11212022 NEWS AND SPORT

Filing for bankruptcy could have violated Supreme Court ruling

By NEIL HARTNELL Tribune Business Editor nhartnell@tribunemedia.net

FEARS have been voiced that FTX’s co-founder vio lated a Bahamas Supreme Court Order when he placed some 134 group entities under Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection in Delaware.

US attorneys represent ing the Bahamian joint provisional liquidators for FTX Digital Markets, the collapsed crypto exchange’s local subsidiary, have raised concerns that Sam Bankman-Fried breached the asset freeze and order obtained by the Securities

Commission on Thursday, November 10, through such actions.

That order, issued by Chief Justice Ian Winder, also stripped Mr BankmanFried and his fellow FTX Digital Markets directors of all their powers and transferred control of the company to Brian Simms KC, senior partner at the Lennox Paton law firm.

However, the FTX cofounder then signed the documents placing FTX Trading and the group’s non-Bahamian assets into Chapter 11 protection at 4.30am on Friday morning.

FNM: GOVT NEEDS TO SHOW TRANSPARENCY OVER FTX

By KHRISNA RUSSELL Tribune Chief Reporter krussell@tribunemedia.net

THE Free National Movement yesterday dou bled down on calls for government transparency in the aftermath of the FTX collapse, with its chairman Dr Duane Sands insisting the Davis administration

must be seen to want to urgently get to the bottom of the situation.

Dr Sands said that while the government was not responsible for the implosion of FTX, there remained many lingering questions and assertions that needed clarification.

MURDER TALLY NOW EQUALS 2021 TOTAL

By LYNAIRE MUNNINGS lmunnings @ tribunemedia.net

A MAN was shot dead in Grand Bahama on Friday, pushing the country’s murder count to 119 for the year, on par with last year’s total.

It was one of several violent incidents over the weekend, with police inves tigating a shooting and a stabbing in New Provi dence that left two men in hospital.

With several weeks left in the year, the country is poised to surpass last year’s figure, prompting Free

Police said that on Friday, shortly before midnight, the police control room received a report of a shoot ing incident at a business in Hunters, Grand Bahama.

According to reports, the victim was approached by a gunman who discharged

FUND SET UP TO HELP CLIMATE-HIT NATIONS

By KHRISNA RUSSELL Tribune Chief Reporter krussell@tribunemedia.net

THE United Nations Conference of the Parties (COP27) has established a loss and damage fund to aid vulnerable nations like The Bahamas in view of contin ued climate change and its significant impacts.

The development of the fund is considered historic and all parties have been mandated to work con structively to design and operationalise the fund over the next 12 months to have it ready by the next COP in 2023 at the Dubai Expo City.

The conference this year was held at Sharm El-Sheikh, Egypt, from

By LETRE SWEETING lsweeting@tribunemedia.net

FREE National Move ment leader Michael Pintard on Friday called for Works and Utilities Minister Alfred Sears to resign, pointing to what he called a “failure of the government to act appro priately to reduce the cost of electricity”.

Mr Pintard made the remarks outside the Office of The Prime Minister where he led a press con ference in the parking lot surrounded by more than 20 party members, including FNM chairman Dr Duane Sands. An equal number of police officers, who had blockaded the parking lot and cut off the access to the front lawn of the building, were also present.

National Movement deputy leader Shanendon

Cartwright to say that the Davis administration has failed to lead the Bahamian people amid the complex ity of the country’s “crime problem”.

Photo: Austin Fernander

JOLLY TIMES AT JOLLIFICATION

PICTURES from the Jollifi cation festival, held by the Bahamas National Trust at the weekend. Photos: Austin Fernander

FNM: Govt needs to show transparency over FTX

His comments came after FNM leader Michael Pintard on Friday said the Davis administration had an obligation to clearly indi cate if it had any intimate relationship with compa nies that are in the country that can give the impres sion that entities were able to operate with impunity because of the nature of that relationship.

He also said the party had concerns about govern ment transparency of the due diligence it conducted of FTX.

Mr Pintard at the time led a group of FNM sup porters to the Office of the Prime Minister where he addressed the issue.

“We still don’t know what happened, when it hap pened, how it happened,” Dr Sands said when he was contacted yesterday. “There are bits and pieces of the story coming and every five, ten minutes you get another piece of the story.

“What seems to be clear right now is that there was some (alleged) illegal activ ity, some unethical activity arising at FTX and Alam eda that was not being reported to the rest of the company and certainly not to the regulators and this happened and resulted in a rapid turn around of the fortunes of this company and we are just now learn ing all of the details and I

suspect that this is going to wind up with incredible amount of litigation.

“We have called for the government to be as forth coming as possible given the risk to the jurisdictional reputation,” Dr Sands also said. “We believe that this should be managed in a way that is transparent; that the government is seen to be forthcoming. That whatever information that is avail able is made public and we are seen to be wanting to get to the absolute bottom of this, that there are no sacred cows.”

He also rebuffed some accusations that the FNM was at fault for the ongoing situation because it passed

legislation in 2020 - the Dig ital Assets and Registered Exchanges (DARE) Actwhich attracted FTX here in September 2021.

“Efforts were made to ensure that very robust reg ulations were put in place,” Dr Sands said. “We have confidence in the Securities Commission and the hardworking persons that make up that entity.

“In 2020 the approach to the DARE Act was a highly researched, wide consul tation with the financial services to get them to a new arena that was poorly regulated in the rest of the world and so The Bahamas has the most robust legisla tion for this niche.

“Now that being said, all the regulations in the world cannot stop a rogue opera tor. And so if you think about Bernie Madoff who made off with $64 billion worth of people’s money on 5th Avenue, New York. Enron collapsed despite being a publicly traded company being audited by one of the big four account ing firms in the world, think about that.

“So, people will try to sully the reputation. Our position in the Free National Movement is very clear, let’s find out what the facts are, all of the facts, and let the chips fall where they may. “Let’s get the research done, let’s avoid the

LEND A HAND ‘WILL NOT BE AFFECTED’

By KHRISNA RUSSELL Tribune Chief Reporter krussell@tribunemedia.net

LEND A Hand Baha mas has said the implosion and fall of FTX, the Baha mas-based crypto currency exchange, will not affect its plans to continue commu nity outreach.

In March, FTX report edly donated $500,000 to the charity and also com mitted to match donations made to Lend A Hand Bahamas through 2022 up to a further $500,000.

The money was ear marked to assist Lend A Hand in completing its new Over-the-Hill Community Centre.

The sizeable donation also meant that the centre would be named the FTX Community Centre, accord ing to previous reports.

Before that, the company partnered with Lend A

Hand to disburse 1,000 toys to children in the Grant’s Town, Bain Town, and Cen treville communities.

With the implosion of FTX, questions have risen as to whether local chari ties that were touched by the firm’s philanthropic arm could be impacted as part of the international fallout.

The question of whether this created obvious con cerns was put to the charity.

However, the char ity’s founder Lucas Metropulos said there were no concerns.

“The FTX situation has not negatively affected our efforts at all. Our new centre will begin construc tion in the early new year,” he said in brief comments to The Tribune

Animal rescue group BAARK was also fortu nate to benefit from FTX’s

generosity, confirming to this newspaper that it received $100,000 that was pledged to them from the crypto exchange.

The funds aided the oper ations of BAARK’s mobile spay and neuter clinic.

However, the charity declined to comment about further concerns.

Hands for Hunger, another beneficiary of FTX donations, did not respond to repeated calls about it receiving FTX funds.

Meanwhile, in some cir cles, it has also been asked whether any of the coun try’s major political parties got donations from FTX.

Yesterday, Free National Movement Chairman Dr Duane Sands said he was unaware of any donations to the party, adding: “Cer tainly none made since I was chairman.”

Asked if the governing Progressive Liberal Party

“Nope.”

unnecessary finger pointing and you know even though we have sought to take a position that is as objective and as nonpartisan as pos sible, it seems as if there are players in the political world that can’t resist the temptation to try and label this as an FNM problem. How the heck you come to that conclusion is beyond me.”

On Friday, Mr Pintard posed several questions to the government that he said needed immediate responses.

“One of the things that

we’d like to raise is to what extent the govern ment has invested any Bahamian resources into FTX at any level in any jurisdiction for example,” Mr Pintard said, flanked by FNM officials and sup porters. “Is any of NIB’s funds invested with FTX or any other funds from the government?

“Secondly the govern ment indicated that by December of this year it fully expected to be trading carbon credits on the plat form. We’d like to know did the government do its due diligence?

“They must have since they were extremely com fortable in trading on the platform and we would like to know, the public would like to know, what did they discover when they did their due diligence?

“Surely by project ing that they intended to trade on the platform they were saying that they were entirely comfortable with everything they saw.

“The public wishes to see what is it that they saw and where does it now put the carbon trading regime that they had in mind?

“And so we are very much concerned that the government has not been transparent about the due diligence they have con ducted in this regard.”

received any donations from FTX, its chairman Fred Mitchell responded:

FNM leader Michael Pintard and party chairman Dr Duane Sands speaking to officers on Friday.

Photo: Moise Amisial

A FREE mammogram initiative was launched in East Grand Bahama last week, providing some 100 women screenings at Doc tors Hospital in Nassau.

Kwasi Thompson, MP for East Grand Bahama, partnered with Mammo gram Access Programme (MAP) and Doctors Hos pital to ensure that women in his constituency have access to screening for early detection and prevention of cancer.

Women who attended at the launch held at the Rand Nature Centre on Friday were able to connect and speak with a doctor virtually and received referrals for mammogram screenings.

Travel arrangements onboard Western Air to Nassau were provided for the women on Saturday and Sunday.

Mr Thompson com mended the women for coming forward and signing up for the programme.

Among them was Bre namae Cooper, a resident of East Grand Bahama, who was incredibly grateful about having access to free mammogram screening.

“I think this is an excel lent and timely programme and I commend the found ers and organisers of this much needed initiative,” she said.

“Many people are unable to get annual mammograms for whatever reasons, and so this came right in time

INITIATIVE LAUNCHED IN

for me and so many other women that came here this evening,” Ms Cooper said.

She was also pleased to hear that flights were being provided.

Suzie Leadon-Robins was also appreciative.

“I am so excited and happy for this opportunity,” she said. “I appreciate it so much because I need to know what is happening with me because there are so many women who have died of breast cancer.”

Mr Thompson also com mended Nikeia Watson, founder of MAP, and Dr Sheena Collie, chief medical officer at Doctors Hospital, for partnering with the East Grand Bahama Constitu ency Association to launch the initiative.

He stressed that the free mammogram programme is important due to the drop in screenings after Hurri cane Dorian in 2019.

“I thank Doctors Hospi tal for the important role that they are playing in this initiative, and I want to rec ognise Nikeia Watson, who has shown great interest in the wellbeing of women.

“Many women have issues with breast cancer, and the initiative came about because focus was on EGB after Hurricane Dorian, and Ms Nikeia rec ognised that the number of women taking mammo grams went down in Grand Bahama. They looked at the numbers pre-Dorian and looked at it this year,” he said.

“You have (home) damage, you have

different challenges, and unfortunately taking care of yourself and doing different checks comes secondary to getting your roof repaired, and to ensure that your children are back in school. And then COVID came. And so, we started this ini tiative to ensure that you become more active and take care of ourselves.”

Mr Thompson said the initiative is important to him because women in his family, including his mother and aunt, were diagnosed with breast cancer.

“My mother had chal lenges over the years, and my aunt is presently in hos pital in Orlando fighting the same battle,” he stated.

He stressed that early detection is important. “So, that is the purpose of this, and I want to congratu late each one of you for stepping forward and par ticipating and being a part of this, and I know it is not easy,” he said.

Ms Watson founded MAP to assist women with accessing mammogram screening.

“I started MAP because the screening numbers have been dropping for 20 years,” she said.

“This is a trend every time we get hit by a hurri cane it would drop. After Dorian, which was a mas sive event, I knew that we would have put a focused effort on mammogram screenings and get the focus back on breast health.”

She said the plan is for the initiative to be an annual one.

FUND SET UP TO HELP CLIMATE-HIT NATIONS

from page one

November 6 to 18 where

Bahamian officials, includ ing Prime Minister Philip “Brave” Davis, Attor ney General Ryan Pinder and others made various representations.

“Today, COP27 took decisive action,” an Antigua and Barbuda representative speaking on behalf of the Alliance of Small Island States said.

“Parties established a new loss and damage fund here and made his tory. This is the start of a

new paradigm that truly accounts for the burdens of climate change. We live with climate impacts daily and these impacts are becoming unbear able. It’s a sad fact that the stark reality of human suf fering around the world these past months due to

climate change helped to strengthen our resolve here. Establishing this fund sig nals to the world that loss and damage will not solely be borne by those govern ments and people least responsible.

“Today is a step towards climate justice. Consensus does not mean harmonious agreement and we acknowl edge the flexibility shown by all parties. In particular we commend the group of 77 in China and the chair and the 194 members for the solidarity and resolve that made this momentous outcome possible, but this is not the end of the road.

“Our journey is just beginning. We call on all parties to work con structively to design and operationalise this fund over the next 12 months. It must be ready by the next COP. Parties should elect members to the transitional

committee immediately and give clear mandates for them to get the job done. This loss and damage fund must become the lifeboat that we need it to be, but it is just a lifeboat nonetheless in a brewing hurricane.

“We travelled to Sharm El-Sheikh against the backdrop of overwhelm ing challenges linked to food energy and climate change crises, which is why our outcome here is sig nificant even if inadequate against the science of 1.5,” the representative contin ued. “We maintained our collective commitment to phase down coal and phase out fossil fuel subsidies.

The Sharm El-Sheikh out come has pledged a double down on more rapid emis sions reductions through renewable energy and more transformational adap tation to keep pace with today’s impacts.

“However the glaring omission in the COP27 outcome for the 39 small island developing states of AOSIS if the lack of inclu sion of the latest science namely that we must peak and decline global emis sions before 2025 to be on track to limit warming to 1.5 and this is in line with article four paragraph one of the Paris agreement and the IPCC reports this year.

“But this evidence based text was not agreed by con sensus in the end. Political risks of a rapid climate transition have never been higher or more urgent. We can only overcome such risks through massive coopera tion and collective action.”

Over the next 12 months, parties involved will now move to establish a tran sitional committee on the operationalisation of the new funding arrangements for responding to loss and damage and the fund among other things.

In September, Mr Davis called on industrialised nations who contribute heavily to climate change to pay for the hardships brought on by the phenom enon. Mr Davis made the comment as a panel guest at the New York Times’ Cli mate Week Conference.

He said those countries heavily contributing to cli mate change need to “pay the bill now.”

“We need action, and we need to find ways and means to have the industri alised world countries who have been burning fossil fuel for centuries, that have had this cloud of carbon in the air, it’s time to let them pay the bill now,” he said at the time.

EAST Grand Bahama MP Kwasi Thompson launched the East Grand Bahama Free Mammogram Programme on Friday evening at the Rand Nature Center for 100 women in the EGB constituency, through a partnership with Mammogram Access Program (MAP) and Doctors’ Hospital, which is providing mammogram screening in Nassau.

Photo: Denise Maycock/Tribune Staff

Series of fights on campus at high school in Marsh Harbour

By LYNAIRE MUNNINGS lmunnings@tribunemedia.net

EDUCATION officials are seeking alternatives to mitigate violence at Patrick J Bethel High School at Marsh Harbour, following several arguments between students there this week.

The Tribune understands that 14 separate fights allegedly occurred on the campus, which resulted in a lockdown and police involvement on Wednesday.

Dominique Rus sell, acting director of

Education, told this news paper that from preliminary reports it is understood that the fights are a result of issues that spilled over from the community into the school.

The students who were involved in the argu ments were suspended, according to Ms Russell.

Also, she said there were plans for school officials, along with local police, to host a parent’s conference in the coming weeks.

The acting director of education said the Ministry

of Education is aiming to seek a “multi-dimensional approach” moving forward.

“We know that school was closed for three years. We had Dorian and then the pandemic. So, we are seeking to take, a multidimensional approach,” she said.

“We’ve already actu ally started, you know, looking at providing first of all, psycho- social sup port for the children. And we’ve asked the school to develop a discipline plan that includes, not

just interventions, but prevention.

She continued: “And what I mean by that is, you know, an increase in our clubs, increase in utilisation of sporting activities, sorted enrichment programmes after school. And, of course, we have asked for the strong est parental involvement.”

She said the ministry planned to send a team to Abaco to develop a plan on how to provide “greater” support in terms of con flict solution and anger management.

MURDER TALLY NOW EQUALS 2021 TOTAL

from page one

a weapon in his direction shooting him multiple times his body. EMS attended the scene and found no signs of life.

The victim was later taken to the Rand Memo rial Hospital where he was examined and pronounced dead. A police officer on the island said seven people were being questioned in connection to the shooting.

A shooting around 3pm on Saturday in New Provi dence left a man in hospital. Police said the victim and his friend were at a plaza when occupants of a black Jeep opened fire, hitting the victim in his upper body. Police said the man went to hospital but his condition is unknown.

Earlier that day, a 71-year-old man was stabbed by someone he knew. The man was

attacked at his home and is now in stable condition in hospital.

Meanwhile, the Member of Parliament for St Barn abas demanded that the government rise from its “slumber” and begin to implement tactics to combat crime.

He acknowledged that the crime issue within the country is not a political one but urged the government to develop a “comprehen sive crime plan” for the country moving forward.

