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The latest in Bermuda Sports with Ian Rawlins, Nick Jones & Darren 'Butch' Burchall
Bermuda Voices (00:00.078)
And good afternoon, welcome to Inside Sports Talk Radio on this Monday. I am Ian Rawlins, along with Darren 'Butch' Burchall. In the studio with us right now is none other than the man himself who's broke the barriers, who's made history for us, Mr. Clyde Best. The legend, the legend will be joining us today. And of course, the Bermuda-Napal Association will be coming in at about 15, 20 minutes thereafter. But Bushy, first of all, I want to congratulate Everton winning this weekend.
You know something Ian, I thought I was gonna hear about myself with you and you, know, Don. Yes, yes, Yeah, man, city school at that late, girl. was like, damn, I'm gonna be on this show all by myself, because Ian ain't coming. Yeah. Liverpool's in a state of He sure is. I hate to have this, but. We're in a state of state, you're right. We blew the game. I was just talking to Mr. Best prior to the broadcast. Yes, we blew the game. We up one nothing and we lost it. Bottom line. But it's been our season. It's been a rough season for us. don't like the penalty.
I don't know if Mr. Bassett is a professional. He might know better than me. The ball's good and going out, know, the ball's on its way out. can a penalty? I don't know. That's just my thing. But there are rules, you know what I mean? There are rules that we have to go by. you know, just playing honor again today, putting down a cricket and great, Mr. Kenny Free. Right. Putting him down. We just like to say that to mom, but give our condolences to his family. ran just rebarrett. Clarence ran her.
bad than we see most a lot of real big people in sports have passed and we offer you all our most sincere condolences during your time of grieving. You know and talking about grieving, there's a lot of Patriots people grieving today. Wow, you're right. I didn't choose the Patriots. I took Seahawks. I mean I was in school in Maine but the Seahawks defense, good lord. Man that's the best, that is the best defensive
NFL game I've ever seen I've seen I was of get mad I've seen the Giants and they had Lawrence Taylor in his day Yeah, linebackers, right? What separates these guys from them is that they have these great linebackers and they have those great safeties So they have a slew of players who are very athletic Who are strong and who are fast and that's why I think separate them from the Patriots I thought Patriots defense did well, but Seattle was a step ahead. was all over
Bermuda Voices (02:20.674)
And May didn't step up. The young quarterback, he looked out of his league. He looked so far out of league. looked like a two-year veteran in the NFL. That's he looked like. Interesting. Yeah, it was a good game. It's all good fun. Now we got to watch basketball. Yeah, my leg is as soft as usual. My problem with basketball, I like this sport a lot, but I only like college basketball.
Fair enough. Because it's more hours, it's more natural. Pro basketball, NBA, I really just like watching the fourth quarter for some reason. I don't know why. So I got my basketball hat on now. I really like NFL. Okay, fair enough. And who's your basketball team? My basketball team, I guess you know why, but I tell you why, I only watch the fourth quarter.
I'm an Atlanta fan, Hawks, Falcons, and Braves. That's how you are, boys. I take a lot of licks, Support Averton, Randall. I ain't saying anything, because I'm suffering right now. I'm not saying anything. I've got a gentleman, I'm sorry, Mike, excuse me. Nick, I got a gentleman that listens to your show every Monday. Yeah. And he just wants me to shut up because he's listening right now. And he's a big Arsenal fan, right? And I told him about your phone ring.
I bumped into Butchie on Saturday at the grocery store, right? And Butchie's phone rings. And I'm sitting there like, what the heck am I listening to? What is your number? I want you all to listen to this number. What's your number, Butchie? Because I don't remember numbers anymore.
Bermuda Voices (03:58.639)
That's my ring too! I don't know what's wrong with it!
If I'm in the bank and the phone rings, everybody just laughs like... It's so funny. That used to be the call that rang years ago. That was with Kenny. And Elliott Darrell. Kenny Raina. That's right. What a wicket. That's right. But that was his ringtone and everybody looks at Butch in the grocery store. Everybody looks around, like... I ain't changing, I'm keeping it. That's historical, mate. That is historical.
We gonna talk about this on I was off the reach working the other day and it rained. And the two men was there, know, cleaning us up, looking around, looking around. I was like, oh no, they're gonna laugh at me. So I took my friend out and said, hello, that's like, I couldn't even have do the call properly to us talking. It was like, that's a ringtone? Obviously, I don't know what ringtones should be. Well, not that. That's different, that's different. But anyway, that was good. That was a good clap. That was a laugh, good laugh.
So Mr. Bass, welcome to Inside Sports Talk Radio. We're to start off you first just to do an introduction of yourself. For the young ones, and I say young ones, 10 year olds, they don't understand the significance, the path that you set for a lot of sports football players, not just for Bermuda, but for globally on the path that you set at West Ham. Just reflect on what was it like going through back then to where you are now?
Well, during that time, being one of the first black players in the modern era, you know, I understood that I had a job to do and my job wasn't so much for myself. It was always for those people coming after me.
Bermuda Voices (05:50.223)
I think we've done pretty good with that. When you look at the players that our club had produced over the years, players of color, the Charles brothers, John, Clive, myself, Eddie Coker, we had some players that could play. the manager at the time, it tells you that he was really full thinking because he never looked at color. He looked at ability. And that's why we were able to do the things that we've
Ken, did you imagine that in February, this being the Black History Month, that you'll be telling the story, the experience that you went through in the 1960s? I saw a video of you coming out being harassed by fans, the fans that supported your club. Obviously, they didn't understand what it was all about, but they were just following a bad path at that time. Did you think that you were telling that story right now in Black History Month in 2026?
I never thought it would still be going, but as you said, being Black History Month, I mean, we have to go back in those areas and make sure that our young people understand because you look at our football in Bermuda right now, you know, we're on the low, so to speak. the reason we're on the low is when you look at the sport, how many kids you see playing outside now?
Yeah, it's hard. That's our both sports football and cricket back in the day in Bermuda. That's we learned the game Nobody that come to Bermuda with her coaching badge or cricket We learned it herself. We talked about it all the time. You very seldom see children playing on the porch you you're playing sports on our porch and and every Every evening was a kick on a field somewhere. I'd be never feel of course from horseshoe Bay. I'm fire
I remember when I played for Boulevard, I was kicked on town everywhere, every day. Guys had a kiss, it called the scrimmage or whatever. Our youngsters aren't doing that. Hooked on the iPads. The the fingers, right? Tell the kids all the time, put that thing down and go outside and kick the ball against the wall. Because the wall is your best friend. It's not going to tell you not to do it. You can't do it no more.
Bermuda Voices (08:11.449)
It's not gonna talk to you, just go out and get it. You know, learn to control the ball off the wall with your feet, both feet, left and right. You can do it with your chest, you can head it against the wall. So there's many ways to help improve your ability in football. I think another thing that has hurt us, you look at our school sports. School sports is nowhere what it used to be.
At one time we had enough school in the island where we can't participate against one another and we turned out good games. remember man, Frostback Boys played tack down at Frog Lane. That was so low. was, you know, was packed. It packed. You know, the whole neighborhood and everybody would come to watch, but we don't have that sort of stuff anymore. So.
Everybody wants to go over to England or somewhere else to play and some of them have to be told, you know, it's not gonna work for you. You know what I mean? So go get your education, make sure you do your school and do stuff like that. I think we have to pay more attention to that sort of area and that will probably help to get us back on track because size of your country doesn't matter.
It's the quality that you serve up that matters. I think that's problem. It boils my blood when you hear people say, oh yeah, that country's got two million people and they got 60,000. We just need 20 good players and we develop them from young. We go into the grassroots, develop them from young, it doesn't matter, like you said, the size of the country. doesn't matter. It doesn't matter. You've got a film coming out, I think it's the end of this month.
Yes. Just share with us how excited you are to be a part of that production and telling the story of behind the scenes, what it all entails and how it can take us young people, male and female, to understand what you went through and how significant this is, I plus for Bermuda. Well, everything I've ever done, it's never been for me. It's for Bermuda. Correct. And I think it's very important.
Bermuda Voices (10:24.811)
and really good of the guys to want to do a documentary all my life coming from a little place like Bermuda, going to England back in those days all by myself and being able to make it. The more you think of it, the more mind-boggling it becomes because...
If it wasn't for my landlady at the time, Mrs. Charles, who was a little white lady in England, because you can't imagine what she went through. She married a black man in the 50s and 60s. And that's where John Clive and Rita came from, that reunion. And it tells you what it was like. to be able to go there from this place and be able to become successful, you know?
It has a lot to say for our little country. We can do it. You know, and you just got to believe in yourself and believe in your ability. I mean, when I went on the soccer field, hey, I feared nobody. And that's the way you got to be. bigger the player and statue, the more I wanted to play against them. I've seen players go to Manchester United and they would shake. Not me. The bigger the crowd, the more excited I got.
And I wanted to play against them people. So I knew I'd be playing against George Pace, Dennis Law, Bobby Charlton. I wanted to show them that I can play too. And with that and people like Bobby Moore, Jeff Hurst, Martin Peters, who were World Cup winners on your team, it made it that much easier for me. I knew what I went to England to do.
I knew I wasn't going to come back because I didn't want to. I wanted to stay in England to play football. That was the only place I could do it at that time. How many years did you spend in England? Because I know you went out, after England you went to the North American Soccer League. How many years were you England? I had about eight years in England playing. And I never really had to leave. I could have stayed there.
Bermuda Voices (12:22.947)
I was introduced to a new venture, North American Soccer League. I knew Pepe was one of the first players to leave here to go and play. those days, Randy Horton went after him.
While I was in England, the guy that was charge of the Bush Commission of North America, Sackley, came from my stand, Phil Wooslam. So we had an invite to go, so I said, yeah, I'll go have a look. Once being there, I said, hey, it's a place for me, and I decided to end up staying in Bermuda, left England and...
I think it was the late 70s and I went over to USA and it worked for me. was great. Then from the USA, I went to have a sit in Holland before. Detroit, Detroit. Before we take our first commercial break, back to England, back to the documentary, I should say. How much work went behind the scenes? I know this was an ongoing project for more than three years. It's not an easy task. Obviously, you do the research, get it all together and then put it together.
What can people expect and see in this film? you're gonna hear a lot of the things that I had to go through You're gonna see a lot of players ex players and black players from England that have played after me that are appreciative of what I've done for them and most of them all of them and that girls like people like Ian Wright Brendan Batson
If Cyril was here living, he would probably say the same thing. Lord Cunningham, Vinny, Vin's one there. He's another one. He's one of the first blacks to play for England during that time, from nothing before us. And they're all real appreciative. I had the chance to speak to the boy from Manchester United a few months ago.
Bermuda Voices (14:14.769)
I mean, they're excited. know, the only thing is that we had so many people, you know, when you're doing stuff like Dr. Mentress, you know, you have to have a cutoff period, you know, so it's only so many people that you can get here. I would have loved to have had all the guys that spoke highly of me and of the play that I done in England during that time. But we're not going to be able to get everybody, but most of the guys.
Hey, they put their things down, put it aside. I'm going to go do this for Clyde. Okay. Let's take a commercial break and let me call up, we hear more from Mr. Clyde Bassett, man, who's a trailblazer set paths. He's a legend who amazingly has done a lot, not just for Bermuda, but for the world. Donald Trump, you should be listening to this commercial break.
