The Government Secondary Schools Sports Association (GSSSA) continued with its basketball championships over the weekend at Kendal G.L. Isaacs National Gymnasium.
Both the C.C. Sweeting senior boys and the C.I. Gibson senior girls forced elimination games on Friday in their respective series. They played the tiebreakers on Saturday.
In senior boys action, the Anatol Rogers Timberwolves proved to be too much for the C.C. Sweeting Cobras to handle, as they knocked them off easily 62-48 to capture the first basketball championship in the school's history.
The Timberwolves held a 12-point lead at the half, and built on that lead in the third. Anatol Rodgers went on a 15-2 run midway through the third quarter that broke the game open. The Cobras never threatened the lead after that.
Caribbean Basketball Confederation (CBC) most valuable player Dominic Bridgewater earned himself another MVP title on Saturday after scoring 18 points in the win. He also handed out five assists and pulled down four rebounds. Tyriq Bain chipped in with 12 points and 10 rebounds, while Kirklyn Farrington and Devano Whitfield added seven points each for the Timberwolves.
"We faced a lot of obstacles this season, and only by the grace of God we were able to get here," said Timberwolves coach Harcourt McCoy. "We have been knocking on the door for a while now. We came close the last few years, but the guys' hard work was what made all the difference this year.
"We are a quality school that's producing quality students. We have a lot of school support, and all I can say is that the tide is changing. All credit to God for this victory. We plan to celebrate this one for a little bit, but we also have to lock back in ahead of the Hugh Campbell tournament."
Brandon Strachan led the way for the Cobras with 18 points and seven rebounds.
In senior girls play, the Doris Johnson Mystic Marlins edged the C.I. Gibson Rattlers 33-32 to capture the division title.
Tanea Bowleg scored 10 points to lead the Marlins.
"It was a good win for us. It gets tough sometimes, because when the girls make mistakes they get down on themselves or think it's their fault," said Marlins head coach Kevon Spence. "I'm proud of their effort today. They deserve to win after all of the work they put in to get here."
The D.W. Davis Royals defeated the A.F. Adderley Tigers 55-47 to win the junior boys' division championship.
Roscoe Dean had 25 points to lead the Royals.
"A.F. Adderley is a really good team, I know their coach personally, but I want to give God thanks for a second consecutive undefeated season," said Royals coach Mark Hanna. "At D.W. Davis, our school is made up of a lot of at-risk kids, so for them to be willing to come out and put in the work, doing something positive, I definitely have to give God thanks."
And in junior girls play, the H.O. Nash Lions defeated the S.C. McPherson Sharks two games in a row to clinch the championship.
In the closer on Friday, the Lions knocked off the Sharks 36-30.
Glennia Sands had 16 points in the win for the Lions.

It is with great sadness that the International Olympic Committee (IOC) has learnt of the death of Shunichiro Okano, IOC Honorary Member in Japan, at the age of 85.

An ex-international football player, Shunichiro Okano won the bronze medal in football at the Olympic Games Mexico City 1968, four years after coaching the Japanese team at the Olympic Games Tokyo 1964. He then went on to hold the highest positions at the Japanese Football Association: President (1998-2002), Honorary President (2002-2008) and Supreme Advisor (2008-2017). He was instrumental in helping Japan and the Republic of Korea successfully host the 2002 FIFA World Cup as Committee Chairman throughout the event.

Mr Okano joined the IOC in 1990 and became Honorary Member in 2012. He was a member of the Olympic Programme (1992-1994) and Sport and Environment (1996-2001) IOC Commissions. He became involved with the Olympic Programme Commission again in 2001, until the end of his term as IOC Member in 2011.

“He was always passionate about sport and in particular football,” said IOC President Thomas Bach. “He played a major role in the successful organisation of the FIFA World Cup in Japan and Korea. He made many friends around the world, including me, and we will all miss him greatly.”

Mr Okano dedicated his career to the promotion of sport and its values in Japan and Asia. He played a key role at the Japanese Olympic Committee, where he was Secretary General (1977-1991) then member of the Executive Committee (1991-2017). He was Director of the Japan Amateur Sports Association (1975-1991) and Vice-President of the General Association of Asian Sports Federations (GAASF) (1985-1990). He was also council member of the Association of National Olympic Committees (ANOC) (1979-2007).

Mr Okano received a number of prestigious distinctions throughout his remarkable career, including the Medal with Blue Ribbon (Japanese Government, 1990); the Order of the Blue Dragon (Korean Government, 2003); the Order of the Rising Sun, Gold Rays with Neck Ribbon (Japanese Government, 2004); and the Olympic Order in silver (2012). He was also elected to the Japanese Football Hall of Fame as part of the first group of inductees in 2005.

