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Volume: 121 No.2, November 22, 2023

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TIME TO DECIDE • Voters go to the polls in West Grand Bahama and Bimini • Candidates make their last pitches on campaign trail • Tally sheet inside

By RASHAD ROLLE Tribune News Editor rrolle@tribunemedia.net THE by-election in West Grand Bahama and Bimini today will test support for the governing Progressive Liberal Party, which is fighting to maintain a seat it won comfortably in 2021 and has held all but twice since 1972.

A BALLOT box being secured on advanced polling day last week. Today, constituents in West Grand Bahama and Bimini cast their votes for who will be their representative in Parliament following the death of Obie Wilchcombe.

Photo: Vandyke Hepburn

The margin of a victory or loss will also be watched closely in the Free National Movement, where the shadow of a leadership challenge has loomed over Michael Pintard’s stewardship of the party since 2021.

For many political observers, the result of the race, which will not meaningfully affect the SEE PAGE THREE

Davis: We’d approve Port Authority sale to right buyer MAN ACCUSED

By LEANDRA ROLLE Tribune Staff Reporter lrolle@tribunemedia.net PRIME Minister Philip “Brave” Davis said his administration would approve the sale of the Grand Bahama Port Authority if the new owners meet the government’s standards.

Asked to respond to rumours that the authority will be sold, he did not answer directly.

“If it’s going to be sold, it requires government

PRIME Minister Philip Davis yesterday.

Photo: Vandyke Hepburn approval,” he said, “and we’ll approve any arrangement for the sale of the port

authority once it’s going to align with the benefits that we identify that could be had by Grand Bahamians and The Bahamas in particular. The government itself is willing to step to the plate to acquire the port, and we have made that known to families as well.”

He said he intends to discuss the authority’s future after today’s by-election, noting owners were supposed to update him on matters by the end of last month.

SEE PAGE FOUR

Nassau & Bahama Islands’ Leading Newspaper

OF THREATS TO PM CLEARED OF BAIL VIOLATIONS

By PAVEL BAILEY Tribune Staff Reporter pbailey@tribunemedia.net A MAN accused of making death threats against the Prime Minister was acquitted of bail violation charges yesterday because of insufficient evidence.

SEE PAGE FOUR

THE TRIBUNE

Wednesday, November 22, 2023, PAGE 3

THE CABINET sitting for a meeting in Eight Mile Rock for the first time yesterday.

Photo: Vandyke Hepburn

Time to decide from page one power division in the country, is significant because of what it may mean about the country’s mood three years before the next general election.

“We need to look at the outcome at the end of the day and interpret the outcome as to whether it was a referendum on the government or was it a warning to the government or what exactly it’s saying to the government,” former parliamentarian Philip Galanis said yesterday.

“The party in power often has the advantage, so you’d expect the PLP to win.”

In the campaign’s final weeks, the PLP mobilised resources, signed contracts and touted its record.

The FNM dismissed their actions as a ploy for votes and brought one of its most famous members, former Prime Minister Hubert Ingraham, to the rally stage for the first time since 2017.

More than 6,000 people are registered to vote and can do so in one of 14 polling divisions in West End, Holmes Rock, Bimini and Eight Mile Rock.

The three West End polling divisions anchor the PLP’s dominance in the constituency, repeatedly giving the party a significant number of votes.

The FNM’s first goal, according to campaign coordinator and former area MP David Wallace, will be keeping the PLP’s edge in West End below 150 votes.

He said the party’s

INGRAHAM CRITICISES USE OF UNIFORMED OFFICERS IN CAMPAIGN

By DENISE MAYCOCK Tribune Freeport Reporter dmaycock@tribunemedia.net

PRIME Minister Philip “Brave” Davis speaking yesterday. second goal will be carrying the 11th polling division –– located in Bimini –– by about that much.

“The 11th polling division has the most voters in it,” he said yesterday. “But many of those persons who are in Bimini who work in Bimini Bay come from out of Grand Bahama, and we find that predominantly many of them are supporters of the Free National Movement.”

He believes the PLP’s strength in the sixth and seventh divisions –– representing Sea Grape and Jones Town residents –– owes to ties Obie Wilchcombe’s mother had to Turks and Caicos Islands descendants there.

“We believe that because he has passed on, we can go back into those areas and talk to those voters and see how they can move back to the FNM because many of them supported the FNM in the past,” he said.

He said the FNM must also win the 12th division, which accounts for Russell Town and Martin Town voters and has traditionally been strong for the party.

Mr Wilchcombe received 2034 votes in 2021, while the incumbent, Pakesia Parker-Edgecombe, got 1484.

“The key for us is 1,800 persons did not vote,” Mr Wallace said. “And so our campaign has been to find those FNM supporters

CABINET members arriving for the meeting in Eight Mile Rock yesterday.

and to reach out to those 1800 persons who didn’t vote to see how we could get them to come on election day.”

Prime Minister Philip “Brave” Davis said yesterday he is confident of victory.

“The island is rocking,” he said. “West Grand Bahama is rocking. Bimini is rocking and the PLP is on the move and when the PLP is moving, nobody moves like the PLP.” Today’s election could also be significant for the Coalition of Independents, which has continually attracted sizable crowds at protest events. The COI’s candidate in 2021, Stefon Hall, got 192 votes. The

FORMER Prime Minister Hubert Ingraham was critical of how uniformed officers are used on the campaign trail for Progressive Liberal Party members.

He was speaking at an FNM rally in Eight Mile Rock on Monday evening.

“They are using the government and abusing the government and misusing the government and its resources on this campaign,” he said.

“I saw something that I don’t expect to see again in The Bahamas. For uniformed police officers to be accompanying the head of the government campaigning at night with police lights blazing, that ain’t right. It is undemocratic. They know better than that, the police know better than that, so stop it! party’s leader, Lincoln Bain, is the candidate this time.

Daquan Swain, an independent candidate who got 73 votes in 2021, is running again. Terneille Burrows is also a candidate. The PLP and FNM’s candidates are Kingsley Smith and

Mr Ingraham criticised the PLP’s candidate Kingsley Smith, whose assets and liabilities declaration for the by-election included nothing about savings and current accounts.

The FNM has said Mr Smith is suggesting he does not have a bank account.

Senator Rueben Rahming noted during the rally that a person could face ten years in prison for a false declaration, according to Section 427 of the Penal Code.

“The PLP candidate swore that the evidence he gave was the truth,” he said. “I want to give him the benefit of the doubt. He is a grown and professional man who worked in the Passport Office and the man don’t have a bank account?”

The Bahamas does not have independent verification of what public officials declare.

Ricardo Grant.

This is the first byelection since 2012. The governing party has won three out of the last five.

Polling ends at 6pm.

• Tally sheets for by-election, see PAGE TEN

Photos: Vandyke Hepburn

PAGE 4, Wednesday, November 22, 2023

THE TRIBUNE

Davis: We’d approve Port Authority sale to right buyer

from page one Tension between the GBPA and the government exploded into the public’s view earlier this year after Prime Minister Phillip Davis accused the authority of failing to follow its Hawksbill Creek Agreement obligations to maintain Freeport’s infrastructure and facilitate its growth.

He said the government had “begun to invoice the Port Authority” to reimburse Bahamian taxpayers’ expenses in providing public infrastructure and services in Freeport.

He called for new management of the authority.

Port owners defended their management of Freeport, saying increasing bureaucracy and red tape from the government have held the island back.

The GBPA said it wants to cooperate with the government.

Photo: Vandyke Hepburn

MAN ACCUSED OF THREATS TO PM CLEARED OF BAIL VIOLATIONS from page one Magistrate Samuel McKinney presided as Isaac Roberts, 22, stood trial for ten counts of violating bail conditions.

In February, Roberts allegedly called the Central Police Station and threatened to kill Mr Davis if Coalition of Independents leader Lincoln Bain was not released from custody after he was arrested outside Baha Mar during an immigration protest during a

CARICOM session.

Prosecutors alleged that since he was charged, Roberts failed to charge his monitoring device ten times between February 23 and June 14.

Roberts pleaded not guilty to the offence and said he called Metro Security to inform them that his device malfunctioned and the charging pod wasn’t working.

The police insisted Roberts was at fault, but a representative of Metro Security testified yesterday that they got a call

from Roberts about the device. The company did not check the device’s functionality or offer a replacement.

Bjorn Ferguson, the defendant’s attorney, made a no-case submission, saying the evidence against his client was tenuous at best.

Magistrate McKinney agreed that there were deficiencies in the evidence and acquitted and discharged the defendant.

Roberts appeared relieved when the magistrate made his decision.

POLICE PROBE SUSPICIOUS DEATH POLICE are investigating the suspicious death of an adult male.

The victim was found around 10.43am yesterday in the area of Fritz Lane.

Police said the man was seen leaping from rooftop to rooftop in the vicinity of Fritz Lane and Sunlight Cottage.

They later found the lifeless body of an adult male, believed to be in his late 30s to early 40s, in the street with visible injuries to both legs.

Meanwhile, police have arrested a 28-year-old male in connection to an armed robbery in Hospital Lane on Monday.

Around 9pm, a man was reportedly approached by two men. One produced a firearm and robbed the victim of his belongings, including an undetermined amount of cash.

Both culprits fled the scene on foot. A significant lead resulted in the arrest of one man.

To advertise in The Tribune, contact 502-2394

THE TRIBUNE

Wednesday, November 22, 2023, PAGE 5

FROM left: Industrial Tribunal Vice President Ingrid Cooper-Brooks, Vice President Helen Almorales-Jones, President Indira Demeritte-Francis and Vice President Sharada Humes-Ferguson during a ceremony to mark the opening of the legal year of The Industrial Tribunal yesterday.

