Category Archives: Bahamas

22 APR 2017 Report Nassau, The Bahamas

No surprises emerged from a competitive opening round, with defending champions USA, and perennial powers Jamaica and Poland looking the strongest ahead of tomorrow evening's final.

After running close with Australia over the opening two laps in heat one, Quanera Hayes, currently the world leader in the 400m, took command for the US quartet with a 50.73 split, the second fastest of the round. That allowed Natasha Hastings to come home on cruise control to seal the 3:29.27 win, the fastest of the three heats.

Stringing together a consistent series of 52-second legs, Australia finished a strong runner-up in 3:30.31 to also advance.

The second heat brought the crowd to life as Shaunae Miller-Uibo, the host country's biggest sporting star, led the Bahamian quartet onto the track -- and again several minutes later when she was formally introduced, and again a minute after that when the Olympic champion led off for the hosts.

Running in lane seven, Miller-Uibo made up the stagger on Canadian Carline Muir after 250 metres, giving her squad a three-stride lead after an impressive 50.25 leg, the fastest of the evening. They held their lead through legs two and three but the pressure was too much for anchor Rashan Brown, who eventually faded to fourth and out of contention for a spot in the final.

The race for the win came down to Great Britain and Nigeria with Margaret Bamgbose out-dueling Briton Kelly Massey over the waning stages to take the victory in 3:31.97. The British squad were next in 3:33.00 to move on as well.

Poland produced the most entertaining victory of the round, battling with Jamaica leg-for-leg, with anchor Justyna Swiety even tossing in an impressive come-from-behind flourish to overtake Anneisha McLaughlin-Whilby over the final 40 metres. Poland clocked 3:29.42 and Jamaica 3:29.93 to easily claim their spots in the final.

Botswana was next in 3:31.61 with Germany fourth in 3:34.34 to take the last two lanes in the final.

Bob Ramsak for the IAAF

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Women's 4x400m heats - IAAF/BTC World Relays Bahamas 2017 - International Association of Athletics Federations

Three sprinters two University of Houston students and an alumnus have been invited to the IAAF World Relays to represent their countries on the track. | Ajani Stewart/The Cougar

The chance to run on the worlds stage and bring glory to their country: That is what awaits two current athletes on the Cougar track & field team and one graduate who has remained on campus to train with the Olympic coaching staff.

Sophomore sprinter Mario Burke, freshman sprinter Brianne Bethel and Class of 2016 Cougar LeShon Collins have been invited to run in the 4x100m relays for their respective nations at the International Association of Athletics FederationsWorld Relays in Nassau, Bahamas.

The meet is a precursor to the IAAF World Championships in London. The top eight times in the 4x100m and 4x200m relays automatically qualify for the World Championships this August.

I think (making top eight)would be an amazing accomplishment because, in my opinion, thats one of the easiest qualifications you can have for the World Championships, said assistant coach Debbie Ferguson-McKenzie. All you have to be is the top eight, and youre in. It doesnt get any easier than that.

For Burke, an international student from Barbados, his desire to qualify for the World Championships has been public. After finishing third in the 100m at the U20 World Championships this summer, Burke put on record that he wanted to get to London.

He is well on his way to being one of the top three athletes in his country and qualifying individually for the World Championships in addition to being a member of the relay team.

Assistant coach Carl Lewis said that Burke would have gone to the Rio Olympics last summer if he had not held him back, citing the fact he was only 19 years old.

In the meantime, Burke made a trip to the NCAA Indoor Championships, ran on a 4x400m relay team that set the school record and ran on a 4x100m team that has the second-fastest time in the country.

After spending the last two summers representing his country in Houston, Burke is on pace to do so again.

(Going to the relays is) a very huge confidence booster because I get to run against guys I used to watch on my television, Burke said. I feel really good because Ive been progressing in this program and its given me a lot of opportunities.

For freshman Brianne Bethel, the relays in Nassau stand for more than just a chance to represent her country. They are also a chance to run on her home track while wearing the black, yellow and aquamarine of the Bahamas.

I feel honored, Bethel said. I appreciate that they trust me enough to be on the team no matter how young I am. They have faith in me, and I have faith in myself as well. I just want to go there and represent my country as best I can and bring home a medal.

