Changing the mindset

The benefits of backyard gardening can mean an improvement in health, with the consumption of more fresh fruits and vegetables; you can save money on groceries; get in some outdoor exercise as gardening is a physical activity as well as mental exercise; and it is a natural stress reliever as being outside in the fresh air and sunshine can improve a person’s mood and they can feel a sense of accomplishment at the success they achieve in growing their own produce.

Then, there’s also the fact that there is no comparison between the taste of a garden-fresh fruit or vegetable grown in your backyard to the one purchased at the grocery store. While growing your own produce can seem overwhelming, at Colonial Group, the parent company of CG Atlantic, they impress upon staff the beneficial takeaways of backyard gardening, and through its Zest Wellness Garden Society, have led the way in standing behind their beliefs with a backyard garden at their office from which all members of staff are able to avail themselves of the fresh produce grown during harvest time.

The garden initiative was introduced in 2019 as a way for their 100-plus staff complement from its New Providence and Grand Bahama offices to be educated about sustainability and becoming self-sufficient by using resources available to them and, at the same time, improve their food quality, as well as being cognizant of the type of food they are consuming and having the knowledge and ability to modify for healthier alternatives.

“We are trying to change the mindset of people,” said Donovan Ingraham, corporate wellness manager at CG Atlantic. “For me, the most important thing is seeing a healthier Bahamian population and a reduction in obesity. As a company, we want to educate people on ways to protect themselves and the generation that will follow them. Through this garden, our goal is to change the mindset of Bahamians in the way they conceptualize food, and to appreciate produce and food. Creating this garden space is a step forward in identifying food for lifestyle changes.”

During harvest periods, staff are presented with goodie bags with an assortment of items from the garden inclusive of vegetables, herbs and fruits.

A nutritionist, Ingraham said through the garden, and the various events held around it, they interact with their peers to conceptualize easier ways to be healthy, and to send a message of holistic lifestyle changes.

“We create initiatives through which we encourage staff to utilize the goodie bags to showcase their meals, whether utilizing the thyme or rosemary they received to create a chicken dish, or adding herbs to add to a soup.”

To date, the garden has yielded crop that has included tomatoes, peppers, pumpkin, radishes, sweet peppers, hot peppers, butternut squash, rosemary… and even eggplant – also known as aubergine – a vegetable CG Atlantic employee DaeVanda Adams never thought she would ever eat for the simple reason, she did not have any knowledge about how to prepare it. She has since learned to cook eggplant after receiving it during a previous harvest.

Plants coming in, in a bed at CG Atlantic’s backyard farm. Donovan Ingraham, corporate wellness manager at CG Atlantic, anticipates their next harvest will take place late January or early February.

“During that particular harvest, we got a recipe book that showed how to make eggplant different ways. Now I know how to cook it, and I do.”

While Adams does not engage in backyard gardening at home, she likes the program, and said she does take the time to visit the garden to see what is growing. She is looking forward to their next harvest.

Ingraham anticipates their next harvest will take place late January or early February.

Adams and her peers will be able to reap the rewards of an Italian-themed harvest. The produce yield will feature rosemary, dill, basil, chard, bok choi, chives, tomatoes, cabbage, parsley, cilantro, and cucumber.

This will be CG Zest Wellness’ first themed harvest.

“Before, it was random selection. But this harvest, the drive is to have a series of recipes or education sessions around recipes,” said Ingraham. “We want to change the mindset of people just being stuck in the Bahamian diet, and introduce products they can incorporate into their diet.”

And he said employees not only reap the reward from the harvest, but they are also able to participate in backyard garden tutorials led by the CG Wellness team through which they receive the skills to expand the garden space, not just at work, but at home and in their communities.

“We are trying to build on what Eleanor Roosevelt did during World War II (1941-1945), which meant people were still able to eat healthily and affordably.”

In 1943, with the war underway, the United States’ first lady had a victory garden planted on the front lawn of the White House. The message: abundant yields were possible for any aspiring gardener. By May 1943, victory gardens supplied 40 percent of the produce in America, according to Smithsonian Libraries.

Janay Hanna, corporate wellness coordinator, CG Atlantic, checks on crops. To date, the garden has yielded crops that has included tomatoes, peppers, pumpkins, radishes, sweet peppers, hot peppers, butternut squash, rosemary and eggplant.

Victory gardens (originally called war gardens or liberty gardens) made their first appearance during World War 1 (1914-1918). President Woodrow Wilson called on Americans to plant vegetable gardens to ward off the possible threat of food shortages.

During both wars, millions of Americans helped the war effort by turning front yards, backyards, schoolyards, and vacant lots into vegetable gardens.

The garden, which is located at CG Atlantic’s head office, 2nd Terrace, Collins Avenue, at the rear entrance parking lot, was created by CG’s Zest Wellness team and based across several jurisdictions. The Bahamas team was the first jurisdiction to create its garden space which is three feet by seven, across two plots.

Ingraham said they can harvest crops up to three times per year before they have to be replaced. In the summer months, which is a tough growing period, due to the heat, they allow the garden’s soil to be replenished, so that it remains healthy, so that they can continue to provide healthy vegetables for their staff.

“We have employees who are gung-ho about learning gardening techniques, some who have their own gardens, and some have started growing just one item. We have persons who talk in excitement about transforming a standard recipe using herbs and produce they grew. It’s a sense of joy for them to grow vegetables and herbs and consume it. Growing it is great, but they also get to benefit from something they take a delight in growing.”

The corporate wellness manager said it is his vision to see their garden grow to the point where they can have a growing experience with clients they work with. He also wants to see them not only have garden spaces at their offices, but everyone engaging in a barter operation across the offices in a form of a farmer’s market and they share what they grow.

Through their garden, Ingraham said the ultimate goal of Zest Wellness is to decrease food insecurity and improve community health, especially as the COVID-19 pandemic has seen food supply chain disruptions.

Ingraham said the ultimate goal of CG is to change the perception and increase the awareness that gardening is good for many things – good for a person’s health, as it can be a good way to relieve stress, for a person to set goals for themselves, and that growing their own produce can lead to becoming more sustainable. Persons wanting to start their own backyard/community garden can also take inspiration from the blog at www.cgzestwellnessblog.com.

The post Changing the mindset appeared first on The Nassau Guardian.

source https://thenassauguardian.com/changing-the-mindset/

Cavities are likely to increase after COVID

As The Bahamas approaches the end of our second year of the COVID-19 pandemic, the ongoing health challenges continue to impact patients and our collective mental health. This has become more obvious to dentists as we are seeing an increase in bruxism (grinding of teeth), chipped and cracked teeth, jaw joint disorders and diseases like cavities and periodontal disease.

In this column, I address the relationship between the COVID pandemic and the increase in tooth decay.

COVID-19 is a coronavirus that attacks the respiratory system. Signs and symptoms include fever, cough and shortness of breath. In more severe cases, infection can cause pneumonia, severe acute respiratory syndrome and sometimes death. Patients who die from complications of COVID-19 suffer because they become immunocompromised.

Dental professionals are always seeking to understand why many patients are suffering rampant tooth decay. Studies are showing a direct association with the pandemic. Here are a few important factors at play:

Stress has a significant impact on the immune system: Stress affects the body’s ability to fight off infection. Also, stress impacts the body’s overall hormone balance causing the production of stress-related hormones like cortisol, which has widespread effects throughout the body.

Stress affects saliva production and flow, leading to an increase in dry mouth. Dry mouth (xerostomia) leads to thicker and stickier plaque. Since saliva is necessary to neutralize acids that come from decay-causing bacteria, a thick or limited supply results in aggressive tooth decay.

Also, long-term stress can lead to anxiety and depression. This leads to prescribed medications designed to manage the stress. Many of these medications have side effects such as dry mouth.

Mouth breathing, associated with constant mask wearing, causes dry mouth. This causes a change in the pH and the flora of bacteria in the oral cavity. Dry mouth does not only contribute to changes, but stress also impacts the body’s bacterial balance. This imbalance leads to more bad bacteria, which cause conditions including tooth decay and periodontal disease.

Stress-related eating can lead to an increase in cavities during the COVID-19 pandemic: The classic comfort foods are often high in sugar, which alters the overall bacteria flora in a way that is more ideal for decay-causing bacteria.

Also, the pandemic has likely caused changes to persons’ overall dietary choices and has increased the frequency of meals. As patients have been working more at home, and less at the workplace, many patients may find themselves eating different foods or eating or snacking more frequently at home. Many eat in bed and fall asleep without brushing their teeth. Here, again, this changes the overall oral environment. If patients have not changed their overall oral hygiene habits to compensate for this, then decay rates are likely to increase.

Significant financial and economic changes are seen amid the pandemic: Job changes and layoffs during the pandemic affected some dental benefit plans for many patients. Since many dental offices were closed, or saw minimum patients during the earlier days of the pandemic, this led to a reduced standard of care for many patients.

For those patients that have poor oral hygiene, or who already have significant dental conditions, this created a perfect storm for a significant increase in the rate of cavities and other dental problems.

The COVID-19 pandemic has created a significant increase in health challenges for most of the public. As patients return to dental offices with major oral health challenges like rampant cavities and periodontal disease, dentists throughout The Bahamas are adequately prepared to manage these severe oral health conditions. See your friendly dentist at your earliest opportunity to avoid dental emergencies.

• Dr. Kendal V.O. Major is the founder and CEO of the Center for Specialized Dentistry, which is a comprehensive family dental practice operating in New Providence and Grand Bahama. He is the first Bahamian specialist in gum diseases and dental implants since 1989. He is also a certified fast braces provider. His practice is located at 89 Collins Avenue, New Providence. He can be contacted at (242) 325-5165 or kmajorcsd@gmail.com.

