The Tribune

By Ricardo Wells

rwells@tribunemedia.net

NOT sure yet, but maybe, just maybe I might get married over the next few weeks – after all, until mid-march the sports calendar looks bleak to say the least.

With the Super Bowl behind us, spring training baseball still a couple of weeks off and truly meaningful basketball about a month off in NCAA ranks and a month and-a-half in the NBA, it may just be the right time to take a serious look at my Lakers.

I say all of that to say this, despite the ‘cooling off’ period for international sporting brands, many of our local products are beginning to take centre stage and heating up to a point that you may just need to venture beyond your comfortable couch to scratch the competition itch you’ve been feeling.

While it has always been the sore spot for my sporting indulgence as a consumer, local sporting events are currently boasting a terrific line-up for the next couple of months, and when paired with the many cultural, festival, political and social events going on across the country between last Wednesday and mid-May, trust me, there is enough to go around until LeBron and the Cavs tip-off against Steph, Klay and Durant for a third consecutive finals in early June.

BAISS Track Meet

In case you missed it, the St Augustine’s College Big Red Machine on Friday captured another Bahamas Association of Independent Secondary Schools (BAISS) Track and Field title, the first since relinquishing their historic run of 26 consecutive titles to Queen’s College back in 2016.

As the old adage says, to the victor goes the spoils, and to all those that envisioned success but fell a few inches short, regret, sorrow and pain – not necessarily in that order.

While I stand as a proud Jordan Prince Williams alumnus, last week I found myself more enthralled with this meet than I honestly care to admit. I, a Falcon purest, stood in solidarity with the Queen’s College Comets.

Now in retrospect this wasn’t one of my wisest decisions, as I sit the loser of two wagers and the butt of several well-thought out and tactless jokes.

The “great” – and I am on only saying this as payment for the first of those two wagers I mentioned – Big Red Machine proved yet again they are the class of the private school division on the track.

Winning 13 of the 26 finals Friday to ignite an 87.5 point turnaround, seriously, who I am to rain on their eventual parade.

QC, again the second place finishers of the meet, held strong and should be commended.

The effort put on by these two schools over the last three years has put this competition on the map as a must see event year in and year out.

And despite falling short this go round, I am sure the Comets will be back again, eager to unseat the SAC - insert penance for that other wager - the school we all wished we could have attended.

Beach Soccer Events

This past weekend was the annual Greek Festival – Gyros for everyone. Next weekend is the annual Rum Bahamas, Festival of Rum - need I say more?

The beauty of that is this, sitting in between these two spectacular events is something so special, I couldn’t accept it as a reality until I physically walked up to the venue and touched the steel with my own two hands.

With the completion of the remarkable new $2.5 million Malcolm Park West facility, soccer has found a vacation home in paradise, as the venue will play host to both the 2017 FIFA World Cup, scheduled for April, and the Confederation of North, Central America and Caribbean Association Football (CONCACAF) Beach Soccer Championship, scheduled to begin today.

World-class beach soccer has literally made its way to the shores of New Providence. The beach soccer facility, built on the site of the original complex at Malcolm Park West, will be capable of hosting over 3,000 patrons and will be equipped with a number of modern amenities.

The World Cup runs from April 27 to May 7.

In the CONCACAF event itself, the 16-team field will compete to earn the World Cup places, unless hosts Bahamas or non-FIFA member Guadeloupe advance to the final, in which case the next-highest finisher would earn the spot.

The Bahamas, as hosts of April’s event, have already guaranteed a spot in that tournament.

Team Bahamas will open against Guyana tonight, then play Belize tomorrow night and Jamaica on Wednesday.

In total, there will be six matches each day, kicking off at 1.45pm with the last at 8pm. The event is open to the public, so get there early and cheer on Team Bahamas.

Other Events

So now that we have this weekend and the end of April through to the first week of May covered, here are some other events that you should make a mental note of:

1) The 34th Edition of the Hugh Campbell Basketball Classic – February 20-27, Kendal G L Isaacs Gymnasium

2) The 2017 Bahamas National High School Basketball Championships – March 2-6, Freeport, Grand Bahama

3) The 7th Annual Grand Bahama Open – March 4-5, Lucayan Reef Golf Course

4) The 3rd IAAF World Relays Bahamas – April 22-23, Thomas A Robinson National Stadium