05132024 NEWS AND SPORT

CHINA TO FUND NEW HOSPITAL

20-year loan agreed at 2% interest - and work starts this year

By NEIL HARTNELL Tribune Business Editor nhartnell@tribunemedia.net

THE government is aiming to “break ground” on New Providence’s new $290m hospital by September 2024 after the project was approved for “concessionary financing” from a Chinese state-owned bank.

Dr Michael Darville, minister of health and wellness, yesterday

pledged to Tribune Business that the 50-acre facility to be constructed in the Perpall Tract area will be “a Bahamian hospital” after the China ExportImport Bank, the same institution that financed Baha Mar’s multi-billion resort, agreed to fully fund it via a 20-year loan with an interest rate set at just 2 percent.

POLICE BELIEVE WEEKEND KILLING OF TWO TEENS MAY BE CONNECTED

TWO teenagers were killed over the weekend, bringing the murder count for the year to 49.

One teen was shot dead on a basketball court at a school on Friday night and the other was shot in his sleep. In the first case, an 18-year-old was on the basketball court with two other men when they were approached by three men dressed in hooded jackets. There was a confrontation that led the victim to leave the area, but one of the men in the hooded jacket pulled out a gun and opened fire on the group, hitting the 18-year-old. He was taken to hospital by emergency services, but

By RASHAD ROLLE Tribune News Editor rrolle@tribunemedia.net

FIVE dolphins were rescued from Blackbeard’s Cay on Friday after it was revealed that eight dolphins

died there since 2018, including five in 2023.

The Ministry of Agriculture and Marine Resources said Fiona, Harry, Diamond, Justice and Pigeon were rescued and taken to Atlantis’ Animal Care

facility for further observation, medical attention and continued care.

The ministry said more details will be shared during a press conference today

COUSIN: SUICIDE ‘STORY IS NOT ADDING UP’

By LYNAIRE MUNNINGS Tribune Staff Reporter lmunnings@tribunemedia.net

THE family of an influencer who died last week do not believe she committed suicide, insisting the “story isn’t adding up”. Destiny Hamilton, 27, was found in a bathroom around 8.30am last Thursday with a laceration to her

wrist, leading police to classify the death as a suicide. Bennae Beneby-Pinder, 30, insisted yesterday that her cousin would not kill herself as she was full of life and loved living.

Ms Beneby-Pinder said Destiny resided in the United States and was visiting Guana Cay, Abaco,

By EARYEL BOWLEG

A FIRE truck has been sent to Abaco to help battle a major blaze.

Chief Superintendent of Police Will Hart said yesterday that while the fire is containable, law enforcement officers were sent from New Providence in case it worsens.

Deputy Prime Minister Chester Cooper visited Abaco on Saturday to survey the situation. Volunteer fire chief

TWO volunteers work to secure one of five dolphins rescued from Blackbeard’s Cay. They were taken to Atlanits for care.

Antique car show raising funds for children’s charity

CLASSIC cars were out in style at Arawak Cay as the Antique Auto Club of The Bahamas hosted a show on Saturday.

The event saw a number of antique and classic cars on display, while there was also an art contest, a Junkanoo rushout, Edukarting for kids, a bouncing castle, a health screening, a flea market, a raffle, the Urban Renewal band, the Police Band, steel drums, music, a police K9 unit demonstration and a fire truck.

The annual event raised funds to assist a children’s charity.

A 1961 Corvette during The Antique Auto Club of The Bahamas Car Show at Arawak Cay on May 11, 2024.

Photos: Dante Carrer/Tribune Staff

Photo: Stephen Hunt

Blackbeard’s Cay dolphins rescued and taken to Atlantis for medical care

from page one

and thanked the Department of Marine Resources, Atlantis, the Royal Bahamas Defence Force and the former caretaker, Louis Arthuro, for their efforts in the rescue.

Dolphin Project, a nonorganisation concerned with dolphin welfare, revealed last week that dolphins had been treated poorly.

The organisation said:

“Many bottles of various medications designated for the dolphins are empty. Several others had expired as far back as 2020.

“The dolphins are all seriously underweight, suffering from malnutrition and dehydration. As dolphins get their hydration from fish, if they are not being fed enough, they are also not getting enough water. In captivity, fluids are often supplemented via ice chips, but as there is no power, there is no ice.

“The infrastructure is in complete disrepair. The fences in the dolphins’ sea pen has large holes, torn in several spots. The property is littered with garbage. There is no protection from weather (including hurricanes) and is exposed to tourists.

“There is only one fulltime caretaker to feed

the dolphins. There is no attending veterinarian and no security. “There is no enrichment for the dolphins, nor is there any shade in their enclosure. The water in which they are being kept is extremely shallow (two meters at the deepest point).”

In 2013, after years of court battle, former Supreme Court Justice Stephen Isaacs ruled in favour of environmental activists and ordered that Blackbeard’s Cay be shut down. He rescinded the dolphin import licences, ordering that the mammals be moved to a suitable location. He also also quashed the development’s Town Planning Committee approval and ordered that the site be restored to its previous use. However, Blackbeard’s Cay and its dolphin attraction remained in business for six further years with no enforcement action taken to ensure its closure until the COVID-19 pandemic.

Activist Sam Duncombe, who fought to close Blackbeard’s Cay, said the situation before last week’s rescue appeared to violate the Animal Control and Protection Act, the Marine Mammal Protection Act and the regulations for captive dolphins.

Cousin: Suicide ‘story is not adding up’

with her husband and a friend. She said she visited Abaco often because of her marriage.

“We all know that the story is not adding up,” she said. “One of the main reasons was, what seemed weird was, Destiny was really awkward with her right hand so I don’t think if she was to kill herself, she would cut herself on her left wrist.”

“Growing up, we actually used to tease her about it because when she tried to use her right hand, she barely could do it. She was left-handed, so I would think if someone was trying to kill themselves, they would use their more dominant hand.

“It doesn’t make sense to me, and I’m pretty sure

the whole island, and actually this is affecting more than just the island, thinks the same way –– the story isn’t adding up.”

Ms Benaby-Pinder said she and Destiny grew up as siblings and shared an “unbreakable bond”.

“She walked into a room and everyone noticed her,” she said.

“She was very friendly. She was loyal, very full of energy, adventurous. She was faithful to her friends and her family. If she loves you, she loves you.

“There is no one who meets Destiny could say anything bad about her. If she meets you, she shows love, even to strangers.”

“She loved to live.

That’s number one. Anything adventurous Destiny is doing, with no questions asked. She loved to travel,

she loved to shop, and design.

“She also loved to cook and bake. She loved animals. She was a person full of life and love to live life.”

Destiny was the only child of her mother, Gladys Hamilton. Ms Hamilton took to social media yesterday to mark Mother’s Day with a video of the pair.

On social media, more than 20,000 people followed Destiny, who made posts about lifestyle, luxury, and travel. On social media, many called for justice, disbelieving that she killed herself.

“I’m glad that people are speaking up and I hope that it brings more light on the situation and actually for them to properly investigate,” said Ms

Police believe weekend killing of two teens may be connected

from page one from page one

died of his wounds.

In the second incident, at about 3.15am on Saturday, the 15-year-old was asleep in his bed in a residence on Smith’s

Lane off Wulff Road when someone forced open a bedroom window and fired shots inside, hitting the teenager multiple times. Emergency services attended the scene, but

there were no signs of life. Acting on information, police arrested two 15-year-old boys. Police later said that they believed the two incidents are connected.

Beneby-Pinder.

“That’s the only thing we really could depend on at this time because, unfortunately Destiny is gone, so we only could depend on facts at this point and I just pray that they properly investigate it and make sure investigate before they rule it as a suicide because I don’t think it was suicide and I’m pretty sure based on the response, the public doesn’t think it was as well.”

“If there was foul play with Destiny, nobody is going to get away with it because we serve a true and living God and whatever was done in the dark is going to come out to the light. This is a very praying family, and trust me, justice will be served if the case is that Destiny was murdered.”

DESTINY HAMILTON

VOLUNTEERS work together to remove five dolphins from a pen at Blackbeard’s Cay, transporting them to Atlantis Animal Care for medical attention.

Wheelchair bound man earns Master’s degree

By LYNAIRE MUNNINGS Tribune Staff Reporter lmunnings@tribunemedia.net

GREGORY Cash, Jr has once again overcome the adversities of life to obtain his Master’s degree in exceptional student education from Barry University.

“I believe that persons with disabilities can achieve or accomplish anything. We may do it differently, but we will do it,” he told The Tribune yesterday.

The 28-year-old was born with cerebral palsy, which has confined him to a wheelchair and he suffers from speech and hearing impediments.

He said his condition had impaired his life but he remained determined to fulfil his purpose.

After being told that

he would never enter a “normal school”, he has obtained two degrees, including a Bachelor of Arts in psychology from the University of The Bahamas in 2020.

He wants to enter the education system and assist people with special needs and disabilities.

“I wish to help as many students and individuals as possible and make a positive impact or influence in their lives,” he said.

“I want to show people that no matter what situations or obstacles you are facing, there is nothing you cannot achieve. Also, as an educator, I want to help improve the national grade average and to help many students and individuals with special needs and disabilities advance and

progress for both the present and future.”

Mr Cash said his recent accomplishment did not come easy, as he was challenged to get to classes daily.

“There were a lot of stairs and the elevators were not working sometimes, so persons had to lift and carry me up the stairs to get to class,” he said.

He said his disability and accomplishments should inspire and encourage others to “be the best they can be.”

“I have an excellent support team who continues to push me and help me daily to not give up and continue to push to the very best I can be,” he said. “They do not allow me to make excuses or give up.”

“Lastly, I believe that

THE MINISTRY of Housing and Urban Renewal held a Mother’s Day Luncheon under the theme, “Celebrating Our Precious Pearls” where they honoured the senior mothers of Urban Renewal on Thursday at Fox Hill Community Centre. Mothers of the community are pictured having their celebration lunch, and enjoying the chat, food fare, and entertainment. In attendance were: Special Guest Speaker, Dame Cynthia “Mother” Pratt; Minister of Housing and Urban Renewal, Keith Bell; Minister of Education and Technical and Vocational Training, Glenys Hanna-Martin; Minister of State for Housing and Urban Renewal, Lisa Rahming; and Minister of State for Environment and National Resources, Zane Lightbourne. Words of Inspiration were delivered by Bishop Arthur Evans, senior pastor of Shekinah Family Word Center. Photos: Letisha Henderson/BIS

Funeral Service for Alice Remelda Cartwright, 87

of Nassau, The Bahamas, who died peacefully at her son residence, Eleuthera, on Tuesday, 7th May, 2024, will be held at Calvary Bible Church, Collins Avenue, Nassau, on Thursday, 16th May, 2024 at 11:00 a.m.

Pastor Frederick Arnett and Pastor Anthone Wallace will officiate and interment will follow in Ebenezer Methodist Cemetery, East Shirley Street, Nassau.

She was predeceased by Carlyle W. Cartwright (Husband); Christopher S. Cartwright (Son); Siblings Henry Knowles, Theodore Knowles and Agnes Knowles-Byers. She is Survived by Kevin Cartwright (Son); Carolyn Cartwright (Daughter in-law); Jessica Cartwright-Alverez (Granddaughter); Alexander Alverez (Grandson In-law); Miriam Knowles-Culmer (Sister); Paul Knowles (Brother); Sisters-in-Law Patricia Cartwright, Rosemary Knowles-Rodgers and Nancy Marcel; Nephews Jeffrey Knowles, Ryan Knowles, Rohn Knowles, Lance Knowles, Greggor Cartwright and Theodore Knowles; Nieces Moira Cartwright, Jennifer Treco, Joye Lennox, Linzi Belton, Rianne Knowles and Sophie Tranquiliini and many other relatives and Special friends and Family Pastor Allen & Nancy Lee, Jerome & Janette Cartwright, Krystal & Jeremy & Zakary Cartwright, Natasha Fox, Jerry & Violet Wirth, Beryl & David Sheasby, Clair Howarth, Andrew & Dorothy Howson, Liz Knowles-Albury, Patrice KnowlesJones, Charles Burrows, Ricardo Treco, Jenny Lloyd, Dianne Matas, Hilly Knowles, Sanara Knowles, Marguerite King, Chantelle & Joseph Euteneur, Monique Wszolek, Alice McKenzie, Mathew & Michelle Sams, Dennis & Arlene Rossi, Anne Rollins, Betty Von Hamm, Bruce & Kathy Ferguson, Elizabeth Limb, Tiffany Moncur, Desiree Knowles, Andreas Viken, Eilene Mabon, Ian Mabon, Beth & Bonnie Nottage, Basil, Godfrey & Douglas Minns, Winston & Violet Cartwright, Randolph & Hazel Wells, Christopher & Lynn Lowe, Daniel Belton, Jake, John & James Lennox, Lisa Knowles, Wendy Knowles, Adrienne Knowles, Chris Darville, Lenny & Bev Brozozog, Keith & Claudine Russell, Kenny & Sonia Cartwright, Pastor David Cartwright, Llewellyn & Sandra Burrows, Andrew & Cabrina Burrows, Cindy, Sandy, Al Jr. and Tim Julia Lee.

