CRUNCH TIME
Former finalists to meet again in soccer nationals
By BRENT STUBBS Chief Sports Editor
bstubbs@tribunemedia.net
IT will be a rematch of last year’s two finalists for the senior girls and a renewal of the showdown two years ago for the boys crown when the sixth annual Samuel P Haven National High School Championships is completed today. The Bahamas Football Association’s championships and the consolation third place matches will take place at the Roscoe Davies Developmental Centre at the Baillou Hills Sporting Complex, starting at 4pm. The girls’ consolation match will be played between the CR Walker Knights and the Bishop Michael Eldon Warriors from Grand Bahama and the boys’ match-up will be between the Windsor School and the St George’s Jaguars from Grand Bahama.
They will be followed by the big dance with the Lyford Cay Lady Dragons
defending their senior girls title against runners-up Queen’s College Comets and the Dragons will renew an old rivalry with the Government High Mgics in the nightcap.
Here’s how the drama all unfolded in the semifinals: Comets out-kick Jaguars 4-3 in penalty shootout: With both teams ending the game in a scoreless draw, it came down to who could score the most in the penalty shootout.
Amara Downs got the clincher in the end for Queen’s College as they celebrated their return to the finals.
Head coach Dion Peterson said his Comets were waiting for this opportunity to play and they made it back. He noted that he was proud of his players.
“We’ve played them a few times this season, so we know they are a tough team,” he said as he looked ahead to the final. “We just have to come out and play.”
Dragons roared past Knights 2-1: Storm Darville
booted in the game winning goal in the 52nd minute to stamp Lyford Cay’s approval on their return trip to the final.
The game was closely contested in the first half with Issa Bournas striking first for Lyford Cay in just the first three minutes of the game. But CR Walker made it close as Vltibnique Simmons got the equaliser just before the half in the 29th minute.
Co-head coach Annisa Albury said after their Lady Dragons came out and stuck to their game plan, they knew they were taking on a tough contender in the Lady JKnights, whom they faced in the same draw last year.
“We came out to work hard. Our girls have been working hard all year. We are the defending champions swo we feel we have. chip on our shoulders to prove ourselves again,” she said.
“After they scored the equaliser, our girls found another gear. Someone
THREE MORE GOLFERS SECURE SCHOLARSHIPS
By BRENT STUBBS Chief Sports Editor bstubbs@tribunemedia.net
ANGELINO Cooper Jr, Taylor Sands and Seannae Norville-Smith are the latest Bahamian golfers to secure athletic golf scholarships and Chamari Pratt hopes her chance will come in the near future.
The four golfers, who are a part of the Harris Golf Academy, were able to sign their deals on Wednesday before family and friends at the Bahamas Golf Federation’s Nine-Hole Driving Range at the Baillou Hills Sporting Complex.
Keathen Stuart, one of the coaches who
have assisted all of the golfers in their development, said he’s proud of their achievements and is looking forward to seeing what they do when they start playing at the collegiate level. Cooper Jr, a student of Bhams Global Academy, is benefiting from his three years in golf to attend Central State University in Ohio on his athletic scholarship. He said it’s an amazing feeling. “This was something that I thought would have never happened,” Cooper Jr said. “It came so fast. I really didn’t know what to say when I got it.”
BRONZE FOR KNOWLES IN PRO LEAGUE DEBUT
By BRENT STUBBS Chief Sports Editor
IN making his International Fitness and Bodybuilding Federation’s Pro League debut over the weekend, Bahamian Terran Knowles said he was pleased with his performance, but will work even harder on getting better. Competing at the Men’s Physique - Masters 35+ at the Miami Beach Miami Pro in Miami, Florida, Knowles picked up a bronze medal after he placed third in what he felt was a very competitive show.