“We acknowledge the complexity of our crime problem and have said it’s not a political issue, but the government is failing to lead,” Mr Cartwright told this newspaper yesterday.

“The number one respon sibility of any government is to protect its citizens and communities. In this regard, the government is failing to lead and as a result, is fail ing the Bahamian people.

The Bahamian people have been frustrated and angered at the level of crime in our nation,” he continued.

Mr Cartwright spoke about the government’s handling of crime, noting in March, the opposition party made 14 recommendations on the issue.

He added: “In March of this year there was a record-breaking 22 mur ders and then there was no meaningful comprehen sive response. At that time the opposition expressed that the Bahamian people wanted tactics, not optics, and presented 14 recom mendations in writing to the government.”

Mr Cartwright said the government seems “para lysed” to lead and bring all stakeholders together to combat the crime issues, noting that the Davis administration is “failing” the Bahamian people on this matter.

TWO DEAD IN TRAFFIC ACCIDENTS

By LYNAIRE MUNNINGS lmunnings @ tribunemedia.net

POLICE are investigat ing two traffic fatalities that occurred on the weekend — one in North Andros and another in Acklins that claimed the life of a police officer.

According to reports, officers were on routine mobile patrol in the area of Lowe Sound, Andros, when they observed a pink Nissan Note with extensive damage to the front of the vehicle.

Officers also observed damage to a business in

the immediate area of the vehicle and subsequently made a check of the vehi cle, where they discovered an unresponsive female driver.

The incident reportedly occurred sometime around 12.35am yesterday.

Medical personnel on the island visited the scene and pronounced the 60-year-old woman of Queens Highway, North Andros, dead.

Meanwhile, in Acklins, police are investigating the death of a police officer who died in a traffic acci dent on Saturday.

According to reports,

around 3.30pm, a male driver of a white police vehicle was travelling north on Kings Highway when he reportedly lost control of the vehicle causing it to overturn.

Medical personnel on the island were called to the scene and reported no vital signs of life.

Officers from the Traffic Division in New Providence will travel to both islands to assist with investigations.

According to police, the country’s traffic fatality rate stands at 44 confirmed cases with one still being investigated.

He also noted that the Bahamas Hotel Association has expressed its concerns about the impact of crime on the tourism industry.

“Our nation, our people want solutions and aggres sive problem-solving. We continue to salute the pro fessional men and women of the RBPF and their efforts,” he said yesterday.

Ms Russell assured par ents that it is the goal of the Ministry to ensure students have access to quality edu cational opportunities in a safe environment.

Along with the concerns from parents, teacher and administration of the Pat rick J Bethel High School shared similar sentiments.

Bahamas Union of Teacher president, Belinda Wilson, told The Tribune that a number of concerns were expressed by teachers and administration, however the top on the list was “safety”.

“Although the num bers of fights on the school campus is varied based on who gives the account of the incidents it is too many violent acts on the campus,” she said. “Teachers are very concerned about their safety among other issues that negatively impact and disrupt learning.”

The BUT president said the union will keep a watch ful eye on this “troubling situation”, as she has been in communication with the education officials regard ing the matter.

THE SCENE of Friday’s shooting. Photo: Vandyke Hepburn

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No more mad cow worries for US blood donors

US ARMY veteran Matt Scher merhorn couldn’t give blood for years because he was stationed in Europe during a deadly mad cow disease scare there. Now, he’s proud to be back in the donor’s chair.

Schermerhorn, 58, is among thou sands of people, including current and former military members, who have returned to blood donation centers across the country after federal health officials lifted a ban that stood for more than two decades.

“It’s a responsibility. It’s a civic duty,” said Schermerhorn, who donated on Veterans Day at the ImpactLife center in Davenport, Iowa. “You really don’t have to go out of your way too much to help your fellow man.”

Blood collectors nationwide are track ing down people like Schermerhorn, US citizens who lived, worked or vaca tioned in the United Kingdom, France, Ireland or served at military bases in Europe during various periods between 1980 and 2001, as well as anyone who received blood transfusions in those three countries anytime since 1980.

Since 1999, those people have been banned from giving blood in the US for fear that they’d been exposed to mad cow disease. Outbreaks of the cattleborne infection swept through Europe, eventually killing at least 232 people, mostly in the UK. Four cases have been reported in the US, all in people who likely acquired the infections abroad, health officials said.

The rare disease is caused by an abnormal form of a protein called a prion, which triggers damaging changes to the brain and central nervous system. It’s spread from sick cattle to people who eat contaminated beef, but it can also be transmitted through blood trans fusions. But after decades of research and reassessment, the federal Food and Drug Administration has determined that the risk of the disease has abated, thanks in large part to changes in the way cattle are raised and the treatment of donated blood. The agency eased the restrictions over the past two years and fully lifted them in May.

That means hundreds of thousands of former donors can once again roll up their sleeves, perhaps bolstering US blood collections, which lagged during the COVID-19 pandemic.

“The most important thing is for indi viduals that believe they may now be eligible to call their local blood center,” said Kate Fry, chief executive of Amer ica’s Blood Centers, which represents

more than 600 blood collection sites providing nearly 60% of the US blood supply.

The American Red Cross, which pro vides about 40% of the US supply, last month began accepting donors previ ously deferred because of the risk of mad cow disease, formally known as variant Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease, or vCJD.

Invariably fatal, with an incubation period that can last years or even dec ades, the emergence of vCJD in humans in the late 1990s alarmed officials responsible for the safety of the blood supply, said Dr Rita Reik, chief medical officer for OneBlood, a collection center in Florida.

“It was a scary new disease,” Reik said. “Which is why it required such a length of time to study this disease to get a level of comfort to get to the deferral.”

In the UK, five cases of vCJD were transmitted by blood transfusions, according to the National Health Ser vice. Today, the risk of being infected via blood transfusion is “essentially negligi ble”, Reik said.

Tracking down lost donors has been a challenge, said Dr John Armitage, chief executive of the Oklahoma Blood Insti tute. His staff has used emails, postcards and phones to contact more than 6,300 donors who were turned away since 1999. So far, about 350 have returned to donate.

“We feel good about that as a first effort,” Armitage said. “We know there are folks that we haven’t reached yet.”

Bans remain in place for people who are suspected of having vCJD or related diseases, those who have a blood rela tive with a related disease and those who received pituitary human growth hormone or a certain type of brain tissue transplant from cadavers.

The now-lifted military ban included Schermerhorn, a retired Army lieu tenant colonel who was stationed in Germany from 1988 to 1992.

Schermerhorn stayed away for years -- until he saw a local news story about the recent change. He’s donated his rare type O-negative blood eight times since last year.

For Schermerhorn, giving blood is one way to repay past donors who stepped up when his older brother was badly injured in a boating accident.

“My brother had taken nine pints of blood from complete strangers,” he said. “They were part of the lifeline that kept him alive.”

Basketball team funds

EDITOR, The Tribune

I WISH to comment on the disappointment of the women’s National Basket ball team having to cancel their participation in an international tournament in Mexico due to funding for travel. In the decades of the fifties and sixties sport ing organisations, including the Olympic Association and the BAAA, held raf fles and other fundraising events to finance teams traveling to international tournaments. Government contributed, but was not expected to finance these trips. Today, it appears, that our sporting associations expect government to fully finance international teams travelling.

In the USA, Canada, England and the Caribbean associations hold fundrais ing events, sell sporting paraphernalia, seek spon sorship from persons and corporations to meet the travel budget. It is my expe rience that public assistance will be forthcoming when it is seen that efforts are being made by the associa tions to acquire the needed revenue. Following are examples: Commonwealth Wanderers Cricket team travelled annually to cities in the USA and Canada. We also travelled to Carib bean islands to play cricket. In 1976 we travelled to England, which was an expensive undertaking. We would determine a budget for each traveller (air travel and hotel only). We held fundraising events; raffles,

cookouts and concerts, etc: Each traveling member had to sell tickets to meet his budget or pay the dif ference. The tickets were always sold, even above the budget amount.

Players were given a letter to sponsors. Dona tions had to be made to the Club and not the individual. On most occa sions the revenues derived from these events, etc, exceeded the budget for the trip and was used to provide prizes and com pensation for our hardest workers and ticket ven dors. Prizes were also given for outstanding per formances by our players. Each year it was a unified effort made by all mem bers to provide funds for the team to go on tour. Apart from touring we entertained teams from overseas here. The Minis try of Tourism contributed with advertising material, gifts for distribution, ban ners and on two occasions paid for Miss Bahamas to accompany the team. We were also given cash donations.

In Canada we were entertained by the Gover nor General if we played in Ottawa. In other cities we were very often entertained by Mayors. In Detroit and Chicago Edmund Lewis and his daughter conducted traffic (Bahamas style in

their police uniform). In Chicago we lived at the Playboy Club. The Cricket Club, that has become so popular with tourists and local residents was the idea of President Sidney Deveaux. His plan was supported by Board Mem bers, in particular Irving Taylor, Edmund Lewis, Theophilus Fritz and Paul Thompson. Cabinet Min isters Peter Bethel and Dr. Norman Gay obtained permission for the use of the land. The Ministry of Works drew the plan and provided consultants. All of the building materi als and most of the labour were donated. Messrs Percy Munnings, Thephilus Fritz, George Myers, Sir Orville Turnquest, Gerald Dean, Gerald Bartlett, J Barry Farrington and many resi dents of Lyford Cay were major donors. The building was completed with funds from a loan from Barclays?

A loan from Barclays Bank, that was approved by Mr Saddler of Lyford. The management of Chris and Connie Robertson as made the restaurant profitable and popular. The cricket association benefits from the financial success of the restaurant. The large num bers of persons involved in most of then sports in our country should make fundraising events suc cessful must be a source of funding and not only the government.

PAUL THOMPSON Sr Nassau, November, 2022.

Bank’s future

EDITOR, The Tribune

THE Inter-American Development Bank finds itself at an historic cross road. The direction it takes will affect the lives of the nearly 700 million people living in Latin America and the Caribbean.

For over 60 years, the bank has promoted social and economic programmes that have helped member countries lift hundreds of millions out of poverty.

That is an enviable track record set against a background of just five presidents in five decades, proving that a steady hand at the wheel has its merits. After a brief stint the fifth president was accused of ethical lapses and was removed.

With the presidency vacant, the board of gov ernors must decide on a leader to help the bank burnish its bruised reputa tion while guiding it back to relevance in the lives of the people of the region.

Five candidates are in the hunt and strategically, for the first time the Car ibbean has fielded a stellar

candidate around whom hemispheric consensus can be built.

Trinidadian Gerard John son brings to the table the unique combination of institutional knowledge and a regional vision forged over a long career at the Bank where he served in South and Central Amer ica, the Caribbean and at headquarters in Washing ton, DC.

Qualified Caribbean nationals have long been overlooked during recruit ment for top positions in global institutions that Caribbean governments subscribed to. Language deficiency is often cited as a reason.

That dog won’t hunt this time. Johnson has bona fide fluency in all four offi cial languages in which the Bank conducts its busi ness: Spanish, Portuguese, French and English.

None of the other can didates has worked for the bank despite having impressive political and/ or academic jobs in their home countries. They are from Argentina, Brazil, Chile and Mexico. A

The Brazilian candidate was nominated by a presi dent on his way out the door after losing an election mere weeks ago.

The bank governors could do well to listen to words of advice given by another West Indian, St Lucian economist Sir Arthur Lewis when he won the Nobel Prize for Economics in 1979: The fundamental cure for pov erty, he said, is not money but knowledge.

Johnson offers the region the benefit of vast knowl edge gained in the trenches. The others will need onthe-job training to take on any brief from the Board.

The 200 million of our fellow citizens who the Economic Commission for Latin America and the Car ibbean say are currently living in poverty don’t have time to wait for an IDB President who needs a learning curve.

Mexican and a Chilean have headed the bank in the past.

YOU don’t learn to sail without getting wet. Sailors are caught on camera by Ronald Lightbourn in this picture taken on Friday of sailors off Montagu.

80 criminal records cleared by rehabilitation committee

By LEANDRA ROLLE Tribune Staff Reporter lrolle@tribunemedia.net

THE Rehabilitation of Offenders Commit tee has to date expunged the criminal records of 80 people, some of whom were convicted for curfew violations during the height of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Paul Farquharson, the committee’s chairman, pro vided the latest statistics during a press conference at the Ministry of National Security Friday where he also gave an update on the body’s work.

He said the latest num bers were recorded from January to October of this year and added that during this period the committee had received 146 applications from exoffenders seeking a clean slate.

“Eighty of those have been expunged. Five were denied. Eighteen of those applicants applied too early. One person was recom mended for counseling and 21 of the applications have been referred to the pre rogative of mercy,” he told reporters Friday.

“It was also noted that there were 26 applica tions in connection with curfew violations. As you’re aware, there was an amendment recently in the House of Parliament, which addresses this very issue about curfew violations, and it gave the honourable minister of national security certain powers in regards to the expungements of those offences.

“We had 26 applica tions, (meaning) persons that applied to have their records expunged in regards to curfew and 26 were expunged.”

Under the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act (Amend ment) 2015, people who have committed murder, manslaughter, treason, armed robbery, rape or possessed dangerous drugs with intent to supply cannot have their records expunged.

But after five years most others are eligible if

they are first-time offend ers or were younger than 21 at the time of their first conviction.

In cases involving people convicted of the aforementioned offences, they are referred to the Prerogative of Mercy after making a request for expungement.

Requests for expunge ment of other offences can be considered by the Rehabilitation of Offend ers Committee, including COVID-19 violations.

In July, the government amended the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act to allow people convicted of certain Emergency Order viola tions to make an immediate application to have their records expunged.

Since the amendments were brought into force, Mr Farquharson said a number of people charged with curfew breaches have applied to the committee in the hope of having their records wiped clean.

However, he said, offi cials want more to apply “so that those matters could be dealt with” once and for all.

Paul Jones, legal counsel at the Ministry of National Security, shared similar comments, saying people deserve a second chance.

“(The amendment) allows any person, and I say any person, who fits young persons, a first-time offender, who was con victed of a curfew violation, albeit social distancing or otherwise, who applies by application to the minis try of national security, the offence having been six months later after their conviction for considera tion for expungement,” Mr Jones added.

“Now, when we say expungement - it is for persons who are deserving of a second chance so you would’ve had to meet the requirements of the appli cation and come before the board who must be satisfied that not only that you met the requirement, but you are deserving of a second chance.”

Meanwhile, commit tee members also gave

some insight on applica tion uptake at the Family Islands.

Thomas Pinder, a com mittee member from Eleuthera, described the process on the island as “slow,” as there have not been many requests for record expungements there.

He also explained that many residents are still not aware of the committee’s existence, adding that offi cials are planning to launch an educational workshop soon to raise more aware ness about the body’s work.

“Sometimes, mid-next year, I would like to host a workshop on the island of Eleuthera where I would like to have a few of my colleagues join me, not only to show the comple tion of an application, but also to market the expunge ment committee on the Family islands,” Mr Pinder continued.

“Believe it or not, there are a lot of persons who do not know that this commit tee exists and I truly believe this will create a domino effect. We are all excited about the work we are doing, and we look for great things on Eleuthera.”

Meanwhile, Lynden Clarke, of Exuma, added: “In relation to this commit tee’s work for Exuma, like Eleuthera, it’s a bit slow and I believe it’s because of the information that really is not shared and so we are also recommending that we will host a town meet ing in Exuma with our lead representatives from this committee to be able to spread the word in refer ence to what this committee is all about and what we can offer to those persons who can benefit from this committee.

“So, for Exuma, we did have a few applications that came to this committee even from the Exuma cays and from the mainland, but we want to really spread the word.”

Asked how long the expungement process takes, Mr Farquharson said it takes about six months “from point of application to the decision to have the record expunged”.

TWO ACCUSED OF ASSAULT WITH WEAPONS

By PAVEL BAILEY Tribune Court Reporter pbailey@tribunemedia.net

TWO men were charged in a Magistrate’s Court on Friday in separate incidents of assault with a deadly weapon.

One of these men claimed that he only attacked the complainant in his case because he had allegedly tried to steal his car’s rims.

Whitmore Pratt, 26, faced Magistrate Shaka Serville charged with assault with a deadly weapon.

Pratt is said to have assaulted Grandville Coak ley by beating him about the head with a long piece of wood around 7am on November 5 at Com monwealth Boulevard in Elizabeth Estates.

In court, after elect ing to continue his matter

before the magistrate, Pratt pleaded guilty to the offence. He then explained that he only attacked Coak ley because he caught him in his yard attempting to steal his car’s rims.

Pratt said that tempers flared between the two when he saw the nuts of his wheels on the ground near his neighbour, resulting in the attack.

The accused then apolo gised for his actions and said that he could have dealt with the situation differently.

While prosecutor Deon Barr informed the magis trate that Coakley suffered from lacerations to the head and left arm, he also confirmed the defendant’s story. However, no offi cial complaint had been lodged against Coakley up to Friday. The prosecutor also revealed that Pratt has

antecedents.

In view of this and his early plea of guilt, Magis trate Servile placed Pratt on three months’ probation and released him on own recognizance.

Pratt was told to return to court on March 1, 2023 to conclude this matter.

The other man, Kirk lyn Bullard, 30, faced Magistrate Kara TurnquestDeveaux on a separate charge of assault with a deadly weapon.