Special thanks to Myrna Escriba, Caregiver, Father John Johnson, Nurse Pennerman, Lavonda Thompson, Dr. Friend, Dr. Graham Cates, Dianne Dunn and Stephen Johnson of Kemp’s Funeral Home Limited, Pastor Robert Elliott & the Church Family of Calvary Bible Church, Joe Euteneur, Tim Deal and Ken Curry.

Arrangements by Kemp’s Funeral Home Limited.

despite my disability, I am determined and persistent to go after everything I put my mind to and no matter what challenges or obstacles I may be faced with, continue soaring, continue believing and take one step after the next until I cross the finish line.”

The journey for Mr Cash is not complete, as he intends to pursue his PhD and publish a book.

“Do not ever give up and continue to believe in yourself, no matter how you may feel or what obstacles you may be faced with,” he said.

“A lot of times, students and persons with disabilities feel hopeless and limited, but there is so much they can achieve when they put their mind to it and stay positive.”

GREGORY CASH, Jr

Govt sends fire engine to help with abaco fires

from page one

Danny Sawyer said yesterday: “It’s bad right now. We’re in Bahama Coral Island. We’ve got two fire trucks here with about 20 firemen.”

Last month, fire services and volunteers fought to contain four separate fires in the Marsh Harbour and Spring City areas, prompting the closure of a section of the island’s main road.

Mr Sawyer said it feels like he has been fighting fires for 17 days. When he spoke to The Tribune yesterday, he was waiting for a truck to return with water to fight the blaze.

“I’m going to try to back burn all of this before nightfall, trying to get rid of all this excess fuel,” he said.

Roscoe Thompson, chairman of the Marsh Harbour/Spring City Township, said he did not know many people who evacuated their homes.

“People have been protecting their homes,” he said. “That’s been a good thing, putting sprinklers on their roofs, watering down their roofs, you know, trying to keep the property damp, and that’s been going on through the whole thing.”

He said the fire was moving northward.

“We haven’t had rain in 40 days, and it’s so dry and with the wind, it’s just pushing,” he said. “There’s very little wind, but it’s pushing. It’s so much fuel. There’s so much underbrush. All them trees, all the grass, everything that’s there is just fuel for the fire.”

Earlier this month, police charged an Abaco resident with arson in relation to one of the recent fires.

Minister of Environment: We are committed to remove and ban roadside garages from residential neighbourhoods

By RASHAD ROLLE Tribune News Editor rrolle@tribunemedia.net

A SCRAP metal yard

fire that threatened businesses in the Joe Farrington Road area last week has prompted a commitment from the Ministry of Environment and Natural Resources to tackle “roadside garages”.

Although the fire on Joe Farrington Road, which started last Wednesday, has since been contained, it continued smouldering yesterday. It damaged the roof of a nearby Rubis gas station at its peak.

The Ministry of Environment said yesterday: “Successive governments and communities have been very concerned about roadside garages that continue to reside and expand in residential communities. Successive governments have sought to identify suitable land to accommodate these roadside garages. Previously, 20 acres had been set aside on Fire Trail Road west for a new industrial park and to accommodate roadside garages.

“It is the intention of The Ministry of the Environment and Natural Resources in collaboration with the Ministry of Public Works to follow through on the request for Crown land to house these facilities. We are concerned about Roberts on Joe Farrington Road, Strachan’s on Soldier Road, the massive facility on Augusta and Dean Streets and a number of unsightly garages in other areas. It is the government’s

intention to discourage roadside garages in general that have become an eyesore and environmental hazard in our communities.

“The Ministry of Public Works has carriage for garages, scrap facilities, vehicle storage areas, etc. Our concern is the environment and keeping it clean and green. We are passionate and committed to having these facilities removed and banned from residential communities.”

Last week’s fire started around 10.17am at CRT Enterprises Limited.

The fire prompted the Ministry of Education to end school for the day at Cleveland Eneas Primary and Sadie Curtis Primary.

Everette Rolle, proprietor of CRT Enterprises Limited, said his company received a derelict vehicle with a gas tank, which goes against their policy of having the tanks removed before receiving vehicles.

“When our escalator went to lift it, the gas tank got punctured, and it exploded, and the fire sorta spread very quickly,” Mr Rolle said.

“We responded with our fire extinguishers, but it wasn’t sufficient to contain the fire and because of the swirling winds, it spun out of control.”

Mr Rolle said firefighters responded within 10 to 15 minutes.

He said the damage must be assessed, but the business must “bounce back as quickly as” possible.

He said his business had experienced a fire only once - 22 years ago.

FIRE burns at a scrap metal yard on Joe Farrington Road on Thursday.

Photos: Chappell Whyms Jr

VOLUNTEERS fighting forest fires in Abaco on Thursday last week.

The Tribune Limited

NULLIUS ADDICTUS JURARE IN VERBA MAGISTRI

“Being Bound to Swear to The Dogmas of No Master”

LEON E. H. DUPUCH

Publisher/Editor 1903-1914

SIR ETIENNE DUPUCH, Kt., O.B.E., K.M., K.C.S.G., (Hon.) LL.D., D.Litt .

Publisher/Editor 1919-1972

Contributing Editor 1972-1991

RT HON EILEEN DUPUCH CARRON, C.M.G., M.S., B.A., LL.B.

Publisher/Editor 1972-

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Praise for the resuce, but why did it take so long?

IT is very welcome indeed to see a happy ending to the story about the dolphins of Blackbeard’s Cay. Two caveats, however – this is a temporary solution, so there is still more to be resolved, and it is a shame that it took international attention to solve a problem right here on our doorstep. The situation did not arise overnight. When The Tribune’s lead story last week reported on the deaths of eight dolphins and five more being at risk, it was a long time coming.

Blackbeard’s Cay had been subject to protest from the start. Activist Sam Duncombe, of reEarth, warned of what could happen – and last week was quoted by The Tribune as saying she “knew in my bones” more than a decade ago that the resort would hit trouble, and the dolphins would be the main victims.

The current situation sees Blackbeard’s Cay tied up in legal manoeuvres with the co-owners going through personal bankruptcy, but frankly the real fault lies in the six years of a failure to enforce the Supreme Court ruling that the place should be shut down and the dolphins relocated.

What is the point of a Supreme Court if it can just be ignored? We have said before in this column that the law must be the law for all or it is justice for none. How many of us could blithely ignore a court ruling for six years? Why was it allowed to do so? Who was responsible for ignoring the order that led us to here, this moment, where we celebrate the survival of

some at the expense of the majority?

Even the current resolution – temporary though it is and welcome nonetheless – should have come about sooner.

It almost seems as if the attention, both locally and internationally, has pushed all concerned into action. Some have been pushing for that for a long time, others seem to have discovered the urgency more recently.

Moreover, now that the action has been taken, one wonders why it could not be taken long before. Perhaps more of the dolphins might still have been with us with a little more determination on the part of the authorities.

Still, we extend our applause to the rescuers, our thanks to Atlantis for taking in the dolphins in need, and our hope that there be further redress for those who allowed this to happen.

We cannot boast about our environment, about our caring for nature, about our green credentials, if we allow such occurrences as this to happen.

And let us be thankful for the activists. For the likes of Sam Duncombe, without whom we may never have known of the risk that the dolphins were in from the start – and especially more recently. We hope that she is part of the process to come to a permanent outcome for the dolphins – she certainly has earned her right to have her voice heard.

Well done to all who are trying to make things right. It should never have been this way.

Two wrongs don’t make a right, PM

EDITOR, The Tribune.

DURING last Wednesday’s sitting of the House of assembly, what I saw was beyond norm shattering. The government refused to answer any questionsexcept two - put to them by the leader of the opposition Michael Pintard. The government seemed to have bathed in the politics of arrogance and contempt. It seems to relish any and every opportunity to rub the opposition’s nose in the proverbial dirt. The government maintained that the former Minnis administration did not answer any questions, which is a classic case of “what aboutism”. It was wrong then, and it is wrong now. The old cliche “two wrongs don’t make a right is still relevant in to-day’s politics. The Bahamian people took care of that during the last general

elections. And who can forget Dr Minnis’ comment about going home to cook stew fish when questioned by the media? Well, the Bahamian people took care of that too!

Because of its large majority, the government has succeeded time and again in bending the curve of events in its favour. It seems intent on leaving no doubt as to who is in charge - “dis me now!” The question and answer period in the House seems to be a fruitless exercise - in my opinion. Very little if any thing is gleaned from it, and quite frankly it should be removed from the agenda - feel free to disagree. Somehow the present government seems content to rest in the bosom of secrecy, and this is a worrying trend. May I remind our government that it is the people’s

EDITOR, The Tribune.

I READ with shock, horror, disgust and outrage the headline in today’s edition of the Tribune. Upon reading the whole article in the business section, my reaction turned to unbelief!! Is there no respect for the law in this country? How is it possible for an order by a Supreme Court Justice to be totally ignored? I find this to be totally beyond belief.

Not only did Blackbeard’s Cay continue operating in contravention of a Supreme Court Order, they continued for seven years, and

nobody stopped them! Now as a result, innocent and beautiful animals have been allowed to die, and more are in the process of dying because our government in its wisdom is dragging its heels granting the necessary permits for life saving medications and feed to be imported. The whole scenario is beyond belief. I remember well the initial objections to the Blackbeard’s Cay Dolphin

venture. The animals being kept in a holding pen that was too small, too shallow and no shade, and rejoicing on hearing that Justice Isaacs had ordered it closed, and the animals moved to a more humane location. Little did I, or many others, know at the time that Blackbeard’s Cay appeared to have totally ignored the order and carried on with business as usual. I’m sure the Humane Society knew nothing about it.

JOANNA ROBERTSON Nassau, May 8, 2024.

business - not Michael Pintard’s business, and the people have a right to request answers; the people elected you! The average Bahamian might not have a university degree, but they have a degree in common sense, and they know the difference between right and wrong, which they demonstrate every five years - two and a half years in this instance. I am not in the business of giving advice, but maybe the government should swallow the bitter pill of history and learn from the previous government’s mistake, because no one knows in what direction the ball of history will bounce. Be warned!

ZEPHANIAH BURROWS Nassau, May 9, 2024.

EDITOR, The Tribune. BPL … is government speaking to any company who wish to take over generation-transmission, etc? Just how can the Minister of Energy say our plan will drop tariffs if clearly there are not suitors - no plan, nothing?

So the newish Wartsila engine house, condemned from the beginning - why FNM?

Will demolished engines be transferred to a new location at Clifton... easy but... building has to be built foundations would have to be extensive and deep the rock at Clifton

is not the best - then the engines, des t‘ings no small matter have to be carefully removed and secured in new siting... How long will that take?

If the eight Wartsila engines are not working in this process where is the power coming from?

Scheduled - surely not summer? Who is the current provider of standby power - cost per unit generated and let’s know what BPL marks that up to us, the crying consumers? Someone coming off with a juicy beyond juicy contract to provide standby, has there been

is there to be a RFP for that?

New Day maybe, but for BPL sorry PR spin ain’t no reasonable plan the consumers can feel comfortable about. Words mean nothing. The attitude of the New Day Government - they don’t know everything - stop making mirage statements which don’t make any sense. Disturbed checking how much a standby or solar costs...can I afford either?

JEROME WILSON Nassau, May 5, 2024.

SAN Diego Padres’ Fernando Tatis Jr. is hit by a pitch while batting during the fourth inning of a baseball game against the Los Angeles Dodgers, yesterday, in San Diego.

Photo: Gregory Bull/AP

Disabilities advocacy group holding a

post-Mother’s Day fundraising event

By EARYEL BOWLEG Tribune Staff Reporter ebowleg@tribunemedia.net

A NON-PROFIT advocacy group helping those with disabilities is holding a post-Mother’s Day event to raise funds for vital causes.

Anne Marie Davis, spouse of the prime minister, is the patron of the Bahamas Coalition of Advocates for Disability Awareness and Service (BaCaDas).

The event will be held at the Myles Munroe Diplomat Centre on May 19, starting at 5pm.

Attendees can expect performances by artists

such as The Anointed Ones, Bishop Lawrence Rolle, IAmStacs and more.

The proceeds from this event will benefit Disability Empowerment Month scheduled for June and youth summer programmes. Proceeds will also enable the support of blind youth delegates to attend the National Federation for the Blind (NFB) convention in Orlando, Florida, this July. Funds will facilitate the hosting of Camp Inclusion and Beep Baseball programmes on New Providence and Grand Bahama this summer. Asked how much money

was hoped to be raised, BaCaDas chairman and executive director Kendrick Rolle said there are 1,000 seats and the team wants to fill all of them.

