ITF-sanctioned event and is a Futures level tournament for top tennis propects from around the world who want to go pro.
Khai, who has been training with his coaches at the AXIS Tennis Academy in Delray Beach, Florida is viewed as someone to watch.
Axis Tennis Academy is the same place that another Bahamian breakout tennis star, Justin Roberts, trained under. Axis is a proven pathway to the best colleges in the United States.
it was initially established in South Florida to provide a hub for ambitious tennis players with a goal of either
representing a top US college or competing in the professional tennis game. With a proven track record for developing and improving players, Axis Tennis has become one of the highest achieving tennis programmes in the United States.
The M15 Heraklion is a Level 2 Futures event and gives up and coming tennis propects the opportunity to establish themselves on the circuit. Khai, who developed an interest in tennis from an early age, has shown tremendous promise. He has been closely watched by the Bahamas Lawn Tennis Association and his local coach, and has been included in their subvention programme to assist with his training. Although that is still being worked on by the Ministry and the BLTA, Khai is not undaunted in his quest to be an outstanding tennis player and represent The Bahamas on the world stage. This tennis tournament is being
played at the Lyttos Beach Sportscenter in the Lyttos Beach Hotel, Hersonissos, Heraklion, Crete, Greece. The tournament director is Antonis Kalaitzakis and Khai is excited to have the opportunity to play in this Futures event and represent The Bahamas.
Young Khai has been playing tennis and representing The Bahamas from he was nine years old. He
has shown a knack for the game and his parents got him enrolled in tennis. His local coach Marvin Rolle has been working with him up to his move to the US and he started training at Axis. His personal coach Sergio Martinez in Florida has been keeping a sharp eye on his development and believes that Khai is ready to test the waters in top international tennis
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World Indoor Championships in Nanjing, China, March 21-23 where she will join her sister world indoor record holder Devynne Charlton, who will be defending her title in the women’s 60m hurdles.
Also named to the team are Olympian hurdler Denisha Cartwright, sprinter Camille Rutherford and Olympic quarter-miler Wendell Miller.
The head coach Bernard Rolle and the manager is Foster Dorsett. Dr Kent Bazard will be the team doctor and BAAA president Drumeco Archer will head the delegation. Andrews, a junior at Texas Tech, was sixth in the men’s 60m hurdles in a time of 7.56 seconds. The race was won by Ja’Kobe Tharp, a sophomore at Auburn, in 7.45.
“I feel pretty good for the most part, obviously not satisfied but I do believe in the Lord having bigger and better opportunities for me,” Andrews said.
“The indoor national is the hardest meet to make and made it every year so I have to something right. I felt like I could’ve been cleaner but outdoors we move.”
The 21-year-old Andrews was a part of an 18-member track team that represented the Bahamas at last year’s Summer Olympic Games in Paris, France where he made it to the semifinal of the 100m hurdles, placing eighth in his heat in 13.43. And Javonya Valcourt competed for the University of Tennessee in the women’s 400m where she finished 12th overall in the preliminaries in 52.31, which was short of making the top eight to advance to the final.
Valcourt, 20, who ran out of the second of four heats in lane three, did the first of the two-lap race in 23.94 to move into second, but on the last lap, she was dropped to third and finished in that position.
Eila Onojuvwevwo, a junior at LSU, took the tape in 51.61 with Rachel Joseph, a junior at Iowa State coming in second in 51.86, as they both advanced.
Valcourt, 20, came back and ran the second fastest split of 50.75, anchoring Tennessee to a third-place finish in the last of three heats for third place overall in 3:27.25.
Her team-mates included Cydney Wright, who led off in 54.11, Brianna White on second in 50.70 and Esther Joseph on third in 51.71, as Tennessee ended up fourth overall.
tournaments where he will meet some of the best propects in the world. Khai was a top student at SAC with a GPA of 3.6 up until the 10th grade, when he left to continue his studies in the US. He moved to Laurel Springs School in Florida, where he can get a better foothold on his career in tennis.
So far everything looks promising as his first invitation to a Futures event is through a wild card entry, where only a few of these are given out to exceptional players.
The tournament is already underway in Crete, Greece, and Khai is well on his way to establishing his career in pro tennis. The sky is the limit but most Bahamians have a more difficult task of getting the opportunities to develop their skills to be world renowned. Only through the support and love of their parents, local coaches and strangers who see the potential early, they get these opportunities.
Last year, Valcourt was a part of the Bahamas’ mixed 4 x 400m relay team that included Miller, Alonzo Russell and Quincy Penn. The team didn’t make it out of the preliminary round, running 3:14.58 for eighth place.
Khai is the son of local accountant and businessman Nicholas Rees, a former two-time Olympic swimmer for The Bahamas, and his wife Petra. Khai has two siblings, Kingston Rees, another outstanding tennis prodigy and a national team member and Kashta Rees, an up and coming young swimmer.
We look forward to many more great things and achievements from Khai Rees.
