0672024 NEWS AND SPORT

The Tribune

DEAD OVER A BIKE HIS MOM SAID NOT TO BUY

Three weeks after purchase he was struck by a vehicle

By LYNAIRE MUNNINGS

Tribune

Staff Reporter

lmunnings@tribunemedia.net

JAMESLY Richmond’s mother and cousin begged him not to buy a motorbike, fearing it would put him in danger and jeopardise his safety.

On Saturday, three weeks after the former CI Gibson High School graduate defied their advice and bought a bike, he was reportedly struck by a

vehicle, and his bike went missing from the scene. He died on Tuesday in the Princess Margaret Hospital. Although his relatives insist he was a robbery victim and suggest his death should be classified as murder or manslaughter, police have not released information about the incident, making details around the

POLICE CONTINUE INVESTIGATION INTO MISSING AMERICAN WOMAN

By KEILE CAMPBELL Tribune Staff Reporter

kcampbell@tribunemedia.net

POLICE have questioned several people about the disappearance of Chicago native Taylor Casey and will interview others today when they visit the site of the Sirvanada Ashram Yoga Retreat today, Chief Superintendent of Police Chrislyn

Skippings said yesterday. She said finding the 41-year-old in good health is the priority and police are using canines and drones to do this.

Ms Casey was last seen in the Paradise Island area on June 19. Her disappearance was noticed on June 20 when

MP RELIVES MEMORY OF SON’S DEATH AFTER ACCIDENT

By JADE RUSSELL Tribune Staff Reporter jrssell@tribunemedia.net

CENTRAL Grand

AN Interpol red notice has been issued for former Exuma MP Elliot Lockhart, KC, who is wanted on two charges of stealing by reason of service and two charges of proceeds of criminal conduct. If convicted, the charges could carry a maximum penalty of 34 years.

The notice, published last month, came after two people complained to police about Mr Lockhart in separate matters.

According to the notice, the first complainant, Daniel Clay Smith, Jr, reported to the Financial Crimes Investigation branch that he paid $3.2m to Mr Lockhart, 65, for legal work concerning Crown land in Staniel Cay,

By KEILE CAMPBELL Tribune Staff Reporter

kcampbell@tribunemedia.net

“My choices were to take on the lamp pole in the lane a few feet away from me or switch lanes and have a traffic collision with incoming traffic, which would have put others in danger,” he told The Tribune. “I, in a split second, took on the lamp pole and the hightension cables and only

Bahama MP Iram Lewis said he suffered a scary traffic accident earlier this month, a surreal experience that painfully reminded him of his son, who died in a traffic accident nine years ago. Mr Lewis said he was on his way to a funeral in Grand Bahama on June 8 when he suddenly saw a lamp pole on his side of the road.

A CROWD dashed for safety as gunshots rang out in the parking lot of the Nassau Street Magistrate’s Court yesterday, where a man was shot multiple times and was taken to hospital where he is in serious, but stable condition.

A suspect is in police custody.

According to Deputy Commissioner of Police Leamond Deleveaux,

Defence Force captain disappointed in lack of govt help after home lost to fire

By EARYEL BOWLEG Tribune Staff Reporter ebowleg@tribunemedia.net

RETIRED Royal Bahamas Defence Force

Captain Whitfield Neely is disappointed that the government and defence force did not officially help him after his home was burned down last month.

However, RBDF Commodore Raymond King noted the force does not have a welfare fund, yet officers, including himself, personally donated to Mr Neely.

“It’s unfortunate for the statement that he made,” Commodore King told The Tribune . “He knows quite well that we don’t have a welfare fund. That is something we look forward to establishing in the near future.”

“We have some initiatives ongoing to address needs like this, but members would have given of their own free will based on their personal situations and maybe the relationships they would have had with Captain Neely during his time in service.”

In a Facebook post, the RBDF advised all officers and marines to obtain comprehensive home and contents insurance.

“This proactive measure can significantly aid recovery efforts following unforeseen events,” the Force said.

Mr Neely, a survivor of the HMBS Flamingo attack, was left homeless when a fire ripped apart his 45-year-old home.

He gave an update on his situation yesterday after the All Saints Anglican Parish gave him an undisclosed donation.

“I was in the Defence Force for 43 years,” he said. “I had my integrity. I operated under the pretext of my integrity being intact. Never did anything untoward.

“I am disappointed because I thought with my contributions and the way I performed there would have been a different response to me at least.”

Mr Neely conceded that the RBDF’s leadership could only do so much.

“You also must consider that persons can only operate with what they have to operate with, and if they don’t have carte blanche authority to do certain things in that seat of leadership, then they can’t set a precedent for one person and step away,” he said.

“So the individuals only can do what they can do. So I’m not holding anyone responsible for anything, and truthfully, I’m not expecting anything from anyone.”

Mr Neely said former National Security Minister Marvin Dames had supported him.

He said he met with some of Mr Dames’ friends to discuss how to get his house built.

He started a GoFundMe page to raise $250,000 and has raised $31,190 so far.

OSANO W. L Neely, Father Bradley Miller, and Whitfield Neely (Left to right) at press conference where Captain Whitfield Neely received assistance from the church who donating towards rebuilding efforts after losing his home in a fire.

Photos: Chappell Whyms Jr.

Dead over a bike his mom said not to buy

matter unclear.

His mother, Michelle Aime, said police have not contacted her.

However, on social media, scores of people called for justice and expressed sorrow at the death of a young man they said was hard-working and well-liked. Just one post on Facebook had over 1000 likes, comments and shares.

Jamesly, 19, worked as a server at Sandals and parttime barber at Young Kings Cutz Barbershop on Robinson Road.

His death came nine years after his father, Jean Richmond, was shot and killed in Palm Cay during an argument with a contractor over outstanding payments.

His mother, Ms Aime, said her son’s motorbike became his primary means of transportation.

“When he come and tell me he going to buy a bike I say, Jamesly, do not buy the bike,” she said, adding that she was tempted to have someone remove the bike after he bought it.

“Jamesly is a hard-working young man, little man, who tries to get something for his own life, so they take away half of me,” she said.

Jamesly’s employer and cousin, Mark Baptise, 28, said Jamesly was like “everything to us in the barbershop.”

“Jamesly was the type of person that you don’t know but he knows you,” he said. “Sometimes, some of the customers that we have in here, I might not know my customer names, but guess who knows that customer’s name? Jamesly would know that customer’s name.”

“Sometimes I wonder to myself if those guys that had killed him to take that bike, if they had a chance from page one

to meet Jamesly they would not have done what they did if they knew who he was.”

Mr Baptise blames himself for his cousin’s death,

insisting he should have done more to prevent him from buying the bike.

“I was saying to him do not get the bike, but then there were some guys in

here who were saying that he had to feel it,” he said. “I didn’t feel as if I tried hard enough to not make him get that bike, but he ended up getting the bike so

everything that happened to him was not just his fault, it was my fault and it was the guys that actually killed him fault.”

POLICE CONTINUE INVESTIGATION INTO MISSING AMERICAN WOMAN

from page one

she failed to attend morning classes, according to Yoga Retreat Bahamas.

A press conference was held yesterday after police met relatives of Ms Casey who flew into the country seeking answers.

CSP Skippings said it is too early in the investigation to say whether foul play is suspected. She confirmed the woman’s cellphone has been recovered and said the search was extended beyond its initial parameters.

She said police searched the harbour side, as far as Atlantis Resort, and checked CCTV footage.

Director General of Foreign Affairs Jerusa Lea Dean Ali and Director of Tourism, Investments, and Aviation Latia Duncombe attended the meeting with Ms Casey’s family.

Director Duncombe said The Bahamas remains a safe destination.

“Wherever there are isolated incidents, they are addressed, they are investigated, and the matters are settled,” she said. “We’re very confident in our product. However, the key thing at this time is that we make sure that we’re able to find Taylor, and for her to return home.”

A co-worker, Jacuqes

Israel, said he wants answers, adding: “How did you sleep at night, bey? How you went home and wake up, laughing like everything cool, bey?”

JAMESLY Richmond and his mother Michelle Aime

MISSING AMERICAN WOMAN - TAYLOR CASEY

MP relives memory of son’s death after accident

from page one

survived through the grace of God.”

Mr Lewis said he was not speeding and was lucky to be in an SUV instead of his smaller

Dodge car. He said his car went into the air when he hit the lamp pole, and he hit his head. The vehicle was wrapped in electrical wires, which he could hear sparking.

He said he pulled himself out of the car but stepped onto a deenergised tension line. He said he later learned that while a heavy-duty operator was clearing a property, a pine tree fell

on high-tension cables, causing a lamp pole to crash into the road directly in front of him.

He said he has been experiencing headaches, dizzy spells, and breathing problems and plans to

get further medical treatment after suffering a concussion.

He said the incident was emotional because his son, Iram Tavarius Lewis, died at 23 nine years ago in a traffic incident on

He urged motorists to be vigilant and cautious while driving.

Pintard: Will straw vendors be involved in discussions of future of Bazaar?

By DENISE MAYCOCK Tribune Freeport Reporter dmaycock@tribunemedia.net

FNM leader Michael Pintard said straw vendors want to know if they will be included in discussions about the government’s plans for the International Bazaar.

The Davis administration revealed during the budget debate that the government will acquire the International Bazaar, reopen West Sunrise Road and buy the Princess Towers Hotel for less than $4m. Thirty million has been budgeted to develop the sites.

In 2018, a fire destroyed a building housing the straw market at the Bazaar, leaving many straw vendors displaced and out of work.

Straw vendors had signed a 99-year lease to occupy the area.

Mr Pintard, the Marco City MP, said in the House of Assembly this week:

“The straw vendors would like to know what is government’s plan for the displaced straw vendors in the Bazaar area. So, in the grand site plan and master design for the new structure that will occur in that space, will a new building be constructed, and are straw vendors a part of the group that the government will engage in discussions when it is talking with the various owners in that immediate space and the surrounding areas?”

He said many stakeholders and Grand Bahama residents want to know how the discussions to acquire and develop the Bazaar areas are going.

“All the people we have spoken to, the government has not executed one agreement of sale nor have

they been in any real robust conversation,” he said.

Grand Bahama Minister Ginger Moxey had said the government plans to develop an AfroCaribbean marketplace featuring 54 African countries, 20 Caribbean islands, and 16 Bahamian island destinations.

Mr Pintard said it appears the government made a loan arrangement to acquire the Bazaar and surrounding areas before contacting owners.

“I guess this is what it means by not following the status quo and making new paths where you would actually go and get the money for the thing you discussed widely without having spoken to the owners in advance,” he said. “That is a novel way to approach it and we support it if it is going to end well.”

June 13. He said his son, who was attending college in Alabama then, was ambitious and played football.

CENTRAL Grand Bahama MP Iram Lewis (left). His son Iram Tavarius Lewis riding a horse (centre). A picture of Mr Lewis with his son (right).

MARCO CITY MINISTER OF PARLIAMENT MICHAEL PINTARD

Lockhart appears on Interpol red notice

Exuma, between May 2002 and November 2022, and that the funds were also to help him and his family apply for citizenship.

However, the notice claimed that Mr Smith requested his money back when nothing materialised by November 2022.

“Mr Smith requested a wire transfer and Elliot Lockhart sent a document that appeared to be transfer details from CIBC First Caribbean International Bank to Cross Creek Group LLC dated 22nd December 2022,” the notice said. “However, the document was fraudulent, and the funds have not

been received to date.”

Detectives said CIBC First Caribbean International Bank confirmed that $3.1m was deposited to Mr Lockhart’s account on March 6, 2023, but the transaction was reversed moments later.