The US took the top two spots ahead of Knowles with Michael Ferguson clutching the gold and Json Hazzard getting the silver. Knowles also got 12th in the men’s physique - masters 40+ with Nelson Rodrigues of Portugal winning the gold. American Dennis Kloster got the silver and the bronze went to Neil Fernndes. Ferguson and Hazzard were sixth and seventh respectively. “It was good. It was very competitive,” Knowles said. “Everybody is trying to find a way to make it to Mr Olympia in the Masters category that is being held in Tokyo, Japan in August, so it was very competitive.” SEE PAGE SEVEN
ACTION from the Samuel P Haven National High School Championships yesterday.
Photo: Chappell Whyms Jr
Former finalists to meet again in soccer nationals
from page one
came in and scored another goal and our goalkeeper was phenomenal at the end to keep us in and we’re just super proud of our girls.
We’re on to the final again.”
Against Queen’s College, Albury said they faced them twice this season in the Bahamas Association of Independent Secondary Schools and they will be ready.
Dragons 3, Windsor School 1: In avenging their loss in the semifinals of the BAISS playoffs, Lyford Cay played exceptionally well as they rode the goal scoring from Jack Massey in the 8th minute, Joshua O’Brien in the 32nd and Luke Silva in the 37th.
Ronaldo Green, the head coach for Lyford Cay, said it was a fantastic win.
“The boys worked hard during the game and we got the win,” he said. “We came today prepared for them.”
And although they haven’t seen Government High play this year, Green said he feels they have “all the tools” to be able to continue their momentum
to hoist the championship trophy today.
Magicmen 3, Jaguars 2: Rolph Gervais got Government High on the scoreboard first in the 26th minute and they added goals from Frednel Felix in the 45th and John Brize in the 59th.
But Clerdjivensky Clerjus kept St George’s in the game with their first goal at the 34th for the first equaliser. Then after trailing 3-1, Mider Dalmasse gave them a last hope when he cut it to 3-2 on his shot in the 66th minute.
However, they ran out of time as the Magic completed their trick to get into the final, dropping the Jaguars into the consolation game as they will try to at least take some hardware to Grand Bahama.
Melvin Miller, GHS’ head coach, said they tried to execute their gmev plan from the first half, but they had a tough time ginst St George’s and so it wasn’t until the second half that they got the Magic to work.
“There were some goals that we missed,” he insisted. “Obviously we will go over them before we play the
championship game against Lyford Cay.
“But kudos to St George’s. They played well, but this was our game to win and we won it. They had their comeback moments and made the game more competitive. But it fueled the fire of the Government High Magic.”
After letting the title slip away from them when they faced the Dragons two years ago, Miller said his Magicmen are back and this time, they won’t let history repeat itself.
Despite the loss, Symone Stubbs said her Jaguars will try to brush off their performance yesterday and regroup to play for the consolation prize.
“For us, we didn’t dpt. We didn’t execute the game plan,” she said. “We caught ourselves in the last 15 minutes of the second half, but we didn’t execute well.
“Now the tough part is rallying the guys to compete in. Even the things we discussed, I told the guys that I was proud of how we fought back. But we should not have been in that position. We didn’t execute when we should have.”
• More pictures, page 8
ACTION from the Samuel P Haven National High School Championships yesterday.
Photo: Chappell Whyms Jr
Rotator cuff rehab done right - why rest alone won’t heal your shoulder
SHOULDER injuries have become an increasingly common concern among Bahamian athletes, especially those involved in overhead sports like swimming, baseball, javelin, and volleyball. Many young athletes and weekend warriors alike face the same frustrating question: why does my shoulder still hurt, even after resting it?
