11092018 SPORTS

SPORTS SECTION E

FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 9, 2018

Buddy scores 24 in loss to the Raptors SACRAMENTO, California (AP) — Buddy Hield scored 24 points, including three 3-pointers, and dished out three assists but it wasn’t enough as the Toronto Raptors beat the Sacramento Kings 114-105 on Wednesday night.

Hield, in 36 minutes on the hardwood, also had a steal and four rebounds.

Raptors small forward Kawhi Leonard had 25 points and 11 rebounds in his return from an ankle injury, Pascal Siakam scored 21, Serge Ibaka had 14 and 14 rebounds, and Kyle Lowry added 16 points and eight assists.

“This isn’t our ceiling,” Leonard said. “With me not even knowing some of the offence, we have Kyle in the game most of the time. Once I start learning the offence, I can give him a little break and let him get some easier shots.

I don’t really know the offence in and out yet.”

Toronto has won five straight since its lone loss this season at Milwaukee on October 29.

The Raptors pulled away against the Kings despite 23 turnovers.

“We were lucky to come out with this one,” Danny Green said. “You look up and down the line, the only thing we beat them in was rebounding. That’s a good sign for us, to show how good this team can be.”

Leonard sat out the previous two games and got off to a sluggish start early against the Kings before helping Toronto pull away.

The two-time All-Star scored 10 points in the second quarter and 10 in the third, including a soaring, one-handed dunk through traffic. Leonard also made a pivotal 3-pointer in the fourth after Sacramento had pulled to 106-99. “He was a little rusty at the start but

Finish Line, Page 3

SHOCKERS, GIANTS WIN NPBA OPENERS

By BRENT STUBBS Senior Sports Reporter bstubbs@tribunemedia.net

THE New Providence Basketball Association kicked off its 2018/19 season at the AF Adderley Gymnasium on Wednesday night with the JD’s Seafood Shockers and the Your Essential Store Giants pulling off the double header.

In the men’s division one feature contest, the Shockers got the better of the Leno Regulators 98-93, while the Giants prevailed 109-81 over the Leno Eagles Nest in the division II opener.

Shockers 98, Regulators 93 Lenny Oscar and William Rigby provided a 1-2 punch for JD’s Seafood as they secured their season

SEE PAGE 2

BAHAMAS SOFTBALL IN CO-ED SLOW PITCH CUP TOURNEY

BOARDING UP Toronto held a 51-35 rebounding edge, an area where the Raptors have

By BRENT STUBBS Senior Sports Reporter bstubbs@tribunemedia.net

THE Bahamas Government Departmental Softball Association, with a much beefed up national team, is heading to the 2018 World Baseball Softball Confederation’s Co-Ed Slow Pitch International Cup Tournament next week.

And BGDSA president Dwaine Stevens insists that they are looking forward to returning from Plant City, Florida, with no less than the gold medal.

The tournament will run from November 15-18.

SEE PAGE 2

SEE PAGE 8

SACRAMENTO Kings guard Buddy Hield, left, and Toronto Raptors forward Kawhi Leonard scramble for the ball during the second half Wednesday night in Sacramento, California. The Raptors won 114-105.

(AP Photo/Rich Pedroncelli) he made some really big baskets late,” Nurse said.

“They sent lots of bodies to him, which was good for us to see.”

Toronto has won three straight against the Kings.

Willie Cauley-Stein scored 24 points for Sacramento. De’Aaron Fox added 20 points, and second overall draft pick

Marvin Bagley III had 13.

The Kings have lost two straight since winning five in a row. “They don’t make a lot of mistakes and they tortured us for the mistakes that we did make,” Sacramento coach Dave Joerger said. “They did a good job of bottling us up.”

Toronto ended the first quarter on a 15-4 run, then

took control once Leonard got going in the second after Sacramento got in foul trouble.

Leonard made five free throws in the period, one coming after a frustrated Joerger was called for a technical foul for arguing with officials. Leonard also had a 3-pointer that put the Raptors up 49-40.

Green added back-toback 3s, and OG Anunoby followed with a steal and dunk as Toronto took a 64-51 halftime lead.

Jazz Chisholm hits his third home run in AFL

By RENALDO DORSETT Sports Reporter rdorsett@tribunemedia.net

JAZZ Chisholm just missed out on the final roster spot in the Arizona Fall League All-Star Game, but he continues being one of the league’s top home run hitters despite limited opportunities.

Chisholm hit his third home run of the AFL and second in as many games, an 8-7 loss for his Salt River Rafters to the Peoria Javelinas.

SEE PAGE 8

He finished 2-5 with two runs scored and one RBI. In just seven games, the 20-yearold shortstop is hitting .438 with a 1.236 OPS, .455 OBP and slugging .781. He has three home runs, two doubles, five stolen bases and scored 11 runs.

Chisholm is tied for third in the league in home runs despite appearing in just seven games.

Contrastingly, the players atop the leaderboard Scottsdale’s Peter Alonso and Peoria’s Braxton Davidson both hit five home runs in 22 and 13 games respectively.

The No.2 ranked prospect in the Arizona Diamondbacks organisation has hit safely in each of his games thus far, including five multi-hit games.

“My organisation already told me to just come here and work on a better approach to the plate and just stay within myself and not trying to overswing,” he told MLB. com. “It’s kind of hard to stay on top of your game but you go to practice and get your reps in all the time, just keep on working in

JAZZ CHISHOLM in action. practice like it’s a game situation, get your reps up. My expectations right now are just less strikeouts,

staying within myself at the plate and on top of my game.”

During the regular season, between the Single-A Kane County Cougars and the SingleA Advanced Visalia Rawhide, Chisholm hit .272 with 23 doubles, six triples, 25 home runs and 70 RBI. “Just slow it down, slow everything down, don’t try and do too much. That was basically the difference between the Midwest League and the California League for me. “The ball travelled a little more, so it’s a better hitters’ league, so I didn’t have to swing as hard as I was swinging in the Midwest League. I went to the California League and took a little bit off it, controlled my swing a little better,” he told MLB’s Johnathan Mayo.

“I do it in BP now and I’m still hitting balls out to centre. I just tell myself, ‘no need to swing out of your shoes. Just try and hit line drives and then go.’ Just trust the process like everybody’s been telling me and that’s all I’ve been doing, is trusting the process.”

MARTIAL ARTS: MILLER TO REPRESENT BAHAMAS

By RENALDO DORSETT Sports Reporter rdorsett@tribunemedia.net A LONE Bahamian competitor will travel to represent the country at the 2018 Unified World Mixed Martial Arts Championships.

Christian Miller will compete in the Men’s Light Heavyweight (93kg/205 lbs) division at the International Mixed Martial Arts Federation (IMMAF) and the World Mixed Martial Arts Association (WMMAA) Unified World Championships in Manama, Bahrain.