“It is suspected that the receipt generated from the transaction was given to Mr Smith to deceive him into thinking that the funds were on the account to cover the wire transfer,” the notice said.

The second complainant, Dr Paul Fuchs, reported that he retained legal services from Mr Lockhart’s law firm in May 2023 to buy several properties in Exuma and Paradise Island.

Subsequently, over several months, he transferred $3m to Mr Lockhart’s firm’s CIBC First Caribbean International bank account.

“The law firm failed to provide any documentation of the properties and produced several other inconsistencies. As a result, Dr Fuchs requested that the funds be returned on the 27th April 2023,” the notice said.

Mr Lockhart allegedly sent a copy of an alleged fraudulent wire transfer to Dr Fuchs for $3m, but the monies were never sent and Dr Fuchs received no funds.

Demand letters sent to Mr Lockhart produced no

Munroe says 150 RBDF officers to be sent for maritime security in Haitian waters

By JADE RUSSELL Tribune Staff Reporter jrussell@tribunemedia.net

A MONTH after Royal Bahamas Defence Force commodore Raymond

King said he expects “no more than five” defence officers to go to Haiti for a peacekeeping mission, National Security Minister

Wayne Munroe said yesterday that 150 officers will, in fact, enter Haitian waters to help with maritime security.

His comments came after a contingent of 400 Kenyan police officers arrived in Haiti on Tuesday morning. Kenya is leading a multinational security mission to restore peace in that country.

Since the Davis administration committed to helping, the exact scope of local involvement in Haiti’s peacekeeping efforts has not always been clear.

Last month, Commodore King said he expects about five officers to go to Haiti to help in an administrative capacity. He said Haitian troops would be trained at the Coral Harbour base.

Yesterday, Mr Munroe said officers would be sent in tranches of 50 to engage in maritime security in waters surrounding Haiti.

“It’s all predicated on an overall mission,” he said. “The first element of Kenyans is there. There are more to come. The Defence Force itself has to itself determine what is happening.”

He said officers would not engage in maritime operations unless they are “well planned to be executed”.

SECURITY MINISTER WAYNE MUNROE

“The training was and is to take place onboard HMBS Coral Harbour Island, and the maritime security will take place outside the territorial waters and sometimes in the littoral waters,” he added.

More than 5,000 people have been killed in the latest Haitian crisis. Since 2020, the country’s capital has been ravaged by gang war that has displaced hundreds of thousands.

results. Dr Fuchs took legal action against Mr Lockhart last year. Police released a wanted poster for Mr Lockhart in February. His last known address is 67 Ocean Drive, Adelaide Village.

In

Mr Lockhart is a former chairman of Nassau Flight Services, the Gaming Board of The Bahamas and the Police Inspectorate. An Interpol red notice is

• For more, see

The Tribune Limited

NULLIUS ADDICTUS JURARE IN VERBA MAGISTRI

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

LEON E. H. DUPUCH

Publisher/Editor 1903-1914

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

Publisher/Editor 1919-1972

Contributing Editor 1972-1991

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

Publisher/Editor 1972-

Published daily Monday to Friday Shirley & Deveaux Streets, Nassau, Bahamas N3207

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Heavy-handed approach needs to be reviewed

THE sight of men in uniform showing up with guns at a business simply in order to check its documentation was in order is a startling one. That it is not an isolated incident is all the more disturbing.

The officers that showed up at CBS Bahamas – and apparently other businesses in the South-West Plaza – included police, Defence Force and Immigration officers, at least two of which carried military weaponry.

In today’s Tribune Business, we report how the marinas industry has been experiencing the same treatment.

The owner of Bay Street Marina, Peter Maury, said that some revenue agents even boarded some of the vessels docked in the marinas, leading several boat captains to voice concerns about the encounter and how it left guests feeling.

Even more frustrating is that a considerable amount of the documentation being demanded ought to be available electronically these days and yet here they were, wanting copies printed out in this modern digital age.

Of course, the demands are going oneway too – the task force that showed up at the marina demanded documents and receipts but apparently could not give answers to queries the marina has outstanding with the government.

Mr Maury said: “They’re just targeting businesses, in my opinion, just to mess with them. It’s very heavy-handed; big guns and everything. At one point, at one of the marinas, they asked one of the employees if they were afraid.

“They’re walking around with these big guns … they went on the boats. These are foreign-flagged boats. What business does the National Insurance Board have going on a foreign-flagged boat? It’s like they are purposely causing trouble to harass business.”

The head of the Maritime Revenue Enhancement Task Force asked: “Don’t paint us to be the bad boys.”

But Commander Bertram Bowleg went on to deny that there was a heavyhanded or aggressive approach.

That he could not see that a routine check while carrying military weaponry might be interpreted as intimidating is concerning. Commander Bowleg said

that the armed officers were there simply to protect tax officials in case some businesses reacted negatively to demands for payment.

This would include businesses apparently that were fully compliant and where there was no demand to be made, however.

This seems to jump over several steps of process.

And from what we understand, these visits were to establish whether documentation was correct – that is some way short of making demands for cash.

Either way, demands for cash in the presence of a gun is a disturbing concept. Take the business to court, don’t stand there looking threatening.

It also reminds us of the other ways in which changes are being made to benefit government without consideration of the people of the nation.

There is the change in dates when one pays one’s vehicle licence and insurance, for example, to fit around their birthdays, regardless of when people want to pay it and ignoring people’s right to manage their own finances in such matters.

Then there is the government’s move to paying salaries every two weeks instead of every month – without actually consulting with unions or workers along the way. Now that may be better for some, but people have dates in place for paying their mortgages, health insurance, school fees, loans and so on, and no explanation was given as to how people would be able to negotiate those hurdles.

And then here we come with armed officers accompanying a demand for documentation – a significant chunk of which they should already have and could have found by checking their electronic files.

As visuals go, does it look like the government is serving the people – or are the people expected to serve the government?

Is this what we can expect in future?

All of us? Or, as FNM leader Michael Pintard asks in today’s Tribune, is this just a select few chosen by the government who will experience such treatment?

This is a dangerous trend – and should be reconsidered.

PICTURE OF THE DAY

EDITOR, The Tribune.

ALLOW me to address the recent verbose diatribe from Arinthia S. Komolafe. Her overwrought response to my letter, penned under the pseudonym “The Gatekeeper,” seems to have hit a sore spot. Mrs Komolafe, who touts her courage and integrity, ironically felt compelled to pen a lengthy defence. One must wonder if my words perhaps rang a little too true. Her ever-shifting political allegiances are as predictable as they are disheartening. Mrs Komolafe’s claim of an unwavering political ideology would be laughable if it weren’t so tragic. From her beginnings with the PLP, her short-lived leadership in the DNA, and now her sycophantic defense of the FNM, her actions speak volumes. It’s clear she will

say and do anything to cling to political relevance, even if it means betraying every principle she once claimed to uphold. Her past denunciations of the FNM are not easily forgotten. She once decried the Minnis administration for its corruption and cronyism, calling for a vote of no confidence. Now, in a stunning display of hypocrisy, she defends those very decisions. This isn’t conviction; it’s desperation. Mrs Komolafe’s attempt to justify her political flipflopping by referencing other politicians who have switched parties is a weak deflection. Just because others have compromised their integrity doesn’t make her actions any less reprehensible. The examples she cited had their own reasons, but her constant wavering smacks of

opportunism and lack of true principle. Yes, I write under a pseudonym, but that’s to keep the focus on the issues rather than personal gain—unlike Mrs Komolafe, whose every move seems calculated for selfpromotion. My aim is to ensure our leaders are held to a standard of integrity that she, quite frankly, fails to meet. So, Mrs Komolafe, continue your grandstanding. The Bahamian people are watching, and we see through the charade. Your credibility deficit is glaring, and no amount of verbose posturing can hide it. The gatekeeping continues, not from the shadows, but from a place of genuine concern for the future of our beloved Bahamas.

GATEKEEPER June 26, 2024.

EDITOR, The Tribune. IT was thought-provoking to read in your newspaper the article on Sir Michael Barnett’s retirement from the Court of Appeal with particular reference to encouraging “older lawyers to interact saying he has noticed a decrease in seasoned lawyers attending the opening of the legal year or engaging in debates on public issues”.

Older lawyers, as with other older professionals in this country, where the median age is 25 years old, are often discriminated against because of their age - and in the legal profession sometimes because of their Seniority at the Bar. There are some young legal minds, whilst appearing in court waiting for their cases to be heard, would reluctantly sit next to a senior lawyer (who older in age and senior admission to the Bar) or even would say “Good Morning” or a simple courteous “hello” because in their minds they may contract what they consider the aging ‘disease’ from that particular attorney.

One can almost take judicial notice that anyone over 50 years or older has no effective place or role in our very young society, and the same applies to the treatment of senior

lawyers at the Bar by junior or younger lawyers, particularly those of whom may have been successful in one or two cases so they dispense with “fraternising” with senior lawyers who can or maybe able to engage in Solomonic discussions or advice to the junior lawyers. This treatment seems to be peculiar only to The Bahamas. If one were to watch the televised conduct of cases in United Kingdom’s Supreme Court or the Privy Council, as well as many cases in American cities, you rarely see an attorney whose age is below 50 presenting a case - usually extreme upwards of 55 years old. At the Opening of the Legal Year, 2024, the Chief Justice, Sir Ian Winder, (the legal genius of the Caribbean region) very clearly and emphatically discriminated against “seasoned lawyers” who were/are still practising law before the courts when he referred to a committee established “comprised of young lawyers.”

This has to be a redundant statement as the majority of members of the Bar Association are in fact young lawyers! Needless

to say, such statements emphatically or impliedly excluded those older lawyers who are still practising before our courts. Such an example of exclusion or segregation of senior lawyers may very well be a reason why Sir Michael referred to the absence of those lawyers no longer attending openings or actively participating and imparting knowledge, experience and wisdom at public debates. We, in this country - simply dislike older people - even as young/old as 50 years old because ‘They Old and don’t know anything‘serve no purpose of living - as the younger people are better than them - it’s as simple as that! The younger people feel that they have arrived and have no tolerance or are not interested in learning from persons older than them.

Incidentally, may I use this instance to thank Sir Michael for doing away with the wearing of the traditional wigs by attorneys when appearing in the Supreme Court, except for special sittings thereon. Many of us lawyers of African descent loathed wearing those wigs in court hiding their beautiful natural hair. Thank you, Sir Michael! ELEANOR ALBURY Nassau, June 26, 2024.

A TURTLE swims near the surface in crystal clear waters.

Photo: Kammeran Gonzalez-Keola

Man shot in parking lot of court on Nassau Street

ShotSpotter technology alerted police to the shooting around 3.30pm. Officers from the police station attached to the court immediately responded.

DCP Deleveaux said

the injured man is “well known” to police and is on bail.

Deputy leader of the Free National Movement (FNM) Shanendon Cartwright released a statement after the shooting, demanding a crime plan “inclusive of an

AUSTRALIAN HIGH COMMISSIONER PAYS COURTESY CALL TO

intersectoral, multifaceted, preventative, enforcement approach”.

“The issue of crime involves a consideration of our economic, educational, health, immigration, judicial and national security frameworks,” he said.

MAN AND TEEN CHARGED WITH ATTEMPTED MURDER AND POSSESSION OF GUN AND AMMO

By PAVEL BAILEY Tribune Staff Reporter pbailey@tribunemedia.net

TWO males were sent to prison yesterday after they were accused of attempting to kill a man with a handgun last week.

Magistrate Algernon

By PAVEL BAILEY

Tribune Staff Reporter

pbailey@tribunemedia.net

A MAN was granted bail after he was accused of assaulting someone with his car last week.