Earlier this year, it was revealed that the government had reallocated $25,000 from the National Commission for Persons with Disabilities to fund the memorials at Baha Mar for the late Social Services Minister Obie Wilchcombe. The move was met with criticism with some noting the community is underserved and in need of more funding.

National Commission for Persons with Disabilities

MAN CHARGED WITH FAILURE TO DISPLAY RETAIL PRICE OF BREADBASKET ITEMS AT SUPERMARKET

By PAVEL BAILEY Tribune Staff Reporter pbailey@tribunemedia.net

A MAN was charged on Friday with failing to display the retail prices for breadbasket items at his supermarket last August.

Magistrate Kendra Kelly charged Martin Chea with failure to display retail price of breadbasket and extended breadbasket items. Chea allegedly failed to display the retail price for breadbasket items so it was

clearly visible to customers at John Chea Supermarket on East Street on August 14, 2023. After pleading not guilty to the charge, the defendant was told that he must return to court for trial date fixture on May 16.

THREE MEN ACCUSED OF STEALING FROM STORE

By PAVEL BAILEY Tribune Staff Reporter

pbailey@tribunemedia.net

THREE men were granted $2,000 bail on Friday after they were accused of stealing over $13,000 worth of property from Ashley’s Furniture on Prince Charles this year.

chairperson Nalini Bethel explained the removal of those funds represented a contribution from every unit within Social Services, as well as contributions from other agencies to memorial services.

“We have contribution from tourism, from Urban enewal,” Ms Bethel said.

“All the portfolios that the former minister had as part of his portfolio. We divided everything up between all of them. It was really about all the staff that worked with the minister.

“It was a shocking experience for everybody and so they wanted to memorise him in a way, and so we all

had to contribute. It wasn’t a case of it was just from the disability community. It was everybody.”

Mr Rolle further explained there are a number of disability organisations which the government gives stipends to on an annual basis, but the commission is mainly there to support — not to fully fund them.

“So all organisations, NGOs, or entities still have to go there and raise funds independently for their programmes and special projects,” he said.

“This is really the commission giving support while BaCaDas is taking

the lead in their fundraising because the programmes with all the organisations, the commission cannot fund that themselves. Social Services cannot fund that themselves and this is us being proactive and raising funding to do programmes which we design ourselves.

Tickets are $50 and can be purchased across Nassau, including at The Diplomat Centre on Carmichael Road, All Seasons, All Occasions Gift and Book Store at Madeira Plaza, and Quality Home Centre stores on Blue Hill and Carmichael Road or Prince Charles Drive.

MAN PLEADS GUILTY TO MARIJUANA POSSESSION

By PAVEL BAILEY Tribune Staff Reporter pbailey@tribunemedia.net

A MAN was fined on Friday after he admitted to having a quantity of drugs in March. Senior Magistrate Shaka Serville charged Justin Gibson, 27, with possession of dangerous drugs. Gibson was found with

one gram of marijuana on March 10 in New Providence.

After pleading guilty to the offence, Gibson was fined $250 or risk one month in prison.

WOMAN ACCUSED OF ASSAULTING POLICE OFFICER

By PAVEL BAILEY Tribune Staff Reporter pbailey@tribunemedia.net

Johnson Alley on May 5.

Magistrate Kendra Kelly charged Shandena Johnson, 35, with assaulting a police officer, resisting arrest and obstruction.

During the same timeframe, the accused were allegedly found with

Magistrate Kendra Kelly charged Christopher Nixon, 39, Renwell Flowers, 22, and Deangelo Ferguson, 39, with stealing by reason of service and receiving. The three allegedly stole $13,115.83 worth of furniture and appliances from Ashley’s Home Furniture on Prince Charles Drive between February 1 and May. The men reportedly had access to the property by reason of their employment.

$5,901.95 worth of the same stolen property.

All three pleaded not guilty to the charges. Prosecutor Sergeant Vernon Pyfrom raised no objections to their bail. The defendants must sign in at their local police station every 14th and 28th day of the month by 7pm under the terms of their release. The trial in this matter begins on October 16.

A WOMAN was granted $2,000 bail after she was accused of assaulting a police officer last week.

Johnson allegedly assaulted and resisted arrest from Corporal 535 at

After pleading not guilty to the charges, Ms Johnson was informed that she must sign in at the Fox Hill Police Station the first Monday of every month. Her trial begins on July 15.

THE STORIES BEHIND THE NEWS

MONDAY, MAY 13, 2024

The PLP’s dark veil of secrecy

By TYLER MCKENZIE

WHEN Brave Davis came to office, he pledged to lift the veil of secrecy in government – instead, he has replaced it with a cloak of darkness.

The lead stories in each of the main newspapers on Thursday were informative, to say the least. Both The Tribune and the Nassau Guardian had main stories talking about the lack of information being given out by the government – incredibly, they were two entirely separate stories.

The Guardian’s lead story focused on the series of questions put by the FNM in a Q&A session in the House of Assembly, repeatedly dodged by the Prime Minister and by the Minister of Energy and Transport, JoBeth Coleby-Davis.

Over at The Tribune’s front page, it was the Freeport licensees wanting actual answers on what the plan is for Freeport after Mr Davis visited Grand Bahama to deliver more rhetoric but no details.

These were not even the only stories about a lack of information or transparency from the government in the week.

Just the day before, The Guardian reported on Mr Davis telling people in Grand Bahama that it was “never fruitful or constructive to have the media engaged in your business”.

Credit the administration with one piece of transparency – they’re telling us to our faces that they are not going to tell us anything.

After the licensees spoke up, who else waded into the debate but the undiplomatic diplomat, Foreign Affairs Minister and self-appointed warrior in the Grand Bahama Port Authority debate Fred Mitchell. Responding both to the licensees and the Port Authority which pledged to “set the record straight” with an event with stakeholders, Mr Mitchell called their statements “unfortunate, ill conceived, misdirected” and said they were “responding in a combative manner to the prime minister’s address to the Grand Bahama Chamber of Commerce”.

He added that “the statements were so similar that they can be accused as being authored and directed from the same mind and pen”.

Meanwhile, he told the Port Authority that “this is a time for silence, consulting your lawyers and stepping up to the plate and finding the money to make good”.

He didn’t tell the prime minister it was time for silence, who had just spoken to the chamber of commerce. Oh no, just the other side of the debate.

For their part, the licensees association were very polite – starting out by saying it was a privilege to hear from the prime minister in the “first opportunity to do so” since a request back in June of last year. Indeed, the association simply pointed out that the “discourse lacked critical details on any tangible solutions and remedial action” and that it “failed to establish any forum for the genuine engagement

and participation of licensees”. In other words, pretty much, they haven’t been told the way forward and there has been nothing set up for them to give input.

They are not alone.

How about consultation for the Electricity Bill before the House? You would think the Grand Bahama Power Company would have been part of the discussion. Not so! They say the first they heard of it was when it was in the newspapers.

Freedom of Information Bill? Get your binoculars out because it ain’t anywhere in sight.

Parliamentary disclosures? The chairman’s gone quiet and there’s little sign of anyone telling us if Parliamentarians actually followed the law or not. Mr Mitchell even thinks it is a nuisance to be asked.

Fines for companies that have damaged our environment? Somehow that has become a state secret, even as another ship has been stranded on a barge without being removed. Tell us the fines – how can they be a deterrent if no one knows what they are?

Even in a House debate this week, on the Trial By Judge Alone Bill, when FNM MP Adrian Gibson suggested that three judges might be better than one to ensure justice, he got his knuckles rapped by the Minister of National Security, Wayne Munroe, who said Mr Gibson should apologise, as if suggesting extra legal protections during a Parliamentary debate was some terrible offence.

As Maya Angelou said, “when someone shows you who they are, believe them the first time”.

Well, this administration is showing us who they are.

They don’t want you in their business. They don’t want you being able to offer an informed opinion. They don’t want you to know if they broke the law. They don’t want to give answers in Parliament.

They’re just not that into you. But just wait until election time. There will be knocking on the door, there will be promises of this, promises of that. There will be rallies and campaign shirts. They will be all into you then. Just remember how they are now. There’s time to change still. Get that Freedom of Information Act implemented fully. Share the receipts on GBPA so we can agree – or disagree. Tell us which MPs missed the declaration deadline. Answer the questions on BPL. Tell the BPL staff what is coming in their future.

Mr Davis talks about having the media in your business – well, first thing first, it’s not your business, Mr Davis, it’s the country’s business. Secondly, it’s not just the media you’re snubbing – but stakeholders in the future of GBPA or BPL or other entities, and your fellow Parliamentarians in the House.

It’s about time you gave some of them some real answers. Or don’t be surprised when they’re not that into you in the ballot box when the time comes.

Mr Davis talks about having the media in your business – well, first thing first, it’s not your business, Mr Davis, it’s the country’s business.

PRIME MINISTER PHILIP ‘BRAVE’ DAVIS

After 13 years, CARICOM aligns in unified stand for Palestine and peace

AFTER 13 years, the 14 independent member states of the Caribbean Community (CARICOM) have finally aligned their individual positions on recognizing Palestine as a State.

As of May 7, 2024, all 14 CARICOM states now recognise Palestine as a State. The most recent countries to do so were Barbados on April 19, Jamaica on April 22, Trinidad and Tobago on May 2, and The Bahamas on May 7. The 13-year delay in CARICOM countries reaching a common position on Palestine was largely influenced by the United States. Successive US administrations have opposed the United Nations’ recognition of Palestine as a State and have consistently pressured countries worldwide to follow suit.

Indeed, when six CARICOM countries chose to recognise Palestine in 2011, the US was notably displeased. Although the US has long advocated

By SIR RONALD SANDERS World View

for a two-state solution to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, it insists that Palestinian statehood should emerge from a negotiated agreement with Israel. In 2011, as remains true today, the absence of ongoing dialogue and a viable agreement between Israel and the Palestinians led the US to withhold support for unilateral recognition of Palestine. Partly in response to the US pressuring the Palestinian Authority to withdraw its 2011 UN membership application, six CARICOM member states chose to recognize Palestine as a state at that time. The US stance, threatening to veto any Palestinian application, was widely perceived as

inequitable.

Motivated by empathy for the historical struggles and quest for self-determination of the Palestinians, Antigua and Barbuda, Belize, Dominica, Guyana, St. Vincent and the Grenadines, and Suriname decided to recognize Palestine as a State. Within the next four years, Grenada and Haiti joined them in 2013, followed by St Lucia in 2015, and St Kitts and Nevis in 2019.

To be clear, the decision of the 10 CARICOM countries to recognise Palestine was not antisemitic then, nor is it now. All 14 CARICOM countries have maintained continuous diplomatic relations with Israel. For instance, Haiti recognised the State of Israel in 1949 after supporting the UN’s 1947 partition plan that led to the creation of Israel.

Regarding diplomatic ties with Israel, several of the longest-standing CARICOM members established connections shortly after their independence: Jamaica and Trinidad and Tobago in 1962, Barbados in 1967, and The Bahamas in 1974. This pattern continued with Grenada in 1975, Dominica in 1978, St Lucia in 1979, St Vincent and the Grenadines in 1981, Antigua and Barbuda in 1983, St Kitts and Nevis in 1984, and Belize in 1985. Guyana was the last to establish diplomatic relations, doing so in 1992.

Before recognising Palestine as a state, these Caribbean nations not only maintained diplomatic relations with Israel but also consistently supported a two-state solution. They advocated for Israel and Palestine to exist as neighbouring states within mutually agreed boundaries.

Until 2011, all CARICOM countries remained neutral in the Israel-Palestine conflict. They engaged with Israel as a UN member state and developed various economic cooperation and technical assistance programmes with it. Meanwhile, Israel maintained a strong diplomatic presence in the Caribbean, in its quest to keep Caribbean countries at least neutral in the UN.

The recent recognitions of Palestine by CARICOM countries

represent a notable shift in their stance on the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. Undoubtedly, humanitarian considerations influenced the decision of the remaining four CARICOM countries to join their peers in recognising Palestine. The response of Israel to the October 2023 attack by Hamas, which resulted in 1,139 deaths and 248 hostages, was widely viewed as disproportionate and inhumane. As reported by the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights, as of April 22, over 34,000 Palestinians, including 14,685 children and 9,670 women, had been killed in Gaza. Additionally, 77,084 people have been injured, and more than 7,000 are believed to be under the rubble, according to Gaza’s Health authorities.

The horror of these events, broadcast live on global television, made it nearly impossible for CARICOM governments to remain unaffected. In response to the Israeli actions in Gaza, the Belize government suspended diplomatic relations with Israel. The insistence of the US on vetoing a second attempt by Palestine to seek UN membership in April 2024 likely also influenced the remaining four CARICOM countries to recognize Palestine as a State. Amid the ongoing conflict in Gaza, Palestine had resubmitted its 2011 membership request to the UN Secretary-General on April 2. However, during a Security Council votetwo in favour, one against, with two abstentions - the US veto on April 18 prevented the adoption of a draft resolution that would have recommended the General Assembly vote on allowing Palestine full UN Member State status.