TRACK & FIELD CHAMPIONS: The CV Bethel Stingrays stunned the CR Walker Knights to win the GSSSA Track and Field Championship at the original Thomas A Robinson Stadium.
KHAI Rees working out under the watchful eyes of his coach in the US Sergio Martinez.
KHAI Rees in action during a previous tournament.
Klay Thompson scores 21 points for injury-depleted Mavericks in 130125 loss to 76ers
By SCHUYLER DIXON
AP Sports Writer
DALLAS (AP) — Quentin Grimes scored 28 points in his first game against his former team and the Philadelphia 76ers beat the Dallas Mavericks 130-125 in a matchup of injury-depleted clubs yesterday.
Jalen Hood-Schifino added 19 points as the Sixers won for just the third time in 18 games.
P.J. Washington Jr. had 29 points and 12 rebounds
for Dallas after missing the previous eight games with a sprained right ankle. Klay Thompson and Naji Marshall scored 21 apiece.
The defending Western Conference champion
Mavericks dropped a season-worst three games under .500. Their lead for 10th, and the West’s final play-in spot, is one game over Phoenix, which played later at the Los Angeles Lakers.
The teams had 19 players between them listed as out on the injury report,
headlined by Kyrie Irving and Anthony Davis for Dallas and Joel Embiid, Paul George and Tyrese Maxey for the Sixers.
Grimes joined Philadelphia in the “other” deal the Mavs made before the trade deadline. That was two days after Dallas infuriated its fan base by sending superstar Luka Doncic to the Lakers for Davis in early February.
Takeaways
76ers: Injured centre
Andre Drummond paid tribute to retired Mavericks
superstar Dirk Nowitzki by
wearing a T-shirt featuring the 7-foot German’s one-legged, fadeaway shot. That’s the pose used in Nowitzki’s statue outside the arena.
Mavericks: The missing star power was on display with Irving (season-ending torn ACL) and Davis
(strained groin) on the bench in street clothes. Embiid, George and Maxey weren’t with the Sixers for the start of a six-game road trip, which matches their longest of the season.
throws for a
with 25 seconds left
Thunder’s Gilgeous-Alexander scores 48 in win over Pistons
DETROIT (AP) — Shai
Gilgeous-Alexander scored 48 points and the Oklahoma City Thunder beat the Detroit Pistons 113-107 on Saturday night.
Gilgeous-Alexander shot 17 of 26 from the floor, including 4 of 6 from 3-point range, and added six assists and three steals for Oklahoma City, which won for the ninth time in 10 games.
Cason Wallace added 20 points for Thunder, and Isaiah Hartenstein had 12 points and 10 rebounds.
Detroit’s Cade Cunningham matched a season low with 11 points on 5-of18 shooting before being ejected for arguing calls late in the third quarter.
Tobias Harris led the Pistons with 18 points, while reserve Dennis Schroder had 17 points and 11 assists in place of Cunningham.
Detroit trailed 91-75 until Malik Beasley’s buzzerbeating layup at the end of the third quarter. His 3-pointer pulled the Pistons within 98-97 with 4:16 left.
Gilgeous-Alexander answered with a 3, a runner in the lane and a layup to make it 106-100 with 2:07 left before setting up Wallace for a clinching 3-pointer.
CELTICS 115, NETS 113 NEW YORK (AP) — Kristaps Porzingis scored 24 points in his return from an eight-game absence with an illness, getting 14 in the fourth quarter to help Boston hold off Brooklyn.
Payton Pritchard added 22 points and Jayson Tatum had 20 points, eight rebounds and eight assists for the Celtics, who seemed headed for an easy night after a 25-7 run to open the second quarter gave them a 21-point lead. The Nets cut it to two in the fourth quarter before Porzingis made some clutch plays in his first game since Feb. 26.
The Celtics rested Derrick White and Al Horford a night after winning in Miami and clinching a playoff spot, then lost Jaylen Brown in the second half
after he left with back spasms.
Pritchard, who set the NBA single-season record during the game with his 219th 3-pointer off the bench, made three free throws in the closing seconds.
Cam Johnson scored 23 points and Keon Johnson had 21 for the Nets, who lost for the 10th time in 11 games.
GRIZZLIES 125, HEAT 91
MEMPHIS, Tenn. (AP) — Jaren Jackson Jr. had 31 points, Desmond Bane added 22 points, 10 rebounds and eight assists as Memphis led from start to finish in a victory over Miami.
Jackson shot 13 of 18 from the field as the Grizzlies won for the fifth time in their last six games. Zach Edey and Brandon Clarke added 12 each for Memphis.
Kel’el Ware led the Heat with 19 points and 11 rebounds, while Bam Adebayo added 18 points. Kyle Anderson and Jaime Jaquez Jr. had 13 points each as the Heat lost their seventh straight.
With Ja Morant, sitting out with a lingering sore right shoulder, Memphis relied on Jackson, who had 23 points at the half. The Grizzlies’ lead reached 18 before Memphis carried a 63-48 lead into the locker room at the half.