The post Cavities are likely to increase after COVID appeared first on The Nassau Guardian.

source https://thenassauguardian.com/cavities-are-likely-to-increase-after-covid/

T’is the season for runny noses

December is upon us. It’s the most wonderful time of the year, and with it comes our Bahamian version of winter, complete with sporadic cool weather, cute boots, and runny noses. The sounds of birds chirping in the morning have now been replaced by your child’s sneezing fits and “haulin’ up” and, as you watch him try to rub his nose off his face, because of all the itching, you wonder why your child gets this cold every single time the weather changes. The truth is, your child’s symptoms – sneezing, congestion, and runny nose – may not be a cold at all, but more likely seasonal allergies (allergic rhinitis).

Seasonal allergies, or seasonal allergic rhinitis, are allergy symptoms that happen during certain times of the year, usually when exposure to outdoor allergens is increased. The immune systems of people with seasonal allergies treat these allergens as invaders and release chemicals, including histamine, into the bloodstream to defend against them. It’s the release of these chemicals that causes allergy symptoms.

Seasonal allergies can start at almost any age and is one of the more common reasons parents bring their child to the pediatrician during “Bahamian winter”. Symptoms can include sneezing; itchy nose and/or throat; nasal congestion; clear, runny nose and coughing, with symptoms being worse early in the morning or in the evening. Kids with seasonal allergies can also have itchy, watery, and/or red eyes, which is called allergic conjunctivitis or even wheezing and shortness of breath, indicative of asthma.

The pattern of symptoms with seasonal allergies returns year after year making this condition easily identifiable. If you think your child has seasonal allergies, talk with your pediatrician. Be prepared to answer questions about your child’s symptoms and when they appear. Your pediatrician will be able to make a diagnosis based on your answers and a physical exam.

One of the most important parts of treating seasonal allergies is minimizing exposure to triggers. Limit exposure to the cool air outside and dust inside. This can be done by keeping windows closed and removing sources of dust like stuffed animals, curtains and carpets from the home. If reducing exposure isn’t possible, or is ineffective, your pediatrician can prescribe medicines to help ease allergy symptoms. These may include decongestants, antihistamines, and nasal spray steroids.

One thing your pediatrician will not prescribe for seasonal allergies is antibiotics – so, don’t even ask. Antibiotics are reserved for bacterial infections like bacterial pneumonia or a bacterial sinusitis. Both of these conditions would cause your child to have a fever (temperature of 100.4 F or higher) and cause them to appear much sicker than seasonal allergies ever could. Many parents mistake seasonal allergy symptoms for a cold or flu, but these conditions are also associated with fever. One thing they have in common with seasonal allergies, is that they don’t require antibiotics either since they are caused by viral infections.

It’s important to remember that there are a number of reasons for runny noses this time of year. Remember, your pediatrician is a valuable resource for helping you raise happy and healthy kids. Talk with them to find out what the cause of your child’s runny nose is and how to get your child (and yourself) some relief.

• Dr. Tamarra Moss is a pediatrician committed to helping you raise happy and healthy kids. You can find her at Dr. Carlos Thomas & Pediatric Associates in New Providence, Lucayan Medical Center in Grand Bahama, or on Instagram @mykidsdoc242. 

The post T’is the season for runny noses appeared first on The Nassau Guardian.

source https://thenassauguardian.com/tis-the-season-for-runny-noses-2/

Healthy feet for people with diabetes

Uncontrolled high blood sugar leads to permanent changes in the feet that puts all diabetics that are at high risk for foot ulcers, that take a long time or never heal, infections and amputations. These changes can lead to Peripheral Arterial Disease (PAD) or poor blood flow to the feet, diabetic peripheral neuropathy or loss of feeling/loss of protective sensation (LOPS) to the feet, deformities or changes in the shape of your feet, damage to temperature control mechanisms leading to dry, cracked skin and damages the immune system making neutrophils ineffective and increasing risk of infections. But these changes do not have to happen to you. You can have healthy feet by following the tips below:

1. The most important habit you must practice to have healthy feet is to achieve blood sugar control. This can be achieved by taking your medication or insulin as prescribed. When blood sugar is under control, the risk of infection and amputation is very low.

2. Check your feet every day for cuts, redness, swelling, sores, blisters, corns, calluses, or any other change to the skin or nails. Use a mirror if you can’t see the bottom of your feet, or ask a family member to help.

3. Wash your feet every day in warm (not hot) water. Don’t soak your feet. Dry your feet completely and apply lotion to the top and bottom—but not between your toes, which could lead to infection.

4. Never go barefoot. Always wear shoes and socks or slippers, even inside, to avoid injury. Check that there aren’t any pebbles or other objects inside your shoes and that the lining is smooth.

5. Wear shoes that fit well. For the best fit, try on new shoes at the end of the day when your feet tend to be largest. Break in your new shoes slowly—wear them for an hour or two a day at first until they’re completely comfortable. Always wear socks with your shoes.

6. Trim your toenails straight across and gently smooth any sharp edges with a nail file. Have your podiatrist (foot doctor) trim your toenails if you can’t see or reach your feet.

7. Don’t remove corns or calluses yourself, and especially don’t use over-the-counter products to remove them—they could burn your skin.

8. Get your feet checked at every healthcare visit. Also, visit your podiatrist every year (more often if you have nerve damage) for a complete exam, which will include checking for feeling and blood flow in your feet.

9. Keep the blood flowing. Put your feet up when you’re sitting, and wiggle your toes for a few minutes several times throughout the day.

10. Choose feet-friendly activities like walking, riding a bike, or swimming. Check with your doctor about which activities are best for you and any you should avoid. Exercise such as walking for half hour can also assist with blood glucose control and improve blood flow to the feet.

When to see your doctor

Have your feet examined by a podiatrist (foot doctor) at least once per year. Don’t wait for your next appointment, rather, see your doctor right away if you experience any of the following symptoms: 

• Pain in your legs or cramping in your buttocks, thighs, or calves during physical activity.

• Tingling, burning, or pain in your feet.

• Loss of sense of touch or ability to feel heat or cold very well.

• A change in the shape of your feet over time.

• Loss of hair on your toes, feet, and lower legs.

• Dry, cracked skin on your feet.

• A change in the color and temperature of your feet.

• Thickened, yellow toenails.

• Fungus infections such as athlete’s foot between your toes.

• A blister, sore, ulcer, infected corn, or ingrown toenail.

Most people with diabetes can prevent serious foot complications. Regular care at home and going to all doctor’s appointments are your best bet for preventing foot problems (and stopping small problems from becoming serious ones).

• For more information, email us at foothealth242@gmail.com or visit www.apma.org. To see a podiatrist, telephone 325-2996 for an appointment, visit Bahamas Foot Centre on Rosetta Street, or call 394-5824 for an appointment; or visit Bahamas Surgical Associates Centre on Hilltop Medical Centre off 4th Terrace Collins Avenue. In Grand Bahama, call Lucayan Medical Centre at 373-7400 for an appointment. 

The post Healthy feet for people with diabetes appeared first on The Nassau Guardian.

source https://thenassauguardian.com/healthy-feet-for-people-with-diabetes/

Canada drubs The Bahamas again

The Bahamas senior men’s national basketball team was a little more competitive on Monday… at least for the first half of play.

By the time the second half of basketball rolled around, the team slipped into a helpless state, falling victim to a barrage of three-point shots and inside power play by the Canadians. Canada rolled again, winning emphatically, 113-77, at the Palacio de los Deportes Virgilio Travieso Soto in Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic (DR).

Canada now has two wins in the opening window of the FIBA (International Basketball Federation) Americas World Cup Qualifiers while The Bahamas fell to a winless 0-2 record, losing both games convincingly. They lost the opening game to Canada, 115-73, on Sunday, dropping both games of the home and away series on neutral ground convincingly.

The Bahamas was still in the game at the half, trailing just 58-46, but Thomas Scrubb made back-to-back three-point shots at the 

beginning of the third for Canada and the rout was on. From there, The Bahamas  never got to within single digits again, trailing by as much as 36 points in the lopsided affair.

David Nesbitt had a respectable shooting night for The Bahamas, dropping in a side-high 18 points on 7-for-14 shooting and 2-for-7 shooting from deep. Point guard Dominick Bridgewater and Mychel Thompson dropped in 12 points apiece for The Bahamas. Travis Munnings was the only other player in double figures for The Bahamas with 10, and added eight rebounds and six assists – both team highs.

Kyle Wiltjer led Team Canada with a game-high 25 points on 8-for-15 shooting. He was 4-for-6 from three-point range. Kassius Robertson added 15 points on 6-for-11 shooting including 3-for-7 from deep, Phil Scrubb had 13 including a perfect 3-for-3 from deep, and Kenny Fred Chery scored 11 on 3-for-9 shooting. Thomas Scrubb and Aaron Best both scored 10, giving Canada six players in double figures scoring.

Canada shot 50.7 percent from the floor, going 38-for-75, compared to 42.4 percent for The Bahamas (28-for-66). The Bahamas hit just 8 of 30 of their three-point attempts while Canada shot a blistering 50 percent from distance (17-for-34). Additionally, Canada outrebounded The Bahamas, 48-30, dominated in bench points (49-17) and forced 19 turnovers while committing just 13 themselves.

The Bahamas never led, but stayed within striking distance for much of the opening period and trailed by single digits at the end of it – 34-26. They kept pace in the second quarter as well, but fell apart in the third and had the life sucked out of them in the fourth. By the end of the third quarter, Canada was ahead 83-59.

The Bahamas got no closer than 23 points in the fourth.

