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‘SECRET PAYMENTS’ TO FORCE SARKIS OUT

Claim Baha Mar contractor gave money to government officials and their associates

By NEIL HARTNELL Tribune Business Editor nhartnell@tribunemedia.net SARKIS Izmirlian is alleging that Baha Mar’s contractor make secret payments to unnamed “government officials, their family and associates” as part of a scheme to force him out from the multi-billion dollar development.

The mega resort’s original developer said the allegation, made in an April 22, 2022, legal filing came as a result of new evidence uncovered during the legal “discovery” process as both

he and China Construction America (CCA) exchange documents in preparation for full trial before the New York State Supreme Court.

Mr Izmirlian’s BML Properties vehicle made the “clandestine payments” assertion as part of a new “unjust enrichment” claim it is adding to its original $2.25bn fraud and breach of contract lawsuit against the Chinese state-owned contractor. Its legal filing adds that the additional “cause of action” is being added with the New York State Supreme Court’s permission.

FULL STORY - SEE BUSINESS

REGATTA RETURN

OSBORNE: I HAVE BEEN WITHOUT A JOB SINCE MINISTER’S ALLEGATIONS

By RASHAD ROLLE Tribune Senior Reporter rrolle@tribunemedia.net DARNELL Osborne says she has not found suitable employment and has been “without a job and benefits” since former Works Minister Desmond Bannister made damning allegations about her in 2018.

She alleges in her witness statement filed in the Supreme Court last week –– her most detailed

account yet of what happened before and after she was forced to leave BPL’s board –– that she has since been subject to enhanced scrutiny and is currently considered a politically exposed person (PEP).

The matter has taken a heavy toll on her family and her health, she says.

Mrs Osborne, the former chair of BPL’s board, is suing the government for damages for wrongful SEE PAGE THREE

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‘ALL HANDS ON DECK’ CALL IN OFFICIALS MONITORING ‘SLIGHT WAKE OF US WARNING ON CRIME INCREASE’ IN CASES OF COVID

By NEIL HARTNELL Tribune Business Editor nhartnell@tribunemedia.net BAHAMAS Hotel and Tourism Association’s president Robert Sands is calling for an “all hands on

deck” approach to combating crime given that it poses “a major risk” to The Bahamas’ continued post-COVID tourism and economic recovery if not controlled.

FULL STORY - SEE BUSINESS

OFFICIALS at the Ministry of Health and Wellness are monitoring the “slight increase” in positive COVID-19 cases over the past few days and will be discussing ongoing concerns about the pandemic

‘EXPLAIN MONCUR APPOINTMENT’

By RASHAD ROLLE Tribune Senior Reporter rrolle@tribunemedia.net

THE Davis administration must explain what qualifies Rodney Moncur for a role as consultant in the Ministry of National Security, Free National Movement St Barnabas MP and Shadow Minister for National Security Shanendon Cartwright said yesterday.

Office of the Prime

RODNEY MONCUR Minister director of communications Latrae

at an upcoming meeting this week.

This is according to Minister of Health and Wellness Dr Michael Darville yesterday.

COVID-19 cases have SEE PAGE FOUR

INSIGHT

Rahming confirmed Mr Moncur’s appointment as a “violence interrupter” on Thursday following questions former Prime Minister Dr Hubert Minnis asked in the House of Assembly.

Mr Rahming said Mr Moncur has an extensive understanding of inner-city communities. He said it is important to use people with strong community links.

HOW WILL WE STOP THE BLOOD FLOWING ON OUR STREETS?

SEE PAGE FIVE

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PAGE 2, Monday, April 25, 2022

THE TRIBUNE

Mitchell: US crime warning has not affected tourism product

FRED Mitchell speaking at L W Young boys and girls empowerment seminar.

Photo: Donavan McIntosh/Tribune Staff

By EARYEL BOWLEG Tribune Staff Reporter ebowleg@tribunemedia.net AFTER the US Embassy in Nassau issued a recent security alert for Americans in The Bahamas, Foreign Affairs Minister Fred Mitchell said it has not affected the tourism product. However, he said, the Bahamas government is working to get on top of the crime issue.

Last week, the US Embassy advised American citizens to “exercise vigilance” in New Providence due to an increase in reported violent crime.

It noted that over the past month, tourists have reported four armed robberies to the embassy.

The alert noted that the armed robberies occurred both in areas frequented by tourists, as well as on site or in the vicinity of short-term

vacation rental properties without private security.

The embassy also said in recent months there has been an increase in homicides that are primarily gang-related and affecting the local population in areas of Nassau not usually frequented by tourists.

Mr Mitchell explained that the United States government has a responsibility to warn their citizens about crime trends. The Bahamas government also does the same for its own citizens travelling abroad, he said.

“So this is a routinely done thing which is done by governments for the protection of their citizens – citizens have a right to read it, to ingest it, and decide what they’re going to do,” he added.

“If you look at the evidence in The Bahamas though, people keep saying ‘are you concerned?’ Yes,

I’m always concerned about crime in The Bahamas and this government is fighting its darndest to try and get on this issue, but the fact is warning or no warning, hotels are full in the Commonwealth of The Bahamas so that should tell what the impact of these warnings.

“So, yes, we have to be concerned, but the fact is it has not impacted the tourism product. All we can say is that our police force, the government, and our citizens work assiduously to make sure we’re on top of the crime issue because The Bahamas is largely a safe destination to come to and I think the fact that tourists are here, they make that judgement independently of themselves but of course the US government has obligation to do what they do and tourist decide what they’re going to do.”

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TWO men were shot at a Grand Bahama nightspot on Friday, police said.

The Royal Bahamas Police Force received a report of the double shooting at East Sunrise Highway shortly before 11pm.

Responding officers were told that a group of men was standing outside the establishment having a conversation when they were approached by a gunman.

The gunman pointed and discharged the firearm in

their direction, shooting one of the men in his left hip and leg and the other in his left knee.

They were both taken to Rand Memorial Hospital in a private vehicle, where they were examined by a doctor, who listed their injuries as non-life-threatening.

Meanwhile, Abaco police are investigating an armed robbery that took place on Saturday. Marsh Harbour officers received a report about a robbery at a

business after 10pm.

Initial reports revealed that a male resident of Cooper’s Town, Abaco, was at the business when he was approached by a gunman who demanded cash.

The man handed over an undetermined amount of cash before the gunman escaped on foot.

A man was later arrested in connection with this incident.

Investigations are continuing.

THE TRIBUNE

Monday, April 25, 2022, PAGE 3

Osborne: I have been without a job since minister’s allegations from page one dismissal, misfeasance and slander. Nick Dean and Nicola Thompson, the other board members who were a part of her faction and subsequently forced out, are also suing the government.

Mrs Osborne’s lawyers have had discussions with the Office of the Attorney General about settling the case, but no deal has been struck and the lawyers are preparing for trial, The Tribune understands.

After the shakeup of BPL’s board during the Minnis administration, Mr Bannister alleged that he intervened in the operations of the company to stop it from paying Mrs Osborne’s personal bills, including make-up services and the installation of a home security system.

It was later revealed that the make-up services were for a BPL photoshoot and that other top BPL officials encouraged Mrs Osborne to set up a home security system after another board member mentioned a security incident at his home.

In her witness statement, Mrs Osborne said she took a salary cut of about $40,000 to be executive chair of BPL, having resigned as financial controller of the Insurance Company of the Bahamas.

She says her tenure at BPL had no incident until around May 2018 when Mr Bannister began questioning her about some BPL matters. These include the Shell LNG & Power Purchase Agreement; what she calls the “unauthorised travel” of then BPL CEO Whitney Heastie and board member Patrick Rollins; Mr Heastie’s proposal that BPL spend $4m to buy turbochargers; and Mr Heastie’s view that he had the authority to hire executive staff at BPL without

DARNELL OSBORNE board approval.

Mrs Osborne said she got a legal opinion from Higgs & Johnson attorney Oscar Johnson, QC, who agreed that board approval was required to hire and fire executive employees of the company. However, she said, Mr Johnson later recanted his position “after he gave indications that he had spoken with Minister Bannister or one of his allies.”

The Tribune understands Higgs & Johnson represents BPL in legal matters.

Mrs Osborne alleges that her role as chair of BPL was, in effect, reduced to an “ambassadorial” one when Mr Bannister appointed Mr Rollins executive director on July 13, 2018.

Her statement alleges: “In a meeting on August 2, 2018, the Honourable Thomas Desmond Bannister explained that he had specifically designed the CEO’s job description to ensure the CEO’s exclusive control over the second defendant and that he was upset that I and board members would waste money on fees to engage external counsel to get an opinion on whether the CEO’s authority exceeded the authority of the board and on the Shell MoU matter.”

“In defence of the board, I expressed to Minister Bannister that sound corporate governance, especially in a publicly owned corporation, mandated that the

board exercise an independent business judgement based on technical and legal advice in complex matters. In response, Minister Bannister threatened to demand my resignation or terminate me if I did not change my position.”

Mrs Osborne alleged that although then Prime Minister Dr Hubert Minnis told her two days later to “stay put at BPL”, Mr Bannister told her, Mr Dean and Ms Thompson to resign because he and Dr Minnis were “unhappy with the way the board was functioning”.

Mrs Osborne said she never resigned as chair and director of BPL. She said the proper protocol for terminating her was not

UNION: HEASTIE DEPARTURE FROM ROLE AT BPL WAS ‘LATE COMING’

By EARYEL BOWLEG Tribune Staff Reporter ebowleg@tribunemedia.net

THE president of the union representing staff at Bahamas Power and Light said he thinks the recent resignations of BPL CEO Whitney Heastie and Director of Human Resources Evis Missick had been “a bit late coming,” adding workers were “disrespected” for too long.

Bahamas Electrical Workers Union President Kyle Wilson said for more than two years, the union had been strongly agitating for there to be a systematic change in the executive level or directorship level of the company, especially human resources.

“We felt as if the company was not operating in the true spirit of industrial harmony,” he said in an interview on Friday.

“There was disrespect to the union, disrespect to the workers, disrespect to our industrial agreement, and just operating just unilaterally as if a union didn’t exist. This would’ve led to many publicised demonstrations, many public industrial actions, and sick outs from the union. The atmosphere at BPL was one of, I mean frustration, anger from the workers. A lot of people felt as if they were in Alcatraz almost when they came to work daily.

The feeling now is one of elation. It’s one of a new day. Persons feel a sense of relief and you know it gives hope that tomorrow will be a better day in the company,” he said.

Last Thursday, BPL announced that its board of directors received resignation letters from Mr Heastie and Mr Missick effective April 21. The board accepted the resignations.

“I think the new chairman is making the correct decisions on behalf of not just the workers but the

Bahamian people because we believe that decisions that were made by the executives were not in keeping with the best decisions that were before the Bahamian people in terms of reliable sustainable energy. . .If we look at the past weekend during the holiday there’s a lot of power outages to the frustration of the Bahamian people and these are direct results of poor management,” Mr Wilson also said.

Mr Wilson said the union wants the government and BPL to review the Wartsila deal as “millions of dollars” were spent to give a foreign company an opportunity to produce power in The Bahamas. In 2019, BPL invested about $95m in acquiring seven new generation turbines from Wartsila, in addition to building infrastructure at Clifton Pier to house them.

“To me it’s a failure in my opinion because there’ve been lots of issues getting the plan up to standard, getting up to full running capacity, and there have been many outages as a result of that particular deal,” Mr Wilson said.

“So the average Bahamian person doesn’t know that there are independent power producers. They think it’s just BPL, but these are (where) some of the main issues or problems of infrequency in terms of reliability comes from.

“So, yes, the union would have been happy that those persons would have resigned because it allows the company to bring in persons who are worker friendly, who are union friendly and not to say ‘hey, we’re gonna give the union whatever we gotta ask for or the company is gonna be held hostage by the union’.

No, what we want is for industrial goodwill for the labour laws of the country and the rights of the worker to be respected first and foremost. What we want is

for the union to be made knowledgeable and a part of these deals that go on.”

On Friday, Tribune Business reported that Free National Movement Leader Michael Pintard branded Mr Heastie’s resignation as “worrisome” and also raised misgivings about growing suggestions that Shevonn Cambridge, the Utilities Regulation and Competition Authority’s (URCA) head of electricity supervision, was viewed as the leading candidate to replace him.

Asked about whether Mr Cambridge was a potential good fit, Mr Wilson replied: “Thus far, I think the chairman is making the right decisions to move the company forward. I can’t speak to that per say, but what I can say about Mr Cambridge is that he is a career BPL trained employee. He came up through the training programmes in BPL and he worked his way up the ladder properly. So Mr Cambridge knows the company by the back of his hand as he worked in the field and he’s worked into various different parts of the company.”

He also said: “If they feel as if he is somebody who can help steer the ship back to prosperity, to reliability, I have no problem with Mr Cambridge being one of the people that’s brought in. Mr Cambridge is currently, I think, one of the heads of URCA and... so he’s something that the country can use. I do not want to see us being foreign dependent in terms of leadership and we have young dynamic Bahamians, such as Mr Cambridge, who has worked in big US companies… and has brought experiences back to The Bahamas and is fully trained by BPL and, so, why not? If not, why not and he is someone who should be looked at to be honest with you.”

Mr Wilson added: “If it’s to replace Mr Heastie or to be a dynamic part of going forward, the union has no objection in that regard. There’s no objection from the union to have someone of the calibre of Mr Shevonn Cambridge brought back into BPL in the interim to make the changes that are necessary.”

followed.

Mrs Osborne said Mr Bannister made “defamatory and misleading comments” to reporters in an infamous interview days after the new BPL board was established.

The witness statement alleges: “The inaccurate words spoken by Minister Bannister to the reporters wrongly suggested that I was dishonest, disruptive, incompetent, impaired the success of the boards of BPL and BEC, I misappropriated BPL funds for my own personal use and that I deliberately or recklessly failed to authorise the purchase of turbochargers thereby causing economic loss to BPL increasing load shedding and compromising the delivery of electricity to customers of BPL.” Mrs Osborne said the allegations subject her to the threat of investigations by international professional accounting bodies and to embarrassment given her previous position as president and chairman of the Ethics and Investigation Committee of the Bahamas Institute of Chartered Accountants.

She says the allegations have caused distress and significant damage to her professional reputation.

She alleges: “After taking a $40,000 pay cut for a public service position I am left without a job and benefits.

“I am unable to obtain any suitable employment given the fact that these allegations continue to hang over my head in the public arena.

“After dismissal from the boards of BPL and BEC, I was escorted into the holding room of the US Immigration at the Lynden Pindling International Airport. Prior to this I had worked in the financial services industry for decades and travelled the world,

but never once had been subject to this stress and humiliation.

“Four years later, I am still considered a politically exposed person (PEP) and most recently, I was subject to additional scrutiny for general insurance for my family business. I was recently engaged for specialised skills for a captive insurance fund, however, once my name was submitted to the Insurance Commission, additional scrutiny measures were undertaken due to questions surrounding the BPL probe. To date, a decision is still pending.

“On April 17, 2018, my beloved mother passed away. While I was still reeling from this loss, the minister and his cohorts were ramping up their plots and attacks.

“I have suffered tremendous economic loss, including injury to my overall reputation, in my profession as a certified public accountant and as an entrepreneur, resulting in catastrophic damages.

“This experience has affected me gravely in my personal life and relationships. At the time of my removal from the board, I had one child already in university and another one about to enter university. It has taken a toll on my family, on my general health and my mental wellbeing and it is my belief that it has aggravated a dormant heart condition for which I now need to have a hospital procedure in June 2022.

“I also lost the opportunity to join the group medical plan for retirees at my former place of employment by taking the public position at BPL and BEC. As a result of the actions of Minister Bannister, I have lost the benefits of full medical coverage and group medical insurance.”

PAGE 4, Monday, April 25, 2022

THE TRIBUNE

Officials monitoring ‘slight increase’ in cases of COVID from page one

MINISTER of Health and Wellness Michael Darville.

Photo: Donavan McIntosh/Tribune Staff

been trending low in recent weeks, with low single digit cases recorded on some days.

However, on April 23, 20 new cases were recorded and 17 were recorded on April 22.

Nine new cases were recorded on April 21.

Dr Darville was contacted yesterday about a timeline for when more COVID-19 restrictions will be relaxed.

In response he said: “The team at the Ministry of Health and Wellness is watching the positive RT PCR tests closely.

We are still concerned and will be discussing those concerns at the next EOC meeting this week.”

Asked what he expected to come out of that meeting, he said it was difficult to say at this point.

“It’s difficult to predict the outcome of a meeting three days in advance. But over the last few days we do see a slight increase in the RT PCR test and the data needs to be fully analysed.”

Last week, Deputy Prime Minister Chester Cooper predicted a further ease to virus restrictions in the days and weeks ahead.

Mr Cooper told reporters that Bahamians could soon expect

to see a consistent “reduction of the COVID protocols”, but did not disclose which measures are being considered for removal.

This comes as countries around the world continue to loosen measures due to declining infection rates.

However, former Health Minister Dr Duane Sands said there is a need for government officials to be cautious when rolling back virus measures, adding there is a high likelihood cases could increase now that the Easter holiday weekend is over.

“In The Bahamas, we enjoyed single digits case loads for quite a while and certainly over the last 14 days, we have seen our numbers inch out to the point where some days its five (cases), some days it’s 14 and some days it’s 16, but the average number of cases over the last ten days or so is seven or eight cases a day, all right,” Dr Sands said last week.

