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WHAT’S THE REAL DEAL ON SUNKEN TREASURE? GOVT OPTIONS ‘LIMITED’ ON HELPING OUT GAS RETAILERS

Munroe says licence issued to exploration firm ‘unsatisfactory’

By YOURI KEMP Tribune Business Reporter ykemp@tribunemedia.net NATIONAL Security Minister Wayne Munroe said the royalties the government has received to date from treasure hunters salvaging wreckages in Bahamian waters have been “unsatisfactory”.

Mr Munroe, speaking at the weekly Office of the Prime Minister’s press conference, said that while there are no licenses that have been approved by the sitting Progressive Liberal

Party administration, admitted that there was one granted by the previous Free National Movement administration under Dr Hubert Minnis.

He also said: “The information coming is that there was one granted under the former administration, the whole way it operates is unsatisfactory.”

He continued, “It’s always unsatisfactory when somebody comes and says this is yours, without any sort of way to audit, confirm or evaluate whether what SEE PAGE TWO

By NEIL HARTNELL Tribune Business Editor nhartnell@tribunemedia.net

FINANCIAL Secretary Simon Wilson yesterday said the government’s “options are limited” in providing relief sought by petroleum retailers struggling with gross margins of 10 percent or less.

Mr Wilson told Tribune Business it was “not an easy fix” to the industry’s plight after both sides met again late last week to discuss the dealers’ concerns.

FULL STORY - SEE BUSINESS

CLARITY NEEDED ON EMBASSY SPENDING

By EARYEL BOWLEG Tribune Staff Reporter ebowleg@tribunemedia.net

THE official opposition wants to see a full report detailing money spent on furniture and decor at an ambassador’s residence in Belgium.

Last week, Labour and Immigration Minister Keith Bell revealed in Parliament that more than $1m in total

had been spent.

This included monthly accommodations in a Brussels hotel for ambassador Maria O’Brien at a cost of $20,000 per month, while the furniture and decor cost the government $550,000.

Mr Pintard told The Tribune he found it “most unfortunate” the way that it was presented in the House.

SEE PAGE FOUR

LOVE YOU, DADDY RICARDO Philip and his son, Ricardo Jr, celebrating Father’s Day yesterday. Across The Bahamas, families celebrated fathers, with churches holding special celebrations to mark the occasion.

Photo: Moise Amisial

‘YOU’VE 14 DAYS TO VACATE LAND’

By PAVEL BAILEY Tribune Staff Reporter pbailey@tribunemedia.net

NATIONAL Security Minister Wayne Munroe announced a crackdown on people who break laws governing the use of Crown land, warning that they had 14 days to cease their illegal activities.

Mr Munroe also stressed that there will either be civil or criminal consequences for breaking environmental laws.

NATIONAL Security Minister Wayne Munroe.

After touring acres of deforested areas in a National Pine Forest ride

along in the Carmichael Road area and discovering that a family has been living illegally there in a school bus, National Security Minister Wayne Munroe publicly denounced the act in a press conference at the Office of the Prime Minister Friday.

Minister Munroe said that the perpetrator of the deforestation of more than 500 acres of protected land in western New Providence was a Bahamian.

SEE PAGE THREE

Nassau & Bahama Islands’ Leading Newspaper

NO OVERSEAS BORROWING NEEDED FOR COMING YEAR

By NEIL HARTNELL Tribune Business Editor nhartnell@tribunemedia.net THE government plans to minimise its exposure to US interest rate hikes and global economic volatility by “not going” to the international capital markets for foreign currency debt financing during the 20222023 fiscal year.

FULL STORY - SEE BUSINESS

INSIGHT

HELPING CHILDREN SCARRED BY VIOLENCE SEE PAGE EIGHT

PAGE 2, Monday, June 20, 2022

THE TRIBUNE

What’s the real deal on sunken treasure? from page one they’re giving you is what you’re truly entitled to.”

Carl Allen, of Allen Exploration, was given an underwater exploration/salvage license to search for the sunken treasure of the wreck of the Spanish galleon, Nuestra Senora de las Maravillas, believed to be off the coast of Grand Bahama and Walker’s Cay. On March 8, 2021, a video clip

recorded Mr Allen saying his company is already recovering “gems” and “pendants” from the ocean floor, although he does not give the precise location.

It is understood that the treasure hunting proceeds will be split 75/25 in favour of Mr Allen, as stipulated by the Antiquities, Monuments and Museums (AMMC) Act 2011, and the accompanying regulations.

AMMC is thought to be working with Allen Exploration to

document, assess and value what has been recovered from the latter’s exploration efforts. The AMMC declined to comment on the progress being made on the sunken treasure or any of its findings.

This is not the first time an attempt to salvage the Nuestra Senora de las Maravillas. The first attempt was in 1971 by a group of explorers but what they found was a mystery despite the government of the day granting them permission to search for the sunken treasure.

The second attempt was done in 1983 under a company called Marex International out of Memphis Tennessee, led by its chief executive officer at the time, Herbert Humphrey’s, along with the company’s vice president, Tim Hudson. They found treasure in silver and gold coins and several artifacts, remitted some to the Bahamian government but no one was able to track down who received the sunken treasure or what happened after the company

IMAGES from video showing the treasure hunters at work.

left. Though, it is suspected that some of the artifacts went off to international auction.

The Bahamas Wildlife Enforcement Network, BOWEN, was created to monitor the excavation and exportation of fauna and flora of The Bahamas as well as natural wildlife and sunken treasure. “If it’s in our waters, it belongs to the Bahamian people and this is really an agency that’s going to be multifaceted for every natural resource, every single one, and it’s just so that we get value out of our natural resources,” Mr Munroe asserted.

The unveiling of BOWEN comes as a result of reports that poachers have been caught in protected areas clearing trees for charcoal without a license.

The agency was created in mind to police these protected areas and also monitor the illegal trafficking of wildlife outside of The Bahamas.

BOWEN is a multi-agency task force under the command of the

Royal Bahamas Defence Force Commodore, Raymond King who has appointed Lieutenant Commander Desiree Corneille to be the point of contact. The agency will be staffed with up to 40 people seconded from various government departments, inclusive of the RBDF, the Royal Bahamas Police Force, Departments’ of Marine Resources, Forestry, Customs and Immigration.

Mr Munroe added about Lt Commander Corneille: “On briefing she presented a concept of an enforcement agency to enforce the laws with regard all natural resources, not just marine life, wildlife, but terrestrial wildlife and indeed all natural resources, including our aggregate.

“A presentation was made to the Bahamas government to the cabinet and the Cabinet concluded that we will set up, organise and launch a robust enforcement agency to protect all natural resources.”

SUSPECTED DROWNING PROBED

By PAVEL BAILEY Tribune Staff Reporter pbailey@tribunemedia.net

POLICE are investigating an apparent drowning over the weekend off Arawak Cay. Speaking at the scene on Friday ASP Audley Peters told the press that authorities were dispatched to Arawak Cay after a male was discovered floating in the water near the western end of the beach.

While Officer Peters indicated the body of the male victim was first discovered at 8am Friday, he also said the victim had been there overnight. There were no visible signs of decomposition or foul play, he said.

Upon the arrival of the officers they found this dark male in the waters,” Mr Peters said. “We called on our marine section who retrieved the body from the waters. The scenes of crime officers examined the body and there were no signs of trauma. At the moment we do not classify this as a homicide. We will await an autopsy report to tell us what the cause of death was and the identification by a next of kin.”

Although authorities have still not released the victim’s identity they believe that the man was

possibly one of the many vagrants that inhabit the area. As such Peters asked for members of the public who may have known the deceased to step forward to assist with their investigations.

“What we do understand of this victim is that he frequents this area. We do not have a name for him. However, we appeal to members of the family who have a loved one that has not been seen for a while or who has a loved one who frequents this area, but has not been seen to contact the police so that you can assist us in identifying this individual.”

Mr Peters urged the public to exercise caution while enjoying the beaches this summer.

“We know that this area is an area where individuals come and have their libations. We are not suggesting that might have been the case in this instance or any other instance. However, we ask persons being in an archipelagic (country) to learn how to swim. To ensure that when they are near the water they are not under the influence of any type of drugs or alcohol and to become strong swimmers. If they go to swim they should go with somebody who can assist them if something happens.”

BODY FOUND IN GB WATERWAY

By DENISE MAYCOCK Tribune Freeport Reporter dmaycock@tribunemedia.net

GRAND Bahama Police are investigating a suspicious death in connection with the discovery of a body at the Grand Cay waterway.

A private boater made the discovery shortly after 8.30am on Sunday and alerted the police.

Assistant Superintendent of Police Stephen Rolle reported that the police control room received a report of a lifeless body being found in waters. He said uniformed and plainclothes officers went to investigate.

According to initial

investigations, a private vessel was passing through the Grand Cay waterway where the lifeless body of a male was observed submerged in water.

The boaters immediately contacted the police for assistance.

When officers went to the area at sea, they saw the lifeless body of a dark, slim male wearing a plaid shirt and boxer shorts.

ASP Rolle said the body was removed and taken to the Rand Memorial Hospital, where a doctor pronounced the man dead.

An autopsy will be performed to determine the cause of death.

THE TRIBUNE

Monday, June 20, 2022, PAGE 3

‘You’ve 14 days to vacate land’

LINCOLN Bain speaking to officials on Friday. from page one This statement refuted recent claims by activist Lincoln Bain, who in videos on social media blamed Haitians for the clearing of trees and burning of coal in fields near Bacardi Road.

As such, the minister warned transgressors that they had within 14 days to stop their activities before authorities launch an aggressive counter operation in the area.

He said the ultimatum took effect from Friday.

“We are giving the general public, any transgressors, a fortnight, 14 days to desist from their trespasses and their violations before operations

commence,” Mr Munroe said. “We do not expect anyone to challenge the law enforcement officials that will come on these sites.

“The government is very serious about environmental protection. We are very serious about preserving the pine forest and we are very serious about restoring what has been lost. And so if you are doing it we ask you to stop it and if you do not voluntarily stop it then we intend to stop you.”

As part of a larger initiative to combat illegal deforestation, Minister Monroe discussed the anticipated establishment of a new law enforcement agency, the Bahamas Wildlife Enforcement Network.

Mr Munroe said that

multiple other government agencies are working to establish the network, whose steering committee is being headed by Royal Bahamas Defence Force Lt Commander Desiree Corneille.

While Corneille said an early draft of legislation has been made and sent to the Ministry of National Security and the Defence Force’s legal team, there is no clear timeline for when it will be brought before Parliament.

This new agency which will enforce laws for natural resources throughout the country will initially be staffed with between 36 to 40 officers seconded from other agencies.

While the agency is being formalised, activities

related to its operations will be conducted.

Mr Munroe said the agency will be modeled after the Florida Fish and Wildlife Enforcement Unit, and that the agency should to be “stood up” in six months and fully operational in 12 months.

The Minister of National Security said that while gathering intelligence information into illegal forest activity may prove difficult, he went on to detail the extent of deforestation operations in the Bacardi area.

“Out at that site, the information coming to me and I don’t think it would be premature to state it is that the operation as it were is owned and driven by a

Bahamian who has heavy equipment to clear lands, to move piles of charcoal and that he has in his employ indentured workers; is how they are described who are potential foreign nationals which is the immigration component,” Mr Monroe said.

“And so what we saw out there today isn’t a smalltime operation. It’s an operation driven by somebody with land clearing equipment with the ability to hire and pay people to clear large parts of the forest. Our information, our intelligence is that it’s Bahamian owned and perhaps operated by foreign nationals as more or less indentured workers.”

Mr Munroe ended his

segment of the press briefing by saying that there will be civil or criminal consequences for breaking environmental laws.

“If you do not voluntarily stop it, then we will stop you.

“If you break the law to make money, the proceeds of your crime are subject to seizure and forfeiture,” he said.

“If you burn charcoal or protected plants the resulting product in my estimation is a proceeds of crime. If you use heavy equipment to breach the law, that may be subject to seize and confiscation. This government is very serious.

It does not concern us how long it’s been happening, it will stop now.”

of other farmers occupying Crown land in the so-called Lincoln Bain area, stating that they had not been properly consulted before Friday’s operation took place.

We should have been invited. We were told by Superintendent Strachan that we would be invited to be a part of this. Y’all lied to us. You all tried to silence us yesterday because y’all don’t want the full story of what’s going on in the back here,” Mr Bain said.

Mr Bain also criticised the government for its delayed intervention concerning the deforestation in the Carmichael Road area, claiming it was because several politicians are part of a larger conspiracy surrounding the issue.

“There are politicians involved. Politicians are involved. That’s why it took three weeks since we reported to come in the back here. Now they can show up? There is

corruption involved in the back here,” he alleged.

Mr Bain went on to attribute the deforestation and shanty towns in the area to illegal immigrants.

He also claimed that their makeshift homes, along with the dump in the area, were intentionally bypassed in the ride-along route.

Despite these claims, during the tour the press encountered a Bahamian woman and her children living in a bus turned makeshift home in the area. The Minister of State said government would try to offer her assistance.

Speaking directly to the press, Mr Bain condemned the government for not cracking down on shanty towns in Abaco with the same force he accused them of using on Friday. Mr Bain also said many of the farmers only wish to protect the land from deforestation.

“All of the people behind me are farmers who are peacefully occupying this

land. Many have been here for many, many years and all they want is to possess this land. Since we came back here, no illegal immigrants were allowed to take down our trees or remove our trees,” Mr Bain said.

“They didn’t take ya’ll to the area where they say is the Lincoln Bain area because all the trees still there. They didn’t want to show ya’ll that, all right?

They trying to sell this narrative that Bahamians were clearing down the trees and they were taking the trees from the Bahamians - that is not the truth.”

In a brief meeting

between Mr Bain and the Minister of National Security, Munroe said anywhere that people are illegally occupying public property, the government will clear them.

When asked by Mr Bain exactly what he was going to do about shanty towns, Minister Monroe had this to say.

“That may be an immigration issue. If shanty towns are on private land, if they are breaching forestry laws, any laws for clearing, any laws for excavating we will deal with that, if there are illegals there we will deal with that, if there are

illegal firearms we will deal with that. Our objective is to enforce the law, and you see other law enforcement agencies and so that’s our remit, that’s our job and that’s what we are going to do,” Minister Munroe said.

“This property is the property of the Bahamian government, the Bahamian people, not some of them, all of them. And so, governments are elected to decide how public lands are used.

If you don’t like how we do it, then every five years you do a verdict on it, but in the meantime, we will insist that people obey the law.”

LINCOLN BAIN FACES OFF WITH OFFICIALS

By PAVEL BAILEY Tribune Staff Reporter pbailey@tribunemedia.net

FARMERS occupying Crown land in the Carmichael Road area raised issues with Friday’s police ride-along in their community and what they claim is wilful government neglect of deforestation there.

Shortly after members of the press, along with the Minister of National Security Wayne Munroe, disembarked from the ridealong in the National Pine Forest near Bacardi Road, a brief argument broke out between a member of concerned farmers and the authorities.

Coalition of Independents leader Lincoln Bain claimed that he was assaulted by a member of the RBDF as he tried to approach the staging area.