It was the fourth straight emphatic win for Canada over The Bahamas in senior men’s basketball, dating back to the 2019 world cup 

qualifiers. The Bahamas has lost by an average of 37 points in those four games.

Canada now has the upper hand among the four teams in Group C, gaining four points in the FIBA Basketball World Cup 2023 qualifying process. The other teams in the group are The Bahamas, the DR and the U.S. Virgin Islands (USVI). Just the top three nations will qualify for the second round of qualifiers.

With regular head coach Chris DeMarco fulfilling his player development role with the Golden State Warriors of the National Basketball Association (NBA), and Mario Bowleg now serving as the country’s newest sports minister, Moses Johnson stepped into the head coaching role for The Bahamas for this opening window of the FIBA Americas World Cup Qualifiers. He is being assisted by former NBA player Dexter Cambridge.

Bowleg served as the 

national coach during the FIBA AmeriCup 2022 Qualifiers in 2020 and 2021.

Canada is the highest ranked team in the group, coming in at number 18 in the FIBA World Rankings, presented by Nike. The DR and the USVI are at numbers 20 and 52, respectively, and The Bahamas is ranked at number 59.

The top three teams will advance to the second round of the qualifiers and will join other teams to create two six-team groups. The second round windows are scheduled for August 2022, November 2022, and February 2023. Each team will play two games in each window.

The top three teams in each group, plus the best fourth team, will qualify for the FIBA Basketball World Cup 2023. The FIBA Basketball World Cup 2023 is set to be held in the Philippines, Japan and Indonesia, August 25 to September 10, 2023.

The Bahamas has never advanced to the second round of the FIBA Americas World Cup Qualifiers.

The post Canada drubs The Bahamas again appeared first on The Nassau Guardian.

source https://thenassauguardian.com/canada-drubs-the-bahamas-again/

Ayton, Suns burn Nets for 16th straight win

Bahamian professional basketball player DeAndre Ayton is a part of the longest winning streak in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as he and the Phoenix Suns are on a 16-game winning streak.

The Suns (17-3)are the hottest team in the league, securing a 113-107 victory over the Eastern Conference-leading Brooklyn Nets (14-6) on Saturday night for their 16th straight win in the NBA.

Playing at the Barclays Center in Brooklyn, New York – their fourth consecutive game on the road – the Suns matched a franchise best record through 20 games, accomplishing what they did in the 2004-2005 season. The last time they lost was to the Sacramento Kings who had them in a 1-3 hole to start the season. Since then, they have won 16 straight and have a 17-3 win/loss record.

Ayton was quiet in their last game, finishing with just 10 points and six rebounds – 5.4 points and 5.5 rebounds below his season averages. In that game, Ayton went 5-for-8 from the field in 31 minutes of play. The big man notched a double-double the previous night in a 118-97 blowout win for the Suns over the New York Knicks (11-9). In that game, he finished with 14 points and 13 boards.

Against the Nets, the Suns showed no signs of fatigue as they quickly jumped out to a 21-8 lead at the 6:24 mark of the first quarter on an Ayton turnaround jump shot. The Suns closed out that quarter up 34-20. The lead was extended to 20 points when Chris Paul connected on a three-pointer for the Suns with 6:40 left in the first half. They were ahead 51-31 at that point. The Nets then went on a 15-0 scoring run to bring the lead down to five points, 51-46, with just under a minute left in the second quarter.

Paul helped the Suns increase the lead to 10 points, executing a mini 5-0 run of his own to end that first half. He finished the half with a buzzer-beating shot, and the Suns led 56-46 at the intermission.

Every time the Nets made a run, the Suns found answers on the offensive end to keep control of the game. The third quarter ended with the Suns up 90-72.

The Nets trimmed the lead down to 10 points with just under five minutes left in the game. The Suns led 106-96 at that point. The Suns called a timeout, and coming out of the timeout, Ayton made a turnaround hook shot to put his team up 108-96 at the 4:37 mark in the fourth quarter.

The Nets managed to get the lead down to seven points with under 45 seconds left in the game, 110-103, but they ran out of time and the Suns held on for the win.

Leading the way for the Suns in scoring was Devin Booker with 30 points. The Nets’ Kevin Durant finished with a game-high 39 points.

The Suns were smoking hot from the field as they shot 55.7 percent compared to 37 percent for the Nets.

They will look to match their franchise record of 17 straight wins tonight when they host the league 

leading Golden State Warriors (18-2) at the Footprint Center in Phoenix, Arizona. Action gets underway at 10 p.m. and the game will be televised nationally on TNT. The Suns’ franchise record of 17 straight wins was done during the 2006-2007 season.

Friday night was a milestone night for Bahamian Kai Jones as he scored his first points in his NBA career. The rookie did it with a slam dunk on a drive on the baseline with 21.2 seconds left in the Charlotte Hornets’ game against the Minnesota Timberwolves (10-10). The Hornets (13-9) easily took care of the Timberwolves, 133-113, at the Spectrum Center in Charlotte, North Carolina.

Jones, the 19th pick in this year’s NBA Draft, checked into the game with a little over three minutes left in the fourth quarter and finished with two points and one rebound – the first official statistics of his young career. This was his eighth career game, and his slam dunk was his only field goal attempt of the season as he has been playing sparingly.

Hornets’ reserve forward Kelly Oubre Jr. scored a game-high 27 points in the win. Timberwolves’ center Karl-Anthony Towns paced the Wolves with 25 points.

The Hornets have won eight of their last 10 games. They faced the Chicago Bulls (13-8) at the United Center in Chicago, Illinois, last night, but the result of that game was unavailable up to press time.

Bahamian guard Chavano ‘Buddy’ Hield was instrumental in the Sacramento Kings (8-13) 141-137 triple overtime victory over the Los Angeles Lakers (11-11) at the Staples Center in Los Angeles, California, on Friday night.

The guard came away with 25 points in 40 minutes on the floor. He went 8-for-21 from the field and shot 3-for-13 from deep. He also had four rebounds and six assists.

Hield was a key component in the third overtime period at which time he finished with six of the Kings’ 17 points. He went to the free throw line twice with less than 16 seconds left in the game and sank all four free throws, enabling the Kings to hold on for the thrilling victory.

On Sunday, Hield was limited to 12 points on just 5-for-17 from the field and a woeful 1-for-9 performance from deep. With that one made shot from deep, Hield extended his streak of games with at least one three-pointer to 30 – the fifth-longest streak of his six-year NBA career. He has hit at least one three-point shot in every game this season and is second in the league in made three-pointers this season with 85. He is on pace to shatter his franchise record of 282 made three-pointers in a season that was done last season. Just the Warriors’ Stephen Curry is ahead of him in made three-pointers this season with 105 as he recently broke his own record of fastest to 100 three-pointers in a season.

The Kings lost on the road to the Memphis Grizzlies (10-10) at the FedEx Forum in Memphis, Tennessee, on Sunday, falling 128-101. They host the Lakers at the Golden 1 Center in Sacramento, California, tonight. That game gets underway at 10 p.m.

The post Ayton, Suns burn Nets for 16th straight win appeared first on The Nassau Guardian.

source https://thenassauguardian.com/ayton-suns-burn-nets-for-16th-straight-win/

Mingoes unofficially open season; host time trials

The University of The Bahamas (UB) track and field team unofficially kicked off its athletics season with a time trials on Monday at the original Thomas A. Robinson Track and Field Stadium.

Runners for the UB Mingoes participated in the 60 meters (m), 60m hurdles, 150m, 350m and 600m distances early Monday morning with the dew still in the air and the sun just coming up.

UB head coach Ednal Rolle said he felt great about the team’s performance considering the many challenges the team has been facing because of the COVID-19 pandemic.

“After such a long time without competing because of the pandemic and just getting back into competing on the collegiate scene, I am pleased with the time the athletes are turning in,” Rolle said. “This shows us that most of them are ahead of where they were during the pandemic. This makes me very excited about the upcoming season.”

With the long layoff because of the pandemic he said team members need to get more comfortable with each other to build team spirit.

“I think the team needs some more camaraderie because we have not been able to practice as much as we would like to as a team,” he said.

Being in a virtual world has impacted the team’s concentration as well, Rolle said.

“I need them to get more focused for the upcoming season. Sometimes, they allow their lifestyles to interfere with their training and their school work and now it’s just a matter of getting that focus back,” he said.

UB quarter-miler Donya Roberts ran the 60m and 350m events as a way to get himself ready for the 400. He said it felt good being back on the track.

“I feel really confident,” he said. “I was working on my speed and this is really helping me in that aspect of my race. Hopefully, I keep progressing and can get a faster pace in the 400 meters event.”

The Mingoes expect to open the season locally at the T-Bird Flyers Meet January 14-15, 2022 at the Thomas A. Robinson National Stadium and internationally at the University of Miami (UM) Hurricane Invitational on March 12, 2022 in Coral Gables, Florida.

The post Mingoes unofficially open season; host time trials appeared first on The Nassau Guardian.

source https://thenassauguardian.com/mingoes-unofficially-open-season-host-time-trials/

The Central Bank projects constrained revenue collection

Softened revenue intake is expected to continue for the government as taxable economic activity is expected to remain below capacity, The Central Bank of The Bahamas (CBOB) states in its Monthly Economic Financial Developments (MEFD) report for October, adding that the government’s financing needs are expected to remain high as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic and Hurricane Dorian.

The CBOB explained that improvements in tax revenue will likely come in lockstep with improvements in the country’s tourism gains.

The government revealed in its supplementary budget that it expects to pick up just under $100 million in additional tax revenue, the lion’s share of which will come from value-added tax (VAT), despite its plan to reduce that rate from 12 to 10 percent.

The supplementary budget also includes additional recurrent expenditure in the neighborhood of $53 million.