Bethel has been a key part of the freshman class that helped propel the women to a top three conference finish.

Her success has helped Bethel earn her way onto the Bahamas relay team, something her coach Debbie Ferguson-McKenzie, an Olympic gold medalist for the Bahamas, knows from firsthand experience.

Ferguson-McKenzie ran with Bethel at the 2015 relays. She and the rest of the coaching staff said they knew Bethel has the talent to make this team. Now, she just has to perform.

You have a lot of kids who dont have that opportunity, Ferguson-McKenzi said. I just want her to not take it for granted and to make the most of it.

2016 graduate LeShon Collins was a force during his time for the Cougars. Qualifying for nationals in the 60, 100, 200 and 4x100m relays, he did anything and everything in the sprints. Now as a pro, he has remained at Houston as a member of assistant coach Carl Lewis Team Perfect Method.

In his first year as a professional, Collins placed second in the 60m at the USATF Indoor Championships. He finished second behind last years national champion, Ronnie Baker.

Collins performance at the championships is what earned him a call up to the relay team. There, he will be joined by Baker, Olympic gold medalist Justin Gatlin and defending World Relays champion Mike Rodgers.

To see two kids that are at UH going to the World Relays representing us internationally, and then one athlete that has gone on and is representing the United States post-collegiately, it (realizes) our vision, Lewis said. So all these young recruits that come to us that want to go to the Olympics, were actually physically showing them the path. You can do it in school while youre here, and you can do it post-collegiately.

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Tags: Brianne Bethel, IAAF World Relays, Leshon Collins, Mario Burke, Olympics

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Sprinters head to Bahamas with world championship goals - The Daily Cougar

Trinidad Guardian

Bahamas starts payouts to Clico policyholders Monday Trinidad Guardian NASSAU Starting on Monday, Clico policyholders in the Bahamas are set to receive long overdue payments. After failing to deliver monies as promised back in January, the Government issued a statement on Tuesday assuring that qualified policyholders ... and more »

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Bahamas starts payouts to Clico policyholders Monday - Trinidad Guardian

What has been described as The Bahamas governments latest attack on local NGOs has been denounced as reckless, dangerous and a clear sign of how desperate the ruling Progressive Liberal Party (PLP) party has become.

Over the last year, the PLP has steadily escalated its assault on Save The Bays (STB), after the noted environmental group took legal action against the partys major funder, developer Peter Nygard. As unrest grew over its mismanagement of the economy, lack of transparency and increasingly authoritarian behaviour, the party also began to attack social commentators, bloggers and protest organizers.

Now, on the eve of an election, an extremely unpopular government is frantic to appease Nygard, presumably to gain access to campaign funding, so they have taken the reckless, extremely dangerous decision to officially accuse us of being terrorists, said STB legal director, Fred Smith, QC.

Worst of all, in an effort to disguise their true intentions, they have leveled the same accusation at scores of other NGOs many of which have never locked horns with the government.

He was referring to the fact that on Friday, March 31, STB received a letter from the Registrar of Companies demanding that the NGO turn over its financial records in accordance with the section of the law regarding suspected funding for terrorism.

STB has since filed a constitutional challenge alleging a violation the groups right to privacy. In response, the Registrar claimed that the move was a routine request and had been issued to more than 100 NGOs.

Smith stressed that STB and any other group that chooses to resist this demand cannot be accused of unreasonably withholding information or rejecting a reasonable request.

There is nothing routine or reasonable about this, Smith said. The fact of the matter is, the Registrar specifically requested the information under the Companies (Non-Profit Organization) Regulations, 2014, Article 13(2), which only requires for the provision of such information to assess the extent to which the registered non-profit organization is being used to assist terrorist financing.

The government has basically announced that they suspect the entire NGO community of funding terrorism, without presenting a single shred of evidence. This wild and dangerous accusation represents a fundamental violation of due process. What happened to being innocent until proven guilty?

According to Smith, other NGOs have been recklessly maligned by this request tarred with the same brush simply in an attempt cover up the PLPs attack on STB and a handful of other groups which have sought to hold the government accountable.

We are not in the slightest convinced the government even wants our financial records; the point of this whole exercise is to tarnish our names and reputations by painting us as terrorists in an effort to intimidate us in to silence, he said.