Equity in pursuing a two-state solution cannot possibly be served by preventing Palestine from operating as a state within the United Nations on equal terms with Israel. Moreover, the Israeli government’s continued aggression in Gaza — resulting in the

displacement of hundreds of thousands, the deaths of several thousand, and the denial of urgent humanitarian assistance — swayed the last four CARICOM countries.

CARICOM countries understand that recognizing Palestine as a state is crucial for several reasons. This recognition provides a framework for Palestinian representatives to discuss vital issues such as borders, security, and refugees. It reinforces Palestine’s territorial claims to the West Bank, Gaza Strip, and East Jerusalem. Additionally, it enables the use of international legal mechanisms for settling land-related disputes, and it sends a clear message to neighbouring countries, especially Israel, that the international community acknowledges and supports Palestine’s rights. By recognising Palestine, CARICOM countries not only advocate for the rights of Palestinians but also affirm their commitment to international law and peace processes. This includes supporting Palestine’s inclusion as a full member-state in the UN, reinforcing their endorsement of a peaceful resolution and co-existence between Israel and Palestine. The harmonisation of all CARICOM countries’ positions on recognising Palestine after years of individual deliberations represents a blend of empathy, historical awareness, and a steadfast commitment to justice and peace. This unified stance by CARICOM countries strengthens support for a two-state solution, emphasising the region’s principled approach to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. Just as Israel has the right to exist as a state and as a homeland for Israelis, so too does Palestine for Palestinians.

Responses and previous commentaries:www. sirronaldsanders.com) (The writer is Antigua and Barbuda’s Ambassador to the US and the OAS. The views expressed are entirely his own).

A PROTESTER waves a Palestinian flag Friday, May 3, 2024, at the Pentacrest in Iowa City, Iowa.

Photo: Geoff Stellfox/AP

Why US offshore wind power is struggling – the good, the bad and the opportunity

By CHRISTOPHER NIEZRECKI

UMass Lowell

AMERICA’S first largescale offshore wind farms began sending power to the Northeast in early 2024, but a wave of wind farm project cancellations and rising costs have left many people with doubts about the industry’s future in the US

Several big hitters, including Ørsted, Equinor, BP and Avangrid, have cancelled contracts or sought to renegotiate them in recent months. Pulling out meant the companies faced cancellation penalties ranging from US$16m to several hundred million dollars per project. It also resulted in Siemens Energy, the world’s largest maker of offshore wind turbines, anticipating financial losses in 2024 of around $2.2bn.

Altogether, projects that had been cancelled by the end of 2023 were expected to total more than 12 gigawatts of power, representing more than half of the capacity in the project pipeline.

So, what happened, and can the US offshore wind industry recover?

I lead UMass Lowell’s Center for Wind Energy Science Technology and Research WindSTAR and Center for Energy Innovation and follow the industry closely. The offshore wind industry’s troubles are complicated, but it’s far from dead in the US, and some policy changes may help it find firmer footing.

Long approval process’s cascade of challenges

Getting offshore wind projects permitted and approved in the US takes years and is fraught with uncertainty for developers, more so than in Europe or Asia. Before a company bids on a US project, the developer must plan the procurement of the entire wind farm, including making reservations to purchase components such as turbines and cables, construction equipment and ships. The bid must also be cost-competitive, so companies have a tendency to bid low and not anticipate unexpected costs, which adds to financial uncertainty and risk. The winning US bidder then purchases an expensive ocean lease, costing in the hundreds of millions of dollars. But it has no right to build a wind project yet. Before starting to build, the developer must conduct site assessments to determine what kind of foundations are possible and identify the scale of the project. The developer must consummate an agreement to sell the power it produces, identify a point of interconnection to the power grid, and then prepare a construction and operation plan, which is subject to further environmental review. All of that takes about five years, and it’s only the beginning.

For a project to move forward, developers may need to secure dozens of permits from local, tribal, state, regional and federal agencies. The federal Bureau of Ocean Energy Management, which has jurisdiction over leasing

and management of the seabed, must consult with agencies that have regulatory responsibilities over different aspects in the ocean, such as the armed forces, Environmental Protection Agency and National Marine Fisheries Service, as well as groups including commercial and recreational fishing, Indigenous groups, shipping, harbour managers and property owners.

For Vineyard Wind I – which began sending power from five of its 62 planned wind turbines off Martha’s Vineyard in early 2024 – the time from BOEM’s lease auction to getting its first electricity to the grid was about nine years.

Costs can balloon during the regulatory delays

Until recently, these contracts didn’t include any mechanisms to adjust for rising supply costs during the long approval time, adding to the risk for developers.

From the time today’s projects were bid to the time they were approved for construction, the world dealt with the COVID-19 pandemic, inflation, global supply chain problems, increased financing costs and the war in Ukraine. Steep increases in commodity prices, including for steel and copper, as well as in construction and operating costs, made many contracts signed years earlier no longer financially viable.

New and re-bid contracts are now allowing for price adjustments after the environmental approvals have been given, which

JOB VACANCIES The Tribune

is seeking new members of staff to add to its team.

We are seeking candidates to fll three roles:

Website Manager/Page Designer

The successful candidate will be an experienced journalist with an ability to edit stories, design news pages using Indesign and similar software and manage a dynamic website and associated social media. The role requires being able to help break news quickly and ensure regular updates around the clock to the www.tribune242.com website, as well as live coverage when appropriate and liaising with both the reporting team and the publisher.

It will also involve designing graphics suitable for various platforms, including the website, in-paper and for various social media outlets. Experience with HTML and other website skills are a must, as well as familiarity with handling content management systems.

The role also involves page design to support The Tribune’s design team. It is a senior journalist role requiring notable experience in the feld.

Photographer

We are seeking a photographer to join our staff, covering news, sport, business, features and more. The role requires enthusiasm and accuracy as well as an eye for the best photograph and the determination to capture it on camera.

The successful candidate will have familiarity with photo editing software such as Photoshop or similar, and will have their own transport and camera. Your duties will include coverage of local and international fgures, and capturing the daily events for both online and in the pages of The Tribune.

Business Reporter

The Tribune is also seeking a business reporter. Enthusiasm for business is a must, and previous writing experience or journalism training would be an asset. An interest in environmental subjects would also be a positive as the newspaper continues to expand its coverage.

Applicants for any of the above roles should apply with a resume and any examples of work to Managing Editor Stephen Hunt at shunt@ tribunemedia.net

Send your application to The Tribune, P.O. Box N-3207, Nassau, The Bahamas

Deadline for all applications is May 20, 2024.

is making projects more attractive to developers in the US Many of the companies that cancelled projects are now rebidding.

The regulatory process is becoming more streamlined, but it still takes about six years, while other countries are building projects at a faster pace and larger scale.

Shipping rules, power connections

Another significant hurdle for offshore wind development in the US involves a century-old law known as the Jones Act.

The Jones Act requires vessels carrying cargo between US points to be US-built, US-operated and US-owned. It was written to boost the shipping industry after World War I. However, there are only three offshore wind turbine installation vessels in the world that are large enough for the turbines proposed for US projects, and none are compliant with the Jones Act.

That means wind turbine components must be transported by smaller barges from US ports and then installed by a foreign installation vessel waiting offshore, which raises the cost and likelihood of delays.

Dominion Energy is building a new ship, the Charybdis, that will comply with the Jones Act. But a typical offshore wind

farm needs over 25 different types of vessels – for crew transfers, surveying, environmental monitoring, cable-laying, heavy lifting and many other roles.

The nation also lacks a well-trained workforce for manufacturing, construction and operation of offshore wind farms.

For power to flow from offshore wind farms, the electricity grid also requires significant upgrades. The Department of Energy is working on regional transmission plans, but permitting will undoubtedly be slow.

Lawsuits, disinformation add to the challenges

Numerous lawsuits from advocacy groups that oppose offshore wind projects have further slowed development.

Wealthy homeowners have tried to stop wind farms that might appear in their ocean view. Astroturfing groups that claim to be advocates of the environment, but are actually supported by fossil fuel industry interests, have launched disinformation campaigns.

In 2023, many Republican politicians and conservative groups immediately cast blame for whale deaths off the coast of New York and New Jersey on the offshore wind developers, but the evidence points instead to increased ship

traffic collisions and entanglements with fishing gear.

Such disinformation can reduce public support and slow projects’ progress.

Efforts to keep the offshore wind industry going

The Biden administration set a goal to install 30 gigawatts of offshore wind capacity by 2030, but recent estimates indicate that the actual number will be closer to half that.

Despite the challenges, developers have reason to move ahead. The Inflation Reduction Act provides incentives, including federal tax credits for the development of clean energy projects and for developers that build port facilities in locations that previously relied on fossil fuel industries. Most coastal state governments are also facilitating projects by allowing for a price readjustment after environmental approvals have been given. They view offshore wind as an opportunity for economic growth.

These financial benefits can make building an offshore wind industry more attractive to companies that need market stability and a pipeline of projects to help lower costs – projects that can create jobs and boost economic growth and a cleaner environment.

www.theconversation.com

Family Island students shine

THE 65TH Annual E. Clement Bethel National Arts Festival visited the Wemyss Bight Primary School in South Eleuthera, on May 8, 2024, and the students did not disappoint, with a dance routine and an impressive Choral Verse Speaking performance.

Photos: Eric Rose/BIS

ROCK Sound Primary School student Zhivannah Georges recited words of encouragement and her schoolmates entertained as a choir, on May 8, 2024, as the E. Clement Bethel National Arts Festival Eleuthera Adjudications visited the school.

Photos: Eric Rose/BIS

Family Island students shine

STUDENTS at the Deep Creek Primary School, in South Eleuthera, showcased their talents for the 65th Annual E. Clement Bethel National Arts Festival Adjudicators, parents and other audience members, on May 8, 2024. The students danced to “I Have A Very Big God”, followed by Keyanna Simon and Tayshawn Brown giving recitations. Ending the event was Dorae Rolle, who belted out an entertaining song.

Photos: Eric Rose/BIS

People demand Haiti’s police chief resign after recent gang attack

PORT-AU-PRINCE

Associated Press

A GROWING number of civilians and police officers are demanding the dismissal and arrest of Haiti’s police chief as heavily armed gangs launched a new attack in the capital of Port-au-Prince, seizing control of yet another police station early Saturday.

Armed men raided the coastal community of Gressier in the western tip of Port-au-Prince late Friday, injuring people, burning cars and attacking homes and other infrastructure as scores of people fled into the nearby mountains following a barrage of gunfire overnight.

It was not immediately known if anyone died.

Videos posted on social media showed people fleeing into the early dawn balancing bags and suitcases on their heads as men clad in sandals and carrying heavy weapons celebrated with gunfire.

“The town is ours,” said one man who filmed himself with others who were armed, noting they were in Gressier. “We have no limits.”

The attack comes roughly a week after gang attacks in central Port-au-Prince forced more than 3,700 people to flee their homes.

“The situation is critical and catastrophic,” Garry Jean-Baptiste, a spokesman for the SPNH-17 police union, told The Associated Press.

He called Frantz Elbé, director of Haiti’s National Police, incapable and incompetent: “Monsieur Elbé has failed.”

Jean-Baptiste said the union wants a newly installed transitional presidential council to demand Elbé’s resignation and order justice officials to launch an investigation into the crisis.

“Police continue to lose their premises and equipment and officers,” he said, adding that at least 30 police stations and substations have been attacked and burned in recent months.

He also accused Elbé and other high-ranking officials of being complicit with gangs.

Elbé did not immediately return a message for comment.

Jean-Baptiste said the officer who was stationed in Gressier “resisted for a while” but was unable to stave off the gang attack given a lack of staff and resources.

“The police could not prevent the worst,” he said.

Jean-Baptiste said the attack was planned by gunmen who came from the neighbouring communities of Village de Dieu, Martissant and Mariani.

Gressier is in an area controlled by Renel Destina. Best known as

“Ti Lapli,” he is a leader of the Grand Ravine gang and considered a key ally of Izo, another powerful gang leader, according to the UN

The Grand Ravine gang has some 300 members and is accused of killings, kidnappings, rapes and other crimes.

Those fleeing Gressier now join more than 360,000 other Haitians who have been forced to abandon their homes as gangs raze communities in rival territories to control more land. Tens of thousands of Haitians have squeezed into squalid, makeshift shelters, including schools and government buildings abandoned due to gang violence.

The violence surged starting Feb. 29, when gangs launched coordinated attacks. Gunmen have burned police stations, opened fire on the main international airport

that remains closed since March 4 and raided Haiti’s two biggest prisons, freeing more than 4,000 inmates.

Veteran politician André Michel wrote on the social media platform X that the most recent attack targeting Gressier shows “Haiti will not be able to get out from under the gangs without an international force. … We will not be able to secure the country ourselves.”