The answer lies in one of the most misunderstood structures in sports medicine — the rotator cuff. This group of four small muscles and their associated tendons plays a huge role in stabilising and moving the shoulder joint. They’re heavily relied upon in throwing, pressing,
swimming, or even lifting weights. Unfortunately, they’re also vulnerable to injury from overuse, poor mechanics, and muscle imbalances. When shoulder pain strikes, most athletes instinctively respond by stopping their training and applying ice. And while rest is an important early step— especially in the acute phase — it’s rarely enough to fix the underlying issue. In fact, complete inactivity can often lead to further weakness, poor joint control, and even stiffness that makes recovery more di icult. Studies have shown that structured rehabilitation — not just rest — leads to better outcomes in both pain
reduction and return to sport. Proper rehabilitation starts with understanding what went wrong. In many cases, shoulder pain stems from repetitive stress that overwhelms the rotator cu tendons. If the scapular muscles (those that support and position the shoulder blade) aren’t functioning properly, the rotator cuff ends up doing too much work, setting the stage for
in ammation, small tears, and persistent pain. Without strengthening the surrounding muscles and improving joint mechanics, the pain often returns when training resumes. Modern sports medicine has evolved far beyond ice packs and rest. At clinics like Empire Sports Medicine, athletes now have access to diagnostic tools like musculoskeletal ultrasound and movement analysis, which allow us to pinpoint the root cause of the injury. From there, we design evidence-based rehabilitation programs that address strength deficits, restore mobility, and gradually reintroduce sport-specific movements.
Eccentric exercises, neuromuscular re-education, and scapular stabilisation all play a critical role in restoring full function. What’s particularly concerning is how many youth athletes here in The Bahamas train and compete through shoulder pain — either because they fear being sidelined or they’re unaware of how serious these injuries can become. With our nation’s growing pool of athletic talent, we must become just as serious about injury prevention and management as we are about winning medals. Shoulder pain that lingers more than two weeks, especially if it disrupts sleep, causes weakness, or
worsens with use, should never be ignored. The path to recovery isn’t just about doing less. It’s about doing what’s right. With the right support, shoulder injuries don’t have to derail an athlete’s season — or career. It’s time we move past outdated advice and lean into the science of healing. Because when it comes to shoulder injuries, healing isn’t passive. It requires a plan, guided by professionals, and tailored to the demands of each individual sport. If you or your athlete is struggling with shoulder pain, don’t wait. A strong shoulder is a silent asset— but an injured one will always speak louder.
BOWLING NATIONAL TEAM HEADS TO SANTO DOMINGO
left
are pictured above
Reapers take bite out of Sharks
THE New Providence Amatuer Baseball League continued its regular season ation on Wednesday night at the Andre Rodgers Baseball Stadium with the Reapers Baseball Club pulling off a 3-2 walk-off victory over the Sharks.
The game was tied at two in the bottom of the sixth when Alfred Ferguson Jr singled, scoring one run.
The pitching was strong on both sides, the Reapers’ pitchers struck out four, while the Sharks sat down 15.
A steal of home by Shannon Johnson put the Reapers on the board in the bottom of the first. The Sharks scored on a passed ball, which helped the Sharks to tie the game at one in the top of the fifth.
The Sharks took the lead in the top of the sixth. Tristan Wilson scored after tagging up, to give the Sharks the lead, 2-1. In the bottom of the sixth inning, the Reapers went back into the lead after Roberto Lamour grounded out, and Alfred Ferguson Jr singled to right field, each scoring one run.
Aaron Knowles started on the bump for the Reapers. The starter gave up one hit and one run over five innings, striking out four and walking eight. Deshaughn Forbes led things off on the hill for the Sharks. The hurler surrendered two hits and three runs (one earned) over five and two-thirds innings, striking out 15 and walking one. Lyndon Wallace appeared in relief for the Reapers.
Alfred Ferguson Jr went 1-for-3 at the plate and led the team with one run batted in. Alfred Ferguson Jr and Etienne Farquharson each collected one hit for the Reapers.
Mario Dean led the Sharks with one run batted in. Terron Davis and Amari Burrows each collected one hit for the Sharks, who had a strong eye at the plate, piling up nine walks for the game. Dylan Culmer and Amari Burrows led the team with two bases on balls each.
Tonight’s schedule 6.45pm Community Baseball League vs Sharks. 9pm Reapers vs Outlawz. Sunday’s schedule 3pm Blue Power vs Community Baseball League. 5.15pm Outlawz vs Sharks.
GRENADA TO HOST CARIFTA 2026
By MIGUEL FERNANDER
GRENADA has officially announced that they will host the 2026 CARIFTA games. The announcement was made earlier today by Minister of Youth and Sport David Andrews.