Memphis was still shooting 55% from the field midway through the fourth quarter as the lead continued to swell.
BUCKS 126, PACERS 119
MILWAUKEE (AP) — Giannis Antetokounmpo had 34 points, 10 rebounds and seven assists before fouling out and Milwaukee defeated Indiana.
After trailing 105-84 with 11 minutes left, Indiana made a frantic comeback and cut Milwaukee’s lead to 122-119 on Andrew Nembhard’s 3-pointer with 12.5 seconds remaining. The Bucks had led 117106 when Antetokounmpo fouled out with 2:46 left.
Taurean Prince and Kevin Porter Jr. went 4 of 4 on free-throw attempts down the stretch to preserve the Bucks’ victory.
Damian Lillard added 25 points, 10 rebounds and eight assists as the Bucks (38-28) took a one-game lead over Indiana in the race for fourth place in the Eastern Conference standings and home-court advantage in the first round of the playoffs. The Bucks went 3-1 against the Pacers this season and would own the head-to-head tiebreaker if they end up with the same record.
Aaron Nesmith scored 30, Pascal Siakam 26 and Tyrese Haliburton 24 for the Pacers. Haliburton also had 15 assists to match his season high.
ROCKETS 117, BULLS 114
HOUSTON (AP) — Jalen Green scored 28 points and Houston extended their winning
streak to six straight games with a victory over Chicago. Green also added six rebounds for the Rockets.
Alperen Sengun scored 24 points while adding 15 rebounds. Fred VanVleet shot 8 for 20 (5 for 14 from 3-point range) and 2 of 4 from the free-throw line to finish with 23 points.
Coby White led the way for the Bulls with 23 points, seven rebounds and four assists. Tre Jones finished with 19 points and six assists for Chicago.
VanVleet put up 18 second-quarter points for the Rockets, who trailed 65-60 at halftime. The Rockets took the lead for good with 5:52 remaining in the fourth quarter on a 3-pointer from Green to make it a 100-98 game.
WARRIORS 97, KNICKS 94
SAN FRANCISCO (AP)
— Stephen Curry had 28 points, seven rebounds and five assists two days after becoming the first player
in NBA history with 4,000 3-pointers and a day after turning 37, leading Golden State past New York.
Steve Kerr became the Warriors’ regular-season victory leader, passing late Hall of Famer Al Attles with his 558th victory in his 11th season. He was recognized on the scoreboard after the final buzzer followed by congratulations from some of his coaching colleagues.
Golden State won its seventh straight overall — and at home — and 12th in 13.
Karl-Anthony Towns had 29 points and 12 rebounds for New York. He hit a timely 3-pointer with 4:38 to play before fouling out late. Towns dunked over Jimmy Butler to start the game. Butler again did a little bit of everything with 11 points, seven assists and six rebounds. The Warriors are 14-2 with Butler since he made his debut Feb. 8 and 14-1 in games he has played.
SPURS
119, PELICANS 115
SAN ANTONIO (AP)
—Devin Vassell scored 22 points and San Antonio held on to beat New Orleans.
Keldon Johnson and Harrison Barnes each had 19 points for San Antonio and Stephon Castle added 17.
C.J. McCollum had 26 points, nine assists and seven rebounds for the Pelicans, who were without Zion Williamson. The team said the star power forward sat out because of personal reasons.
McCollum shot 5 for 12 on 3-pointers, including 4 for 5 while scoring 14 points in the second quarter. Trey Murphy III scored 20 points.
The Spurs were without Victor Wembanyama (blood clot in right shoulder) and De’Aaron Fox (left pinkie tendon damage).
New Orleans opened the second half on a 15-7 run to take their largest lead at 73-65. San Antonio responded by closing the third quarter on a 25-8 run. Jeremy Sochan banked in a 3-pointer from halfcourt to give the Spurs a 92-83 lead entering the fourth.
WIZARDS 126, NUGGETS 123 DENVER (AP) — Jordan Poole hit a 3-pointer with 2.1 seconds left to give Washington a victory over Denver. Poole finished with 19 points. Alex Sarr led the Wizards with a career-high 34 points, six rebounds and five assists.
Nikola Jokic led the Nuggets with 40 points and 13 rebounds.
Poole’s jumper with 44.1 seconds left gave the Wizards a 120-119 lead. After Russell Westbrook’s layup for Denver, Kyshawn George made a 3-pointer to again put the Wizards in front.
Jamal Murray’s jumper tied the game at 123 with 5.1 seconds left before Poole’s 3-pointer for the win.
OKLAHOMA City Thunder guard Shai Gilgeous-Alexander (2) passes the ball against Detroit Pistons forward Tim Hardaway Jr., left, and Detroit Pistons centre Jalen Duren (0) during the second half of an NBA basketball game Saturday, March 15, 2025, in Detroit.