PHOTO: Dante Carrer

Industrial Tribunal closed 242 cases last year in a ‘landmark period’

By JADE RUSSELL Tribune Staff Reporter jrusssell@tribunemedia.net

INDUSTRIAL Tribunal president Indira Demeritte-Francis said the body closed 242 cases last year, the majority resolved in less than a year.

She spoke at the opening of the legal year under the theme “Our Jubilee Year –– Stepping up to the Digital Frontier of AI.” She said 61 cases were resolved within three months, describing the year as a “landmark period” for the Tribunal because of its efficiency in resolving cases.

She said disposing of 243 cases was noteworthy because of the complexity and varied nature of the cases.

In 2021, the disposal rate for the Industrial Tribunal was 230, which helped address backlogs.

She said 106 cases were disposed of within seven to 11 months and that

60 cases were addressed within four to six months.

She revealed AI technology is now being introduced into the tribunal’s administrative processes to help manage the work rate and production of Orders, and ensure that they are processed more swiftly.

“AI tools can handle the repetitive and timeconsuming aspects of drafting Orders, such as case number, parties, appearances, judge who heard case, dates and times of document filed on the case management solution,” she said.

“For example, Orders on Directions. This freeing up judges to focus more on the nuanced and critical aspects of writing and decision-making.”

Attorney General Ryan Pinder applauded the tribunal for making history by implementing AI tools, saying the body is the region’s first fully digitised and automated court facility.

CHANGE TO COURT RULES ‘WOULD ALLOW SUPREME COURT TO RECOGNISE TRIBUNAL JUDGEMENTS MORE QUICKLY’

By JADE RUSSELL Tribune Staff Reporter jrussell@tribunemedia.net CHIEF Justice Ian Winder said changes to court rules would resolve a deficiency in the structure of the Industrial Tribunal by allowing the Supreme Court to recognise Tribunal judgements more quickly.

CJ Winder said a current defect in enforcing Tribunal judgements is that litigants must secure the leave of the Supreme Court to have their judgements enforced.

He said he would take advantage of new civil procedure rules that allow the court “to be nimble in responding to the needs of our stakeholders.”

He said a rule change would let a successful Tribunal litigant apply in a prescribed form so that the judgment could be seamlessly recognised as a judgment of the Supreme Court.

“The application will be heard on the papers, that is, without a formal hearing, by a registrar,” he said.

“And once all of the boxes

CHIEF Justice Ian Winder. are ticked, leave will be granted to the judgment creditor. It would then be up to the unsuccessful party to try and have that leave set aside on very limited grounds. It is hoped that this will provide some relief while the Industrial Tribunal’s reform takes place.”

CJ Winder made his comments during the Opening of the Legal Year for the Industrial Tribunal.

PRESIDENT of The Industrial Tribunal Indira Demeritte-Francis speaks during a ceremony to mark the opening of the legal year of The Industrial Tribunal yesterday. Photo: Dante Carrer

PAGE 6, Wednesday, November 22, 2023

THE TRIBUNE

The Tribune Limited

PICTURE OF THE DAY

NULLIUS ADDICTUS JURARE IN VERBA MAGISTRI “Being Bound to Swear to The Dogmas of No Master”

LEON E. H. DUPUCH,

Publisher/Editor 1903-1914

SIR ETIENNE DUPUCH,

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

Publisher/Editor 1919-1972 Contributing Editor 1972-1991

RT HON EILEEN DUPUCH CARRON, C.M.G., M.S., B.A., LL.B. Publisher/Editor 1972-

Published daily Monday to Friday

Shirley & Deveaux Streets, Nassau, Bahamas N3207 TELEPHONES News & General Information Advertising Manager Circulation Department Nassau fax Freeport, Grand Bahama Freeport fax

(242) 322-2350 (242) 502-2394 (242) 502-2386 (242) 328-2398 (242)-352-6608 (242) 352-9348

WEBSITE, TWITTER & FACEBOOK www.tribune242.com

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Time for voters to have their say IT is by-election day, and as you read this, voters in West Grand Bahama and Bimini are having their say on who will be their representative in Parliament.

Any by-election for a government mid-term is a litmus test, and this is no different.

There are five candidates in the field but realistically it will be between the FNM and PLP. That seems like a binary outcome but whatever the outcome is, people will read the tea leaves to see what it all means.

Who won, how much did they win by, what does the swing in votes one way or the other mean for the party in government or the party in opposition, and so on.

For the Coalition of Independents, there will be attention paid too, with party leader Lincoln Bain having put himself in the field. The previous candidate for the COI, Stefon Hall, got 192 votes. Mr Bain’s performance will show whether the COI is a genuine third contender or not, but he will have to shift the dial the direction of the COI considerably to play something more than the role of a spoiler for whichever party his campaign draws votes from.

Then there are the other independents, with DaQuan Swain running for the second time after getting 73 votes in 2021, and Terneille Burrows, a wellknown activist and previous candidate in the Elizabeth constituency, taking her campaign on the road.

A Tribune poll has been running on our website, offering its own insight into who people think will win – but for now, the most important thing is letting the people of the constituency itself have their say.

The analysis? That will come. Whichever leading candidate loses, there will be questions about whether this revelation or that on the campaign trail was the telling moment.

Meanwhile, the constituency itself has had a whirlwind of attention, including deals for roadworks, a new MSC agreement, promises here, promises there – with many wondering how much of this would have come the constituency’s way if it were not having a by-election right now.

The Cabinet met for the first time ever in Eight Mile Rock yesterday – but perhaps the more pertinent thought is when will they ever meet again there?

We hope voters have had the chance

to understand the pros and cons of each candidate, to be able to make an informed choice.

There are questions that remained unexplored – perhaps one of the most interesting would be the candidates’ thoughts on marital rape laws, a discussion the PLP had during its recent convention but whose outcome has not been announced either.

In truth, whoever wins, the government majority will not be significantly altered one way or the other. The PLP will still have the lion’s share of Parliament, and will have no trouble putting its agenda through given the size of their majority.

But this vote may well give an indication of how firm support for the incumbent party remains – and that will be well worth considering as we start to turn towards the next general election.

For now, though, let the people vote.

Failed monitoring A short court story today raises an eyebrow.

The man accused of making death threats to the Prime Minister was accused of bail violations. It’s not an uncommon story to see in the courts – an accused person coming to court and police saying they failed to charge their monitoring device. In this case, the man was found innocent of the bail violations (the death threat case still has to be heard). Why? Well, he said he told the security company that handles the monitors that his was not working.

Police insisted the man was at fault – but the security company confirmed he had called them, and the judge said that was enough of that and rejected the charges.

But let us consider for a moment – this was a man accused of threatening to kill the Prime Minister. Repeat that – threatening to kill the Prime Minister. One would think that someone who was accused of making such a threat would not fall through the cracks of the bail monitoring system. Surely if you’re going to make sure you keep track of anyone, it is the man being accused of threatening to assassinate the head of the government.

If the system cannot keep track of someone accused of that, then is anyone really being monitored properly? We dread to think.

MINISTER of Education and Technical and Vocational Training Glenys Hanna-Martin visited the students of Holmes Rock Primary School on Tuesday. There, she participated in the school feeding programme. Minister Hanna-Martin is seen speaking to one of the children after eating.

Photo: Andrew Miller/BIS

No change to zoning, please EDITOR, The Tribune.

CHANGING of zoning applications are growing and growing to credit of Town Planning we see advertisements in the print media regularly today, but should changes to zoning be permitted?

Scenario...I search for a lot in a residential area which I like … find one check all the legalities including Town Planning … the lot or subdivision is designated single residential no commercial … am happy. I buy.

A little while on I hear

LETTERS letters@tribunemedia.net that an adjacent lot owner is applying for a change of use … they want permit to add and turn property into a commercial property. I don’t receive any notice from anyone except someone brings to my attention the advertisement in the newspaper, note I am not a regular buyer of either daily.

Is this justified? Is this fair? I bought my property on assurance the

subdivision was resident, single home, no condos - town houses, now a neighbour wants to add to the size of bis property and convert to commercial? I suggest changes to zoning should not be permitted period - you buy as is and that’s it...look at the mess on Marathon Road, Prince Charles residential converted to commercial and honestly ‘screw’ the person who remains residential. I say No Changes, Editor!

D ROLLE Nassau, November 14, 2023.

Readers speak up AFTER a fire destroyed a number of stalls at Potter’s Cay dock, readers of www.tribune242.com had their say on the matter.

M0J0 was unsympathetic, saying: “All stalls need to be broken down and proper structures erected. Obviously there is no code being followed.”

AnObserver replied: “The second time this has happened in as many years.

No doubt the worthless govt will shell out money to help the vendors rebuild more fire hazards.”

Sickened added: “The area looks almost exactly the same after the fire, just with more garbage (wood) lying around. It smells better too. I take burnt wood over conch slop, urine, nanny and rotten vegetables any day.

Nasty!!!!”

One said: “These aren’t stalls. These are illegal restaurants with no bathrooms or fire protection systems.

It’s a health and safety hazard. The government allows these governmentsubsidized businesses to renovate the governmentfunded structures into illegal restaurants. Meanwhile the private owners profit. If it burns down, no problem the government will pay the owners for losses and pay for the rebuild. Please don’t spend taxpayers money on this.”

Bonefishpete quipped: “Scorched Conch ain’t going to scorched itself.”

While ThisisOurs concluded: “Waiting for the port controller to make a statement that fire safety is an internal matter. I honestly dont understand why “Bahamian experience” mean everything have to look like a shantytown.

Where that come from?

That een Bahamian. People selling all over the sidewalk is a recent development just like running the red light...

I guess you could argue that law and disorder is cultural .. how else can bribery be so profitable and commonplace... gee me 20 dollars for lunch.”