“And so, if you ask - can we say the numbers are decreasing? No, we cannot and if this is the type of data-driven decision making that’s going to define what we do, let’s call it what it is. We are doing what is popular. Our position, my position remains – understand that whatever decision you make, be prepared to pay the consequences.”

DISCHARGE OVER HITTING GIRLFRIEND MAN TURNS HIMSELF IN TO

By DENISE MAYCOCK Tribune Freeport Reporter dmaycock@tribunemedia.net

A MAN was given a conditional discharge and ordered to compensate his girlfriend after he pleaded guilty on Friday to causing her harm.

Darrell Forbes, 38, of Freeport, appeared before Magistrate Charlton Smith accused of causing harm to the woman in Freeport on April 20.

He pleaded guilty to the offence.

The police prosecutor said on April 21 at 12.25am, police officers received information from the complainant that while at a residence, her boyfriend struck her on the left side of her face.

The prosecutor said the complainant gave police a statement and requested police action.

The prosecutor said the complainant was seen by a doctor at the hospital who listed her injuries as not serious.

The court was also told that Forbes admitted to the offence.

Magistrate Smith asked

Forbes if he wished to say anything.

He told the magistrate he had hoped the complainant would have appeared in court so he could apologise to her.

He said they are both parents of a young child, whom they co-parent.

Forbes said that his girlfriend had hit him first after he told her not to come to his residence.

He said the two have been together for eight years and have a four-yearold son.

Forbes asked the magistrate to be lenient with him, adding that he is a bartender at a resort and had only been employed there for three months.

Magistrate Smith granted Forbes a conditional discharge. He ordered him to keep the peace for three months and to compensate the complainant $200. He also imposed a fine of $50.

The magistrate said once all the conditions have been met within three months for review, he will grant Forbes an absolute discharge.

However, Forbes is also wanted on two outstanding warrants.

He was charged on October 22, 2020, for being in breach of the Emergency Orders for failing to wear a face mask and properly securing his nose and mouth. After an explanation of what happened, Magistrate Smith cancelled the warrant.

The second warrant was in reference to driving a Chevy Cobalt vehicle with dark tinted windows on Coral Road on March 17, 2016. Forbes failed to appear in court on May 27, 2016.

The magistrate convicted Forbes and ordered him to pay a fine of $75 or seven days’ imprisonment.

A woman was also charged in Freeport on Friday with causing harm.

Georgia Wells, 34, of Freeport, appeared before Magistrate Smith. It is alleged that on April 20 she intentionally and unlawfully caused harm to Elliot Hepburn. She pleaded not guilty.

The prosecutor did not object to bail and adjourned the matter to June 20.

Magistrate Smith granted Wells bail in the sum of $500 with one suretor.

POLICE AFTER TRAFFIC FATALITY

By EARYEL BOWLEG Tribune Staff Reporter ebowleg@tribunemedia.net

A MAN is assisting police with investigations into a traffic fatality after turning himself in on Friday.

The incident happened after 11pm on Thursday night.

Superintendent Audley Peters, police press liaison officer, told reporters that a pedestrian was struck by a driver at the T-junction off Chippingham Road and West Bay Street.

On the arrival of the traffic accident investigation team, they found an adult male lying face down in the northern lane with “extensive” injuries.

Emergency Medical Services visited the scene and following their assessment, it was determined that there were no signs of life, Mr Peters said.

“Initial investigations in this incident revealed that the victim was crossing the street, from the northern side of the road and as he approached the

south side a vehicle that was travelling in a westward direction struck him, sending him into another vehicle,” Supt Peters said at the scene on Thursday night.

“The driver that struck did not remain at the scene.

It fled and we are looking for the driver of that vehicle at this time.”

However, in an update on Friday, Mr Peters said that a man believed to be the driver of vehicle had turned himself into authorities.

MAN ACCUSED OF RESISTING ARREST

By PAVEL BAILEY

A MAN was arraigned in a Magistrate’s Court Friday after allegedly failing to give his address to officers and resisting arrest.

Angelo McQueen, 31, appeared before Magistrate Shaka Serville on charges of failing to give a name or address to an officer and resisting arrest on April 19 in Ridgeland Park.

However, while McQueen initially pleaded guilty to his charges the Magistrate officially logged his plea as McQueen’s

subsequent explanation of the incident implied that he didn’t intentionally commit any wrongdoing.

According to the accused during his arrest for a traffic violation he complied with officers when asked why his vehicle had no proper identification. McQueen explained to them that he had just bought his vehicle and hadn’t had time to properly license it.

It was during this exchange that McQueen claimed that he had told officers his name, but while

trying to direct officers to his house to collect the proper papers for his car, he never properly clarified his address.

It was only after Corporal Woods, one of McQueen’s arresting officers, grabbed his wrist that the accused claimed he pulled away resulting in the charges he faced in court.

As the accused had no prior convictions, the Magistrate granted him a minimal bail at $500 with one or two sureties.

McQueen’s case was adjourned to July 27.

THE TRIBUNE

Monday, April 25, 2022, PAGE 5

Small repairs on 2,500 homes ‘soon’

SENATOR KIRKLAND RUSSELL

URBAN Renewal is expected to soon start small home repairs on about 2,500 homes in the northern Bahamas.

Deputy director of Urban Renewal Senator Kirkland Russell said Urban Renewal Revitalisation will enhance several areas to improve the lives and bring relief to residents of the northern Bahamas.

Senator Russell said when the team at Urban Renewal did walkabouts in Grand Bahama and Abaco, they discovered thousands of residents whose living conditions were still compromised nearly three years after Hurricane Dorian.

“Some may have received assistance from various NGOs and the like, but they are still in homes with leaky roofs and homes that are still compromised on the inside,” he said at a recent press conference.

He pointed to stacks of files on a table in front of him, saying they represented hundreds of the files of applicants and there were hundreds more, he said, in another room.

There are more in Abaco and Bimini who have also submitted applications.

“We intend to launch a programme to repair at least 2,500 homes and the programme will employ at its maximum about 800 Bahamians. And so this initiative is the first of its kind when you talk about the size of it,” he said on Thursday.

The programme is scheduled to begin in a matter of weeks, if not days, he said.

Another programme recently launched is the Beautification and Street Maintenance Programme.

“We intend to beautify especially areas outside the city of Freeport,” Senator

Russell said. “We want those areas to be just as refined, just as beautiful, and well-kept as any area throughout The Bahamas.

We believe that if we do what we ought to do, not just clean up, but beautifying and causing this to be a sustainable programme, we believe this will provoke and stimulate economic growth in these areas.”

Urban Renewal is also launching a GED initiative for those who have left school without a diploma and plans to introduce sporting programmes such as tennis, golf, swimming, basketball, track and field and baseball to its offerings for young people.

All Urban Renewal centres will be open and functioning by the end of this week in Grand Bahama, Abaco and Bimini, it was announced.

‘EXPLAIN MONCUR APPOINTMENT’ from page one

BAHAMAS NATIONAL TRUST MARKS NATIONAL PARKS DAY

THE Bahamas National Trust celebrated National Parks Day on Saturday with a host of activities in nine different national parks on seven islands.

Among the activities people could take part in were kayaking, snorkelling, birdwatching, nature tours and more.

For more information about activities held by the BNT, visit https://bnt.bs or the Bahamas National Trust page on Facebook.

Photos: Racardo Thomas/ Tribune Staff

However, as it relates to the recent consultant hiring, Bahamians have sincere Some observers, how- and legitimate questions ever, quickly questioned the regarding the clarity of move and appropriateness the consultant’s new role, of the selection. However, the requisite expertise and some in the Progressive more broadly could these Liberal Party have pointed resources have been used to the Minnis administra- and prioritised more effection’s decision to appoint tively. There are legitimate Omar Archer to a senior questions the Bahamian role at the Ministry of people seek answers to Works despite his own con- regarding the hire.” troversial past.

In December With his 2016, then Officolourful percial Opposition sonality, Mr leader Loretta Moncur hosts a Butler-Turner popular radio appointed Mr show on which Moncur to the National SecuSenate. rity Minister The appointWayne Munroe ment was seen frequently as controverappeared before sial at the time becoming a because Mr member of the Moncur’s conSHANENDON government. servativeopinions CARTWRIGHT Mr Cartdiverged from wright said Mrs Butleryesterday: “As the country Turner’s stated positions. continues to be embroiled In the past, Mr Moncur in a national security crisis has called birth control pills reflected in historic gun vio- “evil” and “cancerous” and lence, the Bahamian people was also a vocal critic of the are legitimately asking June 2016 gender equalwhere is the comprehensive ity referendum, calling the plan to address crime. Fur- exercise “witchcraft”. He ther, any questions relating erected a billboard outside to anti-crime measures his office urging people by the government in this to vote ‘no’ to all four perilous moment is mag- questions. nified and should inspire The justice of the peace confidence. has also frequently marched “We do believe that we for convicted murderers to must utilise all our talents be hanged. and know how to construct He declined to comment solutions to the crime issue. when contacted yesterday.

PAGE 6, Monday, April 25, 2022

The Tribune Limited

THE TRIBUNE

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

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Do words match the reality of crime levels?

THERE is a childhood song that goes “One of these things is not like the other…”

It might just as well apply to some of the commentary in Bahamian politics of late.

Last week, we saw the director of communications in the Office of the Prime Minister Latrae Rahming proclaim success in the fight to stem a gun war between gangs, despite last month being one of the deadliest months for murders in our history, and speaking on a day in which two people were shot dead.

One of these things is not like the other.

Speaking of crime, the US sent out a warning to tourists about the levels of violent crime in the country, along with guidance of what to do to try to avoid becoming a victim.

In today’s Tribune Business section, Bahamas Hotel and Tourism Association Robert Sands has responded, calling for an “all hands on deck” approach to deal with crime.

Mr Sands warned that crime poses “a major risk” to our economic recovery from the COVID pandemic, and said the warning was “a wake-up call”.

Mr Sands said: “This is a wake-up call.

Certainly, this is a major risk factor to our tourism sector if this matter is not addressed quickly, and we are satisfied it is being given the priority it deserves and even additional focus at this point in time.”

He added: “If unaddressed, it (crime) can be a major risk to our continued positive upward trend and, based on conversations we’ve had with the authorities even before this matter started, initiatives are being put in place and also a visible presence of Royal Bahamas Police Force officers not only in tourism communities but residential communities.”

Meanwhile, Foreign Affairs Minister Fred Mitchell had his own comment on the security alert. While Mr Sands talked of a major risk, however, Mr

Mitchell digressed.

He said: “The fact is it has not impacted the tourism product.”

Mr Mitchell said the warning was a “routinely done thing” by governments to warn their citizens about crime trends, but said “the fact is warning or no warning, hotels are full in the Commonwealth of The Bahamas so that should tell what the impact of these warnings”.

Again, one of these things is not like the other.

Mr Mitchell conceded there is concern over crime – it would be hard not to given his own Prime Minister having called a special conclave on the issue.

He said: “If you look at the evidence in The Bahamas though, people keep saying ‘are you concerned?’ Yes, I’m always concerned about crime in The Bahamas and this government is fighting its darnedest to try and get on this issue.”

He concluded: “All we can say is that our police force, the government, and our citizens work assiduously to make sure we’re on top of the crime issue because The Bahamas is largely a safe destination to come to and I think the fact that tourists are here, they make that judgement independently of themselves, but, of course, the US government has an obligation to do what they do and tourists decide what they’re going to do.”

Crime is obviously a serious problem in The Bahamas right now, and it is reassuring to see that where both Mr Mitchell and Mr Sands agree in their comments is the need to tackle the issue.

Are the levels of crime “a wakeup call” or something that “has not impacted the tourism product”? Well, those are two very different outcomes.

Either way, the best thing for all of us is successfully lowering the levels of crime – whether that benefits the tourist landing on holiday or the resident in a neighbourhood affected by violence.

Action is the important thing.

A PERFORMER from the Paraiso do Tuiuti samba school parades during Carnival celebrations at the Sambadrome in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, on Saturday.

Photo: Silvia Izquierdo/AP

The cost of hosting sport events EDITOR, The Tribune.

JULY 10th, 2023 will be our 50th anniversary of Independence — certainly we should celebrate and celebrate but let’s use some sense and purpose.

The announcement that it is the intent of government to sign a long term agreement with the IAAF for the staging of the World relays is firstly costly and secondly the times we had it here very, very, little economic benefit... the stadium was empty as was the Japan stadium the year we cancelled... so why commit $1m plus? No, PM, No to IAAF relays.

A 50th anniversary should be primarily a celebration of US, the people... the past, pre-Independence we must remember all aspects of that political era - the good, the bad and the changes. Since that first day of being sovereign unto ourselves - July 10th, 1973, and beyond – it is, or should be a personal private self

LETTERS letters@tribunemedia.net celebration — if visitors want to visit, all well and good, but the celebration should be US. Mention over weekend PM wants CARIFTA who ironically will also be celebrating their 50th anniversary — purely as a celebration of the youth of the Caribbean in Sport, I accept but the stadium here for the past games and this weekend in Jamaica empty so outgoing costs and little coming in although guaranteed a large contingent from Jamaica as usual.

Celebration of US has to include Junkanoo, but don’t try to spin that to attract tourists as this past Christmas and New Years finally proved to all that Junkanoo does not attract visitors... If there is one uniting expression it is to gather the ‘000’s who love to parade.

Carnival – Hell no, PM, especially not on the scale of your predecessor Christie and that waste of $10m which we are still trying to find where it went... Junkanoo in June-July, okay, but no uncontrolled gussie-mae carnival.

Organisers, remember there is alternative culture to The Bahamas other than the sole perceived junkanoo... heritage attracts heritage is exceptionally fundamental and culture did not start on January 10th,1967 we had plenty of it pre-1967.

On the night of July 9th on Clifford Park do we really need an hour plus religious service? Yes, we must say thank you, God, but that can be said by all the denominations in no more than 40 minutes.

Hope the officials read this letter and heed... waste not - we just aint got it.

J BURROWS Nassau, April 18, 2022.

Plea for Kietta EDITOR, The Tribune.

Dear Humane Society: I am writing on behalf of the dog on the street named Kietta to formally complain about the terrible conditions she is in, the way she is being treated, and my concerns. As a former owner, this is really unsettling.

Round the time of early August of last year, 2021, was the time I met Kietta; that was the time she escaped the shelter.

So I took her back, but it seemed as if the workers there were trying to get rid of her or didn’t want her.

So in a way, my brother and I were peer-pressured to adopt her, however my dad denied the adoption because he never obliged the decision to have her as a pet.

Ever since then, I

constantly see her on the streets eating garbage and animal faeces. I also noticed that she is injured on her thigh and right eye.

I went to the Humane Society recently to inform them on how she’s been on the streets, yet it seemed as if they know that, but do not care; they notified me that they feed her and not to worry about her. This isn’t all, she also constantly comes into my yard and digs a lot of holes as well as bringing in garbage from who knows where, into my yard. This upsets me and my family massively.

I would be grateful if you can kindly take Kietta back and make sure she is safe and healthy. Kietta is an extremely kind dog who deserves love as well as a nice home like every

other dog you all have at your shelters. It really saddens me to see her in this horrible condition.

I know she keeps escaping, so just have a special cage for her; Your shelter has many dogs, so I don’t see why she’s the only one making such a fuss. I look forward to seeing improvements and Kietta off the streets by the end of Easter break of April 19th or soon as possible, so I and my family don’t have to resort to any further measurements, moreover, to have a peace of mind.

I respect the Humane Society, what it is doing and hope to see more developments in the future. I thank you for your time.

ANGEL PRATT Nassau, April 22, 2022.

THE TRIBUNE

Chef in court on financial charges

By DENISE MAYCOCK Tribune Freeport Reporter dmaycock@tribunemedia.net A PROFESSIONAL Bahamian chef, along with two others, was charged with credit by false pretenses in the Freeport Magistrate’s Court on Friday.

James Lambert, 30, of New Providence, along with his common-law partner Birmaris Motas, 25, and her friend, American Estefania Sawyer, 30, appeared in Court Two before Magistrate Charlton Smith on two counts of credit by false pretences.

The three are accused of defrauding and incurring debt at Western Air. It is alleged that between April 17 and 19, at Freeport, while being concerned together, they obtained $443.10 credit by false pretences.

It is also alleged that

between April 8th to 12th, the three being concerned together with intent to defraud and incurring debt at Western Air obtained credit in the amount of $500 by false pretences.

Osman Johnson appeared on behalf of the three accused.

Lambert pleaded guilty to both charges, and Motas and Sawyer pleaded not guilty.

Magistrate Smith accepted Lambert’s guilty pleas, and withdrew the charges against the women, who are both non-Bahamians.

Prosecutor Sergeant Maria Fynes read the facts in court. At about 11am on April 19, a representative of Western Air at the International Airport contacted the Police Station with information from its head office about a passenger

MAN CLAIMED HE HAD FOUND LOADED GUN

By PAVEL BAILEY

A MAN was sentenced in a Magistrate’s Court on Friday to one year in prison for firearm related charges after claiming to have found the loaded gun that was on him when he was arrested.

Alex Charlow, 21, of Kennedy Subdivision, appeared before Senior Magistrate Derence Rolle Davis on charges of possession of an unlicensed firearm and possession of ammunition on Friday.

