The Tribune

By BRENT STUBBS

Senior Sports Reporter

bstubbs@tribunemedia.net

THE Bahamas water polo team split their first two games over the weekend as they began competition in the 24th Central American and Caribbean Games in San Salvador, El Salvador.

Team Bahamas, coached by Laszlo Borbely, suffered a 27-2 trumping from Mexico yesterday in their second game played.

Gabriel Sastre and Dominic Demeritte scored the two goals for Team Bahamas.

Mexico took control of the game from the first quarter when they produced seven goals before Team Bahamas got its first goal in the second quarter, which saw Mexico add five more.

Mexico extended its lead to 15-1 with eight more in the third and they got seven more in the fourth as Team Bahamas got their final goal.

On Saturday, Team Bahamas got started with an impressive 10-9 nipping of Centro Caribe Sports as Joshua Gibson came through with half of the goals, netting two in the first quarter and one each in the second and third.

Nicholas Wallace-Whitfield, with one goal in the second and a pair in the third, helped out with three, while Garbiel Sastre added a goal in each of the first and second for his two for Team Bahamas.

Centro Caribe Sports made a gallant comeback after trailing 10-6 at the end of third.

Despite holding Team Bahamas scoreless in the fourth as they rallied from a 9-6 deficit, Centro Caribe Sports got third goals in the fourth to fall short by one. Team Bahamas also completed competition in sloop sailing on Saturday.

In the snipe class, the team of Jaqueline Frode and Paul de Souza finished in fifth place with 5.00 points.

Puerto Rico took the victory with one point, while Cuba had two teams that came in second and third with two and three points, while Mexico was fourth with four points.

Joshua Higgins was 10th overall with 10 points in the men’s IIca 7 class, which saw Spain take the gold, followed by Puerto Rico and Aruba with the silver and bronze respectively.

Also on Sunday, Team Bahamas got started in archery, losing 151-136 in the mixed compound team competition.

The team is comprised of Leron Rolle and Rachel Taylor-Brown. They are also competing in the men and women compound individual competition this week.

Today, competition will start for track and field with national record holder Kendrick Thompson and past national record holder Ken Mullings starting the first five events of their two day decathlon competition.

Also expected in action will be Anthaya Charlton in the semifinal and possibly the final of the women’s 100m, while Shaun Miller Jr and Klye Alcine in the final of the men’s high jump.

While the decathlon will wrap up on Tuesday, NCAA champion Rhema Otabor will be contesting the final of the women’s javelin. The only other member of Team Bahamas, Tamara Myers, will be in action in the final of the women’s triple jump on Wednesday.

It’s the same day that the Bahamas Association of Athletic Associations will start its National Championships that will wrap up on Friday at the Thomas A. Robinson National Stadium. All of the athletes are expected back for the nationals, with the exception of Myers.

The Bahamas has already completed competition in boxing and swimming during the first week of the games with Lamar Taylor getting the first two medals with a gold and national record in the 50m backstroke and a bronze in the 50m freestyle.