Edgecombe Returns, Bahamas Dominates Panama

NASSAU, BAHAMAS – Team Bahamas has completed a perfect window four of the FIBA Basketball World Cup 2027 Americas Qualifiers, defeating Panama 100-82 Monday night at the Sir Kendal Isaacs Gymnasium.

The victory moves The Bahamas to 4-4 in the second round and fourth in group F, keeping the team firmly in the race for a first-ever world cup appearance.

The Bahamas got a major boost from the return of VJ Edgecombe.

After missing Thursday’s road win over Uruguay, Edgecombe put on a shooting clinic in his return home, finishing with 25 points, four rebounds and three assists.

He shot 9-of-16 from the field and an incredible 7-of-11 from three-point range.

Edgecombe was almost unstoppable early, scoring 22 points in the first half while going 6-for-6 from three.

He eventually started the game 7-for-7 from beyond the arc, becoming just the 10th player in Americas Qualifiers history to make seven three-pointers in a game.

The Bahamas built a 52-34 halftime lead and extended the advantage to as many as 23 points in the third quarter.

Panama did manage to cut the deficit to 11, but The Bahamas never allowed the comeback to materialize, eventually pulling away again to secure the 18-point victory.

Buddy Hield added 19 points, nine rebounds and three steals, while Kai Jones delivered one of his best all-around performances of the qualifying campaign with 16 points, 11 rebounds and six blocks.

Jones’ six blocks were particularly significant, after he became only the third player in Americas Qualifiers history to record at least six blocks in a game.

Franco Miller Jr. also had a strong night, contributing 13 points and seven assists.

The win caps a perfect 2-0 window for The Bahamas, following Thursday’s 103-94 road victory over Uruguay.

That win over Uruguay was the first half of the job.

Monday’s win completed the sweep – the first time The Bahamas has gone undefeated in a single window in Americas Qualifiers history.

The qualification picture, however, remains challenging.

Canada leads group F at 8-0, with Uruguay and Argentina both at 6-2, followed by The Bahamas at 4-4.

Panama and Puerto Rico are both 2-6.

The top three teams in the group qualify directly for the 2027 World Cup, while the best fourth-place team across the two groups also earns a berth.

The next challenge comes in November, when The Bahamas travels to face Argentina and Panama.

Murray Gets the Call to the Major Leagues

The Chicago Cubs are calling up the Bahamian infielder from triple-A Iowa, with Murray set to make his major league debut as MLB rosters expand to 28 players for the final month of the season.

And when Murray steps onto a Major League field, he will make Bahamian baseball history.

The 26-year-old will become the 10th player born in The Bahamas to play in Major League Baseball, and just the second Bahamian to play for the Chicago Cubs, joining Bahamian baseball legend Andre Rodgers, who played for Chicago from 1961 to 1964.

Murray’s call-up caps a breakout season with the Iowa Cubs.

The switch-hitting infielder has developed into a versatile option, playing first base, third base and the outfield, while also providing significant power from both sides of the plate.

He enters the major leagues as the number 19 prospect in the Cubs organization, according to MLB pipeline.

Murray was selected by Chicago in the 15th round of the 2021 MLB draft and has spent the past five years working his way through the Cubs’ Minor-League system.

Now, that journey has taken him all the way to Wrigley Field, and the timing is significant.

The Cubs are in the middle of a playoff push, meaning Murray will have an opportunity to make his Major League debut while Chicago fights for a postseason berth, and for Bahamian baseball, it’s another major milestone.

Munnings Wins Another World Masters Gold

Former olympian Timothy Munnings is still winning gold medals on the world stage.

The Bahamian sprinter has added another World Masters Athletics Championships title, winning gold in the men’s 60-64 age group at the 2026 championships in Daegu, South Korea.

Munnings, who just turned 60, entered the championships as the reigning world masters 400-metre champion after winning gold in the 55-59 division in Gothenburg, Sweden, in 2024.

He has now successfully made the transition into a new age category and continued his run of international success.

Munnings was the lone Bahamian competing in the men’s 60-64 division in Daegu, and he came into the meet with plenty of credentials.

He holds multiple masters world records, including the M55-59 400-metre indoor record of 52.82 seconds, set in Gainesville in 2025, while his M55-59 outdoor record stands at 51.18.

But Munnings’ legacy was established long before he entered the masters ranks.

He was part of The Bahamas’ bronze-medal 4×400-metre relay team at the 2000 Sydney Olympics, and one year later he helped the country’s 4×400 team win gold at the 2001 world championships in Edmonton.

He also won Commonwealth Games bronze in 2002.

Now, more than two decades after his olympic medal, Munnings continues to add to his international medal collection.