On April 16, Charlow was arrested at around midnight near a dead-end corner in the vicinity of a COVID-19 testing centre in the Frank Hanna Cleaning Company area after being found with a loaded pistol in his trousers. The gun was a black and chrome KAHR .45 pistol with the s/n: SG1717, containing six unfired rounds of ammunition.

In a subsequent police interview under caution the accused admitted to the offence, later pleading guilty with an explanation

in court to the charges.

Charlow claimed to both the court and police that he had only found the gun in the bushes on his way home from work at World Heritage Seafood.

He further explained to the Magistrate that he didn’t go home after finding the gun because he didn’t want to bring the weapon near his girlfriend.

Charlow also told the court that it was a mistake to pick up the gun as he had no intention of keeping it and that he truly regretted his decision.

Magistrate Rolle Davis in his remarks told the accused that he should have called the police immediately after finding the gun, as that is the proper protocol to be followed in this type of situation.

As such the Magistrate sentenced Charlow to one year in prison on both charges to be served concurrently.

Magistrate Rolle Davis also informed Charlow that he had the right to appeal his ruling within seven days.

WOMAN ACCUSED OF KILLING FACES COURT

By PAVEL BAILEY

A WOMAN, accused of the murder of another woman after a shooting in Pinewood Gardens, was arraigned in a Magistrate’s Court on Friday.

Elsa Ferguson was accused of murdering Necola Cox and attempting to murder Vernita Adderley.

Ferguson, 34, appearing before Magistrate Shaka Serville, faced charges of murder, attempted murder, and possession of a firearm with intent to endanger life. The charges are in relation to an incident that occurred on Sunday, April 17, in Pinewood Gardens.

According to an official police report at around 3pm officers responded to a shooting that occurred outside a building on Pinewood Drive.

Upon arriving at the scene officers were

informed that two women, later identified as Necola Cox and Vernita Adderley, were allegedly approached by a woman armed with a handgun.

Cox was shot multiple times in her body. She later died of her injuries in hospital.

In court, Ferguson was told that due to the grave nature of the offence, she would not be required to enter a plea to any of her charges.

The magistrate informed her that her case would proceed by way of a Voluntary Bill of Indictment, which Ferguson should receive on her next court appearance on July 29.

Magistrate Serville also told the accused that she had the right to apply for bail in the Supreme Court.

Until such time, Ferguson will be remanded to the Bahamas Department of Corrections.

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James Lambert, who had purchased multiple tickets amounting to $443.10, and that the purchase was confirmed by the credit card company as a fraudulent transaction.

While at the airport, Lambert told officers that his uncle in London had purchased the tickets, but he could not be reached at the time. Prosecutor Fynes said the police officer cautioned him.

She said police received additional information that tickets purchased in the name of James Lambert, Birmaris Motas and Estefania Sawyer amounting to a $500 purchase online was also confirmed to be a fraudulent transaction.

The prosecutor also told the court that Lambert has antecedents.

In his mitigating plea, Mr Johnson told the court that the accused pleaded guilty at the arraignment and did

not waste the court’s time and saved the cost of a trial.

He noted that while his client was convicted in September 2019 for possession of dangerous drugs with intent to supply, Lambert had changed his lifestyle and has been a law-abiding citizen.

Mr Johnson also stated that his client is the father of a six-month-old infant, with Ms Motas, his common-law partner. And that he is the sole provider for his family and supports his mother who is unemployed.

Mr Johnson told the court that Lambert is a self-employed professional chef. He said his client is remorseful for what has happened, and asked the court consider a non-custodial sentence and impose a fine.

When questioned by Magistrate Smith, Lambert said he lives in Nassau, but

Monday, April 25, 2022, PAGE 7

is originally from Freeport.

“I have not been to Freeport for seven years, Lambert told Magistrate Smith. He said he brought his son and common-law partner and her friend to Freeport because his aunt lives there and he wanted them to see his roots and where he is from.

Mr Lambert told the magistrate that he owns a food truck and operates a food concierge service in New Providence. He apologized for what has happened to Western Air, and to Ms Motas and her friend.

Magistrate Smith convicted Lambert on both counts. He ordered him to pay restitution of $943.10 to Western Air. He also ordered that Lambert pay a fine of $500 on each count or in default serve three months imprisonment at the Bahamas Department of Correctional Services.

MAN ACCUSED OF ASSAULT

By PAVEL BAILEY

A MAN was granted bail in a Magistrate’s Court on Friday on charges of threatening and assaulting the mother of his child.

Kenneth Brennen, 23, appeared before Magistrate Shaka Serville on charges of threats of harm and assault.

On Monday, February 28, at 65 Pinecone Drive, Sir Lynden Pindling Estates, Brennen allegedly threatened and assaulted Talia Duncombe, the mother of his one-year-old child.

In court, the accused pleaded not guilty to the charges against him.

Although Brennen had a previous conviction of a similar nature there was no objection to bail.

As such, the magistrate granted him bail at $1,000 with one or two sureties on condition that he sign in at the Grove Police Station every Monday before 7pm.

Magistrate Serville also advised Brennen to get his mother or another family member to act as a gobetween in any parenting matters with the complainant as the accused is not to have contact with any witness before his trial.

Brennen’s case was adjourned to July 26.

MONDAY, APRIL 25, 2022

THE STORIES BEHIND THE NEWS

THE SCENE of the homicide on Baillou Hill Road South last Thursday.

Photo: Donavan McIntosh/Tribune Staff

Blood on our streets

By MALCOLM STRACHAN

a warning to American citizens about the risk of violent crime.

An alert issued on KEVIN Andrews was Wednesday of last week reportedly standing at a said that four armed robfruit and vegetable stall beries had been reported in Gamble Heights when that had taken place in he was shot and killed on areas frequented by tourThursday. ists, as well He was not ‘Crime has hung as on site or the owner of in the vicinity over The Bahamas the stall, just of short-term a bystander for far too long. vacation rental spending time The alert from the properties in the comthat do not pany of people US tells us nothing have private in the area, we did not already security. when two men know – but it The alert got out of a also warned car brandish- does show the about the gang ing guns and stain that marks war that has opened fire, been going on our reputation killing him. in The BahaHours later, internationally. mas, saying in the Joe Far- Visitors who “there has rington Road also been an area, a man take note of the increase in who was on a warning may homicides that forklift truck well approach are primarily was shot and gang-related killed by a our nation with and affecting lone gunman. caution, and the local popuHe was appar- rightly so – our lation in areas ently working of Nassau on behalf of own people could generally not his company use such warnings frequented by for another and guidance from tourists”. company The embasat the time. our government.’ sy’s advice is He was profor citizens nounced dead at the scene. to be aware of their surThese are just two of the roundings, be cautious at latest killings to affect our night, not to resist any robnation. Last month was one bery attempt, and to keep of the deadliest on record. objects of value out of plain In response, it is no sight. surprise to see that the Warnings from the US on US Embassy has issued crime are sadly a familiar

THE SCENE of the murder in the Joe Farrington Road area hours later on Thursday. occurrence – though the drop in crime during the pandemic brought a lull in alerts too.

As the lockdowns have lifted, crime has been back on the rise too – and worse, now we find ourselves in the middle of a gang war.

Crime has hung over The Bahamas for far too long. The alert from the US tells us nothing we did not already know – but it does show the stain that marks our reputation internationally. Visitors who take note of the warning may well approach our nation with caution, and rightly so – our

own people could use such warnings and guidance from our government.

Too many of us are having to live in fear from the crime that affects our nation.

There have been too many victims already, and each of those has a family who will mourn and grieve for their lost relative.

Beyond that, there are those in the same communities as these victims, who wonder about their own safety or the safety of those they love.

There are those who know people who are in a

Photo: Earyel Bowleg/Tribune Staff

gang, or may be in a gang themselves, who wonder where the next gunshot will be aimed.

The period of COVID lockdowns aside, the simple truth is that crime has been a problem that has faced The Bahamas for many years – and solving that is not something that will be solved in a day, a week or a month. Long-term problems require long-term solutions – a young man who has grown up alongside fellow gang members is not likely to leave them tomorrow unless he is shown a path that offers a

real alternative.

Those solutions should also be bipartisan – so that a change of government doesn’t throw away one set of ideas for another, or take away that path a gang member may have glimpsed.

Until then, we will keep hearing about the next murder victim at a fruit and vegetable stall, or the next victim shot dead at his job.

We know the world is watching, but it is not the world we need to solve this for – it is for ourselves, and for the young men whose blood is on our streets.

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The sound of silence

ALL musicians, spanning whenever her back was the breadth of history, can turned to it. It dawned on attest to the fact that music her that it was because she has the power to heal. couldn’t see the phone light There is a song for every flashing. She also acknowlheartache and one for every edged that if she didn’t celebration. No matter the see someone standing at genre, every melody, chord, the door, it was difficult to tune, lyric and sound is discern that the door bell capable of touching the soul was ringing. Initially she and jarring or soothing our laughed it off but became every emotion. more concerned as she realOn a sunny day in June ised that it was also difficult 2009, at a subway station for her to decipher other while living in New York, sounds like the noise from I learned the true and a fan or the slapping sound enduring power of music. that rain makes as it hits the I regularly journeyed ground. through this station and Facing the increasingly always, without fail, there’d apparent reality that somebe a crowd of thing was people stam- ‘Mya didn’t wrong, she saw peding like a know that she an audiologist, coordinated underwent army of ants had a hearing testing and rampaging impairment until was stunned through the ten years ago to learn she forest.

But had 70 percent on this day, at the age of 25 hearing loss in the entire sta- when a co-worker one ear and 60 tion was still. asked her why percent loss in There were the other. hundreds of she couldn’t hear Hearing loss people stand- the phone ringing is common in ing around in her father’s whenever her total silence. family, dating As I walked back was turned back to her through the to it. It dawned great, great crowd, I, and grandparents. everyone who on her that it Even so, the emerged from was because news was as the subway she couldn’t heartbreakfelt a sense of ing as it was dread know- see the phone shocking and ing that news light flashing.’ she was told of some disthat she’d have astrous calamity had likely to wear hearing aids in both just broken. ears for the rest of her life.

The primary scenario Since then, she’s opted that entered my conscience, to only wear one in the ear given my location, was that where her hearing loss is there was another terrorist most severe because withattack underway. Everyone out insurance, one is all that was facing a small television she can afford. The hearscreen parallel to the exit ing aid makes everything stairwell. Near there, I saw louder but it doesn’t make a lady crying and I asked her hearing any better. It her, as calmly as possible, also hurts to wear it for a if we were under attack. prolonged period of time.

And she responded, matterDespite that, the first of-factly, ‘no’. ‘It’s much time she wore it she felt like worse’ she said, ‘Michael she’d stepped into a new, Jackson is dead’. The king more colourful, world. She of pop had died from car- could hear birds, the sound diac arrest. of ocean waves. What stood It was a tangible black out most was the beeping swan event that saw one sound her car made if she of the busiest subway sta- opened the door with her tions in the world, crowded key still in the ignition. with men and women both She’d driven that car young and old, black, white, every day for years and Asian, Christian, Muslim never knew it made that and Rastafarian, all brought sound. to a bombastic standstill. As Given Mya’s degree of I exited, I turned around hearing loss, her audioloand in shock watched as gist was genuinely surprised that same crowd grew that she had made it so larger and larger with each long without any medical additional subway stop intervention but, without depositing more passengers realizing, she’d read lips at the station. As the num- from childhood and that bers grew, I had the sense of enhanced her ability to being in a time warp where comprehend what people no one moved or made a were saying. sound. All there was, was But something had drathe sound of silence. matically changed that We often take for granted caused her to struggle that to appreciate an artist’s where she had once commusical ability, we must first pensated. So I asked her be able to hear their music. why, after all these years, Imagine never knowing was she no longer able to what it feels like to listen follow conversations or to your favourite song over ‘hear’ like she once did. and over again or more It was the introduction poignantly not ever being of face masks as a result able to hear your parents of COVID-19. For the rest or spouse say ‘I love you’ of us, face masks are at or the innocence of a baby worst annoying, at best, an excitedly calling your name. inconvenience we are willNavigating throughout ing to tolerate for our own life with hearing difficul- health and for the health of ties poses many challenges others. that are often overlooked But for Mya, it was by the general public. The world-changing.

Masks patient featured in today’s made it more difficult to report, hereafter referred to follow conversations even as Mya, suffers with severe when her hearing aid is hearing loss and she’s worn. She now rarely chosen to bravely share her engages in conversations story with you. that involve more than Mya didn’t know that she two people at a time since, had a hearing impairment in her experience, people until ten years ago at the get annoyed when you ask age of 25 when a co-worker them to repeat themselves asked her why she couldn’t more than once. hear the phone ringing

INSIGHT

MONDAY, APRIL 25, 2022 PAGE 9

By DR KENNETH D KEMP

Even at home, if her husband is talking to her with his back turned and facing the television, she knows he’s speaking but it’s muffled and she can’t comprehend what he’s saying.

It’s a daily frustration and many people don’t appreciate her struggle. She feels embarrassed about it but fortunately her husband is incredibly understanding because his brother is deaf.

Mya’s brother-in-law lost all of his hearing as a baby when he developed a sustained high fever that damaged his cochlea, which is found in the inner ear and is pivotal in the auditory transduction process.

The same year that Mya got her hearing aid is the year that she met her husband. On their wedding day, she stood facing her husband and couldn’t read the priest’s lips, so when reciting her vows she had to pause several times.

When her husband discerned what was happening, he mouthed the words as the priest spoke so that she could follow along and understand what was being said.

She also feels blessed to work in the medical profession because her employer and co-workers are exceptionally supportive and often help her by writing down their needs for the day, speaking loudly or removing their masks when communicating with her directly.

Mya plans to learn signlanguage soon and wanted everyone to learn from her story that hearing loss is an all too often overlooked disability and she fervently hopes that the government will recognise the hardships the hearing challenged face finding employment.

With no medical options available to treat her condition, Mya will eventually lose her ability to hear entirely. She will be completely deaf in both ears.

She cries just thinking about it, knowing her life will change forever.

Her six-year old daughter has been tremendously helpful to her so she spends a considerable amount of time listening to and cherishing her voice every day knowing that her child’s laughter will eventually be replaced by the sound of complete silence, the same sound I heard in that crowded New York subway the day Michael Jackson died.

Although she acknowledges that this will happen, she remains hopeful that someday there will be a cure or in the very least

a treatment option that more effectively delays her symptoms.

As a Christian, she prays daily for divine miraculous healing. But until then, even as the colours of her life become dimmer, she plans on listening to as much Michael Jackson music as

possible and singing every word to every song with the tacit unwavering conviction of a woman determined to defy the odds.

This is the KDK Report.

Dr Kenneth D Kemp is the founder and medical director of Bahamas

Foot and Ankle located in Caves Village, Western New Providence. He served as the deputy chairman for the Health Council for five years and he currently sits on the board of directors for the Princess Margaret Hospital Foundation in his role as co-vice-chairman.

PAGE 10 MONDAY, APRIL 25, 2022

INSIGHT

EMAIL: insight@tribunemedia.net

The rejection of military aggression a CARICOM achievement World View

By SIR RONALD SANDERS

CARICOM states led the adventurism and expect not way in the Organization of to be roundly condemned.

American States (OAS) on There is an important April 21, 2022 in an historic lesson to be learned from vote to suspend the status the votes the 12 small of the Russian Federation CARICOM states and five as a Permanent Observer to of their counterparts from the Organization.

Central America. They Eleven other CARI- showed that small states, COM countries supported too, have a legitimate and Antigua and Barbuda and strong voice in the hemiGuatemala to help achieve sphere, and the world, to an affirmative vote from speak out for right and for 25 states of the 34 member justice. states. No country voted They did so in their own against the voice, speaking ‘It is manifestly as an echo to no resolution.

There were evident by its one. They led; no winners or they did not aggression losers among follow. the members against Ukraine, In openand permanent and the events ing the debate observers of the that followed, and vote on OAS. the resolution, The winners that the Russian on behalf of are respect Federation has Antigua and for the inter- violated the Barbuda, I national legal made it clear order, the terms under that we were authority of which its status proposing the international as a Permanent suspension of law and the the status of Observer had fundamental the Russian principles of been granted.’

Federation as both the UN a permanent and the OAS. The Organi- observer to our Organizazation demonstrated that it tion of the American States, cherishes international law, “with a heavy heart”. I peace and freedom, and explained that we would completely rejects aggres- have preferred to maintain sion and war as legitimate our relationship with the means of settling disputes.

Russian Federation in the By the vote, suspend- same way that we welcome ing Russia as a Permanent the preservation of our relaObserver, the OAS member tionship with other nations states recorded, beyond that we have permitted doubt, that they will not the status of permanent tolerate the violation of observer at the OAS. the sovereignty and terHowever, as events have ritorial integrity of states, evolved by the Russian and that no state, however, Federation’s aggression powerful should believe in Ukraine and the subsethat it should attempt such quent atrocities committed

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CEMETERY workers work on the tomb of Tetyana Gramushnyak, 75, killed by shelling on March 19, while cooking food outside her home in Bucha, in the outskirts of Kyiv, Ukraine, Thursday, April 14.

Photo: Rodrigo Abd/AP against civilians, including women and children, any choice we might have had in the matter had been removed.