“I am pleased to announce that Grenada will host the CARIFTA games in 2026,” the minister said, adding that the event will return to the island just two years after its successful hosting in 2024. “This is a proud moment for our nation as we once again take center stage in showcasing the Caribbean’s best young athletic talent.”
“Hosting Carifta 2026 reaf-
firms Grenada’s commitment to youth development, sports excellence and regional unity,” he said.
The government of Grenada, through the Ministry of Youth and Sport, will collaborate with the Grenada Athletic Association to ensure the event is executed to the highest standards.
“We look forward to welcoming athletes, coaches, officials, and supporters from across the Caribbean to experience Grenadian warmth, passion and excellence both on and off the track,” The Minister said: “Let the road to Carifta 2026 in Grenada begin.”
BAZARD
KENT
THE Bahamas Bowling Federation is preparing to
from
to right: front row - Tara Culmer, Raymond Adderley, Marina McClain, Shanta Richardson and Tara Johnson. Back row - Kayla Nixon, Ansel Ferguson, Christian Manace, Henry Theofile, Kevin Williams and Stan Bethell.
THREE MORE GOLFERS SECURE SCHOLARSHIPS
When he goes to school to pursue a degree in environmental engineering, Cooper Jr said he loves nature and he’s thrilled to be able to go after something that is near and dear to his heart.
“I just want to say that it’s never too late to start something,” said Cooper Jr, who considers himself to be a late bloomer. “I started at 5, as opposed to others who started at five.
“So it’s always good to know that you can go and succeed.”
Sands, heading to Central State University in Ohio, is a 17-year-old graduating student of Kingsway
Academy. While she’s only been playing golf for the past two years, she was surprised when she heard she got the scholarship.
“I was so shocked because that day, I didn’t felt that I played my best, but the coach pulled me aside and told me and my mom that the coach wanted to offer me the scholarship,” she recalled.
“I’m really excited because I’m going to get to experience golf in a new setting, other than The Bahamas or the Caribbean. I’m excited to meet different people and play with my new teammates at college.”
Sands, who intends to major in biology and science, said she’s going with an open mind to learn as
much as she can, although her coaches Fred Taylor, Keithlyn Stuart and Georgette Rolle-Harris provided a solid base for her to improve on.
In thanking her family and friends for supporting her, Sands encouraged those she will be leaving behind to “believe in yourself because no one is going to do it for you. You have to have a gola and you have to be determined to get it done.”
Seannae Norville-Smith, a 16-year-old student of The Heuristic Academy homeschool, will be heading to Lincoln University in Missouri on both an academic and athletic scholarship.
Having played the sport for the past three and a half
years, Norville-Smith said she’s delighted to be heading off to college.
“I feel very excited. I always thought that something like this would happen for me, but because I’m so young, I’m just really proud of myself for pushing myself to where I am today.”
Once she goes off, Norville-Smith said her goal is to be able to “maintain my scholarship, play some extremely good golf for school” and when she’s done, her aim is to make her presence felt as a “pro”.
As she pursues her degree in nursing, NorvilleSmith is encouraging the youngsters she’s leaving behind to focus their attention on their “education
because athletics will only take you so far. But if you have academics, the world will open so many more doors for you. So just study hard, have fun and live your life so you won’t have any regrets.”
She thanked her parents and her siblings for pushing her to be the “best golfer” that she could possibly be.
“I love them so much,” she stated. Pratt, a 15-year-old 11th grader at Queen’s College, said after playing golf for the past ten years, she’s eager to see what the future holds for her at the next level.
She will be heading to the Congaree Elite Golfer Camp in South Carolina from June 9-15 to learn more about the academic
side of golf and what’s the requirement to obtain a scholarship.
“I don’t have any school in mind just yet,” Pratt said.
“But through clinics, I have a few that I might be interested in competing for.”
As for the three golfers heading off, Pratt said she’s proud of each of them.
“I’ve seen them from when they got started and how they have grown,” she said. “So I am really proud of them.”
Whenever her time comes, Pratt said she has some lofty goals, which include “being the best on my team, representing that college well and representing The Bahamas well and after college, playing on the LPGA Tour and winning”.