After a contract for $2m was signed for roadworks in Bimini, readers chipped in

with their view.

JackArawak said: “I’m sure Bimini needs it. And while you’re at it Clay, send some money in John’s direction. His h home island needs roadworks too. You guys are collecting big tax off of Elbow Cay and we get a couple cups of rice and a cup of Wesson oil.”

AnObserver said: “I swear, if we held elections every six months instead of every few years, we’d be the cleanest country in the world, with the smoothest roads.”

While Dawes added: “So the only way to fix the roads is to have a by election. We need plenty in Nassau for sure then.”

• Join in the conversation at www.tribune242.com.

THE TRIBUNE

Wednesday, November 22, 2023, PAGE 7

DEPARTMENT OF CORRECTIONAL SERVICES OFFICERS HONOURED Court hears woman’s body found buried on beach in Cat Island

By PAVEL BAILEY Tribune Staff Reporter pbailey@tribunemedia.net

A POLICE officer testified yesterday that authorities found the nude body of an elderly American woman buried on a beach on Cat Island in 2017 with a cord around her neck.

Assistant Superintendent Jamal Evans said that her alleged murderer, Rodrigo Rolle, ran from police when they arrived to arrest him at his home.

Rolle, 33, is accused of killing Janice Kissinger, 74, during a home invasion in Orange Creek, Cat Island, on September 29, 2017. Rolle allegedly stole a 2006 Ford Explorer and a $500 safe containing a $5,000 Rolex belonging to Frank and Gabbi Wolf.

ASP Evans of the homicide unit at the Criminal Investigations Department testified that on September 30, 2017, he and other officers travelled to Cat Island in response to a missing person report for Ms Kissinger.

Upon arriving, the officer went to a dirt road known as Anguilla and found the burnt-out husk of a Ford Explorer Jeep.

The following day, officers went to Shannon’s Cove, where they knocked on the victim’s door to no answer.

When police eventually gained entry to the residence, they found that the victim’s possessions had been thrown around.

The victim’s bedroom and purse had also been ransacked.

The victim’s neighbours reportedly did not hear screams or sounds of a struggle during the alleged assault.

When officers arrived at the defendant’s residence, ASP Evans said he saw Rolle try to run to the back of his house.

By the time ASP Evans drove to the back of the

residence, he saw that Rolle had been subdued.

He also observed that the defendant had wounds to his head and the bottom of his feet as he ran barefoot.

After Rolle was booked at the Alice Town Police Station, he allegedly declined medical attention initially.

Later that day, the remains of the victim were found in the Bain Town area at the beach, buried under a shrub of bushes.

Kissinger’s remains were found nude, wrapped in a blanket with a white cord around her neck.

On October 2, ASP Evans said officers arrested Marcello Hepburn, a man who testified last week about helping Rolle break into the safe out of fear. Before both suspects were taken to New Providence for further investigation, the defendant received treatment and medication for his injuries.

On October 4, Hepburn was released, and Rolle was formally charged with murder.

Geoffrey Farquharson, the defendant’s attorney, questioned why a homicide officer was sent to Cat Island to respond to a missing person report.

In response, the officer said that he investigates more than just homicides and that officers from other specialities were also sent.

Mr Farquharson suggested that officers covered up the crime and blamed an innocent man.

He said the reason ASP Evans never called Kissinger’s phone during his initial investigation was because he knew she was already dead.

The officer denied his claim, calling it “foolishness”.

ASP Evans agreed with the lawyer that a safe stolen from Kissinger’s residence was found near Hepburn’s house.

THREE MONTH SENTENCE FOR RAZOR ATTACK

By PAVEL BAILEY Tribune Staff Reporter pbailey@tribunemedia.net A WOMAN was sentenced to three months in prison after admitting to attacking someone with a razor last week.

Assistant Chief Magistrate Subusola Swain charged Rudiska Bethel, 39, with causing harm and assault with a dangerous instrument.

Bethel reportedly attacked and injured Dejah Kemp with a razor on November 18 in New Providence.

After pleading guilty to the charge and expressing remorse, the defendant was sentenced to three months at the Bahamas Department of Correctional Services. Before being taken into remand, she was informed of her right to appeal sentencing within seven days.

MAN CHARGED WITH POSSESSION OF AN UNLICENSED FIREARM

By PAVEL BAILEY Tribune Staff Reporter pbailey@tribunemedia.net A MAN was granted bail after he was allegedly found with a loaded gun on Junkanoo Beach last week.

Magistrate Lennox Coleby charged Phillip Brown, 22, with possession of an unlicensed firearm and possession of ammunition.

Officers reportedly approached a group of male suspects gathered at Junkanoo Beach after midnight on November 13. When the defendant saw the officers,

he, along with the other males, fled on foot, but Brown was caught.

Brown was allegedly found with a black 9mm Taurus G3C pistol and fifteen rounds of 9mm ammunition on his person.

After entering a notguilty plea, Brown’s bail was set at $9,500 with one or two sureties. Under the conditions of this bail, he must sign in at the Elizabeth Estates Police Station every Monday, Wednesday, and Friday by 7pm.

Brown’s trial begins on January 22–23, 2024.

MINISTER of National Security Wayne Munroe, KC, congratulated a total of 119 officers from The Bahamas Department of Correctional Services who were recognised and honoured during an awards ceremony on Monday at the Fox Hill Community Center.

In his remarks, Mr Munroe assured the officers that the duties they perform on a daily basis do not go unnoticed.

He commended Acting Correctional Commissioner Doan Cleare for his leadership performance, and reiterated his call to continue recognising and rewarding the men and women who have given unselfishly of their time and service over the years.

As the organisation continues its month of activities in observance of 71 years of continuous service, the officers were awarded various plaques, certificates and tokens of appreciation for

their contributions and stellar services to the country and the organisation.

A total of 62 officers received the “Above and Beyond” Certificate, 14 were recognised for the Bright Star Award, 13 were rewarded the Peak Performance Award, eight received Awards for Act of Bravery, five were recognised as Officers of the Year, four received the Certificate of

Appreciation, and 13 officers received Honorable Mention Awards.

They were presented with their awards by Minister Munroe, assisted

by Acting Permanent Secretary Lisa Hall, Deputy Corrections Commissioner Bernadette Murray, and Assistant Commissioner of Corrections

David Rahming.

(Photos courtesy Jonathan Rolle - Ministry of National Security)

PAGE 8, Wednesday, November 22, 2023

THE TRIBUNE

ENDING GENDER-BASED VIOLENCE AGAINST WOMEN

T

HE Global 16 Days Campaign, also know as 16 Days of Activism Against Gender-Based Violence, begins on Saturday. This annual campaign runs from November 25 (International Day for the Elimination of Discrimination Against Women (IDEVAW)) to December 10 (Human Rights Day).

This is an important time of year for women’s rights organizations and other non-governmental organizations and movements working to end genderbased violence against women. It is a period filled with events, statements, and calls to action at the national, regional, and international levels.

It is estimated that 736 million women have experienced physical or sexual intimate partner violence or non-partner sexual violence. Violence against women takes place in both the public and private spheres. It happens on the street, in parking lots, at work, at home, and in the digital environment.Structural violence is pervasive, taking place in institutions including those related to education, religion, health, and social services. There is nowhere that women and girls are safe from violence when it infiltrates every aspect of our lives, various forms of it normalized.

In 1992, the Committee on the Elimination of Discrimination against Women adopted General Recommendation 19 to address the issue of gender-based violence against women. In 2017, it adopted

General Recommendation 35, providing more comprehensive guidance for ending gender-based violence against women and girls. In its introduction, General Recommendation 35 says: Gender-based violence against women, whether committed by States, intergovernmental organizations or non-State actors, including private persons and armed groups, remains pervasive in all countries, with high levels of impunity. It manifests itself on a continuum of multiple, interrelated and recurring forms, in a range of settings, from private to public, including technology - mediated settings and in the contemporary globalized world it transcends national boundaries.

It notes that violence against women and girls includes “acts or omissions intended or likely to cause or result in death or physical, sexual, psychological or economic harm or suffering to women, threats of such acts, harassment, coercion and arbitrary deprivation of liberty.”

This is particularly interesting as we consider structural violence.

The Government of The Bahamas participates in gender-based violence in its refusal to take action on the issue and insists on maintaining discrimination laws and practices. It has been called upon to make legislative amendments and to pass new laws, and it has shirked its responsibility, only sometimes offering excuses which generally scapegoat the Bahamian public which is portrayed as uneducated

and centres religious fundamentalists and their rhetoric of hate and male dominance.

Beyond defining and condemning gender-based violence against women and girls, General Recommendation 35 acknowledges that it is: rooted in gender-related factors, such as the ideology of men’s entitlement and privilege over women, social norms regarding masculinity, and the need to assert male control or power, enforce gender roles or prevent, discourage or punish what is considered to be unacceptable female behaviour.

This acknowledgement is particularly important as we cannot effectively address this issue and end gender-based violence

“The Bahamas ratified the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women (CEDAW) in October 1993. It has been 30 years since ratification, yet The Bahamas has done very little to come into compliance with the Convention.” without identifying and addressing the root causes.

Gender-based violence is directly related to and result of gender stereotyping and the ideology that masculinity is superior to femininity and that masculinity is inherently and necessarily violent, and that it is to be asserted over and against women, girls, and the feminine.

Part III of General Recommendation 35 notes the responsibility of the State to eliminate genderbased violence against women. Importantly, it makes clear that “delays cannot be justified on any grounds, including economic, cultural or religious grounds.” We have seen, particularly in recent years and especially over the past year, that the Government of The Bahamas has used stall tactics and has used “the church” as an excuse for its inaction, particularly on marital rape. The marital rape has been completely sidelined, and the government created a distraction with the Gender-Based Violence bill that it, perhaps, never intended to pass. The State has ignored General Recommendation 35 which demands effective legal frameworks and services and the prevention of acts of omission which include abandoning the GenderBased Violence bill and passing the nonsense “Protection Against Violence” bill that completely ignores gender and fails to address gender-based violence.