The Charter of the OAS specifically requires strict adherence to four fundamental Principles which are: international law is the standard of conduct of States in their reciprocal relations; international order consists essentially of respect for the personality, sovereignty, and independence of States, and the faithful fulfilment of obligations derived from treaties and other sources of international law; recognition that every State has the right to choose, without external interference, its political, economic, and social system and to organise itself in the way best suited to it, and has the duty to abstain from intervening in the affairs of another State; and condemnation of wars of aggression. Adherence to these principles is required not only by the OAS member states, but also by the States that have been granted the status of permanent observer.

The Russian Federation,

like every other permanent observer, was granted that status in accordance with procedures which were set out by the Permanent Council on 27th June 1984.

That Resolution specifically says at paragraph 6: “That the Permanent Council may review the permanent observer status granted to a State when it considers that the circumstances that determined the acceptance of its request have significantly changed or no longer obtain.”

It is manifestly evident by its aggression against Ukraine, and the events that followed, that the Russian Federation has violated the terms under which its status as a Permanent Observer had been granted.

The integrity of the OAS – and its authority – particularly regarding its adherence to its own rules, required the member states to send a clear message not only to Russia but to any other powerful state that their contract cannot be broken with impunity.

Beyond these considerations, the aggression of the Russian Federation against Ukraine, and the violations of international

law, required the OAS, as one of the world’s oldest multilateral institutions, to demonstrate its disapproval, particularly as silence would serve to embolden other governments that might harbour ambitions of territorial acquisition and military aggression against neighbouring states.

Twice since the Russian invasion of Ukraine started, the OAS formally exhorted Russia to cease hostilities in Ukraine and, instead, to engage in dialogue and diplomacy. Instead, Russia intensified military action, resulting in huge loss of life, massive destruction, and the dislocation and displacement of millions of people.

There is no doubt that small states deeply sympathise with the people of Ukraine whose country is being torn apart, its people either killed or displaced, its future bleak and unpredictable. Small states also greatly admire the people of Ukraine for their courage, even as they weep over the destruction of their country. For, there but for fortune, go small nations.

That is why small nations of CARICOM and Central America could not remain silent or ignore the Russian aggression, and it is why they must raise their voices, now and in the future, against such aggression from wherever it comes.

A difference happened at the OAS on 21 April 2022.

Small states led; raised their voices; and let it be known that they will use their collective soft power to defend and uphold the values and principles that contribute to the security and well-being of their own people. CARICOM solidarity was the core of that achievement, showing how much more its member states could attain by collective action.

• Responses and previous commentaries: www. sirronalsanders.com The writer is Antigua and Barbuda’s Ambassador to the United States of America and the Organisation of American States. He is also a Senior Fellow at the Institute of Commonwealth Studies, University of London and Massey College in the University of Toronto.

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EMAIL: insight@tribunemedia.net

INSIGHT

MONDAY, APRIL 25, 2022 PAGE 11

RUSSIA FACES FIRST FOREIGN DEFAULT SINCE 1918 - WHAT WILL THAT MEAN FOR PUTIN IN UKRAINE?

By MICHAEL A ALLEN, Boise State University and MATTHEW DIGIUSEPPE, Leiden University

RUSSIA may be on the cusp of its first default on its foreign debt since the Bolsheviks ousted Czar Nicholas II a century ago.

On April 14, 2022, Moody’s Investors Service warned the country’s decision to make payments on dollar-issued debt in rubles would constitute a default because it violates the terms of the contract. A 30-day grace period allows Russia until May 4 to convert the payments to dollars to avoid default.

A default is one of the clearest signals that the sanctions imposed by the US and other countries are having their intended effect on the Russian economy.

But will it have any impact on Russia’s ability to wage war in Ukraine?

We asked Michael Allen and Matthew DiGiuseppe, both experts on political economy and conflict, to explain the consequences of default and what it would mean for Russian President Vladimir Putin’s war.

Why did Russia default on its debt?

The Russian government has a total of US$40bn worth of debt in dollars and euros, half of which is owned by foreign investors.

Russia had an April 4 deadline to pay about $650m in interest and principle to the holders of two bonds issued in dollars.

Russia has plenty of cash – it collects the equivalent of over $1bn a day from its oil and gas deliveries alone – but has limited access to dollars because of sanctions imposed by the U.S. The Biden administration had been allowing Russia to use some of the foreign reserves it had previously frozen to make debt payments. The U.S. changed course on April 5, when it blocked Russia from using dollar reserves held at American banks to make the debt payments.

That gave Russia little choice but to try to make the payments in rubles, whose value has been very volatile since the invasion.

If Russia doesn’t switch the payments to dollars by May 4, the government will be in default on its foreign obligations for the first time since 1918, when the Bolshevik revolutionaries took over Russia and refused to pay the country’s international creditors. Russia also defaulted in 1998 but only on its domestic debt.

What are the consequences of default?

When a country defaults on a foreign loan, international investors typically become unwilling or unable to lend more money to it. Or they demand much higher interest rates.

Whether because of higher interest costs or an inability to borrow, this forces a country to cut spending. Less government spending reduces economic activity, increases unemployment and slows growth.

While some of these effects, like weaker economic growth, are often shortlived, other consequences can haunt a country for years. Trade with other countries remains below normal for an average of 15 years after a default, while full exclusion from capital markets typically lasts just over eight years.

For example, when Argentina defaulted in 2001, the peso plunged, the economy shrank and inflation soared.

Riots over food broke out all over the country, leading to the president’s resignation. Although Argentina’s economy had recovered by 2007, the country remained unable to borrow from foreign investors, which led to default again in 2014.

What does this mean for Russia? The country was already locked out of international borrowing markets because of sanctions. A government official recently said Russia

PEOPLE walk past a currency exchange office screen displaying the exchange rates of US Dollar and Euro to Russian Rubles in Moscow’s downtown, Russia, on February 28, 2022. The World Bank said earlier this month that Ukraine’s economy will shrink by 45.1 percent this year because of Russia’s invasion, which has shut down half of the country’s businesses, choked off imports and exports and damaged a vast amount of critical infrastructure.

Photo: Pavel Golovkin/AP

RUSSIAN PRESIDENT VLADIMIR PUTIN would also avoid borrowing domestically, because a default would lead to “cosmic” interest rates.

But its significant revenue from sometimes-discounted sales of oil and gas may help offset the need for borrowing in the short term, especially if it can continue to find willing buyers like India and China. On April 14, 2022, Putin acknowledged sanctions were disrupting exports and raising costs.

Does Russia care if it defaults?

The Russian government has been trying hard to avoid default.

Until April 5, it was using its precious dollars to stay current on its bond payments. And before its invasion it had built up a significant reserve of foreign currency, in large part to allow it to continue to pay back debt borrowed in dollars and euros even amid sanctions. Russia has even threatened to take legal action if sanctions force it into default.

As odd as it may sound, Russia is likely worried about its reputation – at least among bond investors.

A default by a sovereign borrower establishes a bad reputation that can take years to rehabilitate, as Argentina’s experience shows.

And the long-term impact could be worse for Russia. The reason Russia is in this bind is because it chose to invade Ukraine, despite repeated warnings that doing so would result in severe economic and financial sanctions.

So creditors might wonder if Russia will always prioritise its foreign policy interests over the interests

of creditors and raise borrowing costs permanently.

If so, they may find it difficult to borrow for years to come.

Another risk is that a default may enable creditors to seize Russia’s overseas assets as a form of repayment. International sanctions have already enabled countries to seize or freeze Russian assets, which could be used to pay off outstanding debts.

One count suggests that 50% of creditors in recent sovereign debt cases have attempted to seize assets as an alternative to payment.

What does this mean for Russia’s war in Ukraine?

As long as there has been debt, governments have waged wars with other people’s money. In fact, debt has become so vital as a source of power that countries rarely fight without it.

Around 88% of wars from 1823 through 2003 have been at least partly financed with funds borrowed from banks and other investors. This reality even bleeds into fantasy worlds, like “Game of Thrones,” in which financing from the Iron Bank of Braavos is vital to financing the wars of Westeros.

Our own research has shown that countries that have defaulted on their debts or have poor credit ratings find it difficult to build military capacity and, consequently, are more reluctant to take up arms against other nations.

Related work has found that countries with lower borrowing costs tend to win wars – though this effect is stronger for democracies.

One reason is that borrowing allows countries to overcome the

guns-versus-butter tradeoff: More money spent on the military means less for its citizens’ welfare, which can hurt a government’s ability to stay in power.

Foreign loans can help overcome this problem, but losing access to credit forces a government to choose.

In the short term, however, a default is not likely to alter the outcome of Russia’s war – or force Putin to make any unpopular tradeoffs – especially if Russia is able to achieve its new and more limited military objectives in the eastern Donbas

region quickly.

This will change the longer the war goes on.

The war was expected to last only a few days, but a stronger-than-expected Ukrainian defense has pushed the conflict into its eighth week. Early estimates found that a prolonged war could end up costing Russia over $20 billion a day, including both direct and indirect expenses, like loss of economic output.

If Ukraine becomes a lengthy war of attrition, as some analysts expect, then Russia’s inability to borrow

money will weaken its ability to sustain, supply and reinforce its position in Ukraine – especially if oil prices fall or the European Union boycotts or reduces its dependence on Russian fuel.

Roman statesman Cicero wrote: “Nervos belli, infinitam pecuniam,” which loosely translates as “Successful war-waging capacity requires unlimited cash.”

And that means borrowed money. Wars usually end quickly without it.

• Originally published on www.theconversation.com.

PAGE 12, Monday, April 25, 2022

THE TRIBUNE

Talks on full school return

By EARYEL BOWLEG Tribune Staff Reporter ebowleg@tribunemedia.net

EDUCATION Minister Glenys Hanna Martin.

EDUCATION Minister Glenys Hanna Martin said officials are in dialogue with the Ministry of Health regarding when children can come in normal numbers to the classroom.

Students returned to school campuses with the hybrid model in January.

However, back in March, Director of Education Marcellus Taylor noted there were many schools doing some version of this model where students are on the

campus for three or four days a week.

The minister said on Friday she is in talks regarding children being allowed back to school “100 percent”.

She said: “Schools are open and it’s in a hybrid model because the Ministry of Health has advised that (the) preferred standard is three feet apart and they’ve given some indication that if you don’t do the preferred standard, you can bring everyone in, but I don’t know how we can advocate something that’s the preferred standard.

“We’re in dialogue with the minister of health to him when we can get our children in normal numbers in the classroom, but the issue right now is that they have advised the preferred health standard is the three feet distancing and so that has hampered us.

“I’m in active dialogue.

I spoke to him yesterday; I spoke to him the day before. I spoke to him the day before that to see when they see a green light to allow children 100 percent.”

The Englerston MP added: “Exams are on target” and she saw the

schedule posted in her ministry’s foyer. However, there are some other challenges, adding it is “not business as usual”.

“We’re creating a number (of) interventions,” she said. “We’re looking at the high school diploma in terms of how that’s been affected by the pandemic and what modalities can be introduced where the pandemic interfered with meeting certain things.

We’re also looking at learning loss and all these things.

So, we’re not in 100 percent normalcy yet, but we’re pretty far advanced.”

THE TRIBUNE

Monday, April 25, 2022, PAGE 13

France says no to far-right challenger PARIS Associated Press FRENCH President Emmanuel Macron comfortably won reelection to a second term yesterday, according to polling agencies’ projections.

The result offered France and the European Union the reassurance of leadership stability in the bloc’s only nuclear-armed power as the continent grapples with the fallout from Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.

A second five-year term for Macron spares France and its allies the seismic upheaval of a wartime shift of power to Macron’s populist challenger Marine Le Pen, who quickly acknowledged her defeat Sunday night but still appeared on course for a best-ever showing for her fiercely nationalist far-right policies.

During her campaign, Le Pen pledged to dilute French ties with the 27-nation EU, the NATO military alliance and Germany, moves that would have shaken Europe’s security architecture as the continent deals with its worst conflict since World War II. Le Pen also spoke out against sanctions on Russian energy supplies and faced scrutiny during the campaign over her previous friendliness with the Kremlin.

Several European leaders swiftly congratulated Macron. European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen tweeted that “together we will make France and Europe advance”. The Dutch prime minister tweeted his hopes to “continue our extensive and constructive cooperation in the EU and NATO”.

Polling agencies’ projections, released as the last voting stations closed, said Macron was on course to beat his rival by a double-digit margin. Several hundred Macon supporters gathered in front of the Eiffel Tower, singing the national anthem and waving French and European flags as television stations broadcast the initial projections of his win.

Five years ago, Macron won a sweeping victory over Le Pen to become France’s youngest president at 39. The margin is expected to be much smaller this time: Polling agencies Opinionway, Harris and Ifop projected that the 44-yearold pro-European centrist would win at least 57% of the vote.

Le Pen was projected to win between 41.5% and 43% support -a still unprecedented result for the 53-year-old on her third attempt to win the French presidency. Le Pen called her results “a shining victory”, saying that “in this defeat, I can’t help but feel a form of hope”.

She and hard-left leader JeanLuc Melenchon, who placed third in the first round of voting on April 10 and was among ten presidential candidates eliminated that day, both quickly pitched forward to France’s legislative election in June, urging voters to give them a parliamentary majority to hamstring Macron.

If the projections hold, Macron would become only the third president since the 1958 founding of modern France to win twice at the

SAN SALVADOR, El Salvador Associated Press

PRESIDENT Nayib Bukele asked El Salvador’s congress yesterday to extend an anti-gang emergency decree for another 30 days.

Bukele has used the emergency powers to round up about 16,000 suspected gang members, following a spate of murders in March.

Rights groups have criticized the measures, saying arrests are often arbitrary, based on a person’s appearance or where they live.

The original 30-day state of emergency approved in late March restricts the right to gather, to be informed of rights and have access to a lawyer. It extends to 15 days the time that someone can be held without charges.

It came after a spate of killings in late March, when gangs were blamed for 62 killings in a single weekend, a level of violence the country of 6.5 million has not seen in years.

Bukele has also established a raft of other measures.

Among other things, they lengthened sentences, reduced the age of criminal responsibility to 12.

LEBANON NAVY BLAMED FOR MIGRANT BOAT SINKING TRIPOLI, Lebanon Associated Press FRENCH President Emmanuel Macron shakes hands with well-wishers as he heads to the polling station in Le Touquet, northern France, yesterday.

Photo: Thibault Camus/AP ballot box, and the first in 20 years, Macron.

Ukraine. France has played a lead“It was the least worst choice,” ing role in international efforts to since incumbent Jacques Chirac said Stephanie David, a transport punish Russia with sanctions and trounced Le Pen’s father in 2002.

Le Pen’s score this time rewarded logistics worker who backed a com- is supplying weapons systems to her years-long efforts to make her munist candidate in round one.

Ukraine.

It was an impossible choice for far-right politics more palatable to Earlier in the day, Le Pen voted voters. Campaigning hard on cost- retiree Jean-Pierre Roux. Having in the northern town of Heninof-living issues, she made deep also voted communist in round one, Beaumont, in France’s struggling inroads among blue-collar voters in he dropped an empty envelope into former industrial heartland, while disaffected rural communities and the ballot box on Sunday, repelled Macron voted in the resort town both by Le Pen’s politics and what of Le Touquet on the English in former industrial centers.

Breaking through the threshold he saw as Macron’s arrogance.

Channel.

“I am not against his ideas but of 40% of the vote is unprecedented Appealing to working-class for the French far-right. Le Pen was I cannot stand the person,” Roux voters struggling with surging beaten 66% to 34% by Macron in said. prices, Le Pen vowed that bringIn contrast, Marian Arbre, voting ing down the cost of living would 2017 and her father got less than in Paris, cast his ballot for Macron be her priority and argued that 20% against Chirac.

The projected drop in support “to avoid a government that finds Macron’s presidency had left the for Macron compared to five years itself with fascists, racists”. “There’s country deeply divided. ago points to a tough battle ahead a real risk,” the 29-year-old fretted.

Macron sought to appeal to Macron went into the vote with voters of immigrant heritage and for the president to rally people behind him in his second term. a sizeable lead in polls but faced a religious minorities, especially Many French voters found the 2022 fractured, anxious and tired elec- because of Le Pen’s proposed polipresidential rematch less compel- torate. The war in Ukraine and cies targeting Muslims and putting ling than in 2017, when Macron was the COVID-19 pandemic battered French citizens first in line for jobs an unknown factor, having never Macron’s first term, as did months and benefits. of violent protests against his ecopreviously held elected office.

Macron also touted his Leftist voters — unable to nomic policies, which created environmental and climate accomidentify with either the centrist fertile ground for Le Pen. plishments to trawl for young With the EU’s only seat on the voters who backed left-wing candipresident or Le Pen’s fiercely nationalist platform — often ago- UN Security Council and only dates in round one. Macron said his nised with the choices available nuclear arsenal, the outcome in next prime minister would be put in Sunday. Some trooped reluctantly France was being watched across charge of environmental planning to polling stations solely to stop the 27-nation bloc as it grap- as France seeks to become carbon Le Pen, casting joyless votes for ples with the fallout of the war in neutral by 2050.

UKRAINE LEADER CALLS FOR MORE ARMS AND VISIT BY US OFFICIALS KYIV, Ukraine Associated Press

UKRAINIAN President Volodymyr Zelenskyy pressed the West for more powerful weapons as he prepared to meet with top US officials in the war-torn country’s capital Sunday, while Russian forces concentrated their attacks on the east, including trying to dislodge the last Ukrainian troops in the battered port of Mariupol.

Zelenskyy announced the planned visit by US Secretary of State Antony Blinken and US Defence Secretary Lloyd Austin at a news conference on Saturday night in a Kyiv subway station. The White House has not commented.