The pattern is clear first, they unlawfully accessed STBs emails and tried to paint us as seditionists. That backfired with the Supreme Courts fining a Cabinet minister $150,000 for violating our privacy.

Then, agents of the state colluded with individuals in the Nygard camp to threaten our lives and safety, but that also blew up in their face, with the Inter-American Commission on Human Rights (IACHR) issuing official precautionary measures for members of STB and ordering the government to ensure our safety.

The PLP is now clearly at the end of its rope and senior members have become dangerously unhinged, actually accusing respected members of civil society of terrorism as happens in the worst and most brutal tin-pot dictatorships around the world.

He said STB has launched judicial review proceedings over the attorney generals decision to make the bogus accusation and, in doing so, hopes to lay bare the unholy alliance between the PLP and certain developers, once and for all.

Aside from being an unconstitutional breach of freedom of expression the Registrars demand is a clear attempt to intimidate and oppress STB and others into silence, as the groups challenges to unregulated development have upset the governing partys wealthy foreign funders in particular Peter Nygard.

Smith went on to accuse the PLP of placing the country on the road to failed state status over the past five years.

He said the public should be alarmed by the lengths the party is willing to go to neutralize perceived opponents, as paranoid leaders can target anyone and everyone unpredictably. Meanwhile, he said the country is being severely embarrassed on the international stage.

All Bahamians should be extremely concerned. If they can accuse us with a straight face of something so preposterous as terrorism, literally anyone could be next, he said.

The idea that STBs esteemed international board of directors including individuals such as former US Treasury Secretary Nicholas Brady and renowned environmentalist Robert F. Kennedy Jr. are secretly e.g. members of ISIS is patently ridiculous, laughable if it were not such a serious accusation! Yet it will have a critical and lasting effect on our international relations. That the PLP would stoop to this level, just to win an election, is shameful, unpatriotic and should be contemned by all right thinking Bahamians.

Smith urged Bahamians to see the attacks on STB and other NGOs in the wider context of a wide scale anti-democratic trend under the PLP.

For five long years, the party has failed to deliver on its promise to pass and enact a progressive Freedom of Information Act; meanwhile under the cover of night, they brought forward the notorious Spy Bill and were seeking to force it through Parliament without the public having any say.

In a nutshell, what this means is that while the citizenry are being denied their right to transparency and accountability, the government is seeking to give itself the power to tap your phone, hack your emails, break into your home and install cameras and listening devices.

Whats more, the Spy Bill would allow them to target individuals for perceived violations of public morality and public health. Literally anyone can be made to fit this description and you can guarantee that political opponents and anyone who has questioned the government will be the first to have their privacy violated.

This is the same government that accepted riot gear, armored cars and tear gas grenades from the Chinese government, the only possible intent being to use this brutal equipment on their own population. And, they have put military personnel on the streets of the capital with the excuse that they are needed to help in the fight against crime. The PLP are following a well established road map to repressive dictatorship through the threat of force and a sinister surveillance culture designed to intimidate anyone who would seek to exercise their freedom of expression.

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A frantic Bahamas government comes unhinged, says environmental group - Antigua Observer

19 APR 2017 Preview Nassau, The Bahamas

Two years ago, the US scored a decisive victory over arch rivals Jamaica in the mens 4x100m at the IAAF World Relays, the throat-slitting celebration gesture of Ryan Bailey afterwards proving as memorable as the race itself.

To many, it was considered a significant, cataclysmic win, the US men finally interrupting Jamaicas relay dominance four months out from the IAAF World Championships in Beijing. In the end, of course, that proved to be misguided, given Jamaica returned to the top by winning the world title in Beijing then going on to win the Olympic title with ease in Rio.

In both of those finals, the US men faced embarrassment and frustration, disqualified after botched exchanges resulted in zone infringements.

Which leads us here, with the US men returning to Nassau trying to successfully defend the one title they still hold over their Caribbean rivals.

The race will bring down the curtain on the first day of events in Nassau on Saturday night (22), with a typically strong selection from the US set for action. It includes Justin Gatlin, Marvin Bracy, Mike Rodgers, Ronnie Baker and Leshon Collins.