A guardian was present during the juvenile’s arraignment.

The two, allegedly armed with a handgun, are accused of trying to kill Kervon Stewart in New Providence on June 15.

Allen, Jr, charged Christopher Huyler, 22, and a 17-year-old youth, whose name is being withheld because he is a minor, with attempted murder and possession of a firearm with intent to endanger life.

Magistrate Kendra Kelly charged Rukeithso Richardson, 44, with assault with a dangerous instrument. Richardson is accused of assaulting Allen Jean with his car on Zion Blvd and Hillcrest Drive on June 14. He pleaded not guilty to the charges.

By PAVEL BAILEY Tribune Staff Reporter pbailey@tribunemedia.net

A MAN was granted bail after being accused of seriously injuring a 29-year-old man in a bar fight on Carmichael Road last weekend.

Magistrate Algernon

The defendants were informed that their matter would go to the Supreme Court through a voluntary bill of indictment (VBI).

Huyler will be sent to the Bahamas Department of Correctional Services (BDCS) until his VBI is served on September 26.

The juvenile will be sent to the adolescent section of BDCS.

WITH

Richardson’s bail was set at $3,000 with one or two sureties. He must sign in at the Carmichael Road Police Station on the first and third Monday of every month.

The defendant’s trial begins on June 30.

listed in critical condition.

Allen, Jr, charged Deangelo Cummings, 35, with grievous harm. Cummings is accused of stabbing Marvin Strachan multiple times during a physical argument at a bar on the night of June 22. The victim was last

After pleading not guilty to the charge, the defendant’s bail was set at $7,000 with one or two sureties.

Cummings must sign in at his local police station every Monday and Wednesday. His trial begins on September 13.

MAN ACCUSED OF BREAKING INTO WOMAN’S HOME

By PAVEL BAILEY Tribune Staff Reporter pbailey@tribunemedia.net

A MAN was imprisoned yesterday after he allegedly broke into a woman’s home in New Providence twice in a month.

Magistrate Algernon Allen, Jr, charged Barrington Rahming, 29, with two counts of housebreaking. The defendant is accused of breaking into the residence of Kijana Thompson on Wednesday, May 29, and Tuesday, June 18.

medication and attends sessions at the Sandilands Rehabilitation Centre.

After a not-guilty plea was entered for the accused, the prosecutor objected to his bail.

Alphonso Lewis, Rahming’s attorney, indicated that his client is on

Rahming will be remanded to prison until he returns to court on July 27. His trial is set to begin on September 13.

ON her first visit, Sonya Miller, High Commissioner of Australia to The Commonwealth of The Bahamas, paid a Courtesy Call on Vaughn P. Miller, Minister of the Environment and Natural Resources. Among the discussions were possible collaboration on matters of mutual interest as it related to the environment and natural resources, in particular, the marine environment. Australia has the world’s largest Barrier Reef and The Bahamas the third largest. In this regard, coral bleaching and marine protected areas are of mutual concern. The call was paid on Thursday, June 21st, 2024.

Photos: BIS

Masking grand failures: A structural crisis in tourism

A VISITOR survey-

ing the grand resorts, all-inclusives and boutique properties on Nassau/Paradise Island, the tourism properties on the Family Islands, and the flashy world-class cruise ships in Nassau Harbour, will be impressed by much of the tourism product and infrastructure in The Bahamas.

Since the inception of modern tourism, including the contributions made by Sir Stafford Sands, The Bahamas has been a regional leader in mass tourism. There are a number of things we do better in The Bahamas in tourism.

We have achieved many successes in tourism since majority rule and independence. The Bahamas welcomed one million visitors in 1968 when Sir Lynden Pindling served as Minister of Tourism.

When Sir Arthur Foulkes served as tourism minister, the visitor numbers increased to 1,240,000 in 1969. In 2023, The Bahamas recorded 9.65 million visitor arrivals. Despite this general growth, all is not as rosy as it seems.

According to current Tourism Minister Chester Cooper, tourism accounts for “roughly 60 percent of The Bahamas’ GDP”. In 2023, visitor arrivals grew by 34 percent over 2019, the previous best year, but the economy grew by only 1.1 percent.

How is it possible to have such substantial growth in visitor arrivals and such poor growth of the economy in a country that derives “roughly 60 percent” of its GDP from tourism?

Why are we not seeing the arrival numbers more broadly reflected in Treasury revenues? Are the earnings being distributed in a broader and more equitable manner?

A good number of taxi drivers, straw vendors, Bay Street merchants, and small businesspersons, retail stores and certain heritage sites beyond Bay Street, like Clifton National Heritage, are not experiencing a greater effect from the supposed boom in visitor arrivals.

According to the Central Bank’s February 2024 Quarterly Statistical Digest, stopover visitors that arrive mostly by air and stay in our hotels, spend an average of $2,642 per visitor while cruise visitors spend an average of $71 per visitor.

After the reopening and improvements in the global and US economy post-COVID-19, tourism numbers and receipts improved significantly, as they did in most jurisdictions.

Still, we need to be careful how we bandy certain numbers with fanfare.

Many of the “record-shattering” visitor arrival numbers are not necessarily showing up in the general economy.

In an address to the Bahamas Hotel Tourism Association Annual General Meeting, last December, Prime Minister Philip Davis noted: “Let’s be candid: The Bahamas is in the tourism industry for economic prosperity and to ensure a tangible return for every Bahamian. It’s not just about visitor numbers; it’s about the bottom line - how much we earn and how these earnings are distributed.”

A broader national debate was joined during the budget debate on the imperative of deconstructing tourism statistics to understand why our “recordbreaking” visitor arrivals are not reflected in economic growth.

A clear explanation for this incongruity between visitor arrivals and economic growth is that our far more valuable but stagnant stopover visitor arrivals are being supplanted by rapidly growing cruise visitor arrivals. What does a closer examination suggest?

According to the Central Bank’s February 2024 Quarterly Statistical Digest, stopover visitors that arrive mostly by air and stay in our hotels, spend an average of $2,642 per visitor while cruise visitors spend an average of $71 per visitor.

According to the same Digest, the record-breaking visitor arrivals for 2023, compared to 2019, the previous best year; the more economically valuable stopover visitors did not grow. The 34 percent growth in arrivals came from the considerably less economically valuable cruise visitor.

If stopover visitors that were once accommodated in our hotels for multi-day stays are now coming to The Bahamas on cruise ships instead, this helps explain

why a 34 percent growth in visitor arrivals results in a paltry 1.1 percent growth of the economy.

The case supporting the supplanting of our stopovers by cruise visitors comes initially from the words of a senior cruise executive attending the recent April 2024 Seatrade conference. He explained that cruise lines are not competing with other cruise lines. Instead, he noted, they are competing with land-based properties.

That case was bolstered by a local announcement from the same cruise executive that the new, massive and marvelous $1.35bn Utopia of the Seas, with accommodations for 5,668 passengers, will be dedicated for Bahamas-only cruises.

No cruise company will dedicate such an asset to Bahamas cruises unless those cruises are in high demand and delivering appropriate returns on their investment.

It seems clear that the objective of the cruise lines is to persuade travellers to choose to cruise to The Bahamas instead of choosing to stay in our land-based accommodations.

Another case suggests why an increasing number of travellers are choosing to cruise to The Bahamas instead of flying here.

Ostensibly, stopover visits by Florida residents have not grown for nearly two decades while the growth of Florida residents choosing to cruise to The Bahamas has been substantial.

Florida is the third largest and fastest growing US state by population and the nearest state to The Bahamas.

According to the Cruise Line International Association, Florida residents lead all states in taking cruises to The Bahamas.

Florida has perennially been the greatest source

of stopover visitors by state since the time when Sir Lynden and Sir Arthur were ministers of tourism. Its growth of stopovers is now stagnant. If much of the aforementioned pertains and the same patterns continue, the announcement that Team Tourism will deploy the same strategies in arriving at 12 million total visitors for this calendar year is not a reason to do celebratory backflips.

Team Tourism includes the public and private sectors of tourism. It is difficult to believe that the private sector hotels owners and operators are delighted to see substantial growth of cruise passengers and stagnancy with stopover visitors.

It is easier to believe that the hotels are working to change Team Tourism strategies to focus more on growing stopover visitors.

The fast growing cruise arrivals now represent 80 percent of arrivals but only nine percent of visitor expenditure.

Stopover visitors, a fast declining share of our arrivals, represent 20 percent of visitor arrivals but account for 91 percent of visitor expenditure.

It is clear that growing our stopover business means significantly more to our economy than growing cruise visitors. This singular recognition should be the major focus of our tourism strategy.

According to information gleaned from the Seatrade Conference, there are scores of new cruise ships on order for delivery by the end of 2028. Not all of these will be deployed in The Bahamas. However, some will.

Why then do we hear little about the number of hotels and hotel rooms under construction in The Bahamas between now and

2028 to compete with the coming cruise onslaught.

Might it be that local and international investors have decided that under the current set of circumstances, hotel investments have a very hard time competing with the volume and highquality of cruise vacation offerings for The Bahamas? Have they decided to take their capital elsewhere in the region?

While The Bahamas is announcing record-breaking growth in cruise arrivals, data from elsewhere shows other destinations in our region announcing recordbreaking growth in stopover arrivals, the target of hotel and resort investors.

Many of today’s cruise companies view their megaship as the main destination. The only missing ingredients are a private beach and the magnificent waters of The Bahamas.

We have those in such abundance that we give them away almost for free. Given the “economic killing” they are making, the cruise lines need to pay a greater amount for doing business in The Bahamas.

A review of the Utopia of the Seas will show that, as announced by the company’s executives, it aims to be a tourism juggernaut, supplanting land-based tourism. These massive ships see themselves as aircraft carriers compared to our hotels, which are more like smaller yachts.

These mega cruise ships provide a substitute for landside accommodations. Their onboard amenities include many restaurants, bars, entertainment centres, spas, exercise facilities, waterslides, multiple pools, a skating rink and more.

When they arrive at their private island in The Bahamas, ziplines and other features are added, with the natural beauty of The Bahamas offering the

unequalled beaches and waters of The Bahamas.

The vast majority of the revenue for the supplanted landside items accrue to the cruise company instead of having those revenues distributed across the multiple economically valuable landbased businesses in The Bahamas.

Neither Atlantis nor Baha Mar can compete with this array of amenities at the prices offered by the cruise lines. And according to resort executives, these larger cruise ships are already competing effectively for the most lucrative business of The Bahamas: the land-based group and incentive business.

We must urgently find a way to make our land-based tourism opportunities more attractive to local and foreign investors.

To attain the levels of economic growth The Bahamas requires for quality employment, to boost tax collection, and to pay down our growing debt, we need novel and smart strategies that deliver primarily on the needs of the Bahamas economy and not on the objectives of the cruise companies.

There will be a downgrade in the quality of tourism if we do not arrest and change the current course. The endless giddy and bombastic celebration of the increase in the number of cruise passengers mask worrying structural problems in tourism.

Instead of being defensive about critiques, Tourism Minister Cooper would do the country an extraordinary service if he paid greater heed to the Prime Minister’s clear direction and warning: “It’s not just about visitor numbers; it’s about the bottom linehow much we earn and how these earnings are distributed.” This is a matter of economic survival, equity and social justice.

CRUISE ships in port (Disney and Royal Caribbean) at the Nassau Cruise Port on January 23, 2024.

Photo: Timothy Roberts

The marginal impact of US presidential debates

SOMEONE said the other day that tonight’s first presidential debate of the 2024 campaign is an event comparable to February’s annual Super Bowl extravaganza.