(AP Photo/Duane Burleson)
DALLAS Mavericks guard Klay Thompson reacts after missing a shot during the second half of an NBA basketball game against the Memphis Grizzlies in Dallas, Friday, March 7.
(AP Photo/LM Otero)
Olympic candidate Coe backs athletes calling for climate issues to be a priority in global sports
By GRAHAM DUNBAR AP Sports Writer
GENEVA (AP) — The impact of climate change on the global sports calendar will be a priority issue for Sebastian Coe if he wins the IOC’s presidential election, the former runner said Friday.
“If I’m successful next week that is very high in my in-tray,” Coe told reporters in an online call ahead of the vote in Greece on Thursday, where he is one of seven candidates to succeed IOC President Thomas Bach.
Coe said he stood “full square” with the 400 Olympic athletes who on Friday urged the IOC candidates to treat climate change as a priority. “There is for me an unmistakable need to have a really sensible
revisit of what the global calendar looks like,” said the two-time Olympic gold medallist, who leads track and field body World Athletics.
There is a broad consensus among the Olympic body’s leadership candidates to be more flexible in scheduling future Summer Games and other international events while continuing to promote sustainable environmental policies.
The next Summer Olympics are in July 2028 in Los Angeles, which was ravaged by deadly wildfires in January, though Olympic venues were spared.
“The reality of it is our oceans by the week are getting warmer, the climate is getting warmer,” Coe said. “Man-made crises — whether they are fires,
floods, whatever it happens to be — are causing major disruptions.”
Australia have been scheduled in July and August, which is the prime slot for broadcasters, including NBC in the United States.
World Athletics has already seen how heat can affect athletes, at its 2019 world championships in Doha, Qatar held in lateSeptember and in August 2023 in Budapest, Hungary.
Marathons at the Tokyo Olympics held in 2021 were moved to Sapporo to avoid the kind of extreme heat that was experienced in Qatar even when the races were held at around midnight.
“That’s not just about the Gulf or Africa, it’s everywhere,” said Coe, who has previously cited severe heat in Los Angeles at the 1984 Summer Games where he retained his 1,500 metres title.
Asked Friday if the concerned Olympics athletes and officials would be listened to, Coe said: “I’m not sure any of our voices are being heard at this moment.”
Coe, a former elected member of the British parliament, suggested “there has been a lot of backsliding” by governments worldwide in trying to meet targets to slow the effects of climate change.
The 2036 Summer Games — which NBC’s parent company Comcast signed for Thursday as part of a $3 billion deal with the IOC — likely could be held outside of July and August. The 2036 host has not been selected, though countries where Olympic officials are in early talks with the IOC include Qatar, Hungary and India.
GOING FOR GOLD: A LOOK AT THE POLITICAL AND SPORTING CHALLENGES FACING NEXT IOC PRESIDENT
By GRAHAM DUNBAR
AP Sports Writer
COSTA NAVARINO, Greece (AP) — An in tray of Olympic challenges spanning political, social, sporting and operational issues awaits the next IOC president who will be elected Thursday.
Seven candidates are competing in the first contested International Olympic Committee election since 2013 to replace Thomas Bach, who formally leaves office in June after the mandated maximum of 12 years. They include two Olympic gold medallists, Sebastian Coe and Kirsty Coventry, and the son of a former IOC president, Juan Antonio Samaranch.
Four are presidents of Olympic sports bodies, including Johan Eliasch from skiing, David Lappartient from cycling, and Morinari Watanabe from gymnastics. Coe also leads track’s World Athletics, organised the 2012 London Olympics and is widely viewed as the most qualified candidate.
Three are members of the Bach-chaired IOC executive board that meets today: Samaranch, Prince Feisal al Hussein of Jordan and Coventry, the sports minister of Zimbabwe who would be the first woman leader in the IOC’s 131-year history. Coventry is seen as Bach’s preferred choice to be elected by about 100 IOC members invited into an exclusive club from royal families, international politics and business, sports officials plus past and current athletes.
Here’s a look at some of the issues facing them:
The United States
The Summer Games is the foundation of the Olympic movement, where each of the 207 officially recognised teams competes. Fewer than 100 countries participate at the Winter Games.
For the IOC, bringing the world’s athletes together in the Olympic village is a powerful symbol of political neutrality and promoting peace.
The next Summer Games is in Los Angeles in 2028, in the final months of President Donald Trump’s second term. As the host nation head of state, he should help formally open the games at a July 14 ceremony likely drawing the biggest global audience for any broadcast in 2028.
A challenge until then is protecting what the IOC calls Olympic values, including gender equality and universal inclusion. American relations this year with long-time allies
like Canada, Ukraine, Denmark and Germany has cast doubt on how much warmth there will be for the U.S. as a welcoming host in 2028.
The federal government’s limited operational role for the Olympics includes security and border issues, including visas. A test of those plans will be the U.S. co-hosting the 2026 World Cup in men’s soccer with Canada and Mexico. Iran should be among the first teams to qualify this week.