The legislative measures recommendation in General Recommendation 35 include: UÊ À > â>Ì Ê vÊ > Ê forms of gender-based violence against women and girls UÊ VViÃÃÊ Ì Ê ÕÃÌ ViÊ v ÀÊ victims and survivors of gender-based violence UÊ,i«i> Ê vÊ >ÜÃÊÌ >ÌÊ` Ãcriminate against women and/or encourage or justify gender-based violence (such as Section 3 of the Sexual Offenses Act which defines rape to exclude rape by a spouse).

UÊ ` wV>Ì Ê vÊ >ÜÃÊ that perpetuate inequalities by ignoring gender.

UÊ ÃÕÀiÊ Ì >ÌÊ > Ê À>«iÊ and sexual assault are characterized as crimes.

General Recommendation 35 also speaks to prevention of genderbased violence.

The recommended measures include encouraging media to eliminate discrimination against women and

reinforcement of stereotypes in the portrayal of women, the training and capacity-building for the judiciary, lawyers, and law enforcement, engagement of the private sector to include mechanisms address gender-based violence in the workplace.

It also has sections on protection, prosecution and punishment, reparations, data collection, and international cooperation.

General Recommendation 35 provides useful guidance for addressing gender-based violence against women and girls, and it needs to be implemented.

T

he Bahamas ratified the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women (CEDAW) in October 1993. It has been 30 years since ratification, yet The Bahamas has done very little to come into compliance with the Convention.

In October 2018, The Bahamas underwent its sixth periodic review before the CEDAW Committee in Geneva.

Following the dialogue, the CEDAW Committee made its recommendations in the Concluding Observations.

The recommendations, delivered five years ago, include setting a timeframe for constitutional reform to address genderunequal nationality law and sex- and gender-based discrimination, ensuring that women and girls are aware of their rights through CEDAW, making the Department of Gender and Family Affairs fit for purpose (inclusive of institutional architecture and staff capacity), establishing a national human rights institution in line with the Paris Principles (a standard the committee formed in 2023 ahead of the Universal Periodic Review does not meet), developing of a draft gender policy development plan, developing an action plan to eliminate gender stereotypes, passing the gender-based violence bill, criminalizing marital rape, adopting measures for gender parity within political parties, and developing a strategy for inclusive education for girls with disabilities.

The Government of The Bahamas has absolutely failed to address gender-based violence against women and girls.

There is no excuse for its failure. Clear recommendations have been made on numerous occasions by various international mechanisms. Earlier this Þi>À]Ê i LiÀÊ-Ì>ÌiÃÊ >`iÊ recommendations to The Bahamas at the Universal Periodic Review, and the responses by the government are telling. They reveal that it is not interested in protecting or ensuring access to human rights.

The Government of The Bahamas continues to participate in processes that it actively flouts.

It has no commitment to ending gender-based violence against women and girls.

Its statements on the issue are, in most cases, just statements, with the exception of the rare moments of truth when government officials accidentally tell us what they really think about women and violence against women.

We should not need to have 16 days to sound the alarm on gender-based violence against women and girls every year.

We should not have more and more names, more and more stories, more and more deaths to point as examples of what we need to avoid. We should not have to do this year after year, yet the circumstances require that we do it, and that we carry our 16 days of activism for 365 days.

We have to continue to call for the criminalization of marital rape, and make it clear that we have not forgotten that it is to be done.

We have to continue to strongly state that the Protection Against Violence is a ridiculous piece of work that does not even begin to do what the gender-based violence bill was drafted and was being revised to do.

We have to continue to assert that women’s rights are human rights, and that human rights are not optional.

We have to remind the government of its commitments and obligations.

We have to use the strong recommendations made by various bodies to support our calls for action.

We have to be attentive to the issues. We have to support the organizations and individuals consistently working, with integrity, toward full access to human rights for women and girls and the end of gender-based violence.

Sixteen days of activism is not enough, but it will renew our calls for action.

Follow Equality Bahamas on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram for updates on the Global 16 Days Campaigns and the events that will be held in the coming days.

THE TRIBUNE

Wednesday, November 22, 2023, PAGE 9

HIGH-TECH SOCCER BALL UNVEILED FOR EURO 2024

TECHTALK

ESPORTS SUPERSTAR FAKER’S TEAM WINS TROPHY AT THE LEAGUE OF LEGENDS WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP

By JUWON PARK Associated Press

PROMISES MORE ACCURATE OFFSIDE DECISIONS NYON, Switzerland (AP) — A high-tech soccer ball that helps with more accurate offside decisions will make its European Championship debut next year in Germany after being used at the 2022 World Cup. European soocer governing body UEFA and manufacturer Adidas unveiled the ball for Euro 2024 in Berlin on Wednesday. It is named “Fussballliebe,” the German word for “love of soccer,” and will be used at next year’s 51-game tournament from June 14-July 14.

A chip fixed on a gyroscope inside the ball sends data 500 times per second to record the point at which it is kicked. The “kick point” helps match officials make offside decisions using multiple camera angles to create

3D visualizations that illustrate player movement.

UEFA said the “connected ball technology (gives) unprecedented insight into every element of the movement of the ball and contributing to UEFA’s video assistant refereeing decisionmaking process.”

Adidas also supplies balls to FIFA for the men’s and women’s World Cups.

UEFA highlighted the sustainable qualities of the “Fussballliebe,” using recycled polyester and water-based ink, plus materials including corn fibers, sugar cane and wood pulp.

Adidas has pledged 1% of net sales of the ball to the Common Goal soccer charity created by former Spain midfielder Juan Mata.

A UEFA Euro 2024 Ball lays on the ground during a presentation of the new ball in Berlin, Germany, Wednesday. The ball is named ‘Fussballliebe’ - ‘Footbal Love’ or ‘Soccer Love’. (AP Photo/Markus Schreiber)

SEOUL, South Korea (AP) — South Korea’s esports powerhouse T1 won the League of Legends World Championship by defeating China-based Weibo Gaming.

South Korea’s Lee “Faker” Sang-hyeok — arguably the most well-known face in the esports world – jumped out of his seat to celebrate with fellow team members Zeus, Oner, Gumayusi, and Keria as they outperformed Weibo Gaming by winning three consecutive rounds in Seoul on Sunday.

It was the team’s record fourth win in one of the most popular esports tournaments in the world.

Thousands of fans, many in League of Legends costumes, filled a baseball stadium in Seoul for the championship which has became a mainstay for the billion-dollar global esports industry.

Wacharakorn Maneechote, a 25-year-old fan, said he flew in from Thailand to watch the final game and to cheer his favourite player Faker.

“God of our time,” he said, referring to T1’s leading player.

League of Legends is one of the most popular video games, where two teams of five powerful champions face each other in a bid to destroy the other’s base.

“Everyone plays League of Legends these days,” said Jung Byeong-il, a South Korean fan.

TOP FREE iPHONE APPS (US):

AMAZON Echo and Echo Plus devices, behind, sit near illuminated Echo Button devices. Amazon is cutting hundreds of jobs in the unit that handles Alexa, its popular voice assistant. In a note to employees on Friday, Daniel Rausch, Amazon’s vice president of Alexa and Fire TV, wrote the company was eliminating certain roles because it was ditching some initiatives. (AP Photo/Elaine Thompson, File)

AMAZON LAYS OFF HUNDREDS IN ALEXA DIVISION AS IT PLOWS RESOURCES INTO AI NEW YORK (AP) — Amazon is cutting hundreds of jobs in the unit that handles its popular voice assistant Alexa as it plows more resources into artificial intelligence.

In a note to employees on Friday, Daniel Rausch, Amazon’s vice president of Alexa and Fire TV, wrote that the company is eliminating certain

roles because it is ditching some initiatives.

“As we continue to invent, we’re shifting some of our efforts to better align with our business priorities, and what we know matters most to customers — which includes maximising our resources and efforts focused on generative AI,” Rausch wrote.

He said “several hundred” positions would be cut but did not give a more precise figure.

Seattle-based Amazon is in fierce competition with other tech companies rushing to capitalise on the generative AI craze.

The company has been implementing a host of AI initiatives in the past few months, from infusing

the technology into customer reviews to providing services that allow developers to build their own AI tools on its AWS cloud infrastructure.

In September, Amazon unveiled an update to Alexa that infuses it with more generative AI features.

The job cuts announced on Friday will impact

employees in the U.S., Canada and India.

It follows more recent layoffs in Amazon’s gaming and music teams, and also adds to the 27,000 employees the company laid off during the later parts of last year and earlier this year.

Amazon’s Alexa unit was also impacted by those cuts.

1. ESPN BET, Score Media and Gaming Inc. 2. Temu: Shop Like a Billionaire, Temu 3. My Coloring Book Free, Jeff PEDERSEN 4. Lapse - Disposable Camera, Lapse 5. ChatGPT, OpenAI 6. Google, Google LLC 7. BigFuture School, The College Board 8. MONOPOLY GO!, Scopely, Inc. 9. Microsoft Authenticator, Microsoft Corporation 10. Google Maps, Google LLC

TOP PAID iPHONE APPS (US):

1. Five Nights at Freddy’s, Clickteam, LLC 2. Minecraft, Mojang 3. Five Nights at Freddy’s 2 , Clickteam, LLC 4. Five Nights at Freddy’s 4 , Clickteam, LLC 5. Heads Up!, Warner Bros.