Bermuda Voices (15:08.763)
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Bermuda Voices (15:34.862)
He broke barriers, he made history and his story comes home to Bermuda, transforming the beautiful game. The Clyde Best Story is a powerful documentary celebrating Clyde Best, the first black superstar of the modern television era in the UK. April 21st and the 22nd at the Earl Cameron Theatre at City Hall and April 23rd through the 26th at the Ruth Seton James Auditorium at the Cedar Bridge Academy. Tickets are limited with a VIP rai-
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Welcome back to Inside Sports Talk Radio as we talk about Mr. Clyde Best has joined us in studio. He's got a documentary that's coming out later this month at the City Bridge Academy School. There's a chance that people, you can go and look at it and purchase tickets. We're just getting some insight from Mr. Best, who's again, who is a trailblazer, a legend, who's made it all happen. Mr. Best, I know I listen to talk sport in England. I listen to it every day. He's a 24 hour sportscast. And your name's been talked about.
At least, I'm gonna be honest, four or five times a year. And there was a gentleman that used to coach Tottenham, who used to play with him. I forget Jenny Pratt? No. He's coached Tottenham maybe like eight years ago. He's retired from coaching now. What's his name? I forget his name, but anyway. Phil Bill.
Bermuda Voices (17:39.225)
Nope, I've got his face picture, but I just can't remember. I should have done my research. That's my fault. But he speaks very highly of you and he takes his head off because he says, again, what you went through and how you set the path, you just let that be on the outside and focus on what was on the inside, meaning the game itself and how you conducted yourself on and off the field. What was that like conducting yourself on and off the field? That's two different atmospheres right there.
I always thank my mom and dad for that. She always brought us up to think and believe in if you want to be treated nice, you got to treat people the way you want to be treated. And that's the way I went about my life. If I would have left here, gone to England and had a bad attitude on stuff like that.
you know, it would have been difficult. As I say, my teammates were brilliant. The club was a brilliant club to have gone to at that time. And, you know, it was difficult, but yet it wasn't that difficult, you know, because I knew what I had to do. And so at a young age, I think you left when you were 15 or 16? No, 17. 17. 17. Who spotted you?
or scuttled you, I should say, make it correctly, scuttled you back then and said this is the man that's gonna make a difference for West Ham. Well, I think it had to be Graham Adams who was national coach here at the time. in Bermuda, we have a habit of saying that you're too young. Now, I tell people if you're young and you're good,
That means that you're good enough you have to learn to push these things forward. And if you got good luck, young players give them opportunities. And he saw that in me and he had me in the national team when I was about 15 years old. And I'll never forget because my first training session, my good buddy Nibs, he looked at me. He said, hey, Clyde, what are you doing here? I said to him, hey Roy, I'm coming down to train with the national team. invited me down.
Bermuda Voices (19:46.583)
And he said, okay. After training, he came over to me and said, Clyde, you belong here. So he was able to recognize that AIDS didn't have a bearing on the ability that I had at that time because I was a soccer fanatic. mean, I had a ball, I went to wrestling school, me and my mate Skinny Brinkman, we had a beer can and we would dribble that beer can to training.
to our school if it's morning, hiding in the trees. And after we came out of school, we'd get that can again and dribble back all the way up Beacon Hill. you know, these are the things that we've done and a lot of people don't know. You know, we had good up-going and we played a lot against the British Navy when we lived in Dark Yard. That's where they worked with our case mates. And we ended up living in Dark Yard.
We always had a game of football. When everybody else was playing cricket, we were down in Dockyard playing against the British Navy guys. And that's how we learned. So we were playing against men when we were about 12, 11 years old, because they had bodies to play with them to make up the numbers. Where did Bonnie come from? it's funny. My sister, that's her nickname. She tells people that I took her name from her.
That's where that comes from, my sister, buddy. They call her buddy. If you could, what is one of the biggest highlights in your professional career? Well, I think the biggest highlight would be leaving a place like Bermuda over such a small population and going to a place like England and make it in the Premier Division. I never played in the first division or second division or third division. Mine was always Premier.
It's a blessing within himself and a credit to the people that I played with and the club that I played for because they were able to look at the ability and see it. mean, in the documentary, if you're going to see it, you see Harry Rednap and Harry always tells me and he says, Clyde, when we first saw you play.
Bermuda Voices (21:56.853)
Ron had us sitting down watching you control the ball on your chest, smacking in the cool. Everybody else was missing. Hitting over top. Hitting over the top. It's stuff like that that really makes you be pleased with what you achieved and what you've done. As I said, Harry's a fantastic friend up until today. Speak on the phone now and again.
and see how things are. I spoke to Jeff last time I was in England. Jeff is 90 years old. To be still able to function and remember back in the day is unbelievable. Unfortunately, Bubby and Martin died.
But there's a lot of players. As I say, it's shame people like George Bess is not living in. Gordon Banks and all that because Gordon always said, there's three players in England that I hated playing against. And it was George Bess, myself, and it was another player. was three of us. George Bess, Clyde Bess, and I don't know if it was...
somebody somebody
I will never forget the time we came over from England to play centers in New York. And the stadium was packed to the rafters and everything and everybody came to see Pelé. But they didn't know this little black guy from Bermuda. So we went out. Pelé scored two, I scored two. And at the end of the game he came to me and he said, Clyde, let me tell you something.
Bermuda Voices (23:53.305)
I'm the king, you're the prince. I said, hey, coming for you? I really appreciate that. So I ended up a good friend and he took me on a world tour with him once, with the Cosmos, all around the world. Another good friend of mine was Johan Cruyff. It's funny, I seem to be friendly with the beat. He was a great, great friend of mine. And Gary knew Johan from playing with Johan.
Washington, Washington diplomats. Yes, but I got to know him. He's another one took me on a tour with him to go to Europe and play with the Estates when he was there in LA. know, it's probably gives it the right name, a beautiful game because there's so many different things that you go through and nice people that you meet in a lifetime. I mean, I went to Holland about two, three years ago. That was the first time I had been back since I played. And I'm in the stadium.
and be talking to one of the guys from the club. And this guy in the wheelchair looks at me.
Clip S you're back. I had been there for going 20 years. The people still remember you. It's good thing. I've been blessed to be at some good, clubs because all the clubs I've been to, was like family, family, all the guys. Can I ask another question after you? We'll have a wrap up soon, because our time is tight. I don't want to give away too much from the film. I want to encourage people to go.
I know you suffered a lot of racism. I guess we'll see more of the specifics in the show. But did any of your teammates suffer as well? Because they had to be playing with you? Was that an issue? Not so much for my teammates. The only guys that would have suffered would have been the ones of color. And would have been like Clive Charles, myself, Eddie Coker.
Bermuda Voices (25:56.249)
Lots of times, know, had to be the elder one of them. You know, had to, hey, just relax. mean, Eddie's first game, he was wet in his pants because he was so frightened. I had to tell him, Semidon, you can play. You wouldn't be here if you couldn't play. So go out and do what you've got to do. And he went to Crystal Palace and he destroyed them on his debut. He was like 17 years old. So you can't let people intimidate you.
I told the story many times about going to your team, Everton, one of them. And we read Goodison, that's when they played there. And a boy named Terry Derrickhat was barking me. And I went to Frank Lampard. I said, I'm tired of getting the racist chance. Because once you hear the woo-hoo, you know that's for you. Monkey Chansey, boy. So I said to Frank, I'm tired of this crap today. When you get the ball, it to me. And I picked it up from outside my box.
and went all the way to the Everton goal, dragged the guy with me. He was hanging onto my shirt. I him with me. And I got to the goalkeeper, and the goalkeeper held his ground, and I just dropped my shoulder. As he dropped my shoulder, I just chipped it over the top of him, and the crowd went ballistic. They couldn't believe it. At the end of the game, Joe Royale came to me and said, Clyde, that's the best goal I've ever seen score at Goodison.
And if the people after that scene that you can play, it's not about what color your skin is, whether you can play it or not. That's the way most soccer players...
are, you you look at Palais, you look at UCABO, you can't imagine what they had to go through. Yeah, yeah. You know, so and they were great, great people. OK, well, Mr. Bess, we've got to wrap it up now. We've got more guests to join us. But look, we appreciate you coming on board. We wish you all the success at the end this month. And again, you're a trailblazer legend. Amanda has set the path, not just for Bermuda, but globally.
Bermuda Voices (28:00.941)
Thank you very much. Thank you for joining us on Inside Supports today. All the best. Really nice to see you again. Nice seeing you, Butchie. Stop taking all them cricket Come on, man, let's watch some real cricket. It's like I tell players, I usually play cricket myself. Yeah, I remember that. And you went to Rangers to play. It was like playing in the county. Yeah.
West Eastern counties, know, because Rangers had all the best players, best players, know, and the guys themselves, mean, Lee, Alden, Lloyd, Sheridan, know, Willard, I mean, that's a team there, you know what mean? So you always knew you got good competition when you played against Rangers. They were nice people too, so that's what it's all about. All right. All the best, Thanks a lot, guys. Appreciate that. Frost.
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Bermuda Voices (29:46.201)
And welcome back to Inside Sports Talk Radio. Joining us in the studio, first time for the year, the Buddha and Apple Association, the president, Kamau Evans, and her secretary. No, vice president. First vice, oh, you moved up. I did. Congratulations. Your name? Antoine Williams. Antoine Williams, forgive me, I thought it the secretary. So first vice president, okay. Yes. You gonna be able to take over after this or what? Ms. Evans says yes.
We'll see. We'll see. Fair enough. Well, thank you for reading patiently with me and putting up with me. Let's talk about the expectations of 2026 for the Nepal Association. Kamau, you've been at the helm for more than eight years as the president itself. You've done a tremendous job with your various executive members. What's in store for 2026 and beyond?
So over the past few years, we have attended and basically spoken to yourself and the listening public, letting them understand that we were being very strategic and intentional about the things that we were doing to, number one, get NAPO in Bermuda back on the world stage, in addition to making sure that we are equipped in order to move forward as an association. So those things.
took presidents obviously getting our association up and running with more effective members whereas you know each person is taking on the rules and you know sticking to it in order for us to grow and then secondary to that was making sure that we get on the world stage. It's important that you try and get things somewhat in-house prepared and ready to move in order for you to allow your programs to move.
So we took our time to make sure that we done those things, getting some more youthful persons, some younger persons that have some more innovative ideas on what we need to do and what's required to move us forward. And then we were able to establish our national program, starting with our senior women, because those women will be the catalyst.
Bermuda Voices (32:05.143)
to open up opportunities for many other things. So once we had the personnel in place, we were able to get the team up and running. And we were able to head off to the Battle of Isles. Like I had stated previously, we were invited to multiple tournaments. We felt that tournament would allow us and give us more bang for our buck, which it certainly did. We were able to play eight matches at one time.
And once we played those matches, you know, we felt good about our chances heading into the tournament. What we didn't expect was that we would somewhat dominate aside from Canada, who were tipped to be the favorites. And but it showed that we have grown and it showed that we can compete because, you know, playing against them wasn't a blow.
blow out. There was just fine margins that was what changed the face of the match. But other than that, I think that those specific areas are what is allowing us to move forward with the additional programs that we are looking to try and engage in 2026. Let me ask you this. I heard you say it in your statement earlier about the young people bring them along.