According to the MEFD report, the government’s expenditure will continue to be strained by social outlays due to the COVID-19 pandemic and continued infrastructure improvements across Abaco and Grand Bahama as a result of the devastation caused by Hurricane Dorian in 2019.

“On the fiscal front, attributed to constrained revenue collections and higher outlays for health and social welfare related to COVID-19, along with costs still associated with the reconstruction of key infrastructure following the major 2019 storm, government’s net financing needs are forecasted to remain elevated,” the MEFD report states.

“Projected revenue shortfall should continue, with expectations that taxable economic activity should remain below capacity, improving mostly in line with tourism recovery.”

The report states that the government’s 2021/2022 fiscal year is expected to be funded through an increase in the use of domestic sources of finance, as the country’s foreign currency borrowing options continue to be eroded by credit rating agency downgrades, two of which occurred over the past two months.

The government began debating its supplemental budget in the House of Assembly yesterday.

Part of the government’s plan to improve revenue collection apart from reducing VAT to 10 percent, is to remove zero-rated items put in place by the Free National Movement administration.

The government hopes the decrease in VAT will spur spending in the local economy.

The government has also vowed to improve revenue collection.

The post The Central Bank projects constrained revenue collection appeared first on The Nassau Guardian.

source https://thenassauguardian.com/the-central-bank-projects-constrained-revenue-collection/

Marginal growth in 2021, foreign reserves will remain strong, notes MEFD report

The Central Bank of The Bahamas (CBOB) continues to foresee marginal growth for the Bahamian economy this year, given the strengthening of the tourism sector, the bank states in its Monthly Economic Financial Developments (MEFD) report for October, adding that external reserves are projected to end the year higher than in 2020.

According to the CBOB, new and ongoing foreign investment projects will also continue to support the marginal growth of the economy. The bank maintains, however, that continued improvements in the country’s economy continue to hinge on global efforts to contain the COVID-19 pandemic.

“In this environment, sustained gains in the tourism sector remain reliant upon more cemented progress at the global level in containing and reducing the spread of COVID-19,” the bank states.

The bank explained that the country’s external reserves are expected to remain at more than adequate levels to sustain the country’s dollar parity with the US. It added that it will continue to maintain its accommodative stance in private sector credit as it ensures reserves remain strong.

“External reserve balances are anticipated to surpass the 2020 level, notwithstanding some expected seasonal drawdowns over the remainder of 2021, with a greater share of foreign currency demand being satisfied by private sector receipts,” the bank report states.

“In addition, the bank will remain diligent in its monitoring of foreign exchange developments and if necessary, adopt appropriate measures to support a positive outturn for external reserves.”

On the employment front, the MEFD report explains that the bank continues to expect the country’s unemployment rate to remain high over the near term. It adds that job gains have thus far been concentrated in the construction sector and in the tourism sector as it regains its momentum.

The bank does expect some inflationary firming soon as a result of an increase in global oil prices.

The post Marginal growth in 2021, foreign reserves will remain strong, notes MEFD report appeared first on The Nassau Guardian.

source https://thenassauguardian.com/marginal-growth-in-2021-foreign-reserves-will-remain-strong-notes-mefd-report/

Report: short-term rental occupancies double

The short-term rental market is having a much improved start in the fourth quarter of 2021, with room nights sold more than doubling compared to the same period last year, according to The Central Bank of The Bahamas’ (CBOB) Monthly Economic Financial Developments (MEFD) report for October, which also revealed that stopover arrivals increased to 58,857 in October, from just 4,794 in 2020.

The vacation rental market had an increase in sold room nights to 71,234 compared to 26,656 last October, according to the report, which uses data from market research site AirDNA.

AirDNA also revealed that occupancy rates improved last month for entire place listings from 29.1 percent last October to 44.7 percent this October, while hotel comparable listings went from 30.6 percent last year to 42.4 percent this year.

“Price indicators improved year over year, as the average daily room rate (ADR) increased for entire place listings and hotel comparable listings by 25.4 percent and by 17.4 percent, to $462.78 and $168.65, respectively,” the report states.

“On a year-to-date basis, total room nights sold firmed by 50.3 percent, reflecting respective gains in bookings for entire place and hotel comparable listings, of 52.5 percent and 32.8 percent.”

Sea traffic to The Bahamas from September improved to 115,312 from a dismal 1,862 a year earlier, as major cruise lines began returning many more ships into service since halting operations 20 months earlier because of the COVID-19 pandemic.

The CBOB report revealed that tourism outputs have maintained strength through October “undergirded by gains in the high value-added air segment and uptick in sea traffic”.

The bank said these improvements reflect progress in vaccination efforts locally and internationally.

“The most recent data provided by Nassau Airport Development Company Limited (NAD) revealed that total departures – net of domestic passengers – rose to 58,857 in October, from a modest 4,794 in the corresponding month of 2020,” the MEFD report states.

“In particular, US departures recovered to 51,941 from 3,629 in the prior year, while non-US departures increased to 6,916, from 1,165. On a year-to-date basis, outward bound traffic expanded by 50.6 percent, following a decline of 70 percent last year.

“Underpinning this outturn, US departures grew by 67.2 percent, a turnaround from a 72.7 percent falloff in the previous year. In addition, the decline in non-US departures slowed to 44.3 percent, from 64.8 percent in the comparative period of 2020.”

The post Report: short-term rental occupancies double appeared first on The Nassau Guardian.

source https://thenassauguardian.com/report-short-term-rental-occupancies-double/

MOU signed by CARDI, CTI to improve capacity in agriculture

The Caribbean Agricultural Research and Development Institute (CARDI) formally entered into a memorandum of understanding (MOU) with the One Eleuthera Foundation’s (OEF) Centre for Training and Innovation (CTI) yesterday, in a move to improve local knowledge in regards to food production, especially on the island of Eleuthera.

The collaboration is expected to introduce younger Bahamians to the best practices and latest innovations of the agricultural sector and help the country reduce its $1 billion per annum food import bill.

OEF Chairman and CTI Director Mario Smith said during a press conference to formalize the MOU at the Ministry of Agriculture, Marine Resources and Family Island Affairs, that the agreement with CARDI will create an ongoing strategic partnership, fostering developments in technology and human capital through internships and other initiatives.

He said given the current problems caused by the pandemic, now is an important time for capacity building in the agricultural sector.

“On a local level, this agreement translates into practical training and grass roots support for the local farmers of Eleuthera, as we help to strengthen the local farming industry through ongoing training, educational workshops, shared resources and access to the research and industry best practices farmers need to be competitive, expand operations and increase their capacity and crop production,” said Smith.

“There has probably never been a time in recent history when local farming and the strengthening of domestic food and agricultural supply chains has been more relevant and important.

“We’ve seen the impact of widespread increases in global and local food insecurity prior to and as a direct result of COVID-19 and the increasing need for community access to affordable, healthy, nutritious food.”

Animal Scientist and Country Representative for CARDI Dr. Michelle Singh said during the press conference that the collaboration in agricultural training will provide education and employment preparedness to Bahamians.

“Over the next five years, both institutions will develop and implement training courses and programs in various disciplines as well as share resources, experiences and knowledge,” said Singh.

“The government of The Bahamas is keen to improve domestic production and reduce the country’s high food import bill. This MOU will directly address the knowledge gap of stakeholders by developing targeted educational programs or scientists, nutritionists, farmers, extension officers, agripreneurs and teachers, among others.”

Minister of Agriculture, Marine Resources and Family Island Affairs Clay Sweeting, who is also the member of Parliament for Central and South Eleuthera, lauded the initiative, explaining that it is very important for himself and the agricultural industry to engage young people interested in farming.

“Additionally, I am sure that given CTI’s track record in education, that the participants in courses will understand the mechanics of farming and the business behind it, to improve capacity in food security locally and globally.”

The post MOU signed by CARDI, CTI to improve capacity in agriculture appeared first on The Nassau Guardian.

source https://thenassauguardian.com/mou-signed-by-cardi-cti-to-improve-capacity-in-agriculture/

Minnis defends 150-year lease agreement with RCCL

Former Prime Minister Dr. Hubert Minnis yesterday defended his government’s decision to allow Royal Caribbean Cruise Lines (RCCL) to lease property on Paradise Island for $140,000 per year for 150 years.

“I agree that the standard lease time is 100 years,” he said in the House yesterday.

“I accept that and I am certain that RCCL would have no problem with reverting from 150 to 100 years.”

The land, which is on the western end of Paradises Island, has been the subject of controversy in recent months.

Minnis was responding to Seabreeze MP Leslia Miller-Brice who, during her contribution in the House, blasted the deal.

“When we see deals such as this, we have to be angry,” she said.

She added, “To offer a major cruise line a 150-year [lease]…on Paradise Island is the height of incompetence and disrespect for the Bahamian people.”

Minnis said the plan would have benefitted many Bahamians.

“The benefits certainly outweigh the lease of the property,” he said.

“Madam Speaker, RCCL would embark on a $55 million investment on that particular property. In fact, they are even increasing that. There would be many jobs created for Bahamians. All of the investment on the property itself would be run by Bahamians.

“And RCCL would assist Bahamians with funding to ensure that they are intimately involved.

“In addition to that, Madam Speaker, there would be 80 Bahamians who would be involved in the construction; excellent salaries. Upon completion of the project, there would be an additional 150 to 200 Bahamians who would be hired at a salary of $30,000 to $40,000 per annum. And most importantly, RCCL presently brings about one million tourists to The Bahamas.

“With this project, the 

numbers would increase, which would benefit all Bahamians, especially those within the hospitality and tourist industry.”