Bullard is accused of assaulting Shaquille Stubbs with a black handgun on November 12.

Bullard pleaded not guilty to the offence. He was granted $5,000 bail on condition he sign in at the Grove Police Station every Monday and Wednes day by 6pm.

The trial in this matter is slated for January 27, 2023.

MAN ACCUSED OF MINISTRY CASH ROBBERY

By PAVEL BAILEY Tribune Court Reporter pbailey@tribunemedia.net

A MAN was granted bail in a Magistrate’s Court Friday after he was accused of robbing a woman outside a bank of hundreds of dol lars in cash belonging to an outreach ministry.

Antwan Adder ley, 18, stood before Assistant Chief Magistrate Subusola Swain on a charge of robbery.

On October 25 at Com monwealth Bank on East Bay Street, Adderley is alleged to have robbed Theresa Davidson of $1,300 in cash, which belonged to

the Body of Jesus Christ Outreach Ministry.

In court, the accused pleaded not guilty to the charge.

As such bail was granted to the accused in the sum of $7,000 with one or two sureties.

The trial in this matter is set for February 23, 2023.

TEENAGER ACCUSED OVER FIREARM FIND

By PAVEL BAILEY Tribune Court Reporter pbailey@tribunemedia.net

A TEENAGER was denied bail in a Magistrate’s Court on Friday in con nection with firearm and ammunition charges.

Donald Vesilor, 19, appeared before Magistrate Kendra Kelly charged with

possession of an unlicenced firearm and two counts of possession of ammunition.

On November 15 in New Providence, Vesilor was alleged to have been found with a black Springfield Smith & Wesson .40 pistol.

On that same day, authori ties reportedly found the accused with 21 unfired rounds of 9mm ammunition

as well as eight unfired rounds of .40 ammunition.

In court, the accused pleaded not guilty to all charges. Vesilor was denied bail and was remanded to the Bahamas Department of Correc tional Services.

The accused will return to court for trial on Decem ber 14.

REHABILIATION of Offenders Committee chairman Paul Farquharson.

WAS THE HOUSE OF ASSEMBLY MISLED?

By Malcolm Strachan

HERE’S a name you thought might have disap peared from the political map of the world – Boris Johnson. Bear with me, though, this isn’t just about what happened in faraway

Britain. The former British Prime Minister resigned after a snowball turned into an avalanche. It all started with parties being held in Down ing Street, the street which holds the major offices of the British state, including the Prime Minister’s office and official dwelling.

There were no parties, insisted Mr Johnson. Non sense, no such thing. There were, of course, parties.

He denied it in Parlia ment on December 8, 2021, then on May 25, 2022, he insisted that the rules were followed, even though they weren’t, and he said on December 8, 2021, that

there “was no party” (there was).

Photos soon emerged of Mr Johnson at gatherings, raising a glass in front of people and with a table full of wine bottles nearby.

Now, Partygate, as it was called, was not the ulti mate reason Mr Johnson was forced to resign – that was another in the series of scandals he seemed to bumble his way into. But it did matter.

Official probes were launched as to whether or not he misled Parliament. And if he is found to have done so, he could end up having to face a by-elec tion in his constituency. He could, in short, lose his seat for having not told Parlia ment the truth.

Which brings us to The Bahamas. Sorry it took so long getting here, but as our Parliament derives much of its rules and standards from the British Parliamentary system, it was worth the detour.

Because now there is a question over whether our own Parliament has been misled.

Minister of Works Alfred Sears and Prime Minister Philip “Brave” Davis have both commented in the House on the issue of fuel hedging trades by BPL.

The question was whether or not they had received any briefings on carrying out hedging transactions.

On October 26, Mr Davis said of the hedg ing trade suggestion: “No recommendation came to me, and the Minister for Works said there was no such information coming to [him] There was no such recommendation that I was aware of.”

He added: “I received no advice or recommenda tions, saw no papers in that respect. I never saw any. None reached my desk, and as far as I am aware, it did not reach, the minister will speak for himself, that never happened.”

That same day, Mr Sears said: “Not only was I not provided, but what this honourable member for Marco City [Michael Pin tard] has failed to disclose … is that what was on the table was a rate reduction bond to borrow $500m.”

He added: “I can say for the record that no draft Cabinet paper prepared by the honourable member or any of his colleagues has been presented to me.”

FNM leader Michael Pintard tabled a letter writ ten by then CEO of BPL

a description, not a recommendation.

And yet, last week, Mr Sears said that actually, a Cabinet paper on the need to execute fuel hedging trades was addressed to the Minis ter of Finance, and the minis try decided to reject the rec ommendation.

He said: “The Minis try of Finance in October (2021) made a determination that the pro posal that the honourable member [Pintard] is refer ring to was not supported.”

It was deemed that the move “was not in the inter est of the country at that time”.

The deal is under the spotlight because not car rying it out exposed the country to higher oil costs when global prices surged. Mr Davis ultimately spoke in a national address about rising costs at BPL that the public – you and me –would have to carry in our bills.

On Friday, Mr Pintard called on Mr Sears to resign.

In a gathering in the park ing lot outside the Office of the Prime Minister, he said: “The Minister of Works and the Prime Minister on their feet in the House of Assem bly denied that they got any briefing notes, they were not advised of any recom mendations that could have saved the Bahamian people what we now believe to be over $100m that we are on the hook for.”

He added: “The Minister of Works was even more egregious, his transgression wasn’t just by judgement and not accepting solid recommendations. His transgression was seek ing to cover up the bad judgement that he and his colleagues, and certainly the Minister of Finance, has the greatest responsibility.

“The bottom line is he made the point that the Prime Minister and he were fully aware. I don’t believe there’s any other recourse for that minister, but to resign, it is the appropriate thing to do.”

There are two parts to this – the wisdom in

declining the trade is one part, and while that may be the part that hits us all in our pockets most directly, it is the second area that most directly affects Mr Sears’ future. Hedging strate gies are essentially a bet on what future prices will be – in hindsight we could have done better, but gazing into the future doesn’t have 20/20 vision.

That part is whether or not Parliament was misled.

Now some of this will come down to details over how exactly you interpret each part of what was said – and sometimes it seems like Parliamentar ians are habitually vague in spelling out exactly what they mean.

But when asked if there were briefings or advice on BPL’s fuel hedging strat egy, it was denied. And it turns out there was a letter from Mr Heastie, and it turns out there was an entire Cabinet paper with a recommendation which the Ministry of Finance decided to reject.

We get it. Admitting that you made a decision that ended up costing people a lot of money – directly in their BPL bills – is not a thing you want to do.

But accuracy and clarity should be sacrosanct in the House. The House cannot conduct its full business without the full light of day. Decisions and discussion should be based on what actually happened – good or bad.

Over in Britain, it would have looked bad for Boris Johnson to be partying while the nation was locked down under COVID rules. One rule for him, one rule for everyone else, that was how it looked.

But it wasn’t the parties themselves that could cost him his seat. It was whether or not he misled the House over them. Whether he broke the rules. Have our leaders misled our House? If they don’t believe they have, then let us see every document and every communication. Who was advised, who decided, who saw the rec ommendations? Then, in that full light of day, we can see if there is merit in Mr Pintard’s call for a resignation.

Whitney Heastie discuss ing the hedge programme, but Mr Sears said that he did not recall receiving the document, and that it was only

‘The bottom line is he made the point that the Prime Minister and he were fully aware. I don’t believe there’s any other recourse for that minister, but to resign, it is the appropriate thing to do.’

ALFRED Sears pictured in Parliament previously.

FOUR FEET BELOW

WHEN obligations con flict with one another, whether it’s work versus family or friends versus other demands, it may start as little more than a slight irritation or hurdle to overcome and then quickly mushroom into what feels like an insurmount able mountain. Sometimes trying but failing to climb that mountain leads to a gut punching sense of fail ure where you begin to feel like there’s no way out and you’re being sucked under by quicksand. The farther you sink into the unknown, the more you feel like death is closing in and you’re drowning, just four feet below the surface.

Some people are able to extricate themselves from this recursive vortex by relying on the warmth and comfort of loved ones or their religious beliefs. But, for others, coping with per sistent conflict in the form of cascading stressors can lead to physical or mental deterioration. So, they often turn to negative vices that provide momentary relief in a desperate attempt to cloak the pain.

Today, I introduce you to a patient, hereafter referred to as Tommy, who survived a near-fatal cardiac emer gency when, in his early 40s, the aorta in his heart suddenly burst. Tommy is employed in law enforce ment and the enormous stress of his job, coupled with the overwhelming grief from the death of his parents, caused his blood pressure to rise dramati cally and remain elevated for several months.

Then, the day before Easter, he got up and felt a ball of fire in his chest and stomach. Tommy describes it as feeling like a volcano erupted inside of him with hot lava exploding, setting fire to his internal organs. He was drenched in sweat. With an intense head ache, dizzy and confused, Tommy felt like he wanted to vomit and lost control of his bowels. His heart now pounding ferociously, he collapsed to the floor. Lying there, it felt as though one rope was tied to his arms and another to his feet and he was being pulled in sepa rate directions, torn apart and eliciting unbelievable pain.

Tommy was rushed by ambulance to the emer gency room and his pain persisted for the next hour until he could be evalu ated by a cardiac surgeon and placed intravenously on a schedule two narcotic. He underwent life-saving surgery within hours and despite his less than 10% chance of survival, Tommy defied all odds and has lived to share his incredible story with others. He spent four weeks in the hospi tal and another two weeks recovering at home before returning to work. It took several months for him to feel almost normal again. Today, he wants readers to understand that he never had any symptoms before this and if it happened to him, it can happen to anyone.

Unfortunately, people are struggling with stress infinitely more today com pared to just one decade ago and some say even more than they did prepandemic. Perhaps social media, for all of its ben efits, is partly to blame.

The ability to keep in touch with friends and family and showcase your business to a large audience, often for free, are some of the advantages. But on balance, always being plugged in and readily accessible comes at a high price. In that regard, social media can far more easily increase the risk of depression and anxiety. The incessant need of people to showcase every aspect of their lives seeking valida tion and likes from people they rarely, if ever, speak to is a toxic matrix often resulting in a negatively competitive and stressful state.

Multiple studies con ducted throughout the years have shown that consistently being stressed increases stress hormones circulating throughout the body. That, coupled with obesity and the increase in heart rate and blood pressure, contributes deleteriously to the devel opment or worsening of heart disease and diabe tes, which can ultimately result in a weakened immune system, stroke or heart attack. For many, it also tears at their sense of worthiness to the point of complete exhaustion. Then the stress, like an invading virus, feeds on itself creat ing a vicious cycle of being unable to sleep, worrying about the fact that you’re stressed and then being unable to successfully abate these feelings. The senti ment of being buried four feet reflects the gravity of being so close to death and yet still close enough to the surface to rise above any perceived challenges.

Tommy understands this paradigm all too well and cautions readers to attenu ate such pressures before it’s too late.

He reflects on his journey with eyes no longer clouded by the naivety of youth and good health. His take home message may sound routine but is worth hear ing again because it comes from someone who was at death’s door, being sucked under by the quicksand but able to successfully find a way out. He encour ages readers to get an adequate amount of sleep each night, get an annual physical and seek medi cal care when necessary.

He also advocates speak ing to someone, whether it be a trusted friend, family member, priest or profes sional, should the rock on your shoulders become too heavy to carry alone.

Other ways to alleviate stress include simply walk ing away from the stressor that’s creating the toxic environment and chaos in your life. Afterwards, it’s important to connect with positive people who value and support not only

you, but those you cherish most. Beyond that, eating a healthy diet, avoiding too much caffeine and alcohol, daily exercise and meditation can foster both physical and mental wellbeing that’s grounded in something positive and not easily broken should new challenges arise.

Interestingly, the tradi tion of burying the dead six feet started in London during the great plague of 1665. The plague killed nearly 70,000 people, approximately 15% of the entire London popula tion at that time. The Lord

Mayor, in an act of despera tion, decried six feet to be the standard burial depth to prevent further spread of infection. A reason for six feet was never stated par ticularly, but it was inferred to be because that was the deepest depth that a grave digger could go, without needing a ladder to climb back out.

Wild animals constantly live under the stress of dying, be it from being eaten by one of their many predators or themselves being unable to find food and shelter. And yet, the chronic stress posed by

By DR KENNETH D KEMP

their long-term, high-risk situations hasn’t had a neg ative impact on them. This, according to researchers at the University of Toronto, is because they’ve learned to adapt to it. They simply do what they have to do in order to survive and move on with life, looking for ward and never behind, seemingly unphased by their predicament or the prospect of being buried.

Humans can discern a lot from this by learning to take care of themselves first, with no desire to be per fect or impress others and never worrying needlessly.

Tommy’s now back to work without limitation and though engaged in his work, he doesn’t allow it to con sume him any longer. For the sake of his own survival, he makes a concerted effort to consistently employ the aforementioned tools that effectively manage his stress levels and he’s learned to live in the moment, all the while trusting that eventu ally the rest will all fall into place.

This is The KDK Report.

• Nicknamed ‘The Prince of Podiatry’, Dr Kenneth D Kemp is the founder and medical director of Bahamas Foot and Ankle located in Caves Village, Western New Providence. He served as the deputy chairman for the Health Council for five years and he currently sits on the board of directors for the Princess Margaret Hospital Foundation in his role as co-vice-chairman.

‘For many, [stress] also tears at their sense of worthiness to the point of complete exhaustion. Then the stress, like an invading virus, feeds on itself creating a vicious cycle of being unable to sleep, worrying about the fact that you’re stressed and then being unable to successfully abate these feelings.’

Fearless fight for climate fairness

SHOWING all the frank ness that he demonstrates in his domestic politics, Antigua and Barbuda’s Prime Minister, Gaston Browne, marched fear lessly like Daniel in the Lion’s Den, when he made several demands in Sharm El-Sheikh, Egypt where COP 27 is being held.

At the heart of his presentation was the pres ervation of the homelands of his own fellow Antiguans and Barbudans, and, also of the homelands of all small island states everywhere in the world.

To one bad extent or another, Climate Change, and its attendant global warming, is destroying island nations by increas ingly frequent and more intense storms, and by constant erosion of their limited and precious land mass.

Prime Minister Browne spoke for the people of these countries when he told world leaders at COP 27, “We don’t want to be climate refugees in any body’s country. We want to maintain our civilisations that have existed for hun dreds of years”.

The Antigua and Bar buda Prime Minister, who is also the Chair of the 39-member Alliance of Small Island States (AOSIS), insisted that the world’s major polluters, which have contributed the most to the destructive impact of Climate Change, have a responsibility to pay for the damage that they have caused and continue to inflict. He was fearless in calling out not only the longest polluting coun tries, such as the United States of America (US) and European nations, but also China and India - more recent large polluters.

The current accurate data on the world’s biggest CO2 emitters, compiled by Emis sions Database for Global Atmospheric Research, reveals that the top 6 coun tries, at October 2021 by percentage of global emis sions, were: China (32.48), the US (12.61) the 27 Euro pean Union (EU) countries

World View

By SIR RONALD SANDERS

(7.29), India (6.71), Russia (4.66) and Japan (2.95).

This means that, exclud ing the 27 EU countries, the other 5 countries are responsible for 59.41% of the emissions that cause Climate Change. When the EU countries are added, the total is 66.7%.

It can hardly be fair or just that the govern ments of 32 nations should

be pursuing policies that result in the destruction of livelihoods in almost 200 territories, particularly as the latter contribute the least to global pollution. For instance, the 39 small island states of AOSIS together contribute less than 1% of global CO2 emissions.

While arguing that “large-polluting countries

must take responsibility for the torts that they are committing on all human ity”, Browne accepts that China and India should be accorded “spe cial and differential treatment” in meeting their responsibilities.

In making the case for “loss and damage” to be included in the agenda of COP 27, and for the launch of a Fund to provide monies for impacted coun tries to build resilience to Climate Change, the Prime Minister acknowledged that China and India, although now large CO2 emitters, should not be required to contribute in the same way as countries in Europe and

North America that have been creating the condi tions of Climate Change for almost two centuries.

He was right to spell out the problem as coura geously as he did. As he explained, China and India should pay “what is equi table and fair”, but the “bigger share of responsi bilities still lies with the devel oped countries that have been historically responsible for planet-warming greenhouse gas emissions”.

In all of this, Browne was championing the rights of the people of all small island states. Stand ing up for those rights requires a commitment to justice and equity. It also requires fear lessness and gumption, both of which Gaston Browne has shown he will employ in defence of the rights of his own people and the people of other small island states whose existence is severely threatened.

As matters now stand at COP 27, no one should hold their breath that anything concrete will be delivered regarding “loss and damage”. On the date this commentary is being written, November 17, a 20-page draft agreement is on the table for negotiation in Egypt, but, so far, it only “welcomes” the beginning of discussions on launch ing a loss and damage fund. The draft includes no details for launching it.

It is unlikely that the world’s polluters will agree to a Fund for loss and damage. China and India have already made it clear that such a Fund should be established by West ern nations. Countries, like the U.S. and the EU, do not accept that China, now the second largest economy in the world, and India, now the fifth largest global economy, can any longer describe themselves as “developing countries”, or escape their obligations in the context of Climate Change.

On November 16, the EU Commissioner for Climate Action, Frans Timmerman, declared that “China is one of the biggest econo mies on the planet with a lot of financial strength. Why should they not be coresponsible for funding loss and damage?”