MORE scholarships have been announced for Bahamian youngsters.
Photos: Chappell Whyms Jr
BEN GRIFFIN FLYING AFTER HIS WIN ON PUNISHING COURSE AT MEMORIAL
By DOUG FERGUSON AP Golf Writer
BEN Griffin resumed the great play that brought him his first individual PGA Tour victory last week, hitting two shots in the water and still posting a 7-under 65 on Thursday in the Memorial on a course with rough as dense as a US Open.
Griffin isn’t taking victory laps after winning at Colonial. He just kept making birdies, along with an eagle on the par- 5 seventh hole with a 3-wood into 12 feet. He led by two shots over Collin Morikawa, with Max Homa another stroke behind.
Defending champion Scottie Scheffler wasn’t at his best and still managed a 70, his 19th consecutive tournament in which he opened with a round par.
Griffin was playing so well that his two water balls — on the par-5 11th and par-3 12th — only led to bogeys when such mistakes punished so many other players.
“Yeah, a couple water balls — really need to go to the range and work on my game to clean that stuff up,”
Griffin said with a laugh.
He knew this was a good one. Muirfield Village was soft enough from rain the past two days that good scores were available provided shots came from the fairway, and not from rough that Justin Thomas had said was comparable to what they will face at Oakmont in the US Open.
“Basically a US Open we’re playing,” Keegan Bradley said. “I’m going to be playing back-to-back US Opens here. But the course is very fair, setup nice. Just a tough test.”
The numbers bear that out, whether it was only 13 players who broke par in a gentle wind, or the eight players who made triple bogey on seven of the holes at Muirfield Village.
Griffin set the pace early by going out in 31, and then ran into a few problems with the water. He tried to reach the green on the 11th, came up short and into the water, and missed a 10-foot par putt. On the 12th, his tee shot bounced back down the slope into the water. He
saved bogey with a 6-foot putt. But what a finish — a 15-foot birdie on the par-3 16th, a 12-foot birdie on the 17th and holing out from just over 50 feet up the ridge on the 18th for a third straight birdie.
“It was an incredible day,” Griffin said. “Kind of building on what I was doing last week, making a ton of birdies, staying aggressive. This is one of the toughest golf courses we play on tour and you’ve got to be on your game to make birdies and give yourself a lot of looks.”
Shane Lowry played alongside Griffin and had a 69, one of only six players to break 70. It might not have felt that good the way Griffin was playing.
“I told him when we finished, ‘Keep it going, things will turn around for you pretty soon,’” Lowry said with a smile. “He pretty much holed everything he looked at today. It was good. We bounced off each other, we all played really nicely.
“My 3 under doesn’t look that great beside his 7 under, but 3 under is a good score out there on this course,” he said. “It’s pretty
difficult.”
Homa keeps trying to piece together his game that allowed him to reach No 10 in the world when he played the Memorial last year. Now he is at No. 87 and faces a long week — a tough test at Muirfield Village, and then 36 holes of US Open qualifying Monday.
“I told my coach last night this is the best my swing has felt in a really long time. Then the whole game kind of felt like that,” Homa said. “I didn’t need to shoot a low number to validate that, but it just feels nice.”
Nick Taylor had one of the 10 double bogeys — two others made triple bogey — on the par-3 12th, but the Canadian rallied with two birdies on his last three holes for a 69. Scheffler won the PGA Championship and tried to get as much rest as he could ahead of Colonial, where he still tied for fourth. He worked a little more in the days heading into Memorial and spent too much time in the rough and battling for pars. He does that well, too, dropping only two shots despite hitting six of the 14 fairways and twice failing to convert birdie chances on the par 5s on the back nine. The last time he was over par to start a tournament was the US Open last year.
“I felt like I scored pretty well. If I want to keep doing that, I’ll have to be a little sharper the next few days,” Scheffler said. “But overall, a good job posting a score. Yeah, 2 under on this place any day is pretty good.” No need telling that to Thomas (80) or Daniel Berger (81). And then there was Adam Scott, who was 7 over for his round through six holes. He played even par the rest of the way for a 79.