6. Geometry Dash, RobTop Games AB 7. HotSchedules, HotSchedules 8. Shadowrocket, Shadow Launch Technology Limited 9. Ultimate Custom Night, Clickteam, LLC 10. Five Nights at Freddy’s 3 , Clickteam, LLC

PAGE 10, Wednesday, November 22, 2023

THE TRIBUNE

TALLY SHEET: WEST GRAND BAHAMA AND BIMINI CONSTITUENCY Polling divisions

COI

FNM

IND

IND

DaQuan Swain

Terneille Burrows

PLP

Polling divisions

NO. 1

NO. 9

NO. 2

NO. 10

NO. 3

NO. 11

NO. 4

NO. 12

NO. 5

NO. 13

NO. 6

NO. 14

NO. 7 NO. 8

TOTAL

COI

FNM

IND

IND

DaQuan Swain

Terneille Burrows

PLP

THE TRIBUNE

Wednesday, November 22, 2023, PAGE 11

Israeli Cabinet approves cease-fire with Hamas that includes release of some 50 hostages

By JOSEF FEDERMAN and JACK JEFFERY Associated Press JERUSALEM (AP) — Israel’s Cabinet on Wednesday approved a temporary cease-fire with the Hamas militant group that is expected to bring the first halt in fighting in a devastating six-week war and win freedom for dozens of hostages held captive in the Gaza Strip.

The deal calls for a fourday cease-fire, during which Israel will halt its military offensive in Gaza while Hamas frees “at least” 50 of the roughly 240 hostages it and other militants are holding, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s office said. The first hostages to be released are women and children.

“The government of Israel is committed to bringing all of the hostages home.

Tonight, the government approved the outline for the first stage of achieving this goal,” the office said in a statement.

Media reports ahead of the vote said Israel would free some 150 Palestinian prisoners and allow additional humanitarian aid into Gaza as part of the deal, but the Israeli statement made no mention of either of these elements. It was not clear when the truce, brokered by the U.S. and Qatar, would go into effect.

Ahead of the vote, which came after a six-hour meeting stretching into the early morning, Netanyahu said the war against Hamas would resume after the truce expires.

“We are at war, and we will continue the war,” he said. “We will continue until we achieve all our goals.”

Despite his tough words, the government statement said the truce would be extended an extra day for every additional 10 hostages released by Hamas.

A longer-term lull could lead to pressure, both international and domestic, for Israel to end its war without achieving its goal of destroying Hamas’ military capabilities.

The war erupted on Oct. 7 when several thousand Hamas militants burst across the border into Israel, killing at least 1,200 people and taking hundreds hostage. Most of the dead were civilians, while the hostages include small children, women and older people.

Israel responded with weeks of blistering airstrikes on Gaza, followed by a ground invasion that began over three weeks ago.

More than 11,000 Palestinians have been killed during the Israeli offensive, according to the Health Ministry in the Hamas-run

territory. It does not differentiate between civilians and militants, though some twothirds of the dead have been identified as women and minors. Israel says thousands of Hamas militants have been killed.

The invasion has caused vast destruction in northern Gaza, including Gaza City, displaced an estimated 1.7 million people and caused a humanitarian crisis with shortages of food, medicines, fuel and other key supplies throughout the territory.

Israel has rejected growing international criticism and vowed to press ahead until it destroys Hamas’ military and governing capabilities and all hostages are freed. Hamas, an Islamic militant group sworn to Israel’s destruction, has ruled Gaza since ousting the internationally recognized Palestinian Authority in 2007.

Under Wednesday’s deal, Hamas is expected to release roughly 12 hostages each day. While the statement did not say when the truce would begin, Israeli media reports said the hostages could begin to be released as soon as Thursday.

The return of any of the hostages could lift spirits in Israel, where the plight of the captives has gripped the country’s attention. Airwaves are filled with interviews with families of the hostages, who include babies and toddlers, women and children and people in their 80s with health issues.

The families have become a powerful force in Israel – staging mass demonstrations and marches pressuring the government to bring home their loved ones. They have made a central Tel Aviv square their headquarters, where evocative displays like a long white table with seats for all 240 hostages are meant to keep their plight in the public eye.

But the structure of the deal could weaken Israel from various directions.

Any lull would give Hamas and its shadowy leader, Yehya Sinwar, a chance to regroup after suffering heavy losses during the fighting, especially if Hamas drags things out with additional hostage releases.

Israel claims to have killed thousands of Hamas fighters, though it has not presented evidence, and destroyed parts of the group’s underground tunnel system. But Israeli officials acknowledge much of the group’s infrastructure remains intact.

A cease-fire could also add to the already growing international pressure on Israel to halt its offensive as the full extent of damage in Gaza becomes apparent.

Even the U.S., Israel’s chief backer, has expressed concerns about the heavy toll on

GERMANY’S DEFENCE MINISTER UNVEILS MORE HELP FOR UKRAINE’S FIGHT AGAINST RUSSIA’S INVASION

By ILLIA NOVIKOV Associated Press KYIV, Ukraine (AP) — German Defence Minister Boris Pistorius vowed Tuesday to keep supporting Ukraine’s efforts to win its war against Russia, pledging further military aid worth 1.3 billion euros ($1.4 billion).

The new support is to include further Iris-T SLM antiaircraft missile systems as well as anti-tank mines and 155-millimeter artillery shells, German news agency dpa reported.

“We are talking about 20,000 additional shells,” Pistorius said at a joint news conference with his Ukrainian counterpart, Rustem Umerov, in Kyiv, according to dpa.

Andrii Yermak, the head of the Ukrainian president’s office, said it was “a great aid package.”

Pistorius’ unannounced trip to the Ukrainian capital came a day after U.S. Defence Secretary Lloyd Austin traveled to Ukraine and pledged American support “for the long haul,” including an additional $100 million in weapons from U.S. stockpiles.

The visits appeared to be part of an international political effort to keep the war in the public mind as other issues clamor for attention, including the Israel-Hamas conflict.

European Council President Charles Michel also arrived in Kyiv on Tuesday, which is the 10th anniversary of what Ukraine calls its Revolution of Dignity. That uprising brought momentous change for Ukraine, pushing it closer to the West and bringing confrontation with Moscow.

Pistorius paid tribute to the demonstrators who were killed during the pro-European protests 10 years ago, dpa reported.

“Courageous people of all ages took to the streets for freedom, for rapprochement with Europe, and paid for it with their lives,” Pistorius said. He put red roses at a makeshift memorial to those killed.

Gaza’s civilian population.

Some three-quarters of Gaza’s population has been uprooted from their homes and are staying in overcrowded and unsanitary shelters.

Many, if not most, will be unable to return home because of the vast damage in the north and the continued presence of Israeli troops there.

That could lead to an even worse humanitarian disaster as people remain in shelters or are forced to live in tents through the cold, rainy winter.

And in Israel, the staggered releases of hostages risks triggering divisions between families of those who are freed and those who remain in captivity.

Soldiers, for instance, are likely to be among the last to be freed. Families of the soldiers, who include young women who served as spotters along the border, are likely to press the government not to resume the offensive until their loved ones return home as well.

“There are many families and many opinions,” Hadas Kalderon, whose two young children were abducted with their father, told Israel’s Channel 12 TV. She said a deal could

SMOKE rises following an Israeli airstrike in the Gaza Strip, as seen from the town of Sderot, southern Israel, Tuesday. (AP Photo/Leo Correa) create openings for future agreements by building trust, but acknowledged there are dilemmas as hostages are selected for release. “Our responsibility is to return everyone,” she said. “But let’s be realistic.”

A lengthy truce could also affect Israel’s battle readiness. While Israeli troops are expected to remain in place and the Israeli military said its battle plans remain intact, it will be difficult and risky for the army to leave its forces stationary behind enemy lines.

Asked about a potential cease-fire, the army’s chief spokesman, Rear Adm. Daniel Hagari, said: “The army will know how to maintain its operational achievements.”

Hamas may try to declare a victory, but Sinwar will have little to celebrate. Even if he survives and Hamas

maintains power, he will emerge to vast destruction that will take years, if not decades, to repair.

In the meantime, fighting continued on Tuesday, with the front line of the war shifting to the Jabaliya refugee camp, a dense warren of concrete buildings near Gaza City that houses families displaced in the 1948 war surrounding Israel’s creation.

Israel has bombarded the area for weeks, and the military said Hamas fighters have regrouped there and in other eastern districts after being pushed out of much of Gaza City.

In southern Lebanon, an Israeli strike killed two journalists with Al-Mayadeen TV, according to the Hezbollah-allied Pan-Arab network and Lebanese officials. There was no immediate comment from the Israeli military.

A separate Israeli drone

strike in Lebanon killed four Hamas members, a Palestinian official and a Lebanon security official said.

The Israeli military has been trading fire almost daily across the border with Lebanon’s Hezbollah group and Palestinian militants since the outbreak of the war.

On Tuesday, Gaza’s Health Ministry said that as of Nov. 11 it had lost the ability to count the dead because of the collapse of large parts of the health system.

It believes the actual death toll has risen sharply above the official number of 11,000.

Some 2,700 people are missing and believed to be buried under rubble, and hospitals have continued to report deaths from daily strikes, often dozens at a time.

The Israeli military says 68 soldiers have been killed in the ground offensive.

PAGE 12, Wednesday, November 22, 2023

THE TRIBUNE

2023 ROADRUNNERS BAHAMAS HALF MARATHON

Long-distance runners hit road to Arawak Cay

L

ong-distance runners took to the streets for the 2023 Bahamas Roadrunners’ Bahamas Half Marathon at Arawak Cay on Saturday.

Christopher Saintus and Yunelis Lightbourn celebrated their second victories and they collected $1,000 each for their victories and an additional $250 as the local residents to emerge as the champions.