No, it isn’t.

Americans really care about the Super Bowl.

Data suggest, in fact, that nine of the ten most watched television shows of 2023 were NFL games. And the pageantry, the halftime show, the ritual of two weeks of constant hype… You can’t get away from it.

Tonight is not a championship match in any sport, even the sport of presidential politics. It’s the first of two faceoffs between two men who dislike each other. One of them is appropriately wary of his opponent, and suspected well before the 2020 election that he would have trouble winning against him.

Donald Trump was right in 2019. Joe Biden was by far the toughest opponent he could draw in the last election, and he still is today.

But while tonight’s debate will be widely watched and much more widely dissected tomorrow and for much of the rest of this summer, it’s still early in this race.

According to a recent report on the respected Reuters wire service, nearly every presidential campaign debate since the first televised encounter between John F Kennedy and Richard Nixon in 1960 has been less consequential than expected.

The presidential debates have mattered “at the margin – a little bit here, a little bit there… maybe,” said Christopher

STATESIDE

Wlezien, a professor of government at the University of Texas at Austin and co-author of “The Timeline of Presidential Elections,” a book about the impact of the campaigns on the outcome of presidential races. “It’s really hard to tell if it’s had much of an effect at all.” Wlezien told reporters that “the best way to predict where we are going to be at the end of the debate season is where we are at the beginning of the debate season.”

Furthermore, Reuters found that the most lasting moments in presidential debates have tended to be those that shape voters’ judgments about the personal character and capacity of the candidates. And those moments are much less related to so-called ‘substantive issues’ like tax policy or foreign affairs than to qualities like the strength, mastery, energy and empathy that each candidate projects. “You can generally tell who is winning the debate by watching it with the sound off,” said Doug Sosnik, who served as the top White House political adviser in Bill Clinton’s 1996 reelection.

While such an approach to tonight’s encounter might be tempting, it will be much more interesting for most viewers to see

what happens and who goofs, stumbles, fumbles or shows his age more dramatically. Many will likely experience a sense of anticipation, waiting for a mistake by one or both of these old men who aspire to lead the world’s most powerful nation in one of the most challenging international environments in recent memory. The US is heavily involved in two active wars now. There are some interesting differences in tonight’s format from earlier debates including between these two men four years ago. Once both campaigns discarded the discredited and feckless Federal Election Commission and negotiated directly with the host CNN network, they quickly agreed on terms. Biden won a coin flip, conferring the option to pick which podium he prefers or decide the order of closing statements. Using a coin flip was perhaps an unintentional acknowledgement that this debate contest resembles a major football game. Anyhow, the president opted for the podium location. He will appear on the right side of viewers’ screens. This is likely because Biden is righthanded and is more comfortable looking to his right. And he has been in

enough debates to know what works better for him. Also, in their two debates during the 2020 election, Biden appeared in the same position — to the left of Mr Trump, and on viewers’ right.

Interestingly, from 1974-2017, seven American presidents held office. Five of them were lefthanded. Prior to 1974, only two chief executives had ever been southpaws.

In return, Trump will get the last word after moderators Dana Bash and Jake Tapper offer the candidates a final summary statement. The candidates’ microphones will only be turned on when it is their turn to speak, and will be muted otherwise. This was reportedly a condition that became a requirement for Biden’s campaign.

In their first debate in 2020, Biden uttered one of the more memorable lines after Trump repeatedly interrupted him.

“Will you shut up, man?” he said. It was a good, stout response to the bullying Trump, and represented a telling contrast to Hillary Clinton in 2016.

Confronted by Trump’s overweening presence as he roamed the debate stage, she could only shrug and smirk. The image was one of confusion and even weakness. It has been widely

reported that at rallies in the past week or so, Trump had changed his approach to Biden and tonight’s debate. After literally many months of disparaging Biden as senile, frail and generally no longer physically or mentally fit for office, Trump and his crowd of advisers apparently woke up to the fact that with such a prelude of startlingly low expectations, Biden couldn’t possibly disappoint his audience.

Now, Trump is belatedly building up Biden. He has been referring back to Biden’s commanding performance against GOP vice-presidential candidate and Wisconsin congressman Paul Ryan in 2012.

“Well, all I can say is this: I watched him with Paul Ryan, and he destroyed Paul Ryan,” Trump said recently. “And he beat Paul Ryan, so I’m not underestimating him.” Ryan, a moderate former Republican speaker of the House, strongly denounced Trump from his early moments as a national campaigner, so Trump must feel he is conceding nothing by disparaging Ryan, who has retired from politics.

Another facet of tonight’s debate is the reassertion of the fundamental, immutable principle of duopoly American politics: The ‘Big Two’ ensure that there can only be two political parties. The bar to entry for others, whether they be independent or simply different from Democrats and Republicans, is exceedingly high.

The latest candidate to experience this is one of Robert F Kennedy’s sons, Bobby Kennedy Jr, now the youngster in the race at the age of 70.

CNN pleased both Biden and Trump by excluding Kennedy from tonight’s debate on grounds similar to those previously used by the FEC in previous campaigns, but RFK Jr is understandably unhappy about it. Last week, he called his exclusion from the debate “undemocratic, un-American and cowardly”.

To qualify for tonight, Kennedy needed to be

officially on the ballot in enough states that he could theoretically win enough electoral votes to win the election. By the deadline, however, Kennedy reportedly had less than a third of that number. He was actually officially on the ballot in only six states — California, Delaware, Hawaii, Michigan, Oklahoma and Utah. Together, they account for less than onethird of the total he would need to win.

Kennedy also needed to earn at least 15 percent support in four approved national polls. He had only three such polls, one from CNN itself; one from Quinnipiac University and one from Marquette University Law School. The last approved poll that could have qualified showed him with only 10 percent support.

Qualifying for the CNN debate would have obviously been a terrific boost for Kennedy’s campaign, which seems destined to play the role of spoiler in November – but with no certainty about whose campaign will be most affected by his presence in the race.

Kennedy, who is married to Larry David’s TV wife Cheryl Hines from HBO’s long-running Curb Your Enthusiasm series, will be an enigmatic wild card in the race until Election Day.

More than 73 million people watched the first debate between Biden and Trump four years ago, and Kennedy could have had a phenomenal, perhaps transformative, opportunity to confront his opponents in front of such a large national audience.

No third-party or independent presidential candidate has been granted admission to a national debate since 1992, when a Texas tech billionaire named Ross Perot gained enough support to put him on stage with then-president George H W Bush and Arkansas Governor Bill Clinton in three debates in the final weeks before the election.

Perot’s persistent candidacy was one of the key factors in Clinton’s stunning upset victory.

with Charlie Harper

PRESIDENT Joe Binden and former President Donald Trump will face off tonight in the first presidential candidates debate.

Photo: AP

INDEPENDENT presidential candidate Robert F. Kennedy Jr. was not invited to take part in the debate.

Photo: Jose Luis Magana/AP

How a thrill-seeking personality helps Olympic athletes

By KENNETH CARTER Emory University

ONE of the main draws of the Winter Olympics is the opportunity to witness some of the most exciting and nail-biting athletic feats.

The daring events include the bobsled and downhill skiing. Then there’s the terrifying skeleton: Imagine barreling down a narrow chute of twisted ice-coated concrete at 125 miles per hour. Now imagine doing that head first, like a human battering ram.

Athletes train for years for these events, but most of these elite athletes possess something that helps them succeed during these high-stakes events: their personality.

Some people have a personality trait that helps them focus in highly chaotic environments like the ones you’ll see during the Winter Olympics. It’s called a high sensationseeking personality, and it’s a trait that, as a psychologist, I’ve long been fascinated with.

Calm in the face of danger

To some extent, we all crave complex and new experiences – that is, we all seek new sensations.

Whether it’s our attraction to the latest shiny gadget or the newest fashion trend, novelty tugs at us. But even though we all share an interest in new sensations, what sets high sensation-seeking personalities apart is that they crave these exotic and intense experiences to an extent that they’re willing to risk their health.

What’s amazing is that some high sensation-seeking individuals experience less stress and are fearless and calm in the face of danger. For example, 2014 Olympic slalom gold medalist Mikaela Shiffrin tears down mountains at speeds of 80 mph. But she recently told Sky Magazine that the experience can feel like it unfolds in slow motion while she’s “finding a way to control the controllable.”

There’s neurological evidence to back up the sense of calm that athletes like Shiffrin feel in midst of chaos and danger.

You may have heard of cortisol – it’s the “fight or flight” hormone, and it can make us feel stressed and overwhelmed.

However, when people with high sensation-seeking personalities have intense experiences, they don’t produce that much cortisol. On top of that, they produce higher levels of “pleasure” chemicals like dopamine.

What’s more, researchers have found that people with high sensation-seeking personalities have increased sensitivity to things that could be rewarding – like landing a perfect switch backside 1620 – and decreased sensitivity to potential dangers, such as the fear

of wiping out after doing a triple jump.

High sensation-seeking isn’t exclusive to Winter Olympians, of course. It can creep into every aspect of life, influ encing the way you interact with other people, the things you do for fun, the music you like, the way you drive and even the jokes you tell.

Leaping before you look In the 1950s, while studying sensory deprivation, psychologist Robert Zuckerman stumbled upon this sen sation-seeking trait. Zuckerman was eventually able to show that sensation-seeking is made up of four dis tinct com

ponents. Each con tributes to an individual’s unique way of seeking or avoiding sensation. (And you can actually take a test to see where you fall for each of these four components on the sensation-seeking scale.)

The first two – thrill-seeking and experience-seeking – were mentioned earlier. But the sensation-seeking personality trait also involves disinhibition and boredom susceptibility.

Disinhibition has to do with our willingness to be spontaneous and our ability to let loose. People with low levels of disinhibition always look before they leap. Those high in disinhibition? They just leap.

Boredom susceptibility boils down to your ability to tolerate the absence of external stimuli. Those with high scores in boredom susceptibility dislike repetition: They tire easily of predictable or dull people, and they get restless when forced to perform mundane tasks.

This last component might be the toughest thing for Olympic athletes who are high-sensation seekers to deal with. In order to be a successful Olympian, you need

drills. It’s easy to see how all of these aspects of sensation-seeking personalities might exist in Olympic athletes, whether it’s a snowboarder experimenting with a daring new trick or a hockey forward navigating a puck through a maze of defenders.

People with high sensation-seeking personalities don’t just crave these situations. In those moments, they’re in their element. Where a low sensationseeking person might crumble, they thrive.

So when you’re watching the Winter Olympics and wondering how the athletes can handle the pressures and dangers of competition, just remember: For some of them, chaos and intensity are secret weapons of success.

• Originally published on www.theconversation.com

to spend countless hours practicing dull, repeti

SWIMMER - Lamar Taylor

TRACK - Steven Gardiner

HURDLES - Davynne Charlton

Apparent failed coup attempt in Bolivia

BOLIVIA Associated Press

AN apparent failed coup attempt erupted Wednesday in Bolivia, where armored vehicles rammed into the doors of the government palace and President Luis Arce said the country stood firm against attacks on democracy.

Arce confronted the general commander of the army — Juan José Zúñiga, who appeared to be leading the rebellion — in the palace hallway, saying, “I am your captain, and I order you to withdraw your soldiers, and I will not allow this insubordination.”

Bolivian television showed two tanks and a number of men in military uniform outside the building, but troops and armored vehicles later began to pull back. Supporters of Arce flooded into the plaza outside soon afterward, waving Bolivian flags.

Arce said the day has been “atypical in the life of country that wants democracy.” He decried what he called “an attempted coup by troops who are staining the uniform, who are attacking our constitution.”