The next IOC president will need nimble diplomatic skills, balanced with close ties to the Democraticleaning local organising committee, city of LA and state of California.
Global politics
The IOC has been closely aligned with the United Nations and the multilateral rules-based order shaping the world for 80 years. That is under pressure, from the U.S. and elsewhere.
When and how to reintegrate Russia in the Olympic family is pressing.
If these can seem uniquely challenging times,
Coe noted his career as a track champion at Moscow in 1980 and LA in 1984 was an Olympic era of Cold War boycotts and exclusion for apartheid-era South Africa.
“They always have been (navigable) in the past,” Coe said of the pending diplomatic turmoil.
Equality for women Gender equality has been a key policy of the Bach presidency: Equal quotas of men and women athletes, higher profile scheduling of women’s events, men and women flag bearers for each team, more women members of the IOC.
Coventry is just the second female presidential candidate in the IOC’s 131year history and the first with a chance to win.
Gender eligibility in Olympic sports is now a hot-button issue, fueled further by President Trump’s executive order on transgender athletes in the U.S. and promises to pressure the IOC, and coming after the furor and disinformation around women’s boxing in Paris last year.
The IOC had some responsibility for women’s boxing arriving in Paris with what seemed outdated eligibility rules. Those could be reviewed before 2028.
Stricter rules on transgender athletes — barring from women’s events anyone who went through male puberty — already were passed before Paris by swimming, cycling led by Lappartient and track and field led by Coe.
Some candidates in Thursday’s election, including Coe, Samaranch and
Eliasch have urged the IOC to take a clearer policy lead.
2036 Olympics host
The new president’s eight-year mandate runs through 2033 and all games hosts in that time are already picked. Even 2034 is decided for the Salt Lake City Winter Games and 2038 looks destined for Switzerland.
The next big decision is the 2036 Summer Games with high-level lobbying under way by countries like India and Qatar.
Doha would perhaps anchor a regional project with neighbouring Gulf states. There is no set timetable for a decision in the new, flexible and more opaque process designed by Bach which largely cuts members out of decisions, but limits the risk of vote-buying.
Climate change
The 2036 Olympics seem likely to move from the July-August period the Summer Games has occupied since the 2004 Athens Olympics. It can be a catalyst for a wide review of the global sports calendar amid rising temperatures and extreme weather.
With fewer options to find Winter Games hosts, Eliasch proposes in his manifesto to rotate among a select group of permanent venues.
Engaging athletes Olympic athletes could be winners in the election.
Coe’s World Athletics broke an IOC taboo by paying $50,000 to track and field gold medallists in Paris, and promises payments for silver and bronze in LA.
Samaranch wants to give athletes control of video of their Olympic performances currently denied to protect broadcasters’ exclusivity.
Athletes have long objected to the strict drafting of Olympic Charter Rule 40 that limits their commercial options at the games.
Coventry is the most recent Olympic athlete, swimming at the 2016 Rio de Janeiro Summer Games,
and was their representative on the IOC executive board from 2018-21. Her manifesto offers no new benefits but supports the established Athlete 365 programme helping prepare for their next careers.
Engaging voters A theme for some candidates is that voters Thursday want more input and active involvement in the IOC’s work. Bach’s management style is widely seen as controlling.
Lappartient called for more debating instead of just listening; Coe said “I don’t micro-manage”; Prince Feisal suggested unanimous votes that are routine “means there’s something wrong.” Samaranch offers members more say in selecting Olympic hosts. The members’ age limit could rise five years to 75. Coe even would let members vote in just four years, not eight, whether to re-elect him.
Every Summer Games from 2004 in Athens through to 2032 in Brisbane,
CANDIDATE to the presidency of the International Olympic Committee (IOC) Sebastian Coe speaks during a press conference following a presentation before their fellow IOC members in Lausanne, Switzerland, on Jan 30, 2025. (Fabrice Coffrini/Pool Photo via AP)
INTERNATIONAL Olympic Committee (IOC) president Thomas Bach, left, and IOC member and former swimmer Kirsty Coventry, right, speak during a press conference after the executive board meeting of the IOC, at the Olympic House, in Lausanne, Switzerland, Thursday, Jan. 9, 2020.
(Laurent Gillieron/Keystone via AP)
36-member swimming team selected for Carifta Games
April 23. Travano McPhee will once again serve as the head coach, assisted by Camron Bruney and Jasmine Gibson. The open water coach will be Allan Murray. The female chaperone is Therell Smith and Melvin Rolle is the male chaperone. Named to the team are the following:
Swim team
Females 11 -12 - Sienna Campbell, Skarlette Donaldson, Isabella Munroe,
Taylen Nicolls and Semaiah Rolle.
Females 13 -14 - Isabella Cuccurullo, Alissa Ferguson, Saleste Gibson, Siann Isaacs, DNDN McKenzie, Violet Saralegui, Kimaya Saunders and Skyler Smith.