After stating his intention to seek legal action against the Defence Force officer, Mr Bain speaking on behalf

POLICE INVESTIGATE ELEUTHERA SHOOTING

By EARYEL BOWLEG Tribune Staff Reporter ebowleg@tribunemedia.net

POLICE in the settlement of Palmetto Point, Eleuthera, are investigating the shooting death of a man on Friday.

Preliminary reports are that shortly after 4pm, police were alerted to a shooting that occurred in the settlement of Palmetto Point.

“Officers were dispatched and on their arrival to a local marina they were directed to the body of a male, which they found having wounds consistent

with gunshots,” the release read.

“The male was later examined by the local medical practitioners and was pronounced lifeless. Investigations into this matter continue.”

Although police have not publicly identified the victim, The Tribune understands the deceased is Sean Major.

The murder comes after a spike of homicides that occurred last weekend. The most recent happened last Sunday when a man was shot and killed outside AF Adderley’s gymnasium.

A relative at the scene

of the incident identified the man as Randy Williams, 29. Commissioner of Police Paul Rolle confirmed the victim was on bail and being electronically monitored.

Asked to confirm the man’s criminal history, Mr Rolle said it was a fact that he had been charged with rape and burglary along with other individuals.

Police are asking any member of the public who might have information to contact them at Criminal Investigations Department 502-9991/2, Crime Stoppers at 328-TIPS (8477) or the nearest police station.

PAGE 4, Monday, June 20, 2022

THE TRIBUNE

Clarity needed on embassy spending from page one Mr Bell had tabled what appeared to be an itemised list with costs. However, Mr Pintard has noted the document was of poor quality.

“Certainly we’ve asked in the House of Assembly that the allegations made by Minister Keith Bell that it is very important to the opposition for the government to lay the report on that spending,” Mr Pintard said.

“Mr Henfield who made a comment he was unaware of it.

“What we do know is that an ambassador is unable to basically approve those spendings. So, I just found it most unfortunate the way that it was presented in the House, but we would like to get a full report on it to know those figures are in fact accurate because they are exceptionally high, but we just want to get the full scope of it before we make any detailed comments.”

The Marco City MP has previously said

ambassadors are unable to approve funding and questioned who approved the spending.

Meanwhile, former Foreign Affairs Minister Darren Henfield had said the level of spending was “indefensible”.

For his part, former Prime Minister Dr Hubert Minnis last week said Mr Bell had been “totally disingenuous” in making the accusations. He added that Brussels was an expensive place and the ambassador would not have acted outside of established protocols by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

He said ambassadors did not have access to money.

He also said ambassadors live in hotels until proper permanent accommodations are found. These hotels, he said, must have a certain standard of security among other things.

Mr Pintard also noted another point of interest is looking at the embassies not just in Europe or in the UK, but also in the United States.

“What has been the going rate? Are there other instances where some persons have been provided with $20,000 or $22,000 a month in terms of accommodation? We want to see the figures for those persons right now oversees.

Those persons during our period, fine, as well as the period before,” he said.

“We’re hearing that over the course of the last ten years there have been some exceptionally high figures that most of us are unfamiliar with, including up to today and so we want the government to be very transparent in making the information available for the period leading up to 2017, 2021 and the period we are now. We would like to see what those expenses are. What it would do is give us a rounded picture but we are concerned about what this matter has now brought to light because again persons are sending information of some incredibly high billings right up to today in embassies.”

SENIOR IMMIGRATION OFFICER DIES

FNM leader Michael Pintard.

73 CUBAN MIGRANTS REPATRIATED SEVENTY-three Cubans were repatriated last week.

On Friday at around 12.50pm, a Bahamasair chartered flight left New Providence for Havana, Cuba, with 16 nationals on board, a press release from the Department of

Immigration said.

There were 14 men and two women in the group.

Before the Tuesday flight there was another repatriation to Cuba carrying 57 nationals. This time 49 men and eight women were taken to their home country.

The Department’s Deportation Unit led both escorts with all COVID19 protocols strictly observed as the health, welfare, and safety of their officers, law enforcement counterparts, and migrants remain the highest priority.

KIRKLYN Neely, acting assistant director of the Department of Immigration, died on Friday.

His death was confirmed by the department in a press statement.

“The department extends deepest sympathies to the family, friends, and colleagues of Mr Kirklyn Neely, Acting Assistant Director of Immigration, on his passing.

“As we acknowledge his passing, we likewise acknowledge the contributions he made to the legacy of the organisation, and his devoted service to his country. Officer Neely passed away on Friday, 17th June 2022.

“It is our earnest prayer that his loved ones are granted strength and comfort during your time of bereavement.”

KIRKLYN NEELY

87 NEW CASES OF COVID EIGHTY-seven new cases of COVID-19 were recorded last Thursday and Friday, according to the Ministry of Health and Wellness.

On Friday, the ministry said there were 39 new cases.

This included 27

in New Providence, three at Grand Bahama, two at Andros and one at Crooked Island.

Officials also said 27 people were in the hospital and considered moderately ill.

The day before saw 48 new cases all in New

Providence.

On that day, officials said there were 24 people admitted to the hospital who were moderately ill.

As it stands, there have been 815 deaths and 35,603 cases of COVID-19 since the start of the pandemic.

THE TRIBUNE

Monday, June 20, 2022, PAGE 5

PM: Land issues hold up plan for new GB hospital PRIME Minister Philip “Brave” Davis says his plans for breaking ground for a new, state-of-the-art hospital in Grand Bahama by the end of this fiscal period were hampered because of land issues.

During a press conference at the Ministry of Grand Bahama, on Friday for the $1.6m contract signing for the renovation of the morgue at the Rand Memorial Hospital, the Prime Minister said the government had to seek out other land on which to construct the proposed new hospital.

“The last time I was here, I mentioned that we would be breaking ground soon on a new hospital,” said Mr Davis.

“The (Health) Minister will tell you that I wanted to do that before the end of this fiscal year in June.

Unfortunately, where we wanted to put the hospital, on land that we had acquired in 2015 for the purpose of a new hospital, it was leased out for porridge by the former administration. That is now the site of the Atlantic Medical School of Medicine.

“We attempted to get

back some of the land, but that is not working. So, now we have to revisit the venue for which we want to build that hospital. I can say that we have already secured the funds for the purpose of constructing that hospital.

“It was just a matter of us identifying the land, which we have. The land does not belong to us, but we intend to acquire the land as quickly as possible. The Minister has told me that

they are conducting a topographical study to ensure that the area we have identified would be suitable for the hospital that we intend to build.

“I’ve told the Minister this morning that we need to move quickly to get this done, because I want my word to mean something.”

Mr Davis said Grand Bahama will continue to be at the forefront of his government’s efforts. He said

he’s aware of the challenges on the island and that his government intends to bring relief.

“We will not just talk about it, we’re going to do it and this contract signing is a step in that direction.”

He pointed out the Dorian experience had revealed the weaknesses in the country’s health care systems and one of them is the morgue department.

He added that many Grand

Bahamians can recall the traumatic experience they would have had following Hurricane Dorian and the impact it had on lost loved ones in a system that was overwhelmed, that left many bodies piled up and no system of identification was easily carried out.

“What I want us to appreciate is that climate change is real,” said Mr Davis.

“There was much talk about the tropical system

that passed through Grand Bahama two weeks ago, the heavy rain it brought and the damages that were done. All of that is related to climate change. We have to find the money to correct, adapt and mitigate those losses.

“That’s why whatever they say about me travelling… I’m travelling to let the world know that we are not at fault. We are not emitters of carbon into the air. In fact, our emission is less than point zero one percent of all the world carbon emissions.

“We are at the mercy of the major countries and emitters. But I think that I’ve gotten their attention now and we should see some assistance coming to us.

“Forty percent of our national debt is directly linked to the consequences of climate change.

“Every time we have a hurricane, there is loss and damages and we have to restore, rejuvenate and recover. That costs money.

Where do we get it from? We have to borrow it. So our debt is continually rising because of it. But I’m convinced that we have the attention of the world now on this issue.”

THE Public Hospitals Authority has signed a contract for approximately $1.6m with Pinnacle Investment Company Limited for the renovation and upgrades of the morgue at Grand Bahama’s Rand Memorial Hospital.

The contract will also include the completion of renovation of the hospital corridors that were damaged from Hurricane Dorian and further compromised from the weather system that recently passed through Grand Bahama.

In executing the contract, Minister of Health and Wellness, Dr Michael Darville said there was a great strain on services provided by the Rand Memorial Hospital and its morgue.

“I know that the former administration did some work at the hospital, but the morgue was not touched,” said Dr Darville.

“This contract signing is the continuation of the upgrades at the Rand Memorial Hospital. Now,

we have made it clear, in our blueprint for change, as well as the Speech from the Throne, that this Davisled administration will be leading the charge for the construction of two stateof-the-art hospitals, one in Grand Bahama and one in New Providence.

“But while that is happening we cannot allow the facilities to continue to deteriorate. So, we’re going to pump some money into getting this morgue up and running and running effectively and to prepare ourselves if we find ourselves in a similar situation as with Hurricane Dorian.”

Dr Darville pointed to the importance of morgue services to the operation of any hospital, which involves the management of receipt, storage and release of deceased bodies of loved ones. This process, he said, has to be carried out safely, effectively and it has to be done in a certain time limit.

“The contract we’re executing today will allow for

the renovation and expansion work to the existing morgue, which will improve the services at the morgue, and do some additional renovation,” said Dr Darville.

“This new infrastructure will allow us to be more efficient, we will provide better services and we will expand the areas necessary to carry out autopsies, and the staff will not be compromised.

“The execution of this contract today means that Grand Bahama can expect in approximately six to seven months, a modern morgue facility. This is a significant step to the full restoration of healthcare infrastructure here on Grand Bahama.”

Grand Bahama Minister Ginger Moxey said she was excited about the scope of work that will be carried out at the Rand memorial Hospital. She noted that renovation works at the morgue at the Rand was a long-time need.

“In our blueprint for change, we spoke about

bringing relief to the people of Grand Bahama Island,” said Ms Moxey.

“The Prime Minister is so focused on recovery and the rebuilding of this island, so it was so encouraging to have him here on Grand Bahama as a part of this announcement.

“We are fully committed to the health and wellness of the people of Grand

Bahama.

“This is just another step in the right direction and in carrying out all of the good things we have planned for Grand Bahama. There is so much more in store, including the construction of a new hospital with an oncology section as a major focus.

“In the meantime, I want to thank the administrators,

the doctors, the nurses and the staff at the Rand Memorial Hospital who continue to provide great service to the people of Grand Bahama, even in the environment that they’re working in. But they know that they have a government who will get the job done and provide better working environments for them to work in.”

PRIME Minister Philip “Brave” Davis and officials during the visit to Grand Bahama.

$1.6M CONTRACT SIGNED FOR MORGUE UPGRADES

PAGE 6, Monday, June 20, 2022

The Tribune Limited

THE TRIBUNE

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

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Publisher/Editor 1919-1972 Contributing Editor 1972-1991

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Which is harder to find - gold or good governance?

WHEN The Tribune reported last year about an underwater exploration group having detected 13 shipwrecks in Bahamian waters, it was described as a “billion dollar” opportunity.

The reality, according to National Security Minister Wayne Munroe, has been “unsatisfactory” in terms of the royalties received from treasure hunters.

A licence for salvaging treasure from undersea wrecks was granted to Carl Allen, the multi-millionaire owner of Walker’s Cay, and his company.

He was searching for the sunken treasure of the wreck of the Spanish galleon Nuestra Senora de las Maravillas, believed to be off the coast of Grand Bahama and Walker’s Cay. The deal was that the explorers would keep 75 percent of the treasure, and the Bahamian people would get 25 percent.

The idea is that the company does the work of finding and retrieving the treasure, and the Bahamas gets a split of the proceeds.

There is dissatisfaction, it would seem with how much we are getting out of the expedition, and part of that is because of the apparent lack of a chain of evidence to prove how much has been retrieved.

Mr Munroe said: “The whole way it operates is unsatisfactory. It’s always unsatisfactory when somebody comes and says this is yours, without any sort of way to audit, confirm or evaluate whether what they’re giving you is what you’re truly entitled to.”

This isn’t to say there is anything suspicious going on – just that according to Mr Munroe there is a lack of clarity in overseeing the process.

Mr Allen, meanwhile, has posted a video clip saying his company is already recovering gems and pendants from the ocean floor.

Just to be clear, leaving the treasure at the bottom of the ocean benefits no one. And if we’re going to permit people to retrieve such treasure, it needs to be through a process that is clear, so that everything is declared and its value

assessed. That said, as the problems over the process to give scientific exploration permits has shown, that process can’t be slow and clumsy as to stop the exploration by itself.

We need something clear, concise, that encourages exploration, but which gives The Bahamas an appropriate level of compensation.

Is that what we have now? It would appear not. So it’s up to the current government to come up with a streamlined alternative.

Clarity should always be the goal – and when things aren’t clear, it leaves room for problems to develop, no matter how good the intentions of all concerned might be.

Will we see that clarity develop?

Watch this space…

Ambassador’s residence Speaking of clarity, that is what the FNM is calling for over the expenditure on the ambassador’s residence in Belgium that Labour Minister Keith Bell claims carries a price tag of more than $1m.

But wait a minute, this is the FNM that was in office less than a year ago.

They want clarity over the expenditure made on their watch.

The ministers that were in position are still a part of the party – the former Prime Minister is one of the party’s current MPs, shouldn’t they know themselves how much money they were spending?

FNM leader Michael Pintard wants a full report to expand on the “poor quality” document presented so far, but his own team ought to have their own records to provide a full answer and rebuttal if necessary.

We can absolutely support calls for government to provide more clarity – but come on, when you’ve just been in office, you shouldn’t need to call for clarity over what you yourselves did.

Nassau does not need local govt EDITOR, The Tribune.

THE Progressive Liberal Party government’s plan to introduce local government in Nassau will add another unnecessary layer of bureaucracy in the capital, which is where the central government is headquartered. The prime minister resides in Nassau. In fact, every prime minister dating back to Sir Roland Symonette lived in Nassau. To the best of my knowledge, each of Nassau’s 24 MPs resides in New Providence, where the House of Assembly and

the Senate are located.

The governor general resides in Nassau. The commissioner of police resides in Nassau. The commodore of the Defence Force resides in Nassau. The comptroller of Bahamas Customs usually resides in Nassau. The directorate of Bahamas Immigration resides in Nassau. The Supreme Court and the Court of Appeal are both located in Nassau. The director of public prosecutions resides in Nassau. The head of Bahamas Department of Corrections resides

in Nassau.

The main purpose of local government in the Family Islands was to make the central government more accessible to the residents of the islands, like Nassauvians who live a mere stone’s throw away from the three main organs of the central government.

That’s why I view the introduction of local government in Nassau as superfluous.

KEVIN EVANS Freeport, Grand Bahama.

June 19, 2022.

To advertise in The Tribune, contact 502-2394

SKYDIVERS practice in an indoor air tunnel in Caracas, Venezuela, on Thursday last week. According to site director Gian Carlo Trimarchi: “This is the largest wind tunnel in Latin America and the most economical in the world.”

Photo: Matias Delacroix/AP

Governing for benefit of Bahamians EDITOR, The Tribune.

THERE are encouraging signs that the present PLP government will go further than Mr Christie’s in reversing the ingrained national inferiority complex that has done this country such harm in terms of policy since 1992.