Arce also replaced the heads of the armed forces.

Here’s the latets:

President Arce thanks the Bolivian people, and VP says country will not allow more coups

Bolivian President Luis Arce has addressed supporters who gathered in Plaza Murillo, outside the governmental palace, after Wednesday’s apparent failed coup attempt. “Many thanks to the Bolivian people. ... Long live democracy,” Arce said.

Vice President David Choquehuanca told the crowd, “Never again will the Bolivian people allow coups d’etat.”

Chile is among foreign governments that are condemning what appeared to be a failed coup attempt in neighboring Bolivia.

People then began singing the South American country’s national anthem.

Chile, EU among foreign governments condemning apparent failed coup attempt

President Gabriel Boric told reporters that he “immediately” contacted his Bolivian counterpart to offer his “solidarity.”

“We condemn this coup attempt. We call for institutions to function, for the constitution and the laws to be respected,” he added. “We hope that no one is injured and that the legitimate government of President Luis Arce remains in place and can continue with the mandate that the Bolivian people have voted for.”

Boric said the matter would be raised Thursday before the Organization of American States.

EU President Ursula von der Leyen also expressed the European bloc’s strong support for constitutional order and the rule of law in Bolivia.

Troops and armored vehicles begin to pull back; president decries those who “are staining the uniform”

Troops and armored vehicles have begun to pull back from Bolivia’s government palace.

Supporters of President Luis Arce flooded into the plaza outside and waved Bolivian flags soon afterward.

Arce said the day has been “atypical in the life of country that wants democracy.”

He decried what he called “an attempted coup by troops who are staining the uniform, who are attacking our constitution.”

Arce praised those troops who obey the constitution and “wear their uniform with pride.”

“We deplore the

attitudes of bad troops who regrettably repeat history by trying to carry out a coup when the Bolivian people have always been a democratic people,” he added.

Bolivia president replaces heads of the armed forces; new army commander orders troops back to barracks

Bolivian President Luis Arce has announced new heads of the army, navy and air force. That includes the position of the army general commander, Juan José Zúñiga, who appears to be leading the rebellion.

New army chief José Wilson Sánchez is ordering all mobilized troops to return to their barracks. “No one wants the images we’re seeing in the streets,” he said.

Arce said that those who rose up against him were “staining the uniform.” He vowed that democracy would be respected.

Police with riot gear have put up fences around the government palace and the plaza outside.

Video from the streets showed armored vehicles driving away from the palace, followed by troops and journalists.

Bolivian labor union condemns what it calls an attempted coup

The leadership of Bolivia’s largest labor union has condemned what it calls an attempted coup d’état and declared an indefinite strike of social and labor organizations in La Paz in defense of the government.

President to Army commander: “I order you to withdraw”; army commander says he is out to “restore democracy”

Bolivian President Luis Arce has told the army general commander, who appeared to be leading the rebellion: “I am your captain, and I order you to withdraw your soldiers, and I will not allow this insubordination.”

Before entering the government palace, Juan José Zúñiga told journalists in the plaza outside that “Surely soon there will be a new Cabinet of ministers; our country, our state cannot go on like this.” Zúñiga said that “for now” he recognizes Arce as commander in chief. Zúñiga did not explicitly say whether he is leading a coup, but in the palace, with bangs echoing behind him, he said the army was trying to “restore democracy and free our political prisoners.”

Armored vehicles ram the doors of the palace, and president confronts army commander

Armored vehicles rammed into the doors of Bolivia’s government palace Wednesday as President Luis Arce said the country faced an attempted coup, insisted he stands firm and urged people to mobilize.

In a video of Arce surrounded by ministers in the palace, he said: “The country is facing an attempted coup d’état. Here we are, firm in Casa Grande, to confront any coup attempt. We need the Bolivian people to organize.”

Arce confronted the general commander of the Army, Juan José Zúñiga, in the palace hallway, as shown on video on Bolivian television. “I am your captain, and I order you to withdraw your soldiers, and I will not allow this insubordination,” Arce said.

AN ARMORED vehicle and military police form outside the government palace at Plaza Murillo in La Paz, Bolivia yesterday. Armoured vehicles rammed into the doors of Bolivia’s government palace Wednesday as President Luis Arce said the country faced an attempted coup.

Photo: Juan Karita/AP

National champions emerge on day one

BY TENAJH SWEETING Tribune Sports Reporter tsweeting@tribunemedia.net

Day one of the Bahamas Association of Athletic Associations (BAAA) Kids Athletics Invitational, Junior and Senior Track and Field Nationals, dubbed the ‘The Road to Paris’, saw national champions emerge victorious yesterday at the original Thomas A Robinson Stadium.

Juniors and seniors turned in winning performances in their own respective divisions at the last chance Olympic qualifier for the 2024 Paris Olympic Games and World Athletics Under-20 Championships qualifier.

Seniors Coming into the nationals, University of Florida student Wanya McCoy had the goal of attaining the Olympic qualifying

SEE PAGE 17

Team Bahamas downed 93-80 by Montenegro in international friendly

THE Bahamas senior

men’s national basketball team opened up the first game of two international friendlies on a sour note.

The national team was downed 93-80 as Montenegro mounted a comeback win in their second game of the Aegean Acropolis Tournament in Athens, Greece.

The Bahamas, led by National Basketball Association (NBA) pros Chavano “Buddy” Hield, Deandre Ayton and Eric “EJ” Gordon, will have a quick turnaround as they are up next today at 1pm EST against Greece which could be potentially led by

NBA superstar Giannis Antetokounmpo. The stacked Bahamian roster was led by some veteran national team members and some newcomers.

Franco Miller Jr, who plays for the Florida Gulf Coast Eagles, dropped a team-high 20 points complemented by two rebounds and four dimes. He was also astounding at the charity stripe, connecting on 5-of-6 free throws.

Kansas guard AJ Storr was next in command with 15 points in the tournament opener. He was efficient in the contest, going 7-for-8 on field goals.

Also, Bimini native Valdez “VJ” Edgecombe poured in 11 points to pair with four rebounds and two

THE SPORTS CALENDAR

SOFTBALL MEMORIAL FOR RENEE

‘SUNSHINE’ DAVIS

THE sporting community and friends have planned a series of events as they pay their last respects to the late Renee ‘Sunshine’ Davis. A memorial service for Davis, 56, was held at 7pm Wednesday in the foyer of the Andre Rodgers Baseball Stadium. And tonight at 7pm, the Eastern Star Memorial will take place at Demeritte’s Funeral Home. Then, at 10am on Saturday, Davis’ homegoing funeral service will take place at Bible Truth Ministries on Cowpen Road through the corner opposite Gordon’s Liquor Store.

June, 2024

SOFTBALL BBSF TOURNAMENT THE newly formed Bahamas Baptist Sports Federation has pushed back its Co-Ed Softball Invitational Tournament to Saturday, July 6 at the Charles W. Saunders High School, Jean Street. The tournament was delayed from starting on Saturday, June 22, due to the passing of the federation’s director of track and field, Renee ‘Sunshine’ Davis, of Golden Gates Native Baptist Church.

The registration fee is $200 per team that will include a maximum of 28 players, including the manager and

SEE PAGE 18

steals in his national team debut.

Portland Trail Blazers centre Ayton posted 11 points and five rebounds in just the first half and Hield contributed eight points and pulled down six rebounds.

Although the team dropped the game, Miller said it was just fun to get out there and build chemistry with the group ahead of the 2024 FIBA Olympic Qualifying Tournament set for July 2-7 in Valencia, Spain.

“I think it was just fun for us to go out there and get cohesive as a group and play with the older guys like Buddy, EJ and Ayton and just try to get collective and

SEE PAGE 16

BAHAMIAN wrestlers are looking to put their talents on display for the home crowd this Saturday at the Baha Bash wrestling event to be hosted at Baha Mar in the Andros Ballroom. The loaded card is set to feature some of the biggest names in wrestling from around the world, including the Bahamas’ first professional women’s wrestler Kaylia Capri. Capri also goes by her stage name Sierra Breeze as part of the Women of Wrestling (WOW) Superheroes brand.

READY TO RUMBLE: Jeff Brazzle, promoter of All Caribbean Wrestling (ACW),

CRUISE CONTROL: Steven Gardiner in action during the Senior Track and Field Nationals at the original Thomas A Robinson Stadium.

ROAD TO PARIS: Shaunae Miller-Uibo in action yesterday during the BAAA Junior and Senior Track and Field Nationals yesterday at the original Thomas A Robinson Stadium.

PHOTOS ON PAGE 17

Photos by Nikia Charlton

AMERICANS FAVOURED TO TOP OVERALL MEDAL COUNT IN PARIS OLYMPICS. CHINA WILL CHALLENGE FOR MOST GOLD

By STEPHEN WADE AP Sports Writer

THE United States is strongly favoured to win the most overall medals when the Paris Olympics open in a month.

The big question is this: will the Americans also top the gold-medal tally in a close race with China?

The United States is projected to win 123 medals overall — 37 gold, 34 silver, and 52 bronze. China is forecast to win 87 overall — 36 gold, 29 silver, and 22 bronze.

This forecast is done by Nielsen’s Gracenote Sports, which supplies statistical analysis for sports leagues around the world. It also tracks major competitions involving Olympic sports leading up to the Games.

The United States and China finished 1-2 in both categories in 2021 in the pandemic-delayed Tokyo Olympics.

Gracenote’s ranking is based on overall medals won, although others focus the rankings on gold totals.

The International Olympic Committee does not

compile rankings, leaving this to nations and local media.

This would be the eighth straight time the United States has won the most overall medals in the Summer Games. In 1992 at Barcelona, the so-called Unified team topped the overall count. Those athletes were from the former Soviet Union, which had just broken up as a sovereign state.

The last time the United States did not top the goldmedal count in the Summer Games was in the 2008

Olympics in Beijing, where China invested heavily and saw dividends.

Next in line with overall and gold totals for Paris are: Britain (62-14), France (56-29), Australia (48-13), Japan (46-12), Italy (46-11), Germany (37-10), Netherlands (34-17), South Korea (29-8).

The next 10 are:

Hungary (23-7), Canada (20-6), Spain (18-4), Ukraine (17-2), Brazil (167), New Zealand (16-4), Poland (15-5), Denmark (14-5), Turkey (14-4), Ethiopia (13-2).

Richardson back on track in 200, McLaughlin-Levrone in 400 hurdles as Olympic trials enter homestretch

By EDDIE PELLS and PAT GRAHAM AP Sports Writers

EUGENE, Oregon (AP)

— Sha’Carri Richardson and Noah Lyles are coming back for Part II. Sydney McLaughlin-Levrone and Gabby Thomas are joining the show. The second half of U.S. Olympic trials for track and field kick off Thursday (today), and the final four days at Hayward Field will feature the full complement of America’s biggest names in the sport.

Richardson and Lyles will try to earn spots in the 200 metres to go along with the titles they won in the 100 over the first weekend.

McLaughlin-Levrone looks to secure a spot in the 400-metre hurdles, the event where she holds the world record and is the reigning Olympic champion. And Thomas tries to nail down a spot in her specialty, the 200 metres, where she won an Olympic bronze medal in Tokyo.

If any of them needed a refresher on what’s really at stake, all they had to do was look at the race that closed the curtain on the first half of the action at Hayward Field. Another of America’s brightest stars, Athing

Mu, went tumbling on the first lap of the 800 metres Monday night, denying her a chance at a repeat of her Olympic title. In the U.S., the top three finishers in each event make the Olympics — provided

they have the Olympic qualifying standard in their event — and there are no free passes, even for the best at their craft. “This is my 12th Olympic Games, my 47th national championship, and this is the hardest

And 21 through 30 are: Sweden (12-6), Georgia (12-3), Serbia (11-5), Belgium (11-3), Uzbekistan (11-3), Kazakhstan (10-2), Iran (9-4), Croatia (9-3), Romania (9-2), Ireland (9-2).

