SPORTS SECTION E
NFL PICKS
Week 7, Pages 2 & 3
THURSDAY, OCTOBER 20, 2016
BOC boss Miller thanks PM for ‘encouraging note’ By RENALDO DORSETT Sports Reporter rdorsett@tribunemedia.net DESPITE the effects Hurricane Matthew has had on many aspects of day-to-day life for Bahamians, the plethora of major sporting events the country expects to host in 2017 are expected to remain on schedule. Bahamas Olympic Committee President Wellington Miller said the local community was reassured by the words of Prime Minister Perry Christie earlier this week which suggested the sports tourism schedule would be able to continue uninterrupted. “I want to thank the Prime Minister for those words of encouragement that none of the big events they were going to have next year will be cancelled. To myself and
to the presidents where they asof the federations, sured the 70 counthat is a great tries registered statement and it in the Commongave us a piece wealth that all sysof mind to know tems are go in the we can still host Bahamas. these events and They indicated we will still carry that they have the Bahamas’ done their job in flag and its name articulating the as hosts of great Bahamas’ readisporting events. ness to put on In particular for what they are conthe BOC with the sidering to be one Commonwealth of the best and Youth Games, an biggest sporting historic first for us events ever to be WELLINGTON MILLER in terms of a mulstaged in the Bati-sport event, it was a welcome hamas. and encouraging note.” “This will be the first time that Miller and BOC Vice President a Commonwealth Games event Roy Colebrooke both travelled will be held in the Caribbean in 50 to Edmonton, Canada, last week years so every effort is being made
to ensure that it’s celebrated by all involved in the 8-9 disciplines. More than 1,300 athletes from 70 countries are expected in town July 18-23 in the capital. “A lot of people have already committed and are coming down early. To be able to tell them for certain as they were waiting on answer for us to see if the games are on and the Bahamas will still host the event in 2017, it’s a great relief,” Miller said. The last time that a Commonwealth event was held in the Caribbean was in 1966 when the Commonwealth Games was staged in Kingston, Jamaica. “We are in the middle of getting everything done. We have staff coming on board to really start pushing to getting that done. I think by the end of this year we will be well on our way. We want
to congratulate the government for sponsoring these games,” Miller said. “Usually these games are four years in the making, but the government took it on 18 months out and everything is going well. All of the 70 countries have confirmed their participation and this will be the biggest games ever held in the Bahamas and it will be the largest Commonwealth Youth Games ever held with two new sports being introduced – beach soccer and beach volleyball.” The extensive list of international sporting events on the calendar for the Bahamas also includes the FIFA Beach Soccer World Cup, the IAAF World Relays, the PureSilk Bahamas Classic, the Caribbean Islands Swimming Championships, the Battle 4 Atlantis, Popeyes Bahamas Bowl to name a few.
Rosa and crew lead field at Snipe World Masters By RENALDO DORSETT Sports Reporter rdorsett@tribunemedia.net
T
he restoration efforts from the effects of Hurricane Matthew have presented several challenges for the organisers of the Snipe World Championships Masters. However, the event continues this week at the Royal Nassau Sailing Club. According to Regatta Chairman George Kelly, inclement weather has just been one of the limitations that have restricted the series to just one race in the last two days. “Over the last 10 days we have had lots of challenges but it has been an amazing effort from everyone involved for us to be able to pull through. After Matthew we had no dock, we had about 30 inches of water in the place, we had to replace all the refrigeration systems, one of our snack bars demolished, among other things. We had just 10 days to turn everything around and we’re doing the best we can,” he said. The leaders of the field following the opening race are Ralph Rosa (Skipper) and Alfredo Rovere (Crew) of Brazil. According to a press release issued by the organisation Per the SCIRA rules, the Snipe World Masters cannot be raced in winds greater than 15 knots. “That has been a challenge this week with the tropical disturbances teasing our area. The fleet was able
to get one race in Tuesday morning. During the race, wind speed is constantly measured from the committee boat with a handheld device. There were tense moments for Fernando de Cardenas, the primary race officer, when the wind speeds inched close to 15 knots when measured to the tenth of a knot. Tuesday afternoon and yesterday races were postponed due to high winds. Forecasts call for lower wind speeds for the remainder of the week so the race committee hopes to be able to hold six more races as scheduled.” With calmer winds expected, the regatta will continue 10:30am today with two races on the schedule. The same format will follow Friday to determine seeding headed into the final race day on Saturday. Approximately 70 competitors and staff are taking part in the event. “They’re quite amazed that we have still been able to do it and we have been amazed and grateful that we could go ahead and do it. It has really been a great experience thus far and would have been a real disaster if we had to cancel. Miami did offer to take it, we considered that but we just thought that the people really want to visit the Bahamas and compete in our waters,” Kelly said. “So far even though we have only had one race, it was a good race and we had a nice clean start, which for the first race is unusual. We also got the juniors involved and led out the countries in