You're seeing it grow and you will obviously improve the senior level, but it all starts with the young people. What's the challenging part of recruiting young people and keeping them on board during your tenure and obviously keeping them on board for the Nepal Association? So obviously it's always going to be a challenge with young people. We have a generation of not only players, but parents that kind of allow
children to do what they like. So, you know, we try to, we are trying to create an environment that allows for, you know, progression that allows for persons being able to have an expression of who they are as an individual. Whenever we have persons that share the interest in that ball, we as the association, steer them towards all the clubs.
Bermuda Voices (34:32.057)
We basically advise them to go and participate with each club so that they can make a decision on what fits best for them, what fits best for their child, in this case when we're talking about minors. And I think that seeing the opportunity of being able to have some success at some point, like being a part of the national program and things like that, it will help to engage and keep persons.
wanting to be a part of NAPO. We've had our PV program that has been running for about two years now where we engage young people from the ages of like three, four to seven years old and getting them started a little bit earlier. It was very, very important. We strategically changed the age levels of our leagues to allow for our young people
to be playing and competing amongst persons that are their age and that are at the emotional and mental intelligence of each other, right? So we have primary school playing primary school, we have middle school pretty much playing middle school. And then we strategically now just changed the fact of having our young
adults to have the ability to be a part of what we call now is our first division. We have first division and premier division before we had our leagues going up to 18 and under. But what we saw was that doing that disadvantaged a lot of their players, the more elite players of being given the opportunity to compete at a higher level. So
If you have an elite player that are playing amongst their peers, they're called an elite player for a reason. So challenging them from a younger age was, know, some of the things that we definitely decided that we wanted to engage them in, in order to try and keep them into the sport. What'd you? I have a granddaughter playing and she is absolutely enjoying herself. So thank you for giving her and
Bermuda Voices (36:55.243)
other grandchildren the opportunity to play nappo. have to tell her the other day, I'm trying to sleep, what you doing? Because they stay in adjacent apartments. I'm trying, it's just throwing the ball up against the wall. I kept going, what's this noise? I said, I need to go out there, there's a wall outside. But you know, it's absolutely brilliant. Ian took the words out of my mind, the question was asking, what does youth nappo look like? And because I had a vested interest.
And I'm happy to see as I go past, there's always something going on there before it used to be like a dead piece of space. how has it been growing the youth game? Because the grassroots is important, isn't it? Yes. And not only is Juan our first vice president, he is also our match secretary. know, I'd to allow him to speak to
some of the youth programs that he has also been really steadfast about. So yeah, with becoming the first Vice President, I am also the match secretary. So basically I schedule all the games throughout the five divisions that we have. The junior divisions though are definitely the most subscribed.
Division so that's where we have most of our membership in our junior division. So if you have a driving a course on a Saturday We start at 12 o'clock and pretty much between 12 and 430 the courts are packed with all the parents watching the kids the aunties the grandparents The old watching so I would say that napple while youth napple in Bermuda is really trending right now
I think the last step for us though is to get our national program up and running, which is definitely on our to-do list for this year. And with that, yeah, we're just working towards getting that and keeping them involved because if they have an angle like, I want to be a Bermuda Longtail, I want to be on the national score, that, we find that that helps them to stay in the sport a little bit longer. It gives them an angle to work towards.
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What's it been like working with President Evans? You've been involved now as the Secretary of National Security, you're to be the Vice President, you're obviously climbing the ladder. What's it been like? What have you learned from her? I would say, this is my uncle Mal. So me and my uncle Mal, we have a great working relationship. So we actually don't just work on the council together, we coach together in our domestic club. So we do work very well together.
It's been a lot of learning that I've done. This will be my third year on the council. So I started as just a council member, of just assistant where I can. After that, I went to the assistant secretary treasurer where I took on more of a secretarial role, just making sure we had all our docs in a room. And now in the first vice presidency, I'm kind of just continuing to learn the ropes, know, just making sure.
I keep in the know of things we should and shouldn't be doing and how we can progress forward. Right. You said progress forward. Is that domestically and internationally? Both. So therefore, in your three year tenure, you're looking to obviously climb the ladder again. Miss Evans on Kamau has been there for over a decade, if I'm correct. Probably 12 years as president. Those are some heavy shoes to fill.
I know. That's why she can't go nowhere yet. Can't go nowhere yet. Not ready, not ready. Not ready. So then as a coach, you guys coach together, that's a different type of leadership. But then the administration comes in. How are you able to balance that? So we wear multiple hats. And I think the most important thing is to recognize which hat you need to wear in that moment.
When it comes to coaching, it's a lot of bonks and ideas off each other so that we can find out the best way to move forward with that. like, it's certain things on Kamau would see, it's certain things that I see, and we just, it's all about communication really. So once you have that good line of communication, you can always figure out a game plan. And then on the console side of things, it's all about playing your role, right? So.
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as the first vice president and match secretary, it's very important that I'm doing what I have to do so that she doesn't have to micromanage and it allows her to do what she has to do. Now, if you're elected as president, Kamau Stepstein retires or resigns, yeah, my last question before we go to the news, Would you make history by becoming the first male president of Nepal Association? No? No, I don't think so. But it's been quite some time since there was another male in that seat.
Larry Dennis. Yeah, yeah, I think his name. Yeah, well, I think what was the embossment I could That's right Larry Dennis I forgot about that and welcome back to the Science Sports Talk radio as we said just before the news break that we will wrap up with the Bermuda Netball Association Followed by Mr. Cal Blankendale and the Bermuda Cricket Board to be joining us for an exclusive interview after that just going back to netball The CAC games I want to talk about that. I also want to talk about
your tenure as being the president for 10 years, what's it been like working with your other administrative members in the past and in the present? Well, basically the group of persons that we have now, I think that majority of persons are definitely ripping and wearing to go and wanting to wear their hat and make sure that they are
fulfilling their role and their responsibility within the council. And when I say their role and their responsibility, really and truly, everybody's role with them is everything. You know, because I'm the president, it doesn't mean that you wouldn't see me at the courts on a Saturday sweeping the sand off the courts. You know, it doesn't mean that you won't see me coaching at my club. And that goes for other members of the executive as well. They're basically
involved in that bowl because they love that bowl. We all love that bowl. So I feel with the group that we have, everybody has something to offer. I think that some that might have come in a little bit earlier are definitely pushing, pushing the envelope to ensure that we accomplish all the tasks that we want to do as well as some innovative ideas that they
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want to be responsible for and I think that you know for the most part everybody is you know pulling their their weight within the council. Do we need help? We always need more help so it's important that we know that we were always looking for volunteers when we're hosting events and or persons that want to just come down and be an umpire. Persons that want to you know help to learn to become a coach.
and things of that nature. So I think that as a collective over the past probably year and a half, two years, there has been sort of a shift. Like I said, we've gotten a lot more young people on board bringing in their ideas. And like Antoine stated, getting people to feel comfortable.
about making decisions on their own. But we still have to make most decisions as a collective. So even though me as the president, I might state, oh, well, you I think that we should do X, Y, Z. I don't have to say to say this is what we're doing. It comes back to the collective. It's voted on and it's decided in that manner. Cool. You're not a Trump then. I got it. got it. You're not a dictator. Definitely not a dictator. Fair enough.
Which I think you had a question, but just before you go to it's next one more question. Yeah sure You know get your questions in I'm not Nick Jones. Yeah better than Nick. He lets me talk sometimes My boy is good. He's good. He's my mate Nick so literally and and the CAC is huge huge for Napo in Bermuda initially when the
qualifiers took place, which was last year, November. Bermuda wasn't on the radar. Bermuda had just competed in the Battle of Isles and the world ranking was coming out after December 1st. So pretty much the first week of December when we got that world ranking stating that Bermuda was 20th in the world. It was huge for us. We set a goal of
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Top 30. So to come in at 20 and be in the top five in the Americas region was massive for us. So basically with us coming into the top five with one of the countries basically pulling out, we were then axed because of our current ranking.
and that particular team, we sit above them. So the CACs for us is huge because every single team, just about that we will be playing and competing against in the CACs, are ranked above us. Good. So we got a chance to move up. done. Go ahead, Butchi. This is from a caller who listens to our show every week, even when we're not on, is listening. And they say, why you guys ain't going?
And he asked, have you guys looked into the possibility of renting an indoor court or one of the gymnasiums he mentioned, Cedar Bridge and think he mentioned Barclay or whatever. How much money would that cost? Is that feasible? So we have looked at indoor facilities. Obviously with renting an indoor facility that comes with
course. So your average cost would be anywhere between 100 to $150 just for an hour. So napple on a Saturday typically goes from about 11 a.m. to 8 a.m. 8 p.m. yeah. So if you do the math on that we're looking at $1000 a day. $1350. Yeah. $1400 if we round up because you you might have a little
Right. will take. Yeah. and all of that. Security and all of that. So if you. security? So what is security costs? Well, that'll be included in the course. Right. OK. That's why the course will be between like a hundred to one hundred and fifty dollars. Right. For an hour. Right. It's not cheap to do that. So if you want to do some more math, if you multiply that fourteen hundred by, let's say, twenty weeks, because that's how long the season typically is.
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You're looking at... That will pay for your trip to the CAC. Yeah, literally. Literally will pay for the trip to the CAC. So that's what the contact expenses that we're looking at. then even with that, you know, a lot of the indoor locations that can accommodate us are like oversubscribed. So, know, we're always in competition with other sports. Because we were trying to find an indoor school to have preseason training for cricket.
They're all used. They're all booked. yeah, Gumbay is not just sports, but all types. So anyway, to my caller, they're looking for a sponsor. And to add to that, basically saw some structural shed-like coverings with us just going to the Battle of Isles when we were in St. Eustatius.
they have a completely covered outdoor area that, you know, the sides are open, but it's completely covered where you can actually steal play matches where the court area would be dry. But literally, you know, the other area will get, and that's looking at about 250 to 300 thousand.
to get a stop back. that is very popular. In Brazil they have little indoor football but the sides are open. The block is built up to about four feet and it's got like a top over it, like a big garage type of top. yeah, it costs them but I that's astronomical. And looking at other places some of them have like that soft netting that kind of comes down the side so that like the balls don't.
You know very well off too much and things like that. Well Hopefully the sponsor could come through or sponsors and may not have to be 20 weeks. It could be over the winter period from January to February That's typically the time where we play ball today the ball be flying all over I just got one question for you madam president
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Why you won't let Charlie Bird come up Randall's? Charlie Bird is her brother, okay folks? That's my good mate, a really good mate. First of all, let me just say I love my brother very much. And just like when it comes to Naples, I am a firm believer that people need a chart they're in path in order to have their individual success. And in my opinion,
as his older sister, I firmly believe that he needs to be in an environment where he is a leader. I feel like he's not gonna be able to become a leader when he's already amongst a bunch of leaders. And so it's important because he's still young enough for him to understand that in order for him to chart his own legacy, he needs to to ground up.
I'm a really good friend of my T's and all the while, right? Does a lot of the work for me out my house when I'm renovating. And I feel exactly the same. I see him at PHC, see him lead and I see him doing all this stuff. I went to play him and I talked to him all the time. we're talking about Charles Trott, folks. He's played a cup match for St. George's, he played for Bermuda. He was like the top, had the top stats on the last tour he ran on before he broke his foot.