Miller will make his MMA debut at the event, hosted during BRAVE

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PAGE 2, Friday, November 9, 2018

THE TRIBUNE

THUNDER TOP ROCKETS WITHOUT WESTBROOK FOR 7TH STRAIGHT WIN

RAPTORS forward Serge Ibaka, left, looks to pass the ball against the defence of Sacramento Kings guard Buddy Hield.

(AP Photo/Rich Pedroncelli)

Buddy scores 24 in loss to Raptors FROM PAGE 1 not had much success this season. The 51 boards were a season-high for Nurse’s team.

“I told them we did one rebounding drill today at shootaround and look what happened,” Nurse said. “So look for some more in practice coming up.”

IT’S ALL ABOUT PACE The Kings are one of the fastest teams in the NBA this season and several Toronto players felt that Sacramento controlled the tempo of the game. Lowry disagreed.

“They were picking us up, tried to pressure us to try to speed us up but we didn’t allow them to,” Lowry said. “We did a good

job of staying locked in into what we were doing.”

TIP-INS Raptors: Lowry had his string of nine consecutive games with 10 or more assists snapped. Siakam scored 13 points in the first half on 5-of-7 shooting. Norman Powell was held out because of a left shoulder injury sustained Monday against Utah.

Kings: Bogdan Bogdanovic made his season debut after missing the first 10 games recovering from a pair of procedures on his left knee.

The second-year guard entered to a rousing ovation midway through the first quarter and made his first two shots, including a 3-pointer. Nemanja Bjelica was called for a technical early in the third.

OKLAHOMA CITY (AP) — Paul George scored 20 points and the Oklahoma City Thunder beat the Houston Rockets 98-80 last night without point guard Russell Westbrook for their seventh straight victory.

Westbrook missed his second consecutive game with a sprained left ankle. George also had 11 rebounds, six assists and six steals. The Thunder were 0-4 before the streak.

Steven Adams had 19 points and 10 rebounds, and Terrance Ferguson and Dennis Schroder each added 14 points for Oklahoma City. All five Thunder starters scored in double figures before the end of the third quarter.

James Harden scored 19 points, but made just 7 of 19 shots for the Rockets. Clint Capela added 17 points for Houston, which had won three in a row.

Houston’s Carmelo Anthony, who played for the Thunder last season and was traded this summer, scored two points on 1-for-11 shooting. Chris Paul added 10 points.

The Thunder led 59-45 at halftime behind 53.8 per cent shooting. In the second quarter, George made all five of his shots and scored 14 points. Oklahoma City held Paul and Anthony scoreless before the break.

Grant dunked on a lob from Schroder and made the free throw on the foul to put the Thunder up 80-60, a score that held up until the end of the third quarter.

TIP-INS Rockets: G Eric Gordon missed his third straight game with a strained muscle in his right thigh. Anthony was mostly cheered when he checked into the game for the first time in the first quarter. Reserves made 1 of 11 shots in the first half. Paul was called for a technical foul in the fourth quarter.

Thunder: Ferguson, a 6-foot-7 guard, came out of nowhere to stuff 7-footer Isaiah Hartenstein in the first quarter. Made 27 of 44 shots inside the 3-point line but 9 of 37 beyond the arc.

Irving, Celtics rally from 22 down to top Ayton, Suns in overtime

By JOSE M ROMERO Associated Press

PHOENIX (AP) — Kyrie Irving scored 18 of his season-high 39 points in the fourth quarter and overtime, and the Boston Celtics rallied from a 22-point deficit for a 116-109 win over the Phoenix Suns last night.

Irving scored Boston’s first six points in the extra period, and Marcus Morris finished with 17 against his former team — including the tying 3-pointer with 1.1 seconds left in regulation off a pass from Irving.

Morris hit from the top of the arc to tie it at 100. Jaylen Brown added 17 points, all after halftime, for the Celtics.

Devin Booker paced the Suns (2-9) with a season-high 38 points, and T.J. Warren had 29.

Booker scored 12 points in the fourth quarter but Phoenix couldn’t hold onto a 15-point lead to begin the final period.

The Celtics ended a two-game skid, while the Suns have lost nine of 10.

Boston recovered from an ice cold start and won despite shooting 40.2 per cent from the field.

The Celtics trailed by double digits for much of the second half until a furious late rally.

Suns rookie Deandre Ayton had 14 points and 10 rebounds.

Irving hit a 3 with 35.1 seconds to go in the fourth, then his steal led to Brown’s layup that cut the

PHOENIX Suns centre Deandre Ayton (22) spins on Boston Celtics forward Marcus Morris in the second half.

DEANDRE Ayton drives between Boston Celtics guard Terry Rozier (12) and forward Marcus Morris in the second half last night.

(AP Photos/Matt York)

NPBA OPENERS from PAGE 1

opener. Oscar, in 27 minutes and 45 seconds, scored 26 points as he connected on 8-of-16 from the field, 4-for-9 from behind the three-point arch and 6-for-7 from the free throw line.

He also pulled down six rebounds with three assists.

Rigby, in 24:06 minutes, had 24 points on 8-for-27 from the field and 7-for-11 from the charity stripe with

a three-pointer. He also had five rebounds and a pair of steals.

Jefferson Oliver was the only other player in double figures with 10 points, four rebounds and three assists off the bench. Patrick Brice had nine points, two rebounds, two assists and two steals, Adam Johnson had eight points, 18 rebounds, three assists and two block shots and Jamaris King contributed seven points and eight rebounds.

JD’s led 23-22, but trailed 44-43 at the half. However, the Shockers regained the lead 69-62 at the end of the

Suns’ lead to 98-97 with 7.3 seconds to play. Warren hit two free throws, then Morris took a pass from a double-teamed Irving for the tying 3.

Warren, starting for the first time since October 31, scored 14 first-quarter points as the Suns took advantage of the Celtics’ shooting woes. Phoenix led 32-13 after 12 minutes.

After making their first shot of the game, a 3 by Irving, the Celtics missed their next 12 attempts and the Suns raced out to a 15-3 lead.

Aron Baynes’ putback with 5:04 left in the first quarter was the Celtics’ second basket of the

third and stayed ahead in the fourth.

Renaldo Baillou, in 33:35 minutes, had 18 points, 22 rebounds, five assists and three steals and Jason Mitchell came off the bench with 18 points as well with seven rebounds in a losing effort for Leno.

Cruz Simon had nine points and five rebounds, Alexander Rolle had nine points, three rebounds and three steals and Carlos Thompson had nine points, four rebounds and two assists to help out.

Giants 109, Eagles Nest 81: Herbert Knowles led

game, and they shot just 4 of 22 in the quarter. Boston got the lead down to 14 in the second, but a 3 from Booker gave the Suns a 48-26 advantage with 4:31 left in the half.

The Celtics trailed 55-35 at the break. Consecutive baskets

by Booker put the Suns in front 75-58 in the third quarter.