Zelenskyy said he was looking for the Americans to produce results, both in arms and security guarantees. “You can’t come to us empty-handed today, and we are expecting not just presents or some kind of cakes, we are expecting specific things and specific weapons,’’ he said.

The visit would be the first by senior US officials since Russia invaded Ukraine 60 days ago.

Blinken stepped briefly onto Ukrainian soil in March to meet with the country’s foreign minister during a visit to Poland. Zelenskyy’s last face-to-face meeting with a US leader was February 19 in Munich with Vice President Kamala Harris.

While the West has funneled military equipment to Ukraine, Zelenskyy has stressed repeatedly

EL SALVADOR PRESIDENT TO EXTEND POWERS TO STOP GANGS

UKRAINIAN medics move an injured Ukrainian serviceman to a hospital in Donetsk region, eastern Ukraine, on Saturday.

Photo: Evgeniy Maloletka/AP that the country needs more heavy weapons, including long-range air defense systems, as well as warplanes.

His meeting with Austin and Blinken was set to take place as Ukrainians and Russians observed Orthodox Easter, when the faithful celebrate the resurrection of Jesus. Speaking from Kyiv’s ancient St Sophia Cathedral, Zelenskyy, who is Jewish, highlighted the significance of the occasion to a nation wracked by nearly two months of war.

“The great holiday today gives us great hope and unwavering faith that light will overcome darkness, good will overcome evil, life will overcome death, and therefore

Ukraine will surely win!” he said.

Still, the war cast a shadow over celebrations. In the northern village of Ivanivka, where Russian tanks still littered the roads, Olena Koptyl said “the Easter holiday doesn’t bring any joy. I’m crying a lot. We cannot forget how we lived.”

Victor Lobush of Kyiv said Ukraine needs more weapons and financial support, and for Western nations “not to buy even a drop of the Russian oil”.

“Actions, not words, are needed,” he said on Independence Square.

The Russian military reported hitting 423 Ukrainian targets overnight, including fortified positions

and troop concentrations, while its warplanes destroyed 26 Ukrainian military sites, including an explosives factory and several artillery depots.

Most of yesterday’s fighting focused on the Donbas in the east, where Ukrainian forces are concentrated and where Moscow-backed separatists controlled some territory before the war. Since failing to capture Kyiv, the Russians are aiming to gain full control over the eastern industrial heartland.

Ukraine’s national police said two girls, aged five and 14, died in shelling in the town of Ocheretyne, part of the industrial region.

Russian forces launched fresh airstrikes on a Mariupol steel plant where an estimated 1,000 civilians are sheltering along with about 2,000 Ukrainian fighters.

The Azovstal steel mill where the defenders are holed up is the last corner of resistance in the city, which the Russians have otherwise occupied.

Zelenskyy said he stressed the need to evacuate civilians from Mariupol, including from the steel plant, in a call yesterday with Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, who is scheduled to speak later with Russian leader Vladimir Putin.

UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres Guterres is scheduled to travel to Turkey today and then Moscow and Kyiv. Zelenskyy said it was a mistake for Guterres to visit Russia before Ukraine.

SURVIVORS of a doomed migrant boat blamed the Lebanese navy yesterday for sinking it, saying a naval vessel rammed the packed ship while trying to force it back to shore.

Meanwhile, the death toll of Saturday night’s disaster rose to seven, with state media reporting the recovery of a body of a man from Tripoli. The incident was the latest in a growing trend involving mostly Lebanese and Syrians trying to travel to Europe from Lebanon in search of better lives.

Survivor Mustafa alJundi said that the navy tried to stop the migrant boat but it kept sailing.

“They rammed into us and made us sink then moved away,” said al-Jundi, whose two sisters are still missing. He said the Lebanese military returned about 90 minutes later and rescued them.

Angry residents attacked a main army checkpoint in Tripoli earlier in the day, throwing stones at troops who responded by firing into the air. Some shops closed as angry men blocked several streets in Tripoli, Lebanon’s most impoverished city. There were no reports of injuries.

100 DEAD IN NIGERIA OIL BLAST ABUJA, Nigeria Associated Press AT LEAST 100 people may have died in an explosion at an illegal oil refinery in southeast Nigeria, a local oil official said Sunday as the search intensified for bodies at the site and for two people suspected of being involved in the blast.

Nigerian President Muhammadu Buhari, in a statement, called the explosion a “catastrophe and a national disaster”.

The explosion on Friday night at the facility in OhajiEgbema local government area in Imo state was triggered by a fire at two fuel storage areas where more than 100 people worked, state officials said.

Dozens of workers were caught up in the explosion while others attempted to escape the blaze by running into wooded areas.

Those who died in the disaster are estimated to be within “the range of 100,” said the Imo commissioner.

SPORTS PAGE 14

NBA on next page

MONDAY, APRIL 25, 2022

Jazz has first 4-hit game of career

By RENALDO DORSETT Tribune Sports Reporter rdorsett@tribunemedia.net

A

n eventful weekend for Jazz Chisholm featured a career milestone, two home runs and one viral moment saw the Miami Marlins infielder become one the slugging percentage leaders in all of Major League Baseball.

Chisholm went 4-6 with a double, a home run, three runs scored, three RBI and two stolen bases in the Marlins’ 9-7 win over the Atlanta Braves Saturday night at Truist Park in Atlanta, Georgia.

It was the first four-hit game of his MLB career.

Chisholm began the night when he homered off Ian Anderson on the very first pitch of the game.

He also doubled on a line drive in the fifth and in the sixth, he hit a two RBI single to score Jon Berti

and Joey Wendle. He singled in his final at bat and finished a triple shy of the cycle.

Chisholm joined Gary Sheffield (1995) as the only players in Marlins history to have at least eight total bases and two stolen bases in the same game.

Through 12 games, he hit .325 with a .356 on base percentage and slugged a league-leading .800 with four home-runs, three steals, nine runs and 15 RBI headed into yesterday’s season finale against the Braves.

Chisholm’s heroics on Saturday came less than 24 hours after another heavily scrutinised decision by Marlins manager Don Mattingly to remove him from the game.

In Friday night’s game, the Marlins trailed 1-0 with two outs in the seventh inning when Braves manager Brian Snitker brought in left handed reliever, Tyler Matzek, to face Chisholm.

MARLINS’ Jazz Chisholm Jr gestures as he runs the bases after hitting a solo home run during the first inning against the Atlanta Braves on Saturday in Atlanta.

(AP Photo/John Bazemore) Mattingly countered with right handed Bryan De La Cruz to pinch hit for Chisholm, who was 0-3 with three strikeouts on the night. De La Cruz struck out on three pitches and the Marlins

suffered a 3-0 loss. “We just felt like that was the spot,” Mattingly said. “It was the matchup that we liked and took a shot.”

Chisholm has been out of the lineup for two games based on Mattingly’s adjustments to find favourable matchups against left handed pitchers.

He also went viral Thursday night against the St Louis Cardinals with the events that led to his third home-run of the season.

The Marlins took a 5-0 win, but the story that emerged was the interaction between Chisholm, Cardinals players Aaron Brooks (pitcher), Yadier Molina (catcher) and home plate umpire Phil Cuzzi.

After taking a pair of strikes from Brooks, Chisholm called for time and stepped out of the batters’ box.

Cuzzi prompted Chisholm to hurry back into the box while Molina urged Brooks to throw the

pitch once Cuzzi called for action to resume, whether Chisholm was ready for it or not.

After Brooks failed to deliver the pitch, Molina then called a time out of his own.

Chisholm swung at the next pitch and sent it over the wall in deep right field for his third home run of the season. “The first pitch, I didn’t really agree with it, but I wasn’t locked in for the second pitch, and I was really upset with myself, because it was a fastball right down the middle, and I knew I missed the pitch, and I haven’t gotten one of those pitches in a minute. So I was really frustrated with myself on the second pitch, but I didn’t swing,” Chisholm told reporters following the game.

“So I was trying to step out and lock back in...He wasn’t giving me it, so I had to try and lock in quick.

Thank God Yadi called time out, (so) I could still lock back in — and I got locked back in.”

Strachan beats Fraser-Pryce in 200m

By BRENT STUBBS Senior Sports Reporter bstubbs@tribunemedia.net SPRINTER Anthonique Strachan and quarter-miler Steven Gardiner were both in fine form as they led a contingent of elite and collegiate athletes in action in various meets in the United States and Jamaica over the weekend.

Strachan wins over Fraser-Pryce In her biggest victory in the resurgence of her season so far this year, Anthonique Strachan sped to an impressive comefrom-behind performance in the final 30 metres in a season’s best of 22.55 in the 200 metres on Saturday at the Velocity Fest II, a World Athletics Continental Tour Challenger Series Meet in Kingston, Jamaica.

Strachan’s former training partner Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce, the multiple World and Olympic champion, faded to second in the winding 10m in 22.79 as she made her season debut.

Natasha Morrison was third in 23.06.

“I feel great about the performance no matter the results,” Strachan said. “I was able to walk off and that’s all that matters. The competition was healthy as always.”

The 28-year-old Strachan, competing for the MVP Track Club in

RUGBY SEVENS

QUALIFIERS: BAHAMAS HAS 1-4 WIN LOSS RECORD

By RENALDO DORSETT Tribune Sports Reporter rdorsett@tribunemedia.net

ANTHONIQUE STRACHAN, far left, in action on Saturday at the Velocity Fest II, a World Athletics Continental Tour Challenger Series Meet in Kingston, Jamaica.

Kingston, has already ran 10.99 in the 100m, (previous SB’s) 23.24 in the 200m and 52.84 in the 400m.

“I expect nothing right now really from my races,” said Strachan as she moves closer to achieving one of her goals of not just getting into her first senior global final, but possibly getting on the podium with a medal.”

The World Athletics Championships in July in Eugene, Oregon is the

target for Strachan, who has not had any international success since winning the Central American and Caribbean Championships’ silver medal in the 200m in 2011, a year before she did the sprint double in the 100 and 200m in Barcelona, Spain in 2012 at the World Under-20 Championships.

Gardiner on fire At the LSU Alumni Gold, Abaco native Steven Gardiner, representing Adidas, posted the world’s

fastest leading time of 44.22 seconds to win the men’s 400 metres at the LSU Alumni Gold at the Bernie Moore Track Stadium in Baton Rouge, Louisiana.

Gardiner, 26, finished comfortably ahead of Vernon Norwood of New Balance in 44.59 with Matthew Hudson-Smith, unattached, third in 44.61.

In the process, the Bahamian national record holder surpassed

the previous world leading time of 44.28 done by Michael Cherry on April 16.

Also at the meet, Grand Bahamian sprinter Brianna Bethel, competing for API Athletics after her sting at the University of Houston, got 13th overall in the women’s 200m in 23.97.

Thelma Davis of LSU won the event in 22.86.

SEE PAGE 18

RUGBY Americas North (RAN) hosted its Sevens Qualifiers over the weekend as the Thomas A Robinson National Stadium hosted the top programmes in the region looking to advance in further international competition.

Canada won both the men’s and women’s Cup Championships while Team Bahamas finished the tournament with a 1-4 win loss record.

On day one, The Bahamas suffered a 34-0 loss to The Cayman Islands, a hard fought 20-19 loss to the Turks and Caicos Islands and 36-7 loss to Mexico to fall to 0-3.

On day two, The Bahamas opened play with their highest scoring match and lone win of the tournament, a 26-12 decision over The British Virgin Islands.

Kevin Deveaux was one of the top offensive threats

SEE PAGE 18

‘I’m a legend’: Fury Liverpool wins derby, retains heavyweight dumps Everton into belt in final fight EPL relegation zone

By STEVE DOUGLAS AP Sports Writer

LONDON (AP) — What might be the final punch of Tyson Fury’s controversial boxing career smashed into the chin of Dillian Whyte, sending him to the canvas and one of his teeth flying through the air.

Fury raised his right hand in celebration, knowing there would be no coming back from an uppercut seemingly felt all around Wembley Stadium. And sure enough, there wasn’t.

With a brutal finish in the last seconds of the sixth round, Fury defeated Whyte — his fellow Briton and former sparring partner — in front of more than 94,000 fans inside England’s national soccer stadium to stay unbeaten with the 32nd win in his 33-fight professional career.

And that, the 33-year-old Fury said, could be it.

By STEVE DOUGLAS AP Sports Writer

BRITAIN’s Tyson Fury celebrates after beating Britain’s Dillian Whyte to win their WBC heavyweight title boxing fight at Wembley Stadium in London, on Saturday.

(Nick Potts/PA via AP) “This might be the final in Britain a now-familiar curtain for the Gypsy post-fight rendition of Don King,” Fury said in the ring, McLean’s “American Pie.” with his WBC and Ring He celebrated with his Magazine belts around his team and posed for picshoulders. “What a way to tures with kids, wearing the go out.” red-and-white colours of He wasn’t quite finished the flag of England on St there. A born entertainer, George’s Day. Fury gave the biggest ever capacity for a boxing bout SEE PAGE 18

MANCHESTER, England (AP) — Staying in the slipstream of Manchester City in the Premier League title race wasn’t Liverpool’s only cause for celebration following victory in another fast and furious Merseyside derby.

Liverpool’s 2-0 win at Anfield yesterday also dumped Everton into the relegation zone, leaving its neighbour’s 68-year stay in England’s top flight in major doubt with a month left of the season.

Second-half goals by Andrew Robertson and Divock Origi were enough for Liverpool in a match that ended with the jubilant home fans singing “Going down, going down” to their rivals from across Stanley Park.

Completing a dismal day for Everton was relegation rival Burnley winning a second straight game since firing its long-serving manager Sean Dyche, 1-0 at home to Wolverhampton.

It left Everton in third-to-last place and two points below Burnley, which finally climbed out of the relegation

zone. Everton, which has been in the top division every year since the 1954-55 season, has played one game less than Burnley but has a tough run-in featuring games against Chelsea, Arsenal and inform Brentford.

More importantly for Liverpool, the team returned to being a point behind City with five games left in a title race that seems destined to go to the final weekend.

In other games, Chelsea scored in the 90th minute through Christian Pulisic to beat West Ham 1-0 and cement third place, five points clear of Arsenal in fourth. Brighton drew 2-2 at home to Southampton.

FEISTY DERBY Everton’s desperation to avoid another morale-sapping defeat on the road saw the team take gamesmanship to new levels, clearly an approach from manager Frank Lampard that could have come straight out of the playbook of a former mentor.

Jose Mourinho famously came to Anfield in 2014 with Chelsea and

SEE PAGE 17

THE TRIBUNE

Monday, April 25, 2022, PAGE 15

RAPTORS’ BARNES WINS NBA ROOKIE OF THE YEAR, EDGING MOBLEY

INGRAM, PELICANS OVERWHELM BOOKER-LESS SUNS TO TIE SERIES 2-2

By PETER FINNEY JR Associated Press

NEW ORLEANS (AP) — Brandon Ingram scored 16 of his 30 points in the third quarter and the New Orleans Pelicans beat the Phoenix Suns — playing without injured star Devin Booker — 118-103 in Game 4 last night to tie the first-round series.

Jonas Valanciunas reasserted himself in the middle with 26 points and 15 rebounds to help the Pelicans pull even heading back to Phoenix for Game 5 on Tuesday night.

Booker strained his right straight after scoring 31 firsthalf points in the top-seeded Suns’ Game 2 loss. Deandre Ayton led the Suns with 23 points and eight rebounds, and fellow centre JaVale McGee had 14 points.

Chris Paul, who had 19-point fourth quarters in the Suns’ two playoff wins, was held to four points in 35 minutes. He had 11 assists, but committed three turnovers.

The Pelicans led 89-85 with 8:05 left and used a 12-0 run to ice it. Valanciunas, limited to six points in a Game 3 loss, scored 10 points in a 3:34 span of the fourth quarter to help the Pelicans pull away. He punctuated his scoring spree with a 3-pointer from the left wing.

New Orleans had a 35-23 advantage in the third quarter. Ingram was the catalyst, making 7 of 10 shots and assisting on two other baskets as New Orleans took an 84-74 lead. His flurry started on the Pelicans’ first three possessions of the half, with a pair of 15-footers and a layup. The Suns used a 20-10 run, with Mikal Bridges breaking down the New Orleans defence with three layups in the final eight minutes of the first half, to take a 51-49 halftime lead.

TIP INS Suns: Paul had 28 assists and zero turnovers in Games 2 and 3, but he had 11 assists and three turnovers on Sunday.

Pelicans: The Pelicans committed 46 turnovers in the first three games to the Suns’ 28.

MILWAUKEE Bucks forward Giannis Antetokounmpo (34) shoots against Chicago Bulls forward DeMar DeRozan during the second half of Game 4 of a first-round NBA basketball playoff series yesterday in Chicago.

(AP Photo/Nam Y Huh)

Allen scores 27, Bucks beat Bulls 11995 to take 3-1 lead CHICAGO (AP) — Grayson Allen once again responded to the boos from the fans and even his teammates by making shot after shot.

By the time he was finished, he had his highest point total in a postseason game. And the Milwaukee Bucks walked away with another lopsided win.

Allen set playoff career highs with 27 points and six 3-pointers, Giannis Antetokounmpo had 32 points and 17 rebounds and Milwaukee beat the Chicago Bulls 119-95 yesterday to take a 3-1 lead in their first-round series.

Jrue Holiday scored 26, and the defending champion Bucks came away with another easy win after two shaky performances at home.