Females 15 -17 - TiaIsabella Adderley, Lelah Lewis, Mia Patton, Elle Theberge, Zoe Williamson and Elyse Wood.
Males 11 -12 - Kai Bastian, Logan Comarcho, Da’Kari Cooper, Nitayo Knowles and Dexter Russell.
Males 13 -14 - Christon Joseph, Alexander Murray,
Trace Russell, David Singh, Kaylan Williams and Issac Wright.
Males 15 -17 - Tristen Hepburn, William Farrington, Ellie Gibson, Ayrton Moncur, Donald Saunders and Caden Wells.
Open Water Team
Female 14 -15 - Gillian Albury, Samirah Donaldson and Madison Fox.
Female 16 -18 - Madison Gilbert, Alanna Murray and Erin Pritchard.
Female 14 -15 - Lauchlan Menzies, Trace Russell and Kaylan Williams.
Female 16 -18 - Kevin Johnson Jr., Malcolm Menzies and Myles Saunders.
“The team is made up of all qualifiers and we are going down to Trinidad & Tobago to repeat as CARIFTA champions,” said Cargill after the Bahamas secured its sixth straight title last year at the Betty Kelly Kenning Swim Complex.
“I feel very positive about the team. It’s a group of outstanding people.
“It has a lot more girls than boys, but nonetheless, it means that the girls are performing.”
Cargill said looking at the makeup of the team, the strength is definitely in the 13-14 girls where they are allowed eight swimmers maximum and they selected eight swimmers.
“That is a very strong age group,” he insisted. “These are girls who have swum outstanding all year and they all made at least two qualifying standards for selection.”
Cargill is appealing to corporate Bahamas coming forth and supporting Bahamas Aquatics in sending the team off on Wednesday, April 16.
“We won CARIFTA six years in a row and we are heading towards our seventh straight,” Cargill said. “So, we are in a fund-raising campaign for our team. “The Bahamas has done well for the Bahamas and hopefully we get the support that we need so that the team can leave for Trinidad & Tobago.”
Unlike in the past CARIFTAs, swimming and track and field will be staged simultaneously in Trinidad & Tobago, although the two events will be staged in separate venues at least an hour apart from each other.
clocked 1:08.17 and Isabell Guccurullo of Alpha Aquatic did 1:09.94 as they both went under the
qualifying time of 1:10.99 in the girls 100m butterfly. Four competitors surpassed the qualifying standard of 3:04.98 in the girls 13-14 200m breaststroke.
Guccurullo led the way with 2:54.50, Kimaya Saunders of Mako followed with 2:57.09; Samirah Donaldson of Alpha Aquatics did 3:01.44 and Gillian Albury of Mako did 3:04.08. Saunders also won the 50m backstroke in 35.01 with Jaylah Threadgill second in 35.72, Guccurullo third in 35.84 and Donaldson fourth in 37.20 as they all surpassed the qualifying standard of 38.45. Saunders (1:18.71), Guccurullo (1:19.71), Threadgill (1:23.37) and Donaldson (1:23.79) all surpassed the qualifying standard of 1:23.88.
Saralegui also won the girls 13-14 50m butterfly in 3022 to attain the qualifying standard of 30.79. Mako’s Zoe Williamson, competing in the girls 15-17 100m butterfly, swum 1L05.64 to surpass the qualifying time of 1:07.09. She also won the 100m freestyle in 59.38 to surpass the standard of 1:01.61.
In the boys 11-12 100m butterfly, Dexter Russell of Grand Bahama won in 1:05.80 and Nitayo Knowles of Alpha Aquatic was second in 1:11.11 as they both went under the standard of 1:11.32. Russell also won the 100m freestyle in 59.71 with Kai Bastian second in 1:01.48, Da’Kari Russell third in 1:03.09 and Knowles fourth in 1:03.23 to all surpass the qualifying standard of 1:03.51.
In the boys 11-12 50m backstroke saw Bastian won in 32.37 and Russell got second in 32.69 as they both surpassed the qualifying standard of 33.45. Bastian also won the 50m freestyle in 27.46 to surpass the qualifying standard of 28.29. And he took the 100m backstroke in 1:11.25 with Cooper second in 1:14.46 as they both surpassed the qualifying standard of 1:16.75. Both Bastian and Knowles were clocked in the same time of 31.07 as they went under the qualifying time of 31.09. And Cooper swum 2:40.98 and Bastian did 2:44.79 as they both surpassed the standard of 2:46.98. Alexander Murray of Black Marlins won the boys 13-14 100m butterfly in 1:01.12 and Harold Simmons of Mako was second in 1:03.17 as they both achieved the standard of 1:03.18. Murray also another qualifier in the boys 13-14 200m breaststroke with his winning time of 2:40.38 with David Singh of the Barracuda’s second in 2:42.91. The standard was 2:47.99. Murray further accomplished the qualifying standard of 5:176.99 in winning the 400m individual medal (IM) in 5:11.38. He also did 25.54 to win the 50m free to surpass the standard of 25.89. In the 50m breaststroke, Murray won in 32.48 with Singh second in 33.19, Trace Russell of Mako was third in 33.22 and Christon Joseph of Black Marlins was fourth in 33.78 as they all went under the
qualifying standard of 33.88.