These signs are to be detected, for instance, in the announcement that “teeth” will be restored to the requirement that foreign developers fulfill their promises with approved projects.

It is also to be hoped that delinquent foreign owners of taxable family island properties will find themselves the subject of powers of sale by a tax-hungry treasury, sparing Bahamian property owners in Nassau.

This was the original intention of the architects of our pro-Bahamian property tax regime - before it was mangled by Minnis to achieve the exact reverse outcome.

The sense of Bahamians as second class citizens is a deplorable legacy of the Ingraham years, an era characterised by a governing culture more in tune with external interests than Bahamian ones.

As an example, in 2009, without any meaningful public consultation, Mr Ingraham’s government abruptly outlawed the consumption of turtle meat, criminalising the culinary culture of thousands of

LETTERS letters@tribunemedia.net black and white family islanders overnight.

It acted on the urging of foreign-oriented lobbies, yet in utter disregard not just for local culture, but for the actual science of conservation - which justifies a ban on commercial harvesting, but not on traditional consumption. That is why the Cayman Islands, Turks and Caicos and British Virgin Islands all banned commercial harvesting, but all declined to criminalize local consumption.

But in The Bahamas from the start it was never really about science or conservation. It was about the forced adoption of somebody else’s culinary norms.

The lobbyists simply set out to kill an aspect of Bahamian culture that disgusted them. Tragically, Mr Ingraham was on hand to do their bidding.

That this foreignerknows-best attitude is still rampant today (long after Mr Ingraham’s years of small-minded misrule have ended) is neither deliberate nor necessarily party political. Rather, it now represents a default position among the political class.

Politicians often instinctively see their job as dragging Bahamians into somebody else’s version of modernity, without

considering the applicability of it to the Bahamian context, nor even the validity of local concerns.

A couple of years ago, the local (Canadiandominated) banking industry came up with the idea of implementing a credit bureau and managed to convince local politicians and professionals that it would somehow be in the interests of Bahamian consumers – although it required abrogating historic and fundamental aspects of their financial privacy.

In allowing it, the thengovernment ignored both the cautionary tale of the US consumer (reduced to a debt-controlled drone in a credit environment designed by banks) and the very local dangers of such a move. Permitting banks to share information on debtors removes the one trump card the Bahamian consumer has had in his uneven dealings with them.

In other words, it was good for Canadian banks but bad for Bahamian consumers. Guess who won.

It is time to put our thinking back on track and begin governing The Bahamas again for the benefit of Bahamians. Every recommendation from the outside must be subjected to that test before it is even seriously considered.

ANDREW ALLEN Nassau, June 19, 2022.

Don’t pander to church - protect women instead EDITOR, The Tribune Re: TARGET TIMING OF RAPE IN MARRIAGE: Churches agree step to protect separating couples is necessary.

What does the Church have to do with whether a woman feels like having sex with her husband?

Who are they to decide what a woman does with

her body?

Why is the government even “consulting” with the Church about women’s bodies? It’s obscene.

Should the government consult women about male pastors and their organs?

This is outrageous and it shows how backwards we are as a country.

No wonder so many young people who are

educated abroad choose not to return home.

Just do what you must to give women the protection they deserve and bring the country into the 21st Century without pandering to these archaic people.

OUTRAGED Nassau, June 17, 2022

THE TRIBUNE

Monday, June 20, 2022, PAGE 7

TEAM BEING SET UP TO DEAL WITH GENDER-BASED VIOLENCE

By YOURI KEMP Tribune Business Reporter ykemp@tribunemedia.net

A TEAM is being established to deal with issues related to gender-based violence, press secretary Clint Watson announced on Friday.

The team will take the form of help desks that will

deal with both male- and female-based gender violence issues.

It was created after Minister for Social Services Obie Wilchcombe tabled in Parliament a report on gender-based violence that had been shelved for a number of years.

Mr Watson said: “We’re putting in place a team of

folks to deal with gender based issues, violence, dealing with women’s issues, men’s issues. The Ministry of Social Services are compiling all of those desks now and departments to put them together.”

Domestic abuse and violence has been a controversial matter for the Bahamian public, with

two attempts at a referendum on marital rape being rejected by the public.

The question of the age of consent has been another controversial issue.

Non-governmental organisations have asked for a task force to be created to deal with the matter of consent and statutory rape. They want the task

force to be created with a joint parliamentary and NGO representation. To that, Mr Watson said: “It should not just be a parliamentary decision. I think it requires widespread discussion, and perhaps town hall meetings to hear people’s views on it.

“The administration is concerned about moving

forward on anything that is not of the will of the people and wants to move forward on these controversial issues prudently.

“Prime Minister Davis does not govern in isolation. He governs on need and governs based on what’s important to the Bahamian people,” Mr Watson said.

FOREIGN Affairs Minister Fred Mitchell presents The Bahamas flag to Sir Sidney Poitier’s eldest daughter, Beverly Poitier, at yesterday’s service, inset.

SERVICE HONOURS SIR SIDNEY POITIER A STATE-RECOGNISED Service of Thanksgiving in honour of the late Sir Sidney Poitier, KBE, was held on Father’s Day. It capped off a weekend of celebrating “Sir Sidney, With Love”, with memorials in Parliament and Rawson Squares depicting aspects of the life of the Bahamian-American actor, film director and diplomat; a cultural presentation on Saturday evening at Atlantis; and the Memorial Mass yesterday at St Francis Xavier Cathedral.

Governor General CA Smith attended, along with Acting Prime Minister Chester Cooper, Cabinet ministers, FNM leader Michael Pintard, members of the Judiciary, parliamentarians, former prime ministers, the Bahamas Christian Council, and other officials.

Also present were three of Sir Sidney’s daughters: Beverly, Pamela, Sherri, and other family members.

Archbishop Patrick Pinder delivered the homily, saying Sir Sidney broke racial barriers, regarding all humans as created in the image of God, endowed for greatness. He won coveted

awards during his lifetime; and of significant importance he used his status to fight for racial justice, the archbishop said.

Sir Sidney died on January 6 at his home in Beverly Hills, California, at the age of 94. He was the youngest of seven children born to Evelyn (nee Outten) and Reginald James Poitier, Bahamian farmers who owned a farm on Cat Island.

In 1964, he was the first African American actor and first Bahamian to win the Academy Award for Best Actor for the movie, Lilies of the Field. He received two Golden Globe Awards, a British Academy of Film and Television Arts Award (BAFTA), and a Grammy Award for Best Spoken Word Album.

In 2009, he was awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom, the highest civilian honour in the United states by President Barack Obama, and was granted a knighthood by Queen Elizabeth in 1974. He was The Bahamas’ Ambassador to Japan from 1997 to 2007.

He was also Ambassador of The Bahamas to the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO).

GOVERNOR General CA Smith at the service of thanksgiving to honour Sir Sidney Poitier yesterday.

Photos: BIS

MONDAY, JUNE 20, 2022

THE STORIES BEHIND THE NEWS

Cut crime by helping the children scarred by violence

By JEFFARAH GIBSON Tribune Features Writer jgibson@tribunemedia.net WHEN a murder happens in a community, first responders race to the scene for two reasons – emergency medical personnel handle the victim while the police hunt down the perpetrator.

The scene is usually chaotic as family members sob and scream inconsolably. They are broken, hurt, angry, shocked, afraid and in most cases, want

immediate justice.

Often overlooked in these tragedies are the children who witness egregious acts of violence in places where they usually ride their bikes, shoot basketball hoops and play. Unfortunately, there is no first responder who brings aid to alleviate the emotional harm these children suffer.

They are left to process and digest the tragedy on their own.

However, the danger in leaving trauma unchecked in children is that the

seed of violence has been planted. At the right time, when the soil has been properly cultivated and watered adequately, it bursts from its roots, bringing forth its own violent fruit.

A trauma study by Bahamian psychiatrist Dr David Allen and Keva Bethell, a researcher, public health expert and children’s book author, uncovered that many of the marginalised young men in The Bahamas have been exposed to violence and experienced some

level of serious abuse in their early childhood; they were victims that became perpetrators.

The study also revealed there is a direct correlation between traumatisation and violent behaviour. That is, as exposure to traumatic events increases, so does exposure to violence The authors concluded that it is vital that cumulative childhood stress is addressed, doing so ensures these individuals thrive in adulthood.

The study, which took place between November 2019 and March 2020, has been accepted as a chapter in the book Child Abuse and Neglect, published by IntechOpen in London, and due to be released this month.

The authors sampled 209 participants.

Sixty-three percent of participants were female and 37 percent were male. They ranged in age from adolescent to age 65.

THE ‘EVIL VIOLENCE TUNNEL‘

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Those individuals who do not have their trauma addressed can sometimes find themselves in “a tunnel of violence”, according to Ms Bethell.

“People get hurt in their childhood, whether it’s neglect, physical abuse, sexual abuse. Hurt is like footprints on fresh cement – it lasts a lifetime. So, the pain you experience in childhood never really goes away. It just shows as different faces.

“As a child grows there is traumatisation and manifestation. That hurt is then translated to anger and sadness. They then become an adolescent putting up blocks. They put up these blocks to safeguard themselves so that people around them do not know that they are hurt. It looks like they are angry but deep down they are hurt. As the adolescent turns into a young adult, something happens and it puts them into a rage. This is becoming the accepted at the way murder happens in society.”

The “violence tunnel” theory by Dr Allen and Ms Bethell was validated by incarcerated individuals.

“I tested about 209 participants and 44 percent – which is almost half – admitted to being physically abused before the age of 18.

Then 23 percent of them, which is a quarter of them, admitted to being sexually abused before the age of 18. We also tested them for post-traumatic stress disorder. Eighty-four percent of them tested positive for moderate and severe posttraumatic stress disorder,” she said.

“In our sample, people who were physically and sexually abused, tested

positive post-traumatic stress disorder. They are in the community where there is so much violence and pain. It triggers the violence and pain happening in their own life. They are in a traumatised state.”

Fifty-one percent of participants said they knew one to 10 people who were killed violently.

“It gets worse,” Ms Bethell said. “Nineteen percent say the know 11 persons that have been killed violently. Ten percent know more than 31 persons who have been killed violently. That is why their post-traumatic stress disorder score was so high. They know so much violence in the community.

“If you peel back another layer, they have been hurt whether physically and sexually as a child. It was not dealt with or resolved so to speak … So they are carrying pain and picking up more pain along the way.

Someone says the wrong thing and they end up in that tunnel where they either commit homicide or they hurt themselves and commit suicide.”

Dr Allen added: “A hurt child is a dangerous adult.

When the child is hurt, he is ashamed, and when he becomes ashamed again, he gets into a murderous rage.

We have a bunch of hurt children walking around and adults who are also hurt. It is very important for this to be known, that a hurt child is a dangerous adult.”

There is always a reason, Dr Allen said, why people behave the way they behave and react violently. It all has to do with what they have been exposed to and the fact that many people do not deal with emotional and mental issues in a productive way.

“A lady said to me ‘at ten years old, I watched my brother shot and killed in front of me but no one talked to me. And now ten years later, I am in prison for murder. Suppose someone had talked to me when I was ten years old maybe, I would not have killed ten years later.’

“When a murder happens, the police go to the criminal, the ambulance goes to the wounded person, but no one goes to the children. The children see this violence, it goes in their heart, and in ten to 15 years later, they now act out the violence and become murderers,” said Dr Allen.

“This is not a simple problem. It is like we have sown to the wind and now reaping what whirlwind.

But this is science and all we are saying is let’s take the science and add some sense to it.”

TACKLING VIOLENCE

Addressing violence in

the community, Dr Allen said, is a complex task which requires a multi-layered solution. It involves all stakeholders, informed decisions being made at the policy level and a community effort.

In response to the country-wide crack and cocaine epidemic of the 1980s, Dr Allen started The Family: People Helping People Project, a resocialisation intervention project initiated in 2008.

The programme provides free group therapy to 23 marginalised communities, including prisoners, juvenile offenders and an orphanage.

The Family is a group process model, representing a therapeutic replica of the home-based family, allowing members to confront their issues in a safe and non-judgmental environment led by a trained facilitator.

The Family provides support and advocacy for its Child Abuse and Neglect 2 members, which in turn gives people an avenue to discover themselves and grow as individuals.

More importantly, The Family encourages the expression of taboo emotions, such as early childhood trauma. Participants in The Family were traumatised and therefore engage in at-risk behaviours.

“The problem is we had to stop our community programme group because of COVID-19. It made it very difficult for us to do it,” said Dr Allen.

“The crime rate is going up. And while the police are very important, you have to add this community therapy to work with the police.

If you do not do that, you cannot knock crime out.

And what this paper shows is that a lot of our kids were victims before. You cannot just police this problem, we have to get in the community and start working like we have been working before.”

There is hope though that at the end of “violence tunnel”, most individuals can be resocialised, said Ms Bethell.

“At the end of our paper in this same study. We gave participants an Allen Resocialisation Scale and 98 percent of these same participants who were physically abused, sexually abused have PTSD, depressed and angry have scored as resocialised. So, it shows that our group therapy had a 98 percent rate.

“Come and share and you will get better. It won’t make what happened go away, but you can get better.”

Dr Allen is the founder of The Discovery Clinic.

He hosts group therapy sessions on Saturdays from 12.30pm-2pm.

EMAIL: insight@tribunemedia.net

INSIGHT

MONDAY, JUNE 20, 2022 PAGE 9

A shallow grave

By DR KENNETH D KEMP

UNDER the cover of darkness, Anastasia and her family fled the bombing and gunfire now ravaging their homeland. No one in the car that evening could understand how they arrived at this point. When the rest of the world was saying there was a war on the horizon, every citizen in Ukraine echoed the same sentiment – it was madness drummed up by western countries to incite conflict where none existed. Russia was their ally and a country full of their brothers and sisters. But that evening, after driving for 35 hours straight with her loved ones, fleeing from enemy fire to save their lives, the new reality hit. Ill-prepared for the escape and with her feet numb, bloodied and swollen from the long drive, Anastasia became overwhelmed.

Despondent, afraid and taking short, shallowed breaths, she prayed as she drove herself and her family to freedom.

On the night of February 24, Russia launched an unprovoked military attack on Ukraine. Now almost 150 days later, the war rages on. My patient, hereafter referred to as Nina, was born and raised near Kyiv, the capital of Ukraine, before moving to Vancouver, Canada for college and then ultimately settling down here in The Bahamas.

Her entire family, including her mother, niece and sister (referred to as Anastasia), still lived in Ukraine until the start of the war and she shares their experience, during those harrowing first three days, today for the first time.

By the third night of the bombing, Anastasia helped her 70-year-old mother into the car but had no time to wipe away the many tears that fell down her cheek.

Her mother, a retired nurse, looked back; her voice now raspy with unspoken emotion. In enormous disbelief and minimal fanfare, she whispered goodbye to the home she grew up in. The home where she raised her children, the one that held birthday parties and saw friends visit after the sudden, tragic death of her husband, a retired orthopaedic surgeon, five years prior in a car accident. She whispered goodbye and left all of the possessions she’d collected over her lifetime, except for a torn family album, travel documents and one suitcase full of clothing.