They’ve outscored the Bulls by a combined 54 points over the past two games. That includes a 111-81 romp Friday that

was the most lopsided home playoff loss in franchise history.

The Bucks led by 22 early in the third quarter and steadied themselves after a push by Chicago.

The defending NBA champions will try to wrap up the series in Milwaukee on Wednesday night.

Allen delivered another huge effort off the bench, surpassing his previous postseason scoring high of 22 points in Game 3. He made 10 of 12 shots and hit 6 of 7 3s, getting booed once again just about the entire time.

Allen, in his first season in Milwaukee, has a bad-boy image from his time at Duke. He is particularly unpopular in Chicago, where fans are upset about a hard foul that resulted in a broken wrist for Bulls guard Alex Caruso during a game in Milwaukee in January.

Teammates have since

started having fun with the boos, letting him hear it at practices and film sessions, on the bus and at the hotel. And now, they’re doing it in games, too.

“They have so much fun,” Allen said, laughing.

“I think it’s funny. I think it’s honestly hilarious.

They’ve kind of turned it into a fun thing. It makes hearing it out there during the game a lot easier, too, because they think it’s so funny.”

Allen is 18 of 24 from the field and 11 for 14 on 3-pointers over the past two games. With Khris Middleton expected to miss the remainder of the series after spraining his left knee in Game 2, the Bucks needed it.

“He’s played well here in Chicago,” coach Mike Budenholzer said. “I think some of it’s his best basketball. I think it’s just the competitor in him, the fight in him. It’s always

there, but maybe it’s a little heightened when we’re here.”

Antetokounmpo had seven assists. Holiday made five 3s.

Bobby Portis added 14 points and 10 rebounds in his second straight start with Middleton out, and the Bucks beat the Bulls for the 19th time in 21 games.

Zach LaVine led Chicago with 24 points and 13 assists, DeMar DeRozan scored 23 and Patrick Williams finished with 20 points and 10 rebounds.

“There were times where we gave really, really good effort and they still scored,” Bulls coach Billy Donovan said.

“I think there were times we moved the ball and generated pretty good looks for each other and the ball didn’t go in the basket. That, I think, gets deflating. And you could kind of sense that a little bit.”

Jokic, Nuggets beat Warriors 126-121 to avoid series sweep

By ARNIE STAPLETON AP Sports Writer DENVER (AP) — The Denver Nuggets aren’t fazed.

They realise no team has ever won four elimination games in a single postseason series. They also know they’re the only team in league history to overcome back-to-back 3-1 playoff deficits.

That’s where they find themselves after avoiding a sweep by the Golden State Warriors with a 126-121 win yesterday to send the rough-and-tumble series back to San Francisco.

“Can I say we want them right where we want them?

No, but we’re alive,” Nuggets coach Michael Malone said. “We live to fight another day.”

Game 5 is Wednesday night.

Although none of the 143 other teams who faced a 3-0 deficit in the NBA playoffs ever bounced back to advance, the Nuggets became the league’s first team ever to overcome 3-1 deficits in consecutive series two years ago when they bounced the Jazz and Clippers in the Orlando bubble.

“The odds are against us,” said MVP favourite Nikola Jokic. “But we’ve beaten the odds a couple of times, so why not?”

Jokic scored 37 points and fed Will Barton for a 3-pointer from the left corner with 8.3 seconds left

after Monte Morris’ short jumper broke a 121-all tie and Austin Rivers stole Otto Porter Jr’s pass.

It was a reversal of final-minute fortunes for the Nuggets, who faltered down the stretch in a fivepoint loss in Game 3.

“We felt like it could have been 2-2 if we didn’t drop that last game,” said Rivers, who noted the Nuggets finally matched the Warriors’ physicality, especially down the stretch.

Morris finished with 24 points. He hit five 3-pointers in the third quarter, the most in a quarter by any player in these NBA playoffs.

Aaron Gordon chipped in 21 points and helped stifle Jordan Poole, who came in averaging 28.7 points this series but was held to 11.

Steph Curry led the Warriors with 33 points despite missing 13 of 23 shots, going 3 for 11 from long range and missing four free throws for the first time in his career, whether in the playoffs or the regular season.

“It’s the worst feeling in the world, missed free throws,” Curry said. “It’s what I do really well.”

Klay Thompson scored 22 of his 32 points after picking up his fourth foul in the final second of the first half. He finished with five fouls.

Behind flexing rookie Bones Hyland’s three consecutive 3s, the Nuggets

DENVER Nuggets centre Nikola Jokic gestures after hitting a 3-point basket against the Golden State Warriors in the first half of Game 4 of an NBA basketball first-round Western Conference playoff series yesterday in Denver.

(AP Photo/David Zalubowski) opened a 40-23 lead in the second quarter and they still had a nine-point cushion heading into the fourth quarter.

Curry’s jumper gave Golden State a 121-119 lead, but Jokic’s finger-roll layup tied it back up and Andrew Wiggins missed a dunk at the other end as the Warriors went scoreless over the final 80 seconds.

Warriors coach Steve Kerr said it was still a “great experience” for the players on his team who haven’t been in close-out playoff situations after Golden State missed the playoffs the last two years.

“We needed that,” Kerr said. “I felt like we got completely away from the game plan tonight in the first half, because I think we were almost too anxious to win the series.

“But the focus now goes to heading home and the back in front of our fans” with a chance to close it out at home, Kerr said.

“So, we’re right where we need to be.”

Thompson said the Warriors need to be loose ones in Game 5, playing as though their season was on the line, not Denver’s.

“We got to go with the attitude like all right, it’s a

must-win,” Thompson said.

“We’d like to have some rest before the next series.”

Thompson said the Warriors don’t want to come back to Denver until next season “because a win by them and anything’s possible.”

The Jazz and Clippers can attest to that.

“Out of all teams in the playoffs,” Malone said, “I think we’re probably the most comfortable being down 3-1.”

HEAT 110, HAWKS 86 ATLANTA (AP) — Jimmy Butler scored 13 of his 36 points in a dominant second quarter and Miami beat Atlanta to take a 3-1 series lead.

Miami can wrap up the Series in Game 5 on Tuesday night in Miami.

Butler overcame a slow start. He made only 1 of 7 shots before hitting his final five shots of the first half to lead the turnaround.

Miami outscored Atlanta 30-15 in the second period, holding the Hawks to a season scoring low for the period. Butler had 10 rebounds, four assists and blocked a shot.

Atlanta’s Trae Young scored only nine points with five assists and five turnovers as he was shut down by Miami’s defence for the second time in four games. Young was held to eight points in Miami’s 115-91 Game 1 win.

De’Andre Hunter led the Hawks with 24 points.

TORONTO (AP) — Toronto forward Scottie Barnes was voted NBA Rookie of the Year on Saturday, edging Cleveland’s Evan Mobley.

“That’s a big award, that’s one of the biggies,” Raptors coach Nick Nurse said.

Barnes got 48 first-place votes and 378 points from a global panel of 100 writers and broadcasters. Mobley received 43 first-place votes and finished with 363 points.

“Of course it was a goal of mine all year to try to win it, but I didn’t really try to overthink it or try to do so much,” Barnes said. “I just did my role, did what I had to do. Winning helps with it as well.”

Barnes helped engineer a turnaround in Toronto, where the Raptors went 48-34 after finishing 27-45 and missing the playoffs last season.

The difference of 15 points was the smallest margin in the rookie category under the current voting format that began with the 2002-03 season.

Players receive five points for a first-place vote, three points for a second-place vote and one point for third.

The award was announced shortly before the Raptors hosted Philadelphia in Game 4 of their first-round series, trailing 3-0.

Coming off the bench, Barnes returned after missing the previous two games with a sprained left ankle. He finished with six points and 11 rebounds in 25 minutes as Toronto won 110-102 to stave off elimination.

“We got a great boost off the bench from Scottie with his rebounding and just his presence,” Nurse said.

Barnes averaged 15.3 points, 7.5 rebounds and 3.5 assists in 35.4 minutes per game, starting all of the 74 games he played. He led all rookies in minutes and was third in points and rebounds.

“He’s going to continue to get better, continue to grow, but it was a great moment,” Raptors guard Gary Trent Jr said. “”I’m ecstatic for him, and it’s a great thing.”

The No. 4 draft pick after one season at Florida State joined Vince Carter (1999) and Damon Stoudamire (1995-96) as Toronto players to be voted Rookie of the Year. Barnes was informed he had won by Carter during a video appearance at Friday’s practice.

“I was wondering what he was talking to us about,” Barnes said. “He was just going on and I was starting to realise.”

Nurse said Barnes’ award was a welcome change after Toronto lost in overtime Wednesday, falling behind 3-0 to the 76ers.

“It was a good moment to share as a team because, like all of us here, being down 3-0, there wasn’t a lot of great moments to think about,” Nurse said. “So that was a good boost.”

GOBERT FINED $25,000 FOR PROFANITY DURING LIVE TV INTERVIEW NEW YORK (AP) — Utah centre Rudy Gobert was fined $25,000 by the NBA yesterday for using profanity during a live televised interview.

Gobert made the comments Saturday after dunking down a lob pass from Donovan Mitchell for the go-ahead basket with 11 seconds left in a 100-99 victory over Dallas that evened the Western Conference first-round series at 2-2.

Gobert was then asked about the talk about what the Jazz can accomplish in the playoffs and responded with a profane response.

PAGE 16, Monday, April 25, 2022

THE TRIBUNE

Anfernee Seymour homers in debut with Dirty Birds

MARLINS WIN SERIES AGAINST BRAVES BEHIND COOPER AND GARCIA

By RENALDO DORSETT Tribune Sports Reporter rdorsett@tribunemedia.net

By GEORGE HENRY AP Sports Writer

ANFERNEE Seymour’s 2022 season opened on a high note in his debut with Charleston Dirty Birds.

Seymour’s solo home run in the seventh inning keyed a 5-3 win over the Staten Island Ferry Hawks, April 21 on Atlantic Professional Baseball League opening night.

Defensively in centrefield, Seymour also had an assist to throw out Noberto Susini at home plate and prevent the game-tying run. The Dirty Birds were the only team to open the season with three consecutive wins with a 5-1 win in game one and 6-4 win in game two at Appalachian Power Park.

When Seymour signed with the club last offseason,

Dirty Birds manager Billy Horn touted the presence of the veteran outfielder in the clubhouse.

“Seymour brings an explosive dynamic to our ball club,” he said. “I am looking forward to seeing him set the tone at the top of the lineup for us this year.”

The Atlantic League of Professional Baseball (ALPB) is considered one of the most successful and highest levels of baseball among independent leagues.

It is an official MLB Partner League based in the Mid-Atlantic and Southeastern United States.

The Atlantic League operates in cities not served

by Major League Baseball (MLB) or Minor League Baseball (MiLB) teams most of its teams are within suburbs and exurbs too

close to other teams in the organised baseball system to have minor league franchises of their own.

When Atlantic League professionals are signed by MLB clubs, they usually start in their Double-A or Triple-A affiliates.”

The ALPB uses a set of progressive rules such as a pitch clock and limits the time between innings in an effort to speed up the game.

Seymour spent last season with the Kane County Cougars of the American Association of Professional Baseball.

He led the league in stolen bases with 37.

On the season, he hit .231 with 71 hits, 10 doubles, four triples, 32 RBI, 50 runs scored, a .646 OPS, and 104.

At the Major League Baseball level, Seymour

ANFERNEE Seymour’s solo home run in the seventh inning keyed a 5-3 win over the Staten Island Ferry Hawks on Atlantic Professional Baseball League opening night. last appeared as a member of the Miami Marlins organisation with the Jacksonville Jumbo Shrimp of the Double-A Southern League. In 2019, Hurricane Dorian forced a premature end to the Southern League season.

Seymour finished the season just nine hits shy of

500 for his minor league career.

Following the season, he opted for free agency. He was originally drafted by the Marlins in 2014 and spent two years in the organisation before he was traded to the Braves in 2016 and returned to the Marlins for a second stint in 2018.

Chisholm has 4 hits, misses cycle, as Marlins top Braves 9-7

By CHARLES ODUM AP Sports Writer ATLANTA (AP) — Jazz Chisholm wanted the cycle.

The dynamic Miami second baseman settled for leading an offensive breakout for the Marlins.

Chisholm drove in three runs with four hits, including a leadoff homer, and the Marlins rode a seasonhigh 14 hits to a 9-7 win over the Atlanta Braves on Saturday night.

Chisholm also scored three runs and stole two bases. After hitting a firstinning homer, fifth-inning double and a single in the sixth, Chisholm needed a triple for the cycle. Instead, he added an infield single in the ninth.

“The last at-bat I wanted it,” Chisholm said. “I was going for the gaps, I won’t lie.”

Chisholm is hitting .325 with four homers and has driven in 15 runs. “He was good tonight out of the gate, and it was good to see him kind of continuing on,” said Marlins manager Don Mattingly.

In a back-and-forth game, pinch-hitter Garrett Cooper gave Miami the lead for good when he drove in two runs with a bases-loaded single in the seventh.

“It’s good to see our guys rolling,” Mattingly said.

Trailing 7-6, the Marlins rallied with three runs against Braves hard-throwing rookie Spencer Strider (0-1), who gave up two hits and two walks without recording an out. The Braves’ bullpen gave up six runs.

Cooper’s single to right field drove in Brian Anderson, who walked, and Joey Wendle, who singled. The runners advanced on a wild pitch from Strider before Cooper’s hit. Jesús Aguilar added a sacrifice fly for a two-run lead.

Alex Dickerson, Ozzie Albies and Austin Riley hit homers for the Braves.

Steven Okert (2-0) recorded two outs. Tanner Scott, Miami’s sixth pitcher, recorded the final three outs for his first save of the season and second of his career.

On the night he received his Braves World Series ring, Jorge Soler’s run-scoring single in the sixth off Collin McHugh gave the Marlins a 6-5 lead. Atlanta answered with Dansby Swanson’s two-run single in the bottom of the inning for a 7-6 lead.

Elieser Hernández allowed five runs on seven hits, including three homers, in 4 2/3 innings for the Marlins.

Atlanta’s Ian Anderson gave up three runs, two earned, on six hits and

MIAMI Marlins’ Jazz Chisholm Jr slides to steal second base in the third inning of a baseball game against the Atlanta Braves yesterday in Atlanta.

(AP Photo/Ben Margot) three walks in five innings.

Chisholm led off the fifth with a double before stealing third and scoring on Avisail Garcia’s single.

RING WITH BLING Braves manager Brian Snitker presented Soler his 2021 World Series ring before the game.

Soler was the World Series MVP for the Braves in their win over the Houston Astros and received another ovation from Atlanta fans in the pregame ceremony.

There was a crowd around Soler’s locker after the game as he showed off his ring, including the unique feature which allows the top to open to reveal a LED light and an outline of Truist Park.

“Having the ring is great,” Soler said through a translator. “The ring is incredible.”

Soler received ovations from the fans in each of the first two games. Soler said he “received that love

from the fans immediately” after joining the Braves last season.

JUST A GREAT HITTER Mattingly said Miguel Cabrera, who reached 3,000 career hits on Saturday with the Detroit Tigers, “has been incredible” in his long career.

Cabrera played his first five seasons with the Marlins following his debut in 2003 for the World Series championship team.

Mattingly said Cabrera ranks “as one of the top right-handed hitters who ever played, from the time he was a kid in the World Series.

“I got a chance to see him a little bit when I was in the American League.

Just a great hitter.”

SOLO HOMER STREAK ENDS Dickerson’s two-run homer in the fourth ended Atlanta’s streak of 16 consecutive solo shots. It was the Braves’ longest streak of homers with no runners

on base since at least 1960 and began after Riley’s two-run homer on opening day.

TRAINER’S ROOM Marlins: SS Miguel Rojas was scratched with flu-like symptoms. 3B Jon Berti entered the lineup and Wendle moved from third to shortstop.

Braves: Ronald Acuña Jr. (right knee) is attacking his minor league rehab assignment as if motivated to rush the team’s May 6 target date for coming off the IL. Acuña stole his second base of his rehab while having two hits and a walk on Friday with Triple-A Gwinnett.

“Looking at some of the video, I think he might have been a little more active than you wanted to see,” Snitker said with a smile Saturday before adding Acuña is providing “good indicators that he’s right where he needs to be.”

ATLANTA (AP) — Garrett Cooper has played for the Marlins since 2018 and has endured plenty of losses at the Atlanta Braves’ ballpark.

That wasn’t the case this weekend, as Miami eked out series win against their NL East rivals.

“They’ve kind of had our number the last five years since I’ve been here,” Cooper said. “Just to come in here and get a series win early in the year is huge for us, huge for the morale moving forward.”

Cooper had three hits and two RBIs, Avisaíl García hit a go-ahead double in the fifth inning and the Marlins held on to beat Atlanta 5-4 yesterday.

Miami took two of three from the defending World Series champions, dropping the Braves to their third series loss along with two ties and no wins. The Marlins have won three of their last four games. They improved to 16-32 at Truist Park since it opened in 2017.

Atlanta trailed 5-1 in the ninth before Matt Olson’s sacrifice fly and Austin Riley’s two-run homer off Tanner Scott. Louis Head relieved and got his first big league save, allowing Marcell Ozuna’s double and then striking out Adam Duvall and Eddie Rosario.