TIP-INS Celtics: Their 13 points in the first quarter were a season low.

Irving was the only starter to make a field goal in the first half.

Jayson Tatum, Al Horford, Gordon Hayward and Brown were a combined 0 for 15. G Marcus Smart surpassed 1,000

a balanced scoring attack with 22 points, shooting 9-for-14 from the field and 4-for-7 from the free throw line in 23 minutes and 44 seconds. He also had five rebounds.

Cormardo Seymour had 13 points and 15 rebounds, Preston Ferguson had 12 points, Anderias Black had 11 points and six rebounds and Edward Williams also had 11 points and five rebounds.

Adrian Thompson also helped out nine points, nine rebounds, eight assists and two steals, Cameron Strachan had eight points

rebounds and 400 steals for his career.

Suns: Warren made his third start this season. Ryan Anderson came off the bench. Booker scored 70 points against the Celtics in Boston on March 24, 2017.

A game after playing a season-low seven minutes, 2017 first-round draft pick Josh Jackson played only five.

ANALYSING AYTON Celtics coach Brad Stevens called Ayton a “special talent” when asked about the rookie before the game. “He brings everything to the table you would think a really good player at that position brings,” Stevens said.

and five rebounds and Ira Farrington chipped in with seven points and five rebounds.

YES opened an explosive 29-14 first quarter and held on for a 51-44 margin at the half. They went on another route in the third for an 88-67 spurt at the final break to coast to an easy win in the fourth on a 21-14 tear.

Tyrell Butler, in 27:03 minutes off the bench, powered through for a game high 25 points on 7-of-23 from the field and 10-for14 from the foul line with a three-pointer. He also had

five rebounds and steals and four assists.

Donte Deveaux added 15 points with five rebounds and three steals, Johnacy Augustin and Uriah Rolle both had nine points with six and five rebounds respectively, Jonaldo Joseph had eight points and five rebounds and Troy Marshall had seven points.

SATURDAY 7pm - PJ Stingers vs Fort Charlotte Defenders 8pm - Breezes High Flyers vs Aliv Buckets 9pm - Commonwealth Bank Giants vs Discount Distributors Rockets

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Friday, November 9, 2018, PAGE 3

Inaugural Caribbean Tip-Off Classic shows that ‘you can’t teach height’ THE inaugural Caribbean Tip-Off Classic gave Bahamians a chance to see the next two rising young talents in Kai Jones and Samuel Hunter as they prepare for the collegiate ranks next year.

But the tournament also put the spotlight on the high school basketball programme here in the Bahamas and why it’s so important for the players to improve their level of performance.

One thing any coach will tell you is that you can’t teach height.

But compared to the visiting teams that participated, the local teams from St Augustine’s College, CV Bethel Stingrays and CI Gibson Rattlers, as well as Tabernacle Baptist Falcons and St George’s Jaquars out of Grand Bahama, discovered that they were in a totally different realm against their peers.

None of the teams from the Bahamas had the height to match the visiting teams, which put them at a disadvantage the minute they stepped onto the court in the games played at the Kendal Isaacs Gymnasium over the weekend.

To compensate for their deficiencies, very few of the teams were able to make the adjustment to shooting the ball more from the outside as opposed to trying to take it inside in the land of the giants.

Many people in attendance questioned why more of the local teams were not matched against the visiting teams, but it was quite obvious that none of them would have stood a chance.

The tournament should serve as a learning lesson for the teams that participated as they prepare for

the start of private and government school leagues later this month.

The Caribbean Tip-Off Classic was organised by the Bahamas Basketball Federation through Steve Barnes, who has served as the technical director for the past six years.

Also sharing into the organising of the tournament were the Caribbean Sports Travel and the host Courtyard Marriott Hotel.

Jones and Hunter, just two of the players returning home to play with their high school teams in the United States and Canada, have benefitted from the system and have shown vast improvements in both their height and games.

Not to discredit the coaches here, but these players have left the confines of home and decided to continue their basketball journeys in organisations and systems that enable them to flourish with more games and stiffer competition to compete in during the season.

Both have committed to their respective division one colleges with Jones going from Brewster Academy in New Hampsire to the Texas Longhorns and Hunter from BC Christian Academy in British Colombia, Canada to the Old Miss Rebels.

Who knows if they would have gotten the

same opportunity had they opted to stay here at home and continue playing in the local system.

The tournament drew a few NBA and collegiate scouts, who were on hand to watch some of the talent on display, especially from the teams that came in to play.

Hopefully, some of the local players would have ceased the opportunity to perform for them. But they may find themselves in an uphill battle as players with height are being sought after more than ever.

With the way the game is progressing in the National Basketball Association with players attaining heights of an average of six-feet running the point guard position, there’s not much room for the small man anymore. Unless he is super talented.

BSF Nationals THE Bahamas Softball Federation hosted its national round robin tournament over the weekend at the Baillou Hills Sporting Complex.

The event was held in honour of Eddie Ford, an ailing former baseball/softball player turned umpire, who was on hand for the official opening ceremonies.

The tournament only attracted three women and four men, well down from the average of 6-7 teams

Nashad Mackey earns first Sunshine State Conference Defensive Player of Week

By RENALDO DORSETT Tribune Sports Reporter rdorsett@tribunemedia.net

JUST a week into his senior season, Nashad Mackey is already earning conference accolades for the Embry Riddle Eagles men’s basketball programme.

Mackey earned the first Sunshine State Conference Defensive Player of the Week as the Eagles got off to a 2-1 start to the year.

He recorded three double-doubles in the Eagles’ first three games, averaging 20.0 points and 11.7 rebounds per game. He also recorded seven steals and turned away a pair of shots for the Eagles over the weekend.

In the season opener, he posted 18 points, 14 rebounds, two steals and two blocked shots in Embry-Riddle’s 72-69 win over Concordia.

In game two, he finished with 21 points, 11 rebounds and three steals in a 79-70 win over Azusa Pacific.

In their first loss, Mackey finished with 21 points, 10 rebounds and two steals in a 94-81 loss to Lindenwood.

The Eagles return to the court tonight and look to get back into the win column against Lee University.

Mackey has 26 doubledoubles in 31 career games with Embry-Riddle.

As a junior, Mackey produced a number of career milestones and postseason awards.

He was named to the AllConference second team as well as the All-Newcomer team when the Sunshine State Conference office announced the 2017-18 men’s basketball postseason awards.

Mackey made school history when he became the first Eagles player to earn an All-Conference

and out of the hospital and is now convalescing at his home on Windsor Lane.

Naming this year’s nationals in his honour was well-deserving.

But what would be even more appropriate is if the powers that be could rename Windsor Park to the Ford Park as their family has produced so many memories from their residence across from the Wulff Road, East Street and Windsor Lane property.