Clearly, Gaston Browne was realistic enough to have no high expectation that COP 27 would effectively address loss and damage, even though he might have held out a remote hope. Therefore, at COP 27, he also called for the major oil and gas corporations

to pay a global carbon tax which could be included in a loss and damage fund. He pointed out that, in the first half of this year, six fossil fuel companies alone had made nearly US$70 bil lion in profits - “more than enough money to cover the costs of major climate damages in developing nations”. This call was also made by UN Secretary Gen eral, António Guterres, Bar bados’ Prime Minister Mia Mottley and leaders of Pacific island-states. But the oil majors have argued that if they are taxed, they will not be able to invest in new oil produc tion, which the US and the EU nations want them to do, to compensate for not buying Russian oil. The powerful oil lobbies in North Amer ica and Europe will work to ensure their governments continue to protect them.

Nonetheless, Browne was right to expose the huge profits that are being made by the major oil companies, and to identify, for the gov ernments of large polluting nations, a large source of the money needed to create a loss and damage fund.

At COP 27, the Antigua and Barbuda Prime Minis ter acknowledged that small countries can be ignored, and their interests shunted aside by large and power ful nations. Consequently, he announced that “not as an act of hostility, but to seek justice for small island states”, he and the leaders of Tuvalu, Palau and Niue will use international law and international arbitration “to explore the responsibility of States for injuries arising from internationally wrong ful acts caused by the breach of their obligations”. Seven teen seasoned international lawyers will advance that case to the International Tri bunal of the Law of the Sea.

Prime Minister Browne has shown his fearless ness in standing up for the small and the vulnerable in a world which, increasingly, is witnessing a return to the dangerous policy that might is right. There is benefit in his gumption and his can dour in fighting for justice.

• Responses and previ ous commentaries: www. sirronaldsanders.com.

writer is Antigua and Barbuda’s Ambassa dor to the United States of America and the Organiza tion of American States. He is also a Senior Fellow at the Institute of Common wealth Studies, University of London and Massey College in the University of Toronto).

(The

GASTON BROWNE, Prime Minister of Antigua and Barbuda, speaking at the COP27 UN Climate Summit on November 8 in Sharm el-Sheikh, Egypt.

Photo: Peter Dejong/AP

‘In all of this, Browne was championing the rights of the people of all small island states. Standing up for those rights requires a commitment to justice and equity. It also requires fearlessness and gumption...’

How will UN climate deal on loss and damage work?

By DANA BELTAJI and PETER PRENGAMAN Associated Press

THE decision yesterday by nations around the world to establish a fund to help poor countries hit hard by a warming planet was one of the most significant since UN climate talks began 30 years ago.

It was an unequivo cal confirmation that poor countries, with lim ited resources, are being most impacted by extreme weather events like floods, heat waves and storms and, at least at some level, indus trialised nations that have done the most to contribute to climate change have a responsibility to help.

While government lead ers, environmentalists and activists celebrated plans for such a fund, there are many outstanding ques tions, ranging from how it will work to long-term repercussions. Here is a look at the development of the idea of “loss and damage”, the term it’s given in climate negotiations, and what we know about the fund.

HISTORY

In the early 1990s, the Alliance of Small Island States, a group of low-lying coastal and small island countries, began calling for the establishment of a loss and damage fund as the United Nations was creat ing a framework to deal with climate change on an international level.

Since then, the idea has always been a part of annual UN climate sum mits. However, it was often talked about on the margins of negotiations, something developing nations and activists would push for while many rich nations used their weight to squash the idea. For the first time, at this year’s COP27 it was included in the agenda and became the centerpiece of discussions.

WHO WILL FUND IT?

The fund will initially draw on contributions from developed countries and other private and public sources, such as interna tional financial institutions, with an option for other major economies to join down the line.

The final text points to “identifying and expand ing sources of funding,” something the EU, the US and others had pushed for during negotiations, sug gesting that nations that are both high-polluting and considered developing under the criteria, should also pay into the fund.

During the talks, China said money for the new fund should come from devel oped countries, not them. But there’s precedence for China to voluntarily pay into climate funds, if the US does too.

When the Obama admin istration pledged $3 billion to the Green Climate Fund in 2014, China also paid $3.1 billion for the fund.

More details of who pays will be decided by a com mittee that plans to get the fund going within a year.

WHO WILL GET MONEY?

The deal says the fund will assist “developing countries that are par ticularly vulnerable to the adverse effects of climate change”, though there will be room for middle-income countries that are severely affected by climate disasters

HOMES are surrounded by floodwaters in Jaffarabad, a district of Pakistan’s south western Baluchistan province, in September this year.

Photo: Zahid Hussain/AP

to also get paid.

Pakistan, which was dev astated by flooding that put a third of the coun try underwater, or Cuba, recently battered by Hurri cane Ian, could be eligible.

How the loss and damage fund will fit in with “other institutions, agencies that are out there doing humani tarian work, helping people rebuild, dealing with migra tion and refugee crises, dealing with food security, water security” will need to be worked out, said David Waskow, the World Resources Institute interna tional climate director.

Those details will also be hammered out by the com mittee in the coming year.

REBUILDING TRUST

Beyond just financial help, setting up the fund is seen as a huge step forward, but how it’s ultimately viewed will depend in part on how fast it can be set up.

In the closing session Sunday, Antigua’s Lia Nicholson said the transi tional committee should be set up immediately and given clear mandates.

“This loss and damage fund must become the life boat that we need it to be,” she said.

There is a credibility gap because of past broken promises.

In 2009, rich nations agreed to provide $100 billion a year to help devel oping countries transition to green energy systems and adapt to climate change. However, to date, that ini tiative has never been fully funded.

REPERCUSSIONS

One of the main rea sons that rich nations long opposed such a loss and damage fund was the fear that it would open then up to long-term liability. Despite passage, that con cern is very much still at play, as evidence by how negotiators made sure the language of the fund didn’t say “liability” and that con tributions were voluntary.

Despite those caveats, the establishment of such a fund could have reper cussions, both legal and symbolic, in climate circles and beyond. For exam ple, several Pacific Island nations have been pushing for the International Court of Justice to consider cli mate change. They argue that international laws must be strengthened to protect their rights in the case that their lands are engulfed by rising seas. The establish ment of a loss and damage fund could bolster those arguments.

Pintard: Sears should resign over BPL failure

After urging ministers at Parliament on Wednesday to admit to the public that they received recommenda tions on how to avoid a 163 percent increase in BPL’s fuel surcharge for consum ers, Mr Pintard continued to press the issue outside the OPM.

“The Minister of Works and the Prime Minister on their feet in the House of Assembly denied that they got any briefing notes, they were not advised of any rec ommendations that could have saved the Bahamian people what we now believe to be over $100 million that we are on the hook for,” he said during the press conference.

“The Minister of Works was even more egregious, his transgression wasn’t just by judgment and not accepting solid recommen dations. His transgression was seeking to cover up the bad judgment that he and his colleagues, and certainly the Minister of Finance, has the greatest responsibility.

“The bottom line is he made the point that the prime minister and he were fully aware. I don’t believe there’s any other recourse

for that minister, but to resign, it is the appropriate thing to do.”

Mr Pintard said the major concern for him is “the crisis relative to the cost of electricity in The Baha mas, and the failure of the government to act appro priately to reduce the cost of electricity.”

He added: “More impor tantly, they have in fact, added pain and suffering to the Bahamian people by making a bad decision that

has caused us over $100 million.

“When asked if he would consider a private meeting with the Prime Minister if offered, Mr Pintard said, “We have written (to) the Prime Minister on multiple occasions to be full part ners with them during the COVID crisis, and on other matters.

“We were invited here once before, to a crime briefing, not a conclave. So, if it is going to be a

meaningful meeting where we determine what we’re going to discuss, we have access to the minutes that we get with them to craft that press release, so they do not put a spin on it.

“But if they are prepared to be transparent then, we’re more than happy to work with any administra tion to improve the plight of the Bahamian people,” Mr Pintard said. Before these remarks and in a discussion with

officers at the Office of The Prime Minister, Mr Pin tard pleaded with police officers to let him conduct a press conference on the lawn, instead of at the end of the parking lot. How ever officers refused saying they were acting on behalf of Commissioner of Police Clayton Fernander.

“At this point you are following instructions,” the FNM leader told officers on site. “So. I am asking is it perceived that the gov ernment or the police are at risk with us standing in close proximity to the building?

“With government build ings all over the country persons are able to stand outside peacefully and share their views, after all, the property is owned by all of us,” Mr Pintard said.

A police officer responded: “The com missioner of police is responsible for the police officers, we act on behalf of the commissioner of police. Once we’re given instructions, we carry out those instructions. Persons who have an issue with the instructions that are car ried out, they know exactly where to take those griev ances. However, if we say

there’s no access and you make an attempt to access, then you are offending us.”

On Wednesday at Parlia ment, Mr Pintard accused Works and Utilities Min ister Alfred Sears of “misleading Parliament” after he admitted that the Davis administration rejected proposals and rec ommendations “that had the potential to save the Bahamian people $100m.”

Mr Pintard told Tribune Business at the time that he and other opposition MPs were left “stunned” after Mr Sears said that the Ministry of Finance, headed by Prime Minister Philip “Brave” Davis, had dis missed recommendations to continue the trades, calling BPL’s fuel hedging initiative “not in the interests of the country at that time.”

Mr Sears responded: “The minister of finance communicated that based on what was presented, it was not supported. That determination was commu nicated in October 2021. What is the relevance of this new revelation?”

Mr Sears declined to speak further on the matter when approached by reporters at the House of Assembly on November 16.

40 YEARS OF REACHING OUT TO THOSE IN CRISIS

THE Bahamas Crisis Cen tre’s 40th anniversary volunteer reception was held on November 18, under the patronage of Ann Marie Davies, the wife of Prime Minister Philip “Brave” Davis.

A statement by the centre said: “It was wonderful to be all dressed up, celebrating with volunteers who have worked side-by-side for many, many years, with the direction of founder and director Dr Sandra Dean Patterson Sandra Patterson for this very significant purpose of assisting victims of domestic and sexual violence.

“Many of the volunteers are stalwarts in service with this organisation. Congrats to the founders, the other professionals who linked arms along the way, the former volunteers, the cur rent volunteers, to all of us. We welcome our new volunteers and are always looking for more as we are a very busy organisation.”

GUNMAN KILLS FIVE AT COLORADO GAY CLUB

COLORADO SPRINGS, Colorado Associated Press

A 22-YEAR-OLD gunman opened fire inside a gay night club in Colorado Springs, killing five people and leaving 25 injured before he was subdued by “heroic” patrons and arrested by police who arrived within min utes, authorities said yesterday. Two firearms, including a “long rifle”, were found at Club Q after the Saturday night shooting, said Police Chief Adrian Vasquez.

On its Facebook page, the club called it a “hate attack”. Inves tigators were still determining a motive and whether to prosecute it as a hate crime, said El Paso County District Attorney Michael Allen. Charges against the suspect “will likely include first-degree murder”, he said.

Police identified the gunman as Anderson Lee Aldrich, who was in custody and being treated for injuries.

A man with that name was arrested in 2021 after his mother reported he threatened her with a homemade bomb and other weapons, authorities said. They declined to elaborate on that arrest. No explosives were found, authorities said at the time, and The Gazette in Colorado Springs reported that prosecutors did not pursue any charges and that records were sealed.

Authorities were called to Club Q at 11:57pm on Saturday with a report of a shooting, and the first officer arrived at midnight.

Joshua Thurman said he was

in the club with about two dozen other people and was dancing when the shots began. He initially thought it was part of the music, until he heard another shot and said he saw the flash of a gun muzzle.

Thurman, 34, said he ran with another person to a dressing room where someone already was hiding. They locked the door, turned off the lights and got on the floor but could hear the vio lence unfolding, including the gunman getting beaten up, he added.

“I could have lost my life — over what? What was the pur pose?” he said as tears ran down his cheeks. “We were just enjoy ing ourselves. We weren’t out harming anyone. We were in our

space, our community, our home, enjoying ourselves like everybody else does.”

The gunman was confronted by “at least two heroic people” who fought and subdued the suspect, Vasquez said.

“We owe them a great debt of thanks,” he added. Detectives also were examining whether anyone had helped Aldrich before the attack, Vasquez said.

Of the 25 injured, at least seven were in critical condition, authori ties said. Some were hurt trying to flee, and it was unclear if all of the victims were shot, a police spokes person said.

The shooting rekindled memo ries of the 2016 massacre at the Pulse gay nightclub in Orlando, Florida, that killed 49 people.

Colorado has experienced several mass killings, including at Colum bine High School in 1999, a movie theatre in suburban Denver in 2012 and at a Boulder supermar ket last year.

It was the sixth mass killing this month and came in a year when the nation was shaken by the deaths of 21 in a school shooting in Uvalde, Texas.

Club Q is a gay and lesbian nightclub that features a drag show on Saturdays, according to its website. Club Q’s Facebook page said planned entertainment included a “punk and alternative show” preceding a birthday dance party, with a Sunday all-ages drag brunch.

Drag events have become a focus of anti-LGBTQ rheto ric and protests recently as opponents, including politi cians, have proposed banning children from them, falsely claiming they’re used to “groom” children.

Attorney General Merrick Gar land was briefed on the shooting and the FBI was assisting police with the investigation.

President Joe Biden said that while the motive for the shoot ings was not yet clear, “we know that the LGBTQI+ community has been subjected to horrific hate violence in recent years”.

“Places that are supposed to be safe spaces of acceptance and cel ebration should never be turned into places of terror and vio lence,” he said. “We cannot and must not tolerate hate.”

Colorado Governor Jared Polis, who became the first openly gay

man in the United States to be elected governor in 2018, called the shooting “sickening”.

“My heart breaks for the family and friends of those lost, injured and traumatised,” Polis said. “Colorado stands with our LGTBQ community and every one impacted by this tragedy as we mourn.”

A makeshift memorial sprang up Sunday near the club, with flowers, a stuffed animal and can dles and a sign saying “Love over hate” next to a rainbow-colored heart.

Seth Stang was buying flowers for the memorial when he was told that two of the dead were his friends. The 34-year-old transgen der man said it was like having “a bucket of hot water getting dumped on you. ... I’m just tired of running out of places where we can exist safely”.

Ryan Johnson, who lives near the club and was there last month, said it was one of only two night spots for the LGBTQ community in conservative-leaning Colorado Springs.

“It’s kind of the go-to for pride,” the 26-year-old said of the club, which is tucked behind other businesses, including a bowling alley and a sandwich shop.

Colorado Springs is home to the US Air Force Academy, the U.S. Olympic Training Center, as well as Focus on the Family, a prominent evangelical Chris tian ministry that lobbies against LGBTQ rights. The group con demned the shooting and said it “exposes the evil and wickedness inside the human heart”.

FNM leader Michael Pintard.

Photo: Moise Amisial

ELIJAH NEWCOMB, of Colorado Springs, lays flowers near a gay nightclub yesterday where a shooting occurred late on Saturday night.

Photo: Geneva Heffernan/AP

Golden Eagles vs Bruins in Battle 4 Atlantis finale

By RENALDO DORSETT Tribune Sports Reporter rdorsett@tribunemedia.net

The championship game for the 2022 Women’s Battle 4 Atlantis will feature a pair of undefeated teams and a tournament filled with upsets sets the stage for an exciting finish this afternoon at the Atlantis resort’s Imperial Arena.

The Marquette Golden Eagles (5-0) and the UCLA Bruins (5-0) will meet in the finale at noon, broadcast live on ESPN.

The Golden Eagles’ path to the championship game included a 68-61 win over the no.3 Texas Long horns in round one and yesterday’s 70-66 win over the Gonzaga Bulldogs to advance to the title game.

This marks Marquette’s best start to a season since 2010-11 and the fourth 5-0 start in programme history.

EUROPEAN WORLD CUP TEAMS TO DEFY FIFA IN ARMBAND STANDOFF

By GRAHAM DUNBAR AP Sports Writer

DOHA, Qatar (AP)

— In a tense meeting at the World Cup yesterday, FIFA tried to end a stand off with European teams about wearing unauthor ised captain armbands for an anti-discrimination cam paign that draws attention to Qatar.

It didn’t work.

FIFA wanted seven Euro pean soccer federations to back down from allowing their captains to wear “One Love” armbands — a heartshaped multi-coloured logo aimed at exposing the host country’s record on human rights.

FIFA failed to persuade the Europeans with a coun ter-proposal announced Saturday, and backed by United Nations agencies, of

“I’m not sure this was the prettiest basketball game we’ve seen since the tournament started, but I’m just really thrilled with the win,” said Marquette head coach Megan Duffy. “We had a statement programme win against Texas, then came back with the same grit and deter mination to win a little bit differently.

“I thought we had great contributions by our bench and in a tournament with three games in three days you’re going to have to have different people step up, and that was definitely the case this afternoon.”

UCLA opened the tour nament with a 72-65 win over the South Dakota State Jack Rabbits.

The Bruins also remained undefeated with yesterday’s 80-63 win over the no. 11 Tennessee Lady Volunteers.

“Different people stepped up. Different people made contributions, and I’ve just talked to this team about earning con fidence and what kind of habits are you willing to commit to so that we can grow into becoming a spe cial team,” said Bruins head coach Cori Close.

The Bulldogs and Lady Volunteers will meet in the third place game at 2:30pm, broadcast live on ESPNU.