A UN-backed deployment of Kenyan police officers to Haiti has been repeatedly delayed, although some believe the first officers might arrive in late May.

Scores of US military planes have been landing at the shuttered airport in Port-au-Prince in recent weeks, carrying civilian contractors, life-saving supplies, building materials and heavy equipment ahead of the anticipated arrival of a multinational mission.

WEST PALM BEACH Associated Press

A FLORIDA man who fell off a fishing boat last month at a marina in the Bahamas and was attacked by a shark is recovering.

Marlin Wakeman, 24, of Stuart, said during a Thursday news conference at St. Mary’s Medical Center in West Palm Beach that he’d be returning to the Bahamas and the water as soon as possible.

“I may have some nightmares here or there, but I’ll be all right,” Wakeman said.

Wakeman was at the Flying Fish Marina in Long Island on April 26 when he tried to jump to the docked boat he was working on. He said at least 20 sharks swim around the marina at any given time because they’re attracted to the discarded fish carcasses. Wakeman slipped and fell into the shark-infested water, and he was bit on the leg seconds later by what he believes was a Caribbean reef shark. Another shark hit him on the shoulder before he could get out of the water.

Wakeman said the boat’s captain tied a tourniquet on his leg before he was taken to a clinic. He was later flown to Florida for surgery at St. Mary’s.

Dr. Robert Borrego said the shark punctured Wakeman’s kneecap and just missed an artery. The trauma surgeon estimated the shark to be about 7 feet (2 meters) long, based on the size of the bite mark.

Borrego said he expects Wakeman to make a full recovery.

A CHILD peers from behind a residence’s security gate as she watches people flee their homes due to gang violence in Port-au-Prince, Haiti, March 9, 2024.

Photo: Odelyn Joseph/AP

FRITZ GRANT TRACK & FIELD INVITATIONAL A SUCCESS

By TENAJH SWEETING

THE 14th Fritz Grant Track and Field Invitational, powered by Ambassadors Athletics Club, returned to the original Thomas A Robinson Stadium over the weekend and was a success, according to event organiser Fritz Grant. The one-day meet brought out some brilliant performances from athletes on the track and field on Saturday.

“It was excellent. I think it gives the youth an opportunity to sharpen their skills, especially the primary school students who will compete in the Primary School Track and Field Championships this month. It also gives the older athletes the opportunity to sharpen their skills for the nationals which is in June so it really gives the coaches an idea of where the athletes are and hopefully they can improve and be ready to hit the qualifying mark.

“I am humbled by the participation, especially coming off the World Relays. It just shows that the athletes are ready to compete and it was good competition on the track and field,” Grant said.

Track

In the 200m sprints open boys’ event, Kunal Bain, representing RK Athletics, bested competitors with a time of 22.56 seconds.

Speed Capacity’s Peterson Tilusnord was just a few steps behind with 22.61 seconds and Kendice Hart, from the DTSP Wolf Pack Club, got third place with a time of 22.62 seconds.

Iesha Hanna and Katranel Dean got the one-two punch for Speed Capacity in the girls’ open 200m finals. The former was way ahead of the pack with a time of 26.66 seconds. Dean clocked 27.01 seconds and Taylor Robinson, of Fast Forward Athletics, dropped to third with a time of 27.19 seconds.

Ethan Stuart had the leading time in the under17 boys’ 200m finals. He led the way with 23.54 seconds for the Roadrunners club.

Shamar Sturrup came away with the second place finish for Quick Step Athletics in 23.61 seconds. Jayden Smith came third for Fast Forward Athletics, crossing the line at 23.93 seconds.

Synia Lockhart won the under-17 girls’ event with 26.67 seconds. Placing second was Breyelle Cooper, of DTSP WolfPack, and Nataya Watson dropped to third for Team Velocity.

Joel Cumberbatch and Brion Ward won the under15 boys and girls’ 200m finals respectively. They also came first in the 100m finals in this division.

CARIFTA athlete Jeremiah Adderley cruised to a victory in the 100m open men event with 10.75

seconds. Tilusnord once again fell to second place this time with a time of 11.25 seconds. Bain was just 0.04 seconds behind second place with a time of 11.27 seconds for third.

Zaria Stapleton prevailed in the women’s open event, finishing with a time of 12.54 seconds. Hanna secured the second spot and CARIFTA bronze medallist Lanaisha Lubin came away with the third position. It was all Fast Forward Athletics in the under-17 boys’ 100m finals. Daniel Strachan, Rohman Rolle and Smith wrapped up first, second and third at the Fritz Grant Invite.

Cooper managed to get yet another podium spot this time it was the winning position in the under-17 girls’ 100m finals. She crossed the line with the clock at 12.82 seconds for first. Team Velocity’s Watson trailed for second and Keely Deveaux capped off the event in third.

Ross Martin continued his winning ways in the distance events. He had a winning time of 18:11.77 in the 5,000m boys open event. Fabian Sautil, representing the T-Bird Flyers, got the second spot and Hurry Murray’s Edoney Russell ended in third.

Martin also took a second place spot in the 1,500m boys’ open event which was won by his teammate Raywind Winder.

Speed Capacity’s Vincent Alerte was third overall in the event. Winder also emerged victorious in the 800m boys open event with a time of 4:40.30. A pair of T-Bird Flyers in the form of Sharan Roker and Christopher Minors came second and third respectively.

Field

Taysha Stubbs served up another first place victory in the girls open javelin throw event. She notched a throw of 50.55m which is her second best personal best mark. CARIFTA silver medallist Vanessa Sawyer pulled off a toss of 40.97m for second. Amber Rahming, of Blue Chip Athletics, came third.

Kendal Cooper, of Jumpers Inc, got the first place

nod in the boys’ open javelin throw event, with his heave of 45.19m.

CARIFTA gold medallist Kaden Cartwright placed second with 43.95m and his clubmate Ashton Moxey wrapped up third.

Anthonece Papageorge was just one of three Blue Chip Athletics club members to round out the top three podium positions in the under-17 girls’ shot put event.

Alyssa Thurston got the second spot and T’Arjahnaye Green secured the third position.

Jaylen Stuart was the winner of the under-17 boys’ shot put event with a winning throw of 13.69m. Lynwood Brown, of Blue Chip Athletics, threw

12.22m for second and Perry McPhee was third overall. Brown and McPhee swapped positions in the under-17 boys’ discus throw. The former came first with 35.13m and the latter notched a throwing distance of 31.52m. Kendal Turner, of Blue Chip Athletics, settled for third. It was all Blue Chip Athletics in the under-17 girls’ discus throw. Green, Olesia Dryden and Papageorge filled the top three positions of the event.

Next up for track and field is the Red-Line Field Events Classic scheduled for May 18. For additional meet results visit www.tekresults. net

Djokovic follows Nadal to early exit at Italian Open

ROME (AP) — Novak

Djokovic’s performance was so poor yesterday that even the 24-time Grand Slam champion admitted it was “concerning.”

Djokovic put on one of his worst displays at one of his favourite tournaments as he was upset by 29thseeded Alejandro Tabilo in the third round of the Italian Open.

It was Djokovic’s first match since accidentally getting knocked on the head by a water bottle while signing autographs after his opening win on Friday.

“I managed to sleep okay. I had headaches. The next day or yesterday was pretty fine, so I thought it’s okay. Maybe it is okay. Maybe it’s not,” Djokovic said.

“I mean, the way I felt on the court today was just completely like a different player entered into my shoes. Just no rhythm, no tempo, no balance whatsoever on any shot. It’s a bit concerning.”

Djokovic started off with a double-fault and it didn’t get much better for the six-time Rome champion.

The top-ranked Djokovic lost his first two service

games and went on to lose the match 6-2, 6-3 in just 68 minutes, handing Tabilo the victory when he double-faulted – his fifth of the match – amid boos at the Foro Italico.

“I’m trying to soak it all in and wake up right now,” Tabilo said after the biggest win of his career.

“I was just trying to keep my nerves in and keep swinging. Towards the end my arms were getting tired but I was trying not to think about it.

“It’s crazy, I just can’t believe what’s happened. I can’t believe it right now. I don’t think anyone can believe it.”

The third-round loss marked Djokovic’s worst performance at the Italian Open. He had lost only once before to an opponent outside the top 10 in Rome, where he had never gone out before the quarterfinals.

Djokovic followed Rafael Nadal to an early exit after the record 10-time Rome champion lost his thirdround match to Hubert Hurkacz 6-1, 6-3 on Saturday.

While Djokovic had said he was “fine” after the

ARSENAL BEATS

By JAMES ROBSON AP Soccer Writer

MANCHESTER, England (AP) — It’s going down to the wire. Arsenal ensured the Premier League title race will go to the last day of the season after returning to the top of the standings with a 1-0 win at Manchester United yesterday.

Leandro Trossard’s 20th minute winner at Old Trafford means the Londoners will take defending champion Manchester City to the final round of games next Sunday.

“Today we wanted to really knock (at) that door and open that box of dreams and live the last and final day of the season in front of our people with the opportunity to win the Premier League,” Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta said.

“Everything is at stake. We had no margin for error since January.”

Anything other than a win for Arsenal against United could have seen City clinch the title with victory

at Tottenham on Tuesday. Arteta’s team duly delivered and moved one point clear at the top. Arsenal will host Everton in the final round, when City is at home against West Ham after Tuesday’s game at Spurs. For now, Arsenal has done all it could to keep the pressure on Pep Guardiola’s team — improving on last season when it suffered a late collapse to allow City to wrap up a third successive title with three games to spare. While the title is still in City’s hands, it will have to win its remaining two games to be certain of a record fourth-straight English league title.

Arsenal is aiming to be crowned champion for the first time since 2004, when Arsene Wenger’s team went an entire league campaign without defeat to earn the nickname of the “Invincibles.”

The current class cannot match that feat, but with 27 wins and 89 goals it has set two new club records in the

water bottle incident, it was an unusually off-key performance from the Serb as he tries to step up his game on clay before attempting to defend his title at the French Open, which starts on May 26.

“I was going for kind of easy training yesterday. I didn’t feel anything, but I also didn’t feel the same,” Djokovic said. “Today under high stress, it was

Premier League era. “That’s not progress, that’s history,” Arteta said. “That’s very difficult to do, especially in the league where we are playing now.”

The visit to Old Trafford always looked like Arsenal’s biggest test during the run-in and history was not on its side, having won only once in its last 16 league games at the home of United. Despite that record, it was still the favorite to overcome a United team that had been ruthlessly exposed by Crystal Palace earlier in the week when routed 4-0 at Selhurst Park.

quite bad — not in terms of pain, but in terms of this balance. Just no coordination. Completely different player from two nights ago ... I don’t know. I have to do medical checkups and see what’s going on.”

Djokovic had 12 unforced errors to Tabilo’s four and produced 14 winners to his opponent’s 22. It was also a rare occasion when he had zero break point chances.

Casemiro, who had received heavy criticism for his performance as a makeshift center back against Palace, was culpable again for Arsenal’s winner when he was slow to push up and played Kai Havertz onside. The Germany forward took advantage and drove into the box before crossing for Trossard to convert from close range.

With so much at stake, the tension appeared to get to Arsenal’s players, who could not build on that early advantage and instead ceded long periods of possession to United.

Still, United rarely looked likely to open up its opponent and it was Arsenal that came closest to adding to its lead through substitute Gabriel Martinelli in the second half and Declan Rice.

UNITED SLUMP Defeat for United was a latest blow for underpressure manager Ten Hag, whose team lost for the 14th time in the league this season and extended a damaging run that has seen it

He was broken four times in the match, including in the final game, and Djokovic could only shake his head when another unforced error handed Tabilo match point.

Djokovic is still without a title this year. This is the first time he’s reached May without a trophy since 2018, when he was returning from a right elbow injury.

Tabilo next faces 16thseeded Karen Khachanov, who beat Francisco Cerundolo 6-2, 6-4. Third-seeded Alexander Zverev advanced after the 2017 Rome champion beat Luciano Darderi of Italy 7-6 (3), 6-2. Grigor Dimitrov and Thiago Monteiro also advanced, while Taylor Fritz beat American compatriot Sebastian Korda 6-3, 6-4. Another American, Ben Shelton, lost to Zhang Zhizhen. In the women’s tournament, second-seeded Aryna Sabalenka eased through to the fourth round with a 6-4, 6-2 win over Dayana Yastremska. American Sofia Kenin, who won the Australian Open in 2020 and also reached the final at Roland Garros the same year, was upset by Slovakian qualifier Rebecca Sramkova 6-4, 4-6, 6-4. American Danielle Collins is safely through after beating Caroline Garcia 6-3, 6-3. Also advancing in third-round matches were Maria Sakkari, Irina-Camelia Begu, Jelena Ostapenko, Victoria Azarenka and Elina Svitolina.

CHAMPIONSHIP

win just one of its last eight games in England’s top division.