Jesús Luzardo (1-1) allowed one run and two hits in five innings. He gave up doubles to Riley in the first and the fourth, looking nothing like the left-hander who began the game 1-6 with a career 6.06 ERA on the road in nine starts and nine relief appearances.

Olson grounded out with the bases loaded in the fifth, trimming the lead to 2-1.

Luzardo struck out Riley with two runners in scoring position to end the inning.

Luzardo struck out eight and walked four, three of them in the fifth.

A day after winning 9-7, the Marlins led 2-0 in the fifth. Jesús Aguilar led off with a walk, advanced on two groundouts and scored when Garcíadrove the ball over Orlando Arcia, and the ball popped out of the left fielder’ss glove on the warning track. García scored when Cooper, who’s reached safely in 12 of his 14 games this year, singled to Duvall, whose throw to the plate from centre was a tad late. Both runs came with two outs. The Marlins stranded seven runners in the first four innings.

SWIPING Chisholm stole his fourth base in the third, making the Marlins 5 for 5 on stolen base attempts in the last two games. The Braves have allowed 13 of 14 baserunners to steal a base this season.

MAX VERSTAPPEN AND RED BULL EMBARRASS FERRARI AT IMOLA IMOLA, Italy (AP) — Formula One champion Max Verstappen dominated yesterday in a Red Bull rout of Ferrari at the Emilia-Romagna Grand Prix, much to the dismay of the sea of red-clad “tifosi.”

Verstappen won from the pole, logged the fastest lap and picked up his second win of the season while leading teammate Sergio Pérez to the first onetwo Red Bull finish since Malaysia in 2016.

“Lovely Sunday,” Verstappen radioed his Red Bull team on what was actually a dreary, overcast and misty race day.

But the Dutchman scored maximum points on the weekend — he also won the sprint qualifying race on Saturday — and led Red Bull in its embarrassment of Ferrari in what the Italian scuderia hoped to be its celebratory weekend on home soil.

“It’s always tough to achieve something like

that,” Verstappen said of the perfect weekend. “We were on it. You never know with the weather how competitive you are going to be, but I think as a team we did everything well and this one-two is very deserved.”

Lando Norris was third for McLaren.

It was a disastrous race for Ferrari, racing on its home soil and hoping to celebrate a return to F1 dominance. Charles Leclerc came into Sunday as the championship leader with two wins in the first three races and Carlos Sainz Jr celebrated a two-year contract extension this weekend in Italy.

But Leclerc couldn’t get the jump on Verstappen at the start and never contended. Sainz spun off course on the opening lap to ruin his race, and Leclerc’s bid to salvage the day for Ferrari ended when he spun racing Perez for second. He ultimately finished sixth.

RED Bull driver Max Verstappen, of the Netherlands, celebrates on the podium after winning the Emilia Romagna Formula One Grand Prix, at the Enzo and Dino Ferrari racetrack, in Imola, Italy, yesterday.

(AP Photo/Luca Bruno) Leclerc had a 46-point for sure and this shouldn’t lead in the standings over happen again.” reigning champion VerIt’s a timely boost for Red stappen at the start of the Bull after two DNFs for weekend but Verstappen Verstappen in the first three cut the gap to 27 points and races. Pérez also failed to moved into second. finish the season opener.

“I was too greedy and “The most important I paid the price for it and thing of today was not lost seven potential points,” making mistakes, because Leclerc told Sky Sports. “It with these conditions it was is a shame, it is seven points so tricky out there,” Pérez that are valuable at the said. “To get a one-two end of the championship under these conditions, I

think it’s a great result for the team. “We’ve been so unlucky, the start has been so difficult for us, so I am very pleased to see everyone in my team smiling today.”

Verstappen was passed

by Leclerc at the start of the sprint qualifying race on Saturday but come race day, Verstappen got off to a good start. Leclerc, meanwhile, plummeted as he was passed by Pérez and Norris.

Leclerc eventually got up to third and was chasing the Red Bulls when he spun off course.

It rained heavily in the morning but cleared off by the start of the race, and although the track was still wet, it quickly dried and drivers had to change their tires for the new conditions.

Leclerc came off pit road ahead of Pérez, but the Mexican driver had warmer tires and was able to squeeze inside and reclaim second. Leclerc was in still chasing Pérez

for second, with nine laps remaining, when he made a rare mistake and went off course. Although he was able to drive off, his Ferrari was damaged and Leclerc had to pit. The race featured a stirring late battle between Mercedes newcomer George Russell and Valtteri Bottas, the driver he replaced. The two went down to the final lap for fourth position, with Russell holding off the veteran for the spot, having started the race 11th.

Lewis Hamilton, meanwhile, continued his early struggles and finished 13th. Mercedes head Toto Wolff apologised to Hamilton over the radio for the “undriveable” car that Hamilton was given in Italy.

The seven-time world champion lost the title to Verstappen in last year’s season finale in one of the best championship fights in decades. On Sunday, Hamilton was lapped by Verstappen on lap 39.

THE TRIBUNE

Monday, April 25, 2022, PAGE 17

YES Giants are NPBA Div. II champions

By BRENT STUBBS Senior Sports Reporter bstubbs@tribunemedia.net AFTER leaving his Your Essential Store (YES) Giants with a 2-0 lead in their New Providence Basketball Association men’s division II championship series, coach Mark Hanna said he was disappointed to come back and see that the Sun Oil Rockets pulled even at 2-2.

In the fifth and deciding game on Friday night at the AF Adderley Gymnasium, Hanna had his Giants firing on all cylinders as they blew out the Rockets 87-72 as they led from start to finish to eventually win the title, thanks to four players scoring in double figures.

The game was marred by several interruptions as officials tried to clean up the water from the leaking roof from the down pouring of the rain on the outside. But despite all that transpired, Hanna said the goal was for his Giants to do what they didn’t do in the past two games.

“When I went away for the Easter break, I left my team undefeated, so I was surprised to come back and see the series tied up,” Hanna said. “The Rockets are a very good team, coached by Moses Johnson, but we were a much better team. We didn’t play up to that standard until we got back tonight.”

Hanna said he was extremely proud of his players. He noted that they worked hard in practice to ensure that the title didn’t slip away from them like it did in 2020 when they made it to the final for the first time.

This year’s championship was a conclusion of the 2021 season that was disrupted because of COVID-19.

The Rockets were out to add a double crown to the one their division one Discount Distributors won in a three-game sweep over the Commonwealth Bank Giants.

WE ARE THE CHAMPIONS - NPBA Division II champions Your Essential Store Giants.

But coach Johnson said while they gave it a gallant effort, once the Giants got a roll in the second quarter, it was harder to catch them especially with all of the delays in the game because of the wet floor from the rain. “We started to make some good runs then we had to stop because of the wet floor, but notwithstanding that, hats off to the Giants,” he said. “They played an excellent series, they were poised and coach Mark Hanna had them ready for this game.”

Johnson, who is also on the coaching staff of the men’s national basketball team, said his Rockets will go back to the drawing board and get ready for the start of the 2022 season in October.

As they celebrate, Giants’ overall head coach Perry Thompson said they dedicate their victory to their sponsor, Raymond Knowles of Your Essential Store, for stepping up to the plate to support their team.

“I’m happy to see that Mark was back in town and he did a tremendous job in preparing the guys for the final game,” Thompson said. “He made some

adjustments defensively and we were able to take control of the game from the jump ball.

“The guys they followed the game plan. They executed it very well as a team, so I’m very proud of these guys that we assembled and put together and to come out as champions. Now it’s just a matter of getting back to the drawing board over the summer and to see how we can improve both the D1 and DII teams.”

League president James Price said it was good to come back to complete the postseason in the aftermath of a two-year hiatus because of COVID-19.

He thanked the fans for showing up to support their teams. “It was a step in the right direction,” he said. “But we have some concerns about the gym.

As you see, we had to deal with the issue of the water pouring from the roof, which forced us to stop the game a few times. “We hope that by the time we are ready to start the new season in October, the government would have made the necessary repairs to the gym because it wasn’t easy playing under the conditions that we did tonight.”

Giants 87, Rockets 72 Alvano Miller canned a game high 22 points with four rebounds, three assists and two steals in leading the way for Your Essential Store. Dylan Musgrove produced 20 points with eight rebounds and two block shots.

Anderias Black powered his way inside for 13 points, 14 rebounds and three steals and Adrian Thompson added 10 points with 15 rebounds, four steals, three rebounds and as many blocks. Cormardo Strachan helped out with six points and eight rebounds and both Brandon Strachan and Edward Williams finished with five points.

For Sun Oil, Bertrum Minns scored 16 points with 11 rebounds and three steals, Lerecus Armbrister had 14 points and four steals, Crosley Wilmore had nine points, seven rebounds, four steals and two assists, Anthon Williams had seven points and six rebounds, Cameron Cherry had six points and three rebounds and both Crispin Williams and Kevin Thompson added five points.

The Giants stamped their approval on the game

from the first quarter when they surged out front by 10 and eventually posted a 24-15 margin at the end of the first break. With eight minutes to go in the second half, the game was halted with the Rockets trailing 27-17 to allow the water to subside a bit from the leaking roof.

Once they resumed play, Commonwealth Bank continued their aggressive style of play as they ran the floor and stacked the basket, securing a 47-25 advantage at the half. To their credit, Sun Oil stayed in the contest as they knocked down some big outside shots for a 66-50 deficit at the end of the third.

But in the fourth, every time the Rockets made a dent into the lead, the Giants answered with a run of their own and they managed to stay in control of the game to earn the rights to celebrate as champions.

Commonwealth Bank out-rebounded Sun Oil 75-55 and had eight less turnovers (22-30) in a game that had one lead change that came at the start of the first quarter. The Giants managed to open as much as a 25-point lead in the third quarter.

ALCARAZ YOUNGEST SINCE NADAL IN TOP 10 AFTER BARCELONA WIN BARCELONA, Spain (AP) — Exactly 17 years ago, an 18-yearold Rafael Nadal was starting to attract the attention of the tennis world by winning the Barcelona Open and making it to the top 10 for the first time.

Carlos Alcaraz followed in the footsteps of his hero yesterday, also winning his first Barcelona title and cracking the top 10 men’s rankings for the first time at the same age.

Alcaraz continued his impressive run by beating Pablo Carreno Busta in straight sets for his third title of the season, winning the allSpanish match 6-3, 6-2 after having made it to the final a few hours earlier in a semifinal game postponed from Saturday because of rain.

EPL

FROM PAGE 14

secured a win that derailed the Reds’ title bid.

Everton couldn’t quite match that but still frustrated Liverpool and the home fans, making for something of an old-school derby

“It means a lot,” Alcaraz said.

“I’ve watched this tournament since I was a kid. I always wished to play in this tournament and of course to be able to win this tournament. I’m really, really happy to be part of the Spanish history list.”

Alcaraz was guaranteed to move into the top 10 after reaching the semifinals. He will be No. 9 when the new rankings come out today, making him the youngest player in the top 10 since Nadal made it after lifting his first Barcelona trophy in 2005.

Like Nadal then, Alcaraz came into the tournament as the 11thranked player in the world.

A record 21-time Grand Slam winner, Nadal never dropped out of the top 10 since then.

SPAIN’s Carlos Alcaraz holds a trophy as he celebrates after winning the ATP Godo Tournament final tennis match against Spain’s Pablo Carreno Busta, in Barcelona, Spain, yesterday.

(AP Photo/Joan Monfort)

The victory at the Rafa Nadal centre court in Barcelona capped a long day for Alcaraz, who needed 3 hours, 39 minutes to rally past Alex de Minaur 6-7 (4), 7-6 (4), 6-4 in their semifinal match in the morning.

The 30-year-old Carreno Busta, ranked 19th and seeking his seventh title on tour, beat Argentine Diego Schwartzman 6-3, 6-4 in 1 hour, 39 minutes in his semifinal yesterday.

Alcaraz broke serve twice in each set to cruise to victory in the final.

Alcaraz won titles at Rio de Janeiro in February and in Miami earlier this month.

His first tour title came in Umag last year.

feel as tackles flew in, players squared up to each other and even the managers exchanged words.

“The game plan was understanding they are one of the best teams in the world, with what they are doing to other teams recently,” Lampard said, perhaps a nod to Liverpool’s 4-0 mauling of Manchester United

on Tuesday. The arrival of Origi — mostly overlooked this season — as a substitute on the hour mark proved decisive, with his gamechanging performance adding to his derby legacy. He played a part in Robertson’s goal, a header from Mohamed Salah’s clever cross, and then finished things off with

a close-range header five minutes from time for his sixth goal in nine derbies.

Liverpool’s quadruple chase rolls onto Wednesday, when it hosts Villarreal in the first leg of the Champions League semifinals.

Everton, meanwhile, has six games to save its season.

PSG’S RECORD-TYING 10TH FRENCH TITLE HAS BITTERSWEET TASTE

By TRUNG LATIEULE Associated Press ACHIEVING a milestone title wasn’t enough for some Paris Saint-Germain fans.

Even as their team was clinching a record-tying 10th French league crown late Saturday, disgruntled supporters preferred to express themselves by leaving before the end of the 1-1 draw with Lens so as to celebrate the title outside the Parc des Princes without the players.

“I don’t understand those things, because you win and you lose in football,” PSG midfielder Marco Verratti said. “We always try, we try with all our heart. We are normal people, we can have failures.”

PSG striker Neymar also didn’t hold back.

“It was surreal that part of the crowd left the stands,” Neymar told ESPN Argentina. “They’re going to get tired of whistling, because I have another three years left on my contract.”

Since the takeover by Qatar Sports Investments in 2011, PSG has been the most dominant club in France, winning eight of the last 10 titles. Only Monaco in 2017 and Lille in 2021 were able to disrupt PSG’s triumphal march.

Kylian Mbappe didn’t have his shooting boots on against Lens, but he has been the driving force behind PSG’s latest title, leading the league with 22 goals and 14 assists. The France striker has arguably been the most valuable player at the club and in the league, outshining

teammates Lionel Messi and Neymar.

Messi needed time to adapt in his first season in the French league after two decades in Spain, and still made a significant contribution with four goals and 13 assists.

Neymar faced fitness issues at the start of the season then was sidelined by an ankle injury for more than two months. But the Brazil striker is finishing the campaign strong, racking up 11 goals and five assists.

When Mbappe, Messi or Neymar couldn’t make the difference, their teammates stepped up. For instance, Morocco full back Achraf Hakimi scored twice in a 2-1 win at Metz in September. Marquinhos and Angel Di Maria scored to help PSG rally past Lille 2-1 in October.

This is Mauricio Pochettino’s first league title.

The Argentine coach led PSG to a runner-up finish last season after replacing Thomas Tuchel in the winter. Pochettino couldn’t implement the high-energy brand of football he was known for at Tottenham in the English Premier League, especially with attacking players looking like passengers in some games. But his man-management skills contributed to maintaining a certain unity in the dressing room despite cliques and huge egos.

To a certain extent, the French league has become too small for PSG. With international players in every position, PSG is pretty much running a fishing trawler while the other French clubs are still using

fishing rods. But to supporters, the season has felt like a regression because PSG was knocked out in the last 16 of the Champions League by Real Madrid after reaching the final in 2020 and the semifinals in 2021.

The Qatari owners have made no secret of their European ambitions.

Catching Messi among other top signings last summer created considerable expectations of finally winning Europe’s biggest club title.

But despite all of the money splashed around, the collective expression of the team seemed smaller than the sum of its parts.

Supporters heavily booed PSG during a 3-0 win over Bordeaux in March, just a few days after PSG lost to Real Madrid 3-1 in the

RUBLEV WINS SERBIA OPEN, DENIES DJOKOVIC 1ST TITLE OF 2022 BELGRADE, Serbia (AP) — Andrey Rublev defeated Novak Djokovic 6-2, 6-7 (4), 6-0 to win the Serbia Open for his third title of the season yesterday.

The second-seeded Russian player dug deep to stop Djokovic from mounting another comeback as he prevented the topranked Serb from claiming his first title of 2022.

The 24-year-old Rublev looked fitter in their third set as he closed out the win in 2 hours, 24 minutes.

Djokovic – who is 10 years older than Rublev – appeared affected by the effort he put in to level the match in the second-set tiebreaker.

Djokovic had already came back from a set down in each of his three matches at his hometown tournament, defeating Laslo Djere, Miomir Kecmanovic and Karen Khachanov on his way to the final in what were only his fifth, sixth and seventh matches of the year.

The 20-time Grand Slam champion opened his clay-court season with a surprising loss to Alejandro Davidovich Fokina at the Monte Carlo Masters the previous week, his first match since being eliminated in the quarterfinals of the Dubai Championships in February.

Dubai was his first tournament of the year after he was barred from playing at the Australian Open because of his unvaccinated status, which also prevented him from playing tournaments in the United States last month.

Rublev, who dropped only one set as he eliminated Jiri Lehecka, Taro Daniel and Fabio Fognini on his way to the final, has now equalled Rafael Nadal’s mark of three tour-level titles in 2022, after wins in Marseille and Dubai in February.

IGA SWIATEK WINS STUTTGART OPEN, HER 4TH TITLE OF 2022 STUTTGART, Germany (AP) — Top-ranked Iga Swiatek defeated Aryna Sabalenka 6-2, 6-2 in the final of the Stuttgart Open for her fourth title of the year yesterday.

The Polish player stretched her winning run to 23 matches by beating last year’s finalist in her own tournament debut in 1 hour 24 minutes. Swiatek has now won her last seven finals in straight sets.