The Bulldogs pulled away late for a 79-67 over time win over the no. 6 Louisville Cardinals in

PAGE 16

Wallace had a passion for helping others

By BRENT STUBBS Senior Sports Reporter bstubbs@tribunemedia.net

Associa tion of Certified Officials (BACO) executive Court ney Wallace, remembered as a man for all seasons who had a passion for help ing others, passed away on Wednesday, November 15 after a battle with cancer.

The 57-year-old contrac tor and businessman, who was the owner of Brethren Quality Renovation Co. Limited, left behind two sons, a grandson, brother Felix Wallace Sr and sisters

was a member of

BACO for more than 20 years.

He was a floor member and vice president who ascended to president before he had to relinquish his position due to his illness.

In regaining the role as president during an elec tion to replace him a few months ago, Val Kemp said Wallace, as a person, was humble and hardworking and was an individual who had difficulty saying no to people.

“Unfortunately his tenure as president was not long and he was ill for

High-rolling World Cup fans will get alcohol at stadiums

By GRAHAM DUNBAR AP Sports Writer

DOHA, Qatar (AP)

— For a price, there will be plenty of Champagne, whiskey, vodka and even sommelier-selected wines available for fans at World Cup stadiums in Qatar.

And beer, too, for this exclusive group of high rollers.

At a cost of $3,000 per ticket, fans will be able to enjoy high-end alcoholic drinks and fine food in the luxurious hospitality lounges, suites and restau rants at the eight stadiums built and renovated for soc cer’s biggest event.

For $950 per person, clients of long-time FIFA partner MATCH Hospi tality will be served wine, beer and “street food on the move” in a tented

village next to the stadium. “Precisely the kind of expe rience that people would expect in a fine restaurant, or in a sports bar,” MATCH executive chairman Jaime Byrom told The Associated Press in a recent interview.

That is going to be a far different experience from regular fans at the tour nament, which started yesterday when the host country lost to Ecuador 2-0 in the opening match, because Qatar decided Friday to ban beer sales at the stadiums.

The beer policy finally agreed to in September was changed at nearly the last minute by the conserva tive Islamic nation, where access to alcohol is strictly limited. Only alcoholfree Bud Zero will be sold inside the stadium grounds at the 64 games. It was a

NPBA OPENING NIGHT: ROCKETS AND GIANTS VICTORIOUS

By BRENT STUBBS Senior Sports Reporter bstubbs@tribunemedia.net

ON opening night when they didn’t receive their New Providence Basketball Association men’s champi onship rings, the Discount Distributors Rockets took their frustration out on the runners-up Commonwealth Bank Giants.

And while they were awarded their division II championship trophies, the Your Essential Store (YERS) Giants knocked off their arch-rivals Pro duce Express Rockets in the opening game played in the twin bill on Saturday night.

Before a fairly good crowd inside the AF Adderley Gymnasium, both games were interrupted as a

CALEA JACKSON SIGNS WITH UNIVERSITY OF MIAMI

By BRENT STUBBS Senior Sports Reporter bstubbs@tribunemedia.net

much of his tenure. He tried his best,” Kemp said.

“He served as manager, assistant manager, chaper one and other capacities. May his soul rest in peace.”

Condolences poured in from other members of BACO, who worked closely with Wallace over the years.

Here are some things his fellow officials had to say about him.

“My condolences to the family of Courtney Wal lace,” one wrote. “He always had something

AUSTRALIA

AN emotional strong woman Calea Jackson made it official, signing her letter of intent to take her discus-throwing talent to the University of Miami where she will compete on the Hurricanes women’s track and field

Surrounded by her family and members of the Blue Chips Throwers Club, Jack son inked her name on the dotted line during a cer emony on Saturday at the Empire Fitness Center in Yamacraw.

The event was proceeded by a junkanoo rush-out from members of the Saxon Superstars.

“It’s so surreal,” said Jackson after she had to hold back her tears as she thanked everybody in

stunning reversal — and a potential breach of con tract — for Budweiser’s parent company, AB InBev,

and a brand that has been served at the World Cup for

MANCHESTER, Eng land (AP) — Australia upheld its domination of the Rugby League World Cup by putting away Samoa 30-10 in the final at Old Trafford on Saturday.

Captain James Tedesco and centre Latrell Mitch ell each scored two of Australia’s six tries to claim a 12th world crown out of a possible 16.

“Just the mark of a great footy team, com mitted to each other, and really happy for the boys,” Australia coach Mal Meninga said.

Samoa made history by becoming the first tiertwo nation to reach the final, courtesy of a nailbiting semifinal win over

England, and emerged with considerable credit without ever threatening to pull off another shock.

The Kangaroos had the patience and composure to deal with their oppo nents’ unorthodox play and showed their clini cal and ruthless side on attack to boss the game. They ensured an Aus tralia double after the Jillaroos’ 54-4 victory over New Zealand in the early women’s final.

Toa Samoa had the support of Prime Min ister Afioga Fiame Naomi Mataafa, who flew in especially for the occasion, and the over whelming majority of the

team.

CHAMPAGNE is served at the Pol Roger Champagne House in Epernay, France. Champagne, whiskey, vodka and even some sommelier-selected wines will be available for some fans at World Cup stadiums in Qatar. And beer also. But the privilege of drink ing alcohol will come at a price for this exclusive group of high rollers. Fans will be able to enjoy alcoholic drinks in the luxurious hospitality lounges at the eight stadiums for $3,000 per ticket.

(AP Photo/ Virginia Mayo)

BAHAMAS

Daisymae Wallace and Hilda Wallace-Robinson. Wallace

COURTNEY Wallace.

MARQUETTE’s Liza Karlen (32) goes up against Texas’ Taylor Jones (44) on Saturday during their NCAA college basketball game in the Battle 4 Atlantis at the Atlantis resort on Paradise Island.

Photo: Tim Aylen/Bahamas Visual Services via AP)

NCAA CROSS COUNTRY: HICKS, TUOHY WIN TITLES

STILLWATER, Okla. (AP) — Stanford’s Charles Hicks became the NCAA Division I men’s cross coun try champion and North Carolina State’s Katelyn Tuohy won the women’s side on Saturday.

Hicks set a course record at the Oklahoma State Cross Country Course by crossing the finish line in 28:43.6, becoming the first Cardinal runner to win the individual title. Northern Arizona’s Nico Young was second at 28:44.5.

Tuohy crossed the finish line in 19:27.7, surpassing Florida’s Parker Valby over the final 1K. Valby finished at 19:30.9.

Northern Arizona claimed the men’s title for the third straight season — and sixth in seven years. The Lumberjacks won a tiebreaker over Okla homa State, 3-2, marking the first time a tiebreaker determined the national champion in DI men’s his tory. The only other tie came in 1942, before a tie breaker was established.

N.C. State won back-toback team championships — the first to do so on the DI women’s side since 200910. N.C. State is the first programme since Colorado in 2018 to win both the indi vidual and team titles.

WORLD CUP

FROM PAGE 13

36 years. The company said in a statement it was “circumstances beyond our control.”

Qatar’s late move in its much scrutinised, often criticised 12-year prepara tion to stage the World Cup won’t have an effect on the luxury end of the support ers’ market, however. Every customer of MATCH Hos pitality — 250,000 tickets have been sold since Feb ruary 2021 — can still be served drinks with alcohol as promised.

Spirits are added to wine and beer in the “Pavilion” category, which costs at least $1,900. Champagne and cocktails join the drinks menu in the $3,050 “Busi ness” class.

The height of luxury is the Pearl Lounge, with seats at the halfway line in Lusail Stadium — the venue that will host the final and nine other matches. Prices start at $4,950 and come with “mixologists, Champagne selection, sommeliers, and premium spirits.”

“Pearl Lounge exudes old-world grandeur and glamour, like the symbol from which it takes its name,” MATCH’s sales pitch says.

It has all added up to record sales for MATCH, which is providing hospital ity at its fourth World Cup — though the Byrom family which runs the company has worked with FIFA since the 1980s.

“Our programme has been far more successful than we could have hoped for,” Byrom told the AP in the telephone interview, singling out his home coun try of Mexico as the biggest market.

Being able to serve alco hol discreetly but without limitations in Qatar was a given when MATCH renewed with FIFA in 2011. That was the year after FIFA picked Qatar as host, and at about the same time AB InBev re-upped.

“We expected to be able to provide the full hospital ity service. We were not the only commercial agreement FIFA entered into where alcohol is a feature of the agreement,” Byrom said.

‘Make Time for Mates’

COMMONWEALTH Brewery Limited (CBL) joins the world in celebrat ing International Men’s Day under the theme, ‘Make Time for Mates.’

To mark the occasion, a men’s basketball game was held earlier this month.

Research shows that close friendships and social connections can promote good health.

This theme aims to highlight the role mate ship plays in helping men live longer, better, health ier lives.

“We believe especially in these times, it is impor tant for men to come together to connect and build each other through

positive activities,” CBL said. “At present, males represent 52% of our total workforce. Inclu sion, diversity and gender equality are top priorities for CBL.”

International Men’s Day extends beyond one day. It is a movement of value that deserves celebration and honour.

“As we forge ahead, CBL is committed to celebrating all men and boys and joining local conversations to sup port men’s rights, build equitable and inclusive communities and ensure that all men feel valued and respected throughout The Bahamas.”

FROM PAGE 13

armbands with socially aware, though generic, slogans.

The urgency of the meeting at a luxury hotel in Doha was because Eng land, the Netherlands and Wales all play today in their respective World Cup opening games.

“I think we’ve made it clear that we want to wear it,” England captain Harry Kane said Sunday evening in Doha ahead of playing Iran.

Wales coach Robert Page said it will be “no dif ferent for us” at the late game on Monday against the United States. It sets up the prospect of viewers

worldwide seeing in backto-back-to-back games a symbol of disapproval with the host country and defi ance of FIFA on the arms of Kane, Wales captain Gareth Bale and Nether lands captain Virgil van Dijk. “We will stay with the European position,” German soccer federation president Bernd Neuen dorf said a day after team captain Manuel Neuer had promised to wear the “One Love” armband against Japan on Wednesday.

“FIFA came up with their own armband idea just two days ago. That was not acceptable for us,” Neuendorf told German broadcaster ZDF. Other officials declined to comment when leaving

the meeting, but some noted the heated tone of exchanges.

FIFA also declined to comment, but on Saturday said it was “committed to using the power of football to effect positive change around the world.”

The armband dispute flared two months ago and is still not resolved on the opening day of the tournament despite being a clear breach of FIFA regulations.

“For FIFA final compe titions, the captain of each team must wear the cap tain’s armband provided by FIFA,” the soccer body’s equipment regulations state. A similar rule is writ ten into tournament rules for this year’s World Cup.

FIFA would typically open disciplinary cases if teams breached the rule, but its scope for punishment is likely lim ited to imposing fines of about 10,000 Swiss francs ($10,500) on some of its wealthiest member federations.

The “One Love” cam paign promotes diversity and inclusion in soccer and was started in the Netherlands.

Last year, Georginio Wijnaldum wore the armband at a European Championship game in Hungary with the consent of UEFA, the governing body of European soccer.

In September, 10 Euro pean teams said their captains would wear the

armband in upcoming UEFA-organised games.

Eight of those had quali fied to play in Qatar and said they would also ask FIFA for permission.

France has since with drawn support citing a wish to show respect for Qatar.

FIFA had not publicly responded to the requests before president Gianni Infantino announced an inhouse alternative in Doha. The FIFA choice of slogans for group games include “SaveThePlanet,” “ProtectChildren” and “ShareTheMeal.”

The slogan “NoDiscrim ination” — the only one aligned with the European teams’ wish — will appear at the quarterfinal stage.

MCILROY CLINCHES RACE TO DUBAI TITLE AS RAHM WINS IN UAE

DUBAI, United Arab Emirates (AP) — Another year without a major was no less special for Rory McIlroy, who finished yesterday as Europe’s top-ranked golfer for the fourth time and became only the second player to capture season titles on the PGA Tour and European tour.

Jon Rahm felt the same way.

Rahm opened with three straight birdies on his way to a 5-under 67 to win the DP World Tour Champion ship for the third time, by two shots over England’s Tyrrell Hatton and Swe den’s Alex Noren.

“Hopefully, people can stop telling me that it was a bad year,” Rahm said.

“Three wins worldwide, three wins in three differ ent continents. Yeah, it wasn’t a major champion ship, but it’s still a really, really good season.”

Rahm also won the Mexican Open on the PGA Tour and the Span ish Open to go along with the European tour’s season finale that came with a $3 million prize.

He finished on 20-under 268 at Jumeirah Golf Estates.

McIlroy now has gone eight years since his last major — he finished in the top 8 in all four majors this year — but won the FedEx Cup and its $18

million bonus, along with the Canadian Open and the CJ Cup in South Carolina.

Along the way, he returned to No. 1 in the world.

“I think my goal has been to just become a more complete golfer and I feel like I’m on the journey to doing that,” McIlroy said.

“I’m as complete a golfer as I feel like I’ve ever been, and hopefully I can con tinue on that path.”

McIlroy’s main chal lenge in the DP World rankings came from Matt Fitzpatrick, whose bid for the Harry Vardon Trophy

blew up around the turn. The U.S. Open champion needed to win and McIl roy to not finish runner-up, or to finish second and the Northern Irishman to be outside the top seven.

Neither of those sce narios transpired as Fitzpatrick, three off the lead, took double bogey on No. 8 and then dropped another shot at the 10th to end his chances.

McIlroy did not need any of the fireworks of the previous day, when he powered himself into con tention with a 65.

He could have tied Rahm with an eagle on the

par-5 18th but had to settle for par and a 68.

“It means a lot. It’s been seven years since I’ve last done it.

“I’ve won three FedEx Cups since I last won,” McIlroy, who won the FedEx Cup in August, told Sky Sports television.

“It would have been nice to get one win in there at the end of the year but Jon played an incredible tour nament and fully deserved it.”

Henrik Stenson in 2013 is the only other player to win the FedEx Cup and the Europe’s points list in the same year.

Rahm, who became the first player to win the tournament three times, began the final day with a one-shot lead and quickly doubled his advantage.

Fitzpatrick’s 28-foot birdie at the third got him to 15 under and within two but things started to unravel with a bogey at the short sixth and even though he immediately clawed back that dropped shot, the calamitous eighth ultimately did for his hopes.

His drive landed in a deep rut in a waste area, his next shot failed to clear the rough and having flown the green, he duffed his chip and two-putted from the fringe for a 6. That put him five behind and after missing the fairway at the 10th that led to bogey, his challenge was over.

The only trouble McIl roy, who had three birdies and a bogey in his first four holes, had at the eighth came from the flagstick which kept out his 56-foot birdie effort. He threeputted the ninth green but was not the only one as Hatton did the same for his only bogey in a round of 66.

Noren closed with a 67 and his tie for second should move him just out side the top 40, likely to secure a spot in the top 50 by the end of the year for a Masters invitation.

RORY MCILROY, of Northern Ireland, strikes the ball on the 18th fairway during DP World Tour Championship in Dubai, United Arab Emirates, on Saturday.

(AP Photo/Martin Dokoupil)

TO mark International Men’s Day under the theme, ‘Make Time for Mates,’ a men’s basketball game was held earlier this month.

Cowboys rout Vikings 40-3

MINNEAPOLIS (AP)

— Tony Pollard had two touchdown catches for Dallas with a career-high 189 yards from scrimmage, and the Cowboys sacked Kirk Cousins a careermost seven times in a 40-3 victory over Minnesota yesterday that slammed the Vikings’ seven-game win ning streak to a screeching halt.

Dak Prescott was flaw less at quarterback, Ezekiel Elliott rushed for two scores in his return from injury and Brett Maher made four field goals — including a 60-yarder to end the first half. The Cow boys (7-3) didn’t punt until their eighth possession, and the defense was just as good.

Micah Parsons and Dorance Armstrong had two sacks apiece in the fifth-largest loss ever for the Vikings — and the big gest road win in Cowboys history.

The Vikings (8-2) have been the king of the come backs in an NFL season featuring the smallest aver age winning margin in 90 years, none more remark able than last week at Buffalo when they turned a 17-point deficit late in the third quarter into an over time victory.

But the Cowboys carried out a near-perfect game plan with stunning ease. Dallas gained 108 yards on the ground in the first half. Pollard, the Cowboys’ most dangerous weapon on offence all year, finished with six catches for 109 yards and 15 rushes for 80 yards.

PATRIOTS 10, JETS 3

FOXBOROUGH, Mass. (AP) — Marcus Jones returned a punt 84 yards for a touchdown with 5 seconds remaining and the New England Patriots stunned the New York Jets 10-3 on Sunday.

The rookie’s score was the first TD on a punt return in the NFL this season and broke a stale mate on a day when both offenses struggled to move the ball.

It was the third straight win for the Patriots (6-4) and their 14th straight over New York. They also denied the Jets (6-4) a chance to move into first place in the AFC East this late in the season for the first time since 2010. Instead, New York dropped into last place.

The Jets haven’t won in Foxborough since the 2010 playoffs when they knocked out the Patriots in the divisional round.

BILLS 31, BROWNS 23

DETROIT (AP) — Josh Allen threw a go-ahead, 5-yard touchdown pass to Stefon Diggs late in the first half, and Buffalo beat

Cleveland after the NFL moved the Bills’ home game to Detroit due to several feet of snow blan keting western New York.