And I see him at PIC and I see him growing with the leadership, like you said, so I'm happy for him, I told him the other day. I'm really happy for him, but I'll be coming up with my players. There you go. Well, thank you very much, both of you, for joining us today on Inside Sports Talk Radio. You're welcome back anytime. Thank you very much. It's a pleasure having you guys on, man. I learn a lot, seriously. Yeah.
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And welcome back to Inside Sports Talk Radio, just the one that our listening audience. So yes, it's the Fubuta Cricket Board. They have come on board for 2026. They will be joining us every second and fourth Monday of the month on Inside Sports. And as you know, they took a segment and we're going to extend that segment past two o'clock today. We've got some information that we like to share and talk about the upcoming things for the season of 2026, domestically, internationally, and of course, the upcoming tour that we just
is gonna be hosting in June of this year. Joining me in the studio right now is no stranger, is Mr. Calvin Blankendale, the executive director of Buda Cricket Board. First of all, congratulations on Man United winning four in a row, That's the final final coach.
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Yeah, he's still quiet about it. He can't believe it. He's smarter so much he can't even talk. He talked about me two weeks ago because I heard it. Now I'm here. I thought I was going be here by myself today. Liverpool, I better get there early because they're here next year. Good afternoon, good afternoon gentlemen here in the studio. Yes, I was actually thinking about this young guy that's gone viral.
and he said he would not get a haircut unless United won five games in a row. And so they have to play you on Wednesday. I don't know if it's not Sunday, I'm just going to play. I've got Sunday. That's him I think. And so if they get that victory, he would actually get a haircut. So he's got this big 1970s Afro, Caucasian young gentleman, and it's just growing from a flat top, from a body actually all the way up to there. And I'm like, if you don't get that, you in.
You know, but probably not a bad time to have an effort this time. I wish I had a little bit more her on my head. She's going to out the beard and everything else. Very good. Very good. Well, moving forward, Cal, there's been some things here. I've just been reading regarding some misunderstandings and I think there's some clarity that the Bermuda Cricket Board would like to share with our listening audience about the charitable event, meaning the charitable organization, excuse me, regarding Bermuda Cricket Board. Just enlightening our
and later our listening audience of what is important.
The stamp that Bermuda Cricket Board needs put on about them saying that they're an existing charitable organization Okay, so good afternoon. Everyone's again first. I just need to know from your point You know, there are individuals that have made some comments and this is not a personal Van data anything just to set the record straight So if we do mention any names is just because it's factual information out there they put the information out there first and we're contracting it based on what we know is facts and Even though this is radio
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gentlemen here in the audience I brought all the documents so if you wish to vet them and indicate to any of our listeners that you have seen the documents that indicate that we are a charity you can do so because we're to go line by line on these events but this is a response from the Middle Cricket Board I am the executive director Mr. Kelvin Blankenau who leads
the office on this and this is based on Mr. Arnold Mendez on Island Stats.com an interview that was conducted by Mr. Earl Bersin and it was released on Thursday February the 5th in print and in video and during that time there were some statements made by past president Mr. Arnold Mendez which we have reviewed and have found to be incorrect and so it's the duty of myself as the executive officer on behalf of the
board of directors and President Roy Smith to make sure that we let the muter know how we operate and that we are in good standing in governance. So the first point where Mr. Manda stated in the interview, both in print and in video that the BCB is no longer registered charity, I provided you with the documents there. are registered charity for 2026. We received that validation in 2025. So how the process goes, once we hold our semi AGM, that's by the end of June,
We then send those documents over to the registrar of charities. They vet everything that we have.
provided to them along with audited statements and annual report, the list of directors and minutes. They come back most of the time just after cut match and provide us with their certificate. And their certificate says we are a charity again until June, end of June. once President Pratchett here would know once we have our semi-AGM, the minutes of the AGM are approved and then we can go back out to those entities. We send those documents.
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once with a charity to government itself, to the Department of Sport and Recreation, to the ICC and to all corporate stakeholders and all of our member clubs can have access to those documents as well because we are a members organization. So for Bermuda, we are a registered charity and if you don't believe Kyle Blankadow, you can go online and find us under the Registrar Charities 2026 and you will see the Bermuda Cricket Boards listed on page two. Where other traditional sports governing bodies such as the BFA are listed as well. All right, so you just want to put that to bear.
And if Mr. Mandus at any time thinks that we are not telling the public what is factual and truthful in our eyes, at the point once we go through all these points, I would encourage him or anyone else to call in and to validate how they see that this is not truthful. But I hope that you gentlemen in front of you can see that. So we're not gonna hop on that, that's point one. Funding and financial position, Mr. Mandus also indicated that we've lost our ICC funding. So I've brought here documents for you to say.
In 2024, we're going to not keep it a secret, we received $275,000, which sounds like a lot, but that's just about four weeks of a tour overseas. And in 2026, we will be receiving $288,500, $13,500 more, not a lot of money. It sounds like a lot, but when you're traveling with 20 individuals overseas, meals, accommodation, flights, and paying coaches and staff, et cetera, that is not a lot of money. But I want you gentlemen to look at that. I see. So that you can validate that.
Right now, I don't want you to call out to your month, President, and I don't want you to get excited, but I want you to see that a payment was made by the ICC on January the 6th, that was last Friday, to the Bermuda Cricker Board, through our bank, HSBC Bermuda, and I want you to look at that number there, and you would see the date here. All right? Yeah, I can verify that. All you can verify that. So V, Mr. Mendes, and this is my personal who said it in
online and online stats, have proven that there's two first points that are incorrect. And this is only about to be made a cricket board, making sure that the public knows we operate above board, including government and all potential corporate stakeholders and the ICC who had to speak to us about because once they heard this, heard those concerns, they will call and say, hey, what's going on? They're not worried about the charitable status, but it's being said that we're not funding you. So what are you doing with the money? Right. So we've done that. OK, so that's point that now the training program.
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Again, I'm not hiding anything from you. So Mr. Mendes said there is no training program going on. There is a training program going on. Hopefully I would have brought it. Otherwise I can show you my phone. But there's a training program right here, not hiding from you. You will see that there is a fitness program having been run since January 21st for the players that have attended. We don't have to call names. There's approximately nine to 10 players that have attended, five are overseas.
Some individuals have not shown yet, but there's a fitness program going on because now we're doing fitness before the tactical Berlin Baden-Fielden. If anyone looks at our weather right now, it's limited fields. And even if the fields were available, football and everything else was canceled. So you definitely knew cricket was going to take place. So now there's a fitness program by Mr. Matthew Herring. He has an app. They do the fitness programs together. They are tasked with the...
following days of the week to do at least four other sessions than they come. So we always complain that our players are not fit. The ones that have been on board and signed up, they have had three, be the fourth week of fitness. And that's what we're doing now. So when Mr. Curly comes, the body and mind are there. All right. Fine. So you can see that. Can you validate that for me on the air? That is a program. Okay. So again, Mr. Mendez is wrong in that aspect. All right. Overseas we have signed an MOU with the Afro Caribbean engagement.
entity which is called ACE. We have signed an MOU with ACE.
This is the MOU that would show that our players that are based in the UK, have five training sites. They'll be able to attend those sites once we finalize the logistics. But again, focusing on fitness first before they get into that program. So when they get into that program, they don't have to deal with fitness from our side. You see the MOU that's signed January 1st, I believe. Would it run into the end of this year or is it to your program? Sorry, I've had so much documents in front of me. I can't really remember.
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But it's signed definitely for this year. There's going to be opportunity for the players to engage. They have five different sites and no matter where you are in the UK, they will be able to join one of those sites. If it's an existing program, the joining, is no course. If the BCB wants to do a individually tailored program for Mr. Kyle Blanken or Ian Rollins, there will be a course.
But again, we're trying to get them into that training program. And it's not just about cricket, it's about life skills, it's probably about job opportunities. And also if they want to play at a higher level than what they're doing now in England, if they are deemed to be good enough, they can connect them to country teams and everything. And also they understand our culture, Afro-Caribbean. So they understand that, you know, this is the way we think, the way we eat, this is our time management, everything has to be improved on, but they can talk to us in our language, even though we're based in Europe. So again, that's there.
We also have Mr. Dewayne Bravo coming. You saw me outside and then coming in. I just finalized that he will be on the island from February the 20th to the 23rd. Remember, we were going to have that weekend workshop with him in November. Still blessing the people of Jamaica. Hurricane Melissa came by and did not allow that to happen. He has a lot of obligations, IPL, et cetera.
But again, he's made a window available for us through to the hard work of Mr. Curley. He'll be coming down and it was always the intent that he would kickstart the technical training for us through a workshop. So we started for the right foot. Yes, it's a little bit late, but he's coming now to do that workshop. So before our players even get into that better than Berlin, they have the mindset that this is what it means to be an international player from someone that's done it. Two-time World Cup winner. So he'll be here on the island. Before him, Mr. Andre Curley.
I just talked to him today, tried to get him in on a flight this weekend, but based on rather rerouting and scheduling, he should be here by next week, Tuesday or Wednesday. Have him coming here because he's gonna be leading all of this, because he comes from a high performance background and setup. Kerley respects him, mean, the man driver respects him and vice versa, so there's no one better to lead that than the person that is at that elite level.
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Right, not saying there's no one in the community at level, but we know what Andre Curly has done and what Mr. DeVion Bravo has done and is doing. And they will take our national team players to the next level. So we're on target, all right? So again, when people say high performance is not happening, it's happening. It's not happening the way you want it to happen or you don't know what's going on, but that's not really your responsibility or for you to know, because you're not part of national program, right? Now, this one I will leave.
A little bit later, or should I address it now? Now I'm going to address it now. There was a comment made also by Mr. Mendez that Mr. President Lloyd Smith and myself may not have the capacity for high performance expertise, et cetera. All right. I've always said in this seat that I said I'm not a cricket coach, but I had to go digging back in. And I had to remind myself I'm a UEFA B licensed coach. That's high performance.
My certificate has run out because I don't coach anymore, but I qualified in 2015. I guess look back, it was a one year program and then we had 130 hours of UEFA B and then we had to go to Scotland to get assessed. Passed it along with Dennis Brown, Deval Boyles, believe, Scott Morton, a few others. Conor Smith, we passed it. That's all about setting up long-term planning, nutrition.
mindset, training, pre-season, how you're gonna play, this is football terms, how you're play defensive midfield attacking. And I told Mr. Mendez, there's all transferable skills. It's from one sport to the other. So people go from rugby to cricket, cricket to rugby, et cetera. There's a transferable skill. So for you to say, don't have a high performance mindset, which is not even my remit. I'm not paid to do high performance, but I have my qualifications. And I could have made an application to any academy in Europe. So we love the Manchester United, Arsenal's.
Averton's, et cetera. Not saying they would have selected me, most likely not, but I would have met the minimum standard to apply for a job. for Mr. Mendes to go on the earth and say, I don't have a high performance framework or mindset, well, I question on them that directly. But that's personal. So I'm not going to go there too much because I know it for myself. I also want to just let Mr. Mendes and the general public, the North America Cricket Cup, and I never really tried to say it because...