Bahamian businessman Toby Smith said he planned to develop the land into his own beach club after receiving a letter from the government dated January 7, 2020, agreeing to lease the land to his company, Paradise Island Lighthouse and Beach Club Company Limited.

Royal Caribbean, however, is interested in developing a beach excursion on Paradise Island, noting that it plans to greatly increase the number of passengers it brings into Nassau in the future and citing a need for more options for guests when they leave the ship while in port.

Clint Watson, the press secretary in the Office of the Prime Minister, said last week that the Davis administration is looking to reach an amicable resolution over the disputed beachfront property.

The post Minnis defends 150-year lease agreement with RCCL appeared first on The Nassau Guardian.

source https://thenassauguardian.com/minnis-defends-150-year-lease-agreement-with-rccl/

Row erupts in the House

A testy and heated row erupted in the House of Assembly last night between House Speaker Patricia Deveaux and several members of the opposition.

At one point, the speaker threatened to remove a member from the chamber.

As Long Island MP Adrian Gibson wrapped up his contribution to the debate on the supplementary budget, Deveaux said she was ashamed of the way members from both sides behaved during the debate. 

“When members rise, from this day forward, they will say to me whether it is a point of order, point of clarification and you will respect the member and the other member will sit,” she said. 

That was a repeated issue during the debate. Members constantly argued over whether other members were making a valid point of order.

Gibson made that argument several times during his contribution.

Deveaux said, “There will not be two members on their feet. I allowed it to happen today because I want to clarify your behavior today. Then, we will be respectful. 

“Today’s events was very unparliamentary. I am ashamed on both sides. The cellphones, the laptops, all of the noises will cease or I will have it taken away.

“Respect. This is the people’s House. This is not our House.

“They put us here to do a job. After today, you will meet a new speaker in this chair. I allowed a lot of things to happen, so I can speak to it. Respect. I don’t want any member to tell me from this day forward whether I allow a point of order or not. I allow members to get up, I hear them, I make the final decision.

“No member will tell me what is a point of order or not from this day forward. I am here to bring respect to this chair and, whether you like it or not, respect will be given from all sides. 

“I am ashamed of the behavior today. It will not go any further. Now, I want you to go and think on those things.”

At that point, laughter erupted from the opposition side. 

Deveaux looked at the opposition side and asked, “Is it funny? Is it funny? I want to know if it’s funny? Did I make a joke?”

A member of the opposition responded to the speaker.

She asked, “Say to me why you’re laughing? Now, listen here, I didn’t crack a joke and let me tell you something…”

The member asked if he could speak, but the speaker said, “No, I don’t need to hear from you.”

The opposition member made another comment and the speaker said, “I am not talking to children but do not act as children. Do not act as children.”

As the back and forth continued, the speaker rose to her feet, “Listen, listen, I am standing now. Please, have a seat.

“I am standing in this House now and I have said what my likes and what my dislikes are. It’s not funny but you laughed.

“You are making a mockery of the chair … because you laughed. The people of this country are watching.”

She added, “I am ashamed.”

The speaker then took her seat.

Leader of Government Business Obie Wilchcombe rose to his feet, signaling that it was “an appropriate time to suspend”. He also agreed with the speaker and said he saw some “repetitive” behavior during the debate.

Gibson rose on a point of order, causing the speaker to respond, “I just said we will allow the member to complete, then you will rise on a point of order. I just said it.”

Opposition members began shouting at the chair.

The speaker, referring to Central Grand Bahama MP Iram Lewis, said, “You don’t tell me what I need to do.”

She told him, “I will have you removed from this place.”

Lewis continued making comments.

Gibson, who wanted to make his point of order, attempted to calm Lewis down. 

The speaker said, “You don’t tell me what I need to do. You are very disrespectful, Central Grand Bahama.”

The row eventually subsided.

The House meets tomorrow.

The post Row erupts in the House appeared first on The Nassau Guardian.

source https://thenassauguardian.com/row-erupts-in-the-house/

Davis: Minnis was considering 15% VAT hike

As he defended his government’s decision to decrease value-added tax (VAT) to 10 percent and impose the tax on breadbasket items, Prime Minister Philip Brave Davis said the International Monetary Fund (IMF) recommended to the previous government that if it did not change its VAT structure, the tax would need to be raised to 15 percent.

“I want the Bahamian people to hear me very clearly,” Davis said as he led off debate on the supplementary budget and VAT Amendment Bill, 2021.

“When we came to office, analysis performed by the IMF indicated that if the government didn’t change its VAT structure, VAT would have to be raised to 15 percent. Imagine that.

“Now, I know you all remember that the member for Killarney told the Bahamian people that he went to election eight months early because the country faced headwinds and tough decisions.

“We said at the time that he wanted Bahamians to vote before he raised their taxes, and this major tax increase appears to be what he had in mind. Raising VAT to 15 percent would have turned headwinds into a hurricane.

“Raising VAT to 15 percent wouldn’t have been just a tough decision, it would have been a terrible decision that would have plunged our economy into a downward spiral, past the point of no return.”

Former Prime Minister and Minister of Finance Dr. Hubert Minnis recently said he decided to call an early election because difficult times were ahead for the country and the government needed a new mandate to make some “very, very difficult” decisions.

He said some “headwinds” are coming and that in order to manage those “it was essential to have a new mandate because very, very difficult decisions have to be made”.

Minnis did not explain what headwinds he was referring to or what difficult decisions he was going to make, but it is likely connected to the ongoing fiscal crisis and the health crisis that dealt a blow to the national economy.

He led the Free National Movement to defeat in the September 16 election, with the party winning just seven of the 39 parliamentary seats.

On a point of order yesterday, Minnis said his administration had no plan to increase VAT.

But Davis argued that Minnis never disclosed to the Bahamian people that the IMF recommended an increase in taxes.

“You know, there are a lot of flies on walls and they are very busy and they fly around a lot,” he said. 

“Sometimes, they land on the wrong wall. And guess what? Flies could talk, too. So, what I said is that he talked about tough decisions having to be made after the elections. 

“…We said that it was our belief that they were going to raise taxes. I am now pointing out that there is a basis for that belief and the basis for that belief was the IMF recommending to them to raise it to 15 percent.

“Now what they intended to do or not is another matter because the Bahamian people took care of that.”

Impossible

Given the fiscal reality, Davis said there is simply no way that increasing the VAT rate to 15 percent “just to keep a few exemptions and for the government to pay VAT for wealthy foreign companies was a good idea”.

“As Bahamians say, we just couldn’t make it make sense,” he said. 

“The IMF review of the Bahamian tax system implemented by the previous administration described the kind of exemption-riddled VAT regime with the government paying VAT for wealthy foreign companies, as reducing efficiency, lowering revenue, and increasing administrative and compliance costs. To retain that approach would have been counterproductive and wrong.

“Making matters worse, the report indicated that exemption and zero ratings are an ‘inefficient way of achieving redistribution objectives,’ which is another way of saying that paying VAT for rich foreign companies on select items is detrimental to working-class and low-income households.”

The Value-Added Tax (Amendment) (No.2) Bill, 2021 is scheduled to come into force on January 1, 2022. It will reduce the VAT rate from 12 percent to 10 percent and remove the zero-rated application from several items known as breadbasket items.

Additionally, it removes the zero-rated application from medicines and medicinal drugs, the majority of which already attracted VAT.

The prime minister said his government’s decisions on VAT are supported by “data, research and consultations with local and global experts”. 

“We considered every scenario possible and, at the end of our research and consultations, we were confident that we were making the right choice,” he said. 

Davis said the bill does not impose VAT on home insurance or on the rental of noncommercial properties.

“What the proposed bill does is make the purchase of fuel for private planes a VAT-able expense,” he said. 

“That was not the case under the previous administration.

“They don’t like to talk about how they made the government pay the VAT on fuel for private planes. VAT was originally exempt on transshipment services, which means they didn’t have to pay VAT and the government, therefore, didn’t have to refund it. That is the international standard.”

He said the Minnis administration changed this treatment, so the government had to give a refund on services that did not generate VAT in the first place.

“In essence, Madam Speaker, the government had to pay the VAT on these transshipment services,” Davis said. 

“These foreign companies experienced a windfall of millions and millions of dollars on the backs of Bahamian families and companies.

“This was a classic move by the previous administration. Tax breaks for themselves, their wealthy supporters and favored foreigners, tax increases on the backs of ordinary Bahamians.”

Davis said the supplementary budget seeks to stabilize the country’s finances while also “providing some relief for the Bahamian people”.

“Our supplementary budget recognizes there is an urgent need for change in this country that cannot wait for the next fiscal cycle,” he said.

He added that, despite the difficult times, there are reasons to be optimistic.

“Real GDP is expected to return to positive growth this year, to 2.0 percent, and is expected to peak at 8.0 percent in 2022,” he said.

“To keep the nation headed in a positive direction, to take advantage of the rebounding of the Bahamian economy, we must take immediate action to foster and sustain stronger economic growth.”

The post Davis: Minnis was considering 15% VAT hike appeared first on The Nassau Guardian.

source https://thenassauguardian.com/davis-minnis-was-considering-15-vat-hike/

Sexual abuse accounts for 20% of reports made to Child Protection Unit in 2021

Sexual abuse accounted for more than 20 percent of the cases reported to the Child Protection Unit since January 2021.

“Every single Bahamian should be concerned,” Minister of Social Services Obie Wilchcombe said when called for comment.

“Every Bahamian should be concerned. We all should be concerned and that is why my argument is if we’re all concerned, then let’s demonstrate our concern. Let’s demonstrate our concern.

“It should be led by my ministry and my ministry will lead the way. We’re not going to pass the blame on to anyone. We’re going to lead the way in seeking to bring resolution or management of what is going on. Why are children being so devalued?”

