Bahamas Rugby Union to host JA
By BRENT STUBBS Chief Sports Editor
he Bahamas
TRugby Union is preparing to host the Jamaican national team in a friendly but competitive match 4pm Saturday at the Winton Rugby Pitch.
Over the weekend, following a joint practice between players from New Providence and Grand Bahama, the BRU selected 18 of their 23-member team. According to head coach Stephen Thompson, the remaining five players will be selected by Wednesday and it will be based on their fitness level.
Although the regular season for the BRU ended at the end of April, Thompson said the players have been working out in practices on Tuesdays,
Thursdays and Saturdays, with the exception of Saturday and Sunday for the camp to accommodate eight players who came in from Grand Bahama. “We don’t have as many players as we’ve had in the past because of the break in the action here,” Thompson lamented. “But we have an active youth programme and we’re trying to integrate some of them into our men’s programme.”
Thompson, however, said they have had a good, solid core of players coming out to practice and he feels they have selected a very strong team to take on Jamaica. Selected so far are Odel Armbrister, Daquan Blyden, Jethro Bullard, Kevin Charlton, Kevin Deveaux, Kwmae Garland, Mark Hammerton, Jordan Isaacs, Josh Purcell, Kyle Rolle, Travis Sherman,
and
Charlton, one of the players from Grand Bahama, said the Bahamian fans, and even those from Jamaica, can come out and watch a very good and entertaining game on Saturday, starting at 4pm at the Winton rugby pitch.
“It’s going to be a lot of energy,” he said. “Looking
at what we have to work with, we will have a decent team, a nice young team. We are coming out to compete. “I know the guys from Jamaica. They are always playing rugby. But they’re coming to Nassau and we’re looking to avenge our loss to them the last time we played them.”
With an active, vibrant programme in Grand
By BRENT STUBBS
THERE’S a saying that “all good things must come to an end” and for Canadian Olympic rower Rob Gibson the past four years experience here in The Bahamas will be an unforgettable one.
Gibson, who won a silver medal in 2012 in the middle of his three appearances at the Olympics, will be returning to his homeland of Canada after serving here as the director for rowing at the Windsor High School.
BASKETBALL SMILES’
3-DAY
CAMP BEGINS
By Jonathan Burrows
DOZENS of young athletes gathered yesterday at the Kendal Isaacs Gymnasium for the annual Basketball Smiles camp, where players sharpened their skills, learned from experienced coaches, and built lasting friendships both on and off the court. The three-day camp, marking its 26th anniversary, kicked off Monday
participants
welcoming boys and girls aged 12-17 from all over the island. The non-profit camp is organised and was founded by world-renowned basketball coach Sam Nichols. With the help of 12 assistant coaches, the camp is focused on developing core basketball fundamentals - including shooting, dribbling, defence, and teamwork - through hands-on drills and daily scrimmages. The female group began at 9:30am and the males began at 1pm, ending at 4pm. Both
Bahamas shines at Pony 12U Caribbean and Latin American Baseball Zone Championships
TEAM Bahamas’ 12U baseball team, with head coach James Clarke, team administrator Terran Rodgers and coaches Donovan Cox, Temico Smith and Norman Bastian III, is making waves.
The team players are Waiden Bain, Ethan Burnside, Bosfield Butler III, Jaycob Clarke, Josiah Filterman, Geralle Gabriel II, Isaac Richardson, Reid Ingraham, Liam Smith, Jaden Liberal, Tyler Smith, Ganno Newball, Xavier Thompson, Xavier Petit and Carmelo Wallace.
The team set off on June 6 to represent The Bahamas in the Pony World Series Qualifier in San Cristobal, Dominican Republic.
Game 1, which was pitched by Liam Smith and Jaycob Clarke, against El Salvador saw The Bahamas with a decisive win of 21-0.