Swiatek previously won in Doha, Indian Wells and Miami.

Sabalenka, who lost last year’s final to Ashleigh Barty, defeated the secondseeded Paula Badosa in their semifinal on Saturday, but the third-seeded Belarusian player had no answer to Swiatek’s power. second leg of their last 16 tie. PSG won the first leg 1-0 and was leading 1-0 in the second leg when Real Madrid scored three goals in a 17-minute span.

It was a collapse similar to the second-leg 6-1 loss to Barcelona in 2017 that rendered the 4-0 win in the first leg meaningless.

“We’ve had a difficult season since the defeat against Real Madrid,” PSG sporting director Leonardo said.

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PAGE 18, Monday, April 25, 2022

THE TRIBUNE

SOFTBALL COMMUNITY MOURNS DEATH OF TWO PROMINENT PLAYERS

By BRENT STUBBS Senior Sports Reporter bstubbs@tribunemedia.net IN the space of a few hours of each other, the softball community lost two prominent players in Eleuthera and in New Providence respectively on Friday.

In Rock Sound, news spread of the passing of International Softball Federation and the Bahamas Softball Federation Hall of Famer Douglas ‘Dougie’ Smith, while Jeff Willie passed away at the Princess Margaret Hospital.

Smith, 73, was paralysed from his waist down and was recently confined to the use of a wheelchair. He is survived by Janet Horton and her daughter Sharon, who died earlier this year, and another daughter Keisha.

His long-time friend, Richard ‘the Lion-Heart’ Johnson, who called him his big brother, said it’s never easy when you lose someone as close to you. He said Smith was an advert fisherman who also operated the heavy equipment machines.

“He got inducted into the International Softball Federation Hall of Fame, he was inducted into our National Softball Hall of Fame, he got a park in Rock Sound named after him and his picture is hanging in the airport in Rock Sound,” Johnson said.

“But he was a player and first to be inducted into the Hall of Fame. But he went on to become the manager of the men’s national team.

I don’t know of anyone who had those accolades, not in this country. He really gave it his all to softball in this country.”

Minister of Youth, Sports and Culture Mario Bowleg expressed his condolences to Smith’s family. “Dougie, as he was affectionately

called, is regarded as one of the most complete players to have suited up in a softball uniform, starting his career at age 12,” Bowleg said. “The former softball player went onto represent the country, at several regional tournaments, as a member of the men’s national team. His first, the 1972 Central American and Caribbean (CAC) championships, held in El Salvador, where he went on to win the batting and home run titles.

“This great softball ambassador was also a member of the national squad that placed third in the world, back in 1981.

As a player, he competed in tournaments held in Mexico, Tacoma, Washington, Santa Clara, Cuba, Colombia and Santo Domingo, just to name a few. Dougie was also named to the All Team as a pitcher, in 1986 at the games played in Santo Domingo.

“Many say that Dougie’s discipline and love for the sport have rarely been matched. It was this passion and drive that propelled him into the coaching and managing rankings. He coached the men’s national team in 1989 and led them to a victory over the United States. He also headed the 1990 men’s national teams that played in Cuba.

Heartfelt condolences are extended to Dougie’s immediate and extended family, as well as the sporting community. May his soul rest in peace.”

Born in Rock Sound, Smith always had a passion for sports as he began playing softball at the tender age of 12 and little did he envision back then that he would become one of the most prolific players in The Bahamas, and indeed the world.

Many still can remember him as the player from The

JEFF Willie.

Bahamas who would, often times play without any catcher’s equipment. Douggie, as he is affectionately called, is regarded as one of the most complete players to have suited up in a softball uniform.

His discipline and love for the sport have rarely been matched.

He has been one of the country’s greatest softball ambassadors, both at home and abroad. He is a Bahamian hero and a great softball legend.

Smith first represented The Bahamas as a member of the men’s national team that competed in the Caribbean and Central America Championships in El Salvador back in 1972.

He also won the batting crown in that championship.

Between 1972 and 1986, Smith was a member of several national teams competing in Mexico, Tacoma Washington, Santa Clara, Cuba, Columbia and Santo Domingo to mention a few.

He was an integral part of the squad that took the Bahamas to 3rd in the World back in 1981.

Smith took on the role as men’s national team coach in 1989 when the team travelled to Argentina and again in 1990 when they played in Cuba, in 1994 he was named men’s national

STRACHAN FROM PAGE 14

Charlton leads at Kentucky Open World Indoor Championships’ silver medallist Devynne Charlton picked up a second place in the women’s 100m hurdles in 12.89 in her outdoor opener to lead a few Bahamians competing at the Kentucky Invitational on Saturday at the Outdoor Facility in Lexington, Kentucky.

Kentucky’s junior Masai Russel clocked 12.71 to win the event. Russell had the fastest qualifying time of 12.90, while Charlton was pegged in 13.13 for the second fastest time.

Megan Moss had to settle for third in the women’s 400m in 52.23. Her teammate Alexis Holmes, now in her junior year, won the event in 51.54. NaAsha Robinson, running unattached, was second in 52.19.

In the women’s 4 x 400m relay, Moss ran the opening leg of the Wildcats’ B team of Dynasty McClemnon, Shadajah Bullard and Masai Russell finished second in 3:40.97. Kentucky’s A team won in 3:25.79.

Kentucky’s freshman Jaida Knowles had the ninth and final qualifying spot of 12.19 to advance to the final, but she didn’t start as Kentucky’s top qualifier Dajour Miles won the event. The sophomore did it in 11.52.

Miller and Smith victorious Ohio State’s Shaun Miller soared 2.16m to win the men’s high jump on Saturday

RUGBY

FROM PAGE 14 for The Bahamas with the lone try scored against Mexico and a pair of tries against BVI. “It’s a very young team going forward, there are three senior players in the team and everyone else is under 25, we’re young but we’re hungry for it, we just have to find our identity as one of the top teams in the Caribbean, but we will get there,” he said.

“The fitness level is there, during COVID, our coach Josh [Purcell] had us running just about everyday. It’s just the mindset that we can beat these teams was the difference.”

Team Bahamas concluded their run in the tournament with a 31-21 loss to Guyana.

Team head coach Joshua Purcell said it was a welcome return for the senior men’s national programme to international competition.

“It was the first taste of international rugby for a Bahamian team in almost five years so it was a baptism by fire against some real quality teams.

“I have to commend the boys, after the first night they called a team meeting and

GARDINER ON FIRE - At the LSU Alumni Gold, Abaco native Steven Gardiner, representing Adidas, posted the world’s fastest leading time of 44.22 seconds to win the men’s 400 metres at the LSU Alumni Gold at the Bernie Moore Track Stadium in Baton Rouge, Louisiana. at the Jesse Owens Classic at the Jesse Owens Memorial Stadium in Columbus, Ohio. Andrew Taylor of Wheeling was his nearest rival with (2.13m) for second.

some real heavy things were said but it was about accountability and responsibility,” he said.

“The focus was awesome all morning headed into the second day and the mentality was that we were not leaving the field without a win. Our big names really stepped up but so did the whole side. It was great to see some things that we trained toward really come to fruition.”

With more opportunities on the horizon, Purcell said he hopes The Bahamas’ performance and hosting of the event prompts more locals to get involved in the sport.

“Hopefully it increases participation in the sport and advertising the sport nationally because the potential and talent for all sports in The Bahamas is endless,” he said.

“We have some more sevens fixtures this year, we also have the 15s version of the game locally and abroad as well so we will give the boys a bit of time to recuperate and then it’s back to the training.”

The tournament is a qualifier for a pair of major upcoming events, including the Rugby World Cup Sevens 2022 in Cape Town, South Africa in

RICHARD Johnson and Douglas Smith. team manager and led The Bahamas to outstanding showings in Detroit, Columbia and several regional championships.

While an active player on the men’s national team, Smith won the home run crown during competition against some of the world’s best in El Salvador.

He was named to the All Tournament Team at the World Softball Championships in Tacoma, Washington back in 1980, and made the All Tournament Team as a pitcher in 1986, during competition in Santo Domingo.

One of his proudest moments in softball came when he coached The Bahamas national team to victory over the United States in 1989.

Johnson, who played on a number of those national teams with Smith, said he remembers how their relationship got started over 60 years and they grew to become close friends after they played for the Jets and the Heroes respectively.

“He always gave us tips, this was after he beat us, on how we should play the game,” Johnson said.

“He never gave us tips before we played, but he would give it to us after we played. But he was always

good to us, me, Edmund Bethel and George Johnson, all the guys from JC (James Cistern).

“Even after he went and played in the Mets organisation, like Shad Rolle, who also played in the Mets farm system, he always tried to find a way to help the young players in Eleuthera, especially those of us in JC.” Taking the role of his big brother, Johnson said he could go to Eleuthera for weeks on vacation and he stayed with Smith.

He noted that if he went with Perry Seymour and others from the Budweiser Eagles, they would go fishing. “My first national team trip was in 1977 and he took me under his wings,” Richard said.

“Nobody could say or do anything to me during that trip. He was my big brother on that trip. He told (manager) Apache (Leon Knowles) when it was my turn to pitch, he told me when it was my turn to rest and when I should work out. That was the type of person he was to me.”

Willie, 59, was a police/ inspector attached to the Police Canteen. He left behind a son, Javon Willie, brothers Paul, Godfrey and Wesley Willie, sisters Juanita Pinder, Angela Williams

Miller’s teammate Oscar Smith pulled off the victory in the men’s 110m hurdles in 13.56. Smith had the fastest qualifying time of 13.75 in the preliminaries.

Johnson and Rolle in Florida At the Pure Athletics Spring Invitational at the NTC Training Center in Clermont, Florida, Printassia Johnson of Power Athletics posted a fourth-place finish in the women’s 200m in 23.74. Corinna Schwab of Track Team Germany won in 22.72.

Johnson also got ninth in the 100m in 11.67. Ashanti Moore, competing for AdiPure, won in 10.96.

And Kinard Rolle, representing Empire, was 11th in the men’s 100m in 10.70 as Kendal Williams of AdiPure, won in 9.90.

Rolle also was sixth in the 200m in 21.55.

Charlie Dobson of Puma was the winner in 19.99.

White earns win Marissa White, a senior at Temple, clocked a personal best of 53.84 at the Virginia Challenge at the Lannigan Field at the University of Virginia in Charlotte, Virginia. Her nearest rival was Elena Brown-Solar in 53.84.

Gaither in action in Waco Tynia Gaither, competing for Adidas, raced to third in the women’s 200m in 23.23 at the Michael Johnson Invitational on Friday at the Clyde Hart Track and Field Stadium in Waco, Texas. Rosemary Chukwuma of Texas Tech was the winner in 22.97. Tamar Clark of Adidas got second in 23.04. Gaither was also fourth in the 100m in 11.02 on Saturday. The race was won by Brittany Brown, also of Adidas, in 10.66.

September, and the Commonwealth Games 2022 in Birmingham, England in July.

As the top two men’s teams, Canada and Jamaica have earned a spot in the Rugby World Cup Sevens 2022.

Canada won the Cup Championship with a 29-12 win over Jamaica.

Jamaica, runners-up in the Cup Championship, finished as the highest-placed men’s team eligible to participate in The Commonwealth Games 2022 and will represent RAN, alongside Canada who have already pre-qualified for both men and women.

Canada’s women’s team also earned a spot in the Rugby Sevens World Cup with the tournament title over the weekend. They won the Cup Championship with a dominant 33-0 win over Mexico.

Bahamas Rugby Football Union president, Adam Waterhouse, said The Bahamas’ ability to host elite programmes in the region bodes well for the local development of the sport.

“It’s an amazing opportunity. We’re very lucky that we put our hand up to show that the Caribbean can be very well organised and it is a benchmark now for competitions in the

region,” he said, “We’re showing that The Bahamas really is ‘Sports in Paradise.’ It shows The Bahamas can be a premier venue for competition in the North America region.”

A total of 19 programmes (13 men’s teams and five women’s teams) competed in 46 matches, over the last two days at the Thomas A Robinson National Stadium.

Other participating men’s teams included Jamaica, Curacao, Guyana, The British Virgin Islands, Trinidad and Tobago, Canada, Turks and Caicos, Bermuda, Belize, and Barbados.

Women’s teams included Jamaica, Canada, Trinidad and Tobago, Mexico, and The Cayman Islands.

“This is an awesome legacy event for us,” Waterhouse said.

“It’s disappointing we haven’t had any international competition for five years and the women for about three years so we are hoping a lot of people see this, see the opportunity, fall in love with the sport, come out, start training and we just keep growing and building the talent pool all across The Bahamas from the youth straight through to our elite programmes.”

and Yvette Willie and his partner/finance Shantell Cox. His younger brother, Godfrey, said Jeff, who was just a year older than him, was his idol.

“He was also a coach for me because growing up, we always played together,” Godfrey said. “I started shortstop and he played third base. We were side by side. That was the kind of bond that we shared together.

“We were so inseparable that a lot of people thought that we were twins. He was a quiet person, but he always knew my potential and he tried to get the best out of me. I always wanted him to be proud of me.

When Jeff Willie joined the Police Force in 1980, Godfrey Willie followed the next year in 1981.”

The Willies rode to the park together and although they played on one or two teams together in the senior league, they ended up reuniting in every league they played in with the New Providence Softball Association, New Providence Oldtimers Softball Association and the Bahamas Government Departmental Softball Association.

“This is going to be very difficult for me because we even travelled together on vacation,” Godfrey Willie said. “We even went to watch a lot of football games in the National Football League together. He was preparing for his 60th birthday this year, but he never got to experience it.

“He was not a sick person, which makes it so hard for us. We have an older brother who was sick and a lot of people thought it was him. Jeff wasn’t sick or anything, So it came as a surprise when we got to the hospital and he was dead.”

May the souls of both Dougie Smith and Jeff Willie rest in peace.

FURY

FROM PAGE 14 Fury was soaking in perhaps his last moments in a ring after 14 years as a professional. For his last fight — or so he says — he gave a clinic.

After a gripping trilogy with Deontay Wilder in the United States, Whyte was a big step-down for Fury, who mostly toyed with his compatriot after sizing him up in a cagey opening couple of rounds.

Fury was in control of the fight without truly exerting himself until the fifth round, which he dominated. A body shot and then a straight right rocked Whyte back, getting the crowd going.

By what proved to be the final round, Whyte was starting to breathe heavier and had a cut around his right eye — potentially from a clash of heads.

Whyte — the long-time mandatory challenger — was mostly reckless with some big but wayward shots. He tried to play rough and get in the head of Fury, while hoping to land the one big punch to turn him into a superstar overnight.

In the end, it came from the right hand of Fury, which sent Whyte collapsing to the canvas.

Whyte eventually got to his feet and tried to show he was ready to continue but then staggered toward the ropes, leading the referee to end the fight.

Fury called it a “Wembley Stadium show-stopper.”

“He is as strong as a bull and has the heart of a lion,” Fury said of Whyte, “but tonight he met a great in the sport, one of the greatest heavyweights of all time.

“I think,” Fury added, “even Lennox Lewis would be proud of that uppercut.”

If he does retire, Fury will go down as the greatest British heavyweight, surpassing Lewis.

What might yet make him continue is the chance to be the undisputed champion from what could be a hugely lucrative bout against Oleksandr Usyk or Anthony Joshua.

Usyk beat Joshua last September to take the WBA, IBF and WBO belts and is preparing for a rematch with Joshua after leaving his native Ukraine, where he was helping his country in the war with Russia.

That’s all Fury would have left to claim among the current crop of heavyweights in an average era for the sport’s marquee division, which would be a quieter place without the 6-foot-9 Brit whose mouth and opinions have gotten him in trouble down the years.

“I’ve never experienced anything like that before — I messed up my ring walk!” said Fury, who came out in a red-andwhite gown, blowing kisses to the crowd before fireworks illuminated Wembley.

He jogged to the ring and sat on a throne. He then showed he was the king of the heavyweights, at least far too good for Whyte.

“He didn’t just fight a world champion in this game,” Fury said. “I’m a legend ... what a way to top it all off.”

Just to be sure, Fury was asked one final time: Is that really it?

“I definitely think so,” he said.

THE TRIBUNE

Monday, April 25, 2022, PAGE 19

NATIONAL FAMILY ISLAND REGATTA, EXUMA - CLOSING CEREMONY TROPHY PRESENTATIONS

Regatta time again!

CLOSING ceremony festivities for the National Family Island Regatta C & E Class Championship were held in George Town, Exuma, on Saturday evening.

The National Family Island Regatta resumed April 21-23, 2022 after a long sailing break due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

Deputy to the Governor General Cynthia Pratt, Prime Minister and Minister of Finance Philip Davis, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Tourism, Investments and Aviation Chester Cooper, and Minister of Agriculture, Marine Resources, and Family Island Affairs (with responsibility for regattas) Clay Sweeting together congratulated the Class C Champions Patton Pride - and made presentations to all trophy winners.

‘Mother’ Pratt, as she is affectionately called, presented the Governor General’s Cup to ‘Patton Pride’, skippered by Mr Stefan Knowles.

Prime Minister Davis presented the Prime Minister’s Cup to ‘Whitty K’, skippered by Mr C Burrows.

Minister Sweeting, along with Leonardo Lightbourne, the parliamentary secretary, presented the crew of ‘One Bahamas’ (Class E) with the Ministry of Agriculture, Marine Resources & Family Island Affairs Cup.

Photos: Patrick Hanna/ BIS)