Their races were held along with a 10-kilometre and 5K race where trophies were presented to the first three finishers in each category.

Each competitor in all of the races received a commemorative medal once they finished the course that started and ended at Arawak Cay.

Photos by Anthony Longley

ON THE REPLAY: Participants enjoy the Bahamas Roadrunners’ 2023 Bahamas Half Marathon, finishing at Arawak Cay on Saturday.

THE TRIBUNE

Wednesday, November 22, 2023, PAGE 13

‘Buddy’ scores 24 as Pacers top Hawks, 157-152 INDIANA CLINCHES QUARTERFINAL ATLANTA (AP) — BERTH IN IN-SEASON TOURNAMENT Tyrese Haliburton scored

By BILL TROCCHI Associated Press

37 points, Buddy Hield hit a tiebreaking 3-pointer in the final minute and the Indiana Pacers beat the Atlanta Hawks 157-152 last night to clinch a spot in the NBA In-Season Tournament quarterfinals.

Hield’s jumper from the left wing broke a 152-all tie with 52 seconds left.

Dejounte Murray was called for an offensive foul on a 3-point attempt on the Hawks’ next possession, then missed a difficult layup following an Indiana turnover with eight seconds remaining.

Hield made a layup at the buzzer.

The Pacers are 3-0 in East Group A with one game left in group play. The Hawks dropped to 1-2. The

quarterfinals will be held December 4-5.

Haliburton, who leads the NBA in assists, had 16 against the Hawks. Hield had 24 points and Obi Toppin scored 21 off the bench. Bennedict Mathurin added 19 points, including a buzzer-beating shot to close the third quarter.

Trae Young led the Hawks with 38 points and eight assists. Bogdan Bogdanovic had 26 points on 10-for-15 shooting. Murray scored 28.

The teams entered the game both ranked in the top five in points per game and the bottom five in points allowed per game, setting up for a high-scoring affair. The first half did not

disappoint, as the Hawks set a franchise record with 86 points and led 86-73 at the break.

Atlanta led by 20 in the second quarter but the Pacers came all the way back and tied it at 107 when Haliburton hit a 3 with just under four minutes remaining in the third. Haliburton scored 26 points in the period, and Indiana led 119-114 entering the fourth.

The Pacers shook up their starting lineup, inserting Hield and Aaron Nesmith in place of Toppin and Mathurin.

UP NEXT Pacers: Face the Raptors at home Wednesday.

Hawks: Host the Nets Wednesday.

ATLANTA Hawks forward Jalen Johnson (1) vies for a loose ball with Indiana Pacers guard Buddy Hield (7) during the first half of an In-Season Tournament NBA basketball game last night.

(AP Photo/Mike Stewart)

Deandre Ayton booed heavily by sellout crowd in return to Phoenix

BAHAMAS SUFFERS 6-1 LOSS TO PUERTO RICO

• DURANT SCORES 31, NOW 11TH ALL TIME IN POINTS, SUNS ROLL PAST PORTLAND • BAHAMIAN BIG MAN SCORES 18 WITH EIGHT REBOUNDS FOR TRAIL BLAZERS

first half. “I think we started off very slow. Obviously we had a game plan, which we did not follow,” he said. “Obviously, we need to be more disciplined when we are playing at this level.

“We tried to explain to the guys that anytime you make mistakes, you are going to get punished.

So I think this is a learning process for the guys.

They are improving, but we need to get better. We need to get better as we move forward.”

Puerto Rico stacked up all of their goals in the first half as Ricardo Rivera booted a hat trick, scoring their first three goals in the second, sixth and 19th minutes and Darren Rios added the other goal in the 30th minute.

For good measure, Puerto Rico delighted their home fans by adding a pair of goals after the Bahamas got on the scoreboard with shots from Gerald Diaz in the 74th minute and Wilfredo Rivera in the 77th.

Jean admitted that while there were players who were either hurt or couldn’t get out of their school commitments to travel, they went with the best 11 players in their pool.

Along with Joseph, the other members of Team Bahamas’ starting line-up were Michael Butler, Brandon Adderley, Jean Tilo, Lesly St Fleur, Jonathan Miller, Evelt Julmis, Christopher Rahming, Wood Julmis, Ricardo McPhee and Nahum Johnson.

The reserves were Cameron Pratt, Miguel Thompson, Junior Kelly and Amard Adderley.

The CONCACAF Nations League match was supposed to be the final one of their November window but the collapsing of a highway wall, which resulted in the death of nine people, and inclement weather conditions in Santo Domingo, Puerto Rico, resulted in their match against Guyana being postponed on Sunday.

The League B, Group D teams were initially scheduled to play the home game at the Thomas A Robinson National Stadium but due to ongoing renovations at the venue it was moved to the Estadio Olímpico Fèlix Sànchez.

The Bahamas remains winless in last place in the standings in League B, Group D and could now be relegated to League C in 2024 after Guyana won their match 6-0 against Antigua to keep their hopes alive.

By JACK THOMPSON Associated Press PHOENIX (AP) — Kevin Durant scored 31 points, passing Elvin Hayes for 11th place all time, and the Phoenix Suns defeated the Portland Trail Blazers 120-107 in an In-Season Tournament game last night.

Durant, playing in his 1,000th NBA game, needed 14 points to pass Hayes, who had 27,313 in his career. He achieved that in the first quarter on 6-of-6 shooting, including a 3-pointer and a free throw.

Durant scored 39 points in 46 minutes in a doubleovertime win at Utah on Sunday. He has 27,330 in his career.

Devin Booker scored 28 for the Suns, who won their fourth in a row overall and are 2-1 in West Group A in the tournament while the Trail Blazers finish group play at 1-3.

Phoenix plays its final group game Friday at Memphis.

Deandre Ayton, booed heavily by the Footprint Center sellout crowd in his return to Phoenix, scored 12 points in the first quarter and finished with 18 points and a team-high eight rebounds for the Trail Blazers, who lost their eighth in a row.

Ayton, the No. 1 overall pick in the 2018 NBA draft out of Arizona, played his first five seasons with the Suns. He was traded to Portland in a three-team deal that saw longtime Portland star Damian Lillard go to Milwaukee and the Suns acquire Grayson Allen and Jusuf Nurkic — both starters for the Suns yesterday.

Nurkic scored 18 points and grabbed a game-high

BODYBUILDING FROM PAGE 16

separate organisations, winning the first here at home at Atlantis at the WBBF Fitness Fashion Show before he went to Miami and picked up his IBBF Elite card.

“I got a lot of positive feedback from the judges (at the show in Colombia),” Johnson said. “I just need to work on my physique to see if I can bring an even better package for my next show next year.”

Still undecided on where he will compete again, Johnson said he’s contemplating a show with the NPC to get his season started.

Hopefully, he can compete in at least four and possibly win them all.

PORTLAND Trail Blazers centre Deandre Ayton (2) looks upward during the first half of an NBA In-Season Tournament basketball game against the Phoenix Suns last night in Phoenix.

(AP Photo/Matt York)

12 rebounds for Phoenix. Nassir Little had 13 points for Phoenix and Eric Gordon added 10.

Jerami Grant scored 26 points to lead Portland. Malcolm Brogdon returned from a strained left hamstring and scored 19 for the Trail Blazers.

UP NEXT Portland: Hosts Utah on Wednesday.

Phoenix: Hosts Golden State on Wednesday.

CAVALIERS 122, 76ERS 119 PHILADELPHIA (AP) — Darius Garland scored 32 points and Jarrett Allen added 26 as the short-handed Cleveland Cavaliers neat the Philadelphia 76ers in overtime 122-119 last night in the NBA In-Season Tournament. The Cavaliers remained alive for the

Eastern Conference’s wildcard berth despite playing without three rotation pieces in Donovan Mitchell, Caris LeVert and Isaac Okoro due to injury.

Cleveland had six players in double figures. The Cavs dominated the paint and the glass, outrebounding the Sixers 61-53 and holding a 68-52 edge in points in the paint.

Joel Embiid scored 32 points and Tyrese Maxey added 30 for the Sixers, who were eliminated from tournament contention.

MAGIC 126, RAPTORS 107 ORLANDO Florida (AP) — Paolo Banchero scored 25 points, Jalen Suggs added 18 and Orlando won its fourth straight, beating Toronto in an NBA In-Season Tournament game. Cole Anthony

came off the bench with 15 points and 10 assists in the Magic’s second win in three tournament games.

Dennis Schroder led Toronto with 24 points while Pascal Siakam had 16 points and eight assists for the Raptors, who shot 50.7% and made 14 of 28 3-point shots, but committed 23 turnovers.

LAKERS 131, JAZZ 99 LOS ANGELES (AP) — LeBron James scored his 39,000th point on the way to 17 points, nine assists and seven rebounds, and the Los Angeles Lakers completed an unbeaten run through group play in the NBA InSeason Tournament with a 131-99 victory over the Utah Jazz last night.

Anthony Davis had 26 points and 16 rebounds for

the Lakers, who are likely to host a quarterfinal game early next month to begin the knockout stages of the league’s first in-season tournament.

Los Angeles beat Phoenix, Memphis, Portland and Utah by a combined 74 points, capped by this blowout of the Jazz for the Lakers’ sixth victory in seven games overall.

The 38-year-old James became the first player in league history to top 39,000 points early in the first quarter.

The milestone was another stop in James’ steamrolling of the world’s previous standards for basketball longevity: He began the night averaging 26.4 points per game, by far the most production from any player in NBA history who made it to a 21st season.

“Competing as a pro, there’s a lot of hard work and dedication that you have to put in,” he pointed out.

“It’s not easy being a pro, so to reach this status as a pro, you have to put in the work in the gym and take care of your nutrition and craft your physique for the category you are competing in.