The Bills (7-3) avoided blowing a third straight halftime lead by scoring on all five of their posses sions in the second half and doing a better job protect ing the ball.

Cleveland (3-7) rallied within eight points, set ting up an onside kick in the final seconds that the Browns failed to recover.

Brissett finished 28 of 41 for 324 yards — two shy of his career high — and a season-high three touchdowns.

Allen was 18 of 27 for 197 yards with a touch down and no turnovers after throwing six intercep tions over the past three games.

LIONS 31, GIANTS 18

EAST RUTHERFORD, N.J. (AP) — Jamaal Wil liams ran for a career-high three touchdowns and Detroit stunned New York.

The Lions (4-6) posted consecutive roads wins and their first three-game winning streak since November 2017. Until last week, Detroit had not won a road game under secondyear coach Dan Campbell.

Williams ran for a 4-yard TD and two 1-yard scores and the Lions’ muchmaligned run defence shut down NFL leading rusher Saquon Barkley and forced three turnovers on a cold, blustery day.

Rookie defensive end Aidan Hutchinson, the No. 2 overall pick in the draft, intercepted a pass and recovered a fumble to help set up 14 points. Jared Goff and the Lions’ offence didn’t have a turnover for the second straight game.

Goff finished 17 of 26 for 165 yards with Amon-Ra St. Brown catching seven passes for 76 yards. The Lions had 163 yards rush ing led by Justin Jackson (66) and Williams (64).

Barkley finished with 22 yards on 15 carries.

RAIDERS 22, BRONCOS 16, OT DENVER (AP) — Derek Carr hit a wideopen Davante Adams with a 35-yard touchdown pass on the third play of over time, powering Las Vegas past Denver.

The Raiders (3-7) never led in regulation but sent the game into OT when Daniel Carlson kicked a 25-yard field goal with 16 seconds left after a crucial blunder by Broncos quar terback Russell Wilson.

The Broncos (3-7) were clinging to a 16-13 lead at the 2-minute warning but Wilson rolled right on third-and-10 from his own 34 and instead of sliding to burn more time, he pulled up and fired out of bounds.

That saved crucial seconds for the Raiders.

Carr drove them 71 yards, hitting running back Josh Jacobs for 43 yards to the Denver 7 to set up Carlson’s game-tying kick. Jacobs finished with 109 yards rushing and 51 receiving.

In overtime, Carr hit Foster Moreau for 33 yards over the middle to the Denver 35. From there, Adams confused the Denver defence and was all alone for the game-winner, which gave him 141 yards and two TDs on seven catches. Carr finished 23 of 37 for 307 yards.

FALCONS 27, BEARS 24

ATLANTA (AP) — Younghoe Koo made a tiebreaking 53-yard field goal with less than two minutes to play and Atlanta overcame another impressive game from Chi cago’s Justin Fields.

Marcus Mariota ran and threw for touchdowns for Atlanta (5-6), which pulled within one-half game of NFC-leading Tampa Bay on the Buccaneers’ bye week.

Fields ran for 85 yards with a touchdown, but the Bears (3-8) suffered their fourth consecutive loss and sixth of seven.

Fields’ pass for running back David Montgomery was intercepted by Falcons safety Jaylinn Hawkins with 1:07 remaining. A 26-yard run by rookie Tyler Allgeier allowed the Fal cons, who rushed for 149 yards, to wind down the clock.

Atlanta running back Cordarrelle Patterson set the NFL record with his ninth career kickoff return for a touchdown. His 103yard return in the second quarter broke a tie with Joshua Cribbs and Leon Washington.

Patterson’s lost fumble after a 19-yard run set up Fields’ 4-yard scoring run that gave Chicago a 17-7 lead. Patterson responded with his record-breaking return.

RAVENS 13, PANTHERS

Pickett passed for 265 yards and a touchdown and Najee Harris ran for 90 yards and two scores, but the NFL’s second-lowest scoring offence was inef fective after halftime.

SAINTS 27, RAMS 20

NEW ORLEANS (AP) — Andy Dalton passed for three touchdowns, Mathew Stafford left the field to be evaluated for a concus sion in the second half New Orleans beat reeling Los Angeles.

Stafford’s departure from the game came two days after he’d been cleared to return from the NFL’s concussion protocol.

HURTS’ LATE TD RUN GIVES EAGLES 17-16 WIN OVER COLTS

By MICHAEL MAROT AP Sports Writer

INDIANAPOLIS (AP)

3

BALTIMORE (AP) — Lamar Jackson ran for a 1-yard touchdown in the fourth quarter and Bal timore forced three late Carolina turnovers.

Justin Tucker kicked two field goals, including a tiebreaking 37-yarder with 8:27 remaining. Then Marcus Peters forced a fumble by Shi Smith, giving the Ravens the ball at the Carolina 31. Baltimore (7-3) took advantage of a short field, finally reaching the end zone on Jackson’s run with 7:16 to play.

Marlon Humphrey, who recovered Smith’s fumble, later added an intercep tion. Jason Pierre-Paul also picked off a pass in the final minute. It was the 12th straight game Balti more forced at least one turnover.

The AFC North-leading Ravens won their fourth straight. Jackson threw for 209 yards with an inter ception and Demarcus Robinson caught nine passes for 128 yards, but that was about all that was working for either team offensively on a chilly, windy day.

BENGALS 37, STEELERS 30

PITTSBURGH (AP) — Joe Burrow threw four touchdown passes, three to backup running back Samaje Perine, and Cincin nati rallied past Pittsburgh.

The Bengals (6-4) won for the fourth time in five games by relying heavily on Perine, who thrived with starter Joe Mixon missing the second half after going into the NFL’s concussion protocol.

Burrow completed 24 of 39 passes for 355 yards and became the third-fastest player in NFL history to reach 10,000 career yards passing. Perine ran for 30 yards and caught four passes for 52 yards. Cincin nati has won four of five against the Steelers.

Pittsburgh (3-7) couldn’t hold a 20-17 lead in the second half. Rookie Kenny

Stafford was effective in the first half, after which the Rams led 14-10, and he left the game having completed 11 of 18 passes for 159 yards and two touchdowns, including a 62-yarder to Tutu Atwell.

He was replaced by Bryce Perkins, who led the Rams to a field goal on his first series, but struggled thereafter. The defending champion Rams (3-7) have lost four straight.

Dalton’s performance validated a decision by the Saints (4-7) to stick with him after the club’s worst offensive performances of the season during a twogame skid. He completed 21 of 25 passes for 260 yards, including a 53-yard touchdown pass deep down the middle of the field to Chris Olave to make it 24-14 late in the third quarter.

COMMANDERS 23, TEXANS 10 HOUSTON (AP) — Taylor Heinicke threw for 191 yards, Kendall Fuller returned an intercep tion for a touchdown, and Washington rolled past Houston.

Heinicke, who started a fifth straight game for the injured Carson Wentz, had another solid performance to help the Commanders (6-5) build on last week’s victory over Philadelphia and win their fifth of six.

Davis Mills threw two interceptions and Houston mustered a season-low 148 yards of offense as the Texans (1-8-1) lost their fifth straight and remained the NFL’s only one-win team.

Washington led 20-0 at halftime behind Fuller’s pick-6, a TD run by Curtis Samuel and a historically bad first half by Houston’s offence.

The Texans were out gained 246-5 in the first half, their fewest net yards in a half franchise history, passing the 8 they managed in the first half of a 40-0 loss to the Bills last season.

It was the fewest yards by a team in a half since the Raiders had minus-12 in a win over the Broncos in 2015.

— Jalen Hurts ran for an 8-yard touchdown with 1:20 remaining, and the Phila delphia Eagles rallied past the Indianapolis Colts 17-16 yesterday.

Coming off their first loss of the season, the Eagles (9-1) trailed 13-3 in the fourth quarter. Hurts threw for a touchdown early in the period to get Philly within three.

The third-year quarter back was 18 of 25 with 190 yards through the air and rushed 16 times for 86 yards as the Eagles won their sev enth straight road game. Indianapolis (4-6-1) never trailed until Hurts’ scoring run. Interim coach Jeff Saturday evened his record at 1-1 since taking over for the fired Frank Reich.

Hurts did it all, routinely burning the Colts for big runs. And on third-and-goal from the 8-yard line, he found a seam in the middle and sprinted across the goal line for the decisive score.

Indy had a chance for a game-winning drive, but it stalled before the Colts could get to midfield and they turned it over on downs.

It looked like the Colts would continue their evolu tion under Saturday when they drove 75 yards on their opening drive and finally scored on Jonathan Taylor’s 1-yard TD. It was Indy’s first touchdown on its first possession since last Dec. 25.

But the Colts could only muster three more field goals by Chase McLaughlin — and his crucial 51-yard attempt that missed to the right, setting up Philadel phia’s first TD. Hurtz hit Quez Watkins for a 22-yard touchdown with 13:31 left in the game.

The Colts made it 16-10 on McLaughlin’s third field goal of the day, a 37-yarder, with 4:37 to play. But a defence that held Philadel phia in check all day — and to fewer than 20 points for the first time in 15 regularseason games — couldn’t get the stop it needed.

UP NEXT

Eagles: Return home next Sunday to face Green Bay.

Colts: Host Pittsburgh on Monday, November 28.

positive to share with people.”

By JOE REEDY AP Sports Writer

INGLEWOOD, Calif.

(AP)

Mahomes hit Kelce on a short crossing route that Kelce took to the end zone for a 17-yard touchdown, concluding a six-play, 75-yard drive that took just 1:15. The Chargers had pulled ahead 27-23 on Justin Herbert’s 6-yard touchdown pass to Joshua Palmer with 1:46 left.

Herbert and the Charg ers had one final chance, but Nick Bolton intercepted a deflected pass to seal it for the Chiefs (8-2), who swept the season series from Los Angeles (5-5) and took a three-game lead in the AFC West.

With a one-game lead over four teams in the conference, Kansas City is in position to claim home-field advantage throughout the playoffs.

Mahomes completed 20 of 34 for 329 yards without two of his top receivers. He still had Kelce, who had six catches for 115 yards.

Kelce scored at least three touchdowns for the second time in his career. He scored four in a Monday night win over the Raiders October 10.

Chiefs rookie Isiah Pacheco rushed for a careerhigh 107 yards.

Herbert completed 23 of 30 for 280 yards and two touchdowns, both to Palmer, who had eight receptions for 108 yards. It was easily the Chargers’ best offensive per formance in nearly a month as the unit was bolstered by the return of receivers Keenan Allen and Mike Williams.

Allen, playing only his third game due to a nag ging hamstring injury, had five receptions for 94 yards, including a 46-yard catch up the right sideline on the goahead drive to put the ball on the Chiefs 16-yard line.

It wasn’t enough for the Chargers, who lost their second straight.

Kelce’s 32-yard touchdown on the opening play of the

(AP Photo/Jae C Hong)

fourth quarter put the Chiefs on top 23-20. Kelce caught the ball at the LA 26 after Asante Samuel Jr made a diving attempt, broke a tackle by Nasir Adderley at the 16 and went up the right sideline for the score.

QUICK START After Harrison Butker’s 33-yard field goal on the opening possession gave the

Chiefs a 3-0 lead, the Charges promptly answered on their first drive in three plays. Palmer beat Juan Thornhill in single coverage and Her bert found him for a 50-yard touchdown.

It was the first time in 20 regular-season games that Kansas City had allowed a touchdown on an opening drive.

INJURIES

Chiefs: RB Clyde EdwardsHelaire suffered an ankle injury in the first quarter, Thornhill had a calf injury in the second quarter and WR Kadarius Tony strained a hamstring in the third quar ter. None returned to the game.

Chargers: Williams’ return was short-lived. He reinjured his ankle after a 15-yard reception in the first quarter. ... LB Kenneth Murray came out in the third quarter with a neck injury. ... S Nasir Adder ley had a thumb injury in the fourth quarter.

UP NEXT Chiefs: Host the Los Ange les Rams next Sunday.

Chargers: Return to the road to face the Arizona Car dinals next Sunday.

Another was so astonished that they pro claimed: “Jesus. I just looked at my phone. No man. This is so sad ....we were good buddies in Junkanoo and track. I am going to miss him. Wow! Am just speechless...RIP Courtney.”

“Rest in Peace Courtney,” was the comment from another. “BACO will miss your presence Mr President for the family including his BACO family..”

“Yea man he was a good man my condo lences to his family yes indeed he will be missed as a very hard worker,” were the remarks from another.

Somebody said he was “such a beautiful person..May his soul RIP.”

He was called “a man for every season,” by another. “Always so helpful and always willing to work for the sport. A good family man and a good friend. We will miss you Courtney. Take your rest until we meet again.”

And someone else said: “What a hard worker and a soft spoken, compassionate, understanding man Courtney was.”

In a more personal note, someone said:

“To have known him was to find a person so rare. Quiet but he spoke more loudly than many by his deeds.

“Great job here on earth I know that his Heav enly reward would be greater. Let’s live today with haste to prepare for our Heavenly reward.”

And finally, someone said: “So sad to hear of Courtney’s passing. His dedication, diligence, compassion and camaraderie will always be remembered by those of us who had the privi lege of travelling and working with him in track and field. May his soul rest in peace.”

The Tribune Sports Department offers its sincere condolences to Wallace’s family and by extension, BACO, whom he was devoted to at every track meet when he was available.

COWBOYS running back Tony Pollard celebrates with teammate quarterback Dak Prescott (4) after catching a 30-yard touch down pass in the first half last night against the Vikings. (AP Photo/ Bruce Kluckhohn)

— Patrick Mahomes connected with Travis Kelce for their third touchdown of the game with 31 seconds remaining, and the Kansas City Chiefs rallied past the Los Angeles Chargers 30-27 last night to stay atop the AFC.

Battle 4 Atlantis part of bigger spotlight for women’s hoops

By AARON BEARD AP Basketball Writer

PARADISE ISLAND, Bahamas (AP) — Texas guard Sonya Morris had long noticed the number of big matchups in early season tournaments to stir men’s college basketball and the buzz that came with them.

She’s eager to be part of a similar bump for the women’s side, too.

“When I was in high school, I would always see men’s tournaments like this, from college and even high school teams being able to travel,” said Morris, a graduate transfer from DePaul.

“The fact that women’s basketball can now do it and be on the same plat form — get more views, more awareness, more eyes on us, I think it’s great.”

Morris’ third-ranked Longhorns are part of the second-ever Battle 4 Atlantis, which opened play Saturday with No. 6 Louisville, No. 11 Tennes see, UCLA, South Dakota State, Rutgers, Marquette and Gonzaga.

It’s the headliner on a growing number of events offering a bigger early spotlight on women’s basketball alongside the men, from brand-name programmes to wide TV distribution in some cases.

“I think a lot of (people) are saying, ‘Oh wow, there’s actually value in women’s basketball, we should get involved, too,” said Lea Miller-Tooley, the

CALEA

FROM PAGE 13

attendance for their sup port of her career at this point. “I can’t believe that this has happened. I waited so long for it.”

When asked why she decided to settle on Miami, which is located in Coral Gables and is a member of the Atlantic Coast Confer ence (ACC) in the National Collegiate Athletic Asso ciation (NCAA) Division One, she said it was the best choice for her to pursue her academic aspirations in the medical field.

“It’s kind of surreal, something that I would definitely have to think about, over and over again,” Jackson said. “I have to convince myself about it because it’s still unbelievable.”

Jackson is a former stu dent of Queen’s College where she got started in the sport under coach Cor rington Maycock of the Blue Chips Athletics track club.

The 17-year-old is a former big time per former for the Queen’s

NPBA

result of the leaky roof as the pouring rain came down on the outside. But that didn’t prevent the two championship teams from shining.

The Rockets, who were hoping to show off their championship rings that are awarded only to the division one teams, blasted the Giants 105-78 and the Giants, in displaying their championship trophies, knocked off the Rockets 96-76.

Rockets 105, Giants 78

For three quarters, the game was relatively close, but once they got into the fourth quarter, Dis count Distributors Liquors continued to apply the pres sure, turning a 76-68 lead into a lopsided affair.

The Rockets, adding some more firepower to their line-up, had four play ers in double figures, led by two members of the recent men’s national basketball team in Abel Joseph with 21 points, 10 rebounds and seven assists and Living stone Munnings with 20 points, nine rebounds, three steals and two blocks.

founder and director of the Atlantis tournaments.

“I think there are some events starting this year that are understanding that. ... There’s no deny ing the power, strength and publicity that women’s basketball has been get ting has never been higher, and we’re proud to be right in there with one of the strongest events in wom en’s basketball promoting the sport.”

That rise in prominence has come less than two years after the glaring ineq uity issues that emerged in how the bubbled men’s and women’s NCAA Tour naments were handled in 2021, including the alloca tion of resources to athletes and even the quality of the swag boxes of gifts.

But that also included criticism of how the NCAA withheld “March Madness” branding from the women’s tournament and whether there was more TV money being left on the table in current media deals.

That’s why Richard Lapchick, director of The Institute for Diversity and Ethics in Sport (TIDES) at Central Florida, is encour aged to see more events coming with the backing of broadcast partners and cor porate sponsors.

“They’re not investing because they are neces sarily supporting women’s rights,” said Lapchick, whose group issues annual report cards on diversity hiring practices for college and professional sports.

“They know there’s a

College Comets before she transferred to Rabun Gap-Nacoochee School, a private co-educational day and boarding school located in Atlanta, Georgia.

