Sports - Greater Belize Media

Belize Trails Argentina at Halftime in Americup 2024

Belize’s National Under-Eighteen team is currently playing against host team Argentina in FIBA’s Americup 2024. At halftime, Argentina is in the lead with fifty-seven points, while team Belize has forty-two points. Josiah Moseley has made nineteen of those points. He made seventeen in the first quarter. Douglas Langford got off to a slow start. He has a total of twelve points in two quarters. Elijah Favella secured nine points at the half. Team Argentina has been breaking apart Belize’s defense at the three-point line to get a lot of open looks. We will continue to follow this one and update you on the final score in a subsequent newscast.

USA Trounces Belize 150 – 54 in Americup Tournament

Belize’s National Under-Eighteen Basketball team suffered a crushing defeat at the hands of U.S.A.’s under-eighteen team in Argentina. The upset came after a victorious first day for team Belize against Brazil on Monday. Team U.S.A. overcame Belize in blowout fashion, winning the game by a whopping ninety-six points. Belize must now regroup and prepare for the remainder of the tournament. News Five’s Paul Lopez reports.

Paul Lopez, Reporting

Belize’s National Under-Eighteen Basketball team faced an upsetting defeat in their second match in FIBA’s Americup in Argentina. Belize faced off against Team U.S.A, the number one ranked under-eighteen team. It was an uphill battle from the start. But, before the match we heard from a couple of Belize’s athletes.

Josiah Moseley, National U-18 Basketball Team

“I think a lot of people are making this game a bit bigger than it is. At the end of the day it is just another game. We will approach this game like we approach any other game. I think the team is in a good mind space right now. We are prepared and we know what we are getting into.”

Elijah Favela, National U-18 Basketball Team

“I think what makes team Belize what it is simply that we have a strong brotherhood, and we just know what each other can do and we really trust each other and we are all tight and I think that is what helps us throughout everything, because we stick together and I feel that makes us be successful the way we are.”

Paul Lopez

“What is it that you all have been hearing from Belizean fans that you all like and appreciate, if you have been following on social media?”

Josiah Moseley

“We try not to stay into all the social media stuff. We try to keep our head focus and strictly on basketball and from our coaches and family we have all the support we need. But we are not focused on social media.”

Paul Lopez

“Any final words you want to say to fans and family back home?”

Douglas Langford, National U-18 Basketball Team

“Hi mom, We appreciate the love, thank you everyone.”

Early in this one there were already signs that it would not be anything close to an easy game for team Belize. Four minutes into the first quarter team U.S.A already had a huge lead over Belize with twenty-three points to zero. Team U.S.A wins the tipoff and Trey McKenney makes easy work of the layup. Darius Acuff Junior with the three-point shot. Ian Parham ended the drought with a three-point shot. But team U.S.A kept drilling those three-point shots. Josiah Moseley strong on the inside for Belize’s second basket. At the start of the second quarter, team U.S.A had a twenty-four-point lead. Moseley again, securing the spin around jump shot. But team U.S.A did not let up.

Here is another three-pointer from Mikel Brown to further extend their ballooning lead. Team Belize scored nine points in total in the second quarter. Team U.S.A scored thirty-five points in the same quarter. Douglas Langford coming alive in the third quarter with a slam dunk. At this point in the game, team U.S.A was leading by sixty points. That lead expanded to seventy-one points at the end of the third quarter. Team U.S.A outscored Belize by more than twenty points in the fourth quarter, punctuating their dominant victory.

This one ended one hundred and fifty-four points to fifty points, in favor of team U.S.A. That is a ninety-six-point defeat for team Belize as they go back to their hotel room and regroup for their match against Argentina on Wednesday.

Reporting for News Five, I am Paul Lopez.

Belize Wins Its First Match in U-18 AmeriCup in Argentina

Just before news time, Belize’s National Under-Eighteen Basketball team defeated Brazil in their first AmeriCup match in Argentina. Team Belize went into the tournament unranked while Brazil is ranked at eleventh. Coached by Matthew Smiling, the match saw Josiah Moseley finishing with thirty-one points, Douglas Langford with twenty-eight points and Ian Parham with fourteen points. News Five’s Paul Lopez brings us the highlights.