“I feel it’s just a title you are holding, but it’s good to know that you are on the pro level in the Bahamas and we represent the Bahamas as pros.”

Young admitted that it was a tough battle, but he was delighted to have finished behind Johnson.

“The performance was very well put together. We did a good job. All of the hard work in the gym paid off,” Young said. “To come out as the top two competitors and to represent

our country was just a blessing,” After turning in 2022 at the Miami Grand Prix, Young said he only competed in two shows where he also got a second place finish in the previous show at the University of the Bahamas.

“I think I have to work a little more on my style of posing. I have to learn to pose more,” Young reflected. “There’s always ways to improve your whole physique to bring a better package.”

With some time off to recuperate, Young said he’s looking at entering his first competition next year in Barbados May 8-12.

But for now, he’s enjoying the life of a pro bodybuilder.

“Being a pro is very exciting. You feel more confident on stage,” he said. “To me all of the

competitors are winners.

You just have to keep up your standard and you can go higher from here. We are all pros.”

For those interested in becoming bodybuilders and eventually a pro, Young advised them to go for it.

“It’s a form of healthy lifestyle, so you are representing yourself for longevity, but you not only represent yourself, but your family, friends and your peers (who you work out with in the gym).”

Having gotten started under Bahamas Bodybuilding and Fitness Federation president Joel Stubbs, Young now trains at Mac Fit. But he admits that he still relies on Stubbs for his vast knowledge of the sport.

As the assistant coach of the Bahamas’ bodybuilding team, an honour bestowed

upon him by Stubbs this year for the Central American and Caribbean Championships, Johnson said he would like to encourage all Bahamians to take better care of their health.

He emphasized that it doesn’t mean that they have to become a bodybuilder, but rather they can find the time to get in a gym and work on developing their muscles so that they can improve their physique. “If you are interested in becoming a bodybuilder, you can come to the federation and find our head coach Raymond Tucker or myself and we can assist you in getting on stage,” Johnson said.

The duo admitted that their performances over the weekend will only inspire them both to perform even better in the future.

FROM PAGE 16

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PAGE 14, Wednesday, November 22, 2023

THE TRIBUNE

BATTLE 4 ATLANTIS FROM PAGE 16

WE ARE THE CHAMPIONS: Elite Ballers girls’ basketball team display their hardware won at the Dynasty Hoops Elite Championship over the weekend in Orlando, Florida.

DYNASTY HOOPS: ELITE BALLERS WIN CHAMPIONSHIP FROM PAGE 16 performance was great and even better than I expected,” he said. “When they got locked in on defence that was it. You could have seen the hard work they put on display on the court.”

The coaching staff has been grooming the girls since August when they started their training programme that has turned into a series of games played every Saturday since November.

Joseph said the girls were prepared for the challenge they faced at the tournament.

“As for the competition, it was good and I just feel like the girls were ready for whatever comes their way,” Joseph stressed as he critiqued their level of play. “They were ready to compete.”

Having performed as well as they did, Joseph said they are now eager to continue to put in the work so that they can continue to perform in the upcoming tournaments in the United States.

“We are going to continue our progress and

hopefully the hard work will make the programme even better as we get prepared for our next trip next month,” Joseph said.

“Our job is not done yet.

We are trying to open up some doors for the girls to be seen and have opportunities for them to go off to school.”

Turnquest, who originally decided to sponsor the team after the Bahamas Basketball Federation junior national team was unable to travel, said he was delighted to get the girls into a team that continues to train and travel to compete.

“I am just going to continue to push the programme and build it. This club started off with these core girls and we are looking to continue to build,” he stated.

“When one goes to school we should be able to replace them with an equal or better talent and continue.”

The team will make their next trip to the United States to continue over the weekend of December 18-21 in Las Vegas, Nevada.

MOST VALUABLE PLAYER: MVP Shenell Stewart, of the Elite Ballers girls’ basketball team, with her medals won at the Dynasty Hoops Elite Championship.

Top women’s hoops teams head off continent for Thanksgiving tourneys

By DOUG FEINBERG AP Basketball Writer THANKSGIVING week has always been a chance for teams to get away to warmer climates to play in quality basketball tournaments and bond as a group.

This year is no different with seven of the top 10 teams in the country heading off the continent to play games in the Cayman Islands, the Bahamas and the U.S. Virgin Islands.

No. 2 UCLA, No. 6 UConn, No. 7 LSU and No. 9 Virginia Tech are all headed to the Cayman Islands to play in the inaugural women’s tournament there. The only matchup between them is on Friday when the Bruins face the Huskies. It’s unclear if Angel Reese will be joining the Tigers on the trip. She’s missed the last two games after being benched for the second half of the game before.

“You always have to deal with locker-room issues,” Mulkey said Monday night after LSU beat Texas Southern 106-47 in the second straight game that Reese missed for undisclosed reasons.

“Sometimes you all know about them. Sometimes

LSU head coach Kim Mulkey, right, talks with guard Hailey Van Lith (11) during a break in the second period against Texas Southern during an NCAA college basketball game Monday in Baton Rouge, La. (Michael Johnson/The Advocate via AP) you don’t. Some times you want to know more than you’re entitled to know,” Mulkey continued.

“I’m going to protect my players — always. They are like a family.”

Third-ranked Colorado will play No. 10 N.C. State in the Virgin Islands on Saturday. No. 8 USC is in

the Bahamas. Top-ranked South Carolina will be home for the holiday, but coach Dawn Staley is no stranger to what a holiday tournament can bring her team.

“I do think it’s super helpful to get out of your normal environment, your normal habits of actually

being at home or it’s not a natural road game,” she said. “When you’re in another country, you tend to stick with each other a little tighter. You get a chance to experience other stuff, too, not just practice and games, you get to experience sightseeing and you take pictures and you

have conversations about how they’re feeling and what’s going on.”

Teams also can find quality tournaments on U.S. soil as well this week. No. 4 Stanford is headed to Nevada and fifth-ranked Iowa will be in Florida.

The Cardinal could face No. 13 Florida State and the Hawkeyes potentially could meet No. 18 North Carolina.

Here are other things to look forward to: TRYING TO START A NEW STREAK Maryland dropped out of the Top 25 for the first time in 13 years on Monday.

The Terrapins will have a good chance to get back in next week with games this weekend in Cancun, Mexico, against No. 23 Washington State, Green Bay and Gonzaga.

HONOURING A GREAT ONE Notre Dame will unveil a statue of Hall of Fame women’s basketball coach Muffet McGraw outside the Joyce Center on December 17.

McGraw had 848 of her 936 wins at Notre Dame where she coached from 1987-2020. She won titles at the school in 2001 and 2018.

as well as the chance for teams to sort through what they do well compared to what they need to improve — the latter of which being of particular importance in a time of rapid roster overhauls through the transfer portal.

That was on the mind of North Carolina coach Hubert Davis before his 14th-ranked Tar Heels play in Atlantis, mentioning a daily message his retired Hall of Fame predecessor Roy Williams shared with a previous team: “Rome wasn’t built in a day but it was worked on every day.”

“This year’s team has new parts, and every day we want to take a step forward of building that team and getting closer to that finished product,” Davis said last week.

That applies broadly, too.

MAUI INVITATIONAL The Maui field features No. 1 Kansas, No. 2 Purdue, No. 4 Marquette, No. 7 Tennessee and No. 11 Gonzaga.

That tournament, relocated to Honolulu due to wildfires that devastated its longtime home of Lahaina, runs through Wednesday.

The Boilermakers and Volunteers won Monday to set up a Tuesday semifinal matchup, while the Zags fell into the consolation bracket after falling to Purdue.

The Jayhawks and Golden Eagles also won Monday night and will meet in the other semifinal.

BATTLE 4 ATLANTIS The Tar Heels, who climbed six spots in Monday’s new poll, are the highest-ranked team taking the court today for the eight-team tournament in Paradise Island, Bahamas.

They’ll open against Northern Iowa in the first game, with the tournament running through Friday.

The field also includes No. 20 Arkansas, which comes in off a home loss to UNC Greensboro that dropped the Razorbacks six spots Monday. Arkansas opens play there against Stanford.

The field also includes Villanova, which fell out of the poll Monday; and Memphis, which was the leading vote-getter among unranked teams.

The Tigers open against Michigan and a good showing at the Atlantis resort could propel them into net week’s ranking.

WILDCATS AND SPARTANS Third-ranked Arizona has already earned a marquee win this season at Duke. The Wildcats have another such matchup on the schedule on Thanksgiving Day against No. 21 Michigan State. That game takes place in Palm Desert, California, for the Acrisure Classic.

MORE INTERNATIONAL PLAY No. 22 James Madison is also playing an offshore event, facing Southern Illinois on Tuesday in the Cancun Challenge in Mexico. The winner of that matchup faces the New Mexico State-Fresno State winner on Wednesday for the title.

SUNSHINE STATE BATTLES Multiple events are taking place in Florida this week with ranked teams, including No. 18 Colorado in the Sunshine Slam in Daytona Beach; and No. 24 Virginia in the Fort Myers Tip-Off. The ESPN Events Invitational features No. 12 Texas A&M and No. 19 Florida Atlantic as the headliners in Kissimmee. They could meet in the semifinals of an event that opens Thursday and runs through Sunday.

There’s also No. 17 Alabama playing Ohio State on Friday in its Emerald Coast Classic opener in Niceville.

ELSEWHERE Eighth-ranked Creighton faces Loyola Chicago today to open the Hall of Fame Classic in Kansas City, Missouri.

No. 13 Baylor faces Oregon State today in the NIT Season Tip-Off in Brooklyn, while No. 23 USC meets Seton Hall on Thursday in the first-year Rady Children’s Invitational near San Diego.

