‘Buddy’ and Bahamas ready to face Venezuela – Bahamas Tribune

By BRENT STUBBS

Senior Sports Reporter

bstubbs@tribunemdedia.net

Although they have yet to finalise the team, head coach Chris DeMarco said the Bahamas coaching staff will select a solid 12-man roster coming out of this weeks training camp to play against Venezuela at the Kendal Isaacs Gymnasium on Thursday night.

The Bahamas Basketball Federation held a press conference yesterday in the foyer of the Thomas A Robinson National Stadium for the first game of the fourth window of the FIBA Americas Cup Qualifier.

DeMarco, an assistant coach with the Golden State Warriors, along with Grand Bahamian Chavano Buddy Hield of the Indiana Pacers and Mychel Thompson Jr, participated in the meeting that included Minister of Youth, Sports and Culture Mario Bowleg, Bahamas Olympic Committee president Rommel Knowles and Kenny Mackey, the chief marketing manager of the I-Cares Foundation, the gold sponsors for the team.

Bowleg, the immediate past president of the federation and former mens national team coach, said they had anticipated Deandre Ayton of the Phoenix Suns joining Hield and Kai Jones of the Charlotte Hornets on this team.

But Bowleg noted that while he is aware that Ayton is in town, he hasnt spoken to him, and he couldnt give any reason as to why he chose not to play for the team.

Having started coaching the team in 2019, DeMarco said hes been pleased with the process they are making. And now with Hield and Jones joining the team, he said they are taking the next step to getting to the next level on the global stage.

Its going to be very difficult, said DeMarco of the Bahamas journey through a six-game series that includes Venezuela (August 25 and February 23), Argentina (August 29), Panama (November 10 and February 27).

DeMarco, however, said all of the players are making the sacrifice to prepare themselves to represent the country and he was proud of the efforts of Hield, Jones, Mychel Thompson Jr, Jaraun Keno Burrows and Rashad Mackey, just to name a few.

He noted that they have assembled a training camp in which there are over 20 players vying for the final 12 spots on the team. He noted that the team will be selected in short order and then announced to the public.

Bowleg, congratulating the team on their success so far, said if they can qualify for the World Cup in 2023, it would go well with the countrys celebrations of its 50th anniversary of Independence.

I think this is timely that we have our top players here in Buddy and Kai playing with us, he said. So, were asking all Bahamians to come out and cheer this team on.

He assured the public that the airconditioning is working very well and hes looking forward to them enjoying the amenities that will be offered in the stadium, thanks to the generosity of their corporate sponsors, including the I-Cares Foundation.

Hield, who played in the last window when the Bahamas beat the Virgin Islands 97-80 to advance out of the third window, only to lose 88-80 to the Dominican Republic at the Baha Mar resort, said they are looking for the Bahamian public support again in this last window of games to qualify for the World Cup.

We didnt get the win in the last game we played here, but we still got to advance, so were looking forward to that same type of support for this game, Hield said.

It means a lot to the players.

Hield also expressed his thanks to all of the players who made the commitment to come home from their various professional leagues around the world to be a part of the team. He also said when the team is finally selected, it will be a solid one representing the country.

For Thompson Jr, he was just delighted to carry on the legacy of his father, Mychal Sweet Bells Thompson, the first Bahamian to play in the NBA and who was selected by the Portland Trail Blazers as the first foreign-born player to be drafted no.1 in 1978 before he went on to win back-to-back titles with the Los Angeles Lakers in 1987 and 1988.

Every time I put on this jersey, it means a lot because my father never got to play, so Im very proud to be able to play, he said.

Im just excited for this game on Thursday.

Mackey, presenting a cheque of $15,000 for their sponsorship of the game, said it is an honour to be a part of a major event and to help the countrys basketball team.

In a desire to win, there should be no fear of losing, Mackey said. When I look around the room, I dont see no fear.

Mackey said when they got the call from Bowleg, they jumped at the opportunity to assist the federation.

He said they are hoping that their assistance will go a long way in helping to put on a world-class event on Thursday night.

And Knowles, who surprised the federation in announcing that they will double their financial commitment, said this is a step in the right direction to the Bahamas qualifying its first team sport at the Olympic Games.

Far too often, our team sports are placed in the zone in the Americas, which often times includes the United States, Canada and Mexico, he said, all of whom have far greater population and resources than the Bahamas.

Knowles said those countries also have the luxury of recruiting athletes, who offer them citizenship to compete, whether or not they have lineage to those countries.

Sports is big business and everyone expects the Bahamas to win, he stated. The pressure of team sport is phenomenal.

Not only must we compete with countries with a million times our size, but we must also compete against athletes who have dual citizenship.

With the mounting challenges that exist in team sports, Knowles said hes appreciative of players like Hield who have answered the call to represent the country.

And Minister Bowleg commended the federation for the strides they are making to qualify for the World Cup.

Jurelle Nairn-Mullings, the secretary of the federation, expressed their gratitude on behalf of President Eugene Horton to their many sponsors, including The Oak Tree Medical, I-Cares Foundation, Bahamas Olympic Committee, the National Sports Authority, Breezes Resorts, Baha Mar, Cable Bahamas, AquaPure, Thompson Trading, Sun Oil Limited and the Bamboo Shack.

The federation presented a cheque of $2,000 to Steven Dean, the director of the Urban Renewal Band, for their assistance for the game on Thursday night.

Tickets are still available at BBFbasketball.com and on site on game day on Thursday.

The tickets are priced at $40 for general admission, $80 for VIP and courtside for $150.

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'Buddy' and Bahamas ready to face Venezuela - Bahamas Tribune