Game 2, pitched by Geralle Gabriel 11, Jaden Liberal, Xavier Petit and Josiah Filterman, saw a close, highly competitive game to the end where Team Bahamas lost to the Dominican champions 7-6. Game 3, pitched by Carmelo Wallace, saw The Bahamas emerging victorious with a 9-4 win over Panama. And Game 4, which was pitched by Xavier Petit and closed out by Ethan Burnside, saw The Bahamas
By Miguel Fernander
NOW in its 25th year, the Kevin Johnson Basketball Camp continues to be the foundational experience for young athletes, emphasising not just basketball but life values such as discipline, education and faith.
Running from June 23 to July 11 at CI Gibson High School Gymnasium with operation daily from 9am to 1 pm, the camp is open to boys and girls between the ages of five and 19 years. The cost for the full three
“I didn’t fully understand what I was getting myself involved in when I came down. And when I look at where we were in September of 2020, August of 2020, 2021 versus June of 2025, I’m quite proud of all that’s been accomplished between Windsor Rowing and the Nassau Rowing Club. We’ve made great strides forward,” Gibson said.
“I think we’ve grown the sport in The Bahamas, which is what I’m most proud of. And we’ve helped build the community here. So yeah, I’m deeply proud of what we’ve accomplished here together with the Nassau Rowing Club.”
Now with a family to focus on, Gibson said it’s time for him to return home where he plans to get back into one of his old jobs either as a firefighter or real estate sales agent.
“I’ve got a baby. So my wife and I, we just want to go home and be closer to our families and just sort of
weeks is $120 per camper. Coach Kevin ‘KJ’ Johnson, a respected figure in Bahamian basketball, remains committed to the core mission of the camp.
“Putting God first, prioritising education, and using basketball as a vehicle for opportunities, including scholarships,” said Johnson, who also serves as the basketball coach for the CI Gibson Rattlers’ senior boys and girls basketball teams.
CHARITY GOLF INVITATIONAL
THE Pilot Club International is scheduled to hold a XCharity Golf Invitational Fundraiser on Friday, June 20 at the Ocean Club on Paradise Island. The event will get started with a shotgun start at 8am, followed by the awards luncheon.
The donation is $1,000 per foursome. For more information.
interested persons can call 557-9049.
BASKETBALL MHB CAMP THE Marvin Henfield Basketball Summer Basketball Camp is scheduled to run from June 23 to July 11 for players aged 6-17 years old.
The camp will be held in the gym in the back of the old Coca-Cola
SEE PAGE E7
Taj Smith, Alex Storr, Luke Thompson, Adam Waterhouse
Alonzo Williams.
THE BAHAMAS Rugby Union is preparing to host the Jamaican national team in a friendly but competitive match 4pm Saturday at the Winton Rugby Pitch.
YOUNG
enjoy shooting drills during the camp.
Photo: Jonathan Burrows
Bahamas Rugby Union to face Jamaica in friendly at Winton
FROM PAGE E1
Bahama, Charlton said the players selected to Team Bahamas are going to put on a show.
But he noted that it’s a team effort and so they expect all of the players to put their best forward.
“We got a lot of good rugby down there this year,” Charlton said. “A lot of young bodies, young guys coming through the pipeline right now.
“But we have some very good players from Nassau on this team. So I think once we combine our efforts, we should be able to come out with the W this time around against Jamaica.”
Storr, one of the players from New Providence, is making his third men’s camp, including the under19 men’s team, since he started playing rugby in 2012.
He’s just as eager as Charlton to see how well Team Bahamas performs against Jamaica.
“I’m really excited and happy to have rugby back in The Bahamas,” Storr said.
“I’m glad to see the sport growing and continuing to develop. I’m definitely excited to see where we are going in this return.”
He noted that the BRU could not have chosen a better team than Jamaica for The Bahamas national team to get its feet wet again against some top notch international competition.
“It’s going to be a lot of energy. Hopefully the boys remain disciplined,” Storr said. “We should definitely have some big hits and a lot of tries.”
As for the opportunity to reunite with the players from Grand Bahama, Storr said anytime they get to interact with them, whether it’s in a friendly match or at the national level, it’s something special for all the players to look forward to.
“Glad to be playing alongside some of the boys whom I played against this year, so it should be good,” Storr summed up.