Paul Lopez reporting

The Belize National Under- Eighteen Basketball team won its first match in FIBA’s Americup. A team that entered the tournament unranked, brought down Brazil’s Under-Eighteen National Team. Douglas Langford puts Belize on the scoreboard with an open three-point shot. Langford again with the rebound, drives all the way down the court, draws the foul and gets the bucket. That’s an and-one for Langford. He is on fire early in the first quarter, as he puts up a second three-point shot to extend Belize’s lead. Josiah Moseley, big under the rim, gets the basket and breaks the tie.

Down by two points, Elijah Favela drives, makes the basket and gets the foul. Ian Parham makes it look easy, as he gives team Belize the lead at the end of the first quarter. In the second quarter, Langford to Devin Moody, Moody back to Langford. He spins and puts up a beautiful jump shot. Moody, there to clean up after his own missed layup, showing determination on the court. Brazil trailing with thirty-four points, Moody sets up at the three-point line and puts it in. The half closed with an open three by Langford, extending Belize’s lead to fifty-three points over Brazil’s forty-seven.

In the third quarter, Moseley with the sidestep from the three-point line. Ball to Parham who wasted no time getting it up for a three-pointer. And the fifth three-point shot in the quarter for team Belize had the announcer referring to the team as Golden State Belize. Brazil went on a run late in the fourth quarter. With eighteen seconds left in the game and up by one point, Moseley is at the free throw line. He makes one shot and misses the second. Belize is awarded a turnover with a couple seconds left on the clock. Favela at the line, banks two free throws to extend Belize’s lead to four points. And that is how this one ended, one hundred and six points to one hundred and two points.

Announcer

Douglas, congratulations, you did a great job tonight. What was the key to the win?

Douglas Langford

Its mainly just competing. A running game,. We know they were bigger and stronger but we are little and faster. So our speed is mainly what we emphasized.

Sports Monday with Paul Lopez

Goodnight and welcome to another edition of Sports Monday, I am Paul Lopez. The nation is behind the National Under-Eighteen Basketball team currently competing in FIBA’s Americup in Argentina.

They arrived in Argentina on Saturday and participated in a media day where their portraits were taken ahead of the start of the tournament. The games tipped off today and Belize played its first match against Brazil.

They are scheduled to play the U.S. on Tuesday and Argentina on Wednesday. We are certainly proud of the effort our young basketball athletes are displaying in Argentina. From Basketball, we move into some softball action.

The Belize City Softball Association’s Fast Pitch Softball Tournament continues inside the MCC Stadium. The association schedules at least four games over the course of the weekend.

On Friday night, Wolfpack faced off against Lady Impact. Wolfpack is batting at the top of the first inning. Bases are loaded and Wolfpack’s number fourteen is up to bat. She hits the ball just over second base, sending one runner home. Bases remained loaded when Amoria Mejia sent one flying into center field. Another two runners made it home safe in that inning. Lady Impact’s first batting inning saw no runs. At the bottom of the second inning, Wolfpack continued to add runs to their scoresheet. Runners on second and third, with number seventeen inside the batter’s box. The catcher missed the pitch, didn’t recover in time and Wolfpack scored its fourth run. The pitcher was changed after numerous foul balls.

Number fourteen for Wolfpack is once again inside the batter’s box and bases are loaded. She hits the ball across third base, just far enough for it to be a fair ball. The Wolfpack counted two additional runs on that hit. That’s five. Wolfpack would go on to make two more runs in that inning. It was not until the top of the third that Lady Impact would begin to see some headway. A hard hit to the shoulder of Impact’s Kimani Gillett. She walked to first base. With runners on second and third, Wolfpack’s catcher missed the ball and Gillett finds her way home. A needed run for Lady Impact. Alberta Bailey sent a ground ball into the right field that translated into two more runs for her team. Folks, this one ended in the seventh inning, with a victory for Wolfpack as they secured fifteen runs in total. Lady Impact finished with six runs.

The Anthony Mahler Under-Thirteen Football Tournament is a highlight event over the weekend for young footballers across the Old Capital

This past Saturday was no different and we are bringing you highlights from two of the matches played that day. The first is between newcomer Berger United and Phoenix F.C. Berger United’s number eleven wasted no time in putting his team on the scoreboard off the throw in. Only four minutes later, Latrel Frazer got one in after a solid defensive tackle by his teammate in front of the goalpost. And just before the end of the third period, number eleven again, breaks away and gets in his second goal. Late into the second period, Khayri Martin makes some room inside the penalty box and sends a bullet into the goal, putting his time up by four goals. Less than a minute later Breylin Middleton scores Berger United’s fifth goal with an easy touch past the goalkeeper.