PATRON Eddie Ford shares a moment with Danielle Grant, Miss Bahamas Universe 2018, at the opening of the BSF Nationals in the Banker’s Field at the Baillou Hills Sporting Complex over the weekend. that participated when softball was at its highest peak.

Federation president Ted Miller admitted that while the numbers were down, the competition was still of a very high calibre, which enabled the fans to stick around in large numbers until the champions were crowned.

He indicated that they are going to work closely with those island associations missing in action to ensure that they are in the line-up for 2019.

According to Miller, there are also plans to reintroduce the All-Star Classic, which would allow

the islands to assemble their best players and bring them to compete in the tournament as they did in the past.

The All-Star Classic may just be the impetus to get the island associations to focus on running a regular season as well in order to be ready for the national round robin.

So I hope that the BSF can get more of the affiliated island associations to compete again in what used to be one of the most competitive nationals over the years.

And yes, it was so good to see Ford, considering the fact that he has been in

Condolences to Sweeting family TRIBUNE Sports wishes to take this opportunity to extend our deepest condolences to the family of the late Franklyn ‘Cinderella’ Sweeting, who passed away during the week at the age of 76.

Sweeting has brought a lot of stories to our pages from the baseball diamond.

While I didn’t get to watch him in his prime, I heard about it.

I was able to witness him in action as a coach in both baseball and softball.

He was very knowledgeable about the game, having playing it at a high level on the international scene as one of the country’s premier pitchers.

He eventually got to coach and watch some of his offspring follow in his footsteps in his sons, Frank Sr, Theodore and Felipe and his daughter, Deandre, was also an outstanding player.

The Sweetings have been one of those household names when it comes to sports in the Bahamas and a lot of what they achieved rested on the shoulders of their late patriarch.

We will remember the late Franklyn Sweeting Sr.

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NASHAD Mackey has earned the first Sunshine State Conference Defensive Player of the Week as the Embry Riddle Eagles men’s basketball programme got off to a 2-1 start to the year. selection. He had an immediate impact on the programme as they transitioned to NCAA Division II with his record-breaking junior season.

He averaged 17.3 points and 12.5 rebounds per game, both team leads. In 28 starts, he also set a new single-season double-doubles record with 23 on the year and ended the season with 13 such consecutive games. He posted a total of 350 rebounds, another school record, ranked second in NCAA Division II. He finished with nine 20-point games, including one 20-point, 20-rebound game in an upset of No. 10 Barry University. He also shot 88.8 per cent from the free throw line this season, ranked sixth among

single-season totals in programme history.

The Eagles closed out the 2017-18 season last week with a 104-97 loss to Florida Southern to end the season at 11-17, 5-15 in the conference.

Mackey ended the campaign strong with his final double-double of the season with 26 points and 14 rebounds. He transferred to the Eagles and NCAA Division II level after he posted stellar individual numbers and garnered postseason awards at the JuCo level.

During his stint with the Daytona State College Falcons, he was named the Mid-Florida Conference Player of the Year and was also named First team AllState in the conference as a sophomore.

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PAGE 4, Friday, November 9, 2018

CHRISTIAN BALFOUR, winner of the junior MVP and 1-on-1 titles, is presented with his awards by Tyler Rolle Jr.

THE TRIBUNE

TYLER Rolle Jr (left) and Sr (right) receive their awards from Dedrie Allans.

BURTON BUTLER, left, winner of the senior MVP, free throw and three-point shooting, is presented with his awards.

BASKETBALL TOURNAMENT IN HONOUR OF TYLER ROLLE JR OVER the years, Sam Carter has been successful in hosting some of the greatest Park League basketball tournaments in the Fort Charlotte community.

Recently, he was responsible for organising the first T’s Outside Stadium Basketball Tournament.

It was an event held in honour of Tyler Rolle Jr, a student of CR Walker Secondary High.

The event was staged in the backyard of house #39 in Coral Road, Colony Village, one of the biggest backyard basketball courts on the island.

“We played two-on-two, one-on-one, shot free throws and three-pointers in the senior, intermediate and junior divisions,” Carter said. “We had ladies up to the age of 69 years old shooting free throws.”

It was a part of the community efforts by the Yamacraw constituency where Elsworth Johnson is the Member of Parliament and Minister of State for Legal Affairs. After giving out a number of trophies and prizes to the deserving winners and spectators on hand, Carter said they intend to make the event an annual one.

“The crowd was very enthusiastic,” he said.

“It’s a learning experience, but next time it will be a lot better. We had a lot of fun, lots of eats and drinks. Everyone was asking when is the next one going to be held.”

Carter said they are looking at putting on a similar event during Christmas as they work towards fostering a better relationship in the community.

SAMITHA CARTER, winner of the junior girls’ three throw, is presented with her award by Tyler Rolle Jr.

ASHLEY SAUNDERS, winner of the senior free throw competition, receives his award from Tyler Rolle Jr.

JONATHON Williams receives his junior free throw award from Tyler Rolle Jr.

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Friday, November 9, 2018, PAGE 5

Chelsea, Arsenal, Lazio advance in Europa League

By KAREL JANICEK Associated Press

and Olympiacos, which thrashed Dudelange 5-1.

OLIVIER Giroud ended his drought by scoring the only goal to lead Chelsea to a 1-0 win at BATE Borisov yesterday that clinched a place in the knockout stage of the Europa League with two group games to spare.

Giroud had not scored for Chelsea for six months but he knows what it’s like to net against BATE. Last season, the France forward was on target in both games against the Belarusian champion when he played for London rival Arsenal in Europe’s second tier competition.

Arsenal also made it through after a 0-0 home draw against Sporting marred by Danny Welbeck’s injury. The England striker was carried off on a stretcher after appearing to sustain a serious ankle problem. He needed to receive oxygen before he was taken to hospital.

Zurich reached the next stage, together with Bayer Leverkusen, after the German side won their encounter 1-0. Eintracht Frankfurt beat Apollon Limassol 3-2 to advance, while Lazio beat Marseille 2-1 to march into the next round and eliminate last year’s runner-up.

Dinamo Zagreb was another team to progress to the knockout phase after the fourth round of matches.

Ten-man Sevilla won 3-2 at Akhisar thanks to a late penalty, but Anderlecht’s hopes of going through are over.

LAST-GASP SEVILLA Ever Banega converted a penalty three minutes from time against Akhisar as he grabbed the winner for Sevilla, the most successful club in Europa League history.

Earlier, Nolito and Luis Muriel gave the Spanish club a 2-0 lead, but Elvis Manu started a comeback for Akhisar in the 52nd, four minutes before Sergi Gomez was sent off. Onur Ayik then equalized for the Turkish side after 78.

Sevilla is tied atop Group J on nine points with Russia’s Krasnodar, which beat Standard Liege 2-1.

• Here’s a look at Thursday’s action: PERFECT CHELSEA Emerson Palmieri crossed from the left in the 53rd minute and Giroud stooped to head in for Chelsea. The France striker was playing against BATE instead of Alvaro Morata, who was rested.