INCLEMENT weather has been a challenge for the organisers but the big event continues this week at Royal Nassau Sailing Club. the opening ceremonies. It gives them something to aim for and one day they’ll be in that similar position representing the Bahamas.” In addition to this year’s Snipe Masters, the Bahamas has become a sought after venue for many international events in the sport, including the Star Sailors League Final and 5.5 World Championships. “It’s always good for the Bahamas to have these events. We have some of the best waters in the world and we should have boats on the water every week. Star
Sailors League will be here in November going through with their plans although the Yacht Club is in the same position as we were and their docks are being rebuilt. Also, the 5.5 World Championships will be here in January in 2017,” Kelley said. “The more the Bahamas does the more we’re known around the world in this sport.” Nine countries are represented at the event. The Bahamas has a trio of boats in the fleet, including Jimmie (skipper) and Lori Lowe (crew), Robert Dunk-
ley (skipper) and Michelle Lakin (crew) and Gavin McKinney (skipper) and Adam Moorman (crew). Skipper Oscar Gonzalez Urquia from Argentina is the oldest competitor at 85. Skipper Terry Timm from the United States of America is the second oldest. Crewing for Timm is Bahamian junior sailor Brandon Sands from the settlement of Cherokee Sound in Abaco. The Snipe, a one design boat, became official in 1931. Despite class having non-Olympic status, it re-
mains strong with 31 active Snipe countries and over 30,800 boats having been built. The Masters World Championship, where the Id Crook Memorial Trophy is awarded to the winning skipper and crew, is held every two years in even numbered years. It was opened to boats where the skipper had to be at least 50 years of age in the year of the regatta and the combined age of skipper and crew had to be at least 80 years in the year of the regatta.
Buddy Hield projected to win Rookie of the Year By RENALDO DORSETT Sports Reporter rdorsett@tribunemedia.net ACCORDING to one of NBA. com’s most decorated writers of the past two decades, expect Buddy Hield to have a major impact on the New Orleans Pelicans this season and lead the 2016 rookie class. Scott Howard-Cooper’s “NBA Rookie Ladder” projects Hield to begin the season as his early season favourite to win the Kia Rookie of the Year Award. “This sets up perfectly for Hield. He is a shooter who arrived just before the Pelicans parted with Ryan Anderson and Eric Gordon, first and second on the team in 3-point attempts last season. And now Jrue Holiday (taking care of his sick wife, Lauren)
and Tyreke Evans (knee surgery, blood clot) will miss at least the start of the season. Meanwhile, Anthony Davis is scheduled to be back sometime around opening night after spraining an ankle in exhibition play, a return that would help Hield get better looks,” Howard-Cooper said. In his first preseason start, Hield finished with 13 points, three rebounds and two assists in the Pelicans’ 96-89 loss to the Atlanta Hawks Tuesday at Phillips Arena in Atlanta, Georgia. It was a bounce back performance for Hield who went scoreless last Wednesday in the Pelicans’ final game of the NBA Global Game series in Beijing, China. The 6’4” 215 pound guard opened the preseason with 19 points in his debut, followed by games scoring 18 and 14 respec-
BUDDY HIELD (AP)
tively. Through three games he shot 6-15 from three-point range and 20-38 from the field. In the two games since he has shot 0-8 from three-point range and 5-19 from the field. New Orleans (1-4) concludes its six-game preseason schedule tonight on the road against the Orlando Magic. “Experience does not translate. Of the last 10 top newcomers, six were in the NBA after one-and-done college fly-bys and two stuck it out for two seasons while only two stayed the full four, 2012-13 winner Damian Lillard and Brandon Roy from 2006-07. The last two years, Andrew Wiggins and Karl-Anthony Towns both went directly from NCAA freshmen to Rookie of the Year with the Timberwolves, with runaway victories in the
ballot box. But it is impossible to ignore that two of the leading contenders for 2016-17, Hield and Kris Dunn in his attempt at a Minnesota three-peat, are arguably the most NBA-ready of the prospects,” the article said. “The Hield edge is that he combines background – 22 years old, four seasons at Oklahoma, sixth in the NCAA in three-point percentage as a senior – with present-day opportunity. The Pelicans need air cover if they are to make defences pay for sending extra bodies at Anthony Davis, and they need it just because Hield, the No. 6 pick in June, will have the chance for an immediate impact.” Howard-Cooper has covered the NBA since 1988. His Rookie Ladder column updates power rankings for rookies throughout the season on NBA.com