Joseph won the 200m IM in 2:23.22 with Singh second in 2:23.34 and although he lost his first event, placing third in 2:26.68, they all surpassed the qualifying standard of 2:28.99. Murray bounced back to win the 100m breaststroke in 1:14.15 with Singh second in 1:14.31 as they achieved the qualifying standard of 1:14.99.
Ayrton Moncur was the lone qualifier in the boys 15-17 100m butterfly in 57.88. The standard was 58.34. Moncur also won the 50m breaststroke in 29.65 with Tristen Hepburn second in 30.25 and Caden Wells of Mako was third in 30.26 to surpass the qualifying standard of 31.42. Mako’s Will Farrington clocked 2:33.88 and teammate Triston Hepburn did 2:34.03 as they both went under the boys 200m breaststroke time of 2:35.92. Sienna Campbell of Mako won the girls 11-12 50m backstroke in 34.67 to surpass the qualifying time of 35.28. She also did the standard of 6:01.19 in winning the 400m IM in 5:39.88. Campbell also swum 1:17.07 in winning the 100m backstroke to surpass the qualifying standard of 1:18.89. She also took the 100m breaststroke in 1:23.02 to surpass the standard of 1:28.21 and the 200m back in 2:45.58 to achieve the standard of 2:47.99. Saleste Gibson won the girls 13-14 50m backstroke in 32.48 and Alpha Aquatics’ Siann Isaacs did 32.85 as they both surpassed the qualifying standard of 33.234.
In the girls 15-17 50m backstroke, Elle Theberge of Mako won in 32.04 to surpass the qualifying standard of 32.16. Theberge also achieved the qualifying standard of 1:10.98 in winning the 100m backstroke in 1:09.36.
Rafael McBroom, competing unattached, won the boys 15-17 100m backstroke in 1:02.28 to surpass the qualifying standard of 1:03.41.
Eiyse Wood, also competing unattached, won the girls 15-27 50m backstroke in 35.00 to surpass the qualifying standard of 35.93.
Isabella Munroe of Mako won the girls 11-12 100m freestyle in 1:05.76 to surpass the qualifying standard of 1:06.51. Ellie Gibson of Mako won the boys 15-7 100m freestyle in 52.82 to surpass the qualifying standard of 53.26. Gibson also won the 50m butterfly in 25.54 to surpass the qualifying standard of 26.15.
Elyse Wood, unattached, took the girls 200 IM in 2:28.64 to surpass the qualifying standard of 2:39.36. And Mia Patton, also unattached, won the girls 15-17 400m freestyle in 4:47.42 to surpass the qualifying standard of 4:51.11.
BAHAMAS LAWN TENNIS ASSOCATION FIDELITY SPRING CLASSIC JUNIOR TENNIS TOURNAMENT GETS UNDERWAY
THE Bahamas Lawn Tennis
Assocation’s 2025 Fidelity Spring Classic junior tennis tournament got started this weekend at the National Tennis Centre where the two younger age categories took to the tennis courts.
There were new players to the junior circuit and the return of existing players in the under-eight and under-ten categories.
INDIAN WELLS, Calif.
(AP) — Russian teenager
Mirra Andreeva came back to beat No. 1-ranked Aryna Sabalenka 2-6, 6-4, 6-3 in the BNP Paribas Open yesterday to make the 17-year-old the tournament’s youngest champion since Serena Williams in 1999. The 11th-ranked Andreeva improved to 19-3 this season — the most wins by a woman on tour — and collected her second Masters 1000 title of 2025. The other came at Dubai in February, which earned her a top-10 ranking for the first time. Andreeva will return to that upper tier in today’s WTA rankings. Revisiting a theme from her Dubai victory speech that referred to something rapper Snoop Dogg said when he received a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame, Andreeva told Sunday’s crowd: “I would again like to thank myself for fighting until the end and for always believing in me and for never quitting.”
“I tried to run like a rabbit today,” Andreeva continued, praising the way Sabalenka hit speedy shots. “It was really hard to just
The under-8 girls and boys competed in round robin pools.
It was encouraging to witness the talent and the enthusiasm on display at this crucial developmental stage.
The Under-8 Fidelity Champions are as follows: Girls Champion: Aja-Rinai Adderley. Girls Runner Up: Brielle Houlgrave.
keep up, so I just tried my best and that’s why I would thank myself, because I think I played a little part (in the win), also.” In the men’s final later Sunday, the 12th-seeded Holger Rune of Denmark faced 13th-seeded Jack Draper of Britain. Draper upset two-time defending champion Carlos Alcaraz in the semifinals on Saturday. When she dropped the first set against three-time Grand Slam title winner Sabalenka, Andreeva put her body into the windup after grabbing a ball, then angrily smacked it toward the stands.
