The Tribune

By BRENT STUBBS

bstubbs@tribunemedia.net

It’s not how you start, nor how you get there. Most importantly, it’s how you finish.

• The Finish Line, a weekly column, seeks to comment on the state of affairs in the local sports scene, highlighting the highs and the lows, the thrills and the spills and the successes and failures.

The Week That Was

Let’s tip our hats off to the Bommer G Lady Operators.

No other team in the history of the New Providence Women’s Basketball Association has done what they did - go through the entire regular season and postseason undefeated.

In recording an impressive 21-0 win-loss record, the Lady Operators went on to regain the title they last held three years ago by sweeping the defending champions Johnson Lady Truckers.

Bommer G’s coaching staff that included Donnie Culmer and veteran Anrhony Swaby compiled a team that certainly was hard to beat. 

Everybody was talking about their three headed monsters in the front court - Alberta Russell, Britinique Harrison and veteran Roberta Quant. Together, the formidable trio did their job as Russell acted like a human eraser, blocking a number of shots, while Harrison was a scoring threat and Quant helped to control the boards with her rebounding.

They were complemented by the addition of Ruthann Simms on both ends of the court, offensively and defensively. 

And yes, Phylicia Kelly turned out to be the most valuable player. She was just sensational as another offseason acquisition. As she got adjusted to playing with her new team-mates, it looked like they were playing together forever. They just clicked on all cylinders as Diasti Delancy and physical trainer Sasha Ferguson picked up the slack where necessary and veteran Sharelle Cash got to cruise for a change.

This team, with all of the other intangibles, made it look so easy as they clinched their fifth title in the history of the league that got started in 2003 when Swaby initiated the breakaway from the New Providence Basketball Association and was formed under the presidency of Mynez Cargill.

The Operators, who campaigned then under the banner of the Burger King Angels, won the forst two titles in 2004 and 2005. The Johnson Lady Truckers went on to post the first and only four-peat, taking the crown in 2006-2009. The Lady Cheetahs took two straight in 2011-2012 before the Operators came back in 2013, only to watch the title switch hands to the Lady Truckers.

Congratulations to the Operators, sponsored by Bommer George, for a fantastic season.

PRO BOXING

IS BACK

Kudos to Renaldo ‘the Terminator’ Minus, who bounced back in the ring by staging the “Caribbean Showdown, the Bahamas versus Jamaica” at Kendal Isaacs Gymnasium over the weekend.

There were some who would argue that there were some opponents from Jamaica who didn’t cut the bill and should not have been in the ring. But the sport of boxing is so unpredictable because there are so many things that could go wrong with a fighter, including fighting on foreign territory.

Minus should be commended because not only did he manage to get Meacher ‘Pain’ Major to get back in the ring after going down with an injury in his last bout about two years ago, but he also was able to lure Jermaine ‘Choo Choo’ Mackey out of a semi-retirement.

If Saturday night was any indication, Minus and his team should be well on their way to pushing the sport back in the limelight. As some fans indicated, they just need to see some fistic action to tickle their fancy and Saturday was just what they needed. Hopefully the next one won’t take a year and Sunday to come off.

WATER POLO

SPLASH

Some more accolades are in order for the Bahamas Swimming Federation. This time for their 30-member water polo team that returned from the 2016 Carifta Water Polo championsghips in Trinidad & Tobago with silver medals from their under-14, under-16 and under-19 categories. The performance came on the heels of the 36-member swim team that returned from the Carifta Swimming Championships in Martinique at the end of March just shy of three-peating for the first time.

The water polo team, under the direction of coach Laszio Borbely, has been performing exceptionally well and their performances in Trinidad & Tobago was just an indication of what can be done with a little bit of hard work.

For years, the BSF has felt that they have been overshadowed by track and field, no matter what kind of success that they turn in. Both their swimming and water polo teams should be commended for remaining focused and taking care of business, even if they don’t get the credit or the recognition that they so rightfully deserve.

MORLEY

QUALIFIES

FOR RIO

OLYMPICS

It’s so good to see athletes making their breakthrough on the global scene outside of track and field and swimming.

Emily Morley was the latest to qualify for the 2016 Olympic Games in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, in August.

CATCH

THE FIRE

This weekend, if you haven’t already booked your spot, you still have a chance to get your tickets to attend the second Chris Brown Bahamas Invitational. The one-day track and field meet is back after the previous two years were cancelled. And judging from the list of international stars coming to town, the event promises to be bigger and better than the initial one in 2013.

The meet will kick off with a junior segment between the hours of 11am and 5pm. Then the pro segment, featuring the stars, will be staged from 6-10 pm.

The event is shaping up to be a prelude to the 2016 Olympics as many of the athletes will be making their season debut as they begin their trek towards Rio.

Brown should be commended for having the intestinal fortitude to remain focused despite the fact that he encountered some problems in staging the event in 2014 and 2015.

He has put together a Local Organising Committee, headed by Herbert Cash III, who has done a tremendous job in getting the promotions and marketing off the ground.

Just the list of athletes coming here alone should entice any track and field fan and those who just want to show their support to Brown to come out and patronise the event. Brown has received the support of the public for as long as he has been competing. He said the world-class meet is his gift to the Bahamian people to say thank you.

Let’s “catch the fire” and come out and support the meet.