The game, sponsored by Capital Union Bank, is scheduled to kick off at 4pm at the Winton rugby pitch. The entry fee is $5 per person.
NASSAU ROWING CLUB HOLDS SUCCESSFUL ROWING REGATTA IN LAKE CUNNINGHAM
THE Nassau Rowing Club held a successful 2025 RBC Cunningham Rowing Regatta in Lake Cunningham on Saturday with more than 80 competitors from various rowing clubs and schools participating.
Windsor High School, led by the outstanding performances from Isaiah Ellis and Alessandra Callender, was presented with the Gibson Cup, a floating trophy that was presented by the NRC in honour of three-time Canadian Olympic rower Rob Gibson.
Gibson spent the past four years working as the rowing director at Windsor High. He helped to secure scholarships for some of the rowers to continue in
the sport at the collegiate level.
There was also a Masters (21+) category that saw Denaj Seymour and Kathryn de Souza taking the overall men’s and women’s titles respectively. RBC was the title sponsor, but other sponsors include Holowesko Pyfrom Fletcher Attorneys-at-Law, KTH Physiotherapy Services Ltd, Bahamas Waste, Capital Union Bank, CG Atlantic, Consolidated Water Bahamas, Asa H Pritchard, Bahamas Sotheby’s International Realty, Caystone and Providence Advisors. The club is also grateful to grant partners Bahamas Charitable Giving Foundation, Sandals Foundation and the Lyford Cay Foundations.
25TH KEVIN JOHNSON BASKETBALL CAMP RUNS FROM JUNE 23 TO JULY 11
FROM PAGE E1
Participants will receive hands-on training in the fundamentals of the game and benefits from motivational talks.
This year, National Basketball Association star centre Deandre Ayton of the Portland Trail Blazers is expected to make an appearance as he speaks to the campers.
Ayton is a former camper who left The Bahamas to further his education in high school at Balboa School in California and Hillcrest Prep Academy in Phoenix, Aroniza, and college at Arizona before becoming a pro player as
the No.1 pick in the NBA draft in 2018 by the Phoenix Suns. “Over the years, the camp has produced several high-level athletes, including Kai Jones who went on to play in the NBA, and a number of others now competing professionally overseas. “The sky’s the limit,” Johnson said.
“When these young men and women leave here, they leave better on and off the court,” he added. With experienced instructors and even the occasional college coaches in attendance, the Kevin Johnson Basketball Camp hopes to remain a beacon for youth development in The Bahamas.
COMPETITORS ride the waves in the Nassau Rowing Club’s 2025 RBC Cunningham Rowing Regatta in Lake Cunningham on Saturday.
Basketball Smiles’ 3-day camp
FROM PAGE E1
groups started their day with warm-ups followed by team-based drills and mini-tournaments.
Campers took part in shooting drills, defensive drills, and team strategy sessions along with group meetings that emphasised bible verses, the importance of discipline, effort, and balancing sports with academics.
“Our slogan ‘my current condition is not my conclusion’ is the foundation and meaning of this camp”, said coach Nichols, who is the founder of the camp. “We tell these boys and girls that education is their way out and that for every poor choice, there is a way out.”
Patricia ‘Pattie’ Johnson, a local Bahamian icon and coach of the Lions’ junior girls at HO Nash Junior High School, is the local organiser for the camp.
“I am truly grateful for coach Sam and what he is doing,” said coach Johnson, who has been working
YOUNG participants enjoy the camp.
Photos: Jonathan Burrows
begins at Kendal Isaacs gym
FROM PAGE E4
alongside Sam Nichols since the inception of Basketball Smiles.
For the past nine years, Johnathan Gibson has been returning from Texas to serve as the camp director, a job he feels the Lord has blessed him to carry out here in The Bahamas.
“My whole year revolves around this camp,” said Gibson who emphasised the importance of this camp for the youth and what it means to him to be a part of such an organisation.
At last, two of the campers expressed their delight in being a part of this year’s event.
“The first time I started Basketball Smiles, I didn’t know anything about
basketball.” said returning camper Althea Garret.
