Belize Volleyball Victorious and Belize Baseball’s Field of Dreams
Belize volleyball stars shine in international competition, the Belize City Defenders survives a critical series tiebreaker in the NEBL finals, and contenders are separating themselves from the pack in Belize District softball but first, why are Belize City teams playing softball in rural Belize in the first place?
The battle roar of Belize City’s young and emerging Lady Wolfpack Softball Club heard here this weekend in Lord’s Bank Village. Defending Belize City softball champions Belize Bank Bulldogs here dominating Sandhill De Trop. And four-peat National tournament champion Beacon finishing off Crooked Tree at the Sandhill Community Field. All three teams are without a home field, but in this case, it’s for a good reason.
The iconic Rogers Stadium is now closed for construction. The president of the Belize Baseball Softball Federation says major upgrades are in store for the facility.
Marconi Leal Jr., President, Belize Baseball Federation
“People will see that the fence is starting to be rebuilding the fence to prepare us for the final phase which is building a Little League baseball stadium and our national softball stadium.”
With an official charter already secured from Little League International, the federation now wants to move boys from softball into baseball, where more opportunities exist.
Marconi Leal Jr.
“You would have seen that we started the Little League baseball in Belize City. The plan is for us to at the lower with the younger kids, that we start to develop the sport, which is why we’re doing everything to be a part of the Little League organization internationally where we could get support. We could get developmental support so that we could develop the sports across the country. We’re gonna be meeting with Sports Council soon so that we can transition for boys from softball to baseball at the primary school and the high school level.”
And fortunately for the Federation, this transition will be made easier having a baseball ally at the decision-making table.
Anthony Mahler, Minister of Sports
“For me, baseball was my first love that I grew up playing that. And then I moved out into football and other and basketball specifically. But I, I believe that we can compete with this region if we have the proper facilities and we have the proper training.”
This investment in Rogers Stadium is one of many recent steps towards developing elite baseball talent in Belize.
Now let’s take a look at scores and top performances this past weekend.
Whether you like ketchup on your garnaches or not, NEBL fans will all agree this finals is hot! The Belize City Defenders managed to hold off the aggressive and tough shot making Orange Walk Rebels in game three of the National Elite Basketball League Finals on Friday inside a packed Civic Center. Regular season MVP Nigel “Hoop Kid” Jones scored twenty-nine of Defenders seventy-two points, while Francis Arana scored twenty in the defeat. Defenders takes a two-one lead in the best of five series.
In the third Central American Men’s Final Four Championship, Belize defeated host nation Costa Rica in five sets to win their opening game of the tournament on Sunday and are playing Nicaragua today. And Belize’s women team won their final game in three sets against U.S. Virgin Islands in the highest-level competition we have participated in, the U-21 NORCECA Pan American Cup in Columbus, Ohio. Nisaan Martinez was recognized as the best Opposite in the entire tournament, an outstanding individual honour.
In the Unified Belize District Softball fastpitch tournament, they were five games at the Sandhill Community Field and two games in Lord’s Bank. The Belize Bank Bulldogs and Beacon clubs continue to set the pace in what seems like march towards another chapter in these rivals’ long story.
That is all we have for you this week in Sports Monday brought to you by the National Sports Council of Belize. I’m Shane Williams reminding you that friendly competition unites and balling is life. So, keep balling Belize!
Attention readers: This online newscast is a direct transcript of our evening television broadcast. When speakers use Kriol, we have carefully rendered their words using a standard spelling system.