Andreeva — wearing training tape on her right shoulder — played much better in the second set, particularly on serve, while compiling a 17-7 edge in winners. Soon enough, that set belonged to her when she hit an ace to hold at love for the first time all day.
In the third set, the teenager got started in the best way possible, breaking the big-serving Sabalenka at love. Andreeva took a 1-0 lead in the third with a toostrong passing shot that
Boys Champion: Finlay Bacon.
Runner Up: Mithal Amate.
Theunder-10 Fidelity champions are as follows:
Girls Champion: Zainya Davis.
Girls Runner Up: Ava Cooper.
Boys Champion: Tatum Culmer,
Runner Up: Finlay Bacon, In third place on the girls’ side in the under-8 was Alya Meredith and on the boys’ under-8
Sabalenka, a 26-year-old from Belarus, could barely even get her racket on. Andreeva ended the match with one last forehand winner, then dropped to her knees and covered her face with both hands. This was her fifth consecutive victory over a top-10 opponent, and Andreeva is now 9-5 against players ranked that high since the start of 2024. That includes two victories each over Sabalenka and No. 2 Iga Swiatek, the five-time
side Advik Melita and Cai Bowe emerged in the 3rd and 4th spots respectively.
In the girls’ under-10 division, Anjolie Meredith and Tatum Moss ended in the 3rd and 4th spots respectively.
The BLTA congratulates the winners, runners-up and participants in the U8 and U10 divisions. President Perry Newton and vice president Chilean Burrows presented the awards and are pictured along with the tournament referees at the winners’ podium. The second installment of the Fidelity Spring Classic will occur next weekend and the BLTA is excited to welcome the under-12, under-14, under-16 and under-18 divisions at the National Tennis Centre on Friday, March 21.
the final match at the
tournament yesterday. (AP Photos/Mark J Terrill)
major champion who lost to Andreeva in the semifinals at Indian Wells. “Congrats on an incredible run,” Sabalenka said during the trophy ceremony. “Great tournament. Great tennis.” Andreeva is the first player under age 18 to beat the women ranked No. 1 and No. 2 at the same WTA tournament since Williams defeated Lindsay Davenport and Martina Hingis at the 1999 U.S. Open. She is
also the youngest to win a WTA trophy by defeating the woman ranked No. 1 in a final since Maria Sharapova beat Davenport at Tokyo in 2005. Afterward, Andreeva joked about her prematch behavior with her coach, 1994 Wimbledon champion Conchita Martinez. “I know I was, as you like to say, a little brat, a little bit, in the morning,” Andreeva said. “That’s because I was super nervous. I’m sorry for that.”
Sabalenka also lost the 2023 final in the California desert and made light of that on Sunday when she was handed her glass hardware for being the runner-up — a similar but much smaller version of what the champion receives.
“I have a love-hate relationship with this place,” Sabalenka said. “I’ll just put this trophy on top of another one and pretend it’s the trophy for winning.”
MIRRA ANDREEVA, of Russia, holds the winner’s trophy at the BNP Paribas Open. MIRRA ANDREEVA, of Russia, returns to Aryna Sabalenka, of Belarus, during
BNP Paribas Open tennis
CONCACAF BEACH SOCCER CHAMPIONSHIP
‘Junkanoo Beach Boyz’ end up fourth overall again
FROM PAGE E1
experience going forward. “I think we have a lot of talent and we just need to play more games. We need more experience. There are guys like Brandon, the USA was putting two players on him that means they were doubling him so somebody was open so we are getting respect from other teams in that sense. They were pressing our keeper hard also because he is dangerous but the guys need more games, more experiences and more tournaments because in situations like it was yesterday 2-2, they are gonna know what to do,” he said Prior to the “Junkanoo Beach Boyz” loss to the USA, the team suffered a heartbreaking loss against Guatemala on Saturday night.
The Bahamas had a chance to prevail in the final moments of the game after Brandon Adderley was right on target for a bicycle kick with 20 seconds on the clock in the second period.
Adderley tied the score at 2-2 for the home team but Guatemala’s Pablo Crocker won the match with a right-footed strike at the 5th minute of the third period.
Crocker’s match-winning goal helped Guatemala to advance to their first Beach Soccer World Cup.
Adderley expressed that Saturday’s loss was deflating but now it is on to the next. “We just came from a 3-2 loss against Guatemala and it was a good game but we didn’t put away our chances. We came out today and just said we come to play for the fans because people love the sport and we just came out to show what we got. After everything, we are still gonna be training and ready for the next qualifiers and the next tournament,” he said. El Salvador and Guatemala were the top two nations to advance to the 2025 FIFA Beach Soccer World Cup in Victoria, Seychelles.
ON THE REPLAY: The Bahamas men’s national beach soccer team in action yesterday against the USA in the 2025 CONCACAF Beach Soccer Championship.
Photos by Chappell Whyms Jr