Berger United would go on to win that match, eight goals to zero. In our second highlight match, Tutbay F.C. took on Port F.C. Tutbay made a statement early in this one. Watch young Scott Johnson from Tutbay F.C. as his pass inside comes back to him. He disposed of it quickly into the back of the net. Number ten, Kyrone Martinez gave Tutbay its third goal off a beautiful .pass that only needed some finishing touches. Less than a minute later, Alden Coleman once again, this time with an impressive kick off the header from a defender. Tutbay F.C. won that match five goals to zero.

Well Folks that is all we have for you in tonight’s coverage of Sports Monday

Catch you in the next one

Belize National U-18 Basketball Team Travelling to Argentina

Argentina, here they come! The Belize National Under- Eighteen Basketball Team left for Argentina just before sunrise today. They are headed to compete in the FIBA Under-Eighteen Americup after securing a bronze medal in the FIBA Under-Seventeen Centrobasket Championships 2023, hosted here in Belize. Our team has been placed in group B along with teams from Argentina, Brazil and the U.S.A. Their first game is scheduled for Monday against Brazil. The tournament will run from June third to the ninth. The top four teams from the tournament will get a chance to compete internationally against other teams next year. We spoke with some team members before they departed Belize.

Jacob Leslie, President, Belize Basketball Federation

“We reach Argentina Saturday morning, at five thirty in the morning. We check into the hotel and try to get some rest and they compete on Monday, and they compete everyday from the third to the ninth and return to Belize on the tenth. What Belize can expect from these kids are exactly what we saw last summer, a bunch of kids that plays hard. They play to the whistle, and they don’t give up. They have gotten better; the kids individually have gotten better and that will cause us to look better as a team.”

Douglas Langford Jr., Belize National U18 Basketball Team

“I feel like this is something we all looked forward to after the end of the first tournament we played. The only thing we were talking about is when we get back together and get to compete again and that time is finally here and we are super excited. As you can see we are just laughing and enjoying each other’s company. It is something we really looked forward to.”

Elijah Favella, Belize National U18 Basketball Team

“We have two really big goals. The biggest goal that every team should have been to win the whole thing. So that is the first thing we want to do is win the whole thing. And if we don’t win, we definitely want to qualify to go to the world cup next year. So the top four make it so we definitely want to be the top four to make it up there.”

Paul Lopez

“Is there anything intimidating about the group you have been placed in?”

Ellijah Favella

“I mean they do have U.S.A. but at the same time everybody is the same. You got to look at them the same. If you look at them like they are better than the others, then we are going to get a lot scared and it is going to throw off our whole game. So really don’t fear anybody.”

Devin Moody, Belize National U18 Basketball Team

“Growing up it has always been a part of my dream to even be on the national team. So for me to be on the national team for the second time and knowing that we are going on a bigger stage, I feel very great about this opportunity that I have been given.”

All the games will be streamed live on youtube.

Special Olympics Athletes Secures Regional Bocce Medals

Two Special Olympics athletes from Stella Maris competed in the Caribbean Special Olympics Bocce Event in Grand Cayman and brought home four medals. Elijah Martinez and Kiefer Simon were greeted at the Philip Goldson International Airport this afternoon by the school’s marching band. They then headed over to Stella Maris where the celebration continued. Students held up posters and shouted in celebration when the team arrived at the school’s entrance. We spoke with their coach, Sheree Selgado who also underwent training in Grand Cayman to become a certified bocce coach. We also heard from Marshall Nunez, the Disability Desk Coordinator, who joined the athletes on this journey, as well as the athletes themselves.

Sheree Selgado, Coach, Special Olympics Bocce Team

“We actually did a lot of practice before we left for grand Cayman to participate in this competition. Bocce is almost, they would say the cousin to bowling. It entails a small ball that is called a pallino. Each teams would get four balls to play and the objective of the game is you need to get your balls as close as possible to that pallino. It means so much, we went out there. We just practiced in our school yard. WE didn’t even have a proper facility compared to the other regions that we played against. We went optimistic. The boys kept saying we are coming back with gold. We fell short by one point for that gold but we came back with medal.”

Marshall Nunez, Disability Desk Coordinator, Ministry of Human Development

“We attended the special Olympics Caribbean initiative, the first ever Caribbean Bocce Tournament in Grand Cayman, the tournament was from Thursday until Saturday. They had twenty participating countries. Our boys, Keifer Simon and Elija Martinez participated in the individual competition. Elijah won bronze and Simon won silver and in the team competition we won silver medals. So we got three silver medal and one bronze.”