Host nations always get a bump in medals, and France is expected to get a big one and increase its overall total from 33 in Tokyo. France is forecast to nearly triple its gold-medal output from Tokyo, where Japan picked up a record haul.

Performing at home is an advantage, partly because

host nations invest more heavily in training athletes. Then, of course, there are adoring home crowds and the familiar surroundings. The unknown factor is the presence of Russian and — to a lesser extent — Belarusian athletes. They have been absent from most international competitions over the last two years because of the war in Ukraine.

It’s still unclear how many will participate and their influence is difficult to factor into the forecast, Gracenote acknowledges.

team in the world to make,” said coach Bobby Kersee, who works with both Mu and McLaughlin-Levrone.

The sure thing

After lowering the world record to 50.68 seconds at world championships in 2022, McLaughlin-Levrone basically took two years off from the 400 hurdles and left the track world wondering if she might move to another event.

Not to be. She rededicated herself to her main event, and if she fails to earn an Olympic spot — or fails to win Sunday’s final — it would be as big a surprise as any at this meet. She knows there are no sure things.

“Always respect your competitors, but know I can go out there and continue to do what I’ve been doing,” McLaughlin-Levrone said.

“So no anxiety. Just continuing to perform to the best of my ability.” Fast company Thomas knows she’ll have her work cut out to return to the Olympics. Among those the neurobiology major from Harvard is set to face are Richardson and Twanisha Terry, the third-place finisher in the 100. Also, there’s McKenzie Long, the NCAA 100 and 200 champion from Ole Miss who has the fastest time this season at 21.83 seconds.

Thomas sees this as yet another indication of the strength of the sport on the women’s side. It’s why, once the Olympics are over, she’s on board for an all-women’s track meet in September.

OLYMPIC TRACK AND FIELD SEEING DOLLAR SIGNS WITH SPLASHY CASH INFUSIONS INTO THE SPORT

By EDDIE PELLS and PAT GRAHAM AP Sports Writers

EUGENE, Oregon (AP)

— One aspiring Olympian is taking a break from his day job at the deli section while he makes his run for Paris. Another athlete worked as a nanny, but when she left to focus on running at the Games, the family understood.

When these runners and hurdlers learned they would be racing for a big, fat firstprize check worth $50,000 to go with the gold medal at this summer’s Olympics, they were, understandably, excited.

“That’d be big,” American hurdler Dylan Beard said this week at U.S. track and field trials, while taking a break from his job at the Walmart Supercenter in Wake Forest, North Carolina. “I mean, I wouldn’t even know what to do with that much money.”

In a move that many in track — and the Olympic world, in general — felt was long overdue, World

Athletics, the governing body for track, announced earlier this year that there would be a first-of-its-kind cash prize available for all of track and field’s winners in Paris. That’s a prize pool of $2.4 million spread across 48 events.

That move, combined with the recent rapid-fire introduction of track meets featuring enhanced prize pools — and even a new track league fronted by sprinting great Michael Johnson — represents the biggest publicly touted cash infusion into the sport in decades.

It could be a lifeline for track athletes, who have struggled for attention since Usain Bolt left the spotlight.

The sport has seen a widening gulf between haves — such as Noah Lyles, Sha’Carri Richardson and Sydney McLaughlin-Levrone — and the have-nots since the heyday of the 1980s. That’s when the likes of Carl Lewis, Edwin Moses and Jackie Joyner-Kersee were mainstream stars who could often be seen on the track in the day, then on “The Tonight Show” at night.

For Olympic steeplechaser Evan Jager, who won silver at the 2016 Rio de Janeiro Olympics, a current ESPN documentary about former sprinter Butch Reynolds, who starred in the sport in the ‘80s and early ‘90s, highlighted one

key difference between today and yesteryear.

“It was like $70K for some of the appearance” fees for running in meets, Jager said. “Granted, he was at the top of the sport at the time, but you don’t hear too many athletes getting that much money in appearance fees (today) at some of these meets.”

Johnson’s Grand Slam Track league will sign athletes to actual contracts, then add appearance fees for some others, with plans to bring 96 runners together four times a year to compete for $100,000 first-place prizes. (Some field athletes are, predictably, upset at not being included in the rollout, but Johnson says he’s taking things one step at a time.)

Johnson touted a $12.6 million prize pool and said he had secured more than

$30 million to bankroll the league, which will start in 2025.

In addition to the $50,000 first prizes for the Olympics, World Athletics this month announced the start of the Ultimate Championship in 2026, which will bring together the best in the sport to compete for a prize pot of $10 million and first prizes worth $150,000.

Also, Reddit co-founder Alexis Ohanian recently went public with plans for an all-women’s track meet in September that will feature Olympic silver and bronze medallist Gabby Thomas and promised the largest purse ever for a female-only track meet.

All of this looks like progress to three-time Olympic medallist Brittney Reese, who is not competing but remains active in the track community.

“We’re not going to get paid like the NBA or the NFL, but we are a professional sport and we do deserve to get paid,” Reese said. “I trained 11 months out of the year, so I’m pretty sure some of these athletes do the same.”

It’s the reason well-worn stories about athletes raising funds at car washes and bake sales, and getting side jobs at coffee shops and hardware stores, become so popular every Olympic year. Or why it’s not uncommon to see someone like Allie Wilson, who is heading to the Olympics in the 800 meters, take a nanny job to make ends meet before she peels off to focus on her training.

“Our sport is definitely growing and they’re doing a lot more to help us athletes,” Wilson said. “But for me, this was, like, for all the glory, I wanted to be an Olympian my entire life, and I knew it was going to take everything I had in me to get there.”

This push in track comes at an especially pivotal time, given the Summer Olympics are returning to the United States in 2028 — namely, the Coliseum in Los Angeles, which used to be the mecca for the sport — for the first time in a generation.

Two years ago, when world championships were held in America for the first time, World Athletics

President Sebastian Coe made a point of spelling out his goal of turning track back into a top-four sport in the U.S.

“For the games to really work, the U.S. needs a really powerful track and field presence,” Coe said in a 2022 interview.

LA organisers doubled down on that by bucking tradition and moving it to the start of the Games instead of the second week where it had been since 1972.

“Athletics is our primetime event,” LA28 chairman Casey Wasserman said. “We’re starting off with a bang. That Saturday night, we’re going to have world-class athletics at the Coliseum. It’s going to really create a lot of energy and excitement.”

By then, America and the world will have a better idea about whether all these attempts to put more money in the pockets of track athletes has moved the sport back into the big time.

For these Olympics, at least, the days of running for pride, country, a gold medal and the hope of a big endorsement deal are over. There will be real money on the line in Paris.

“That $50,000 for gold is definitely a good step,” American long jumper Marquis Dendy said. “I would say that there is room for more improvement, but that’s a really good step.”

MARQUIS Dendy competes in the men’s long jump final at the U.S. Olympic Track and Field Trials on Monday in Eugene, Oregon. (AP Photo/Charlie Neibergall)

SHA’Carri Richardson in action. (AP)

NOAH Lyles in action. (AP)

Elizabeth ‘Lizzie’ Dupuch-Carron makes her bodybuilding debut in Boca Raton

By BRENT STUBBS Chief Sports Editor bstubbs@tribunemedia.net

ALTHOUGH she has been actively involved as a fitness trainer for quite some time, Bahamian Elizabeth “Lizzie” DupuchCarron felt that with the right trainer to get her ready, it was time for her to step out on stage and compete in her first bodybuilding competition.

As a part of her 50th birthday celebrations from October 21, Dupuch-Carron made her debut at the South Florida Classic Pro 212 and NPC Chzlo Classic in Boca Raton, Florida on Saturday.

She placed third in the women’s bikini true novice short class, women’s over 45-and-over and the women’s 50-and-over.

Dupuch-Carron, a native of England where she started her career as a physical trainer, also went into the women’s open bikini, but she didn’t place. She said she was a bit nervous competing for the first time, but she was confident with her trainer Joel Stubbs, who spent the past eight months preparing her at Club One Fitness Centre in Sandyport.

“I know the movers, I knew what to do, but I had a little bit of a stage fright,” she said. “I came back for the second part of the competition and I did very well. I think the first part of the competition, I lost it a bit. But I placed third, so I can’t feel that bad about it.

“As a part of my 50th birthday celebrations last year, I spent the past eight months training for it and now here I am.”

Stubbs, the immediate past president of the Bahamas Bodybuilding Federation, said DupuchCarron was referred to him and, after he got an understanding of what she wanted to do, he immediately got to work on refining her body.

“I normally engage and observe first to see how far and serious she was,” said Stubbs, a former Mr Olympia competitor.

“As soon as we got started, she proved that this

was something she loved because she was engaged in the sport indirectly as a physical fitness trainer.

“She wanted to go into the women’s bikini, which is very minimal in terms of body muscles and as we trained, she went out there and gave me 100 percent. That’s when I realised that she was ready to compete.”

When they got to the show, Stubbs said a lot of the competitors had a lot of muscles, more than anticipated, which would have placed them either in women’s figure or women’s body fitness. But he encouraged her to go out on stage and give it her best shot and she ended up third all around.

Now that she’s broken the ice and with the continued assistance from Stubbs, Dupuch-Carron said she will be back on the stage in Boca Raton for her next show.

“If I landed third in my first show ever in life, can you imagine what I can do,” she lamented. “We will keep the bikini with the strong shoulders, but we will work on more muscles so I can be a more wellrounded competitor.

“I’m in the shape that I need to be in for bikini with just a little bit more mass. So that is what we are working on. I placed third in all three categories, so I’m looking forward to the next competition.”

After picking up the three bronze medals in her debut, Stubbs said DupuchCarron will be back better than she did for the next show as he prepares her to compete for the top spot in whatever category she competes in.

“Her mind has now shifted to being a real competitor with a spirit of excellence,” Stubbs summed up. “I think the next time she competes, she’s going to come back with something greater than a third. “This is going to be a much bigger show because it is a national qualifier, which will attract better competitors. But I think she has the potential to stand up against the best of them in the winner’s circle.”

BODYBUILDING DEBUT: Elizabeth “Lizzie” Dupuch-Carron, right, and her bodybuilding trainer Joel Stubbs.

Team Bahamas downed 93-80 by Montenegro in international friendly

FROM PAGE 13

be on the same page as we head into Spain,” he said.

The no.17 ranked Montenegro were reeling following a 29-point drubbing at the hands of Greece in their Acropolis opener. The Bahamas seemed poised to deliver their opponents back-to-back losses in the first half.

They were in top form on the offensive and defensive end to create a three-point separation 19-16 going into in the second quarter.

The momentum continued in the second quarter as the Bahamian team were ahead by 13 points (40-27) and went into the second half with a 43-35 advantage.

Despite The Bahamas’ first half heroics, Chicago

Bulls star Nikola Vucevic powered his way to 15 points and 15 rebounds but he was not the only bright spot for the Montenegrin squad. Marko Simonovic erupted for a team-high 20 points to go with seven rebounds.

In the third quarter, Montenegro went on a 18-3 run which put them in the driver’s seat 53-46 and from that point The Bahamas never recovered.

The latter was outscored 58-37 in the second half as Bahamian big man Ayton did not touch the court in the second half.

Miller said the team will watch film and make the necessary corrections, not only for the remainder of the Acropolis Tournament but also for the upcoming FIBA Olympic

Qualifying Tournament.