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I'm not saying I'm humble, but I don't like to speak about myself too much besides today. I started the North American Cricket Club. I'll blank it now, I'll take it. I started it. I brought it to the United States, Canada, and all the others, but primarily the United States and Canada, because I recognize if we don't play them in the North American Cricket Club, we will not play them until it's the final round. If they're in the final round, because if they qualify in the Super 8s or the World Cup, they don't have to even participate in a qualifying round.
which is bad for us, but if they do, why can't we play more often so we take away the stigma from the United States or Canada? So I started that tournament, it was endorsed, and that now allows our national team players to not only play Camden and Bahamas, but to play the United States and Canada World Cup teams on an annual basis so we can also be seen by people that follow them for franchise events. So when Mr. Mendes says, I don't understand high performance framework, I did it because I understand from a high performance point of view.
we don't have the opportunity to play at a high performance level. Because we should be better than the rest. That's what we always say. We should be the third best team in the Americas. Well, if you don't play against one and two, you start stagnating and things become a little easy. But that's a personal thing. So we can move on with that. So the only thing I want to say is that we are above board. We have our charitable status. We have our finances. We have a high performance program. We have been in training, fitness, but not outdoors. And we're good to go.
As I said on another interview earlier, we're sports individuals, sportsmen and sportswomen. You go into a game, you lose your first bats, you're playing T20, you lose your first bat, three bats, missed for 10 runs and two overs. You still have to play the game. So we may have had a plan and high performance changed a little bit from what we were doing. We're still in training. If you're a sportsman, you adjust to the challenges you have. You don't say, okay, just because we didn't get to Berlin bat.
this Sunday, we're canceling all of these sessions forever, you just adjust the plan. We're gonna do a little bit more fitness because we need to be fit. And then at the end, you gonna focus on fitness, you don't have to do it now, you focus on more bedding, burling and fielding, right? So just wanna let people know that a lot of people speak in the general public and it doesn't bother them. We meet at cricket board and myself, but when a past president goes on the air. And I've been stopped numerous times this weekend alone saying, you know, what's happening there because Mr. Nanda spoke. And I'm like,
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And I spoke to a young lady yesterday, honestly, I said, we are charity, she well, no, you don't know what you're talking about, because Mr. Mendez must be right. And I'm like, well, I work in the office. I'm not going to lie. So that's why we're on the air today. Can I just ask a question about the General Tocque incident? Was there a miscommunication or what happened? Well, I think that's where a lot of the first article I read came from that was on the sports, on island stats.
Um, um, you know, when, know, one day he was, um, was released the coaching panel and admitted online, you know, taco was at the Gazette saying, no, no, no, no, no, I have nothing to do with that. don't know. was that miscommunication or that. think that was one of the things that started all of this chat. Yeah. So, you know, that's a good question. So first let's go back. Remember when I came here that, that.
was a Monday and they announced the program. do remember that. had the booklet. Right. And I specifically said to you that there are a few names I wasn't going to mention because things are not finalized. So again, all of our excitement and President Smith went onto the air on Friday evening and addressed the country on the ZPM evening news and said that. again, it was all about euphoria. It was like,
were able to put this group of coaches together, burrowing, bedding and fielding, which really hasn't been done for a long time. And with this cricket landscape, normally it's one person running the entire show. Let's get the best of the best in each area. And just out of the excitement, it was like, yes, we have Mr. Cop Matthews in No, Mr. was 100 % right. And I spoke to Mr. Tucker right away. Once I noted it in the daily or wherever it was reported that your names were mentioned, I understand things haven't been finalized.
And laughed at his death. And Jenner and I have somewhat of a good understanding because we both went to work sex. So we both have that vision. Three V's. matter what, we can sort things out. If we have a little disagreement, we always say three V's. That's for anybody to vent their skew. Again, yes, it did come out to BCB as an entity, not just Mr. Smith takes responsibility for that. We earn it. It's a mistake. Mr. Smith has gone and said,
Bermuda Voices (01:12:28.198)
I take that one or as we say in the sports world, you have to eat that one, you score the earned goal, but you still get support from your team and you try to win. It happened. Out of that, it was decided that Mr. Andre Curly will be the best person to then liaison with all the, what you call it, the panel of coaches since he is going to be taking them under the remit not to lead, but to actually educate so when he leaves, everyone can leave at a higher level of competence because he's doing the best practice international.
So you gotta learn from somebody else, like anywhere you go, there's someone who's gonna teach you. So he's taking the lead of that, and when he arrives, he will announce to Bermuda, and the Bermuda Cricket Board players, and everyone else, who's going to be on that panel. And we just left it with him. So right now, he is speaking to everyone about who will be on that panel. And when he arrives, and I believe during the Duane Bravo workshop, which will kickstart the...
actual outdoor activity for bad in Berlin and fielding for the national cricket team. He will make this announcement prior to that. So we'll leave it to him. All right. And again, everyone can disagree about the training schedule. What should have happened. What the most important thing is, that Bermuda qualifies out of the ICC senior men's T20 sub regional world cup qualifier schedule for 2028. That's the name of the tournament. So again, preseason North America cup.
We would like to win it because every game you're doing it wouldn't but if we done the most important thing is that the players get outdoors training at a higher level than you would be in Bermuda because there's no cricket game going at that time and then return play for the clubs. Thank you to the Smash. Smash will be back playing the Smash. Play more for the club and then represent Bermuda here on soil and on June 27th we can all stand up and say we made it to the next round.
and there's another opportunity for us to get back into a World Cup format, which is T20. So that's where we are. That's it. That's crux of everything you said. That's the crux of everything. So out of that, we earned whatever mistakes were made. We have the experts coming on, Mr. Curly and Mr. Bravo. We have the high performance committee, because it's not a one man. It's a committee. I mentioned the committee last time. We have the selection panel with Chipotle. It's not a one man show.
Bermuda Voices (01:14:43.376)
And they are tasked with Mr. Curley to take us to that level. And mistakes will be made and deadlines sometimes will be missed, but that's life. That's life, right? But that's where we are. So anyone, you can ask me any question at any time when you see me, but I've said it on the air. I've proven it with the documentation and we're transparent. And again, there's nothing against Mr. Mendez, the individual is just that he brought the attention of the BCB in a negative light, which was not factual.
and we had to clarify that the statements were made were inaccurate. I'm gonna say this in clarity, as I said, three Vs, where I'm from, 56 St. George Road, he has to eat that one, but he's still my mentor and someone I look up to, but again, he has to take responsibility where he made an error at that time, similar to Mr. Smith spoke out of euphoria, and we all make mistakes, but let's move on, because if we all love the game, we'll all hope for the game. So anyone that has any issue with cricket, the first thing I would tell you, before you go to the media and everything else like that,
Why didn't you just call the office? Why didn't you just speak to Mr. Smith? Why didn't you speak to Mr. Darren Butcher-Bretcho? Because he's on the selection committee. You can get him to speak on what he knows and you would know a lot more, sometimes more on the ground than I would know. All right? It's as simple as that. Now let's take a commercial break. Let me come back. I've got a couple of questions to ask you.
One is and I don't know remember when actually is right now is that you can keep the thought that answers have you communicated with Mr. Mender since the incident not the insular statements have come out on island stats and Secondly has islands that's been communication with the BCB Let's take a commercial break and be back after this and welcome back to inside sports talk radio in the studio is Cal Blankendale. He's been explaining a great length for the last 20 minutes or so
Accuracies or statements that were put out by Mr. Mendez on island stats. He wanted to clarify that in black and white and witnessing with Mr. Dan Bochapacho and I here in studio about charity organizations about various statements about standards about training and so so forth my question I said to mr Blankendale was just for commercial break one has you been in communication with mr. Mendez
Bermuda Voices (01:16:59.324)
since the story was broken on Islandstats and 2 has Islandstats been in contact with the Bermuda Cricket board? Yes, so once I... Okay, just let tell everybody what happened. There's been so much information coming out of the other platform Islandstats. So it's almost like don't want to look at it sometimes. But on a Friday morning, I believe I did wake up and something said you need to go on Islandstats soon as I woke up. So was pick up my phone bad habit went on Islandstats. I saw the article.
So I had to notify my executive board that this was out in the public domain and which steps we did they want for us, for me to take as the executive director. So the number one step was, as Butchi would have received, we sent a message to our stakeholders, which are the club president and secretaries, to let them know what the actual facts were. And we laid out a whole scope of information for them so that they feel comfortable because we're a team, we're partners. After that,
It was difficult for me, but I did call Mr. Mendez that afternoon, believe, or early morning. And I said, Mr. Mendez, how are you doing? Or Arnold, as I talked to him. And I said, you know what? I saw your comments on Onyx. That's the first question I asked him, because I got some secondary advice. have to ask the individual, did they make those comments? And he said, yes, but what did I say? And I said, well, it's not only in print, which I can respect, but you did a video recording, which you repeated everything that was in print. And I'm like, why did you say that? And you know, we had a...
I'm not gonna say anything else about that, because it wasn't a negative discussion. At the end, was that, know, to be a middle-cricker boy, we'll have to address it in the media, similar to how he addressed it, because it's going viral. The only thing that we would do is let him know in advance that it's happening. So I told him on that day that we were going to address the media, and before we even sat down here, maybe half an hour ago, I did informal 45 minutes to say by WhatsApp, you know, we're gonna be on the air on Power 95.
because I think that there's no need to hide because we have nothing to hide, right? And it's not nothing negative. And I sent that at 1257. And I think I came on the air about 130 or something like that. you it's not a secret. And today I sent it to all the club presidents because it's a small world and told them that we were going to be on the air as well. And if they wish to listen in so they can get the real story for a second time, even though it was sent to them in print. Now to Mr. Bayezid, again.
Bermuda Voices (01:19:21.778)
Just so you guys know how tiring it is, right? So, president spoke to Earl Bayesdon. They had an interview. Once it happened, Mr. Earl Bayesdon reached out to me saying he did not receive a response. And I said this to him, Mr. Bayesdon, I am not going to address the comments made by President Smith because you did not speak to me. You spoke to President Smith and President Smith should address you on what took place because I cannot speak over my president.
And I did not, even though it was written, I don't really know what was said because you spoke to him directly. Outside of that, I can assist you. It was continuous about no one's talking, no one's talking, no one's doing this. But after all that negative publicity, it was felt that there was no need to speak to Mr. Bayes. So again, you spoke to an individual, that's the individual that you spoke to. I'm not gonna speak for anyone else. I come here, I speak to you guys, because I appreciate it. I come and we'll be broadcasting.
I'll speak to the Royal Gazette, but because I'm speaking on behalf of the entity and I know what I say, I'm not speaking for anyone else unless they give me the authority. I am an employee of the Mimosa Cricket Board. And so it was left there. even now, Mr. Beerson's just contacting me saying, we have never spoken to him again, but there is no need. And this is what happened. So to be factual, Mr. Beerson interviewed Mr. Mandus, which we were not notified of. We noticed it. We contacted Mr. Mandus.
Mr. Bayes and then writes back saying, are you going to address the comments made by Mr. Mendez? Why would we address the comments by Mr. Mendez when you allow someone to speak without fact checking? This is 2026, you're a journalist. If Mr. Mendez said the first thing you do is call the executive director, the president says, someone that said this about you, I want to give the, you know, what do you feel? You don't let the story air first and then ask me to respond because then I'm creating content for you.