Elijah Martinez, Bocce Athlete

“Well ih feel good for me and for Belize.”

Paul Lopez

And what was going through your mind when you were over there competing?

Elijah Martinez

“I never think I would win any medal for Belize. I think my coach, I thank Belize, My mom, my dad, all my family and Stella Marris School.”

Paul Lopez

“How does it feel to bring home two medal?”

Kiefer Simon, Bocce Athlete

“I feel good.”

Paul Lopez

“What was it like competing, what was going through your mind?”

Kiefer Simon

“Brining gold.”

Paul Lopez

“Anybody you would like to big up?”

Kiefer Simon

“My coach and Belize and my school.”

The Hurricanes are Heading to the B.E.B.L. Finals

Goodnight and welcome to another edition of Sports Monday. I am Paul Lopez. The Benny’s Belize Hurricanes are back in the B.E.B.L. Finals. On Friday night, the Hurricanes travelled down to the Culture Capital for game two of their best-of-three playoff series against the Griga Dream Ballers. The Hurricanes were up one win, and the Ballers were facing elimination going into this one.

The Russel “Chiste” Garcia auditorium was electric, as Dangriga basketball fans filled the venue with drumming and celebration. Edgar Mitchell, wide open with an early three in the first quarter. Glency Lopez drives in hard and he is rejected. Mitchell capitalizes on the steal down at the other end. Outstanding ball handling skills on display by Deshawn Brackett, as he gets inside for the bucket.

The first quarter ended with Dangriga up by two with sixteen points. Both teams exploded in the second quarter, which was the highest scoring quarter of the game. Bracket creating space against Lopez, pulls back, shoots the three, gets it and draws the foul. Kyron Molina with a corner three to extend their lead by six points early in the second. Victor Evans fakes the pass and puts up the jump shot. Molina again from three, gets it in. Evans responded on the other end also with a three to cut down the lead. Molina, again from that same corner three position, makes the bucket, ballooning their lead to ten. Molina, catching fire from that three-point position with his fourth, made three in the quarter. Evans, from the corner, keeps the Ballers in reach. Evans, still not done, puts up another three. Molina, back where he made that first three in the quarter, gets his fifth. A little later, Lopez with the three-pointer.

The Dangriga Dream Ballers led by as many as fifteen in the second quarter. But the Hurricanes crept back up and cut their lead back down to two points. Hurricanes up by two with a minute on the clock in the fourth quarter, the ball gets into the hands of Brandon Flowers who extends the lead to four. Down by seven points with thirty seconds on the clock, Guzman makes a basket from beyond the three-point line. Unfortunately, it was not enough to keep their hopes of a game three alive. The Hurricanes won ninety points to eighty-three.

Evans was engaged in a verbal exchange with some Ballers fans right after scoring a free throw to tie the game at seventy-four in the fourth quarter. He finished with twenty-four points.

Victor “Vito’ Evans, Benny’s Belize Hurricanes

“Whenever I come to Griga they try to attack me from start to finish. So, I decided to get engaged back. I am from L.A., that is what we do, trash talk. I love Griga, I tell people all the time this is the best environment to play in. I love Civic, btu this small environment, this pit, it is amazing, feels like you are at war.”

Jamil Wagner, Coach, Benny’s Belize Hurricanes

“Well going into the finals we can’t expect anything but hard work. To win a championship is never easy, regardless of the talent on your team. We got to go in there and take it.”

Last week, we told you that Port Loyola Football Club won the Premier League of Belize Closing Season Championship. Well, Port F.C. is still in celebration mode. On Saturday, the championship team paraded through the streets of Belize City in celebration. Port F.C. is the first Belize City team in a long time to bring a football championship to the Old Capital. They flaunted that twenty-thousand dollar check during the victory parade for the city to see. Again, they will be representing Belize in CONCACAF. That honor comes with their championship.

And finally for tonight, we must recognize Santiago “Chief” Castillo for putting on yet another successful International Masters Tour De Santinos. Day one of the race was all about the time trial prologue. Each of the sixty-three riders had a mile and a quarter to cover in this leg of the race. Stage two was all about the race along the Coastal Highway. For the third and final stage, riders raced along the Philip Goldson Highway, into Ladyville, through the Burrell Room Road, into Hattieville and back to the city. After all three stages, the first-place prize went to Mario Arroyave. Bob Gabourel secured second, while Gabriel Cardosa secured the third position. And here is a look at the top ten riders for the tour.