“We are gonna just watch the film, get better and see what we did wrong and see what we can correct. It is all about Spain, just us getting ready to be the best that we can be by that time,” he said.

Edgecombe was grateful for the experience in his national team debut.

“I will be honest, it felt great being able to play with the pro guys, being able to be coached by coach Chris and the rest of the staff, all of the vets like Kino and those. I mean it’s great and a first bump and I am excited to see what we can really do for The Bahamas,” he said.

With that being mentioned, the team will be in action versus Greece at 1pm EST today.

ON THE REPLAY: The Bahamas senior men’s national basketball team came up short against Montenegro 93-80 at the Acropolis Tournament in Greece yesterday. Photos: John-Marc Nutt/10th Year Seniors

THE BAHAMAS senior men’s national basketball team lost to Montenegro 93-80 at the Acropolis Tournament in Greece yesterday.

THE BAHAMAS Basketball Federation (BBF) has released the preliminary roster for the under-17 junior men’s national basketball team. The 18-man roster was constructed after scouting and multiple tryouts were conducted across New Providence, Grand Bahama and the Family Islands for the best basketball talent.

FAST TRACK: Athletes compete on day one of the Bahamas Association of Athletic Associations (BAAA) Kids Athletics Invitational, Junior and Senior Track and Field Nationals, dubbed the ‘The Road to Paris’, yesterday at the original Thomas A Robinson Stadium. Juniors and seniors turned in winning performances in their own respective divisions at the last chance Olympic qualifier for the 2024 Paris Olympic Games and World Athletics Under-20 Championships qualifier.

National champions emerge on day one

FROM PAGE 13

standard of 10.00 seconds. He was unable to get close to the qualifying mark this time around but he prevailed to become the national champion.

McCoy outlasted his competitors in the men’s 100m open event with a time of 10.16 seconds.

Terrence Jones, representing Adidas, was second in the sprint event at 10.49 seconds and veteran Samson Colebrooke came in right on his heels at 10.50 seconds.

He spoke about how it felt to become the national champion.

“I feel pretty good honestly. Coming into this race I knew for a fact I was the man to beat. I wish the time was better but given the circumstances with the weather I did what I could with what was given to me. I think I executed the race pretty well but I know for a fact I could go way faster so in Paris when I run 100m, I will probably try to break the national record there,” he said.

The 21-year-old has already qualified in the 200m event and is expecting to qualify for the 100m event due to his World Athletics rankings. He outlined his hopes for the international multi-sports event.

“I hope to medal honestly. If I don’t medal, I at least hope to make the finals so I know for a fact next year when I come back to college nobody could beat me,” he said.

Camille Rufherford took over in the women’s section of the open 100m finals. She was pushed to the brink by Anthaya Charlton but crossed the line first at 11.47 seconds. Charlton, on

the other hand, trailed for second in 11.53 seconds.

Printassaia Johnson, who ran unattached, dropped to the third spot in 11.83 seconds.

Blake Bartlett was the top sprinter in the men’s 100m open B Finals. He led the entire race to clock 11.10 seconds. Freeport’s Antoine Fowler was the next best competitor in the event at 11.30 seconds.

Fabian Sautil, representing the T-Bird Flyers, was victorious in the men’s 1500m event. He ended the race in 4:32.25. Ken Mullings also was the second competitor in the event. He posted a time of 5:00.99.

Bahamian javelin national record holder

Keyshawn Strachan was in action in the men’s javelin throw open event. He had a heave of 73.04m which was not his best performance in the event but he was able to win the national title.

Triple jump sensation Charisma Taylor was the lone competitor in the women’s triple jump open event. She soared to 13.80m to win the field event.

Kaille Gray, of GB Invictus, reigned supreme in the women’s high jump open event. She ended with a mark of 1.50m. Meanwhile, Tahjnea Thurston bested the field in the women’s hammer throw open event with a toss of 52.16m. Abner Johnson and Tarajh Hudson went head-to-head in the men’s hammer throw open event but Johnson would get the winning toss with 45.85m. Hudson had a throwing distance of 44.51m in the event.

Juniors Shayann Demeritte and Carlos Brown Jr were the national champions of the

under-20 girls and boys 100m finals respectively.

Demeritte led her event with a winning time of 12.14 seconds. As for Brown, he outran his competitors with a time of 10.46 seconds.

Demeritte, representing Swift Athletics, did not feel it was her best performance but she was happy to get the win regardless.

“It was good. I got out better in the heats and it wasn’t the best. It wasn’t what I was expecting but I just trust in God’s process and what he has for me and my track career,” she said.

The CARIFTA medallist was also very proud to be the national champion.

“It feels good because this is my last season training in The Bahamas fully because I am going off to college next year. It feels good to represent my track club well and God because without him I am nothing and I do all things through him,” she said.

Everette Fraser and Kianna Henchell were the top performers in the under-17 girls and boys 100m finals. Fraser finished in 10.77 seconds and Hanchell had the best time with 12.24 seconds.

Grace Farrington, representing Red-Line Athletics, took the first podium spot in the u20 girls 1500m event. She was well ahead of the competition and wrapped up with a time of 5:28.34. Tellica Seymour, of Rising Stars, and Breynice Kemp, of Hurray Murray, dropped to second and third place respectively.

Beryco Pierre, of the T-Bird Flyers, brought the win home in the men’s event. He crossed the line at 4:24.18. Kaden Cartwright, of Blue Chip Athletics, won

comfortably in the under20 boys javelin throw. He heaved the javelin to 59.56m. Kendal Cooper was second overall with his throw of 44.06m. University of Miami student

Calea Jackson returned home to claim the first spot in the under-20 girls javelin throw event. She posted a 40.30m mark. Next up in the event was Annae Mackey at second place and

Terrell McCoy, representing X-Treme Athletics, in third. The BAAAs Kids Athletics Invitational, Junior and Senior Nationals picks back up at 4pm today.

Photos by Nikia Charlton

Bikini Top Bareback Beach Fun Run/Walk up next this Saturday

THE second edition of the Bikini Top Bareback Beach Fun Run/Walk is slated to get underway at 6am on Saturday at Goodman’s Bay.

The community-minded event will donate a part of its proceeds to assist with the medical expenses of Marie Simms, who is a retired insurance executive.

The summer themed event which is presented by Four Seasons Race Management is priced at $45 for individual participants and for groups of 10 or more persons it is $35 per person. Interested individuals can sign up to participate via www.fourseasonsracemanagement.com

Registration will also be available on the day of the event but registered participants can pick up their race packets on Friday, June 28, at Goodman’s Bay (sand area) from 10am to 7pm.

There will be a cash prize awarded to winners and there will also be a best beach body and abs competition. The top prize in the grand raffle will feature a relaxing one-night stay at the newly- built Goldwynn Resort & Residences.

Route A is two miles long on Goodman’s Bay sand, east to west and back.

Route B will be a repeat of Route A. Bareback or bikini tops are optional as regular running gear is also accepted.

The event is sponsored by Global Insurance Agencies, Caribbean Bottling Co Ltd, Alpha Sounds, Health Wise, Thompson Trading, Bahamian Brewery and Beverage Co Ltd, Nassau Agency Ltd and Saints Drive and Go.

THE COMMUNITY-minded second edition of the Bikini Top Bareback Beach Fun Run/ Walk is slated to get underway at 6am on Saturday at Goodman’s Bay.

OLYMPIC TRIALS: RICHARDSON BACK ON TRACK IN 200

FROM PAGE 14

“It’s a big moment for women’s sports. I’m really inspired by that,” Thomas recently said. “It’s a big moment for women’s track and field, too. Soccer and basketball, they’re getting so much love right now. But track and field we have such an amazing product, especially the women — we are crushing it. I think we’re fun to watch.”

Final Hurdle

Hurdler Grant Holloway keeps his Olympic silver medal from Tokyo in a box. And while it does serve as motivation, the medal doesn’t necessarily fuel him.

Still, that elusive Olympic gold is the only hole on the résumé for one of the top 110-metre hurdlers ever. Holloway has won three straight world championships and turned in the second-fastest time ever in the event. He’s also added two world indoor titles in the 60-metre hurdles to his portfolio.

“Do I look at (the Olympic medal) every day, saying it should have been mine? No,” said Holloway, who’s a favourite to make the team, with semifinals today and the final Friday.

“I feel like I’ve already solidified myself in that realm. Now it’s just come out, do the practices and make it happen.”

Elsewhere in track

While the Americans are fighting for spots in Eugene, the Jamaican Athletics Championships take place in Kingston over the weekend and will play a large role in setting the lineup for Paris.

13

coach. Interested persons are urged to contact federation president Brent Stubbs at 426-71265 or tournament director Thomas Sears at 424-2888 for more information.

BAAA NATIONALS THE Bahamas Association of Athletic Associations is holding its National Track and Field Championships until Friday at the original Thomas A. Robinson Track and Field Stadium.

The meet will begin at 6pm and will serve as the qualifier for the 2024 Olympic Games in Paris, France, July 27 to August 11. Junior athletes will also get a chance to qualify for the World Athletics Under-20 Championships, scheduled for August 27-31 in Lima, Peru.

MARIO FORD BASEBALL CAMP THE annual Mario Ford Summer Baseball Camp is all set for July 1-12 from 9am to 1pm at Windsor Park on East Street and

These will be the last Olympics for Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce, 37. She’s trying to add to the eight Olympic medals she already has won at 100, 200 and the 4x100 relays. Shericka Jackson ran 21.41 in the 200 last year, coming within .07 seconds of Florence Griffith Joyner’s world record, set in 1988.

Elaine Thompson-Herah is the two-time defending champion at 100 and 200 metres, but she is entered only in the 100 this year and her health is in question after she went down at a meet in New York last month.

On the men’s side, Oblique Seville has the distinction of being 1-0 against Lyles this year. Seville beat the world champion in Kingston earlier this month, running a 9.82 that is .01 faster than Lyles ran to win the 100 and set his season best last weekend.

Wulff Road. It’s open to campers between the ages of 7-15 years. Interested persons are urged to contact Mario Ford at 556-0993 for more information and to register their child or children.

PEACE ON DA STREETS BASKETBALL CLASSIC

THE annual Peace On Da Streets Basketball Classic, dubbed “Shooting Hoops instead of Guns,” is scheduled for July 15-21 at the Michael ‘Scooter Reid” Basketball Center at the Hope Center. All games start at 6pm daily. Categories include 12-and-under, 16-and-under, 20-andunder, government ministry, church and open divisions. The event is being promoted by Guardian Radio and Radio House Outreach. CLERGY VS POLITICIANS

AS part of the Peace ON Da Streets Classic, organisers will once again stage the showdown between members of the Clergy against the Members of Parliament. The game is scheduled for 8pm Sunday, July 21 at the Kendal Isaacs Gymnasium.

Bahamas to face Jamaica in Rugby Americas North 2024 Men’s Caribbean Cup

Bahamian wrestlers fired up for Baha Bash event

FROM PAGE 13

The one-day wrestling showdown, presented by All Carribean Wrestling (ACW), is scheduled to begin at 5pm but doors will open at 3pm to give fans an opportunity to settle in before the nine wrestling matchups.

Bahamian sensation Capri is set to take on JC Storm in a women’s singles match. The Bahamas will also be represented in triple threat action with Warren Santangelo, The Dealer and Island Boy. ACW promoter Jeff “JB” Brazzle spoke about the remaining matches set to take place.