BEN Griffin reacts after sinking his shot on the 18th green during the first round of the Memorial golf tournament yesterday.
Photos: Sue Ogrocki/AP
SHANE Lowry hits onto the 10th green during the first round of the Memorial golf tournament yesterday.
College sports lurches forward, hoping to find a level playing field with fewer lawsuits
By EDDIE PELLS AP National Writer
ON THE one hand, what this new version of cashinfused college sports needs are rules that everybody follows.
On the other, they need to be able to enforce those rules without getting sued into oblivion.
Enter the College Sports Commission, a newly created operation that will be in charge of counting the money, deciding what a “fair market” deal for players looks like and, if things go well, helping everyone in the system avoid trips to court whenever a decision comes down that someone doesn’t like.
With name, image, likeness payments taking over in college, this group will essentially become what the NCAA committee on infractions used to be – the college sports police, only with the promise of being faster, maybe fairer and maybe more transparent.
In a signal of what the CSC’s most serious mission might be, the schools from the four biggest conferences are being asked to sign a document pledging not to rely on state laws – some of which are more permissive of payments to players -- to work around the rules the commission is making.
“We need to get out of this situation where something happens, and we run to our attorney general and file suit,” said Trev Alberts of Texas A&M, one of 10 athletic directors who are part of another group, the Settlement Implementation Committee, that is helping oversee the transition.
“That chaos isn’t sustainable. You’re looking for a durable system that actually has some stability and ultimate fairness.”
NUMBER CRUNCHING TO FIGURE OUT WHAT’S FAIR
In this new landsacpe, two different companies will be in charge of two kinds of number crunching.
The first, and presumably more straightforward,
is data being compiled by LBi Software, which will track how much schools are spending on every athlete, up to the $20.5 million cap each is allowed to distribute in the first year of the new arrangement expected to begin July 1.
This sounds easy but comes with the assumption that universities – which, for decades, have sought to eke out every edge they can, rulebook or no – will provide accurate data.
“Over history, boosters have looked for ways to give their schools an advantage,” said Gabe Feldman, a sports law professor at Tulane. “I think that will continue even with the settlement. It’s anyone’s guess as to how that manifests, and what the new competitive landscape looks like.”
Adding some level of transparency to the process, along with the CSC’s ability to deliver sanctions if it identifies cheaters, will be key to the new venture’s success.
“There’s legal risk that prohibits you from doing that,” Alberts said. “But we want to start as transparent as we can be, because we think it engenders trust.”
Good intentions aside, Alberts concedes, “I don’t think it’s illogical to think that, at first, it’s probably going to be a little wonky.”
HOW MUCH SHOULD AN ENDORSEMENT DEAL BE WORTH?
Some of the wonkiest bookkeeping figures to come from the second
category of number crunching, and that involves third-party NIL deals. The CSC hired Deloitte to run a so-called clearinghouse called “NIL Go,” which will be in charge of evaluating third-party deals worth $600 or more. Because these deals aren’t allowed to pay players simply for playing – that’s still technically forbidden in college sports -- but instead for some service they provide (an endorsement, a social media shoutout and so forth), every deal needs to be evaluated to show it is worth a fair price for what the player is doing.
In a sobering revelation, Deloitte shared with sports leaders earlier this month that around 70% of third-party deals given to players since NIL became
allowable in 2021 would have been denied by the new clearinghouse.
All these valuations, of course, are subject to interpretation. It’s much easier to set the price of a stock, or a bicycle, than the value of an athlete’s endorsement deal. This is where things figure to get dicey. Though the committee has an appeals process, then an arbitration process, ultimately, some of these cases are destined to be challenged in court.
“You’re just waiting to see, what is a ‘valid business purpose’ (for an NIL deal), and what are the guidelines around that?” said Rob Lang, a business litigation partner at Thompson Coburn who deals with sports cases. “You can see
all the lawyer fights coming out of that.”