I'm not helping a YouTube channel or anything. That's not what we're about clicks. We're about running the national governing body of cricket and Bermuda under the ICC with support from government and stakeholders. We don't play those type of games. So just to be clear, I'm just making sure I'm on the same page while I'm listening here. You're saying that the story ran first and then Mr. Bayes got in contact On that one, On that particular story. Yeah, twice. The president was interviewed, story ran, Mr. Bayes then asked for a response. I was copied in. Right. Did not receive a response from the president.
Bermuda Voices (01:21:39.966)
contacted me and I said I am not going to respond because you spoke to him. The second time he ran the interview in print and video and then afterwards asked do we have a response to the article and the video where you should have not ran it and said is it something you wish to comment on prior to it being released. I see what you're saying. Right now I'm gonna be very transparent there was also an email that came out saying if we don't actually respond there's gonna be a segment release
on your platform, on your station, leaving the news. Right? And that's probably why you saw the president on the Friday because we didn't know what was behind it. But who does Mr. think that he is? Like the BCB has the right to speak to the Royal Gazette, Bermuda broadcasts, and Ireland stats by news. If we don't want to speak, we don't have to speak. Well, that's true. But from now, and this is not confirmed, but I don't mind saying it on the air.
the executive director gives guidance to the executive body board and the president, my thing would be to write to Mr. Bayes then and just professionally say we thank you for trying to broadcast the news and we're gonna end cricket but at this moment is in the bass industry, we're gonna cricket board to cease continuing our relationship until we've had a face to face meeting. Got you. And I've asked intermediaries to set up a face to face, not Mr. Bayes and I hope that takes place not to
Not to lambaste Mr. Beers for lack of a better word, but just to find out what is going on besides this, because you can't tell me that this is the issue you're dealing with, because if you love the game, it will be in-house. Right. Right. This is not about love or trying to protect the game or take the game forward. You know, this is about you and your content on your site and trying to remember people to get clicks to look at it, because you can solve this very easy. Right. But we're not going to go behind the facts and call you.
because then we go against Mr. Mendes, and Mr. Mendes is gonna then go against us. I told Mr. Mendes that we were coming on the earth. I've sent him a message we were coming on the earth, and I've notified the clubs. And we're doing it here because we're scheduled to be here. Not just calling you up and saying, I need to show up today to get this noise out, because we really don't want to be here. I've lost three days of trying to find sponsors and do things for the Memorial Curriculum Board, before offers of two full-time and an intern during one of the busiest
Bermuda Voices (01:24:03.838)
times in cricket, getting ready for the season and international tournaments going out and coming in. And now we have to then try to speak to everybody just to make sure that they get the real news because if anybody's heard something about Mr. Mendez in the media, then almost we have to make sure that they've heard from us. So every sponsor I have to contact now and say, listen, this is the real deal. And we might lose, if it's chaos in cricket, why we want to support them.
Yeah, you're right. Let me ask you this and I get it. I understand all what's been said I understand from Mr. Bates's point of view and understand from the BCB's point of view and of course Bermuda Broadcasting Company, who I'm employed by so I get that too. Last year was the elections at various positions for the Bermuda Cricket boy, correct? every year the election. Last year was first vice president and I believe secretary.
Right, that's in 2025. Second Vice President. Second. Second Vice President, yeah. Are there any election or positions available this year? No, I can see where this is going. I can tell me. Yeah, they need a public relations officer. Let me answer that. If it gets aired this evening, I was on the middle broadcast and I did an interview and a crash was put towards me and I'd said back.
And so if I don't look comfortable, you see me laugh. And I said, you know what? It's silly season. You know what silly season is? It's the election of the year of the president. There you go. I didn't say it is on Earth, but I'll say it hurt because I'm with people I trust. You know why people want to be the president of cricket board? Because we have three years of international competition. have two years. We have outgoing international tours. We have potentially participation in the Pan Am games. We're bringing about
1.5 to 2 million dollars in the country over three years. So anyone that becomes the president as of November 2026 this year, your bed, your, what's it Your bed's already made up. All you gotta do is lay in it and choose your pillow. Because you would take responsibility, you would take the accolades for that, but what have you really done? You haven't put it together. You didn't start the North American Cup. didn't, and Mr. Mendez again, we were lucky that we're having these tournaments. We bid for the tournaments like you bid for the Olympics. And Bermuda was chosen not just due to the BCB, but the fans that come out.
Bermuda Voices (01:26:20.798)
Were there any country in the Americas where people pay to watch a cricket game because that's the passion. You go turn on Argentina these competition you might see a hundred people we get $750, $2,000 if it's a good day we're winning right there's a few things that we do but somebody coming in all you really have to do with Mr. Andre Curly is sit back and let the show run. Right so let me say this now I know Mr. Mendez for my lifetime from when I was in high school to to this day.
And I always find a respectable gentleman still do to use my mental rest of thoughts. My question is this.
Bermuda Voices (01:26:56.07)
He put his side out regarding on Island Stats. We haven't spoken to him. I will get a chance, hopefully, to speak to him, because I'm just hearing that about the Island Stats interview. My question is, as a former president, is it what I get and what I understand today? I'm being honest here and being transparent. What I get, what I understand, is it possible that you think he would like to be president in November? Island Stats says it all. These are his words. I've been approached by former presidents of the BCB, sharing some concern.
and asked if I would put myself back in the ring and I said I wouldn't really want to do it but if no one else comes forward I would be willing to run again and that's why I forward that's his word so again if that's what anybody wants to do there's any one format that you can do you put your platform forward to the clubs if you wish or you make yourselves available by signing the agreement that says that you are willing to run for your election
or you could be in the room and you could be nominated on the floor like our first Vice President Mr. David Horan was elected on that night and there's the things but again if that's what you want to do do it I don't think this is the platform you need to create some type of dissent or something especially when it's not factual. Now Mr. Mendez was the president and again let the general public know Mr. Lloyd Smith was the president he was voted out that's what it is he was
replaced by Mr. Mandus who was voted in, Mr. Mandus was voted out, replaced by Mr. Lloyd Smith. If Mr. Mandus wants to come back again, that's fine, that's not my decision. But again, there is a mechanism that you do that in. And again, how would you wanna lead a group or organization where you're gonna say things that are not truthful, but you wanna come back and be the leader? If we didn't respond today, you know what? The situation before the Immunity Record Board,
And I've been in this space since 2002, being in the presidency space at Western Stars, Brazilian Football School, BFA for us Vice Presidents. The international companies and individuals don't even tell you why they don't want to fund you. You just say, okay, we're going in a different direction. Correct. But they would say, okay, we've read that they're not a registered charity, they're not funded by the ICC, they're looking to use all of the money that they get from us.
Bermuda Voices (01:29:13.15)
for the senior program, not the youth like we said we're gonna do. And they won't fund you. So we have to let the country know what's happening. Being transparent. Being transparent. And also they'll say, oh, there's some internal matters that are going on. Right. I don't wanna put my funding there. Right. That's not an easy task. I get it, I understand it. So let's put this to task. I'm gonna put this on Butchi's side because he's a part of this committee. Butchi, you wear two hats here.
You're representing BCB? took it off, man. It's the curl outside. When I go outside, I'm it in. Okay, fair enough. It's warming it. You know what? It's warming it. I want to see you butchie right now. I'm tired of this. My question is for butchie, right? And my thinking is this. We always say that politics, we want to keep it out of sports. What any sport is, right? I'm cross the board, right? Donald Trump. Donald Dick Trump, Hey Trump, Dickhead Trump, right? Let me make it clear.
I hope you heard me. How are you going to, if all your experience, but you look at this whole scenario with an election coming up in November and you want to do the best for cricket in Bermuda going forward, what is your decision? What is your thought process on this? that's a big question. think, I think, I first take my hat off.
not the one you was talking about, the two hats. Two cow blanks in there because every time it's hot and fire and it's always very cool, he comes and shares up. that's why I take my hat off to him. think we just need to get the stakeholders together. We need to get people together and talk about it. Even if we need to facilitate a meeting with the current president, the people, even the president of Baylor's Bay came out and made a statement. know, Gennaro was there.
All of this stuff, get them all together and let's just talk about it. Let's talk like man, you know what mean? And have a conversation about it and get rid of it, you know what I mean? It doesn't go away because people, 10 years, hey, you remember that time that bad man did this or whatever. from where I sit, I'm in a group with the other selectors, know, what's in the selectors group stays there. So we've had question marks saying, wow, what's going on here? You know what I mean?
Bermuda Voices (01:31:28.516)
articles and we're sharing and whatnot so you know it it needs a conversation with people together and talking about it rather be one of And it's simple but you know what? We're all Babilia in here right? Yeah, correct. When do we listen when do we listen? Somebody from overseas comes. so when Mr. Andre Curly come or the way in Bravo comes and we invite everybody and they speak everybody says yeah we were okay so
We know that it's going to take somebody out of our family structure to say, guys, what's going on? Sit on yours. You love cricket, but I just want to say, me, the cricket board is not perfect. Kyle Blanket is definitely not perfect. But if you have any concerns, the best thing to do is come in house. There's no need to call any other media platform unless you feel we haven't give you the our attention from the first time, but you're not even coming to us. You're going straight to the media person that doesn't even want to deal with facts.
and then you're putting the whole sport at risk. Come to us. And I said, hold on, Bush, sorry. I want to share this because I did say I was going to say it, right? So there was another article in Arlensteads and everybody was in my ear. You got to do something. So I was tired. I never looked at it. And this morning I actually went on and looked at the article and listened to it. And I said, you know what? The gentleman had a difference of opinion. I respect that. He just said, this is my opinion. Could you do it in house? Could you talk to the president?
But you didn't, but you have a difference of opinion. I still don't feel that is the machination that you gotta do, because you're part of the BCB in-house, you talk to the president, you talk to the selectors, the chairman, but he went. But I can respect a difference of opinion. What I don't respect is when it's blatant statements that come out as, know everything and this is factual, and it's really, in the modern day age, you can just go online and see, well, register charity. You can send an email and find out if there's funding.
And one of my colleagues made a good point, and I won't name it. If there was no ICC funding, just imagine what would happen on a Monday morning. Who's picking up the fan? Yeah, who's answering? Yeah, because you need the staff for us to do everything that's happening. You need staff. Somebody, you know, you need staff.
Bermuda Voices (01:33:35.55)
We gotta take another commercial break, obviously pay the bills, right? Yeah, Cal needs a rest. I want to say something good. We're gonna talk about PV cricket because we're gonna talk about good things. We can't forget the youth, but sometimes we just have to clear the air. But we're gonna talk about some positive I want to talk about positive stuff as well within the domestic side. I also want to talk about just the T20 World Cup. It just kicked off on Saturday. I've got a chance to see some of that. 30 seconds, Nepal, Mendy. I know. That's what I want to get. That's amazing, right? Smaller country like Nepal. Four runs.
Four runs. right, let's take a commercial break and be back after this.
