SPORTS SECTION E
WEDNESDAY, SEPTEMBER 5, 2018
US OPEN, Page 5
Team Bahamas all set for League of Nations By BRENT STUBBS Senior Sports Reporter bstubbs@tribunemedia.net fter watching the success of its beach soccer programme take off over the last few years, the Bahamas Football Association will now switch its attention back to its once vibrant grass soccer programme. The first step back to prominence will begin this weekend when the federation sends the men’s national soccer team off to Belize today to participate in the first game of the CONCACAF League of Nations. It’s a new national team competition platform designed to maximise the quality, quantity and frequency of competitive matches for all member associations and they are based on a league structure in which the national teams of the Confederation’s 41 member associations will be included. The teams will be divided into three different leagues – based on their sporting level – with a champion to be crowned at the end of each edition. Over the next six months, the Bahamas will eventually play a total of four matches, two of which will be at home. However, they will begin the League of Nations on the road this weekend and Larry Minns, the ambassador for football in the island nation, who has been selected as the manager of Team Bahamas, said they are ready for the journey. “This gives the smaller countries to bridge the gap against the bigger countries,” Minns said. “Normally we would go for 3-4 days and play a match and it’s over. This Nation’s Cup is every year. So it gives the smaller countries a chance to develop.” Team Bahamas will play Antigua and Barbuda in October and then they will play Anguilla, both here at home. Next year, the Bahamas will play their fourth game on the road in Guadeloupe against Dominica, who unfortunately won’t be able to host the game because of the effects of a hurricane. Team Bahamas will have a relatively young team, coached by Dion Godet, but Minns said they have some veterans who they will lean on to steer the ship as they play in the series of games. Making up the team, comprising of at least eight players who are playing overseas, are Chadwick Russell, 19, Mario Johnson, 16, Ian Lowe, 15, Valin Bodie, 23, Lesly St Fleur, 29, Marcel Joseph, 21, Terry Delancy, 24, Johnathan Miller, 20, Troy Pinder, 21, Isaiah Collie,
A DAY ON THE LINKS FOR 1ST GENERATION UB STUDENTS INAUGURAL PRESIDENT’S GOLF CLASSIC AND SPA DAY AT BAHA MAR
LESLY ST FLEUR
JOHNATHAN MILLER
DUANE BENEBY
TERRY DELANCY
IAN LOWE
ETHAN WILLIE
21, Jaelin Williams, 20, Duane Beneby, 25, Chris Rahming, 19 and Ethan Willie, 19. Beneby, making his third appearance on the men’s national soccer team, said the tournament is good for Team Bahamas because they haven’t played a game since 2015 when they faced Bermuda in the World Cup qualifier. “We’re looking at four matches over the next four-five months so that is really great for us,” Bodie stated. “I don’t think in our history of playing soccer that we would have played that much games in such a short space of time. So it’s giving us a lot of chances to get a lot more exposure, a lot more experience. This is a really young
team with the average age being about 21 with the oldest player being 28 and the youngest at 15.” Beneby, however, said they have a solid core of players that should represent the Bahamas very well and put up a good performance in Belize. “We have a handful of veterans, but the majority of the players are very young,” he said. “Some of their nerves might be on them, but we have a good mixture of veterans and youth to be able to pull us through and give a good representation of the country.” Bodie said they are looking at developing this team in a four-year programme, which should pay off dividends for them down the road
for the growth of football in the Bahamas. “For the past four years, we haven’t had a game,” Bodie said. “So we usually play a game, wait for four years and play another game. But this brings more growth to the sport. “Personally, I like how the federation is using the younger players but, at the same time, they are bringing in the more experienced players to help us out. It’s going to be important for us to grow up fast, not just for us, but for the country.” With players like Sturrup and St Fleur, the team captain, Bodie said