This year’s CARIFTA Games’ fourth place fin isher in the under-20 girls in Kingston, Jamaica with a heave of 147-feet, 3-inches or 44.90 metres, has achieved a personal best of 150-11 (46m) in prepar ing for lofty goals when she begin her enrollment as a Hurricane at the University of Miami in August, 2023.

“I definitely want to become an ACC champion at one point, I want to get at least two PBs (personal best) in my first year and I would like to make it to the NCAA Championships, hopefully in my first year,” she said.

“I’m not satisfied with where I am right now. I know I have a lot to do, but it’s definitely a step in the right direction for me to improve on my collegiate career just as I did in my high school career.”

Her long-time coach Corrington Maycock, who got her started in the sport rather than getting

Christoff Stuart had 13 points, three assists and two rebounds, Cordero Pinder helped out with 10 points, three rebounds and two assists, Bertrum Minns and Dion McPhee both had eight points with six and four rebounds respectively.

Devon Ferguson added seven, Ryan Turnquest six, Crispin Gibson five and although he only scored four points, Roosevelt ‘Chicken’ Whylly pulled down 10 rebounds with eight assists.

“If I knew we were not going to get our rings, I wasn’t coming out for this game,” said Rebels’ head coach Deven Johnson.

“Since we didn’t get the rings, we took it out on the Giants. It started off a bit rough, but we made some defensive adjustments in the second half and we came out with a huge win.”

The Giants actually opened up a 30-23 margin at the end of the first and they held onto a 56-45 advantage at the half. But the Rockets came storm ing back in the third and the Giants didn’t have any answer for their attack.

“We feel good about this team. We moved up a few pieces from our division II

larger interest in the public and can make money and grow the game.”

There have long been established and success ful neutral-site women’s tournaments and events: the Cancun Challenge in Mexico, the Paradise Jam in the US Virgin Islands, even elsewhere in the Bahamas in Bimini with Goombay Splash that includes No. 9 Notre Dame next week.

But Atlantis’ debut last year represented a mar quee brand tied for years to the high-level men’s tour nament held at a sprawling resort, down to having a 1-vs-2 title matchup between eventual NCAA champion South Carolina and national runner-up Connecticut.

And it came as another basketball event involving men’s and women’s teams took shape at Nassau’s

nearby Baha Mar resort in this nation of about 700 islands.

“We’ve had some (events) for years, but not the number that we have now,” Tennessee coach Kellie Harper said.

“I think that number has grown as women’s bas ketball has grown. I think there’s so much parity also in women’s basket ball right now. There are a lot of really good teams, so more tournaments can pop up and have really good competition at their tournament.”

More events are ahead to carry that momentum. There are two brackets for both men and women for the tournaments hon ouring Nike co-founder Phil Knight in Oregon through the Thanksgiving holidays, featuring No. 4 Iowa, No. 5 Connecticut and No. 7 Iowa State. And

“We were just here a few months ago for Keyshawn Strachan and now it’s Calea Jackson’s time.

“Over the next few years, we have quite a number of athletes who have the potential to also get their scholarships, so we just want to make sure that they are ready when their time comes. We know that Calea is definitely ready.”

On hand to congratu late Jackson was Bahamas Association of Athletic Associations president Drumeco Archer, who took the time out to acknowledge Maycock for helping to revive the throw ing events in the field of track.

in December, there’s the launch of the Jumpman Invitational in Charlotte, North Carolina — a threeyear event featuring the men’s and women’s teams of the first four Jordan Brand schools in North Carolina, Oklahoma, Michigan and Florida.

That makes two new events this year for the 13th-ranked Tar Heels, who also play in next week’s Phil Knight Invitational.

“This is another entity saying, ‘We want you.’ That’s a big deal,” UNC coach Courtney Banghart said.

“So for the Jordan Brand to say they want Michigan and Oklahoma and Florida and Carolina women in this thing for a three-year gig, that’s different than us call ing Oklahoma and saying, ‘Let’s play.’”

“They’re going to see that there’s a market for that.”

Enough so that many of these events are going to get widespread TV exposure.

The first two days of the Battle 4 Atlantis women’s tournament will stream on FloHoops, though today’s championship will air on ESPN while the third-place game will go on ESPNU.

The Phil Knight Legacy and Invitational bracket games will appear on the ESPN family of networks as well as one on ABC.

Meanwhile, the Jump man Invitational women’s games will appear on ESPN2.

Now looking at her devel opment, he noted that she’s still crying as she moves into another important aspect of her life.

“She’s not just an amaz ing athlete, but an amazing individual,” Archer pointed out.

“She’s not just a worldclass athlete, but a world-class student, who has achieved and main tained a 4.0 grade point average and a student who has been sought after by so many universities large and small.

“The University of Miami has inherited a good woman.”

FINALE

FROM PAGE 13

their tournament debut. They came up just short in the semifinals against Marquette.

In its brief history, the Women’s B4A has been established as one of the premier early season tour naments with a series of ranked teams participating each year.

In 2021, the then no.1 South Carolina Game cocks won 73-57 over the no.2 UConn Huskies in the championship game at the Atlantis resort’s Imperial Arena.

“So I’m so proud of you. You’ve surpassed what I expected. You were just so far beyond that I felt the guilt for what I’ve done to you. There’s nothing else that I can do. You’ve done it all.”

Jackson expressed her gratitude to all who showed up to support her and even those who were there from the beginning of her career.

Dwayne Mackey, her stepfather, said he’s just as proud of Jackson’s achieve ment because he knows the struggles that she went through.

into dancing, was just as enthused about her com mitment to attend UM.

“Beyond the accolades that they would receive from competing as a track athlete, our goal is to ensure that these athletes get to pursue their dreams of earning an athletic scholarship.

THE SCHEDULE

“It is something that is noteworthy and remark able,” said Archer of Maycock, who assisted in the development of throw ers like Laquell Harrison, now a coach in Blue Chips Athletics, national record holder and CARIFTA champion Keyshawn Stra chan and CARIFTA gold medallist Dior Scott.

On Jackson’s historic day, Archer said he remembers when she did her first inter view and she began to cry.

but after landing awk wardly on his hip late in the third quarter, he left the game in the early stages of the fourth and didn’t return.

He finished with four rebounds, three assists and one block.

Dylan Musgrove, the most valuable player from their division II Giants team, made his debut in division one with 18 points, four rebounds, three assists and as many steals.

Both Eugene Bain, with seven rebounds, and Christ off McKenzie contributed 11 points and Salathiel ‘Donkey’ Dean had 10 points and five rebounds.

Her mother Carla Jack son said she got a video from the coach at the Uni versity of Miami in 2017 when her daughter was in grade seven.

She said she can’t believe that they did it for that long, but the fruit of their labour has finally paid off.

“I’ve been really hard on her to the point where to this point this year, I started to feel the guilt where she actually started to do what she had to do to get to the point where she needed to be,” mother Jackson said.

going up 43-35 at the half and 64-54 after three peri ods and they cruised in the fourth.

Every challenge that Produce Express mounted, including a two-point defi cit in the second quarter, YERS had an answer as they stamped their approval on the game, despite miss ing a couple players.

Brandon Strachan was solid as a rock as he netted a game high 28 points with 13 rebounds and six steals to pace the Giants.

He said he’s just glad that she chose the University of Miami because having spent some time in Florida, he knows how to get around and she’s going to be in the right place to enhance her career further.

Looking back at where she came from, a teary-eyed Jackson soaked it all in by expressing her gratitude to her parents, her coach, her team-mates and anybody else who would have sup ported her from her start to her current stage in her development as one of the top throwers in the island nation.

Hanna said they made the necessary adjustments in the second half as they limited Produce Express three-point shooting and they also rebounded much better as they started cook ing on all cylinders.

“For our first game out, I was disappointed,” said Express coach Barry Carter.

Liquors Eagle’s Nest vs Produce Express Rockets

8pm - Caro Contrac tors Ltd Shockers vs UB Mingoes

team and brought in one or two players from other team, so we feel good about our chances this year,” said Johnson, who is assisted by Moses Johnson. “We feel we can defend our title this year.”

Michael ‘Ferley’ Bain had a game high 22 points,

“As much as we wanted to compete, we were chal lenged with injuries, but the guys did the best they could under the circum stances,” said Giants’ coach Perry Thompson Sr. “Once we can get everybody back healthy and on the floor, you will see the real Giants team.”

The Giants were outre bounded 57-44 and they made 19 turnovers, com pared to 18 by the Rockets.

Giants 96, Rockets 76

After posting a 17-10 lead after the first quar ter, Your Essential Store stayed ahead every quarter,

Edward Williams had 13 points, 11 rebounds and four blocks, Kirklyn Far rington also had 13 points with four rebounds and four assists.

Cormado Seymour fol lowed with 12 points, four rebounds, two assists and two steals, Kenvon Far rington had 11 points with eight rebounds, seven assists and two steals and both Simar Rolle and Tou petue Cartwright chipped in with seven points.

“We got some new pieces, but we were small tonight with two 6-8 and a 6-6, so we had to play much harder,” said Giants’ coach Mark Hanna. “I feel we did very good. Next game, we will have a better game.”

“We had too many turn overs and we made a lot of mistakes in transition. There’s a lot of things we have to work in practice. Once we work on those things, we will be alright.”

Johnacy Augustin led the Produce Express with 13 points and seven rebounds.

Rumalo Ellis and Maleak Johnson, with four rebounds apiece, and Anthony Williams all had 11 points. Randy Blanfort had 10 points and seven rebounds and Tyrell Butler and Jefferson Oliver both had eight points.

The Giants held a slim 59-58 advantage in rebounds and only made 19 turnovers while Rebels had a total of 30, which made the difference. They also lost Maleak Johnson to five fouls with about five minutes left in the game. He was an impact player on both ends of the court.

CALEA Jackson signs her let ter of intent to take her discusthrowing talent to the Univer sity of Miami where she will compete on the Hurricanes women’s track and field team.

CONNECTICUT’S AALIYAH EDWARDS, left, and Texas’ Sonya Morris, right, fight for the ball during the second half of their NCAA college basketball game last week Monday. (AP Photo/Jessica Hill)

MARQUETTE head coach Meg an Duffy. Photo: Tim Aylen/Bahamas Visual Services via AP)

UCF wins Bahamas Championship

By RENALDO DORSETT Tribune Sports Reporter rdorsett@tribunemedia.net

THE Central Florida Knights began 10 days of NCAA Divi sion I basketball at the Baha Mar Convention Centre by winning the “Bahamas Championship” tourna ment title.

The Knights defeated the Santa Clara Broncos 57-50 last night in the finale.

Taylor Hendricks was the lone UCF player in double figures with 19 points.

In a low scoring first half, the Knights’ defence forced 11

turnovers and limited Santa Clara to just 21 percent shooting from the field.

They took a 25-16 lead at the half and never trailed.

In game one, the Knights overcame a 17-point deficit and defeated the Oklahoma State Cowboys 60-56 in overtime.

Head coach Johnny Dawkins said it set the tone for the weekend trip.

It was the second overtime game for UCF on the young season.

“What a game, four games in and we have two overtime games,” Dawkins said. “Our guys really had to find a way to dig deep to

find a way to win. I’m just proud of our guy’s effort.

“I thought they played hard, it took us a while to adjust to their length and athleticism.

“As the game wore on, I feel like we got a little more comfortable and we got back to playing UCF basketball. What a good win for our programme.”

In the third-place game, Okla homa State defeated DePaul 82-78 on Sunday afternoon.

The Knights’ appearance at the Baha Mar Championship was its first time back in The Bahamas since their 2011 appearance at the Battle 4 Atlantis. The women

take the floor next with the tip-off of the Baha Mar Hoops Pink Fla mingo Championship today.

Five of the eight teams in the field were participants in last year’s NCAA Tournament, including Bahamian native Yolett McPhee-McCuin and her Ole Miss programme.

The action concludes on Thanksgiving weekend with the eight-team Baha Mar Hoops Nassau Championship.

The men’s tournament, which is designed strictly for mid-major NCAA Division I programmes, is in its fifth iteration after launching in 2017.

SPAIN OVERTAKES USA FOR NO. 1 SPOT IN FIBA MEN’S RANKINGS

By TIM REYNOLDS AP Basketball Writer

FOR the first time in 12 years, USA Basketball is not atop the world men’s rankings.

FIBA, the sport’s gov erning body, updated its rankings on Friday — and Spain moved into the top spot, a sliver ahead of the United States.

SACRAMENTO, Calif. (AP) — De’Aaron Fox had 33 points and seven assists and the Sacramento Kings extended their win ning streak to six games with a 137-129 win over the Detroit Pistons last night.

Fox scored 10 points in the fourth quarter, including a pair of free throws with 22.6 seconds remaining that extended Sacramento’s lead to six points.

The Kings have won eight of their last 10 games after starting the season 0-4.

Harrison Barnes had a season-high 27 points with nine rebounds. He hit two free throws with 14.6 sec onds left to help secure the victory.

Kevin Huerter hit four 3-pointers and finished with 24 points as all of the Kings’ starters scored in double figures. Domantas Sabonis had 15 points and 13 rebounds.

Pistons rookie Jaden Ivey, the fifth overall pick in the 2022 NBA draft, had 24 points.

Bojan Bogdanovic added 21 points for Detriot, which has lost seven consecutive games and 10 of its last 11.

NETS 127, GRIZZLIES 115

NEW YORK (AP) — Kyrie Irving returned from his suspension with 14 points, Ben Simmons tuned up for his trip back to Philadelphia with a season-high 22 and Brook lyn beat short-handed Memphis.

Kevin Durant scored 26 points, giving him at least 25 in all 17 games this season.

But it was the surprise scoring of Irving and Sim mons sparking the Nets in this one.

Simmons had his first 20-point game since for playing for the 76ers in the

2021 playoffs, and Yuta Watanabe had 16.

Dillon Brooks scored 31 points for the Grizzlies, who were without All-Star Ja Morant, Desmond Bane and Jaren Jackson Jr.

The Nets announced Irving would be avail able to play Sunday morning, after he apolo gised to anyone who felt threatened or hurt when he posted a link to a docu mentary with antisemitic material on his Twitter page.

They suspended him days later after he had refused to apologise or clarify his beliefs, and he missed eight games.

SUNS 116, KNICKS 95

PHOENIX (AP) — Cameron Payne scored 21 points, Devin Booker added 20 and Phoenix used a dominating second half to beat New York.

Deandre Ayton had 13 points and 11 rebounds and all of the Suns’ starters scored in double figures.

Torrey Craig scored 14 points and Mikal Bridges 13.

Reserve Damion Lee scored 15 and shot 4 of 6 from 3-point range.

The Suns, playing with out Chris Paul (right heel injury) for the sixth straight game, got 3-pointers from eight players.

Jalen Brunson scored 27 points on 11-of-21 shoot ing to lead the Knicks. RJ Barrett finished with 12 points and Quentin Grimes scored 10.

CAVALIERS 113, HEAT 87

CLEVELAND (AP) — Darius Garland scored 25 points, Cedi Osman added 20 and Cleveland played one of its best games in weeks, rolling past bangedup Miami.

After ending a fivegame losing streak with

a double-overtime win Friday, the Cavs didn’t have to work nearly as hard while handing Miami its sixth straight road loss.

Cleveland used a 21-2 tear in the second quarter to open a 19-point lead, and the Cavs pushed their advantage to 31 in the third.

Evan Mobley had 15 points and 10 rebounds for Cleveland.

Bam Adebayo scored 21 to lead Miami after sitting out the previous two games with a bruised left knee. However, he didn’t have much help.

Miami was missing some key pieces as star forward Jimmy Butler (knee), starting guard Tyler Herro (ankle) and reserve guard Gabe Vincent (knee) were all out with injuries.

NUGGETS 98, MAVERICKS 97

DALLAS (AP) — Vlatko Cancar hit a buzzer-beater from near

midcourt when the final 2 seconds of the first half were replayed after the break, and outmanned Denver went on to beat Dallas. The Nuggets went to the locker room thinking they were down seven on a buzzer-beating 3-pointer by Dallas star Luka Doncic.

Instead, Cancar brought the Nuggets within a point, and the six-point swing paid off when Michael Porter Jr hit the deciding 3-pointer with 55 seconds remaining in the game.

A video review showed Doncic stepped out bounds before the second-quarter shot, and since the teams were already off the court, the game had to be picked up from that point after the break.

Bones Hyland scored a career-high 29 points, and Porter Jr had 12 with his only made 3-pointer in five attempts providing the final scoring.

Josh Green had a careerhigh 23 points for Dallas, but his only miss on an 8-of-9 night, including 6 of 7 from 3, was from long range with the Mavericks leading by two in the final 70 seconds.

Doncic scored 22 with a miss on a long 3-pointer at the buzzer.

WARRIORS 127, ROCKETS 120

HOUSTON (AP) — Klay Thompson scored a season-high 41 points and Steph Curry added 33 as Golden State picked up its first road win in Houston.

The Warriors snapped an 0-8 start away from home to improve to 8-9 on the season.

Golden State has won five of its last seven games following a 3-7 start.

Andrew Wiggins hit 6 of 11 3s and scored 22 points for Golden State.

Kevin Porter Jr led Hou ston with 30 points, Jabari Smith Jr. had 22, and Jalen Green added 16.

Rookie Tari Eason scored a career-high 19 points and added eight rebounds off the bench.