There were 335 cases reported to the unit between January and October, according to data obtained by this newspaper.

Neglect accounted for the majority of cases with 115 reported so far this year.

It was followed by sexual abuse with 78 cases reported and physical abuse with 62 cases.

Verbal abuse, emotional abuse, incest and abandonment accounted for 17 cases.

Wilchcombe said the statistics indicated that there is a lot of work to do.

“It’s alarming, to be honest with you, and sends a message that we have severe national social issues that require immediate and absolute attention because we cannot continue to rise up when there’s an incident and then return to lax after nine days,” he said.

“The truth is, we must be vigorous. We must be determined and it must be an everyday effort. My ministry will move to ensure that all the legislation that’s not completed is passed to deal with these situations.

“We’re going to cause for many things to be put in place in an effort to get the matter under control. We’re going to ensure that we have a minors’ advocate.”

Wilchcombe said his ministry will begin to discuss a strategic plan to assess the issue and “move with haste”.

The minister and his team at the Ministry of Social Services have been assessing child abuse statistics following national outrage in the aftermath of the death of four-year-old D’Onya “Bella” Walker, who was murdered earlier this month.

There were unsubstantiated reports on social media that the child had been sexually assaulted prior to death.

Wayne Munroe, the minister of national security, said he has not seen any indication that Walker was sexually abused.

• Make sure to pick up The Nassau Guardian over the next several days to learn more about sexual offenses and the Bahamian criminal justice system.

The post Sexual abuse accounts for 20% of reports made to Child Protection Unit in 2021 appeared first on The Nassau Guardian.

source https://thenassauguardian.com/sexual-abuse-accounts-for-20-of-reports-made-to-child-protection-unit-in-2021/

PM vows that former govt will be held to account over ‘reckless’ contracts

The projected expenditure of the Bahamas Public Parks and Beaches Authority increased by nearly 150 percent in the months leading up to the September 16 general election due to the award of contracts, Prime Minister Philip Brave Davis said yesterday.

Davis slammed the former Minnis administration over this “reckless and irresponsible” decision and vowed that “they will be held to account”.

“In the 2021/22 fiscal year, [the Bahamas Public Parks and Beaches Authority] had an approved budget of $15.2 million,” Davis, who is also the minister of finance, said as he led off debate on the supplementary budget.

“After contingencies, its total budget was around $28 million, an increase of 86 percent against budget.

“An increase that coincided with electioneering. I am now told that because of new contracts issued in the months of July, August and September of this year, the projected expenditure of the authority for this fiscal year is $37 million from $15 million. That’s an increase of almost 150 percent against the budgeted amount and, in dollars, it’s an increase of $22 million. Recalling now, Parliament only authorized $15.2 million. 

“I want that to sink in for a moment. I also want it to sink in that a number of these contracts were awarded to clean middle and high-end subdivisions, like Blair and Westridge, just to name a few.

“The member for St. Barnabas will undoubtedly have a lot of explaining to do. As a result of this reckless and irresponsible behavior by the member, as of September 30th, 2021 after only four months into the fiscal budget – and we have eight more months left – the authority had already utilized more than 60 percent of its budget for the entire year. I remind you eight months still remains.

“Guess what? The roadside contracts in Killarney had risen to almost $400,000 and more.

“I suppose that none of this should be surprising when we remember $20 million on sidewalks at the height of the pandemic, when hospitals were collapsing and Bahamians were homeless and hungry.

“Even so, the truth of it all will be revealed, and they will be held to account for their reckless decisions, made for short-term political benefit at the expense of the country.”

The issue was first raised two weeks ago by Minister of Public Works Alfred Sears. 

Sears, who was responding to a question by East Grand Bahama MP Kwasi Thompson, said there was a “rash of contracts” issued by the authority and that some were issued without board approval.

Sears also said that some contracts were duplicated. 

St. Barnabas MP Shanendon Cartwright, the former executive chairman of the authority, has defended his tenure. He said there was nothing sinister about the duplication of contracts and that there was no “mad rush” of contracts issued before the general election.

The post PM vows that former govt will be held to account over ‘reckless’ contracts appeared first on The Nassau Guardian.

source https://thenassauguardian.com/pm-vows-that-former-govt-will-be-held-to-account-over-reckless-contracts/

Travel ban meant to buy country some time, PM says

While the government’s travel ban on eight African countries where a new COVID-19 variant emerged is not perfect, it will hopefully buy the country more time, Prime Minister Philip Brave Davis said yesterday. 

“This is not perfect protection; the variant has been identified in several other countries as well,” Davis said.

“The idea is to buy some time until we have more clarity. We just don’t have enough clinical data to know with confidence yet how transmissible the new variant is or whether it induces more severe disease. We have to stay alert, stay flexible, and continue to combat the Delta strain, which is still circulating and remains a threat.”

As he led off debate on the supplementary budget, Davis said Bahamians must stay alert and protect themselves and their family from COVID.

On Sunday, the Ministry of Health announced that nonresident travelers who have been in South Africa, Botswana, Eswatini (formerly Swaziland), Lesotho, Malawi, Mozambique, Namibia, or Zimbabwe in the past 14 days will not be allowed entry into The Bahamas.

Individuals who are ordinarily resident in The Bahamas and have traveled to either of the countries in the past 14 days will be allowed to enter The Bahamas but will be subject to mandatory quarantine for 14 days at their own expense and will undergo screening as mandated by the Ministry of Health and Wellness.

Davis said the world owes the scientists and public health officials in Africa a debt of gratitude for moving so quickly to share their data.

“Because of their transparency, and their early warning, governments can act now, even with incomplete information,” he said. 

The restrictions apply to all individuals regardless of whether they have been vaccinated against COVID-19 or not.

The World Health Organization (WHO) labeled the Omicron variant a variant of concern on Friday.

The variant has more mutations than any other variant discovered, to date, raising concern across the globe about the possibility that it could be more dangerous than other strains.

The WHO, however, noted that it is not clear yet whether the variant is more transmissible or more severe than others.

Cases of the new variant have been detected in the United Kingdom, Canada, Italy, Germany, Belgium, Israel, the Netherlands, Australia and Hong Kong.

Davis noted that while COVID cases and hospitalizations have declined in The Bahamas, now is not the time to become complacent.

“…Our US travel advisory has improved from a level 4 to a level 3, and economic projections indicate our economy is on the way up,” he said. 

“Yet with reports of a new, possibly more transmissible COVID variant, we are far from complacent. Everyone is tired of COVID, but unfortunately, both governments and families need to remain vigilant and engaged in this battle against the virus.

“There is no single perfect protection against COVID, so we should all take multiple steps to protect ourselves, and remember that when we are careful, we are also protecting our friends, our families, our co-workers, and our communities.”

He encouraged residents to hold gatherings outside, to wear two masks and to get vaccinated.

“I am very pleased to announce that for the first time during this pandemic, our country now has enough vaccines for all Bahamians who choose to take advantage of this life-saving inoculation,” he said.

The post Travel ban meant to buy country some time, PM says appeared first on The Nassau Guardian.

source https://thenassauguardian.com/travel-ban-meant-to-buy-country-some-time-pm-says/

Court will hear arguments over Bella’s remains in private

A Supreme Court judge yesterday decided that the court battle surrounding who gets responsibility of the body of four-year-old D’Onya “Bella” Walker be heard in closed session.

But Justice Loren Klein said he expects a decision to be handed down by the end of the week.

He said it was to protect the dignity of the deceased and because criminal proceedings are underway.

Klein said when the court is ready to rule, it will be delivered in open court. 

Bella’s maternal grandmother Monalisa Walker is seeking to have her body removed from Serenity Funeral Home, allowing her, and perhaps her mother, to make funeral arrangements. 

In court yesterday, Walker was represented by attorney Bjorn Ferguson. 

Bella’s father was present via Zoom and represented by attorney Maria Daxon. 

Police indicated that Bella died on November 5, after suffering blunt force trauma which resulted in punctured internal organs and broken ribs.

Ostonya Walker was charged with exposing a child to grievous harm and cruelty to children in connection with Bella’s death. Her boyfriend, Darion Smith, 33, was charged with murder and cruelty to children.

Walker was in court yesterday before Justice Guillimina Archer-Minnis seeking bail. That matter was adjourned to today.

The post Court will hear arguments over Bella’s remains in private appeared first on The Nassau Guardian.

source https://thenassauguardian.com/court-will-hear-arguments-over-bellas-remains-in-private/

Minnis says he will support Pintard

Former Free National Movement (FNM) Leader Dr. Hubert Minnis yesterday pledged to give his full support to newly elected FNM Leader Michael Pintard.  

It was the first acknowledgement by Minnis since Pintard was elected leader on Saturday.

While every living leader of the FNM appeared on stage with Pintard on Saturday, after he won, Minnis was noticeably absent. 

Pintard, the MP for Marco City, was elected during a one-day convention on Saturday.

He was given his instruments of appointment as leader of Her Majesty’s Loyal Opposition yesterday. Every FNM MP, except Minnis, was present for the service.

“I would like to congratulate the member for Marco City in his elevation to becoming the leader of this great party,” Minnis said in the House of Assembly.

“I am certain that he will do well and he will have the support of all his parliamentarians, including myself, as we continue to move forward to replace that government on that side.

“I would also like to congratulate the other two members who also ran an excellent race for the leadership, and I want to remind them that losing does not necessarily mean that they are losers.

“They are all leaders in their own right, and not many would have had the opportunity to do what they have done. So, I congratulate them on that.”

Pintard secured 297 votes to become leader of the FNM, while Central Grand Bahama MP Iram Lewis got 44 votes and East Grand Bahama MP Kwasi Thompson secured 120 votes.