Bermuda Voices (01:34:12.508)
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Bermuda Voices (01:36:17.165)
And welcome back to Insights for a Talk. Thank you, Cal, for joining us today and extending the show today to 2.30 and getting a big insight on what's been happening over the last, I'm to say, couple of weeks, being transparent regarding what the BCB wants to do locally and internationally and the forecast over the next three years. It's been very, very rewarding and understanding of it. And hopefully we can now come through a compromise, think, which is statement saying that
Everybody just needs to get to the table, clear the air and be on the same page for the battlement of cricket. Any friend call, email, WhatsApp, email, man, this is 2026. one in Bermuda in the past, present or future is going to be bigger than the cricket. No one. We have to remind ourselves like that. We play this sport because we love this sport. We're administrators because we love it. We want to see it extend and grow beyond where we are now. And people like Kyle Blinken are hard at work making that happen.
Before we go into the T20 format, regarding the International World Cup that is, from the domestic side, the youth cricket, what's happening there? Yeah, so hats off to Mr. David Horan. I may have left that at the office, but the PV development program will be kicking off February 22nd. Registration is online. There should be a press release coming out tomorrow. I was not in the office to finalize that with the marketing team that we have.
But again, Pee Wee Development Program at Bermuda College, starting from February 22nd to March 22nd. Look out for that information tomorrow at Wednesday. It's free. We don't have a sponsor for that, so hopefully after all these talks, we may get somebody to still come on board. But yeah, we're still doing it free because if the youngsters don't play cricket, then cricket in the future is not going to be there. So I do agree with Mr. Mendes that, you know, where are we 15 years down the road? That's why we do that. We also partner with Cricket and Schools.
We've taken the PV program from just being five weeks, looking to take it into 10 primary schools. Thank you to Kelly Smith who has facilitated some contacts with those schools. We've already agreed with Northland's primary. This is the second week. Courtney Trott is actually there right now from 1 to 3.30 during the second week of sessions, looking to go to other nine primary schools. Work academies on board. We're already at Salters on Vannes days with Courtney Trott and Lauren Tanik doing the middle school program team.
Bermuda Voices (01:38:40.593)
I talked to the members at Cedar Bridge on Saturday. Thank you to the BEDC small business expert where we were part of. Talked to the gentleman there, Mr. I forget his name. Talked to him there. They're wearing to go. So that means we have potentially three high schools playing cricket. No cricket was played for 12 years. BCB bought it back in 2024. Taken the PPV program from five weeks all the way, instead of from February 22nd to March 22nd, it started last week all the way into June 30th.
So now we're extending in this school. So let me tell you another funny story. Again, as much as we talk about BCB, who did have to call about that once I spoke to Kelly Smith, Mr. Arnold Mendez, to get the approval to put it in these schools? He said you have to be scar certified and notify him so that these principals and PE teachers know that we're coming. So it's still a collaboration. So we are communicating on things, but not always on some difficult topics. But like you said, we have to come together. Cricket's small. It's interesting.
us through the same age, So when we were in our primary schools and high schools we attended, we knew that the BCB did funding for the senior national teams, the youth programs as well when we were coming along. But look at the task that the BCB has to do now for youth cricket. We don't have it in the schools where you can take the butchies and the cows and so forth and pick the young people. me correct, don't have it as much. That's I was about to go. The numbers are not there.
because that was the pool that we selected the young people in all our sports, not just cricket and football, not track and field, all our sports, swimming too, all of it, My point I'm getting at is now you gotta go get sponsorship at a younger age to attract the program. That's on hard off. But that's where the times are because we don't have it in the primary schools like we used to have it.
We don't have it in the high schools. So I take my hat off to the BCB for making this initiative, taking it to the next level so we can attract the young people and encourage them to be a part of cricket. And we could not do that even though the BCB, the hero is Mr. Courtney Trott of Cleveland County Cricket Club. Davos Hill, Harrington Wacken's Club. Without him, it would just be a plan, but he dedicates his time during the week whenever we need him.
Bermuda Voices (01:40:59.025)
and he makes himself available not only to New Orleans, to all the other primary schools we've West Pembroke, we've done Parvis, we've done Elliott in the past. Now he's going to work at Academy. He's working with Soltis. He's done Cedar Bridge. This is a one man show. Wow. This is a one man show. And all we can do is get the sponsorship to provide him with the equipment and also to make sure that we give him a stikement. And then at the end there are school festivals. Even these school festivals, we have taken that on to a certain extent.
where we provide equipment to the Department of, no, to the Middle School Sports Federation so that cricket can be facilitated, because a lot of these schools don't have equipment. Mr. Lloyd Smith, the president, has personally gone and provided hats, not hats, helmets and pads to the teenagers because it's an investment of about $400. You want to get a helmet and pads. So we give the schools equipment as well. That all comes through sponsorship for the youth.
Right. So again, I just want to make sure that we talk about the positive things and Mr. Horan and his committee have run with it. Miss Kelly Smith is still there behind the scenes working hard. And if we see a little growth, that's what it is. But I just want to talk about the positive stuff and start talking about more about individuals. Cal Blanketer, I get paid so I have to show up. I got a mortgage. people like Courtney Trott who don't have to do it. And today I was getting ready to drive the van and Courtney said, Cal, where you're going? I'm like, I'm getting into interviews. Is that why you forget? I said, what? North? I said.
I thought it was only a one week program, but I told them I'll come back again today out of his own kindness. That's the people that we need to celebrate. That's why we're on the earth to make sure that when we get those funds, we can support the few individuals, not the many that we want to give back to Bermuda Cricket and Bermuda and the youth that need positive male role models, a family man like Mr. Courtney Trott, Davos Hill, Cleveland County Cricket Club, Harrington Wacomers Club, Eastern County. That's what we need, right?
And I understand. Thank you Courtney for all you do. I've seen you in action. So I know I helped you pack up one day. was like, wow, you did this by yourself. You live this day by yourself. And I was like, wow. So yeah, thank you Courtney Chapman. I know you don't hurt, but somebody sees Courtney. If you see that BCB van, flake it down and shake that man's hand because he is a good son. So with that said, what is it looking like going forward for the youth for obviously, we're leading into the spring and then into the summer?
Bermuda Voices (01:43:18.513)
Right now Mr. David Horian and his team have asked the club, so Butchi hopefully you're going to be on time, put some pressure on you. February 13 to register all of your teams at least with intent so that we can put out a schedule. Once we know the teams then there'll be player registration similar to the BCB format for senior cricket and once we put out a schedule we're looking for a robust year in cricket. Out of that
Welcome to have our summer camp again. And then I think there's going to be some new initiatives, which I don't want to speak on. I don't want to make the mistake as last time, but some new initiatives coming out of the youth cricket. I'll let Mr. Horan come here and get all the accolades because him and his team are working behind the scenes. A nice committee has been set up and I see the dialogue and the communication coming through. can't answer it all. So that's it. So I definitely want to acknowledge that North American Cricket Cup coming up.
April the 4th to the 12th. Yes, we know timelines and everything is tight. Of course, looking to make sure we can cover all the costs because this is a fully funded BCB initiative. So anyone that wishes to fund us either there or assist us in June with the qualifiers, there's a host of opportunities to market yourself and to support the national program. It's not just funds going in. We are bringing in about a half a million to Bermuda. We have a partnership with the Bermuda Tourism Authority. We're working with the
BEDC, small business entity. They're helping us look at it from a commercial activation standpoint. Everything we do has to be paid for. So we're on the right path. And I want to thank the BEDC. We were there on Saturday at the Small Business Expo, and we were able to make a lot of connections and networks with small business vendors. So that's where we are. So I just want to backtrack. PBE Development Program at Bermuda College.
From the 22nd to the 22nd. At first one I believe is 10.30 but make sure I could be wrong. Look at that registration and flyer that's being released tomorrow. And it's free, five to seven euros. Get the youngsters in. It's co-ed this time. So male, boys and girls together. And hopefully we can give everybody a space. We do need a few coaches. So Butchi, if you're available on that Sunday to come down and show the youth players how to hold a bet.
Bermuda Voices (01:45:45.721)
If no one shares up Cal Blanket, I'll still be there. You don't want that, but I have to be there. So the pressure's on you. And yeah, let's show the youngsters that it's fun to play cricket. It's just an hour, but it's for the youngsters that have a limited attention span. Get them off the TikTok and fans, get them running around, breathing some fresh air. Outdoors, if possible, if not then it would be indoors. I think the first week is 10.30 and the next week it could be 11 or 11.30 just because the indoor space was already rented out to someone else.
Well, there was a time when indoor space wasn't an issue or not a It was an issue. It was not a problem. Same thing. Renting space now because every sport. Yeah, remember, futsal, futsal, small size of games is indoors. NAPO, I believe, at some times uses indoor for training. This time of the year, people doing the fitness because look at this crazy weather. We also need it now. Even if you had a space, not every space is conducive.
useful for cricket. We have winders, have you know, burling machine balls which are little bit harder. So right now we use the Bermuda High School for girls. If available, see the bridge but we have to modify our setup. Again, hopefully in the next three years we will get some type of indoor center because with the on-island activity 1.5 to 2 million coming and if we can continue from 2029 to 2031 we have another three years of activity.
that would be what either three million or four million into the country. Then hopefully if we can get a grant, which is maybe even a million in phases to build something that will last beyond our lifetime to develop the game and allow us to compete internationally, that is what we need. Mr. Bravo comes, hopefully he can speak to the right stakeholders who have this big wallet and make the decisions at the top, much higher than my pay grade that this is what we need to take the game forward with.
If Mr. Andre Curly, who should be here on the island in the next 10 days for the one more commercial Because we're gonna wrap up at 2 30 Again, when is the date for mr. Dwayne Bravo coming on board to bring it again? He will be the 21st and 22nd of February Limited invitation so it's going to be earmarked and geared towards Club coaches at a certain level and then the national team players and coaches so we can get the club coaches
Bermuda Voices (01:48:05.815)
on board, get the national team players and the panel on board and all the other stakeholders. We all walk out of the room, we understand what type of players we're trying to develop, trial and error. And then as what you said, we can have some of those talks in the room. I didn't mean it like that or should have been that way. That's what happens. And then we move forward for cricket in Bermuda and not me or not Mr. Smith or not the BCB. The game belongs to Bermuda. That's right.
Blanket deal the t20 get on the way this past Saturday 1 30 new Yeah, I got the watch did okay lie right I know Steven and Allen were watching it Jesus man. I think the East deep drink
They're probably watching the replay from this morning. They probably watched it live and then watch it again. Alan is somewhere else. I wouldn't say where he is. I know where he is. And he thinks when he wakes up that I'm awake and wants to send me this. all the time. He wants to send the BCB plan into 2038 to me. I'm like Alan, it's one o'clock in the morning. All know where you are. know, flying those private jets and all that, right? But no, the response from the T20 World Cup, what's your opinion? Yeah, I'm going to keep it truthful. I was watching the poll.
yesterday and I just wanted them to beat England. I just wanted them to beat England and they were so close and if someone says Caldon like cricket even my significant other was like what's wrong with you? I'm like I'm getting up jumping out the bed, good, make a tea because I know the guy got out I think when the fourth batsman got out they changed the game right? And I was like that guy was there and said man they could still do it and they have an England one I was like
Four runs. Four runs. Because again, nothing against England, but we are the associates. We are the step kids of the ICC. Yeah. Putting it blatantly. Right? We don't get the same parks. We don't get into the same meetings sometimes. So anytime an associate could be the full member, it means that, we can give more money to Bermuda or we can give them more opportunities for coaching or umpiring because they can play the game. Right now it seems like they're not really good enough. But if anybody sees the associates, it was, I believe, Scotland, USA.