Gibson started the camp at 12 years old while attending HO Nash Junior High School. She is now 15 years old and entering grade 11 at CR Walker High School and is now a key member of her senior girls’ basketball team.
Brent McPhee, 15, is returning for the third straight year at the camp.
“The camp gets you better at basketball and also teaches you life skills to help you in life,” said McPhee, who last year was the winner of the Hustle award.
As day one of the camp came to a close yesterday, campers were excited to return for today’s activities and drills.
YOUNG camp participants gathered yesterday at the Kendal Isaacs Gymnasium for the annual Basketball Smiles camp, where players sharpened their skills, learned from experienced coaches, and built lasting friendships both on and off the court. The three-day camp, marking its 26th anniversary, kicked off Monday welcoming boys and girls aged 12-17 from all over the island. Photos: Jonathan Burrows
fight against some of the strongest 12U arms in the region with pitching speeds clocked around 80 mph of which the Dominican host team emerged victorious with a 12-0 victory over team Bahamas.
Team Bahamas completed the tournament with a third place finish out of 11 countries who participated as they made a strong statement that The Bahamas is a formidable force to be reckoned with in the international baseball arena.
Team Bahamas returned home on June 11 after their medal presentations and award ceremony after what was deemed a successful tournament for the team.
headquarters, now Love 97, on Thompson Boulevard. There is limited space. To register, persons can visit www/marvinjhenfield. com or contact Henfield at 828-2353.
BASKETBALL
BOWLES ELITE
SKILLS CAMP
THE International Basketball Association is set to hold the 12th annual Denykco Bowles Elite Skills Basketball Camp at
OLYMPIC
the Kendal Isaacs Gymnasium from June 23 to July 18. The camp, held under the theme “Developing Champions on all levels,” is designed for boys and girls between the ages of four and 18 and will be held from 8am to 2pm. Interested persons can call 466-0049 for more details.
YOUTH SOFTBALL CAMP
AS a part of the activities for the Queens of Paradise Softball Tournament next weekend at the Andre Rodgers Baseball Stadium, a Youth Softball Camp will be held. It is scheduled to
take place on Friday, June 20 from 10am to noon for players between the ages of seven and 17 years old. Interested persons can sign up at www/dbhrderby. com The weekend will be highlighted by a series of professional softball games between the Atlanta Smoke and the Orlando Monarchs from June 19-21.
Don’t Blink Sports Entertainment, headed by Todd Isaacs Jr and Lucius Fox Jr, along with B4Real Enterprises, is hosting the series of events, which will also include a celebrity softball game.
ROWER ROB GIBSON:
‘I THINK WE’VE GROWN THE SPORT IN THE BAHAMAS’
pivot from there,” said Gibson, admitting that he’s not sure if he will continue to venture any further in rowing.
“But we just thought it’s time to go home. We want our son to be closer to his family as well.”
Over the weekend, Gibson participated in his official final job as coach of the Windsor High School rowing team at the Nassau Rowing Club’s 2025 RBC Cunningham Rowing Regatta in Lake Cunningham. Windsor High’s team performed exceptionally well, dominating the upper high school division to accumulate the most points to cart off the inaugural Gibson Cup, which was presented by the Nassau Rowing Club as a tribute to Gibson.
When asked if he’s going to miss The Bahamas, Gibson quickly quipped:
“Absolutely.”
“I love this country. I love the people here,” he continued. “I love the climate. It’s going to be a stark contrast going home to Canada. It’s going to be cold.
“But no, I miss it. I’ve met some wonderful, wonderful people down here. I’ve made memories to last a lifetime. I feel like I’m part Bahamian now after four years. And it’s a tough transition. It’s going to be a tough move home.”
Looking back at his tenure here, Gibson hesitated a bit before he answered the question of what would you say was your biggest accomplishment here?
“I think just making memories with the students, the rowers, through all the training and through some of the international competitions we would go to,” he stated.
“That’s my biggest accomplishment is building a sense of community within the sport at the Windsor School. I’m glad that I could bring the sport that I’m so accustomed to back in Canada and bring it to the Windsor School and see it grow.”