Minnis led the FNM from 2017.

The convention was held after the party suffered an overwhelming defeat in the general election in September.

The party, which won 35 of the 39 seats in 2017, held onto just seven of them this year.

As he conceded defeat on election night, Minnis announced that he intended to stay on as party leader.

However, he eventually agreed to step down as leader.

The post Minnis says he will support Pintard appeared first on The Nassau Guardian.

source https://thenassauguardian.com/minnis-says-he-will-support-pintard/

PM: Beaches and Parks expenditure increased by nearly 150%

Prime Minister Philip Brave Davis said the projected expenditure at the Bahamas Public Parks and Beaches Authority shot up by nearly 150 percent, adding that the escalation coincided with electioneering.

“I would be remiss if I do not speak about the Bahamas Public Parks and Beaches Authority,” Davis said as he led debate on the supplementary budget in the House of Assembly. 

“In the 2021/22 fiscal year, it had an approved budget of $15.2 million. After contingencies, its total budget was around $28 million, an increase of 86 percent against budget. An increase that coincided with electioneering.

“I am now told that because of new contracts issued in the months of July, August and September of this year, the projected expenditure of the Authority for this fiscal year is $37 million. That’s an increase of almost 150 percent against the budgeted amount and in dollars, it’s an increase of 22 million dollars.

“I want that to sink in for a moment. I also want it to sink in that a number of these contracts were awarded to clean middle and high-end subdivisions, like Blair and Westridge, to name a few. The member for St. Barnabas will undoubtedly have a lot of explaining to do.

Davis said as of September 30, 2021 after only four months into the fiscal budget the authority had already utilized almost 60 percent of its budget for the entire year.

Davis comments on the matter came two weeks after Minister of Works and Utilities Alfred Sears said in Parliament that there was a “rash of contracts” issued by the Bahamas Public Parks and Public Beaches Authority shortly after the general election was called. Sears said many of the contracts were also issued without board approval and some were duplicated. 

But former executive chairman of the authority, St. Barnabas MP Shanendon Cartwright, defended his tenure, saying there was nothing sinister about the duplication of contracts and that there was no “mad rush” of contracts issued before the September 16 general election. 

Regarding the issuance of contracts before the election, he said, “these contracts were already in train”.

“After August 19, the process still had to be completed,” Cartwright said. 

“So, it was not a deluge or a mad rush, not to suggest, honorable member, that you said that, I’m just trying to bring clarification. There was not a mad rush to assign contracts in the lead-up to an election. However, there were contracts in train prior to the calling of the election. I think that is very, very important to establish.”

Cartwright said the authority did its best to ensure that it met the needs of every member of Parliament. 

The post PM: Beaches and Parks expenditure increased by nearly 150% appeared first on The Nassau Guardian.

source https://thenassauguardian.com/pm-beaches-and-parks-expenditure-increased-by-nearly-150/

Canada blows out The Bahamas

Canada has been one of the nations that has really been a nemesis to The Bahamas in senior men’s basketball over the past four years, and it was much of the same on Sunday as the FIBA (International Basketball Federation) Americas World Cup Qualifiers got underway in Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic (DR).

Canada blasted The Bahamas, 115-73, at the Palacio de los Deportes Virgilio Travieso Soto in Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic, on Sunday – it’s third straight emphatic win over the country in senior men’s basketball. In three games over the past four years, two in the 2019 world cup qualifiers, and again on Sunday, against Canada, The Bahamas lost by an average of 37 points.

The two nations will play each other game today, with each trying to get vital points in the FIBA Basketball World Cup 2023 qualifying process. The Bahamas is in a group with Canada, the Dominican Republic and the U.S. Virgin Islands, and just the top three nations will qualify for the second round of qualifiers.

The Bahamas was competitive early on Sunday, leading by four points twice in the opening minutes, but Canada closed the first quarter on a 12-2 scoring run and never looked back. They led 32-22 after the first quarter, and after The Bahamas briefly got back to within single digits at the start of the second, Canada went on another run to open nearly a 20-point lead midway through the second.

The Bahamas hung tough, but 10 straight points by Canada coming down to the end of the second quarter gave their largest lead of the game, 61-36. They led 61-38 at the half, and The Bahamas never made up any 

significant ground in the second half. Canada led by as many as 46 points in the lopsided affair.

Dominick Bridgewater paced The Bahamas with 13 points. David Nesbitt added 12 and Mychel Thompson had 11.

Kyle Wiltjer had a game-high 23 points for Canada, shooting 9-for-13 from the field and 5-for-9 from deep. Aaron Best added 21 on 8-for-10 shooting and Kenny Fred Chery contributed 18 on 6-for-11 shooting. Kyle Alexander gave Canada another player in double figures with 12 points on 4-for-6 shooting.

Team Canada outrebounded The Bahamas 47-32, shot 53.8 percent from the field (42-for-78) compared to 42.6 percent (29-for-68) for The Bahamas, and was much more lethal from three-point territory, connecting on 17 of 43 shots from that distance compared 8 of 29 for The Bahamas.

Team Canada had 31 assists compared to 23 for The Bahamas, and forced 17 turnovers while turning the ball over just 11 times themselves.

With regular head coach Chris DeMarco fulfilling his player development role with the Golden State Warriors of the national Basketball Association (NBA), and Mario Bowleg now serving as the country’s newest sports minister, Moses Johnson stepped into the head coaching role for The Bahamas for this opening window of the FIBA Americas World Cup Qualifiers. He is being assisted by Dexter Cambridge.

Bowleg served as the national coach during the FIBA AmeriCup 2022 Qualifiers in 2020 and 2021.

The Bahamas will play Canada again today, with the game once again taking place on neutral ground. It will be held at 4 p.m. today in Santo Domingo.

Canada is ranked much higher that The Bahamas in the FIBA World Rankings, presented by Nike. Canada is at number 18 while The Bahamas is ranked at number 59. The other two teams in Group C of the qualifiers, the Dominican Republic and the U.S. Virgin Islands are at numbers 20 and 52, respectively.

The Bahamas, Canada, the Dominican Republic and the U.S. Virgin Islands are the exact four teams that were in Group D for the previous FIBA Americas World Cup Qualifiers. The top three teams will advance to the second round of the qualifiers and will join other teams to create two six-team groups. The second round windows are scheduled for August 2022, November 2022, and February 2023. Each team will play two games in each window.

The top three teams in each group, plus the best fourth team, will qualify for the FIBA Basketball World Cup 2023. The FIBA Basketball World Cup 2023 is set to be held in the Philippines, Japan and Indonesia, August 25 to September 10, 2023.

The Bahamas has never advanced to the second round of the FIBA Americas World Cup Qualifiers.

The post Canada blows out The Bahamas appeared first on The Nassau Guardian.

source https://thenassauguardian.com/canada-blows-out-the-bahamas/

All hands on deck

When the Davis administration announced last week the appointment of former Free National Movement (FNM) parliamentarian, opposition leader, and Cabinet minister Loretta Butler-Turner to serve as consultant to the Small Business Development Center (SBDC), it came as a surprise to many.

Having lost her bid for re-election in 2017, Butler-Turner announced that she was stepping away from frontline politics indefinitely, a declaration that was met with disappointment on the part of her supporters who still believe she can be the country’s first female prime minister.

But Butler-Turner’s new appointment sends a core message to Bahamians that while political service is integral in our democracy, one does not have to occupy the halls of Parliament to make a tangible difference in one’s country.

Her appointment by Prime Minister Philip Brave Davis also highlights, while not a new undertaking in Bahamian politics, the value to nation building that is imparted by governing under the philosophy of inclusion despite one’s political affiliation.

The SBDC’s Access Accelerator program states as its mission, “We will support the evolution of micro, small and medium-sized enterprises (MSMEs) in The Bahamas, maximize the creation of economic impact through strategic partnerships, and – by equipping and empowering MSMEs – increase the ability of our sector to provide employment, create wealth and drive development of a robust and resilient economy.”

Small businesses are the drivers of the country’s economy still reeling from the effects of Hurricane Dorian and the COVID-19 pandemic.

The local economy, like the global economy, must be positioned to brace for uncertainties brought about by new COVID variants and the responses thereto on the part of governments and international markets.

Over successive administrations, budgetary allocations for small businesses have been announced with much fanfare, but stubborn challenges for the small business sector persist, significantly exacerbated by the pandemic.

A successful businesswoman in her own right, who has also been engaged in mentoring and developing small business owners, Butler-Turner brings valuable experience to the post according to Davis, who in an interview with Perspective Sunday afternoon, explained what led to his new appointment to the SBDC.

Davis said, “A part of advancing one’s agenda has to have an element of an inspirational thrust. Loretta has captured the imagination of the Bahamian people and even though, unfortunately, she has decided to stay out of frontline politics, I have recognized that she has personally been involved in small business development, and she has a passion for the small business community.

“One of our thrusts going forward is to ensure small businesses in The Bahamas have someone they can turn to who would have had experience in the challenges of starting a business, failing in a business, and being successful in a business, with all the attendant issues like raising capital and marketing.

“I, therefore, invited [Butler-Turner] to be my consultant on small businesses, and I am happy that she consented despite her political views. I think there is some commonality in all that we do in lifting our country and nation.”

During the announcement of her appointment last week, Butler-Turner foreshadowed a greater focus on access to capital for small businesses, adding, “You know the banking system is a very difficult one to maneuver, and so I am excited that we are going to be able to not just give grants and give loans, but we are going to be able to mentor these people to make sure that they become successful.”

Of particular relevance given the impact of the pandemic on female employment worldwide, she disclosed, “One of my mandates is to ensure that women, in particular, are given the ability to build their own businesses.”