WIZARDS 106, HORNETS 102

WASHINGTON (AP) — Kyle Kuzma had 28 points, 10 rebounds and five assists, helping Wash ington beat Charlotte.

Bradley Beal scored 26 points, but wasn’t on the floor for the final 9.8 sec onds despite Washington being up just two points.

He walked with a slight limp to the locker room before the game ended.

All five Washington starters scored in double figures. The Wizards have won six of seven.

Kelly Oubre Jr. led Charlotte with 23 points. Gordon Hayward added 18 points.

The Hornets have lost 11 of 12.

T’wolves win third straight, taking down 76ers in Philly

PHILADELPHIA

(AP) — Anthony Edwards scored 25 points, D’Angelo Russell had 19 and the Minnesota Timberwolves survived a late scare from the undermanned Philadel phia 76ers and won their third straight game 112-109 on Saturday.

The 76ers have played without James Harden for two weeks because of a right foot tendon strain and added starting guard Tyrese Maxey to the injury list with a broken left foot. P.J. Tucker suffered an unspecified injury against the Timberwolves and Joel Embiid injured his left ankle/foot following a late-game collision with a teammate.

Embiid, the reigning NBA scoring champion, said well after the final buzzer he was still in pain.

Embiid carried the load Saturday among a lineup that, in one stretch, included him, Danuel House Jr., De’Anthony Melton, Shake Milton and Georges Niang. Embiid had 32 points and nine rebounds. Milton had 27 points and Melton 19.

JAZZ 118, TRAIL BLAZERS 113

PORTLAND, Ore. (AP)

— Jordan Clarkson scored

28 points, including eight straight in the final 1:48, to help Utah over Portland.

Malik Beasley had 29 points off the bench. Utah has the Western Confer ence lead at 12-6.

Anfernee Simons led Portland with 23 points.

Both teams lost their starting point guards in the second half. After collid ing into a screen, Utah’s Mike Conley left with a left knee injury with 10:22 left in the third quarter. Not long after, Trail Blazers star Damian Lillard went to the locker room and did not return because of tightness in his right calf. Lillard has missed five games so far this season with the calf strain.

HAWKS 124, RAPTORS 122, OT ATLANTA (AP) — Trae

Young threw a long pass to A.J. Griffin for a wideopen layup at the overtime buzzer to give Atlanta a win over an undermanned Toronto team.

Young had 29 points and 10 assists, De’Andre Hunter added 21 points and Clint Capela had 18 points and 13 rebounds for the Hawks.

The Raptors led 108101 with 2:36 to go in the fourth quarter. The Hawks

went on a 10-point run in a 90-second span to take a 111-109 lead on Young’s two free throws with 59 sec onds to go.

Toronto’s Scottie Barnes missed a layup and a put back attempt at the buzzer to send the game into overtime.

Hunter missed two free throws at the 7-second mark of overtime that would’ve iced it for Atlanta.

O.G. Anunoby followed by hitting a pair of free throws to set up Griffin’s game-winner.

Barnes had a season-high 26 points and Anunoby added 23 for the Raptors.

PACERS 114, MAGIC 113

INDIANAPOLIS (AP) — Aaron Nesmith made two free throws with 9.6 seconds left and Indiana came up with a final defen sive stop to beat Orlando.

The teams will meet again tonight in Indianapolis.

In the last seconds, the Magic’s Franz Wagner drove to the basket, but his layup attempt was long off the backboard and Mo

Bamba was unable to tip in the rebound.

Tyrese Haliburton had 22 points and 14 assists for the Pacers.

Myles Turner had 20 points and 11 rebounds. Indiana is 7-0 when Turner plays at least 26 minutes.

CLIPPERS 119, SPURS 97

LOS ANGELES (AP) — Paul George scored 21 points, hitting five of the Clippers’ season-high 21 3-pointers, and Los Ange les routed a slumping San Antonio team.

Norman Powell added a season-high 26 points off the bench and Reggie Jackson had 20 points as six Clippers scored in double figures.

Kawhi Leonard had 11 points in 22 minutes of his second straight start after missing 12 games because of right knee stiffness. John Wall had 15 assists, becom ing the first Clippers player since Chris Paul in 2017 to have at least that many.

Jakob Poeltl led the Spurs with 20 points, while Doug McDermott added 13 points and Tre Jones had 10 assists. The Clippers took an 18-point lead in the first quarter when they shot 61% from the floor.

The four-time defend ing Olympic champion Americans moved into the top spot after winning the FIBA world championship in 2010, and had been there since.

“It’s not exactly a new title and it probably can’t be maintained for too long, but it’s something so unique, prestigious and historic that I feel tremendously proud of everyone who ... have contributed to it,” Spain coach Sergio Scariolo wrote Friday on Twitter.

FIBA’s rankings were changed in 2017 to a system that only takes results from the most recent eight years into account. That means the US is no longer reap ing the benefits of the 2014 World Cup title, but still is seeing the Olympic gold medals won at Rio de Janeiro and Tokyo factor ing into the rankings. The U.S. was only seventh at the 2019 World Cup.

Spain won the last World Cup, plus the EuroBas ket title earlier this year. The EuroBasket win was Spain’s fourth in its last six appearances at the conti nental championship, all of those wins coming under Scariolo.

Spain is just 1.1 points ahead of the U.S. men now; the margin is 758.6-757.5.

The next 10 spots in the world rankings were unchanged. Australia is third, Argentina — which was No. 1 before the U.S. took that spot in 2010 — is fourth, followed by France, Serbia, Slovenia, Lithuania, Greece, Italy, Germany and the Czech Republic.

The U.S. is still ranked No. 1 in women’s basket ball by a nearly 200-point margin over China. The Americans rolled to a gold at the women’s World Cup this year, further cementing their spot atop the list. USA Basketball also holds comfortable leads atop the worldwide boys and girls rankings.

FIBA’s most recent rank ings include the men’s national teams from 164 countries, as well as 118 women’s national teams.

GRIZZLIES ALL-STAR MORANT OUT WITH SPRAINED ANKLE

MEMPHIS, Tenn. (AP) — Grizzlies AllStar guard Ja Morant has a sprained left ankle that will keep him out at least a week and possibly longer.

Memphis announced Saturday that Morant suf fered a Grade 1 sprain during Friday night’s win over the Oklahoma City Thunder. Team officials said in a statement that Morant’s return timeline will be week-to-week with updates provided as appropriate.

Morant left the 121110 win late after scoring 19 points and having 11 assists. Grizzlies coach Taylor Jenkins said after the game that Morant “tweaked” his ankle with further evaluation of the severity on Saturday.

Morant ranks ninth in the NBA averaging 28.6 points a game.

MINNESOTA Timberwolves’ Anthony Edwards reacts after his as sist during the first half against the Philadelphia 76ers Saturday in Philadelphia.

(AP Photo/Chris Szagola)

DETROIT Pistons guard Alec Burks (5) is guarded by Sacramen to Kings guard De’Aaron Fox during the first quarter yesterday. (AP Photo/Randall Benton)

Djokovic matches Federer’s record with 6th ATP Finals title

TURIN, Italy (AP) — Novak Djokovic claimed a record-equaling sixth ATP Finals title by beating the third-seeded Casper Ruud on Sunday to top a fantas tic finish to the season for the Serb.

Djokovic won 7-5, 6-3 to secure his first title at the event since 2015 and match Roger Federer’s record.

The 35-year-old Djoko vic, who had lost his two previous finals at the event, raised his arms out and smiled broadly after sealing the match with an ace.

“Seven years has been a long time,” Djokovic said. “At the same time, the fact that I waited seven years makes this victory even sweeter and even bigger.

“A lot of nerves ... I missed a couple of fore hands in the last game

when I was serving for it. I had nerves, but I am really grateful to be able to serve the match out. I had a big

ace to close out. Djokovic became the oldest cham pion at the prestigious year-end tournament and also earned the largest payday in tennis history as he walked away with $4.7 million for claim ing the ATP Finals trophy undefeated.

“I made him run, made him play,” Djokovic said.

“I was looking to be very aggressive and it worked great. I am really pleased with the performance.”

It was Ruud’s fourth defeat in a major cham pionship match this year after also losing finals at

Miami, Roland Garros and the U.S. Open. Ruud has never won a set against Djokovic in four meetings.

“It has been a year of many highs, some really big highs. Of course, some lows,” Ruud said. “I look forward to the next season already.”

Djokovic started strongly in Turin and had two break points in Ruud’s very first service game. The Norwe gian managed to recover although he was also forced to save another break point in the eighth game.

Djokovic finally broke Ruud’s serve at the fourth

time of asking. And it was at a crucial moment, on set point, and he ecstatically pumped his fist in the air after Ruud sent a backhand long.

The seventh-seeded Djokovic broke again in the fourth game of the second set and there was no way back for Ruud.

Djokovic has ended the year with an 18-1 record after winning trophies in Tel Aviv and Astana before reaching the Paris Masters final. His five titles this season also include tri umphs at Wimbledon and in Rome.

MLB tender deadline: Bellinger, Voit among 83 players cut

By MIKE FITZPATRICK AP Baseball Writer

NEW YORK (AP) — Cody Bellinger, Brian Anderson and Luke Voit were among 83 players who became free agents Friday night when their former teams declined to offer them contracts for next season.

Alex Reyes, Ryan Yarbrough and Jeimer Candelario also were cut loose ahead of baseball’s tender deadline, with clubs choosing to dump dozens of players who oth erwise would have been eligible for salary arbitration.

Aristides Aquino, Garrett Hampson, Adam Engel, Dominic Smith, Jorge Alfaro, Raimel Tapia and Erick Fedde hit the open market as well.

Bellinger was by far the biggest name of the bunch.

The 2019 NL MVP was jetti soned by the Los Angeles Dodgers after batting .210 with 19 homers this season. The 27-year-old out fielder had 150 strikeouts and a .654 OPS in 144 games while earn ing $17 million.

Bellinger likely would have received a slight raise in his latest round of arbitration.

“I wouldn’t necessarily say that this is a closing of the chapter of

crowd of 67,502. But the ultra-professional Aus tralians ignored the boos and gradually earned the begrudging praise of the English fans as they cruised to a third successive World Cup triumph.

The Kangaroos were battle-hardened from a hard-fought semifinal vic tory over New Zealand and little went right for the Toa in the first half. They were hit by two tries in four min utes. Mitchell brushed off an attempted tackle by full back Joseph Suaalii to open the scoring, and a searing break from dangerman Josh Addo-Carr created Tedesco’s first try, which was converted by Nathan Cleary.

Trailing 10-0, Samoa was still in the contest when Addo-Carr knocked down Stephen Crichton’s pass meant for winger Brian To’o and Chanel HarrisTavita was held up over the line. But there was effec tively no way back when second-rower Liam Martin took hooker Harry Grant’s pass to force his way over

Cody and the Dodgers,” president of baseball operations Andrew Friedman said.

“We still very much believe in the talent of Cody and his com petitive makeup. We have interest in a reunion. We’ll continue talks with Cody and his group as he goes through the process on his end.”

Anderson, a third baseman and right fielder for Miami since 2017, batted .222 with eight homers, 28 RBIs and a .657 OPS in 98 games this year while making $4,475,000. He had three solid seasons in a row from 2018-20.

Voit was the major league home run champion with 22 for the New York Yankees during the pandemic-shortened 2020 season. This year, he batted .226 with 22 homers, 69 RBIs and a .710 OPS in 135 games combined for San Diego and Washington while earn ing $5.45 million. He was let go by the Nationals.

Several players agreed to oneyear deals before the deadline, including San Francisco outfielder Mike Yastrzemski ($6.1 million) and Detroit outfielder Austin Meadows ($4.3 million), who can earn a $25,000 bonus for 600 plate appearances.

Others were Yankees reliever Lou Trivino ($4.1 million), Miami

for Australia’s third try after 29 minutes. “The first half for us was excep tional,” Meninga said. “We did everything we needed to do and second half we

reliever Dylan Floro ($3.9 mil lion), Milwaukee pitcher Adrian Houser ($3.6 million), Atlanta pitcher Mike Soroka ($2.8 million),

Chicago Cubs pitcher Adrian Sampson ($1.9 million), Detroit left-hander Tyler Alexander ($1,875,000), Brewers reliever Matt Bush ($1.85 million), Cubs reliever Rowan Wick ($1.55 million), Pittsburgh third baseman Miguel Andújar ($1,525,000), Arizona reliever Cole Sulser ($825,000), Philadelphia reliever Sam Coon rod ($775,000) and San Diego lefty Jose Castillo ($730,000). Colorado claimed Brent Suter off waivers from Milwaukee and signed the Harvard left-hander to a $3 million, one-year contract. Suter can earn $200,000 in performance bonuses for innings: $100,000 each for 40 and 60.

Many more players were nontendered Friday than in years past because of a change to the offsea son calendar.

In the new collective bargaining agreement between players and owners that took effect this year, the tender deadline was moved up to the same week as the date to include players on 40-man rosters in order to protect them from the Rule 5 draft.

As a result, 39 players recently designated for assignment by teams to create roster space wound up being non-tendered as well just days later.

US DECATHLON CHAMP OUT FOR PARIS AFTER MISSED DOPING TESTS

By EDDIE PELLS AP National Writer

UNITED States decath lon champion Garrett Scantling will miss the Paris Olympics due to a ban imposed after he falsified an email in trying to cover up a missed doping test.

The US Anti-Doping Agency said Friday that the 29-year-old Scantling, who won national cham pionships earlier this year, had accepted a three-year ban retroactive to June 27. It means he will miss next year’s world championships and the Summer Games in 2024.

USADA said it had tested Scantling nine times between his first and third so-called whereabouts fail ures, but that the three missed tests in the span of less than 12 months consti tutes a violation.

During the investigation into his third whereabouts failure, on April 9, USADA said Scantling provided an altered email, which consti tutes a tampering violation.

scrambled well defensively, one man down and we scored some points while that happened.”

The sin-binning of sec ond-rower Angus Crichton

six minutes into the second half for a swinging arm that put Harris-Tavita out of the game encouraged the crowd to ramp up its sup port for Samoa but, even

down to 12 men, the Kan garoos were too good on the counterattack.

A trademark ball steal by Cameron Munster got his side into prime position

Scantling had a four-year ban reduced by one year for admitting the violation and accepting the penalty.

Under global antidoping rules, athletes are respon sible for filling out logs to let testing authorities know where they’ll be, so they can be found for no-notice, out-of-competition testing.

Incomplete whereabouts logs often make testers unable to find certain ath letes. The third time an athlete cannot be located over a 12-month period can result in a penalty.

“The rules keeping sport fair and clean can be incon venient and burdensome, but athletes fulfilling their obligations under the rules is critical to protect the integrity of competition for all,” USADA CEO Travis Tygart said.

“Even when a rule vio lation, like in this case, does not involve the use of prohibited drugs, it is para mount that truthful, open, and complete cooperation happens with organisations ... investigating any poten tial rule violations.”

Scantling, who previ ously tried out for the NFL’s Atlanta Falcons and Jack sonville Jaguars, finished fourth at the Tokyo Olym pics last year.

and Cleary got replace ment back-rower Cameron Murray squeezing through a gap for their fourth try.

Cleary’s second goal made it 20-0 and the reign ing champions had further tries from Grant and a returning Crichton ruled out by video referee Chris Kendall before the crowd finally got something tangi ble to cheer.

Mitchell left a big hole in the Australia defence when he went to intercept Jarome Luai’s pass and that gave To’o a straight run to the corner for Samoa’s first try. Normal service was quickly resumed after manof-the-match Tedesco sliced through the Samoa defence from Munster’s inside ball for his second try.

“James Tedesco was our everywhere man,” Meninga said. “He led the side really well through the week, his talk and the way he trained was exceptional. He was on tonight.”

Mitchell also went over for his second try and Samoa was rewarded for its persistence when Stephen Crichton intercepted Ben Hunt’s pass and streaked 40 metres for their second try.

AUSTRALIA’s players celebrate with the trophy after winning during the Rugby League World Cup final match between Australia and Samoa at the Old Trafford Stadium in Manchester, England, on Saturday.

(AP Photo/Jon Super)

LOS Angeles Dodgers’ Cody Bellinger stands in the dugout before the team’s baseball game against the San Fran cisco Giants in San Francisco, August. 2, 2022. The Dodgers didn’t tender Bellinger a contract, making the 2019 National League MVP a free agent.

(AP Photo/Jeff Chiu)

SERBIA’s Novak Djokovic celebrates with his son after defeating Norway’s Casper Ruud 7-5, 6-3, in their singles final tennis match of the ATP World Tour Finals at the Pala Alpitour, in Turin, Italy, yesterday. (AP Photos/Antonio Calanni)

GARRETT Scantling competes in the men’s heptathlon at the World Athletics Indoor Cham pionships.

(AP Photo/Darko Vojinovic)

NORWAY’s Casper Ruud holds his second place trophy.

WAHOO WINNERS

THE Wahoo Charity Cup was held over the weekend in Freeport, Grand Bahama. The event was termed a success. Here’s a look at the winners.

FIRST-place winner Magadi.

SECOND-place Freedom.

THIRD-place Whiskey Bend.

THE PRIMARY School at West End received a cheque from the Wahoo Charity Cup committee at the presentation at Old Bahama Bay. From left Senator Kirk Russell, Mary Nairn received on behalf of the school, Tanya Munroe received on behalf of the school, and Andy Flanck, organiser of the Charity Cup.

Photos: Vandyke Hepburn