As they sat in bumperto-bumper traffic, cars stretched as far as their eyes could see were filled with women and children desperate to find safety as vacuum and cluster bombs decimated their surroundings. Vacuum bombs, so named because they suck the air out of the lungs of their victims, first detonate and then release a cloud of toxic chemicals into the air and then detonate again, seconds later, to ignite those chemicals and vaporize anything in their path.

There were three options to escape; going through the Polish border, the most popular route which would take three to four days, the Romanian border or the Hungarian border, which took 35 hours to cross. Each route represented a tortuous path and they drove past demolished bridges and roads and headed towards the Hungarian border. The weather outside was a biting minus 20 degrees Celsius but with the gas tank near empty, they couldn’t turn on the car heater in fear it might use the little fuel they had remaining. Many people without cars, and with no public transportation available, were forced to walk for days to get to the border and held their pets close to their chest so that the

fur could provide warmth.

Anastasia and Nina were most concerned about their mother who suffered with high blood pressure, heart disease and kidney problems during a time when COVID-19 had already weakened the physical and mental health of so many around them.

There was and still remains no electricity and no working phones, just the sound of explosions, helicopters and military tanks.

An overwhelming atmosphere of death emanated from the hundreds of dead bodies of family, neighbours and friends lining the streets and only an army of abandoned, stray animals poured over dead bodies to find or mourn their cold corpses. Young children, never having reached puberty, are raped and murdered. Others were killed then thrown into shallow graves with their hands tied behind their backs. Homes and historical sites are ransacked and pillaged of their possessions and then destroyed with callous disregard for the owners that saved and sacrificed to build them. The putrid smell of death was everywhere.

Once they arrived at the Hungarian border, they saw buses filled with hundreds of children from orphanages and critically sick people evacuated from hospitals. Pregnant women were forced to undergo C-sections in the basement of the hospital that had to be reinforced with sandbags before they could be escorted to safety. Men and women in the ICU connected to life-saving equipment had to be disconnected and transported to more secure locations.

Nina tells me that the air was steeped in sadness and the darkness of our nightmares, once only relegated to corners, closets and below beds, has placed a chokehold over the entire country and all because of two leaders who have a bifurcated vision for the future. The long-term tremors of their discord have culminated in a seismic shift in their former allegiance and their citizens have paid the ultimate price. It is a loss that even the passage of time cannot cure and it is a point of inflection for the entire world. According to the Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights at the United Nations, to date, over 7.2 million citizens have fled Ukraine for neighbouring countries and another eight million citizens have been internally displaced making this the greatest human crisis of our generation.

From the outset, the world has overwhelmingly stood with the citizens of Ukraine and global outrage over Russia’s aggression is omnipresent. In fact, it has united America and the European Union in a manner hitherto unseen.

But as time progresses, the Ukrainians fear their allies will lose focus and abandon them even as their needs and desperation grow more pressing.

They plead for help every day and voice their outrage with the passionate determination required to stack the odds in their favour; all the while knowing there is an indescribable value to their anger because, in a loud blended chorus, it can instigate change. And the patriotism, resilience and courage that the Ukrainian citizens and their President, Volodymyr Zelensky, have shown the world will be recorded in history as one of this century’s greatest testaments of humanity and survival.

On the night Nina and Anastasia’s mother left Ukraine, she imagined she’d never again in her

lifetime return to the land where she was born. The tiny shop where she bought her groceries and her favorite market full of fresh fruits and vegetables, her former school, the hospital where she worked for over 30 years and the church where she was baptised and married have all been destroyed. The take-home message that Nina and Anastasia wanted everyone to know from their family’s story is that Ukrainians are fighting not just for their freedom, but for the safety of the entire world and the right to survive and coexist in peace with their neighbours.

After reaching the Hungarian border, Anastasia drove to Budapest where she and her family slept for

three days. From there they made their way to Panama and then Canada, which is where they currently reside, safe but broken from the events of the past few months. Now, scarred and labelled as a forced migrant, they start again and their story, chilling as it may be, is unfortunately one of many. May the blood sacrificed and shed by the innocent of this war provide a blanket of peace and liberty that secures the future of Ukraine and may they and the citizens of the entire world never forget that light shines brightest in the deepest dark.

• Nicknamed ‘The Prince of Podiatry’, Dr Kenneth D Kemp is the founder and medical director of Bahamas

REFUGEES fleeing the war from Ukraine at the border crossing in Palanca, Moldova, on March 7.

Photo: Sergei Grits/AP Foot and Ankle located in Caves Village, Western New Providence. He served as the deputy chairman for the Health Council for five years

and he currently sits on the board of directors for the Princess Margaret Hospital Foundation in his role as co-vice-chairman.

PAGE 10 MONDAY, JUNE 20, 2022

INSIGHT

EMAIL: insight@tribunemedia.net

Gibson’s parliamentary future isn’t as cut and dried as some would have it

By MALCOLM STRACHAN WITH a series of charges filed against Adrian Gibson, the question of whether he should remain as an MP has been in the air.

The FNM Long Island MP is accused of a host of charges relating to corruption and his time at the Water and Sewerage Corporation – but to hear some people talk, you’d think the case had been heard already and the outcome decided.

Former House Speaker Halson Moultrie was one of the first to suggest Mr Gibson’s position might be under question, saying “any honourable” parliamentarian accused of criminal offences should consider resigning.

Meanwhile, former Prime Minister Dr Hubert Minnis has insisted “a man is innocent until proven otherwise”.

So which is it? Should Mr Gibson go, or stay?

Well, the trouble is, those aren’t necessarily answers to the same question – Mr Gibson is absolutely innocent until proven guilty, and those are the standards of a criminal conviction. Separately, there are the standards of being in public office, and it doesn’t necessarily take a conviction to prompt a resignation there.

Let’s take a look across the water to the UK, where Prime Minister Boris Johnson has seen his tenure in office hanging by a thread over a series of parties that took place in his offices breaking the rules of lockdown which his government had created.

Ultimately, it was

ADRIAN GIBSON MP

revealed he did indeed break the law – and had to pay a fine for breaching lockdown. But it wasn’t the law breaking that was the biggest threat to Mr Johnson’s post, it was what he told Parliament about those parties. He denied, and denied, and denied – and that was his problem.

Misleading Parliament is, under the Westminster

system under which we too operate, one of the likeliest things to lead to a resignation. Parliament needs to rely on the information it receives being honest and accurate – so if it is misled, or lied to, the decisions it makes is based on false information. If you mislead the nation’s decision-making body, you are expected to

resign. Mr Johnson has not as yet, but with him having only just hung on through one vote of confidence and more revelations about his behaviour drip-dripping out, that may be just a matter of time.

Here, too, we have consequences that apply regardless of whether someone has been convicted. It is not uncommon,

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for example, for a police questions about his own officer who is accused of a lockdown behaviour, when crime to find himself out he said he went to pay for of a job before he gets to Christmas presents when he his first court date. The was supposed to be in quarforce then insists that it is a antine. He doesn’t want former police officer being to get tangled in questions accused, even if he com- over standards in public mitted the crime while on office in case any of them the job. The police officer come back on him. He only does the crime, but the has to look at the example former police officer does of Mr Johnson to see what the time. could go wrong At the time of there. being charged, ‘And there is So the likehe has been the nub of the lihood is that removed from question for with little preshis job even sure from Mr before being Mr Gibson. He Gibson’s politiconvicted – is innocent cal opponents, which seems a until proven and his own very different party standing standard to that otherwise, but by him pending of being “abso- the concern the outcome of lutely innocent is more of a the case, howuntil proven ever long that political one guilty”. might take, that It is as if than a criminal Mr Gibson has the force does one when it every chance of not wish to staying in office be tainted by comes to talk until that day. association If the case of resignation.’ with an officer becomes so who may ultimately be much of a distraction that convicted. it undermines his work And there is the nub as an MP, that’s a differof the question for Mr ent matter, and that’s up Gibson. He is innocent to him whether he can baluntil proven otherwise, but ance all those demands at a the concern is more of a time when he is looking to political one than a crimi- defend himself in court. nal one when it comes to But if all it took, as Mr talk of resignation.

Moultrie was suggestThe FNM has decided ing, was an accusation of a to stand by Mr Gibson, criminal offence to push a although when asked if Mr Parliamentarian to resign, Gibson would resign, his we would face the risk of party leader, Michael Pin- unfounded claims and malitard, gave a non-committal cious accusations that could response of “no comment”. undermine the ability of He went on to say of his lawmakers to govern. party, “we’ll be fine”.

Mr Gibson has every As for the party in gov- right to defend himself, and ernment, Prime Minister he is indeed innocent unless Philip “Brave” Davis said it is proven otherwise. But it would be a “personal the talk of his resignation choice” for Mr Gibson on seems more like gossip for whether he should resign or social media than anything not. else. Now, if only our jusMr Davis said he was tice system would move “not going to get into at a pace that we could be that” – which would be confident we’d find out the wise considering he never answers to these claims convincingly dealt with anytime soon.

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EMAIL: insight@tribunemedia.net

INSIGHT

MONDAY, JUNE 20, 2022 PAGE 11

Summit of the Americas was worth attending AS beauty is in the eyes of the beholder, so is success or failure measured by the beneficiary or the overlooked. Summits of the Americas, from the time they were initiated by the administration of the US in 1994, have overlooked the Caribbean.

Not so, the 2022 Summit held in Los Angeles from June 8 to June 10. The 14 independent CARICOM countries, except for St Vincent and the Grenadines, went into this Summit with a greater measure of confidence in themselves and determination not to be overlooked or ignored.

They reaped the reward.

At a private meeting on the eve of the Summit, attended by all but 4 of their number, the CARICOM Heads of Government decided that they would not be satisfied with a scheduled meeting only with US Vice President Kamala Harris.

They wanted President Biden present. They made it clear that while no disrespect was meant toward the Vice President, the critical issues that confronted their countries required the presence of the President himself to make the necessary decisions.

The President not only turned up, but he engaged fully with the CARICOM leaders and the President of the Dominican Republic. His engagement was so intense that the start of the first plenary session of the Summit, at which he was the first scheduled Speaker, had to be delayed while he satisfactorily concluded the discussion. Word spreading around the halls of the Los Angeles Conference Centre that the President was meeting Caribbean

World View

By SIR RONALD SANDERS

leaders, puzzled delegates from larger Latin American countries and created envy – the latter spoken in whispers.

What caused this unscheduled meeting to happen was a display of CARICOM unity that has only recently reignited in the Group. It was driven by the consensus on the way forward for CARICOM countries, fashioned two weeks before in Guyana at an Agricultural Investment Forum, led by Guyana’s President Irfaan Ali with the strong support of Barbados’ Mia Mottley, Trinidad and Tobago’s Keith Rowley, Antigua and Barbuda’s Gaston Browne, Belize’s Juan Briceño and Dominica’s Roosevelt Skerrit.

At that Forum, the representative group of leaders had agreed on an actionable and time-bound plan regarding food and energy security, transportation of food within the region, and the removal of tariff barriers between CARICOM countries. They also agreed that, after initial hesitation by several of them, they would attend the Summit of the Americas not only to register their dissatisfaction with the US decision not to invite the leaders of Cuba and Venezuela particularly, but to press for US support for CARICOM’s action plan.

In Los Angeles, they went forward with that spirit of unity, meeting President Biden not with a begging bowl but with proposals showing what CARICOM countries could and would do, and how the US could help them gain access to international financing, including from the US itself. The exchange with Biden and Harris was courteous but candid, hard truths were exposed but with honesty and respect.

US officials in the room might have been concerned about the readiness to act that President Biden displayed, but whatever bureaucratic delays might yet ensue, no one could doubt that action had been set in motion.

Sceptics, including persons like me, who have attended many inter-governmental meetings where statements are made and eventually discarded, are tempted to see proof before accepting sincerity. But there was an electricity in the Biden encounter that appeared more credible; it generated a sense that something might actually come of it.

The US President agreed with CARICOM leaders and the President of the Dominican Republic that they would establish three joint committees, which would be “focused, and time bound in order to urgently address challenges

PRIME Minister Philip “Brave” Davis and his wife, Anne-Marie, prior to the opening ceremony of the Summit of the Americas on June 8 in Los Angeles.

Photo: Marcio Jose Sanchez/AP related to energy security, unity of purpose and floods and droughts. There food security, and develop- with solid arguments that is an urgency to secure debt ment/debt finance in the are backed by rigorous reduction, debt forgiveregion”. research. The persons, ness, and debt rescheduling.

Not five days had elapsed nominated by the Carib- The countries of the region when, on June 14, the bean side should also be cannot repay debt, on US government wrote to experienced and clear-eyed current terms, and yet CARICOM Heads and the negotiators. implement the plans that President of the DominiThe Caribbean urgently will make the difference to can Republic, announcing needs drastic change in the their survival and progress. its co-chairs of the Com- rules applied to access for No Summit of the mittees and its readiness to concessionary financing by Americas in the past could convene a meeting on June the International Financial reasonably have been 20 “to discuss next steps Institutions over whose pol- considered a success by towards achieving concrete, icies the US, as one of the the Caribbean, but at this near-term progress on the largest and richest mem- Ninth Summit, the Caribdesignated topics”. This bers, exercises influence. bean by the harmony and response has to be rated The region also requires determination of its leaderamong the fastest that the change in lending policies ship, achieved movement.

Caribbean has had from to match loans to needs. Progress depends on mainthe US concerning any One of the region’s biggest taining both resolve and matters that were initiated needs now is transportation unity. by regional countries. As I to move food production • Responses and previremarked in an interview, within the region by sea and ous commentaries: www. published in The Miami air, reducing dependence sirronaldsanders.com Herald on June 10: “This on foreign foods, strengthhas been a breakthrough ening agricultural sectors, (The writer is Antigua meeting for us. Biden has and lowering the cost of and Barbuda’s Ambassashown that he’s willing to food products. dor to the United States of move.”

Hanging over every America and the OrganizaMovement, however, CARICOM country is also tion of American States. He must not be mistaken for huge debt incurred to cope is also a Senior Fellow at progress which will only with external events, such as the Institute of Commonbe achieved if CARICOM the COVID-19 pandemic, wealth Studies, University countries and the Domini- high oil prices and increased of London and Massey can Republic participate costs of shipping, and natuCollege in the University of in these Committees with ral disasters – hurricanes, Toronto).

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PAGE 12, Monday, June 20, 2022

THE TRIBUNE

35 YEARS OF SORORITY IN GB

By DENISE MAYCOCK Tribune Freeport Reporter dmaycock@tribunemedia.net

THE Pi Upsilon Omega Chapter of Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Incorporated, has celebrated 35 years of sisterhood, scholarship, and service on Grand Bahama.

The local organisation - founded by 18 college women and was chartered on May 23, 1987 – has grown to 68 financial members and continues to impact the lives of people, particularly women and young girls, in the community.

For its 35th anniversary, the chapter recently held a community service initiative in which members donated and packaged healthy snacks, water, and drinks and distributed them to young athletes here on the island.

Yvonne Pearson, president of Pi Upsilon Omega Chapter, said the chapter accomplished alot in the past three decades.

“We are always reaching out and serving the community, and our focus is on women and young girls,” she said.

The chapter has reached all of its five targets, she said. “We have worked with the Arts, supported HBCUs (historically black colleges and giving scholarships); Women’s Healthcare and Wellness with Pink Goes Red Day in observance of Women’s Heart Health, and Global Impact Day where we reach the wider community and internationally being of service,” she said.