In addition to his sports administration roles, Mr Okano served as Director of the Japanese Drug Abuse Prevention Centre (1987-2017), as member of the National Council of Educational Reform (1984-1987) and as member of the 14th Central Council for Education (1989-1991). A keen sportsman, Mr Okano enjoyed baseball, football, skiing and swimming. The IOC expresses its deepest sympathies to Mr Okano’s family.

The International Olympic Committee is a not-for-profit independent international organisation made up of volunteers, which is committed to building a better world through sport. It redistributes more than 90 per cent of its income to the wider sporting movement, which means that every day the equivalent of 3.25 million US dollars goes to help athletes and sports organisations at all levels around the world.

The Bahamas Association of Independent Secondary Schools (BAISS) continued with its championships yesterday at the Kendal G.L. Isaacs National Gymnasium.
Each team that entered the day with a lead in their respective series managed to complete sweeps, as three new champions were crowned, along with a repeat champion in the senior boys division.
In the marquee game of the evening, the Prince William Falcons senior boys came from behind to knock off the St. Augustine's College (SAC) Big Red Machine, 57-54.
Trailing the majority of the first half, the Falcons, behind center Adam Johnson, stormed back in the third to take the lead.
Johnson led all Falcons in scoring with 14 points, 10 of which came in the second half.
Johnathan Johnson sparked a 6-0 run for the Big Red Machine down the stretch to cut the lead to two, 47-45. However, it wasn't enough to bring his team all the way back. Johnson led the way for SAC with 18.
In junior boys action, the undefeated Temple Christian Suns won the first basketball title in the school's history, as they defeated Queen's College, 39-35.
Kirkwood Smith was the Suns' top scorer with eight. He scored on an and-one play in the fourth quarter to put the Suns up two with time winding down. He also converted on a pair of free throws late in the fourth quarter to help the Suns secure the first title in the program's history.
The Falcons won their first title on the day in the senior girls' division, as they routed Kingsway Academy 42-15 to complete the sweep.
Shenique Thompson was the game's top scorer with 12, and Robyn Porter added eight.
After coming up short in last year's final, the Falcons made it a point to get out to a hot start. They scored the game's first five baskets to take an early 10-0 lead.
"This is my third season and in those three years this team has lost one game in the regular season," said Falcons' Head Coach Terrence "Red Eye" McSweeny. "We have been there knocking on the door for the past two seasons and this offseason they decided to dig down and really work so we can make this a historic occasion. We want to give God thanks for this opportunity to play here."
Chyna Curry had six points for the Saints.
In junior girls play, the Big Red Machine took down Queen's College, 37-26.
"It's been an up and down battle. We were fighting hard to get the girls to the skill level I wanted them at," said Big Red Machine Head Coach Anastasia Sands-Moultrie. "They are almost there. I'm training them not only for junior level, but for the senior as well."
Karolyn Baptiste led SAC with 13 points and Makayla White added eight.

The local organizing committee (LOC) of the IAAF World Relays Bahamas 2017 (LOC) released ticket prices for the third edition of the event, which is set for April 22-23 at Thomas A. Robinson National Stadium, yesterday.
Single session tickets range from $15 to $70, and can be purchased at the stadium or online. The ticket price for general admission is $15; the bronze section is $40 per ticket; the silver section will be sold at $50 per ticket; and the gold section is priced at $70 per ticket. The 2017 program includes heats and finals for the 4x100 meters (m), 4x200m, 4x400m, and the 4x800m for both men and women. Competitors will also contest a mixed gender 4x400m event.
"The competition on the track will be just as heated as the competition for these tickets," said LOC Director of Communication Jerome Sawyer, "especially considering what will be on the line for some of these countries."
The top eight finishers in the 4x100m and 4x400m earn automatic entry for the International Association of Athletics Federation's (IAAF) World Championships in London, England, set for early August. Countries also compete for the 'Golden Baton', which is awarded to the team with the most points based on position in the finals. The United States is the 'Golden Baton' winner from 2014 and 2015.
For the third consecutive time, The Bahamas will host the IAAF World Relays making history as one of the few countries to host three consecutive athletics championships. The 2017 event will be included in the IAAF World Athletics Series (WAS) of events as well. Hosting a WAS event is another historic first for The Bahamas.
The LOC expects around 30,000 spectators to pack Thomas A. Robinson National Stadium for the two-day event. The stadium has a seating capacity of 15,000. More than 800 volunteers are required for the two-day event.
Tickets can be purchased at Thomas A. Robinson National Stadium or online at NSA-Bahamas.com. Tickets booths are open Monday to Friday, from 11 a.m. to 7 p.m., and on Saturdays from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. For more information, the public asked to contact the LOC office at telephone number (242) 603-1312.