‘I’m pleased for him,” manager Maurizio Sarri said of Giroud.

“He’s a very important player for us, very useful for the team, but I

ARSENAL’s Danny Welbeck lies injured on the pitch yesterday during the Europa League match against Sporting CP at Emirates stadium in London, England.

(AP Photo/Frank Augstein) know very well that strikers want to score, and so for his confidence it’s very important.

“BATE played very well. They were unlucky and could have drawn the match.”

The win extended Chelsea’s unbeaten streak this season to 17 games, but the London club was given several scares as BATE hit the woodwork three times.

Chelsea tops Group L with a maximum 12 points. Hungary’s Vidi is second on six points after a 1-0 victory over PAOK .

ARSENAL HELD Arsenal was held to a 0-0 home draw by Sporting, which had Jeremy Mathieu sent off for a professional foul on substitute Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang three minutes from the end.

Aubameyang, who replaced the injured Welbeck in the 30th minute, missed a string of scoring chances. “Danny’s looked like a serious injury, which is not nice to see,” Arsenal goalkeeper Petr Cech said. “Our thoughts are with him.”

Arsenal tops Group E with 10 points, three ahead of Sporting.

Qarabag joined Vorskla on three points after winning their match 1-0.

BETIS ON TOP Spanish midfielder Suso curled in a free kick to salvage a 1-1 draw for seven-time European champion AC Milan at Real Betis, which had taken the lead in the 12th minute through Giovani Lo Celso. Betis tops Group F on eight points, one ahead of Milan

OTHER GROUPS Takumi Minamino’s hat trick inspired Salzburg to a 5-2 win at Rosenborg, its fourth straight victory in Group B. Celtic beat Leipzig 2-1 to join the German side on six points.

In Group H, Luka Jovic, Sebastien Haller and Mijat Gacinovic scored as Eintracht made it four wins from four games. Emilio Zelaya netted twice for Apollon, the second time from the penalty spot.

Marco Parolo headed the opening goal for Lazio in first-half injury time and Joaquin Correa beat goalkeeper Yohann Pele 10 minutes into the second before Marseille got one back through Florian Thauvin.

Eintracht has 12 points followed

by Lazio on nine. Marseille and Apollon, both on one point, are out.

In Group G, Spartak Moscow beat Rangers 4-3 in a thriller after the Scottish club had led 3-2. Villarreal leads the section with six points after drawing 0-0 at Rapid Vienna. Rangers and Spartak are one point behind.

Anderlecht’s campaign came to an end after a 2-0 defeat at Group D rival Fenerbahce. Zagreb advanced from that section after a 3-1 victory over Spartak Trnava.

USAIN BOLT STILL CHASING HIS PRO FOOTBALL DREAM SYDNEY (AP) — Olympic sprinting great Usain Bolt will continue to pursue his dream of playing professional football despite his failure to reach a deal with Central Coast to play in Australian football’s A-League.

After a two-month trial Bolt this week rejected Central Coast’s offer of a $150,000 contract to play in the current A-League season.

He had been hoping for sponsors to come forward to swell his salary to a reported $3 million.

After also trialing unsuccessfully for teams in Germany, Norway and South Africa, the eight-time Olympic gold medallist said he remains hopeful of eventually winning a professional contract.

“For sure. We’ll see what happens,” Bolt said Saturday. “I think people are still contacting my agent now about opportunities, so we’ll see in which direction it goes.”

Bolt said despite his failure to secure a contract he does not regret his time with Central Coast in which he made two pre-season appearances, scoring two goals in one match.

“It’s sad that it didn’t work out but we parted on good terms and that’s a good thing,” Bolt told the Herald Sun newspaper.

“I had a great experience with them. The guys were great. We just couldn’t work out things with the contract.

Hopefully I get another chance with another team,” he said.

WHAT TO WATCH IN THE LEADING SOCCER LEAGUES IN EUROPE WHAT to watch in the leading soccer leagues in Europe this weekend: ENGLAND Jose Mourinho has started to accept that attack is the best form of defence for his Manchester United team that has kept just one clean sheet in the Premier League all season.

Will he maintain that stance ahead of a match against the most prolific side in England?

Manchester City has netted six goals in each of its last two games going into the derby against United on Sunday, the standout fixture of the weekend. With 33 goals in 11 games in the league, City has scored six more than Chelsea, the next best team.

United has won its last three matches, the most recent being a 2-1 victory at Juventus in the Champions League on Wednesday.

Watching United at the moment is as exciting as it has been for a while, and it makes for a potentially explosive derby at Etihad Stadium. The subplot, as always, will be Mourinho going head to head with rival coach Pep Guardiola.

City leads the league by two points from Chelsea, which is at home to Everton on Sunday, and Liverpool, which hosts lastplace Fulham the same day.

Fulham manager Slavisa Jokanovic appears to be battling to save his job after a run of six straight losses — five coming in the league.

— By Steve Douglas SPAIN Celta Vigo will provide a good test of whether Real Madrid has truly turned around its season under interim coach Santiago Solari.

Madrid has won three matches under Solari since the firing of former coach Julen Lopetegui, but a visit to Celta on Sunday should provide more of a challenge than third-tier Melilla in the Copa del Rey, a home

JUVENTUS forward Cristiano Ronaldo celebrates after scoring his side’s opening goal during the Champions League group H soccer match against Manchester United at the Allianz stadium in Turin, Italy, on Wednesday.

(AP Photo/Antonio Calanni) game against Valladolid in La Liga, and a trip to Czech side Viktoria Plzen in the Champions League.

Barcelona looks to maintain its lead when it hosts Real Betis on Sunday.

Lionel Messi is doubtful as he recovers from a broken bone in his right forearm, while Philippe Coutinho is out after tearing a muscle in his left leg.

Second-place Espanyol visits third-place Sevilla on Sunday, while fourth-place Atletico Madrid welcomes Athletic Bilbao on Saturday.

— By Joseph Wilson in Barcelona FRANCE Runaway leader Paris Saint-Germain visits Monaco, which is 19th and

lurching into a crisis under new coach Thierry Henry.

Things are going from bad to worse for Monaco, which has not won in 15 games — the past five coming since the France great took charge. Tuesday’s 4-0 home loss to Club Brugge in the Champions League was painful to watch for Henry, whose side is hit with injuries and chronically low on confidence.

A win for PSG at Stade Louis II on Sunday would be a 13th straight and surpass the French record of 12 it shares with Monaco, which set that during its title-winning campaign in 2017. That seems a lifetime ago, such is the poor level of the current side with even star striker Radamel

Falcao looking completely short of form.

Elsewhere, third-place Lille hosts Strasbourg on Friday and secondplace Montpellier, which has the joint best defense in the league along with PSG, travels to Angers on Saturday.