“We have another women’s match with Mia Friday that’s coming in to take on the FEW Flares Women’s champion Cassandra Golden. We have the “Pope” Elijah Burke, the ACW Champion taking on Velveteen Dream. We have Jay Rios, FEW Champion, taking on Kenny King. We have the NU Nation that is gonna be in the building, Da Russell twins, Izaiah Zane and the island’s favourite Leroy Jones will be in the building,” he said.

Other top wrestlers set to be in action include former WWE world heavyweight champion Mark Henry, WWE Superstar Lince Dorado and former WWE tag team specialist JTG. Capri, formerly a part of the WWE NXT developmental brand, is more excited than ever to put her wrestling skills on display for a Bahamian crowd.

“It feels so good. I do a lot of things in the ring that I feel like only Bahamians would resonate with. I am excited to have a crowd who is gonna know the direction and the way I think… It is very exciting and I am looking forward to working with more matches and coming back for the Bahamian Wrestlemania. I am looking forward to being in this corporation, being in this company and watching it grow and growing with it while being the first lady of the Bahamas.

“I have a huge weight on my shoulders and I am very excited to carry it and very excited to start a whole new brand of women’s wrestling in The Bahamas,” she said.

Santangelo is eager to get back in the ring against his newest opponents but most of all he is ready to perform at home.

“I am most excited about the platform being here

instead of locals having to go off to the states to pursue it. It is like a God sent and that is what I am excited about,” he said. For Santangelo the goal is prove that he is better than his comrades between those ropes once again. On the other side of the ring, ‘The Dealer’ is hoping

to keep his undefeated streak going on Saturday as he has previously defeated Island Boy. In addition to this, he is expecting it to be a phenomenal event.

“I am excited about ACW. I am excited about being here in The Bahamas and there is more to come in the future. This is an indie event and is a big promotion. ACW is gonna get bigger like how WCW and NWA was. It is gonna get big and I believe in that. I am just happy and excited to be a part of it. To see what I got you just have to tune in and be there to see. It is gonna be a phenomenal event,” he said.

Brazzle is anticipating lots of action from the Bahamian wrestlers and he wants the local crowd to come out and support as the long term goal is to make this event the “Caribbean Wrestlemania”.

“They took their time to work on their skills and craft to be ready for this event. I am so happy that they are participating in this event with ACW. There is more to come and more people that are interested but this Saturday is going to be an extravagant and fun time,” he said. Tickets start from $10 for general admission and it is free for children under 10 years of age. Individuals interested in attending can purchase tickets at https:// BahaBash.eventbrite.com or in person at the event.

KAYLIA CAPRI

Planting mangroves for our future

TWELVE students from Louise McDonald High School in Alice Town, Bimini, their teachers, and school administrators recently planted dozens of red mangroves they nurtured over the past six months.

The Bailey Town planting marks the first out-island planting in this national initiative.

The National Mangrove Project, a collaborative effort by Waterkeepers Bahamas (WKB), the Forestry Unit, and the 50th Independence Secretariat, has empowered schools across The Bahamas to cultivate and plant mangroves, promoting environmental stewardship and coastal restoration.

“The participation of Bimini in the National Mangrove Project is a testament to the importance of engaging as many islands as possible in our conservation efforts,” said Andurah Daxon, WKB executive director. “Every island plays a critical role in our nation’s coastal protection and environmental sustainability.”

“We enjoyed our time planting mangroves and helping to protect our environment for the future of Bimini, said Mauryah Hall, a 7th-grade student.

“It was so much fun going in the water to plant the mangroves. We can’t wait until the next project!”

Louise McDonald High now joins more than 100 students from seven New Providence and Grand Bahama schools who have planted mangroves as part of this project.

Teacher Dominique Bartlett said: “Participating in the National Mangrove

Project was an amazing experience. This project allowed Louise McDonald’s students to learn firsthand about the importance of mangroves and how beneficial they are to our islands, and we look forward to working with Waterkeepers Bahamas again to continue fostering environmental awareness among our youth.”

The growth and sustainability of this project are due in no small part to continued support from The Forestry Unit, led by acting director Danielle Hanek.

“It was a pleasure partnering with Waterkeepers Bahamas to help with reforestation efforts of the mangrove forests on the island of Bimini,” said Hanek. It was exciting involving the nation’s youth, inspiring them to be future environmentalists.

The National Mangrove Project is part of a broader initiative to restore and protect mangrove forests, vital to the health of The Bahamas’ coastal ecosystems.

WATERKEEPERS Bahamas executive director Andurah Daxon plants a red mangrove with 7th-grade student Mauryah Hall.

7TH GRADERS from Louise McDonald High School participated in a mangrove outplanting in Bailey Town.

FORESTRY Unit acting director Danielle Hanek, planting alongside 7th grader Stanley Francois.

Carnival clean-up

EMPLOYEES of Carnival Corporation celebrated World Ocean Day by volunteering alongside local community members in The Bahamas for a day of coastal and beach clean-ups.

A team from Carnival Corporation’s destination, Celebration Key, partnered with Waterkeepers Bahamas and the Grand Bahama Port Authority (GBPA), among others, for the “Canal Clean Sweep” initiative to remove debris from the Fortune Bay Canal in Grand Bahama.

Nakira Wilchcombe, GBPA vice president, building and development services, said: “Clean-ups of this nature are always

important to prevent land-based debris from ending up in our marine environment.

“Grand Bahama Shipyard and Carnival Corporation participated, along with several civic organisations and other companies.

“We are always pleased to have marine-based businesses participate in events like these because it shows their commitment to safeguarding the marine environment.”

Waterkeeper Bahamas representative Javan Hunt added: “We’re happy to see corporations taking the time during World Oceans Day to help us clean up the canal and coastal area. Their commitment to our environment sets a powerful example for others to follow.”

Meanwhile, Carnival Corporation teams in South Eleuthera at Princess Cays and Half Moon Cay simultaneously undertook separate beach clean-ups in collaboration with members of the local community. These efforts led to the collection of a combined 2,314lb of debris, filling more than 30 large bags in addition to large items like wood and plastic containers.

“It was really great to partner with other Carnival

Corporation team members and the local community to celebrate World Oceans Day,” said Janae Williams, health, environment, safety, security and sustainability (HESS) manager, Princess Cay. “Preserving healthy oceans is so important to coastal nations like The Bahamas, especially in the face of the current climate challenges. I would like to thank everyone who came out in solidarity to support this effort.”

Philcher Grant-Adderley, Carnival Corporation director of public and community affairs, said: “We are committed to protecting and preserving the natural beauty of our oceans and destinations, which we believe goes hand-in-hand with creating economic empowerment for the local communities where we operate. This year, under the theme, ‘One Company, One Country, One Ocean,’ we marked World Ocean Day with activities that not only brought together our Bahamian employees working in different destinations around the country, but also meaningfully connected them with the local communities which depend on the preservation of ocean habitats for their way of life.”

A CARNIVAL Corporation team took part in a “Canal Clean Sweep” for World Ocean Day. From left, Shurmon Clarke, Celebration Key HR manager; Learline Burrows-Moss, financial controller, Bahamas; Philcher Grant-Adderley, Carnival Corporation director, public and community affairs; Brandon Culmer, assistant general manager, Celebration Key; Marielle Johnson, HR recruiter, Celebration Key.

THE PRINCESS Cays team hard at work removing trash from an Eleuthera beach to mark World Oceans Day.

MEMBERS of Carnival Corporation’s Princess Cays team Janae Williams, left, HESS manager; and Kayshla Rolle, guest experience attendant, take part in a beach clean-up to mark World Oceans Day.

EMPLOYEES from Carnival Corporation’s Celebration Key joined several Grand Bahama community groups for a canal clean-up to celebrate World Oceans Day. These included Waterkeepers Bahamas; Save the Bays; KGBC; the Grand Bahama Shipyard; and Rotaract GB.

A Father’s Day treat thanks to Kelly’s

KELLY’S House and Home surprised one lucky Customer with an exclusive Father’s Day giveaway.

A father is not an anchor to hold us back, nor a sail to take us there, but a guiding light whose love shows us the way. To commemorate this occasion, Kelly’s House and Home organised a giveaway event, offering participants the chance to win an exclusive prize. The highlight of the event came when one lucky customer, standing in the right place at the right time, was surprised with a basket for Father’s Day.

Heuter Rolle was the lucky winner of this year’s Father’s Day prize.

HEUTER ROLLE, the lucky winner of Kelly’s House and Home’s Father’s Day prize, pictured right with Ricardo Sturrup, the head of the paint department.

Green Flag honour for Hillcrest

HILLCREST Academy has been honoured with a Green Flag award.

On Friday, June 21, the Bahamas Reef Environment Educational Foundation (BREEF) Eco-Schools Bahamas (ESB) national operator, Kevin Glinton, Crystal DarlingSargent, communications officer, BREEF, and Sally Johnson, education officer and ESB Green Flag assessment member, visited the academy to conduct its first ESB Green Flag assessment.

Hillcrest Academy was certified as a Green Flag school after comprehensive and enthusiastic presentations by students, school administrators, and parent and Eco-Schools coordinator, Indira Godet. The Eco-Schools Green Flag award is recognised globally as a symbol of excellence in environmental education.

Hillcrest sixth grade student Caitlyn Mathurin said: “We have committed to being good environmental stewards by monitoring activities like turning off fans and lights, litter monitoring garden upkeep and recycling.”

Grade three student Ayden Laing said: “One of our greatest achievements was diverting 60,000 cans and bottles from the landfill to the Cans-4-Kids recycling facility.”

Accepting the award on behalf of her school and community, Judith Dawkins, Hillcrest’s principal, said: “We are thrilled that our students have made this incredible achievement and they have many more sustainable plans for the future.”

Mr Glinton added: “Hillcrest Academy enthusiastically embraced the 7 Steps of the EcoSchools programme and continued

to set new standards of environmental stewardship in our primary school network. Kudos to Mrs Indira Godet, Hillcrest parent and Eco-Schools implementation coordinator for her unwavering commitment to Eco-Schools.”

BREEF’s Eco-Schools network is spread over six islands and consists of 21 government and 27 private schools. Since 2009, the BREEF has been running the Eco-Schools Bahamas programme free of charge through the generous support of many BREEF donors including The Primat Foundation.

To learn more about BREEF’S Eco-Schools Bahamas programme and its work in promoting the conservation of the Bahamian marine environment, visit Eco-Schools Bahamas – BREEF or email ecoschoolsbahamas@breef.org.

HILLCREST Academy’s Eco-Club.

HILLCREST Academy Eco-Club members.

RF Bank & Trust celebrates

star primary school students

TO REAFFIRM its dedication to nurturing talent and fostering academic excellence, RF Bank & Trust (RF) proudly announces its continued partnership with the annual Bahamas Primary School Student of the Year Awards Program. RF extends congratulations to Rivante Armaly and Hemani Smith, the recipients of the RF scholarships.

Rachael Allahar, AVP of Marketing, RF Bank & Trust, said: “RF seeks to catalyze the development of inclusive and progressive societies. By investing in the next generation of leaders, RF endeavors to sow the seeds of a brighter

Andrea Eve, senior programmes officer for the Bahamas Primary School Student of the Year Foundation, shared her enthusiasm for RF’s ongoing collaboration, saying: “I’m excited that RF has once again rewarded two of the best and brightest students with a $2,000 finalist and $1,000.00 semi-finalist Scholarship.” She emphasised the lifechanging impact of these scholarships, underscoring their role as a significant investment in the recipients’ futures, igniting a passion for excellence and fortifying their educational journeys.

future, cultivating pathways to success for all members of the community.”

The bank said the “initiative represents more than a mere gesture—it embodies a commitment to uplifting communities and championing the aspirations of youth across The Bahamas”.