THE TRIBUNE

Wednesday, November 22, 2023, PAGE 15

Millie Vlasov and Gulliver du Saint-Chene have an impressive showing MILLIE Vlasov aboard Gulliver du Saint-Chene turned in an impressive performance in the CSI3* 1.50m Grand Prix at the MET Autumn Tour II in Oliva, Spain, finishing 12th out of 50 rider/horse combinations from 19 countries.

Vlasov and Gullie were unfazed by the rainy conditions on course, navigating Swiss course designer Gerard Lachat’s twisting track of 13 obstacles the course in a fast time of 73.80 seconds and going nearly clear until dropping an unlucky rail at Fence #11.

Although the dropped rail meant that they could not advance to the jump off, the pair finished on four faults with the 5th fastest time in the first round.

In the end this was good enough for 12th place, a share of the prize money and, most importantly, an opportunity to earn more of the ranking points needed to earn a qualifying spot to represent The Bahamas in Equestrian Show Jumping at the 2024 Summer Olympics in Paris.

In Olympic Equestrian sport there are limited slots allocated to Individual athletes, based on their position in the FEI Longines Rankings as determined by their

MILLIE Vlasov and Gulliver du Saint-Chene placed 12th in the 1.50m Grand Prix at the MET Autumn Tour II in Spain. performance in major show jumping competitions in the calendar year.

With just a few weeks left in the year to amass more points, Millie

is one of a dozen individual athletes in FEI Olympic Groups D and E (North, Central and South America) vying for one of these coveted slots.

Nonetheless, she remains determined. “It’s my dream to represent The Bahamas at the Olympics,” she said. “It’s a challenge but I’m up to it.”

SPORTS NOTES

FROM PAGE 16 steals and two rebounds, Chadwin James had 12 points and four rebounds and Demeako Saunders had 10 points and eight rebounds.

Great Sharks 58, Rebels 54 Alexio Francis had an identical double-double with 14 points and 14 rebounds as BIBT won.

Travis Robinson had 13 points, 10 rebounds and three assists and both Darnell Beckford (eight steals, five rebounds and two assists) and Elexion Morley (17 rebounds) chipped in with eight points apiece.

In the Rhythm loss, Jay-Onn Joseph had a game high 20 points, 10 rebounds, fived steals and two block shots, Ishad Rolle had 12 points, seven rebounds, seven assists, four blocks and three steals and Nathan Pratt chipped in with 10 points and six rebounds.

Tonight’s schedule 7:30pm - Heatwaves vs Mekaddish Millionaires (DII) 8:30pm - TMT Giants vs University of the Bahamas Mingoes (D1) Friday 7:30pm - Rhythm Rebels vs Produce Express Rockets (DII) 8:30pm - Discount Liquor Rockets vs Sunlight Cottage Rockets (D1) Saturday 7:30pm - Your Essential Store vs Island Development Construction Rebels (DII) 8:30pm - Island Development Rebels vs Commonwealth Bank Giants (D1)

SPORTS PAGE 16

WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 22, 2023

Buddy, Page 13

CONCACAF Nations League: Bahamas could be relegated

By BRENT STUBBS Senior Sports Reporter bstubbs@tribunemedia.net

T

he Bahamas men’s national soccer team suffered a 6-1 loss to Puerto Rico last night in the CONCACAF Nations League at the Juan Ramón Loubriel Stadium in Bayamon, Puerto Rico, and could end up being relegated from League B to League C. Coming out of the locker room to start the second half down 4-0, Marcel Joseph pushed the Bahamas on the scoreboard when he booted in the team’s first goal in the 53rd minute.

Head coach Nesly Jean said they just simply got off to a slow start and were not able to make up enough ground to get back into the game, claiming that they just didn’t do what they were supposed to do in the

SEE PAGE 13

Bahamas men’s national soccer team suffers 6-1 loss to Puerto Rico

THE BAHAMAS men’s national soccer team suffered a 6-1 loss to Puerto Rico last night in the CONCACAF Nations League at the Juan Ramón Loubriel Stadium in Bayamon, Puerto Rico.

DYNASTY HOOPS: ELITE BALLERS WIN TITLE

By BRENT STUBBS Senior Sports Reporter bstubbs@tribunemedia.net THE Elite Ballers Club, featuring local female high school basketball players, returned home from the Dynasty Hoops Elite Championship as the champions over the weekend in Orlando, Florida.

The team, coached by Abel Joseph, Shakira Farrington and Ryan Turnquest, won the title on Saturday with a 56-24 rout over the Comets behind the most valuable player performance from Shenell Stewart.

The other members of the team were Danielle McCoy, Trinity Bodie, Geraniqua Bethel, Riccara Beadle, Savannah Turnquest, Reyanah Green, Shamaraja Cummings and T’Eanna Gibson.

According to Joseph, the team performed exceptionally well. “The team

SEE PAGE 14

Jason ‘Shred’ Johnson and Kaif Young emerge as champion and runner-up

By BRENT STUBBS Senior Sports Reporter bstubbs@tribunemedia.net ASSISTANT national bodybuilding coach Jason ‘Shred’ Johnson and Kaif Young emerged as the champion and runner-up respectively in the IFBB Elite Pro Mr Universe Colombia Show over the weekend.

The pair of IFBB pro bodybuilders represented the Bahamas in the tournament on Saturday in a field of 10 competitors in Cali, Colombia. They both competed in the men’s physique category.

“My performance was really good. I went out there with confidence and I showcased my physique the best way I could,” Johnson said. “I was very proud of my performance on stage.

“The package that I brought here to Colombia was much more improved

BATTLE 4 ATLANTIS, MAUI INVITE OFFER THANKSGIVINGWEEK TESTS FOR AP TOP 25 TEAMS

By AARON BEARD AP Basketball Writer

KAIF YOUNG, second from left, and Jason ‘Shred’ Johnson, middle, can be seen on stage during the final placing. than what I did at the Arnold Classic Show in October where I was sixth in the world.”

Having also competed in the Roger Voice

Championships where he placed fourth out of 12 competitors, Johnson said he’s been pleased with his progress he made during the international shows

SPORTS CALENDAR BASKETBALL BAHA MAR PINK FLAMINGO HOOPS AFTER taking a break on Tuesday, the 10 female Division One collegiate teams will close out play today in the 2023 Baha Mar Hoops Pink Flamingo Championships at the Baha Mar Convention Center.

Here’s a look at the games on tap: 11am - Seton Hall vs East Carolina 1:30pm - Columbia vs Florida 4pm - Purdue vs Georgia 6:30pm - Ohio State vs Oklahoma State 9pm - Penn State vs University of South Carolina BASKETBALL NPBA ACTION THE New Providence Basketball Association continued its regular season with a double header played on Monday

Nov 2023

night. The Leno Regulators pounded the Island Development Rebels 90-69 in the men’s feature match, while the BIBT Great Sharks beat the Rhythm Rebels 58-54 in the division II opener.

UÊ iÀi½ÃÊ>Ê Ê>ÌÊÌ iÊ«> ÀÊ vÊ >ÌV iÃ\ Regulators 90, Rebels 59 With three players in double figures, led by Cleo Sears, Leno made this one look so easy. Sears finished with 34 points, 10 rebounds and two assists, Alexander Rolle had 16 points with six rebounds, two steals and an assist and a block and Cruz Simon added 10 points with a pair of rebounds and assists.

Toureque Cartwright paced the losers with 18 points, 16 rebounds and two assists and as many steals, while Martin Conliff also had 18 points with three

SEE PAGE 15

this year. He noted that the competition was really great against competitors from Brazil, Mexico, Colombia and Costa Rica where he secured his first

pro victory since earning his pro card in 2021.

As the first Bahamian to earn two pro cards in two

SEE PAGE 13

HOLIDAY hoops season has arrived.

The week’s AP Top 25 schedule is filled with Thanksgiving-week tournaments that have long been staples of the college basketball schedule as well as made-for-TV pairings.

The headliner is a loaded field at the Maui Invitational, which began play Monday with five of the top 11 teams. There’s also the Battle 4 Atlantis in the Bahamas, as well as other events in Florida, California, Missouri and even Mexico.

They all create the potential of marquee matchups

SEE PAGE 14

BBFF CAN NOW BOAST OF HAVING 20 ACTIVE PROFESSIONALS IN THE SPORT

By BRENT STUBBS Senior Sports Reporter bstubbs@tribunemedia.net WITH four more competitors earning their professional status this year, the Bahamas Bodybuilding and Fitness Federation can now boast of having 20 active professionals in the sport.

Federation president Joel Stubbs made the comments after Serena Salis-Norius, Dekel Nesbitt-Quant and Briceston Anderson all earned their pro cards at the MCP Worldwide Caribbean Grand Prix at the Atlantis resort, Paradise Island, earlier this month.

They joined Terrion Kemp, who picked up his pro card at the Central American and Caribbean Bodybuilding Championships in Palm Beach, Aruba, in September. “We’re so excited for

JOEL STUBBS the few Bahamian athletes who have achieved their professional status this year,” said Stubbs of the competitors, who earned their status on both IFBB platforms at the Elite League and the Pro League.

“They will be joining the others at that prestigious performance level.

Blessings upon blessings to all of you.”

Two of those pro bodybuilders - Jason ‘JayShred’ Johnson and Kaif Young - just competed in the IFBB Elite Pro Mr Universe Colombia Show over the weekend in Cali, Columbia. Out of a field of 10 competitors, Johnson took the title with Young as the runner-up.

Stubbs congratulated the two competitors whom he had an opportunity to train during their introduction into the sport.

He remains a mentor and confidant to both competitors, who lauded him for his leadership of the federation. “To the other professionals, continue to work even harder in raising the bar,” Stubbs said.

“Continue to work while it’s day, for the night cometh when no man will be able to work. Remember, the sky’s the limit.”