With Usain Bolt not in attendance, Jamaica looks even more vulnerable than they did in 2015, though they still go into battle with an assembly of seasoned sprinters of the highest calibre.

None more so than Yohan Blake, the 2011 world champion who finished fourth in the Olympic 100m final in Rio. He will be joined by Asafa Powell, who, at 34, may well be past his best but is still an opponent no rival team will wish to see in opposition. Powell opened his outdoor season with a comfortable 100m win in 10.18 at the Grenada Invitational earlier this month.

Kemar Bailey-Cole, Everton Clarke, Julian Forte and Jevaughn Minzie are the other four Jamaicans listed in their 4x100m squad.

Olympic silver medallists Japan will also be in attendance, though they will be missing all four athletes who comprised their final quartet in Rio so may struggle to match those heroics. Canada looks a more likely bet to challenge the US and Jamaica, with all four of their bronze-medal-winning team in Rio slated to run in Nassau.

Their star, of course, will be Andre De Grasse, the 22-year-old Olympic 100m bronze and 200m silver medallist, who will be joined by teammates Akeem Haynes, Aaron Brown and Brendon Rodney.

Of the rest, the British quartet looks the strongest, with Adam Gemilli, Chijindu Ujah and Richard Kilty all slated to compete.

Cathal Dennehy for the IAAF

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Men's 4x100m preview IAAF/BTC World Relays Bahamas 2017 - International Association of Athletics Federations

PT Usha, coach of womens relay team (4x400m), has refused to let trainees participate in the world relay event in Bahamas, scheduled to be held later this week.

The national relay teams are already struggling to get the US transit visa to compete in the world relays to be held in Nassau, Bahamas on April 22-23.

On top of the uncertainty over whether they will participate, the womens relay team (4x400m) suffered a setback with former track great PT Usha refusing to let her wards Tintu Lukka and Jisna Mathew go. Usha, who was named the womens team coach, has also opted out.

Tintu Luka and Jisna Mathew are trainees at the Usha School of Athletics in Kozhikode and are among the six athletes selected for the womens relay team. Since there was delay in getting the travel documents, the duo wants to focus on the Asian Grand Prix series to be held on April 24, 27 (both China) and April 30 (Chinese Taipei).

However, the other four members of the relay team, including national 400m champion, MR Poovamma, arrived in the Capital on Thursday to get the US transit visa.

Ideally, the national team should have left latest by Thursday to compete in the $1.26 million prize money event.

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PT Usha pulls out trainees from world relay event in Bahamas | other ... - Hindustan Times

As temperatures soar across the UK these adorable shots show a group of pigs cooling off in crystal clear water.

The fun snaps were taken by photographer Emmanuel Keller, 39, at the famous Pig Beach in the Bahamas.

This animals are found on the island of Exuma which is uninhabited by humans but takes its unofficial name due to the colony of pigs that swim off its shores.

Describing when he spotted the animals, Emmanuel said: I think they really enjoyed it playing in the water. When its hot they love to cool off in the water.

When they were swimming it looked like they were doing it pretty well.

They were all quite active and really enjoyed the attention of people. They especially liked it when they were getting food like carrots and bread.

They kept running in and out of the water.

The playful animals are known as the swimming pigs of the Bahamas, as theyre often seen frolicking in the sea around the islands.

How they originally arrived on the island is unknown as they are not native to the region and the area is uninhabited by humans.

Some speculate that they were dumped on the island by a group of sailors who intended to come back to eat them but never made the return trip.

Stars such as Wayne Rooney and Kim Kardashian have been known to visit the area.

Tragically several of the pigs were reported to have died after tourists are thought to have fed them beer and rum.

Seven of the cute creatures were found dead earlier this year.

Last week, temperatures in London and Cambridge were hotter than the Bahamas at a scorching 25c the hottest day of the year so far.

Forecasters predict the UK is to enjoy a three-month heatwave over the coming months.

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Summer snaps from Pig Beach, Bahamas - The London Economic

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Hotels in the Bahamas. Book your hotel now! Booking.com

By RENALDO DORSETT

Sports Reporter

rdorsett@tribunemedia.net

HEADED into the final day of competition, Team Bahamas has positioned itself atop the point standings at the XXXII CARIFTA Swimming Championships.