Bermuda Voices (01:50:13.457)
even Canada, Ireland and Nepal. I'm looking at these results. Ireland lost to Sri Lanka. 20 runs. India, not India, Nepal lost by 4 runs to England. New Zealand, Afghanistan. about the USA game against India? 29 runs. USA had them. So this is for Bermuda. If the associates that we can play against are narrowing the gap with the full members, we also mean in cow blanking down.
coaches, players, spectators, we cannot be egotistical and think that the Brazils and the Panamans are not trying to navigate the gap with us. when we think we don't need to train or it's an easy game or whatever, they're coming because first of all, they receive money just like us from the ICC US dollars, but in certain places the dollar goes further 20 times. Brazil and Argentina receive more money from the ICC than us, even though we're ranked higher than them. We're ranked number 30 or 31. They're ranked in the 8th.
high 40s and 80s but because they have more people playing cricket they get more money. Brazil, funny story, this was a Bermuda Olympic Association meeting and Brazil announced they got $600,000 for cricket in the Olympics. I call Peter Dunn.
Ritchie check, he says, Kyle, sorry, but that's from the sponsorship, that's not out of the money. And I get a, you know, there is things, but they You better go to Brazil. Brazil is Brazil. You better go to Butchi. Brazil traveled to, no, Argentina traveled to South Africa with all of their youth teams and played in South Africa for three weeks. Brazil traveled all over the place with the women, right? They're coming, Brazil, Butchi, I'm giving you a scoop, it's a gentleman that wants to come to Bermuda to play cricket, you know, we have the overseas player program.
then all the clubs know there's a gentleman from Brazil that may be looking to stay longer, maybe a month after the qualifiers that they're going to be playing in. Why do think they're staying every minute? They want to learn and take that back. He came here last time. Yes, yes, yes. The same gentleman was to stay longer. Why do you want to take information back? And the board's saying, we'll cover the expenses, can he stay? And yeah, okay, he can stay. But then it's going to be two or three. It's similar to how Brazil used to run football. What happens? Now everybody's doing a step over. Yeah. Right.
Bermuda Voices (01:52:28.833)
So again, we have to keep moving and can become complacent. My other question is regarding the T20, obviously the political side of things. Bangkok withdrew from the World Cup. Bangladesh. Bangladesh. I'm sorry, said Bangkok, forgive me. Bangladesh withdrew and of course, was political regarding their safety and things of that sort. And they didn't have the trust behind India. Pakistan says, you know what, we're going to withdraw too. We're going to support Bangladesh.
But now today, I'm just looking here, Bangladesh says, asked Pakistan to play India in the World Cup. It's no secret the teams have not played on the home ground, I think since 2008, right? Obviously, know, there's obviously the, the, it's both teams, not just from the sporting side, but it starts the political that transcends into the sporting side. That's kind of odd to hear what Bangladesh is asking for Pakistan to do, but because that game, crack me if I'm wrong, Cal, that game is in India.
if they do play because that game is this Saturday in India, Pakistan scheduled for this Saturday. That's one of the biggest cricket games. So we were talking off the air. So again, you take away sports and cricket. Both, almost the entire world was colonized at one point. Yeah. Yes. Right. No disrespect to colonize is divided up certain parts and made new names and new countries.
The people that were living together as first cousins, second cousins or distant neighbors all of a sudden have become enemies because someone else drew a line. And because that line is drawn and now over time there is an issue that now crosses over into sport. And I'm glad it's sport and not war. I'd rather they argue. But it's so much money in the game to be made and so much money to be lost that India and Pakistan are not playing. Doesn't any effect India and Pakistan. It affects Bermuda cricket board.
Because the last money that comes out of the World Cup for that broadcasting game could be hundreds of millions. If that game doesn't get played, two years from now, our cycle runs from two years from 2026, 2027, so in 2028 the ICC could say, we have to give Bermuda $50 and less because that last World Cup we didn't make as much money as we could have because Axiomanta games were not played. Or it wasn't broadcast on TV because where's the money? The money's not in the stand, the money's on the TV. And if you default a game, just like you default a match, you will be penalized.
Bermuda Voices (01:54:50.137)
In a game you lose three points in the world of TV and broadcasting, you lose money. Millions. Millions. And then the next time you want to negotiate, they will say, there's not going to be a game. You can't have a draw where India and Pakistan could play each other because they didn't play the last game. So then we lose the biggest rivalry in the world besides England and Australia and the Ashes and we lose money. It's a money game. If we don't understand cricket and sports takes money.
That's only reason I'm here because once it was said that we were not a charity, I had to state again, we would lose money not only from the corporate world, but ICC and the general public. So we had to clarify these statements. it's crazy. But I'm enjoying the cricket. I was switching between.
City and Liverpool. Hey, hey, hey, hey! I'm gonna switch in. I got two wheels, I'm not even the city man. said look. the city took that down. Yeah, yeah, yeah. I ain't gonna lie, when my boys got their free kick, probably jumped all up and down. I was like, nice. I was damn, like in the checking I'm gonna start off tonight, and I was with my good friend Mr. Mark Redd, you know, by chance we bumped into him. And I'm like.
The referees in football have a difficult job because once that third girl, Winnie, that was pulled back, I thought I knew football. I didn't really understand the rules, but I was told by another referee that was there that the first infraction meant that they had to pull that one back. And I'm like, do they have to send him off? No, but if it's the last man and they can't him a yellow card, they give him a red card. That's what they did. I think the goalkeepers, they give a yellow card. Didn't they change it to something where it was a penalty? They got a penalty and a yellow card?
Because he was the last man that could be a rare card in the fantasy. But no, that was a good game. I had a wonder. didn't last thing. I didn't watch NFL last night. That's your sport. Well, it's one of my sports. like a lot of I love NFL. You watched it? It was a good game. People said it wasn't a good game. It was a defensive game. It defensive game. It was very def- I mean, the first touch down didn't come to the third quarter. And they were already up 12-0.
Bermuda Voices (01:56:56.337)
But it was very defensive. Can I say one thing? This is not because Mr. Stephen Douglas Sr. told me to do that, but I call him a genius. So he was sharing information with us, know, exacto group about the NFL transitioning. And he sends a lot of information like that. And I couldn't put it all together. And I woke up this morning, I'm like, he's such a genius.
The reason why Bad Bunny did the halftime show, I know if anybody recognized it. Yes, because all the Latino... Yes, but because the NFL is going to play in three different countries, four continents, and the games are to be in Spain, Brazil, and Mexico. So if you go to Brazil, Spain, and Mexico, well, Brazil is Portuguese, but the markets are Spanish and Portuguese. How can you showcase the game if people don't understand the game? It's the entertainment side by having Bad Bunny
They're looking at Bare Bunny and they say, okay, well, yeah, maybe I'll go to a Bare Bunny concert and stay for the NFL in Mexico and Spain. So there's a brilliant marketing. If you think after July 4th, what's the biggest thing in the United States? The NFL, day. And if to have a non-English speaking person do the halftime show, I'm like, I couldn't put it together, but it's a marketing. Yeah, my wife acts for the same thing.
How come he's not speaking English? Then the girl started singing English. But it was a brilliant marketing scheme because they're American football into non-traditional markets. You have to find a way to get that person that was by a ticker for Independiente or Santos or Barcelona to say, I'm going into NFL.
Okay, bad bunny. In their language, they understand Spanish. Brazil speaks Portuguese, but hopefully they can cross. Is Spanish and Portuguese a little bit similar? It's a little bit similar. Right, so they can cross over, right? So it's a brilliant marketing. So I said, what happens when they take it to China or Japan? The halftime shares are going to be K-pop from South Korea or something like that. And then in closing, from my party show, what we came out on the executive channel, me and Stephen Douglas, we talk all day, is that
Bermuda Voices (01:58:59.729)
as much as we are so embedded in tradition in Bermuda and everything that we do in deafening sports, if the NFL can make a shift like that, we may have to bring all these state goals together, put everything back into the melting pot and say, what really works the best for cricket in the middle of It's the Oakland vote there, right? I was trying to research real quick. I'm wrapping up for you Bush, now you gotta make time. No, I ain't gonna wrap up, but before we leave, I wanna just congratulate our co-host Nick Jones. Yes.
He has been selected as an international technical author for Corrifta. Poor Corrifta. Well done buddy. It's something to do with swimming, isn't it? Yes. Congratulations Nick. Make sure you let them speak. Let them finish their sentence. Tell them you need somebody to take your luggage. Where's Corrifta being held? Don't do that. Stop. Me too, Lion. Where's Corrifta being held? I don't know.
I can't type it in Google fast enough. Just real quick, the 49ers and the Los Angeles Rams are playing in Melbourne, Australia this year, NFL. Yeah, Mr. Douglas said it's also going to be So again, non-traditional markets, different times and people that... That's a totally different time. But that's a good thing in Australia because they play rugby and they play the Aussie rules rugby, which is different from the traditional rugby. And you're in NFL, NFL probably start recruiting out of that.
That's it. There was a guy there from Australia, The first Australian winner of the NFL. Right, he was a kicker and he was at the Jacksonville. Krifters and Grenada. But the swimming is somewhere else, isn't it? They separate them, don't they? Yeah. There's the Krifters, swimming, and then there's something like that. Nick Renaud. Ian, before I go, I probably wouldn't say her name. Everybody knows her, but to my significant other who has to put up with me, especially when there's the difficult times.
Valentine's coming. Difficult times when I'm up and she's saying you can't sleep and I'm moving around and I'm frustrated. I'm dealing with all this stuff. She's there for me. She knows when I need company, when I need my time. And I want to say I appreciate you.
Bermuda Voices (02:00:56.369)
We appreciate you young lady, that's very nice. And to everyone out there that supports the significant other, male or female in the sporting environment, you play a very important role. But to my significant other, I appreciate you. My poor wife, she's always tossing and turning, she's like, you're okay? I said, are you sleeping? Yeah. Thank you wives. Thank you significant others. Oh, to answer your question about swimming, it's in Martinique. Martinique, yes. 2nd to the 9th, 2026.
question is who's gonna be head coach would it be Ben Smith because now he's a leader of the OBA. well that's a whole nother can of worms. There you go. Well I want to say to you mate in all this stuff. I'm I'm not talking no more for this. I tell you You show up that's what I like about you. You don't stick your head in the sand like ostrich. And to my brothers even though we can't you know Mr. Bess and Mr. Mendez this was not personal this was just about.
Safeguarding the integrity BCB as but you said be getting the room. You may have a little back and forth Fresh rounds on me. Cool. All right, and it doesn't have to be hard. It could be so What is good? Yeah, I'll have a shorty temple. Okay. There you go Yeah, and I just want to tell Kyle. Yeah for the rest of the week. Whatever you do just be a good sport Hey Do the best you can
Keep up the good work Mr. Blankendale. Lloyd Smith, I think I have your approval that I could not go off today because I'm I'm drained man. I can't go back to the office. I'm Your phone is ringing. Stephen Douglas is calling you. Hey, that's all the time we have for Inside Sports Talk Radio. Enjoy the rest of your day.