While Ten Hag has the FA Cup final against City to look forward to at the end of the season, there was little to encourage co-owner Jim Ratcliffe, who was in the crowd along with Keir Starmer, leader of Britain’s opposition Labour Party.

With two games remaining in the league, United is eighth in the standings and in danger of missing out on European soccer next season. United has never finished lower than seventh in the Premier League era.

But Ten Hag believes he still has the backing of the club’s fans.

“They understand where we are and where this club is. We have so many injuries in key areas they (the fans) don’t get what (they) deserve, but they understand this and that is why they are behind the team,” he said. “I think that is why they are with us, we are united and hopefully we can pay them back in the future.”

PLAYOFFS

Norwich and Leeds drew

0-0 in the first leg of their Championship playoff semifinal on Sunday. And there was nothing to separate West Bromwich Albion and Southampton in the other semifinal after another goalless draw. Leeds hosts Norwich in the second leg on Thursday and Southampton is at home against West Brom the following day. All four teams will hope they can produce more creativity and cutting edge in the second legs to secure a place in the final at Wembley

ON THE MOVE: Athletes displayed their talents on the track and field on Saturday at the Fritz Grant Track and Field Invitational hosted at the original Thomas A Robinson Stadium Photo: Tenajh Sweeting

SERBIA’s Novak Djokovic reacts during a match against Chile’s Alejandro Tabilo at the Italian Open tennis tournament in Rome, Sunday, May 12, 2024. (AP Photo/Alessandra Tarantino)

ARSENAL’s goalkeeper David Raya. (AP)

NPWBA Finals: Foxxy Defenders avoid sweep with 76-59 win

7:30pm on Tuesday night. Tiffany Wildgoose, who plays point guard for the Defenders, said it was important for the team to execute their game plan en route to the victory in the elimination game.

“It feels good. We were down but came out and did what we had to do. We are gonna come out and do the same thing we did today - play hard, play patiently and play our game,” Wildgoose said.

The Elite Ballers started the first five minutes of the contest ahead by five but the lead was short-lived.

The Defenders chipped away at the narrow margin thanks to Philicia Kelly, who converted on a smooth layup to push her team ahead 17-13 with 2:08

remaining in the opening period of play. They wrapped up the first period in charge 19-13.

Kelly terrorised the Elite Ballers in the paint area every chance that she got. She stuffed the stat sheet with a dominant tripledouble performance of a game-high 27 points, 11 rebounds and 12 assists to will her team to the much needed win.

Roberta Quant and Chrishanda Rahming were equally as impressive. Quant scored 20 points and pulled down a game-high 13 rebounds while shooting the ball 10-for-20 from the field.

Meanwhile, Rahming gave the Defenders 15 points and 12 rebounds in the victory.

National team member Valerie Nesbitt canned a

big three-pointer to place the Elite Ballers within one (22-21) on the scoreboard early in the second quarter.

However, the Defenders put their feet on the gas and reeled off a 10-2 run to lead 32-23 with less than 2:00 minutes remaining until the halftime break.

The Defenders never let up and were in charge at the break 36-25.

“We decided to slow down and play our game and not theirs by not rushing the ball and passing the ball to our bigs,” Wildgoose said.

The Elite Ballers came out of the break rejuvenated. They switched to a full-court press defence and decided to push the ball in transition to generate more offence which seemed to pay dividends early in the second half.

After falling behind by 15 early on, the Elite Ballers started to cut into the double-digit lead. Nesbitt did everything she could for the Elite Ballers, dropping a team-high 22 points, 11 rebounds and seven assists. She scored on a layup and then assisted on a timely three-pointer knocked down by Shenell Stewart which erased the lead to just 12 (42-30). Both teams went through a scoring drought but the Elite Ballers got a crafty layup from Geraniqua Bethel to continue their scoring run.

Despite getting within striking distance, the Elite Ballers could never get over the hump and the Defenders wrapped up the third quarter firmly in charge 60-47.

The Elite Ballers played catch-up the entire fourth

ON THE REPLAY: The Foxxy Defenders defeated the Elite Ballers 76-59 to keep their season alive and force a game four in the New Providence Women’s Basketball Association (NPWBA) Finals at the DW Davis Gymnasium on Saturday night.

quarter which concluded early due to what was deemed as unsportsmanlike conduct from the Elite Ballers coach Ryan Turnquest. The coach was ejected from the contest with less than 2:00 minutes on the game clock but neglected to leave the bench area within a specified time frame which resulted in the game ending early and a Defenders win.

The victors were in control on the boards, using their size to outrebound the Elite Ballers 62 to 45. They also shot the ball 48 per cent in the paint and 45 per cent overall.

Coach Turnquest believed his team came out a bit lackadaisical with the championship on the line.

“The girls came out flat today. I guess it was the excitement of knowing that

they could close out for the championship tonight but they came out real flat and their energy was down. We knew we were gonna have a tougher battle tonight because these women are playing for pride as well and trying to avoid getting swept by the young girls,” he said.

He also did not mince words when it came down to the way game three was officiated.

“The officiating wasn’t the best tonight from half of the referees. It was lopsided and that is from my perspective but we lost and they won the game. We will be back here on Tuesday to close it out,” he said.

Game four will get underway at 7:30pm on Tuesday at the DW Davis Gymnasium. Who will take the 2024 NPWBA crown?

CAITLIN CLARK THE FOCUS OF TALKS ABOUT RACE, DOUBLE STANDARDS IN SPORTS

By KYLE HIGHTOWER AP Sports Writer

FOR much of the past two years, Caitlin Clark has been the centrepiece of the college basketball world.

Now Clark, like NBA Hall of Famer Larry Bird was 45 years ago, is involuntarily the focus of discussions about race and her transition to professional basketball.

Though Clark hasn’t said anything to fuel the blackwhite narrative surrounding her meteoric rise, talks about a double standard are being had.

“I think it’s a huge thing. I think a lot of people may say it’s not about black and white, but to me, it is,” Las Vegas Aces star A’ja Wilson said when asked about the race element in Clark’s popularity and before she recently signed two major endorsement deals. “It really is because you can be

top notch at what you are as a Black woman, but yet maybe that’s something that people don’t want to see.

“They don’t see it as marketable, so it doesn’t matter how hard I work. It doesn’t matter what we all do as Black women, we’re still going to be swept underneath the rug. That’s why it boils my blood when people say it’s not about race because it is.”

To be clear, Clark is a skilled hardcourt savant from Iowa. Bird was a skilled hardcourt savant from Indiana State. And like Bird, Clark has captivated audiences and brought unmatched attention to women’s basketball with an ability to score from every corner of the court. Neither Bird nor Clark were the first great white male or female pro basketball players. Jerry West is the actual NBA logo and before Clark, the long list

of talented white WNBA players included Sue Bird and Breanna Stewart.

But sports can be elevated by a heated rivalry, particularly when race is involved.

Clark’s rise has come with an on-court bravado that made her must-watch TV as she led the Hawkeyes to back-to-back NCAA championship game appearances. When Bird led the Sycamores to the title game in 1979, he squared off against Magic Johnson in one of the most-watched games in NCAA tourney history.

At Iowa, Clark’s on-court rival in the NCAA Tournament was former LSU star Angel Reese. Then she took on women’s juggernaut South Carolina and coach Dawn Staley. The matchups created the kind of made-for-social media moments that captivated audiences, regardless of gender.

The matchups also led to ongoing discussions about how race plays a factor in the treatment afforded to Clark, a white woman from “America’s Heartland,” as compared to Black counterparts like Reese.

Clark has said she and Reese are just pieces of a larger movement.

“I would say me and Angel have always been great competitors,” Clark said prior to Iowa’s Elite Eight matchup with Reese and LSU in March. “I think Angel would say the same, like it’s not just us in women’s basketball. That’s not the only competitive thing about where our game is at, and that’s what makes it so good. We need multiple people to be really good.”

Still, the race-based debate over perceived slights to Black players or favoritism toward Clark is not going away as the No. 1 pick in the WNBA draft

prepares for her first regular-season game on Tuesday night when Indiana plays Connecticut.

“I think new fans, or maybe returning fans to women’s college basketball, have been drawn in. In part because of Clark.

But also, you know, because of the LSU-Iowa rivalry,” said Victoria Jackson, a sports historian and clinical associate professor of history at Arizona State University.

“There are basketball reasons,” Jackson said, “but also there are racial reasons for why Clark has been able to kind of break off into a completely different stratosphere from players that came before her.”

Because of the perceived double-standard, nearly everything involving Clark gets questioned: — Clark’s first preseason game was streamed, but Reese’s was not.

— Clark gets an endorsement deal. Other established Black stars not so much.

— If Reese talks trash, it’s viewed as unsportsmanlike. If Clark does it, she’s being competitive.

— Reese received some backlash for going to the Met Gala before a game, raising questions would there have been same type of scrutiny if Clark had graced the red carpet. Wilson, who signed with Gatorade last week and announced Saturday that she is getting a Nike signature shoe, and others have cited how companies are clamoring to be in business with Clark as an example of the disparity in how players are treated. The deal Clark struck with Nike will reportedly pay her $28 million over eight years — making it the richest sponsorship contract for a women’s basketball player.

Nuggets earn 115-107 win over Timberwolves to tie series at 2-2

to Denver for Game 5 on Tuesday night. Mike Conley had 15 points, Karl-Anthony Towns went just 5 for 18

points in the first four-plus minutes before Murray even touched the ball, with Gordon and Jokic sharing the point guard duties

ondary scorers and bench players are hitting their jumpers, they’re awfully tough to beat. Gordon, Justin Holiday (10 points),

Christian Braun (11 points) and Reggie Jackson (six points) went a combined 8 for 11 from 3-point range.

They fuelled a 26-4 run that bridged the first and second quarters, and all but five points on that surge came with the four-time NBA Defensive Player of the Year Gobert resting on the bench.

Pacers beat short-handed Knicks to even series with 121-89 rout

By MICHAEL MAROT AP Sports Writer

INDIANAPOLIS

(AP) — Tyrese Haliburton scored 20 points, T.J. McConnell added 15 points and 10 assists and the Indiana Pacers rolled to their third-biggest postseason victory ever, beating the New York Knicks 121-89 yesterday to even the Eastern Conference semifinal series at 2-2.

Haliburton also had six rebounds, five assists and four 3-pointers as the Pacers led by 43 points during a start-to-finish romp.

They fell just short of their most lopsided playoff victory, when they beat Cleveland by 34 points in April 2018.

Indiana also won by 33 against the Los Angeles Lakers in the 2000 NBA Finals.

Game 5 of the series will be played Tuesday at Madison Square Garden.

The Knicks put just three players in double figures.

Alec Burks finished with 20, Jalen Brunson scored 18 — his fewest in this postseason — and Deuce McBride had 16 on a day they shot 33.7% from the field, 18.9% from 3-point range and faced the largest deficit by any team in this postseason.

Is was the fourth-largest margin of defeat in the postseason for the Knicks,

who lost to the Bulls by 41 in 1991, 40 to the 76ers in 1978 and 35 to the Pistons in 1990.

And, naturally, the Pacers fed off the energy of a nearly full Gainbridge Fieldhouse, where they are now 5-0 with Game 6 coming to Indianapolis on Friday.

Those watching from courtside included Indiana-born singer John Mellencamp, Indianapolis 500 winners Scott Dixon and Dario Franchitti and former Pacers stars Dale Davis and Derrick McKey. They witnessed the most dominant performance in what had been a close series through the first three games.

New York produced its lowest-scoring quarter (14) and lowest-scoring half (41) in this year’s postseason and only led once, 2-0, for a total of 44 seconds.

Playing without four key players because of injuries — forwards OG Anunoby, Bojan Bogdanovic and Julius Randle, as well as centre Mitchell Robinson — the Knicks looked fatigued in a short turnaround following Game 3 to the afternoon start.

And while Brunson and Donte DiVincenzo kept the Knicks competitive in each of the first three games, both struggled Sunday. Brunson missed his first five shots and the backcourt

duo was a combined 9 of 30 from the field and 2 of 11 from 3-point range. Indiana took the lead for good on Haliburton’s first 3 of the game and took control with a 29-7 first-quarter spurt that gave the Pacers a

34-11 lead. New York never recovered. It cut the deficit to 36-19 early in the second only to see Indiana answer with 10 straight points and extend the cushion to 69-41 at halftime.

MAVERICKS TAKE 2-1 SERIES LEAD WITH 1 05-101 GAME 3 VICTORY OVER THUNDER

DALLAS (AP) — Kyrie Irving scored 22 points, including a running left-hander in the lane in the final minute to help Dallas hold on, and the Mavericks beat the Oklahoma City Thunder 105-101 on Saturday for a 2-1 lead in the Western Conference semifinals.

Luka Doncic also had 22 points to go with 15 rebounds, and P.J. Washington scored 27, just two shy of his playoff high from the previous game.