UNIVERSITY of The Bahamas (UB) has forged a partnership with the Baha Mar Resort Foundation to host a day on the links to raise funding for first-generation university students and grow the university’s endowment as it strengthens connections with alumni, donors and friends. The University Endowment is to realise the vision of the University of The Bahamas for all time in the future. The inaugural UB President’s Golf Classic and Spa Day is scheduled for Saturday, November 3 at the Royal Blue Tavern Golf Course and the Caribbean’s first and only ESPA. Robert Sands, Baha Mar’s senior vice president of government and community relations, expressed his support of the partnership with UB and the upcoming fundraiser. “The pillars of the Baha Mar Resort Foundation are culture, community and conservation. We are dedicated to positively contributing to the future of young Bahamians and delighted to partner with University of The Bahamas for the UB President’s Golf Classic and Spa Day,” said Mr Sands. “We think that this is an excellent opportunity for partnership between the Baha Mar Resort Foundation and UB. We want to extend our sincere congratulations to the University for a very successful fundraiser and are excited to welcome everyone at Baha Mar’s Royal Blue Golf Course and ESPA on November 3. We also congratulate University of The Bahamas for executing this initiative and we look forward to a long term partnership for a number of these classics in the future,” he added. Dr Rodney D Smith, president of the University of The Bahamas, underscored the high value placed on preparing UB students for better lives in a global society through diverse cultural, educational and research-driven experiences. “We are creating a campus that is more diverse
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Vincent Strachan elected president of BABF again By BRENT STUBBS Senior Sports Reporter bstubbs@tribunemedia.net FOR the second time in four months, Vincent Strachan has been elected as the new president of the Bahamas Amateur Boxing Federation. This time, he did it with the International Boxing Association (AIBA) representative present. After the elections held in April were null and void because AIBA indicated that they had not given the federation consent, nor did they have a representative present, the elections were recalled and held at the Ministry of Youth, Sports and Culture on Friday. While the elections were conducted by Roy Colebrook, a vice president of the Bahamas Olympic Committee, AIBA was represented by Steven Jones from the Jamaica Amateur Boxing Federation
Strachan, who won the presidency post 7-3 over Ikenna Johnson during the initial elections held at Thomas A Robinson National Stadium, won for the second time, beating Johnson and Ronn Rodgers. While he wasn’t surprised that the initial elections were null and void, Strachan said he expected the final outcome of the second elections. He won with five votes, Johnson had two and Rodgers finished with one. This is not Strachan’s first rodeo, having previously served as president from 1994-96, secretary in the late 70s for five years and as vice president on two occasions. Sherwin Johnson is the first vice president, collecting three votes to beat out Nathaniel Knowles and Dr Kent Bazard, who both had two votes. Pat Strachan won 6-0 over Jeannie
NEWLY elected president Vincent Strachan shakes hands with outgoing president Wellington Miller as Pat Strachan and Quincy Pratt look on. Minus for secretary general. Wellington Smith also won 6-0 over Dianne Miller for treasurer and the assistant secretary/treasurer is Anstisa Knowles from Lowe Sound, Andros. “It went as well as expected without a hitch. It was perfect,” said Strachan, who was accompanied by
Pat ‘the Centreville Assassin’ Strachan and Quincy ‘Thrill-A-Minute’ Pratt at a post election press conference yesterday at the Bahamas Olympic Committee office. “From the first election and even after, we were preparing to develop our core of officials and
coaches. We would also go ahead in preparing the best boxers we have for the Caribbean Games that is in December.” Additionally, Strachan said they have received an invitation from the Trinidad & Tobago Amateur Boxing Association to participate in their national tournament November 8-12. “So we are basically planning and, at the same time, I am looking to taking some of our local coaches and officials there for a brief course,” he said as he charted the way forward. “Normally they do these things at these events, so it would be good for us to take advantage of this, especially our Family Island persons, who need the development in their skills and broadening their horizons.” According to outgoing president Wellington Miller, Jones had to send in his report to AIBA and Strachan has to make an official
report so that the elections can be ratified. At the same time, Miller said he’s surely glad that the elections are now over and done with. “I think with the people elected, they will do a great job,” said Miller, who has vowed to continue to support the new administration.“Boxing is still the sport that I love. It has caused me to go around the world and I will never desert it, but I will be assisting from behind the scenes in whatever capacity that they need me to contribute.” Pat Strachan, who had indicated from the completion of the first election that Vincent Strachan was still the best man to run the organisation, said he’s happy to be able to work with him again. “Vincent has led this organisation before and so
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