Eraise Thompson said the community service initiative benefitted the Girls Soccer League and the Boys Little League Baseball.

“Healthy snacks, drinks, and water were packaged and delivered to the girls at the YMCA soccer field and the little leaguers at the Emera Baseball Field to push our healthy agenda to the kids, she said.

“The partnership (with the two youth organisations) aligns with the target of AKA, and with the goals of our organisation, teaching our kids not only about physical fitness but also about a healthy lifestyle that includes eating healthy fruits, granola bars and drinking water, said Ashleigh Lockhart. We are very grateful to our members for this donation.”

In celebration of PUO’s anniversary, AKA international regional director Joy Elaine Daley traveled to Freeport on May 20.

She also made a significant monetary donation of

Career Opportunity VP TRAINING AND ORGANIZATIONAL DEVELOPMENT Commonwealth Bank is the premier Bahamian Bank with branches located in New Providence, Grand Bahama, Abaco and Eleuthera. We are committed to delivering superior quality service, to training and developing our employees, to creating value for our shareholders and to promoting economic growth and stability in the community.

ROLE OVERVIEW The position of the Vice President, Training & Organizational Development (T&OD) is an important executive position within the bank responsible for originating and leading training and organizational development practices and objectives. The incumbent provides leadership to the corporate learning center team, and oversees the overall provision of training and organizational development services, policies, and programs for the entire bank. The holder of this position designs and develops strategies that improve organizational effectiveness, and serves on the executive management team. The incumbent must have seasoned and thorough knowledge in the areas of: organizational development, talent management, change management, training and development.

MEMBERS of the Pi Upsilon Omega Chapter of the Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority during an event in Grand Bahama. $1,000 to a local feeding program, the Lord’s Kitchen at the Christ the King Anglican Church.

Chapter historian Julie Glover said the 18 founding members of PUO had joined AKA in college and

decided to establish a local chapter in Freeport. “We wanted to continue not only the fun, but the work of AKA which goes on beyond college, and there were enough of us to begin a chapter and the work of

AKA on the island,” she explained. But, there is a chapter in Nassau, Eta Psi Omega, and those of us on GB wanted to make our mark as well, to bring the AKA to other parts of The Bahamas.”

GHANAIAN TRIP FOR ANNE-MARIE DAVIS ANNE-Marie Davis, the Prime Minister’s wife, and an entourage of Bahamian officials are expected to attend a ceremony in Ghana on Saturday for her son, Christopher, who is being raised to a chief in the Ahanta West traditional area in The Bahamas and wider Caribbean.

The entourage will comprise Mrs Davis, Jamaal

Rolle, Bahamas ambassador of cultural affairs, Kenneth Wallace-Whitfield, senior foreign service officer, and businessman Andrew Wilson.

Others include Tamara Davis, Angelique McKay, leader of Junkanoo Commandos, Stephen Kenyah Arthur, a representative from the Ahanta West Municipal Assembly and

Isaac Danso, a representative from GTA. In the Western Region, the entourage are expected to tour the Princess Town and Fort Fredericksburg, and visit Fort Bateinsten, where they will pay a courtesy call on Obrempon Hima Dekyi XIV, Omanhen of Upper Dixcove and continue to Fort Metal Cross. The entourage will

B IS FOR BEGINNERS IN BITCOIN

A BOOK written by Graeme Moore, B is for Bitcoin was introduced to young learners to help them become familiar with the world of bitcoin and blockchain, that will be part of their future.

Donated by US nonprofit Harness All Possibilities (HAP) and their Blockchain Business School, the goal is to share education with all ages. Rhonda McDeiganEldridge, HAP’s Founder and CEO had received a copy of the book a few years ago at a Canadian conference. With the strong focus on bitcoin and blockchain

in The Bahamas, it is timely to extend the knowledge to the country’s younger generation.

Global Sun Integration Management assisted with the distribution of the “B is for Bitcoin” books to a few students at Kaizen Academy and a grade six class at Eva Hilton Primary School, formerly known as Oakes Field Primary, as well as to a few schools in Eleuthera.

CEO James Clarke said: “We are passionate about giving back to the community, especially as it relates to technology and educating the youth. We were excited to be a part of this

initiative because we know the importance of educating young Bahamians about the modern advances in technology.”

Kaizen Academy said it is steadfast in its commitment to breaking the mould in education. These books would help familiarise the students with the blockchain dynamic of our ever-evolving world.

Meant for early education learners, the first few letters in Moore’s book include: “A is for Altcoin, bust and booms; B is for Bitcoin when moon; C is for Consensus that Blockchain brings.”

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THE TRIBUNE

Monday, June 20, 2022, PAGE 13

PRODUCTION of the Pfizer’s COVID-19 vaccine for children under-five in Puurs, Belgium.

US opens COVID-19 vaccine to little children NEW YORK Associated Press

THE US on Saturday opened COVID-19 vaccines to infants, toddlers and preschoolers.

The shots will become available this week, expanding the nation’s vaccination campaign to children as young as six months.

Advisers to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommended the vaccines for the littlest children, and the final signoff came hours later from Dr Rochelle Walensky, the agency’s director.

“We know millions of parents and caregivers are eager to get their young children vaccinated, and with today’s decision, they can,” Walensky said in a statement.

While the Food and Drug Administration approves vaccines, it’s the CDC that decides who should get them.

The shots offer young children protection from hospitalisation, death and possible long-term complications that are still not clearly understood, the CDC’s advisory panel said.

The government has already been gearing up for the vaccine expansion, with millions of doses ordered for distribution to doctors, hospitals and community health clinics around the country.

Roughly 18 million kids will be eligible, but it remains to be seen how many will ultimately get the vaccines. Less than a third of children ages 5 to 11 have done so since vaccination opened up to them last November.

Two brands — Pfizer and Moderna — got the green light Friday from the FDA and Saturday from the CDC. The vaccines use the same technology but are being offered at different dose sizes and number of shots for the youngest kids.

Pfizer’s vaccine is for children six months to four years old. The dose is onetenth of the adult dose, and three shots are needed. The first two are given three weeks apart, and the last at least two months later.

Moderna’s is two shots, each a quarter of its adult dose, given about four weeks apart for kids six months through five

years old. The FDA also approved a third dose, at least a month after the second shot, for children with immune conditions that make them more vulnerable to serious illness.

In studies, vaccinated youngsters developed levels of virus-fighting antibodies as strong as young adults, suggesting that the kid-size doses protect against coronavirus infections.

However, exactly how well they work is hard to pin down, especially when it comes to the Pfizer vaccine.

Two doses of Moderna appeared to be only about 40% effective at preventing milder infections at a time when the omicron variant was causing most COVID-19 illnesses. Pfizer presented study information suggesting the company saw 80% with its three shots. But the Pfizer data was so limited — and based on such a small number of cases — that experts and federal officials say they don’t feel there is a reliable estimate yet.

In a statement Saturday, President Joe Biden urged parents to get them for their young children as soon as possible.

‘MORE THAN 200 KILLED’ IN ETHIOPIA ATTACK NAIROBI, Kenya Associated Press

WITNESSES in Ethiopia said yesterday that more than 200 people, mostly ethnic Amhara, have been killed in an attack in the country’s Oromia region and are blaming a rebel group, which denies it.

It is one of the deadliest such attacks in recent memory as ethnic tensions continue in Africa’s second most populous country.

“I have counted 230 bodies. I am afraid this is the deadliest attack against civilians we have seen in our lifetime,” Abdul-Seid Tahir, a resident of Gimbi county, told The Associated Press after barely escaping the attack on Saturday.

“We are burying them in mass graves, and we are still collecting bodies. Federal army units have now arrived, but we fear that the attacks could continue if they leave.”

Another witness said the local Amhara community is now desperately seeking to be relocated somewhere else “before another round of mass killings happen.”

He said ethnic Amhara that settled in the area about 30 years ago in resettlement programmes are now being “killed like chickens”.

Both witnesses blamed the Oromo Liberation Army for the attacks. In a statement, the Oromia regional government also blamed the OLA, saying

the rebels attacked “after being unable to resist the operations launched by (federal) security forces”.

An OLA spokesman, Odaa Tarbii, denied the allegations.

“The attack you are referring to was committed by the regime’s military and local militia as they retreated from their camp in Gimbi following our recent offensive,” he said in a message to the AP. “They escaped to an area called Tole, where they attacked the local population and destroyed their property as retaliation for their perceived support for the OLA. Our fighters had not even reached that area when the attacks took place.”

SLIM EDGE FOR EX-REBEL IN COLOMBIA VOTE BOGOTA, Colombia Associated Press

FORMER rebel Gustavo Petro held a slim lead over unpredictable millionaire Rodolfo Hernández in early returns from a presidential runoff that promises to reshape Colombia after a first round election punished the established political class.

Petro had 50.29% of the votes, while Hernández had 47.48% with nearly twothirds of the votes counted, according to preliminary results released by election authorities.

Polls ahead of the runoff had indicated Petro and Hernández — both former mayors — were in a tight race since they topped four other candidates in the initial May 29 election, though neither got enough votes

to win outright and headed into the runoff.

About 39 million people were eligible to vote yesterday, but abstentionism has been above 40% in every presidential election since 1990.

The vote came amid widespread discontent over rising inequality, inflation and violence — factors that led voters in the first round to turn their backs on the long-governing centrist and right-leaning politicians and chose two outsiders in Latin America’s third-most populated nation.

Petro, a 62-year-old senator, is in his third presidential campaign. A victory forhim would put an end to voters’ long-held marginalisation of the left due to its association with the nation’s long armed conflict. Petro was once a rebel with the now-defunct

M-19 movement and was granted amnesty after being jailed for his involvement with the group.

He has proposed ambitious pension, tax, health and agricultural reforms and changes to how Colombia fights drug cartels and other armed groups. He obtained 40% of the votes during last month’s election and Hernández 28%, but the difference quickly narrowed as Hernández began to attract so-called antiPetrista voters.

Petro could become the latest leftist political victory in Latin America fueled by voters’ desire for change.

Chile, Peru and Honduras elected leftist presidents in 2021, and in Brazil, former President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva is leading the polls for this year’s presidential election.

PAGE 14, Monday, June 20, 2022

THE TRIBUNE

THE TRIBUNE

Monday, June 20, 2022, PAGE 15

SHELLY-ANN FRASERPRYCE, of Jamaica, raises her arm after she crosses the finish line of the 100 metres during the Diamond League athletics meeting at Charlety stadium in Paris on Saturday.

(AP Photos/Michel Euler)

SHELLY-ANN FRASER-PRYCE EQUALS WORLDLEADING TIME TO WIN 100 METRES IN PARIS

WINFRED MUTILE YAVI, of Bahrain, poses next to the time board after she won the 3,000 steeplechase and set a new world record of under 16, during the Diamond League athletics meeting at Charlety stadium in Paris on Saturday.

YAROSLAVA MAHUCHIKH, of Ukraine, jumps during the Diamond League athletics meeting at Charlety stadium in Paris on Saturday.

SOUTH Africa’s Luxolo Adams, makes a sign after winning the 200 metres during the Diamond League athletics meeting.

WANDA

Toby Amusan from Nigeria was steady from start to finish in lane five and took the tape in an area record and personal best of 12.41.

Great Britain’s Cindy Sember was third in 12.73.

Charlton, who along with Amusan were the two shortest competitors in the field at 5-3, was very proud of her effort.

“I think it was a decent race despite having a stumble at the start,” said Charlton, who is coached by Bahamian and University of Kentucky head coach Lonnie Greene.

“The time was right around where I predicted, but having to run into a headwind.

“I think I’m in better shape than I thought. I feel pretty good going into worlds. If I can stay on this rhythm and continue to better my times over the next few weeks, it will set me up very nicely in Eugene.”

Like Miller-Uibo and Gardiner, the 26-year-old Charlton, who stands at 5-3, said she’s also eager to compete at home this weekend.

FROM PAGE 20 from lane four, the two-time Olympic champion coasted across the finish line with a jog as a pair of Poland competitors, Natalie Kaczmapek and Anna Kielbasinski closed the gap in 50.24 and 50.28 in lanes five and six respectively.

Paris successful debut for Gardiner Gardiner, the reigning world champion, made his debut in Paris where he hopes to be back in 2024 to defend his Olympic title. Like Miller-Uibo, Gardiner established control of the race from the start in lane five, but got a challenge through the first 200m from Lidio Andres Felix from the Dominican Republic in lane four.

However, the 26-year-old Gardiner used his 6-3 frame to shift into another gear on the back half of the race and clocked a season’s best of 44.21, leaving Felix behind in 44.92, while Nene Zakhiti of the Republic of South Africa was third

in 44.99. “Today, it was amazing.

My first time in Paris and it is a season’s best. I won the race so it feels good,” Gardiner said of his performance. “I am ready to see what is next for me.”

Next on Gardiner’s calendar is his return home for the Nationals, but his priority is ensuring that he’s fit and ready to defend his title in Eugene. “I am definitely on my way to defend my world title,” said Gardiner, who is coached by Gary Evans in Clermont, Florida.

“I want to shock myself. I want to see what I am capable of doing in Europe. I think it was one of the toughest races and I have brought my full potential.”

Charlton stood tall Immediately following Gardiner’s successful debut in Paris, Devynne Charlton took to the track and after a stumble coming out of the blocks, she negotiated her way from the outside in lane seven through the 10 flights of hurdles for a second place finish in the women’s 100m race in her season’s best of 12.63.

“I’m looking forward to running in front of a home crowd,” she said. “I don’t get to do that too often anymore, so I’m always happy with the opportunity.”

Laquan Nairn 10th in debut In an earlier Wanda Diamond League meet held in Oslo on Thursday, Laquan Nairn’s debut wasn’t as successful as he had to settle for 10th place in the men’s long jump with a best leap of 24-feet, 41/4inches or 7.42 metres.

The winning leap was 26-7 (8.10m) by Militadis Tentoglou of Greece. Thobias Montlier of Sweden was second with 26-5 (8.05m) and Simon Ehammer of Switzerland came in third with 26-1 (7.95m).

The Bahamas Association of Athletic Associations’ National Championships is scheduled for Friday and Saturday at the Thomas A Robinson National Stadium with a relay special on Sunday.

The four athletes are all eager to come home and put on a show for the public.

PARIS (AP) — Threetime Olympic gold medallist Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce equalled her world-leading time of the year in winning the 100 metres in 10.67 seconds at the Diamond League meet in Paris on Saturday.

She was unchallenged at Stade Charlety as she matched her time at the Kip Keino Classic in Kenya last month. She also beat Jamaican countrywoman and two-time reigning Olympic champion Elaine Thompson-Herah’s meet record of 10.72, set last year.

The 35-year-old FraserPryce will go for a 10th world championship gold medal in Eugene, Oregon, next month.

Winfred Yavi of Bahrain triumphed in the women’s 3,000 steeplechase in a world-leading and personal best time of 8:56.55.

Olympic bronze medallist Yaroslava Mahuchikh also set a world-leading mark for 2022 in the women’s high jump at 2.01 metres as she led a 1-2-3 for Ukraine with Iryna Gerashchenko and Yuliya Levchenko.

South African sprinter Luxolo Adams won the men’s 200 commandingly in 19.82. Alexander Ogando of the Dominican Republic was second in 20.03.