Shai Gilgeous-Alexander had 31 points, 10 rebounds and four blocks, but was called for a charge with Doncic defending on a drive with 29 seconds left and the Thunder trailing by five. Oklahoma City has lost consecutive games after starting 5-0 in the playoffs. Game 4 is tonight in Dallas. Irving bounced back from just the third single-digit scoring game of his lengthy playoff career with 14 points in the second half, including six consecutive Dallas points in the fourth quarter that helped the Mavs to their biggest lead of the final period at nine. Doncic came into the game with a sprained right knee and a sore left ankle and took a hard fall on his back in the final two minutes when he and Lu Dort, the primary defender on the NBA scoring champion, jumped for a loose ball. A jump ball was called, and Doncic retrieved the loose ball with Dallas up three.

From there, things only got worse. Indiana extended the margin to 101-63 after three, a deficit that was so large both teams rested their starters the entire fourth quarter.

Indiana has led by 43 or more points three times this season. They handed the Knicks their first 43-point deficit since December 5, 2019, against Denver, a span of 388 games.

MINNESOTA Timberwolves guard Anthony Edwards (5) is fouled by Denver Nuggets guard Jamal Murray, top left, during the first half of Game 4 of an NBA basketball second-round playoff series, yesterday in Minneapolis.

(AP Photo/Abbie Parr)

INDIANA Pacers guard Tyrese Haliburton celebrates on the bench during the second half of Game 4 against the New York Knicks in an NBA basketball second-round playoff series yesterday.

(AP Photo/Michael Conroy)

DALLAS Mavericks’ Luka Doncic in action against the Oklahoma City Thunder in Game 3. (AP Photo/Tony Gutierrez)

Chisholm Jr and Marlins get 7-6 win over Phillies

MIAMI (AP) — Emmanuel Rivera hit a game-winning pinch-hit single in the 10th inning and the Miami Marlins beat the Philadelphia Phillies 7-6 yesterday.

Rivera’s hard grounder deflected off the glove of Phillies reliever Gregory Soto (0-1) and into right field, scoring automatic runner Nick Fortes from second.

“You have to be ready from the first inning,” Rivera said. “So many things can happen in a game — an injury or come in late. You never know what the situation could be so you have to be prepared.”

Rivera missed a sign to bunt and advance base runners Fortes and Josh Bell and whiffed on Soto’s 1-0 pitch. He then had a second strike called before his first career walk-off RBI.

“Once I got to two strikes, my thought process was to put the ball in play,” Rivera said.

Jasrado “Jazz” Chisholm Jr. doubled and tripled while Bell homered for the Marlins, who snapped a five-game losing skid and began Sunday with a major league-worst 10-31 record.

The Phillies, who began Sunday with a major league-best 28-12 record, lost for only the third time in their past 16.

Anthony Bender (1-2) pitched a scoreless top of the 10th around two walks.

Down 6-3, Philadelphia tied it on Edmundo Sosa’s two-run triple and Brandon Marsh’s sacrifice fly against Miami reliever Andrew Nardi in the sixth.

Phillies starter Zack Wheeler gave up a seasonhigh six runs and was lifted after four innings. Wheeler allowed six hits, walked three and struck out two.

“They seemed to be more aggressive today,” Wheeler said. “I didn’t command the ball like I wanted to and they got me. I felt great. I wasn’t out of whack.”

Braxton Garrett went 5 1/3 innings, allowing five runs in his season debut for Miami. The left-hander, who spent the first six weeks of the season on the injured list, allowed five hits and struck out eight. It was Garrett’s first outing since allowing two runs over three innings in Miami’s NL wild-card series loss against the Phillies in October.

Bell’s three-run homer in the third put Miami ahead 4-3. The Marlins then padded their lead in the fourth, when Christian Bethancourt’s sacrifice squeeze bunt scored Vidal Brujan from third and Chisholm followed with an RBI triple.

“There were good atbats up and down,” Marlins manager Skip Schumaker said. “We played small ball really well today. That’s kind of what we’re going to need to do to score runs. We’re not going to slug the other team to death.”

TWINS 5, BLUE JAYS 1

TORONTO (AP)

— Carlos Santana hit a three-run home run, Bailey Ober matched his career high by striking out 10 over 6 1/3 shutout innings and the Minnesota Twins won for the 17th time in 20 games by beating the Toronto Blue Jays 5-1 on Sunday.

The Twins have won six consecutive series for the first time since September 2010.

Santana homered for the third straight game north of the U.S. border, extending Minnesota’s streak of games in Toronto with at least one home run to 20.

RED SOX 3, NATIONALS 2

BOSTON (AP) — Ceddanne Rafaela had a two-run double after center fielder Victor Robles dropped a routine fly for an error during Boston’s threerun second inning, as they held off Washington to take the series.

Behind a good start from Brayan Bello (4-1) and scoreless work from four relievers, the Red Sox won their second straight after losing the opener Friday. Eddie Rosario homered for the second consecutive day for the Nationals, a two-run shot.

ASTROS 9, TIGERS 3

DETROIT (AP)

— Justin Verlander dominated his former team and Kyle Tucker homered as Houston beat Detroit at Comerica Park. Verlander (2-1) pitched seven scoreless innings, allowing two hits while striking out eight. He now has 3,365 career strikeouts, two behind former teammate and friendly rival Max Scherzer for 11th on the all-time list and six behind Greg Maddux for 10th. Mauricio Dubón had four hits for Houston and Jake Meyers went 3 for 3 with three RBIs despite not entering the game until the seventh inning.

YANKEES 10, RAYS 6 ST. PETERSBURG. Fla. (AP) — Jose Trevino hit two of New York’s five

homers, Luis Gil went six scoreless innings as they recovered after nearly blowing a six-run lead to beat Tampa Bay.

Trevino hit a two-run shot in the third and a solo drive in a four-run eighth that put the Yankees ahead 10-5. Struggling Gleyber Torres hit his second homer of the season, a three-run shot earlier in the inning. Aaron Judge added his 10th home run of the season and Jahmai Jones hit his first major league homer for the Yankees, who took two of three from the Rays to return to a season hightying 12-games over .500.

GUARDIANS 7, WHITE SOX 0

CHICAGO (AP) — David Fry hit a two-run homer and Andrés Giménez lined a solo shot in Cleveland’s three-run fourth inning, as they blanked Chicago to end a three-game losing streak. Logan Allen tossed six scoreless innings to help Cleveland salvage the finale of a four-game series in Chicago and remain in first place in the AL Central. The left-hander allowed six hits, walked one and struck out three.

CARDINALS 4, BREWERS 3

MILWAUKEE (AP)

— Michael Siani doubled home the go-ahead run, Paul Goldschmidt homered to break out of his slump and St. Louis rallied to beat Milwaukee and snap a seven-game skid.

Goldschmidt had gone 1 of 34 in May until he led off the fifth inning with just his third homer of the season, a drive to center off Bryse Wilson.

Goldschmidt also hit a game-tying, two-out RBI single in the sixth against Jared Koenig as the Cardinals erased an early three-run deficit.

DIAMONDBACKS 9, ORIOLES 2

BALTIMORE (AP)

— Zac Gallen pitched six solid innings, and Arizona beat an unusually sloppy Baltimore for their first victory at Camden Yards since 2007.

The Orioles allowed three unearned runs, plus several others that were earned but at least somewhat related to defensive mistakes. Jake McCarthy homered for the Diamondbacks and Adley Rutschman went deep for Baltimore.

Gallen (5-2) took a nohitter into the fifth and ultimately allowed two runs and four hits. He struck out four with two walks.

CUBS 5, PIRATES 4, 10 INNINGS

PITTSBURGH (AP)

— Cody Bellinger hit a goahead single before Patrick Wisdom added insurance with a home run in the 10th inning, lifting Chicago to a win over the Pittsburgh for a series victory.

Bellinger led off by dribbling a ball through the left side of the infield off Aroldis Chapman (0-3),

scoring automatic runner Seiya Suzuki before getting caught in a rundown between first and second. Wisdom drove a two-out sinker, the seventh pitch of the at-bat, 412 feet into the center-field bushes.

ROCKIES 3, RANGERS 1

DENVER (AP) — Converted reliever Ty Blach pitched five solid innings in his second start this season, Ezequiel Tovar homered and Colorado beat Texas to complete a three-game series sweep of the defending World Series champions. It was the first time the Rangers, losers of four of their last five, have been swept this season. Their offense was also stifled by three double plays, two sparkling defensive plays by third baseman Ryan McMahon and a run-saving catch against the center field wall by Brenton Doyle for the final out of the fifth inning.

ROYALS 4, ANGELS 2

ANAHEIM, Calif. (AP) — Seth Lugo racked up a career-high 12 strikeouts and allowed one run over eight strong innings, and Hunter Renfroe had a two-run single against his former team in Kansas City victory over Los Angeles.

Freddie Fermin and Michael Massey also had RBIs during the Royals’ four-run fourth inning, giving Lugo (6-1) plenty of support as Kansas City took three of four from the Angels.

Willie Calhoun had an RBI double in the sixth and a solo homer in the ninth for the Halos, who have lost 17 of 23 with a major league-worst 14 players on the injured list. Los Angeles has lost all six of its series at the Big A this season, failing to win consecutive home games at any point.

MARINERS 8, ATHLETICS 4

SEATTLE (AP) — Julio Rodríguez and Mitch Garver both hit two-run home runs, Luis Castillo allowed two runs over six strong innings, and Seattle beat Oakland. Seattle rebounded to take two of three games from the A’s after the Mariners lost their first series in nearly a month earlier this week in Minnesota. And they did it thanks to the long ball.

Rodríguez’s homer was just his second of the season and his first at T-Mobile Park in Seattle’s 22nd home game. Rodríguez hit a 2-2 pitch from Oakland starter Alex Wood out to straightaway center field in the second inning for a tworun shot that gave Seattle a 5-0 lead. The homer had an exit velocity of 109 mph and traveled an estimated 409 feet.

PADRES 4, DODGERS 0

SAN DIEGO (AP) — Yu Darvish gave up two hits in seven dominant innings to lead San Diego to a victory over Los Angeles. Fernando Tatis Jr., Jake Cronenworth and Xander Bogaerts hit solo home runs for the Padres, who have won five of the eight games against the Dodgers this season. The Dodgers dropped two of the three games in the series after a sevengame winning streak. Darvish (3-1) struck out seven and walked one in a sterling performance that lowered his ERA to 2.43. GIANTS 6, REDS 5 10 INNINGS

SAN FRANCISCO (AP) — Casey Schmitt hit a walk-off double in the 10th inning and San Francisco beat Cincinnati. After the Reds failed to score in the top of the 10th off Giants reliever Luke Jackson (1-1), Schmitt’s first hit of the season was a twoout ground-rule double to left-center field off Emilio Pagan (2-3), scoring automatic runner Luis Matos. Mike Ford evened the score at 5-5 for Cincinnati with a solo homer in the eighth after the Reds trimmed the deficit to a run in the seventh.

The Giants had six hits in the fifth to rally from a 3-0 deficit, including a two-run homer by LaMonte Wade Jr. to tie the game. Heliot Ramos gave the Giants the lead with an RBI single, and then scored on an infield hit by Blake Sabol when Elly De La Cruz’s throw skipped past first and down the right-field line. METS 4, BRAVES 3 NEW YORK (AP) — Brandon Nimmo shook off an injury and came off the bench to hit a two-run homer in the ninth inning that gave New York a victory over Atlanta. Pete Alonso had two RBIs and the Mets avoided a three-game sweep, a day after they were held hitless by three Atlanta pitchers until there were two outs in the ninth.

Batting leadoff in Nimmo’s place, DJ Stewart singled on the first pitch from Braves starter Bryce Elder this time. Nimmo didn’t start after exiting Saturday’s game with discomfort on his right side, but he entered as a pinch runner in the seventh and stayed in to play left field. Jarred Kelenic homered for Atlanta against the team that drafted him sixth overall and then traded him. Marcell Ozuna’s second tiebreaking single of the night gave the Braves a 3-2 lead in the eighth.

MIAMI Marlins’ Jasrado “Jazz” Chisholm Jr. slides into third after hitting a triple scoring Otto Lopez, as Philadelphia Phillies third baseman Whit Merrifield waits for the throw during the fourth inning of a baseball game yesterday in Miami.

(AP Photo/Wilfredo Lee)

MIAMI Marlins centre fielder “Jazz” Chisholm Jr. catches a ball hit by Philadelphia Phillies’ Nick Castellanos during the sixth inning yesterday. (AP Photo/Wilfredo Lee)

Denisha Cartwright and Wanya McCoy qualify for Paris Olympics, Steven Gardiner wins 400 metres

FROM PAGE 20

of 160-10 (49.03m) on his third attempt. Matt Kraft of North Dakota State won with 234-11 (71.61m).

And Angel Pratt, representing North Dakota State, was sixth in the women’s 400m hurdles in 1:01.29 after running 1:01.99 in the preliminaries. Jacy Pulse of South Dakota took the win in a conference record of 57.70.