— By Jerome Pugmire in Paris ITALY After falling to its first loss of the season on Wednesday, Juventus wants to get straight back on track but faces a tricky trip to AC Milan on Sunday.

Juventus hadn’t lost in any competition until conceding two late goals in a 2-1 defeat to Manchester United in the Champions League.

Domestically, Juve is marching towards a recordextending eighth Serie A title and already has a sixpoint lead over its closest challengers, Inter Milan and Napoli.

AC Milan is 10 points behind Juve but has won its last three league matches to move up to fourth.

Inter also plays on Sunday, at neighboring Atalanta, while Napoli travels to Genoa on Saturday.

Lazio has the same points as Milan and on Sunday visits Sassuolo, which is three points behind the capital side.

— By Daniella Matar in Milan GERMANY Bayern Munich visits Bundesliga leader Borussia

Dortmund on Saturday for the much-anticipated German “Klassiker.”

Few believed at the start of the season that Bayern would be four points behind Dortmund after 10 matches.

Bayern president Uli Hoeness has played down his side’s chances.

“We’re not going as favourites to Dortmund, but as outsiders — for the first time in a long time,” Hoeness said.

Werder Bremen hosts Borussia Moenchengladbach for what promises to be an exciting game on Saturday, while Eintracht Frankfurt will put Schalke’s improvement to the test on Sunday.

— By Ciaran Fahey in Berlin

THE TRIBUNE

Friday, November 9, 2018, PAGE 7

Jennings makes 146no as England set Sri Lanka 462 target

By REX CLEMENTINE Associated Press GALLE, Sri Lanka (AP) — Sri Lanka face the daunting task of batting out two days to save the first test against England after being set an improbable target of 462 and finishing day three on 15 without loss yesterday.

Sri Lanka’s record of never having lost a test in Galle is in jeopardy.

England declared its second innings on 322-6, and opener Keaton Jennings was unbeaten on 146.

Jennings batted for more than six hours, faced 280 deliveries and hit nine fours for a second test century since his first on debut two years ago.

“I want to give a really big thank you to the people that have stuck with me, that have helped me over the last 18 months, that have backed me through some tough times, waking up in the middle of the night stressing, panicking. I am just really happy to be sitting here in a

position where we can win the game,” Jennings said.

He was well supported by allrounder Ben Stokes, who hit 62 in a stand of 107 for the fourth wicket as England dominated the day.

After the dismissal of Stokes, Jennings added 74 for the fifth wicket with Jos Buttler (35) and 61 for the sixth wicket with Ben Foakes (37).

Sri Lanka a missed a stumping chance off Buttler when he was on 11.

With the game slipping away, Sri Lanka set up a defensive field.

Vice-captain Suranga Lakmal stepped in to the leadership role after captain Dinesh Chandimal was forced off the field with a groin injury.

Sri Lanka management said Chandimal will bat in the second innings but they could lose the services of the captain for the series.

Dilruwan Perera and Rangana Herath, playing his last test, finished with two wickets apiece. Herath was given a standing ovation by the packed house,

ENGLAND’s Keaton Jennings celebrates scoring a century during the third day of the first test cricket match against Sri Lanka in Galle, Sri Lanka, yesterday.

(AP Photo/Eranga Jayawardena) mostly England fans, as he walked off the field.

His three wickets in the test have lifted him to 433

all time, two above New Zealand great Richard Hadlee in the top 10. Sri Lanka openers Dimuth

Karunaratne and Kaushal Silva saw off the seven overs in the final session.

In Sri Lanka’s first innings,

THE WEATHER REPORT

5-Day Forecast

TODAY

TONIGHT

SATURDAY

SUNDAY

MONDAY

TUESDAY

Partly sunny

Partly cloudy

Partly sunny

Partly sunny

Partly sunny and breezy

Periods of sun, a t‑storm in spots

High: 86°

Low: 73°

High: 85° Low: 74°

High: 86° Low: 75°

High: 86° Low: 75°

High: 86° Low: 72°

AccuWeather RealFeel

AccuWeather RealFeel

AccuWeather RealFeel

AccuWeather RealFeel

AccuWeather RealFeel

AccuWeather RealFeel

93° F

80° F

94°-78° F

93°-77° F

91°-80° F

93°-73° F

ORLANDO

High: 86° F/30° C Low: 66° F/19° C

TAMPA

High: 85° F/29° C Low: 70° F/21° C

The exclusive AccuWeather RealFeel Temperature® is an index that combines the effects of temperature, wind, humidity, sunshine intensity, cloudiness, precipitation, pressure and elevation on the human body—everything that affects how warm or cold a person feels. Temperatures reflect the high and the low for the day.

N

almanac

E

W

ABACO

S

N

High: 80° F/27° C Low: 74° F/23° C

4‑8 knots

S

High: 85° F/29° C Low: 70° F/21° C

4‑8 knots

FT. LAUDERDALE

FREEPORT

High: 85° F/29° C Low: 74° F/23° C

E

W S

E

W

WEST PALM BEACH

N

High: 84° F/29° C Low: 69° F/21° C

MIAMI

High: 86° F/30° C Low: 72° F/22° C

4‑8 knots

Statistics are for Nassau through 1 p.m. yesterday Temperature High ................................................... 84° F/29° C Low .................................................... 79° F/26° C Normal high ....................................... 82° F/28° C Normal low ........................................ 71° F/21° C Last year’s high ................................. 86° F/30° C Last year’s low ................................... 74° F/24° C Precipitation As of 1 p.m. yesterday .................................. trace Year to date ............................................... 43.82” Normal year to date ................................... 36.51”

ELEUTHERA

NASSAU

High: 86° F/30° C Low: 73° F/23° C

Forecasts and graphics provided by AccuWeather, Inc. ©2018

High: 82° F/28° C Low: 74° F/23° C

N

KEY WEST

High: 86° F/30° C Low: 79° F/26° C

uV inDex toDay

The higher the AccuWeather UV IndexTM number, the greater the need for eye and skin protection.

tiDes For nassau High

Ht.(ft.)

Low

Ht.(ft.)

Today

8:36 a.m.

8:55 p.m.

3.4 2.7

2:18 a.m. ‑0.1 3:04 p.m. 0.1

Saturday

9:19 a.m.

9:39 p.m.

3.3 2.5

2:59 a.m.

3:48 p.m.

0.1 0.2

Sunday

10:02 a.m.

10:23 p.m.

3.1 2.4

3:41 a.m.

4:32 p.m.

0.3 0.4

Monday

10:46 a.m.

11:11 p.m.

2.9 2.3

4:24 a.m.

5:19 p.m.

0.5 0.6

Tuesday

11:33 a.m. ‑‑‑‑‑

2.8 ‑‑‑‑‑

5:11 a.m.

6:08 p.m.

0.7 0.7

Wednesday 12:02 a.m.