American Devon Allen won the men’s 110 hurdles in 13.16, and Nigerian Tobi Amusan clinched the women’s 100 hurdles in 12.41 ahead of Bahamian Devynne Charlton.

Frenchman Benjamin Robert pleased the crowd with a late surge to overtake Australian Peter Bol and win the men’s 800 in 1:43.75, while Ethiopian Selemon Barega cruised to victory in the men’s 5,000 in 12:56.19.

Olympic champions Steven Gardiner and Shaunae Miller-Uibo of the Bahamas won the men’s and women’s 400, in 44.21 and 50.10, respectively.

Also, Olympic champion Valarie Allman won the women’s discus with a meet record of 68.68 metres to beat the previous mark set by rival Sandra Perkovic of Croatia. Perkovic was second with a throw of 68.19.

Sweden hosts the next Diamond League meet in Stockholm on June 30.

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PAGE 16, Monday, June 20, 2022

ENGLAND TOP THE NETHERLANDS BY 6 WICKETS, SEALS ODI SERIES AMSTELVEEN, Netherlands (AP) — Two days after smashing a worldrecord score, England wasn’t so comfortable in a six-wicket victory over the Netherlands in a rainaffected second one-day international yesterday that clinched the threematch series with a game to spare.

Set 236 to win off 41 overs, England reached the target with 29 balls to spare — but only after a midinnings wobble that saw captain Eoin Morgan depart for a seven-ball duck to go with his golden duck from the first match.

On that occasion, England hit the highest-ever score in a one-day international — 498-4 — after being put into bat, with three batters scoring centuries to set up a victory by 232 runs.

The Dutch opted to bat first this time and made a competitive 235-7 at Amstelveen outside Amsterdam, with Scott Edwards — filling in as captain in the absence of Pieter Seelaar — top-scoring with 78.

Jason Roy marked his 100th ODI for England by hitting 73 off 60 balls before being the first batter dismissed after an opening stand of 139 with Phil Salt.

Salt was England’s leading scorer with 77 and his departure was the first of three wickets to fall in the space of 19 balls.

Morgan was next to go, quickly followed by Liam Livingstone for 4, and the pressure on the captain might ramp up with England having an abundance of batting options at the moment. The likes of Ben Stokes, Joe Root and Jonny Bairstow weren’t available for this series because they are playing for England’s test team.

Dawid Malan (36 not out) and Moeen Ali (42 not out) wound up seeing England to its target amid a party atmosphere in the crowd. England finished on 239-4 in 36.1 overs.

The second ODI was reduced to 41 overs per side because of overnight rain that led to a delayed start due to a wet outfield.

THE TRIBUNE

Bahamas Bowl gets a new sponsor

By BRENT STUBBS Senior Sports Reporter bstubbs@tribunemedia.net HomeTown Lenders Bahamas Bowl is all set for the eighth edition of the biggest and longest running collegiate football season ending championship bowl game to take place at the Thomas A Robinson National Stadium on Friday, December 16.

HomeTown Lenders was introduced as the new sponsors at a press conference on Friday in the foyer of the stadium where officials from Atlantis, the Ministry of Tourism and the Ministry of Youth, Sports and Culture through the National Sports Authority all participated.

The game will take place at 11:30am between Conference USA and the Mid-American Conference and will be carried live on ESPN. “We’re so excited about their commitment to ESPN and to the Bahamas and really getting involved in the community,” said Lea Miller-Tooley, the executive director.

“They know this is more than football.

“The teams will come down and experience a once in a lifetime experience and so for us, to have a company like HomeTown Lenders based in Arizona, who understands the totality of why this is more than college football is a huge blessing.”

College football is huge and Miller-Tooley said for the Bahamas Bowl to kick off the series of bowl games at the end of the season is a huge experience and exposure for the Bahamas.

“Everyone across the United States watching football is freezing while the players are down here sweating it out in the heat,” Miller-Tooley said. “To see the smiles of people when they walk on the field here is just a blessing.”

The Bahamas Bowl staged the first of the international collegiate football bowl games played outside of the United States in 2014. The next five bowl games were played through 2019. But after taking a year off because of COVID-19, the Bahamas Bowl returned in 2021.

John Taylor, president of HomeTown Lenders, said they were looking for something like this to sponsor and when Miller-Tooley presented the opportunity they jumped on it.

“A part of what we do is everywhere we go, we try to leave a part of our footprint,” he said. “Of course we want to sponsor the Bahamas Bowl, but like any community we invest in, we truly invest, so we will be working with the local officials here to see what potential opportunities we can assist with in the community and not just the ball game.”

Conference USA was represented by assistant

commissioner Tre Stallings, who claimed that they are looking forward to being a part of the game since its inception against teams from the Mid-American Conference.

“All of our teams look forward to coming down here during the end of the year,” he said.

“This is really sweet.

This kicks off the ESPN bowls, so they look forward to staging the game here.

So the Bahamas Bowl is important to ESPN and we look forward to them continuing the tradition of the tournament.”

Stallings, who previously served as the assistant director of enforcement in the NCAA office, said at the beginning of the season, Conference USA layed the ground work for the next team that will end up representing the conference in the Bahamas Bowl.

However, he said they try not to get the same travel again.

“More importantly, we are trying to get everybody to come down here because it’s such a special place,” he

said. We just look at who’s been where and we try to make our decision on who gets to go after that.”

When the players arrive here in December, they will be staying at Atlantis resort on Paradise Island.

Vaughn Roberts, who will lead Atlantis’ government affairs initiatives at the strategic and operational level, said they are delighted to be back as the host for the teams.

“Atlantis, with its world-class hospitality, rich cultural exchanges and remarkable natural resources, is a unique host destination resort for sports and travel tourism,” Roberts said.

“Our resort is the ultimate sports playground and is evolving as is the Bahamas.”

Representing the Ministry of Tourism, permanent secretary Reginald Saunders said the Bahamas is proud to host the longest running eighth edition of the Hometown Leaders Bahamas Bowl.

“Please note that game day, which is now a Bahamian tradition, will take place on Friday, December 16 at 11:30am at this beautiful Thomas A Robinson Stadium between Conference USA and the Mid-American Conference,” Saunders said.

“I would like to thank the sponsors, who have joined hands with the Ministry of Tourism, Investment and Aviation, to bring the

excitement of college football to the islands of the Bahamas.”

Saunders thanked the organiers for doing a tremendous job each year in staging the event.

HomeTown Leaders for coming on board as the new title sponsors, Atlantis for being the host of the teams and ESPN for producing the courage from the backdrop of the Bahamas to the rest of the world in their live coverage of the game.

“The timing of the Hometown Lenders Bahamas Bowl is great,” he said.

“It will take place just prior to the Christmas rush on Friday, December 16.

“Let’s keep in mind that the players are accustomed to playing in front of 30-40,000 fans, so we are encouraging everybody in Nassau and Paradise Island to come out and fill the stadium on game day.”

And Quinton Brennen, the general manager of the National Sports Authority, welcomed the visitors back to the Bahamas and he promised that they can look forward to playing in an environment that could be compared to any venue that hosts the other bowl games.

“The Sports in Paradise programme that we have going on with the Ministry of Tourism is something that we look forward to staging,” Brennen said.

“So let’s play football,” he added.

MEMBERS of the Bahamas junior boys national basketball team.

FIFA U-15 FROM PAGE 20

play over the next three days to determine their fate for the rest of the tournament.

Mexico 99, Bahamas 49: Mexico opened the first quarter on a 29-16 tear in the first quarter and they never looked back. By halftime, the Bahamas trailed 47-28. They extended their lead to 70-38 at the end of the third.

Heading into the fourth, Mexico went on a threepoint scoring spree and when they decided to switch and take the ball inside, the Bahamas made some costly fouls. Mexico continued to pile up the points as the Bahamas missed too many shots.

Two of Mexico’s starters scored in double figures, but it was their bench that carried the offensive load with three of their reserves coming through with some big numbers. Karim Lopez led the way off the bench with 21 points, 10 rebounds, give block shots and two steals.

Noah Bain also came off the bench, producing the best production for Team Bahamas with 13 points on 6-for-13 from the field with seven rebounds and three steals. Two starters Michael Munnings followed with nine points and five rebounds and Bradleon McDonald added eight points with three rebounds.

Team Bahamas made a total of 34 turnovers, compared to 21 by Mexico, who

had a 45-36 advantage on the defensive end.

Puerto Rico 107, Bahamas 42 This one was over from the first quarter as the host nation rallied behind their home crowd for an insurmountable 36-6 spurt that set the tone for the outcome of the rest of the game.

Using another 31-17 tear in the second quarter, Puerto Rico extended their lead to 67-23 at the half.

However, they cooled down a bit as the Bahamas came out of the locker room and made a push for it in the third and was only outscored 15-11.

The 82-34 deficit was still too much to erase in the fourth quarter as Puerto Rico used a 25-8 spurt to polish off a 65-point rout.

While Puerto Rico had brought out a balanced scoring act with four players leading the attack in double figures, most notably Felipe Garcia with 19 points, three assists and one rebound, the Bahamas had just one player doing any significant damage.

Joshua Williams, in 21 minutes and 10 seconds, highlighted the show for the Bahamas as he produced 10 points on 4-for-13 shooting from the field, including 2-for-4 from behind the three-point line.

He also had four rebounds, two blocked shots and a steal. Kenyon Johnson and Condae Smith both came off the bench, scoring six points – Johnson adding five rebounds and Smith a pair of rebounds and assists – while Desmond Hall was

another starter with five points and five rebounds and Bradleon McDonald also came off the bench with four points and five rebounds.

Puerto Rico outrebounded the Bahamas 67-40 and went 38-for-83 from the field and 28-for50 from the free throw line.

Team Bahamas could only muster 18-for-67 from the field and 3-for-12 from the charity stripe.

The Bahamas will return to action in the opening game over the next three days of competition starting at 3pm today against the Dominican Republic, Costa Rica on Tuesday and the Turks and Caicos Islands on Wednesday before it will determine its fate in the standings for the playoffs.

THE TRIBUNE

Monday, June 20, 2022, PAGE 17

USYK-JOSHUA REMATCH IN SAUDI ARABIA ON AUGUST 20

Encarnación slam in debut lifts Marlins over Mets 6-2

By RONALD BLUM AP Baseball Writer NEW YORK (AP) — Jerar Encarnación was called up to the major leagues, and Miami Marlins teammate Sandy Alcantara made a promise to the 24-year-old.

“I told him if you get a hit or a homer, I’m going to buy something,” the pitcher recalled saying on the way back to the team hotel Friday night.

Inserted into the depleted Marlins’ starting lineup, Encarnación made a spectacular major league debut with a go-ahead, seventh-inning grand slam for his first hit. He also threw out a runner at third base from right field and stole a base, lifting Alcantara and Miami over the New York Mets 6-2 yesterday.

Call it a suitable debut.

“Let’s go — get my clothes,” a smiling Encarnación said he told Alcantara after game.

“Anything he wants,” the pitcher responded.

Alcantara first met Encarnación in 2014 in San Isidro, Dominican Republic.

Encarnación signed with the Marlins the following year, started in the minors in 2016 and was their No. 16 prospect heading into the 2020 season after his grand slam off Washington’s Sterling Sharp won the Arizona Fall League championship.

Encarnación stalled following a year of minor league ball cancelled by the coronavirus pandemic and was Miami’s No. 22 prospect after a 2021 in which

BBA NATIONALS FROM PAGE 20

After hosting the event in Grand Bahama for the past decade, the BBA decided to bring it back to New Providence where it got started in 2003 and was staged in the capital for its first seven years.

Other participating teams included the Grand Bahama Little League (GBLL), Legacy Baseball League (LBL), Community Baseball League (CBL), Ed Armbrister Baseball League, Abaco Youth Baseball League (AYBL) and the North Abaco Big Nige Baseball Club.

Freedom Farm’s youngest group in the T-Ball division won 28-5 and 18-8 over Legacy Baseball on their path to the gold medal.

The Coach Pitch division had the most dominant performance in the tournament, allowing just a single run over five games. Freedom Farm opened with

MIAMI Marlins’ Jerar Encarnacion (64) celebrates with Jazz Chisholm Jr after hitting a grand slam against New York Mets relief pitcher Seth Lugo during the seventh inning of a baseball game on Sunday, June 19, 2022, in New York.

(AP Photos/Jessie Alcheh) he hurt his right knee while hitting a metal pole when chasing a foul ball and then was hit on his left hand by a pitch.

He began 2022 at Double-A Pensacola, homered in his Triple-A debut for Jacksonville on May 17 and was brought up to the big leagues Friday after hitting 13 homers in the minors this year.

Wearing unfashionably high uniform No. 64 and with cousin Randy in the stands, the 6-foot-5, 239pound outfielder threw out Tomás Nido trying to stretch a third-inning single into a double after a onehop drive off the right-field wall. Encarnación struck out and grounded out in his first two at-bats, then came to the plate with Alcantara (7-2) trailing 1-0 in the seventh.

Seth Lugo relieved Chris Bassitt (5-5) with the bases loaded. Encarnación got some tips from hitting a 16-0 win over Legacy, 14-0 win over JBLN, 26-0 win over Legacy and 19-1 win over JBLN in the gold medal game.

In the 10U division, Freedom Farm completed bracket play undefeated at 3-0 with a 16-0 win over JBLN, a 16-2 win over GBLL and another 14-5 win over JBLN. In the semifinals they defeated Legacy Baseball 11-1 and concluded the tournament with a 7-2 win over JBLN in the finale.

“We knew that we were going to win the championship because our guys play far above the level we saw in the tournament. Our preparation was second to none, the kids did a wonderful job, they worked hard and they deserved this victory,” 10U manager William Seymour said.

“Freedom Farm is a wonderful organisation, we put in a lot of hard work with these guys and we’re very competitive against our own when the league is on and with that competitive spirit we bring out the best in these kids.”

coach Marcus Thames and fell behind 3-1 in the count.

He took a called strike and then drove a 92.6 mph fastball 371 feet to the opposite field and over the rightfield wall.

“Threw a pretty good backdoor sinker, and he just went with it,” Lugo said. “Figured staying away was a safe bet.”

Encarnación raised his right arm in triumph while rounding first.

“He kind of showed the whole package today, from the standpoint of his defence, he runs pretty good, got the power,” Marlins manager Don Mattingly said. “I’ve always compared him, and it’s probably not even close to being fair, to Vladdy (Guerrero) Sr.” Encarnación became the first player since at least 1901 with a grand slam and an outfield assist in his debut. He gave the Marlins a 4-1 lead, becoming the The 12U Freedom Farm’s team’s path to the gold medal included four shutouts, just three runs allowed and 39 run differential.

Bracket play included a 12-0 win over Community Baseball, 14-2 win over GBLL, 13-0 win over north Abaco, 3-1 over JBLN and 9-0 over GBLL in the gold medal game.

“The games in the division were not as competitive as we would have liked. We ran throguh the competition to the championship game and we knew that we had the better team,” said 12U manager Marlon Bostwick Sr. “In the championship game against Grand Bahama we played a well executed game, we had stellar pitching and good hitting 1-9 in our lineup and we were able to come out with our win even thought it didn’t go the full distance.

We wanted to come out and have a mercy rule victory to show our dominance in the division.”