As he helped to nurture and develop some of the rowers, Gibson said he was proud to be able to assist in some of them getting athletic scholarships for rowing.
“We had a number of students offered scholarships to row next year,” he pointed out. “We’ve got an 11th grade student, Alison Callendar, who is getting heavily recruited right now by top universities. So she’s well on her way. She continues on the path.
“We’ve got young Jabari Gomez, a grade 10 student. He’s well on his way for recruitment as well. So I look at what’s coming up next and I think the programme’s going to be in good hands.”
It’s not certain yet who will take over Gibson’s role, but his assistant Beatrice Bethel said after joining Windsor last year, she has learned quite a lot from her mentor.
“What’s it like, you know, the wake-up call? Oh my God, it’s honestly absolute. From the first day I met him, I was like, I want to
work with this man,” she said. “This tall Olympian just walks down there and he’s like, ‘hi, I’m Rob.’ So I’m like, okay. So yeah, it was, it was, it was always an honour to work with Rob. I enjoyed the time spent with him. But it’s sad to see him go.”
Even before she got to Windsor, through working with the Nassau Rowing Club, Bethel said she knew about Gibson and his work ethic because it was evident in Windsor’s growth and success. “Honestly, he started the programme. He was one of the main reasons I kept pushing the road,” she pointed out. “Like there were plenty of times I wanted to quit and Rob kind of just said like, ‘no, you got this.’
“So it’s good being able to work with him. He’s such an inspiration. He’s been in the sport for so long, so it’s kind of hard to see him go.”
She said they still intend to lean on Gibson’s knowledge and advice to keep the programme he helped to build at Windsor just as vibrant as he left it.
As he leaves, Gibson said he has no regrets.
“I think that we accomplished what we set out to do, which is what I’m very proud of,” he summed up.
Nick Rowett, the head coach of the NRC, said it was a pleasure to have had the opportunity to intermingle with Gibson. Together, he felt they provided an unique opportunity for rowing to grow in The Bahamas.
During the awards presentation of the 2025 RBC Cunningham Rowing Regatta, Rowett said the NRC was pleased to present the inaugural Gibson Cup in honour of Gibson for his achievement in the four years he’s been in The Bahamas.
VOLLEYBALL SUMMER FEST TOURNEY
THE Crusaders/ Warhawks Volleyball Club, in conjunction with the Bahamas Volleyball Federation, is scheduled to host its inaugural Summer Fest Beach Volleyball Tournament from July 10-13 in Rolleville, Exuma.
The tournament, sponsored by Fidelity and Rubis, will feature a men’s 2-on-2 and women’s 3-on-3 format.
Cash prizes of $1,000 will be awarded for the winners
and $500 for the runners-up in both divisions. Interested teams are urged to call 422-4550 or 801-3131 for more details.
PEACE ON DA STREET FAMILY NIGHT
PLANS are underway for the staging of the Peace on Da Streets’ Basketball Classics’ Road to 30 years of existence.
The event, being organised by the Hope Center under the theme “Shooting hoops instead of guns,”
is slated to be held from July 14-19 at the Michael ‘Scooter’ Reid Basketball Center.
The highlight of the event will be the Family Night, scheduled for Sunday, July 20 at the Kendal Isaacs Gymnasium when the finals in all of the divisions will take place, starting at 3pm. There will also be the Mr Ship It Three-point shootout and the Joe’s Slam Dunk Contest. The night will conclude with the exciting Clergy versus Politicians match-up.
NICK Rowett and Rob Gibson sharing a moment together.
Thunder win 120-109 for 3-2 lead over Pacers
By TIM REYNOLDS AP Basketball Writer
OKLAHOMA CITY
(AP) — Jalen Williams scored a career playoffhigh 40 points, MVP Shai Gilgeous-Alexander added 31 and the Oklahoma City Thunder moved one win from a title by beating the Indiana Pacers 120-109 in Game 5 of the NBA Finals last night.
It was the 10th — and by far, the biggest — time the Thunder stars combined for more than 70 points in a game. Williams was 14 of 24 from the field, and Gilgeous-Alexander added 10 assists.