12:23 p.m.

2.2 2.7

6:02 a.m.

6:59 p.m.

0.9 0.8

Thursday

2.2 2.6

6:58 a.m.

7:51 p.m.

1.0 0.8

12:58 a.m.

1:16 p.m.

sun anD moon Sunrise Sunset

6:22 a.m.

5:25 p.m.

Moonrise Moonset

8:05 a.m.

7:14 p.m.

First

Full

Last

New

Nov. 15

Nov. 23

Nov. 29

Dec. 7

CAT ISLAND

E

W

High: 82° F/28° C Low: 77° F/25° C

N

S

E

W

6‑12 knots

S

6‑12 knots Shown is today’s weather. Temperatures are today’s highs and tonight’s lows.

it lasted barely two sessions — 68 overs — in scoring 203.

Three days into the test, the pitch is turning, and not in its favour.

“When you look at the three days so far, I’m not sure there will be a huge change over the next two,” Sri Lanka spin bowling coach Piyal Wijetunga said.

“We know that it does spin a little more on the last two days because it is dry here. There is a big challenge, but it’s not the kind of wicket we usually see in Galle.

“If the batsmen do their duty, the 440-odd that we need will be tough, but it’s not impossible.”

The highest fourthinnings total in Sri Lanka is 397 made by New Zealand in 2009 at Sinhalese Sports Club in a losing cause.

The highest successful run chase was 391 by Sri Lanka in 2017 against Zimbabwe at R Premadasa Stadium. The highest fourth-innings total in Galle was 300 by Pakistan in 2012, also in a losing cause.

ANDROS

SAN SALVADOR

GREAT EXUMA

High: 82° F/28° C Low: 76° F/24° C

High: 82° F/28° C Low: 77° F/25° C

N

High: 83° F/28° C Low: 74° F/23° C

E

W S

LONG ISLAND

insurance management tracking map

High: 83° F/28° C Low: 77° F/25° C

4‑8 knots

MAYAGUANA High: 84° F/29° C Low: 78° F/26° C

Shown is today’s weather. Temperatures are today’s highs and tonight’s lows.

CROOKED ISLAND / ACKLINS RAGGED ISLAND High: 82° F/28° C Low: 78° F/26° C

High: 83° F/28° C Low: 77° F/25° C

GREAT INAGUA High: 86° F/30° C Low: 78° F/26° C

N

E

W

E

W

N

S

S

6‑12 knots

6‑12 knots

marine Forecast ABACO ANDROS CAT ISLAND CROOKED ISLAND ELEUTHERA FREEPORT GREAT EXUMA GREAT INAGUA LONG ISLAND MAYAGUANA NASSAU RAGGED ISLAND SAN SALVADOR

Today: Saturday: Today: Saturday: Today: Saturday: Today: Saturday: Today: Saturday: Today: Saturday: Today: Saturday: Today: Saturday: Today: Saturday: Today: Saturday: Today: Saturday: Today: Saturday: Today: Saturday:

WINDS E at 4‑8 Knots N at 4‑8 Knots NE at 6‑12 Knots NE at 7‑14 Knots NE at 4‑8 Knots NE at 6‑12 Knots ENE at 6‑12 Knots NE at 6‑12 Knots ENE at 4‑8 Knots NE at 4‑8 Knots ESE at 4‑8 Knots N at 4‑8 Knots NE at 6‑12 Knots NE at 7‑14 Knots NE at 6‑12 Knots NE at 7‑14 Knots NE at 6‑12 Knots NE at 7‑14 Knots ENE at 6‑12 Knots NE at 6‑12 Knots ENE at 4‑8 Knots NE at 4‑8 Knots NE at 6‑12 Knots NE at 7‑14 Knots NE at 4‑8 Knots NE at 6‑12 Knots

WAVES 3‑5 Feet 3‑5 Feet 1‑2 Feet 1‑2 Feet 3‑5 Feet 2‑4 Feet 2‑4 Feet 2‑4 Feet 3‑5 Feet 2‑4 Feet 1‑3 Feet 1‑3 Feet 1‑2 Feet 1‑2 Feet 2‑4 Feet 1‑3 Feet 1‑2 Feet 1‑2 Feet 3‑6 Feet 3‑5 Feet 1‑2 Feet 1‑2 Feet 1‑3 Feet 1‑3 Feet 1‑3 Feet 1‑2 Feet

VISIBILITY 10 Miles 10 Miles 10 Miles 10 Miles 10 Miles 10 Miles 10 Miles 10 Miles 10 Miles 10 Miles 10 Miles 10 Miles 10 Miles 10 Miles 10 Miles 10 Miles 10 Miles 10 Miles 10 Miles 10 Miles 10 Miles 10 Miles 10 Miles 10 Miles 10 Miles 10 Miles

WATER TEMPS. 81° F 81° F 82° F 82° F 80° F 80° F 82° F 82° F 81° F 81° F 82° F 82° F 83° F 83° F 83° F 83° F 83° F 83° F 82° F 82° F 82° F 82° F 83° F 83° F 80° F 80° F

Covering The Bahamas for over 40 years.

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PAGE 8, Friday, November 9, 2018

THE TRIBUNE

Roethlisberger throws for five TDs, Steelers rip Panthers 52-21

By WILL GRAVES AP Sports Writer PITTSBURGH (AP) — The Pittsburgh Steelers aren’t playing like a team missing Le’Veon Bell.

Ben Roethlisberger threw for 328 yards and five touchdowns, James Conner ran for 65 yards and a score before leaving late with a possible concussion and the Steelers pounded the Carolina Panthers 52-21 last night for their fifth straight victory.

Antonio Brown added eight receptions for 96 yards — including a 53-yard touchdown in the second quarter — to cap an eventful day that began with the star wide receiver being cited for reckless driving after police clocked Brown’s Porsche driving over 100 mph down a busy highway in the northern city suburbs.

While Bell — a threetime Pro Bowl running back who still hasn’t signed his one-year franchise tender — tweeted his thoughts as he watched on television, the Steelers (6-2-1) rolled on without him. Bell has until next Tuesday to sign a contract if he wants to play this season. His teammates have long since tired of talking about Bell’s status and at this point, the AFC North leaders appear to be doing just fine on their own.

Carolina not so much.

BAHAMAS SOFTBALL FROM PAGE 1

The team leaves on Wednesday. “We have put together a dynamic team,”

The Panthers (6-3) saw their three-game winning streak come to an abrupt halt in a city where they’ve never won. Carolina fell to 0-4 all-time in Pittsburgh and was never really in it after the Steelers scored 21 points in the game’s first 11 minutes.

Cam Newton completed 23 of 29 for 193 yards and a pair of flips to Christian McCaffrey that the secondyear running back turned into scores but Newton’s showdown with Roethlisberger never materialized.

The Steelers sacked Newton five times and rarely let him get comfortable.