A July 2021 policy brief by the International Labor Organization (ILO) found that “there will be 13 million fewer women in employment in 2021 compared to 2019, while men’s employment will have recovered to 2019 levels”.

“Even though the projected jobs growth in 2021 for women exceeds that of men, it will, nonetheless, be insufficient to bring women back to pre-pandemic employment levels.”

The brief further indicated of our region that, “In the Americas, women’s employment declined by 9.4 percent as a result of the pandemic, representing the largest decline across all regions.”

Speaking to Perspective Sunday, Butler-Turner noted, “We realize there are a lot of challenges for Bahamians everywhere, and within two months the prime minister has already determined that he wants to mobilize this [small business] sector to try to help people get back to work.

“I think that reaching out to individuals whether it is a Loretta Butler-Turner or whomever, despite their political allegiance or lack thereof, speaks volumes to the focus being brought to the needs of the Bahamian people and to nation building.”

It is the kind of focus Davis said represents his mantra for governance beyond Butler-Turner’s appointment.

He affirmed, “At the end of the day, I want all Bahamians whether they be black, white FNM, or PLP to be comfortable with whichever government is in place. We need all hands on deck for the challenges we face today, and I am thinking of the best and brightest out there regardless of their colors, meaning red or yellow, black or white.

“In my Cabinet, you can see from females to [those] 

traditionally who are thought to be UBP (United Bahamian Party) persons, and that’s the way we want to do it.

“My government is going to truly represent The Bahamas, its demographics with the attitudes and varying perspectives on life. Our strength is in our differences as opposed to allowing it to separate us and divide us. I want our differences to build us.”

No tolerance for 

victimization

A primary stumbling block to nation building in The Bahamas has been deep societal divisions rooted in politics, together with the lengths some politicians and supporters travel to cement such divisions through the meting out of political victimization.

Fear of political victimization continues to be cited by Bahamians as a reason they opt not to take a role in their democracy beyond voting on election day, with a pledge to bring an end to the same being among the hallmarks of the Ingraham administration in the 1990s.

Davis also pledges to govern under the philosophy of fairness where victimization is not tolerated.

When questioned on this subject by Perspective back in January, Davis, who was then the opposition leader said, “With respect to the public sector, what I care about is that people do their jobs and do them well. Persons who are serving the public well should feel safe in their jobs. The discharge of my duties as deputy prime minister and minister of works are evidence of that; there were no complaints that anyone was treated unfairly.

“In both my private and public life, I see people as Bahamians first. I’ve never denied help or opportunities to anyone because of their political views.”

In recent weeks, allegations of unfair treatment meted out to government workers thought to be FNM supporters have surfaced, with some in the opposition suggesting that victimization of workers is taking place.

When questioned on whether his personal mantra regarding victimization has been communicated as what must be the standard for his administration, Davis told us, “Victimization is and will not be tolerated, and this has been communicated throughout my administration.

“Regarding the cries of victimization, you would have to appreciate the source it came from. For example, there is clear evidence that the Minnis administration sought to thwart any progress that my administration would make by making late appointments to key positions in government, which were only made within the last six months and even during the course of the campaign.

“And so, where there are truly political appointments for the personal agenda of the government, that kind of person cannot say they are being victimized because they know what they are entering into.”

Davis spoke to Section 96 of the Parliamentary Elections Act, which based on his interpretation, serves as a backdrop to considerations regarding pre-election hires.

Section 96 covers the offense of bribery at elections, wherein paragraph (b) designates the offense as: “every person who shall directly or indirectly by himself or any other person on his behalf give or procure, or agree to give or procure, or offer, promise or promise to procure, or to endeavor to procure, any office, place or employment to or for any voter, or to or for any person on behalf of any voter, or to or for any other person in order to induce such voter to vote, or refrain from voting or shall do any such act as aforesaid on account of such voter having voted or refrained from voting at any election.”

Section 96(3) states: “Paragraphs (a) to (d) inclusive and paragraphs (f) to (h) inclusive of subsection (1), and subsection (2), shall apply only to all or any such acts done or performed as aforesaid from the date of the issue of the writ of election under Part V, or during or within six months after any election.”

Davis continued, “For persons who fall into that category, I know there is a review of those persons and I can tell you, that on the day we were in office, people were still being called in to report to work on the 18th and the 20th of September.

“So those are some of the things we are looking at, but there is no intent to victimize anyone.”

The post All hands on deck appeared first on The Nassau Guardian.

source https://thenassauguardian.com/all-hands-on-deck-2/

Baylor defeats MSU to win B4A Championship

The Baylor University Bears appeared to be the deepest and most talented team all tournament long, and that stayed true to form as they pulled away from the Michigan State University (MSU) Spartans in the championship game of the 10th Battle 4 Atlantis (B4A) Men’s Basketball Tournament inside the Imperial Arena at Atlantis, Paradise Island, on Friday.

After leading by just two points at the half, 38-36, the defending national champions Bears opened the second half on a 17-6 scoring run to take their first double-digit lead of the game, and they never looked back. The Spartans never got to within single digits again and the Bears went on to cruise to the 75-58 win, becoming just the second team in tournament history behind the Villanova Wildcats to secure two tournament championships. The Bears won in 2016 as well.

For the Spartans, it was the second time in tournament history, they fell to the Bears.

“They handled business – these guards do a great job of leading the team. We have a lot of selfless guys. I couldn’t be more pleased and proud of them,” said Baylor Head Coach Scott Drew. “Defensively, we really imposed our will – particularly in the second half and we got out in transition because of it. They are who we thought they were; you have to have great toughness to win three games in three days. They were mature the whole time. To win three games in three days against NCAA (National Collegiate Athletic Association) Tournament caliber teams says a lot about our readiness for this event.”

The Bears, listed number six in the Associated Press Rankings, took down the Arizona State Sun Devils in the opening round of the tournament on Wednesday, 75-63, outlasted the Virginia Commonwealth University (VCU) Rams in the semifinals on Thursday, 69-61, and proved to be too much for the Spartans on Friday. They remained unbeaten at 7-0 on the season while the Spartans dropped to a 5-2 win/loss record.

The Bears shot 49.2 percent from the floor (30-for-61) compared to 45.7 percent for the Spartans (21-for-46) and were 7-for-26 from three-point range compared to 4-for-15 for the Spartans. The Spartans missed all seven of their three-point attempts in the second half. The Bears were able to get up 15 more shot attempts, primarily from forcing 19 turnovers. On their side of the ball offensively, they committed just 10 turnovers.

“That is a good basketball team; they deserve all of the credit,” said Spartans’ Head Coach Tom Izzo. “This is going to be great for us in the long run; I’m just disappointed that we didn’t really compete in the second half. Baylor is really heads and shoulders better than most of the teams in the tournament so that’s who should win, and they did. We are making some progress. We are going to leave here feeling good about a lot of things, but I haven’t felt good about the turnovers since the season started. We’re going to have to look at making some adjustments there and we will.” 

The Spartans once led 36-31, but from there, it was all Baylor. They scored seven in a row to close the first half ahead 38-36, and then started the second half on that 17-6 run to open a double-digit lead.

Senior transfer guard James Akinjo led the Bears with 15 points and five assists and carted off the Most Valuable Player (MVP) Award. Freshman swingman Kendall Brown, a McDonald’s All-American, added a dozen points and junior guard Adam Flagler contributed 11 points, five assists and four rebounds. Junior forward Jonathan Tchamwa Tchatchoua came off the bench to score 10 points for the Bears, and three other players score eight points.

Senior forward Gabe Brown paced the Spartans with 13 points, five rebounds and two assists. “Overall, we didn’t come out to play as a team in the second half – we have to do better than that. We need to be more aggressive and bring back Michigan State basketball,” said Brown. Freshman guard Jaden Akins was the Spartans only other player in double figures. He came off the bench to score 12 points.

“To win a championship, you have to have a team, you have to have a bench. We have depth and we have a rotation, and players started to trust each other,” said Drew. “I think all of our guys did a great job in trusting each other, and we have really humble leaders. Each and every game we have had guys step up and make plays. Battle 4 Atlantis is a first-class operation. The postgame celebration, I really wanted these guys to be a part of that, so I’m happy they were able to experience that.”

All of the Bears players danced to the Junkanoo music in the background afterwards, celebrating the impressive win. MVP Akinjo said it’s a great feeling. About their second-half run, he said they just went to their patented defense and let their offense feed off that.

“Once we were able to establish ourselves defensively and get our in transition, we knew that we would be hard to guard. We have some weapons, we have shooters and we have finishers, so we just had to focus on finishing plays. Most of the things we do on offense is predicated on our defense. So, by forcing turnovers, that gave us an opportunity to play basketball the way we wanted to and have fun. Our defense really energized our offense and we have confidence in each other,” said Akinjo. His running mate Flagler said they were able to play the way they wanted to play in the second half.

“We knew how we wanted to play out there, so once we were able to assert ourselves we knew that we could get things going and control the game,” he said.

Spartans’ Head Coach Izzo said they had a respectable performance in the tournament but didn’t finish strong.

“I thought we played two and a half games of really good basketball and then we fell apart,” he said. “The best team definitely won the tournament. They were tough mentally and physically and for us, it looked like we just ran out of gas. They were pretty tough defensively and it was hard for us to break that.”

At the end of the day, a balanced lineup earned Baylor yet another lopsided win to start the season, and they celebrated an impressive run through the 2021 B4A Tournament. They have won all but one of their games this season by double digits.

The post Baylor defeats MSU to win B4A Championship appeared first on The Nassau Guardian.

source https://thenassauguardian.com/baylor-defeats-msu-to-win-b4a-championship/