AVOIDING COURT, COORDINATING STATE LAWS ARE NEW PRIORITIES
In fact, elements of all this are ripe to be challenged in court, which might explain why the power conferences drafted the document pledging fealty to the new rules in the first place. For instance, Feldman called a law recently enacted in Tennessee viewed by many as the most athlete-friendly statute in the country “the next step in the evolution” of state efforts to bar the NCAA from limiting NIL compensation for athletes with an eye on winning battles for recruits and retaining roster talent.
“What we’ve seen over the last few years is states trying to one-up each other to make their institutions more attractive places for people to go,” he said.
“This is the next iteration of that. It may set up a showdown between the schools, the NCAA and the states.” Greg Sankey, the commissioner of the Southeastern Conference, said a league spanning 12 states cannot operate well if all those states have different rules about how and when it is legal to pay players.
The SEC has been drafting legislation for states to pass to unify the rules across the conference. Ultimately, Sankey and a lot of other people would love to see a national law passed by Congress that does that for all states and all conferences.
That will take months, if not years, which is why the new committee drafted the document for the schools to sign.
“We are all defendant schools and conferences and you inherently agree to this,” Alberts said of the document. “I sat in the room with all of our football coaches, ‘Do you want to be governed?’ The answer is ‘yes.’”
TEXAS A&M athletic director Trev Alberts answers questions during an NCAA college baseball news conference last year.
Photo: Meredith Seaver/College Station Eagle/AP
Bronze for Knowles in Pro League debut
from page one
As a first time competitor in the pro ranks, Knowles said he was enthused about the critique from the judges and he’s willing to make the necessary adjustments to improve on his performance.
“My coach (Loleta Riley from Florida) told me that there were some minor things the judges felt I could work on,” he said. “So we decided to sit down and discuss it.
“They felt my conditioning was top notch. There are a few little minor details that I could address, but with this being my first time
competing at this level, I would rather go out and do it.”
At the maximum in terms of his size at his weight category, Knowles said he will have to concentrate a little more on his “density to his muscle” because he’s already at his weight cap. Knowles, who currently trains
at Empire Fitness, has decided to take the time off to improve on his imperfections. He’s not exact;y sure when he will return, but when he does, he said he doesn’t want any excuses from the judges.
“You have to have a method behind the madness, so we
decided to sit out the rest of the year to work on those critiques and plan for a big return next year,” Knowles proclaimed. Knowles, an IT Analyst and Personal Trainer, thanked Kingsmen Collection, Snatch N’ Go and Empire Fitness for supporting him in the show this past weekend.
COCO GAUFF’S SERVE NOT AT ITS BEST BUT SHE GETS THE BREAKS FOR A WIN
By HOWARD FENDRICH AP Tennis Writer
COCO Gauff kept getting herself in some trouble with shaky serving in the French Open’s second round, and she kept putting herself back in position to win by breaking right back on Thursday. The second-seeded Gauff, pursuing her first title at RolandGarros, eliminated 172nd-ranked qualifier Tereza Valentova of the Czech Republic 6-2, 6-4 in 75 minutes on a partly cloudy, warm afternoon in Court Suzanne-Lenglen. Amid a soundtrack of sirens from nearby streets and roars from nearby courts, 2023 US Open champion Gauff only managed to produce 11 winners, five fewer than her far-less-experienced opponent. Gauff also finished with 23 unforced errors, a total that included a half-dozen double-faults. Against Valentova, an 18-yearold who won the junior title at the French Open last year and was competing in the main draw at a major tournament for the first time, Gauff got broken five times. Four of those came in the second set — and each time, the 21-year-old Floridian managed to immediately rebound to claim Valentova’s very next service game.
“There is a sense of urgency after getting broken, for sure. You don’t want to get too far behind. You don’t want to get two breaks down. You can live with one break. But she’s definitely got to serve better and do a better job of holding as the tournament progresses,” said Gauff’s father, Corey. “She’s probably been one of the best returners of serve on the tour the last two to three months. But that’s not what you want. You want to hold first, for sure. It’s not really a break until you hold.”