The Bahamas leads the field with a combined team score of 586.5 points at the Betty Kelly-Kenning Aquatic Centre.

The defending champion, Guadeloupe, is second with 509 points, the Cayman Islands third with 469.5 points, Trinidad and Tobago fourth with 455.5 points and Barbados rounds out the top five with 409 points.

Jamaica is sixth in the standings with 374 points and last years host country Martinique is in the seventh spot with 225.5 points.

The Bahamas has been dominant on the boys side which has contributed 337 points to the total and leads the division. The girls are second in their division with 249.5 points, behind the Cayman Islands with 302.

Kevon Lockhart captured the first medal for the Bahamas on night three with a bronze in the Boys 13-14 200m Individual Medley in a time of 2:21.32 seconds.

Lilly Higgs captured the gold medal for the Bahamas in the Girls 15-17 in 2:23.11, while Albury Higgs took bronze in 2:24.93.

In the 50m Breaststroke, Zaylie-Elizabeth Thompson won silver in the Girls 11-12 in 36.12.

Davante Carey also added to his medal haul with bronze in the Boys 13-14 race in 31.54.

The Higgs sisters were back on the podium in the 50m Breast with Lilly claiming another gold medal in 32.70 and Albury with the silver in 33.96.

Izaak Bastians time of 29.39 won silver in the Boys 15-17 race.

Lockhart and Lamar Taylor finished with silver and bronze respectively in the Boys 13-14 100m Free. Lockhart finished second in 55.01 and Taylor was third in 55.41.

In the 200m Butterfly, Nigel Forbes won silver in the Boys 11-12 in 2:28.59, while Ian Pinder took gold in the Boys 13-14 in 2:17.57. Albury Higgs picked up her third individual medal of the night with bronze in her division in 2:31.85.

The 800m Free Relay produced two medals for team Bahamas. In the Boys 13-14, the team of Taylor, Carey, Lockhart and Trent Albury won silver in 8:37.09 secs. In the Girls 15-17 it was the Higgs sisters, Virginia Stamp and Brianna Nesbitt swimming to a bronze medal finish in 9:03.42 secs.

Tonights final session will be highlighted by the 400m Free, 50m Free, 100m Breast, 200m Back and 200m Free Relay.

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Bahamas In The Lead Heading Into Final Swim Day - Bahamas Tribune

NASSAU, The Bahamas, Tuesday April 18, 2017 The leader of the Bahamas main opposition Free National Movement (FNM) Leader Dr Hubert Minnis is back in the publics glare with a vengeance, declaring hes ready to take Prime Minister Perry Christies job.

On May 10, Bahamians will go to the polls to elect a new government. And Minnis, who was missing from Parliament for the past three months, has signalled hes fired up and ready to go.

In recent weeks, critics have accused Minnis of running from the press, but he told reporters last week that nothing could be further from truth and that he has been on a serious mission.

I was not at Parliament because I was out campaigning. The FNM and my focus is to take Perry Christies job. I want his job, my colleagues want the other ministers job. So we were not running from anyone; we were campaigning, preparing ourselves for election, he said.

He [Christie] says its a sprint. Its a sprint for who? We have been moving continuously all along, its not a sprint for us.

Minnis, who was ousted as Opposition Leader by colleague Loretta Turner-Butler last December, suggested that Christie and the ruling Progressive Labour Party (PLP) would be the ones doing the sprinting to catch his party.

However, PLP Chairman Bradley Roberts has accused Dr Minnis of refusing to talk to the press and publicly debate Christie.

Its shocking and unbelievable that the man who wants to be Prime Minister turns his back on the press. Minnis has also refused to debate the man he seeks to replace, Prime Minister Perry G Christie. Clearly, the Bahamian people will draw the correct conclusion that Minnis is unprepared and not ready for the high office of Prime Minister, he charged in a statement.

A defiant Minnis hit back, saying that Roberts cannot speak for the FNM and when the party is ready to engage in a debate, it would do so.

When were ready it can be done and on our terms not on Bradley Roberts terms. But we are focused now on removing Perry Christie and the PLP and Bradley Roberts so we dont hear his voice ever again in this Bahamas, he said.

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Hubert Minnis Going After Bahamas PM's Job - Caribbean360.com (subscription)