Pratt, a junior, also anchored ND State women’s 4 x 400m relay team to second place in 3:43.48. Thompsons shine At the Atlantic Sun Conference outdoor Track and Field Championships at the University of Central Arkansas in Conway, Arkansas, Grand Bahamian sisters Cassie and Cassidra Thompson made their presence felt.

Cassie Thompson, competing for Jacksonville, won the 200m in 23.07 to erase her previous record of 23.82. Andros native Troynelle Miller, a junior at Central Arkansas, was sixth in 24.57. Raghen Allen, a freshman at Central Arkansas, was second in 23.70.

Thompson, in her junior year, also won the 100m in 11.29, which was shy of Florida International’s Tanya Lawrence’s meet record of 11.25. Miller was third in 11.57 behind Allen’s second place in 11.56.

Cassidra Thompon, a sophomore at Jacksonville, also won the women’s 400m in 53.86. Raven Payne, a freshman at Bellarmine, was a distant second in 54.62.

Gardiner triumph Coming off his appearance at home at the World Relays Bahamas, men’s 400m Olympic and world champion Steven Gardiner made the third stop on the Wanda Diamond League in Doha, Qatar, a successful one.

Gardiner who helped the mixed 4 x 400m relay team qualify for the Olympic Games in Paris, France, took the victory in the men’s 400m in 44.75m which was just shy of his season’s best of 44.45 just before the World Relays.

The Bahamian national record holder with a lifetime best of 43.48 made it look so easy as he led from start to finish to easily hold off the rest of the field that saw Muzala Samukonga of

Zambia come the closest as he trailed in a season’s best of 45.07 for second.

“It is really windy today, but it is always nice to be here at the Seahorse Doha DL. Happy to be back after two years,” said Gardiner, who established a meet record of 43.87 in 2018.

“It was a pretty good race today. I took control from the beginning. It was kind of windy at my back, but I just took control. Doha always has an amazing crowd. I expected a full house tonight and this is what happened. Now I just hope to stay healthy.”

Also competing at the meet was Commonwealth Games’ gold medallist Laquan Nairn. Competing in his specialty, Nairn scored 24-feet, 11-inches (7.59m) on his second attempt for eighth place. He opened with 23-8 3/4 (7.23m) and followed with 23-7 1/2 (7.20m) on his and 24-1 1/2 (7.35m) on his fifth.

Jamaican Carey McLeod won the event with a wind-aided leap of 27-11 1/2 (8.52m) on his fourth attempt.

Miller victorious/

Taylor national record Fresh off his appearance at home last week in the men’s 4 x 400m relay at the World Relays, Wendell Miller returned to his training base in Jamaica where he competed in the Jamaica Athletics Invitational. He ran a personal best of 45.57 for his victory in the men’s 400m well

BEDNAREK SETS THE FASTEST 200M TIME THIS YEAR AT DOHA DIAMOND LEAGUE

DOHA, Qatar (AP) — Olympic silver medallist Kenny Bednarek set the fastest time of the year in the 200 metres in 19.67 seconds at the Doha Diamond League on Friday. With a tailwind of +1.7 within the legal limit, Bednarek established a comfortable lead and coasted through the finish to win by several strides ahead of American relay teammates Courtney Lindsey (20.01) and Kyree King (20.21).

All three Americans had just flown in from the world relays in the Bahamas, where they joined team

standout Noah Lyles on the winning 4x100 squad.

“I knew I was ready to run a world lead, I was just hoping that the wind would work with us,” Bednarek said.

“Running fast this early in the season is a good sign. But times don’t matter — my main goal this year is to win the Olympic title.” Brazil’s Alison dos Santos won the 400 hurdles in 46.86. India’s world and Olympic javelin champion, Neeraj Chopra (88.36 metres), finished second behind Jakub Vadlejch of the Czech Republic (88.38).

ahead of his second place rival Deandre Watkin of Jamaica, who was second in 46.04. Miller missed the Olympic cut of 45.00. Grand Bahamian Alonzo Russell, who also competed at the World Relays on both the mixed 4 x 400 and men’s 4 x 4, ran in the

men’s A 400m where he was sixth in 46.53. Matthew Hudson-Smith of Great Britain won in 44.69.

In the women’s triple jump, Charisma Taylor, who ran here on the women’s 4 x 100m relay team, went for her second Olympic qualifier in the women’s triple jump.

Taylor needed to jump at least 47-9 (14.55m), but while she fell short, her leap 46-02 1/2 (14.08m) surpassed the previous mark of 46-0 1/2 (14.03m), which was held by Tamara Myers from April 27, 2019.

Taylor had another strong effort on her second attempt with 46-01 1/2 (24.06m) as she ended up in fourth place in what could be a prelude to the Olympics.

Jamaica’s Shanieka Ricketts took the title with her best of 47-07 (14.50m)

with American Jasmine Moore second with 46-10 34 (24.28m) and Dominica’s Thea Lafond third with 46-08 (14.22m) on her sixth and final attempt. Taylor now holds both the indoor and outdoor national records.

Last year, she earned the indoor record with her leap of 46-0 3/4 (14.04m) at the Tiger Pew Invitational in Clemson.

Also at the meet, Kaiwan Culmer, contesting the men’s triple, was fifth with 52-08 3/4 (15.94m) on his third attempt. Winning the event was Jamaica’s Jayden Hibbert with 57-07 3/4 (17.57m).

And Kyle Alcine, competing in the men’s high jump, cleared 6-08 3/4 (2.05m) for seventh place.

Jamaica’s Raymond Richards took the victory with 7-04 1/4 (2.24m).

STRACHAN SUFFERS SEASONENDING INJURY

FROM PAGE 20

But Strachan said she was looking to build on that performance as she attempted to qualify for Paris and her fourth Olympics after making the team in 2012 in London, England, 2016 in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil and 2021 in Tokyo, Japan.

Now she will delay her quest to compete again as she goes back to the drawing board and gets ready for the 2025 season that leads into the World Championships in Tokyo, Japan, September 13-21.

20

Invitational will take place over the weekend of May 10 and May 11 at the Grand Bahama Sports Complex.

The entry fee will be $10 for adults and $5 for children. For more information, persons are asked to contact 242-727-6826 or fasttrackmanagamentoo@ gmail.com

TRACK RED-LINE

FIELD CLASSIC

THE Red-Line Athletics Track Club is scheduled to hold its 2024 Field Event Classic on Saturday, May 18 at the original Thomas A. Robinson Track and Field Stadium from 9am to 3pm. The event is geared strictly for field events, including the high, long and triple jumps and the javelin, discus and shot put throwing events. Interested athletes are urged to contact Red-Line Athletics’ coach Tito Moss at 425-4262 for further details.

STEVEN Gardiner crosses the finish line ahead of Vernon Norwood, of the United States,, left, to win the men’s 400 metres during the Diamond League athletics meet at the Qatar Sports Club stadium in Doha, on Friday. (AP Photos/Hussein Sayed)

SPORTS

MONDAY, MAY 13, 2024

Athletes qualify for the Paris Olympics

By BRENT STUBBS Chief Sports Editor

Hurdler Denisha Cartwright and sprinter Wanya McCoy produced qualifying performances for the Olympic Games in their respective collegiate meets, while quarter-milers Steven Gardiner and Wendell Miller pulled off victories in their professional meets.

Versatile Charisma Taylor was not to be left out as she broke her second Bahamian national record in the women’s triple jump to highlight the contingent of Bahamian athletes competing overseas over the weekend.

Cartwright’s hat trick

After running a windaided time in her last meet, Cartwright made it official when she posted her winning time of 12.60 seconds in the women’s 100m hurdles at the Northern Sun Intercollegiate Championships at her home field at the Minnesota State

Outdoor Track and Field Complex in Mankato, Minnesota.

She became the third Bahamian female, joining world indoor 60m hurdles record holder Devynne Charlton and Charisma Taylor, to crack the Olympic standard in the 100m hurdles.

Cartwright’s time also broke the NCAA Division II, NSIC, facility and the MSC programme records and was listed as the second fastest in collegiate outdoor track this season and the 15th quickest time in women’s 100m hurdles in collegiate history.

In what turned out to be a spectacular senior season, Cartwright also captured the 200m with a season’s best and facility record of 23.07, which was second in Division II this year, She added that to her NSIC record of 22.71.

Cartwright, a former volleyball player following in the footsteps of her father Leslie “Russia” Cartwright, took the 100m as well in

another faculty record of 11.30. She even holds the NSIC record of 11.10. McCoy second fiddle

After running the second leg for the University of Florida for third place in

the men’s 4 x 100m relay, Wanya McCoy had to settle for a pair of second place finishes in the men’s sprints at the James G Pressly Stadium in Gainesville, Florida.

McCoy, a junior, battled to a personal best of 19.93 in the 200m for second place as he eclipsed the Olympic qualifying standard of 20.16. Three other competitors also surpassed

the Olympic standard, led by Tarsis Orogot of Alabama in 19.75.

Between the relay and the 200m, McCoy clocked another lifetime best of 10.02 for another second place in the men’s 100m after qualifying for the final with 10.09.

However, he just missed the Olympic qualifying standard of 10.00 that was surpassed by Godson Oghenebrume of Louisiana State University in 9.99 in taking the title.

Hanna ends up in third place At the Summit League Track and Field Outdoor Championships, Tristen Hanna, a senior at South Dakota State, got third in the men’s triple jump with a leap of 48-08 (14.83m) on his first attempt. Isaiah Hopf of St Thomas won the event with 49-11 (15.21m).

Hanna, showing his versatility, got 10th in the men’s javelin with a heave

Anthonique Strachan suffers season-ending injury

By BRENT STUBBS Chief Sports Editor bstubbs@tribunemedia.net

JUST when it appeared that sprinter Anthonique Strachan was starting to round back into form of her old self, she was sidelined with another series of injuries that has put an end to her season.

The 30-year-old, still looking for her first senior global medal, was preparing for her fourth appearance at the Olympic Games in Paris, France in August when she found out that she had hairline fractures in the shins in both of her feet.

“Two of them are threatening to be able to actually snap, so to avoid that and not have to do surgery, I’m just stepping down for the season so I can heal naturally and just focus on next season and the seasons ahead.”

Over the weekend of May 4-5, Strachan returned home to compete on the mixed 4 x 400m relay team in a bid to help the trio of Steven Gardiner, Shaunae Miller-Uibo and Alonzo Russell qualify for the Olympics.

But she felt it wasn’t safe to run and was replaced by Grand Bahama’s 16-yearold Tabernacle Baptist Academy 12th grader Shania Adderley as she competed with MillerUbio, Gardiner and Russell in booking their ticket to Paris.

Strachan, who competed with Miller-Uibo and Gardiner along with retired Grand Bahamian Michael Mathieu to win the mixed relay at the last World Relays held in the Bahamas in 2017, said she sustained an injury during the indoor season. “I was constantly told that it was shin splints

SPORTS CALENDAR

YOUTH CLASSIC THE Red-Line Athletics Track Club is slated to hold its 3rd Annual Red-Line Youth Track Classic on Saturday, May 25

May, 2024

By TENAJH SWEETING Tribune Sports Reporter tsweeting@tribunemedia.net

THE Elite Ballers came into game three hoping to complete a three-game sweep against the Foxxy Defenders in the New Providence Women’s Basketball Association (NPWBA) Finals. But their opponents turned the tides 76-59 to keep their season alive and force a game four.

The Defenders came into game three down 0-2 in the series but they managed to get their first win of the best-of-five championship matchup with a 17-point double-digit win at the DW Davis Gymnasium on Saturday night.

The two championship contenders will meet again in a crucial game four at

and I was being treated for that,” she said. “I never had any shin injury before so I couldn’t compare it with anything I felt before.

“But once I was waking up in pain and I was in pain all day no matter what I did, I realised it couldn’t be shin splints. I was in and out of training. But when I talked to my doctors, they told me that if I continue on the path I was going, it could get worse.”

Strachan, who is back in Jamaica where her training base is located, said she decided after not running in the World Relays and consultation with her doctors, it was decided that she would end her season.

“My number one goal should have always been to prioritise myself and body health and that is something I am doing right now,” she said. “The only thing that is changing is the dates. My goals and objectives still remain the same. It’s just delayed.”

While it weighed heavily on her mind, Strachan said she decided to take the time off and get in the proper therapy to ease some of the pain she was experiencing for the past few weeks. After running a season’s best of 7.21 in the 60m indoors on January 27, Strachan looked like she was taking off from where she left off last year. She went on to post her season’s best of 23.35 in the 200m outdoors on April 27. In 2023, she opened up with 7.25 indoors in the 60m and went on to record her lifetime best of 10.92 in the 100m and 22.15 in the 200m. She also made the final of the 200m in 22.29 at the World Championships in Budapest, Hungary.

HURDLER Denisha Cartwright and sprinter Wanya McCoy (photo inset) have qualified for the Paris Olympic Games.

ANTHONIQUE Strachan in action.