Bahamas Lands Two Bronze – Bahamas Tribune

By BRENT STUBBS

Senior Sports Reporter

bstubbs@tribunemedia.net

Team Bahamas picked up its first set of medals - both bronze from Mya Beneby in the womens -57 kilogram and and an injured Karra Hanna in the womens +70 kg - as Judo completed the first sporting discipline on day one of the sixth Commonwealth Games.

Contested just before the start of the opening ceremonies last night at the Thomas A. Robinson National Stadium, Team Bahamas ended up ninth out of 17 countries on the medal chart. England emerged as the overall champions with four gold medals and a bronze, while Australia got second with one gold and three bronze and Scotland came in third with one gold, two silver and a bronze.

Head coach DArcy Rahming Jr said for a sport that is relatively new to the country, the performances by Team Bahamas were fantastic.

For us to walk away from the Commonwealth Youth Games just shows the level of talent and ability that we have in the country, said Rahming, of the mini Olympic style games that is being held in the Caribbean for the first time.

Judo is played between another human being and the only way to get experience is to travel. To move to the next level, we need to put some more resources in the system, then we can take our promising athletes here so that they can get the experience to jump to the next level.

Beneby, competing in her first major international meet, said she was quite pleased with her performance, considering that she faced some competitors who are black belts, while shes just a brown belt. She lost to Scotlands Emma Forrest in her semifinal match.

My first match was really good. I beat a black belt, she said. My second match, I didnt do very well, but I won my last match to win a bronze medal.

It was really quick. I fought her a few times and all of the times I fought her, I beat her. So I knew how she fights. When I went on the mat, I just bowed and I tried to take her out early when I got my grip. I followed my coaches instructions.

Beneby, a 14-year-old student of Bahamas Elite Sports Academy, admitted she would have preferred to fight for the gold, but she cant be disappointed as a first year competitor who came out with the bronze.

I thank God, Beneby said.

Another disappointment came in the womens +70kg where Karra Hanna had the potential to go to the final after she was leading, but she suffered a shoulder injury and could not get up of the mat before the decision was awarded to Aoife McCallion from Northern Ireland.

I really wanted to continue, but it was just too painful, Hanna said. I had suffered a slight (right) knee injury in my first match (against Imogen Jo Ranner of England that she won).

Im painful right now, but Im glad that I was still able to win a medal. I really wanted to win the gold for my country. I guess I just have to get better prepared for the next time I get to compete.

Simon Zulu, the 17-year-old gold medalist in the mens -60kg for Zambia, said theres no greater feeling than earning the gold medal for his country. He out-lasted Georgios Balarjishvili from Cyprus in their final match.

I feel so good. I never knew that I would have been so successful, Zulu said. My coaches here have been working very hard with me to get me ready for the competition.

The competition was really tough, but I did my best. The guy was tough. Thats all I could say. This competition was good and its Paradise here. Its a nice place.

The one day of competition also had an effect on 17-year-old Mosa Thetsane from South Africa. He injured his right knee in his first match in the mens -60kg, but he never gave way, limping his way to the bronze medal.

After the injury in the first match, I lost the second match, but I am glad that I could still fight for a medal, Thetsane said. I never thought that I could get this type of injury and I never knew that I could make it this far.

Its been a long journey to get here, but its been a lot of fun. The Bahamas is so beautiful, the building, people and everything. Im really enjoying it.

Although she gave it her best shot, Jasmine Russell fell short of getting on the podium to receive a medal in the womens -48kg. She lost to Antim Yadav of India in the Repachage and had to settle for seventh place.

The competition was hard, said the 14-year-old St Augustines College student, who is just in her first year in the sport. The girl had more experience than me. I just need to practice harder. I feel good about the opportunity to compete here. But I have to train harder.

The gold medal in the division went to Sian Bobrowska of England, who had a sensational victory over Fiona Ulann Todman from Scotland in the final.

It was really good. I fought really hard today, Bobrowska said. This was my best performance for the year. I felt really good, really strong in all of my matches, especially the final.

It was tough because of the heat here, but I think I did very well to adapt to win the gold in these conditions here. It was a really good experience. I really like it.

Englands head coach Nicole Nunn sung the praises of her seven-member team for their overall triumph.

The kids have been fantastic, she said. Our competitors all performed brilliantly and I think we all had a fantastic time. They thoroughly enjoyed themselves so far.

Its so great to be here. Its a long flight. They have never done a long flight like that before, but everyone has been fantastic and hospitable and the food has been great, so I think thats why they performed so well today.

Nunn said now that their competition is over, they will have some fun playing in the beach as they wait and watch the rest of Team England performs this week.

Note: The Bahamas was also represented by Davante Sweeting in the mens -60kg; Taliano Ferguson in the mens -73kg; Kyon Cumberbatch in the mens -90kg; Daleon Sweeting in the mens +90kg and Breanna Major in the womens -70kg. None of them advanced to the medal round.

Ferguson, by the way, also had to get medical attention for an apparent right shoulder injury that he sustained during his Repechage match against Luke Walker from Trinidad & Tobago.

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Bahamas Lands Two Bronze - Bahamas Tribune