Pascal Siakam had 28 points for Indiana, which now trails the series 3-2 and will host Game 6 on Thursday night.
TJ McConnell added 18 for the Pacers, who whittled an 18-point deficit down to two in the fourth — then watched the Thunder pull away again, and for good.
“That’s a really good team over there,” Williams said. “You just don’t trip into the finals.” True.
But now, everything favours the Thunder.
Teams that win Game 5 of an NBA Finals that was tied at 2-2 have gone on to win the series 23 times in 31 previous opportunities, or 74%. And teams with a 3-2 lead in the finals have won 40 times in 49 previous opportunities, or 82%.
But Game 5 was not easy. Far from it.
Down by 18 late in the second quarter, the Pacers — the comeback kings of these playoffs, with as many wins in this postseason from 15 points down or more (five) than the rest of the league has combined, including in Game 1 of this
basketball series, Monday, June 16, 2025, in Oklahoma City.
series — did what they do, chipping away. And they did it with Tyrese Haliburton reduced to basically playing decoy on offense because of a leg issue that he aggravated
in the first quarter. Led by McConnell, who scored 13 points in just under seven minutes of the third, the Pacers got within five late in that quarter.Then, Siakam went to work — a pair of
(33) battle for the ball during the second half of Game 5 of the
free throws with 9:19 left got Indiana within four, then a 3-pointer about a minute later made it 95-93. In the play-by-play era of the NBA, starting with the 1997 playoffs, teams with
By MICHELLE CHAPMAN AP Business Writer
FORMER NBA player
Shaquille O’Neal will pay
$1.8 million to settle a class action lawsuit related to the demise of cryptocurrency exchange FTX.
O’Neal, and other celebrities like Tom Brady and Stephen Curry, were named in the lawsuit in 2022. They had been accused of touting FTX as a reputable and trustworthy investment option via paid endorsements. The proposed settlement only pertains to O’Neal.
Three years ago FTX was the third-largest cryptocurrency exchange, but it ended up with billions of dollars worth of losses and had to seek bankruptcy protection.
leads of 15 points or more in the finals were 80-9. Make that 81-9 now, and the Thunder are one win away.
“That was honestly the same exact game as Game
1,” Williams said. “Learning through these finals, that’s what makes a team good.”
One more win, and his team will be certified as great.
The Bahamas-based company and its founder, Sam Bankman-Fried, came under investigation by state and federal authorities for allegedly investing
depositors funds in ventures without their approval. Before its failure, FTX was known to use high-profile Hollywood and sports celebrities to promote its products. It had the naming rights to a Formula One racing team as well as a sports arena in Miami. Its commercials featured “Seinfeld” creator Larry David, as well as Brady, the former quarterback of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers and New England Patriots, basketball players O’Neal and Curry, and tennis star Naomi Osaka. Bankman-Fried was sentenced to 25 years in prison in March 2024. A little
more than a month after that, FTX said in a court filing that nearly all of its customers would receive the money back that they were owed.
While the proposed settlement with O’Neal had been agreed to in April, the payment amount and other terms were disclosed in a filing with the U.S. District Court, Southern District of Florida, Miami Division, earlier this week.
The settlement class includes anyone who deposited funds into FTX or bought its FTT token between May 2019 and late 2022.
The agreement, which still needs court approval, would provide O’Neal with a broad release from future claims and also includes a stipulation that he can’t seek reimbursement from the FTX estate.
The payment will be made within 30 days of the settlement being finalised, according to the filing. SHAQUILLE
OKLAHOMA City Thunder forward Chet Holmgren (7) and Indiana Pacers centre Myles Turner
NBA Finals
(AP Photo/Nate Billings)
SHAQUILLE O’NEAL
THUNDER guard Shai Gilgeous-Alexander (2) shoots as Indiana Pacers guard Andrew Nembhard, right, defends during the second half.
(AP Photo/Nate Billings)
INDIANA Pacers guard Tyrese Haliburton (0) drives past Oklahoma City Thunder guard Shai Gilgeous-Alexander (2) during the second half last night. (AP Photo/Kyle Phillips)