In the 14U division, Freedom Farm won 5-2 over GBLL, 17-0 over North

MIAMI Marlins second baseman Jazz Chisholm Jr and shortstop Miguel Rojas (11) celebrate a win over the New York Mets yesterday in New York. second Miami player with a grand slam for his first big league hit after Jeremy Hermida against St Louis pitcher Alberto Reyes on August 31, 2005. The last player to achieve the feat was San Diego pitcher Daniel Camarena against Washington’s Max Scherzer last July 8.

Jon Berti tacked on an RBI single in the seventh and Jazz Chisholm Jr had a run-scoring double in the ninth.

New York, an NL-best 44-24, lost for only the second time in 12 home games. Miami stopped a three-game skid and won for just the second time in 10 games at Citi Field.

Bassitt stretched his scoreless streak to 14 innings before the seventh, when the Marlins loaded the bases on singles by Miguel Rojas and Jacob Stallings followed by Bryan De La Cruz’s one-out walk.

Alcantara, whose 1.72 ERA is second in the major leagues behind San Diego’s Joe Musgrove, allowed Abaco, 7-0 over AYBL and 13-0 over JBLN in the gold medal game.

In the 18U division, Freedom Farm defeated JBLN in a best of five series.

JBLN prevented the Freedom Farm sweep with their division title in 16U. They overcame an early loss in bracket play to eventually defeat Freedom Farm in the gold medal game.

They began the tournament with a 12- win over the Ed Armbrister Baseball League, followed by a 2-0 loss to Freedom Farm.

JBLN rebounded with a 7-6 win over GBLL in the first of two back-to-backs, and defeated GBLL the following day in the semifinals 2-1. They clinched the gold medal with a 10-6 win over Freedom Farm.

“Whenever Freedom Farm and JBLN face off you will have crowds and plenty excitement. So our job was to stay composed, come out and execute our plans. We got an early lead and we held them off. We know they are a good team and a good organisation but

six hits in eight innings, struck out eight and walked one. He has pitched seven innings or more while allowing two earned runs or fewer in eight straight starts, the longest such streak since 16 in a row by Seattle’s Félix Hernández in 2014.

Francisco Lindor put the Mets ahead with a runscoring single in the sixth, his 52nd RBI. Luis Guillorme added an RBI single in the seventh.

Bassitt struck out a season-high nine while allowing three runs and five hits in 6 1/3 innings.

Miami got the ball back from a fan for Encarnación, who left with it tucked into his backpack. He will give it to his mom, Carmela.

He thought back to his brother, Anderson, who died three years ago.

“He told me once I was going to make it at it the major league level,” Encarnación said through a translator. “That always was something that helped me out.” we were able to maintain.

We knew whoever got the lead was going to be hard to catch and that was our gameplan, we wanted to put pressure on them,” JBLN 16U manager Warren Levarity Jr said.

“They have a bigger pool to pick from so for us to win it is difficult. That’s why I have to congratulate these players. We knew we had a good team, they were focused and this team is special, it’s always good to win a gold.”

BBA secretary general Theodore Sweeting said the return of the event was a welcome return for the development of the sport at the youth level, highlight by fan support and family island participation.

“We had a very successful nationals. We had our hitches getting started with a newly renovated facility but once we got started we were able to get our necessary games in. We know where we are at. We have to look at a few things we want to do to improve the product, but we are really happy that the kids had a

LONDON (AP) — The rematch between Oleksandr Usyk and Anthony Joshua for the world heavyweight title will take place in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, on August 20.

Usyk will be defending the IBF, WBA, WBO titles he claimed from Joshua in beating the British fighter in London in September.

Joshua will fight in Saudi Arabia for the second time, having beaten Andy Ruiz Jr in the kingdom in December 2019 to reclaim the same belts.

The announcement of the rematch was made yesterday.

Usyk has been in camp for the rematch since leaving the Ukrainian capital of Kyiv in March. He had returned there in February to help defend his country from the invading Russians, as part of the Kyiv Territorial Defense force.

“I have a goal,” Usyk said, “with the help of the Lord I will complete my mission.”

Usyk, who made the step up from cruiserweight where he was the unified world champion, is from Crimea and chose to stay with Ukraine after Russia annexed the peninsula in 2014.

He outclassed Joshua to win by unanimous decision at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium.

Joshua is looking to become world champion for the third time and has changed trainers ahead of the rematch.

“Fighting championshiplevel, back to back, has had its pros and cons, but I decide every day to get stronger, to learn from my experiences and grow,” Joshua said.

“A happy fighter is a dangerous fighter and I am the happiest and most motivated I have been.” wonderful time. We congratulate all of our teams that came in from the Family Islands. I was really shocked to see the Abaco teams from North Abaco.

AYBL did a tremendous job advancing to the bronze medal game in their first time out,” he said. “The fan support, I was shocked on Friday because it was in the middle of the day but we had tremendous support then and got alot of people out over three days. This has been one of the roughest times for our corporate partners but they stepped up making sure that we were able to host the leagues coming in but we still have to go out there and work hard for these young people. We have to realise, sports is the antidote for all that ails the young people in this country. People are excited to see these young people’s enthusiasm and desire for this sport and that is what it is all about.

We have to spend the money in our sporting progamme to make an impact on our social issues in this country.”

Fitzpatrick a winner again at Brookline as US Open champion FROM PAGE 20 Fitzpatrick is the second man to win a US Amateur and US Open on the same course, joining Jack Nicklaus who turned the trick at Pebble Beach. Juli Inkster won the US Women’s Amateur and US Women’s Open at Prairie Dunes.

Along with the $3.15 million in prize money, Fitzpatrick had that gold Jack Nicklaus medal draped around his neck.

Fitzpatrick, who briefly played at Northwestern before turning pro, won for the eighth time worldwide,

and this was his first in America — at least a tournament everyone knows about.

Fitzpatrick said he won the member-member at The Bear’s Club in Florida at the start of the year, the course Nicklaus built.

“He gave me a bit of abuse at the start of the year. He said, ‘Finally. Congratulations for winning in the States,’” Fitzpatrick said.

And then slightly lifting the trophy, Fitzpatrick sent a fun message to Nicklaus: “Jack, I won a second time.”

MATTHEW FITZPATRICK, of England, reacts after a putt on the 13th hole during the final round of the US Open golf tournament at The Country Club yesterday in Brookline, Mass.

(AP Photo/Julio Cortez)

PAGE 18, Monday, June 20, 2022

THE TRIBUNE

Delle Donne scores 15 as Mystics beat Jonquel Jones and Sun 71-63 WASHINGTON (AP) — Elena Delle Donne scored all 15 of her points in the first half and the Washington Mystics beat the Connecticut Sun 71-63 yesterday.

Ariel Atkins and Shatori Walker-Kimbrough each scored 10 points for Washington (11-7).

Delle Donne converted a three-point play and then hit a 3-pointer about a minute later to make it 14-9 midway through the first quarter and the Mystics led the rest of the way.

Connecticut scored six consecutive points to trim its deficit to eight nearly-2 minutes later but Alysha Clark scored four points in a 7-0 spurt that made it 38-23 with 6 minutes left in the first half and the Sun couldn’t recover.

Jonquel Jones had 15 points and 16 rebounds for the Sun (12-4).

Connecticut, which went into the game No. 2 in the WNBA in scoring at 87.9 points per game, shot just 36.7% (22 of 60) from the field and was limited to its lowest scoring output of the season.

In Uncasville, Connecticut, on Friday night, DeWanna Bonner scored 15 of her 20 points in the fourth quarter, Jones had 17 points and 14 rebounds and the Sun beat the Seattle Storm 82-71.

Jewell Loyd hit a 3-pointer that cut Seattle’s deficit to 71-68 with 3:58 to play but Bonner converted a three-point play, made a layup and, after Alyssa Thomas scored to give the Sun a 10-point lead with

2:01 left, made a reverse layup to make it 80-68.

Bonner finished with 10 rebounds — giving her 2,501 in her career — four assists and three steals. She went into the fourth quarter shooting 2 of 12 from the field and 0 for 6 from 3-point range but was 5-of-6 shooting — including 2 of 2 from behind the arc — with four rebounds, two assists assist and a steal over the final 10 minutes.

Bonner, in her 13th WNBA season, joined Tamika Catchings, Candice Dupree, Candace Parker, DeLisha Milton-Jones and Swin Cash as the only players in league history to record at least 5,000 points, 2,500 rebounds and 900 assists.

Brionna Jones added 19 points and Thomas had 10

points and eight assists for the Sun (12-4).

Breanna Stewart led Seattle (9-5) with 19 points, seven rebounds and five assists. Sue Bird scored 14 points and Ezi Magbegor added 12.

The 41-year-old Bird — the league’s all-time assists leader — announced Thursday that she would retire at the end of the season. A four-time WNBA champion and five-time Olympic gold medalist, Bird has played her entire 21-year career with the Storm.

The Sun limited Seattle to just 11 second-quarter points and took a 10-point lead into halftime. Bird and Jewell Loyd hit backto-back 3-pointers to spark a 13-3 run that gave the Storm a 46-45 lead when Stewart hit a 3-pointer with

SEATTLE Storm forward Breanna Stewart (30) scores next to Connecticut Sun forward Jonquel Jones (35) during a WNBA basketball game on Friday in Uncasville, Connecticut.

(Sean D Eliot/The Day via AP) about 4 minutes into the third quarter.

Connecticut has won six of its last seven games and eight of the last 10.

The Storm had their four-game win streak — which dated to a 93-86 loss to Connecticut on June 5 — snapped.

HUSKE, DRESSEL, WALSH WIN MORE GOLD MEDALS FOR US AT SWIMMING WORLDS

By CIARÁN FAHEY AP Sports Writer BUDAPEST, Hungary (AP) — Four finals, three golds.

Torri Huske, Caeleb Dressel and Alex Walsh all won for the United States on the second day of racing at the world swimming championships yesterday.

Only Nicolò Martinenghi prevented an American clean sweep as the 22-yearold claimed Italy’s first-ever gold medal in the men’s 100 breaststroke.

“My first medal, a gold medal in my first final at the world championship is something special,” said Martinenghi, who also set a national record.

The 19-year-old Huske improved on her own American record in the women’s 100 butterfly, clocking 55.64 seconds to finish ahead of French swimmer Marie Wattel and China’s Zhang Yufei.

“It’s kind of surreal. I feel like I haven’t really processed it yet,” said Huske, who was 0.29 seconds under the world-record pace at the 50-metre mark. “I’m just happy I went a best time more than the place.

At the end of the day, I just want to see that I’m improving myself.”

Wattel’s 56.14 is a French record. Canada’s Maggie Mac Neil, who won in 2019, and Sweden’s Sarah Sjöström, the 2017 winner, both skipped the race.

SWIM

FROM PAGE 20 that it is not feasible for people who have transitioned to compete without having an advantage.”

Pearce confirmed there are currently no transgender women competing in elite levels of swimming.

The World Professional Association for Transgender Health just lowered its recommended minimum age for starting gender transition hormone treatment to 14 and some surgeries to 15 or 17.

FINA’s new 24-page policy also proposed a new “open competition” category.

The organisation said it was setting up “a new working group that will spend the next six months looking at the most effective ways to set up this new category.”

Pearce told the AP that the open competition would most likely mean more events, but those details still need to be worked out.

“No one quite knows how this is going to work.

And we need to include a lot of different people, including transgender athletes, to work out how it would work,” he said. “So there are no details of how

Dressel was a half-second off the world record as he took gold in the men’s 50 butterfly with 22.57, ahead of Brazilian Nicholas Santos and American teammate Michael Andrew.

“Feels good to get the first individual (gold) out of the way. It’s always the most nerve-racking,” said Dressel, who became the first American to win backto-back world titles in the event.

Andrew posted a personal best time to gain his first medal, and he reflected on Dressel’s dominance.

“As much as he’s a teammate, I always want to beat him. It’s nice having a guy like him in a lot of the events I race because it pushes me to work that much harder,” Andrew said.

Britain’s Benjamin Proud, who was quickest in qualifying, finished 0.51 off the pace in seventh.

Walsh clocked 2:07.13 in the women’s 200 medley, the fifth fastest time ever posted.

The 20-year-old American finished 1.44 seconds ahead Australia’s Kaylee McKeown, and 1.78 ahead of 16-year-old teammate Leah Hayes, whose time of 2:08.91 is a junior world record.

“I’ve had my eyes on that record for a while now and I’m so happy to finally get it,” Hayes said.

It brought the Americans’ medal tally to 12

SILVER medallist Marie Wattel of France, gold medallist Torri Huske of the United States and bronze medallist Zhang Yufei of China, from left to right, pose after competing in the Women’s 100m Butterfly final at the 19th FINA World Championships in Budapest, Hungary, yesterday.

(AP Photo/Petr David Josek) altogether – five gold, one the 2017 and 2019 chamMartinenghi took the record with 52.09 in the silver and six bronze. pion, who placed seventh first gold of the evening in 100 backstroke semifinals.

“I forgot what it’s like to in what could be her last the men’s 100 breaststroke, Thomas Ceccon of Italy have so many people in the worlds at home. clocking 58.26 seconds and Hunter Armstrong of crowd and I was shocked, Hosszú will be 38 when ahead of Dutch swim- the U.S. were next fastest. honestly, looking up from Budapest next hosts the mer Arno Kamminga and Germany’s Anna Elendt my race and seeing the sta- event in 2027.

American Nic Fink. Fink was fastest in the women’s dium was full of people,” “It’s just such an honour was fastest over the first 50 breaststroke semifinals, Walsh said. to race Katinka. I’ve really meters but finished 0.39 sec- where world record holder The biggest cheers of the looked up to her all of these onds behind Martinenghi.

Lilly King qualified in evening were for hometown years and it was fun,” Walsh Apostolos Christou of eighth place for Monday’s favourite Katinka Hosszú, said.

Greece set a championship final.

that would work. The open category is something that will start being discussed tomorrow.”

The members voted 71.5% in favour at the organisation’s extraordinary general congress after hearing presentations from three specialist groups — an athlete group, a science and medicine group and a legal and human rights group — that had been working together to form the policy following recommendations given by the International Olympic Committee last November.

The IOC urged shifting the focus from individual testosterone levels and calling for evidence to prove when a performance advantage existed.

FINA’s “deeply discriminatory, harmful, unscientific” new policy is “not in line with (the IOC’s) framework on fairness, inclusion and nondiscrimination on the basis of gender identity and sex variations,” Anne Lieberman of Athlete Ally, a nonprofit that advocates for LGBTQ athletes, said in a statement.

“The eligibility criteria for the women’s category as it is laid out in the policy (will) police the bodies of all women, and will not be

Thomas said last month on ABC’s “Good Morning America” that she was aiming to become an Olympic swimmer.

She also disputed those who say she has an unfair biological edge that ruins the integrity of women’s athletics, saying “trans women are not a threat to women’s sports.”

The University of Pennsylvania didn’t immediately respond to a request for comment from Thomas.

Dr. Alireza Hamidian Jahromi, co-director of the Gender Affirmation Surgery Center at Temple University Hospitals in Philadelphia, said 12 is an arbitrary age.

“Where did that 12 come from?” he said.

“Is that a specific age that everybody is supposed to have passed through puberty, because it may not be the case.”

Age of puberty varies for different people, he said.