Newton didn’t help matters when he threw off his back foot out of the Carolina end zone while trying to avoid getting sacked in the first quarter.

Pittsburgh linebacker Vince Williams raced under the floater and returned it 17 yards for a touchdown to give the Steelers a 14-7 lead they never came close to relinquishing.

McCaffrey finished with 138 yards total offence (77 yards rushing, 61 yards receiving) and accounted for all three Panther scores but it wasn’t nearly enough.

Pittsburgh’s 52 points matched the most ever surrendered by the Panthers in franchise history.

Carolina allowed the same total in a 52-9 loss to

Oakland on December 24, 2000.

The Steelers held the 36-year-old Roethlisberger out of practice during the short week in an effort to keep him fresh. Roethlisberger responded with one of the finest performances of his career, completing 22 of 25 passes while spreading the ball to nine different players on his way

to a perfect quarterback rating of 158.3.

Roethlisberger’s first pass turned into a 75-yard touchdown pass to JuJu Smith-Schuster on Pittsburgh’s first offensive snap and his last came on a 6-yard toss to rookie Jaylen Samuels on the first play of the fourth quarter.

In between he did a little bit of everything.

Roethlisberger even showed off his legs, scrambling for 18 yards in the third quarter on a play that ended with Carolina safety Eric Reid getting ejected for targeting after Reid appeared to dive at Roethlisberger’s head as the quarterback attempted to slide. Reed, signed by Carolina in September six months after filing a

grievance alleging collusion by the NFL to prevent teams from signing him because of his participation in racial injustice protests during the national anthem alongside former San Francisco 49ers teammate Colin Kaepernick, went out to shake Roethlisberger’s hand as a peace offering before making his way to the Carolina locker room.

said Stevens, who will travel as the chef de mission.

“This is the sixth year that they are hosting the tournament and the Bahamas has been the most successful team.

“We won two gold and silver and bronze since we

have been going to the tournament to compete. So we intend to once again go there and bring back the gold.”

The team, managed

by Derrick Christie and coached by Terrace Culmer and Nathaniel Porter, is

made up of the following players:

Christie said he has high confidence in the team.

“This is one of the better teams that we have put together to go to the tournament,” Christie pointed out. “We have done very well every year that they have attended the tournament and I expect us to do very well this year.”

Compared to previous teams, Christie said they were a little short in the female talent that they had, but they have added Taylor, whom he indicated they will be relying on to carry a lot of the load.

The Bahamas won backto-back titles in 2015 and 2016, but fell short and had to settle for the silver last year. Christie said with the make-up this year, they’re going to regain the gold.

“Our chances are extremely high,” he said.

Mackey, one of the leaders on the team, said he would be highly disappointed if they don’t make the championship.

“This team could have even been better, but due to work commitments, we had a couple of people who were not able to travel with us,” he stated. “But we still have an excellent team. This is the best team that we are carrying since we’ve been going to the tournament. We have a

good mix of young and old players who can play in and out. That is the key to this tournament.”

With the hectic schedule that they have to endure each day, Mackey said it was important that they compiled a team that had players who could play both the infield and outfield in order to give some players a rest. “This team, we can blend to any situation,” he said. “If we have to play small ball, we can play the small ball. Over there at some point you have to play big ball too and we feel we have some players who are capable of hitting home runs.”

Canada, the United States and Germany are normally the Bahamas’ biggest threats, but Mackey said they have something in store for Canada, who denied them a three-peat last year.

The BGDSA has had to fund the expenses for the team to travel and on Saturday from noon to 6pm, Stevens said they will hold a cook-out at the Baillou Hills Sporting Complex when they continue their slowpitch season. “We are still looking for help from corporate Bahamas to get the team there,” Stevens stated. “But we are moving forward.”

take place under the Unified Amateur MMA Rules.

The Senior Championship features 287 registered athletes from 52 nations, while the inaugural Junior tournament (18 to 20-year-olds) showcases 80 competitors from 33 nations, making the event the largest of its kind.”

The Bahrain MMA Federation, with the support of the Bahrain Olympic Committee, is hosting the event.

The Bahamas joined IMMAF in 2016, a move that Dr Bazard said was in line with the rapid development of the sport.

“We’ve come a long way and we’re always looking for the next standard. Right now the next standard is for us to reach the international level. It immediately added legitimacy to our events because we are held to an international standard these organisations establish,” he said at the time of the announcment. “For them to support us is a big deal. It forces us to maintain that standard and it helps our local fighters to get a lot of international exposure.

For our fighters to compete

at home and to be recognised internationally is a great accomplishment and not have to travel halfway across the world, which is a challenge. We will have access to their knowledge, techniques and personnel who will advise us on everything from promotion, setup to event production.”

IMMAF President Kerrith Brown visited the capital in 2017 on a site visit to meet with stakeholders and assess the local state of the sport. Brown said the affiliation will pay immediate dividends for the Bahamas. “The federations that come under our umbrella are entitled to bid for events like the Continental Championships, World Championships or the other events. The main benefit is the growth and development of the sport through networking, assistance, education and training,” he said. “The main benefit is that the Bahamas will be involved with a governing body that has a strong vision to become an Olympic sport and benefit your athletes in the future of martial arts.

PITTSBURGH Steelers QB Ben Roethlisberger celebrates a touchdown pass to Antonio Brown in the first half last night.

(AP Photo/Keith Srakocic)

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EVERY SUNDAY - 10AM TO 1PM

Men - Eugene Bain, Richard Bain, Martin Burrows, Sherman Ferguson, Alcott Forbes, Rudy Fox, Austin Hanna, Philip Johnson, Jamaal Scavella, Aaron Wood, Jeffery Woiodside and Duane Mackey.

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The Bahamas will play a triple header, including back-to-back games on day one of the tournament on Thursday, when they face the Turks & Caicos Islands at 1:30pm and the United States at 3pm. They will play the third game at 6pm against Great Britain.

On Friday, they will have another triple header with back-to-back games at 11:30pm against Curacao No.1 and Germany at 1pm before they wrap up the round robin at 4pm against Curacao No.2 team.

The double elimination round leading up to the championship game will take place on Saturday and Sunday. The team will return home on Monday, November 19.

MARTIAL ARTS FROM PAGE 1

International Combat Week, November 12-17 at the Khalifa Sports City Arena in Manama.

Dr Kent Bazard of the Bahamas Wushu/Sanda Association, founder of Empire Mixed Martial Arts and the BOMAC fight series, said despite the lilited preparation time, Miller should expect a positive showing.

“He has been training about eight months total with us,” he said.

“We were offered an invitation three weeks ago so he had limited time to get ready. Fortunately he was in relatively good shape. I believe he will represent well.

MixedMartialArts.com previewed the event, which will feature a record-setting number of participants.

“The elite amateur tournaments will follow the IMMAF Championships format across five days and 14 weight divisions, and