On Saturday, 2022 runner-up Gauff will try to reach the fourth round in Paris for the fifth consecutive appearance, facing another Czech player, Marie Bouzkova. Other winners in the women’s bracket included No 3 Jessica Pegula, who was the runner-up at last year’s US Open, Australian Open champion Madison Keys, 18-year-old Mirra Andreeva, and 2023 Wimbledon champion Marketa Vondrousova, who reached the 2019 final at Roland-Garros. Vondrousova, who is unseeded this year, eliminated No. 25 Magdalena Frech 6-0, 4-6, 6-3 on Court 6 and then went out to sit in the stands at Lenglen to watch Gauff vs. Valentova. In men’s play, No 1 Jannik Sinner ended the career of 38-year-old Richard Gasquet by beating the Frenchman 6-3, 6-0, 6-4. No 3 Alexander Zverev and No 14 Arthur Fils won, while
24-time major champion Novak Djokovic took a medical timeout to deal with a bothersome toe but eliminated Corentin Moutet in three sets. In the day’s last match, No 5 seed Jack Draper of Britain erased a couple of set points that would have forced a fifth and held on to defeat French showman Gael Monfils 6-3, 4-6, 6-3, 7-5 across more than three hours under the lights in Court Philippe-Chatrier. In the stands? NFL wide receiver Odell Beckham Jr, who won a Super Bowl with the Los Angeles Rams. Now the left-handed Draper goes from beating the 38-year-old Monfils to a high-profile matchup against 18-year-old João Fonseca on Saturday. No 1-ranked Aryna Sabalenka will begin third-round play at Court Philippe-Chatrier on Day 6 by facing Olga Danilovic, while the night match in the main stadium features defending champion Carlos Alcaraz against Damir Džumhur, who hurt his left knee during a fall in his second-round win. Elsewhere, Iga Swiatek continues her bid for a fourth consecutive championship by playing Jaqueline Cristian, 18-year-old qualifier Victoria Mboko of Canada takes on Olympic gold medalist Zheng Qinwen, and No 15 Frances Tiafoe faces No 23 Sebastian Korda in an all-American matchup.
COCO Gauff of the US celebrates winning against Tereza Valentova of the Czech Republic following their second round match of the French Tennis Open, at the Roland-Garros stadium, in Paris, yesterday. Photo: Christophe Ena/AP
THE SPORTS CALENDAR May
GOLF WOMEN’S GOLF DAY
THE Bahamas Women’s Golf Association will hold its annual Women’s Golf Day International Event this weekend at the Bahamas Golf Federation’s Nine-Hole Driving Range.
The event will kick off today with a golf clinic from 4-6pm, consisting of a one-hour practice round on the range and a one-hour of chipping and putting followed by a putting competition.
The day will close out with a social and networking from 6-8pm. Day two is designated as tournament day. Preregistration will begin at 7 am. The four-person scramble will get underway at 8am. The awards ceremony and lunch will take place at 2pm. Awards will be distributed for the winners and runners-up and closest to the pin.
There will also be a surprise raffle.
PICKLEBALL TOURNAMENT
THE Bahamas Pickleball Federation and Baha Mar will hold a one-day Pickleball Tournament on Saturday. The event will run from 9am to 4pm at the John McEnroe Tennis Centre.
The tournament will crown its king and queen pickleball champion. The entry fee is $50 for non members and $25 for members. Prizes will be offered to the various winners.
SOFTBALL NPSA SEASON OPENING
AFTER playing a series of pre-season games, the New Providence Softball Association is all set to officially start its 2025 season on Saturday at the Bankers Field at the Baillou Hills Sporting Complex. The league will feature compettition for the vfist in both a developmental and night league category with games played every Tuesday, Thursday and Saturday nights. Saturday’s schedule 6.30pm Reloaded Players vs Bowe Team (Developmental).
7.30pm Titans vs Renegades (Men). 9pm Black Scorpions vs Sunshine Auto Wildcats (Ladies).
ACTION from the Samuel P Haven National High School Championships yesterday.
Photo: Chappell Whyms Jr