Hamidian Jahromi said the transition involves three stages: social, medical involving hormones and surgical.

“Which of these three do they mean? Should the patient have undergone surgery by that time, which is almost impossible,” he said.

GRAPHIC shows state laws on transgender youth participation in sports in the US. enforceable without seriously violating the privacy and human rights of any athlete looking to compete in the women’s category,” Lieberman said.

FINA said it recognises “that some individuals and groups may

be uncomfortable with the use of medical and scientific terminology related to sex and sex-linked traits (but) some use of sensitive terminology is needed to be precise about the sex characteristics that

justify separate competition categories.”

In March, Lia Thomas made history in the United States as the first transgender woman to win an NCAA swimming championship, the 500-yard freestyle.

THE TRIBUNE

Monday, June 20, 2022, PAGE 19

‘We ain’t done’: NBA champion Warriors already looking ahead

By TIM REYNOLDS AP Basketball Writer THE goal was enormous: Return to the NBA’s mountaintop.

And now with that monumental task complete, the NBA champion Golden State Warriors already have a new target: staying up there for a while.

The victory cigars hadn’t been extinguished after the title-clinching win in Boston, the last celebratory bottles of Moët & Chandon hadn’t been emptied, and the topic — can the Warriors win it again next season?

— was already coming up.

They have been installed

by FanDuel Sportsbook as the favourites for the 2023 NBA title, and with Finals MVP Stephen Curry, Klay Thompson and Draymond Green all back it would be foolish to think that their chance at a fifth championship in nine years isn’t very real.

“It still has not been proven, that when we’re whole, that anybody can stop it,” Green said.

That’s true, and that’s why it makes sense for the Warriors to carry the burden of being favourites into next season. They know what it takes; they have as many championships in the last eight seasons — four — as the rest of the league combined.

The last run that was better than this was put together by Michael Jordan and the Chicago Bulls, winning six in an eight-year span of the 1990s.

Warriors coach Steve Kerr — now a nine-time champion — played for the Bulls for some of that run, and has led Golden State to all four of these titles.

“They are all unique.

They are all special,” Kerr said. “I think this one may have been the most unlikely just from the standpoint of where we’ve been the

GOLDEN State Warriors guard Stephen Curry, centre, holds up the Bill Russell Trophy for most valuable player after the Warriors defeated the Boston Celtics in Game 6 to win the NBA Finals on Thursday, June 16 in Boston.

(AP Photo/Steven Senne) last couple years. A lot of unknowns.”

Indeed, there were questions.

The Warriors answered them all. No, the core wasn’t too old. Yes, Thompson would come back from more than 900 days on the sidelines with injuries. And absolutely, Curry can still be unstoppable in the biggest moments.

They took that core and fortified it with a new group of talent. Among those on that list: 27-yearold Andrew Wiggins, the 2014 No. 1 pick who has come into his own and was nothing less than a star in the NBA Finals; Jordan

Poole, who turns 23 this weekend and will celebrate as a champion who has blossomed after facing off against Curry in practice all the time; and Jonathan Kuminga, the 19-year-old who got into 86 games and is raved about by teammates.

“And we ain’t done,” Thompson said early Friday while appearing on Green’s podcast, The Draymond Green Show. “That’s the beautiful thing about it.

We got these young bucks behind us and we got the same squad coming back?

That’s scary for the NBA.” Green concurred. “It is very scary,” he said.

They earned that championship moment, after going through an NBA Finals loss in 2019 to Toronto and then two seasons with a combined 54-83 record, a million miles away from being the team that the Warriors demand they be.

The Warriors had the NBA’s worst record in 201920 in large part because of roster turnover — Kevin Durant, who was out that whole season while recovering from Achilles surgery, had just left for Brooklyn — and injuries. Thompson didn’t play that season because of a knee injury suffered in the final game of the 2019 finals. Curry

played in just five games. It was the reset year.

The bounceback was supposed to be last season, but Thompson had to sit out again, this time because of an Achilles tear of his own. The Warriors lost in the play-in tournament.

But seeds were planted for something great; how great, even Golden State wasn’t sure, but Curry insisted something was brewing.

“You don’t want to see us next year,” Curry said when the 2020-21 season ended.

Prophetic words.

Thompson came back in January and the Golden State goal was clear — win it all, again. The Warriors

have played 24 playoff series with Curry, Thompson and Green together in the last eight years. They’ve won 22 of them; the exceptions being the 2016 and 2019 finals, when injuries took a toll.

This time, there was no stopping the Dubs.

“I saw it in the beginning of season,” Thompson said.

“People called me crazy.

I said ‘Championship or bust’ because I saw how we came out of the gate, 18-2.

And playing just that Warriors brand of basketball that made us so successful, and then knowing I was going to be inserted in that, I knew we had a chance to do something special, and here we are. It’s so incredible. Wow.” Training camp is only three months away so the revving-up process for next season will start sooner rather than later. The Warriors know they’ll be right back in the centre of the NBA spotlight, playing tons of national TV games, getting every opponent’s best shot, drawing massive attention everywhere they go again.

It’ll be just like old times.

For many Warriors, it’ll be a first. For the old guard, the core of four-time champions like Curry, Green and Thompson — plus Andre Iguodala, if he decides to postpone retirement for one more year — it’ll be familiar territory.

“I think this one is definitely different because of the three years of baggage we carried coming out of that Game 6 in 2019,” Curry said. “I can say it now: I don’t know how many teams could carry that as long as we have with the expectations of comparing us now to teams of past and make it to the mountaintop again.”

His team did.

And next year, they’ll try to do it again.

CELTICS TAKE BITTER WITH SWEET AFTER LOSING IN NBA FINALS

By KYLE HIGHTOWER AP Sports Writer BOSTON (AP) — The Celtics made an NBA Finals run nobody saw coming, rising from a team that was three games under .500 in early January under a first-time head coach to being within two victories of winning the franchise’s 18th championship.

After having those hopes dashed in the haze of three straight losses to the champion Golden State Warriors, Boston’s young core is vowing to use the pain as motivation heading into the offseason. While they didn’t win, the Celtics have established themselves as one of the top teams in the Eastern Conference.

“The biggest message was learn from this, grow from it, take this experience and see there is another level to get to,” coach Ime Udoka said after Thursday night’s loss. “Just don’t come back the same as players, coaching staff. Let this fuel you throughout the offseason into next year.”

When Udoka took over the coaching reins from Brad Stevens this past offseason, the Celtics were a team in transition.

Stevens, it seemed, had gotten the Celtics as far as he could during eight seasons on the bench. He took Boston to three conference finals but failed to help its youthful core led by budding All-Stars Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown get over the hump.

Enter Udoka, who did just that in Year 1. He challenged the team and harnessed the experience of veteran pieces like Marcus Smart and Al Horford to slowly mould a culture built on defence and unselfishness on offence.

It paid off in the second half of the season as the

Celtics turned an 18-23 record into a 51-31 mark at season’s end, good enough to claim the East’s second seed. After a sweep of Brooklyn, followed by back-to-back seven-game wins over defending champion Milwaukee and top seed Miami, Boston seemed unstoppable.

The Celtics took an early 2-1 finals lead on Golden State but ultimately couldn’t sidestep its propensity for self-inflicted mistakes against the Warriors.

The Celtics were 1-7 in the playoffs when committing 16 or more turnovers.

They hit the figure in three of their four losses in the finals.

Tatum was woefully inconsistent, averaging 22 points but shooting just 44 of 120 (37%) from the field.

He was 5 of 13 from the field with 12 points in the deciding game Game 6 in Boston.

Worse, Tatum became the first player in NBA history with 100 turnovers in a single postseason.

However bitter, he said he’s embracing the lessons he learned.

“It’s hard. It’s hard getting to this point,” Tatum said. “It’s even harder getting over it, the hump, and win it. It’s been a long journey, a long process. That’s what I took from it: it’s tough. You got to take it up another level to do what we want to do.”

The good news for Boston is that their coach has experienced both extremes of the finals. He was a first-year assistant under Gregg Popovich when San Antonio lost to Miami in the finals in 2013, and there the following year when the Spurs beat the Heat to claim the title.

“We improved in a lot of areas but fell short of

our ultimate goal,” Udoka said. “Some guys didn’t play their best. That’s going to motivate guys throughout the season. The message is everybody come back better. Let’s not be satisfied.

It’s not guaranteed you’re going to be here.”

NO SURGERY Tatum grimaced and clutched his right shoulder at times throughout the finals, a product of the stinger injury he suffered in the conference finals against Miami.

He played through the pain in the finals, but also insisted it wasn’t a factor in his performance.

As of now, he doesn’t have plans for surgery.

CHANGING OF THE GUARD? One of the biggest questions this summer will be what Stevens, who is concluding his first year as president of basketball operations, plans to do at point guard.

The trade of Kemba Walker last offseason and jettisoning of Dennis Schroder this season put the responsibility in Smart’s hands. He excelled at times, but his defence-first mindset hurt a team that at times was crying out for a true floor general to open up the floor for Boston’s shooters.

Replacing him would be a tough call as he is also Boston’s emotional floor leader.

Smart, who is under contract through 2025-26 season, is focused only on trying to help the team that drafted him in 2014 to improve.

“We’re young. … Things we went through to get here showed us what we have to come for us in the future,” he said.

“I think that’s why we’re confident about the future.

We all know what the goal is in the future.”

BOSTON Celtics guard Derrick White, left, and Boston Celtics forward Grant Williams (12) react in the closing second against the Golden State Warriors during Game 6 of the NBA Finals.

(AP Photo/Michael Dwyer)

SPORTS PAGE 20

MONDAY, JUNE 20, 2022

Chisholm Jr, Page 17

Miller-Uibo, Gardiner win 400m in Paris

FREEDOM FARM DOMINATES ANDRE RODGERS NATIONALS

By BRENT STUBBS Senior Sports Reporter bstubbs@tribunemedia.net

By RENALDO DORSETT Tribune Sports Reporter rdorsett@tribunemedia.net

Devynne Charlton 2nd in 100m hurdles

B

ahamian Olympic 400 metre champions Shaunae Miller-Uibo and Steven Gardiner shared the stage at the same meet for the first time this year and they proved that they are ready to head to the World Championships for their next major international showdown.

The duo both looked impressive on Saturday at the Wanda Diamond League meet in Paris, France, where World Indoors silver medallist Devynne Charlton came through for second in the women’s 100m hurdles.

Coming off a fourth place finish in her last race in the women’s 200m in Rome on June 9, MillerUibo returned to her signature event in the 400m where she secured her victory in 50.10 seconds, leaving fellow Bahamian Tonique Williams-Darling’s meet record of 49.15 from 2004 on the books.

The 28-year-old MillerUibo used her lanky 6-foot, one-inch frame to establish the early lead through the first 200m. She came off the final curve and on the straightaway, took a peek at the rest of the field as she manoeuvred down the home stretch.

“I had a great race tonight. Really great. I did a strong start, I pushed a lot on the first 300m, then I managed to stay in the lead,” said Miller-Uibo about her game plan. “I still had some gas in the tank to finish strong.

“The track is fast. I’m quite happy about the model of 400m I want to execute this season. Now I’m going to travel back home. No more meetings on my schedule because we have trials for the World Championships next week.”

As she gets set for Eugene, Miller-Uibo said she’s quite confident about her chances to win her first gold medal at the World Championships.

THE Bahamas Baseball Association returned to play in its marquee event for local youth baseball, the Andre Rodgers National Championships.

The Freedom Farm Baseball League also returned to its dominance by claiming six of the m seven contested divisions - 6U (T-Ball), 8U (Coach Pitch), 10U, 12U, 14U and 18U divisions while the Junior Baseball League of Nassau won the 16U division, at the tournament hosted at the refurbished Baillou Hills Sports Complex.

SEE PAGE 17

FIFA U-15 CENTROBASKET: BAHAMAS TAKES A BEATING

By BRENT STUBBS Senior Sports Reporter bstubbs@tribunemedia.net

SHAUNAE MILLER-UIBO, of the Bahamas, runs to win the 400 metres during the Diamond League athletics meeting at Charlety stadium in Paris on Saturday.

(AP Photo/Michel Euler)

BAHAMAS’ Steven Gardiner runs to win the 400 metres at the Diamond League athletics meeting at Charlety stadium in Paris, on June 18, 2022.

(AP Photo/Michel Euler)

“I’m healthy, everything is going great at training,” said Miller-Uibo, who is

Florida. “I’m exactly in the shape I wanted to be at this time of the season.”

trained by American Lance Brauman with the Pure Athletics Club in Orlando,

In full control of the race

SEE PAGE 15

THE Bahamas’ team at the FIFA Under-15 CentroBasket Championships got a rude awakening in the first two games they played over the weekend at the Fernando ‘Rube’ Hernandez Coliseo in Gurabo, Puerto Rico.

After losing game one of the tournament on Saturday by 65 points to Puerto Rico, The Bahamas team came back on Sunday and, although they made some adjustments, suffered a 50-point defeat at the hands of Mexico.

Team Bahamas, coached

by Quentin Hall, Denykco Bowles and Kevin Clarke, have three more games to

SEE PAGE 16

World swimming bans Fitzpatrick a winner transgender athletes again at Brookline as from women’s events US Open champion

By CIARÁN FAHEY AP Sports Writer

By DOUG FERGUSON AP Golf Writer

BUDAPEST, Hungary (AP) — World swimming’s governing body has effectively banned transgender women from competing in women’s events, starting today.

FINA members widely adopted a new “gender inclusion policy” yesterday that only permits swimmers who transitioned before age 12 to compete in women’s events. The organisation also proposed an “open competition category.”

“This is not saying that people are encouraged to transition by the age of 12.

It’s what the scientists are saying, that if you transition after the start of puberty, you have an advantage, which is unfair,” James Pearce, who is the spokesperson for FINA president

BROOKLINE, Mass.

(AP) — Matt Fitzpatrick of England is a champion again at The Country Club, this time with the grandest of trophies.

A US Amateur champion in 2013. The US Open champion yesterday.

In a three-way battle at Brookline that came down to the wire, Fitzpatrick seized control with a great break and an even better shot on the 15th hole for a two-shot swing.

He was even more clutch from a fairway bunker on the 18th that set up par for a 2-under 68.

Victory was not secure until Will Zalatoris, who showed amazing fight back from every mistake,

UNIVERSITY of Pennsylvania athlete Lia Thomas prepares for the 500 metre freestyle at the NCAA Swimming and Diving Championships on March 17, 2022, at Georgia Tech in Atlanta.

(AP Photo/John Bazemore) Husain Al-Musallam, told age in most countries and The Associated Press. hopefully you wouldn’t “They’re not saying eve- be encouraged to. Basiryone should transition by cally, what they’re saying is age 11, that’s ridiculous.

You can’t transition by that SEE PAGE 18

MATTHEW FITZPATRICK, of England, celebrates with the trophy after winning the US Open golf tournament at The Country Club yesterday in Brookline, Mass.

(AP Photo/Julio Cortez) dropped to his knees recovered from backwhen his 15-foot birdie to-back bogeys to start putt on the 18th just slid the back nine. He had a by the left side of the cup. 25-foot birdie chance on Zalatoris was a runner- the 18th that just missed up in the second straight and left him one behind. major. Masters champion Scottie Scheffler never SEE PAGE 17