Well folks that is all we have for you in tonight’s coverage of Sports Monday. Catch you in the next one.

Belize U18/U20 Athletes Excel in Costa Rica, Securing Multiple Medals

Last week, Belize’s U18/U20 athletes travelled to Costa Rica to compete in several sporting events. During the two-day event, the athletes won several medals.

In the U-20 category, Kali Magana, the reigning Central American 400m champion, continued her reign by winning both the 800m (2:19.82) and 400m (56.06) events. In the U-18 division, Jouvann Morgan impressed with two medals in the long and triple jumps, achieving a personal best of 5.85m in the long jump (bronze) and a personal record of 13.36m in the triple jump (silver).

Dario Crunckshanck secured a bronze in the high jump with a personal record of 1.85m, while Summer Francis earned a bronze in the U18 shot put with a new personal best of 10.24m. Other notable performances included Ruper Cardinez’s personal best of 11.25 in the 100m finals, Kamron Gentel’s personal records of 11.39 in the 100m and 23.13 in the 200m, and Aquile Flores’ 200m personal record of 23.80.

Nathan Pettingale set a new personal record in the javelin with a throw of 40.73m, finishing 4th, while Elvis Guzman’s 41.33m throw in the U20 javelin earned him 8th place in the finals. Emiain Sandoval reached the finals in the U18 100m with a personal record of 13.23, and Tamiai Bennett cleared 1.40m in the high jump for 7th place.

UDP Standard Bearer Host Basketball competition in Toledo East

With just a few months to go before the by-election is held for the appointment of a new Toledo East Area Representative, the candidates have launched their campaigns. And while the P.U.P. is preparing to elect a standard bearer at the upcoming convention, the U.D.P. has already made its decision. The United Democratic Party has endorsed Dennis Williams’ candidacy, and he has embarked on his campaign. On Saturday, Williams hosted a basketball marathon with the youths of Toledo east. This event was facilitated so that youths in the area would be able to develop traits such as discipline, hard work and unity which they can apply in all aspects of life. A first, second and third cash prize was given to participants. The U.D.P. said that, “the next Area Representative for Toledo East will embrace and empower the Youth. Leader of the Opposition.”

Belize Brings Home Gold at CADICA Games

Team Belize is back from the 2024 CADICA Games and the athletes did not return empty handed. On Friday, a delegation of eleven track and field athletes flew to Costa Rica to compete in the annual Central American and Caribbean Athletic Championships. Last year, the team brought home several medals and this year, was another success. With two gold, one silver, three bronze medals and several personal best records broken, Cojac Smith, President of the Belize Athletics Association, says that Belize should be feeling nothing but pride.

Cojac Smith, President, Belize Athletics Association

“The youths did very well in this CADICA games. We have two gold medals. Kali Magana, she got a gold in four hundred and a gold in eight hundred. Then we have a silver and three bronze. So the silver was Jouvann Morgan. He got a silver, was very close to gold in triple jump and he did a PR in triple jump as well. And he got a bronze in long jump. The other two bronze were Summer. She got a bronze in shot put and did a PR as well. And the next bronze was Dario Crunckshanck. He did the high jump. That’s the medal count that we have. So all of the eleven athletes that went, we did pretty good.It’s ecstatic. To be honest with you, we’re just trying our best to see how best we could move, track and field forward, and give these kids bigger opportunities for them to do well and be successful. So, while we at the association are doing our part, the highlight is really just the youths that did excellent and performed. Because without they performing, then the work that we did would have been for no reason. So, we have to give kudos to the youths that did excellent.”

Britney Gordon

“And what are the plans moving forward as you continue to work with these kids?”

Cojac Smith

“The plans moving forward is just continued development because while not everyone meddled, the other kids that went did very well as well. There were several personal bits in those as well and there’s a lot of potential in these youths, U18 and U20. You have standout in the other athletes like Nathan, Elvin, I don’t want to say the list because I might forget someone, but they are very. Very exceptional use and we just want to keep this score as well as others that were very close to the standard that did not able to make the trip and just continue pushing and developing sports. We have a lot of program that we want to put in place in terms of coaching development, officiating development and that will help holistically move track and feel forward and getting more youths and identifying more youths and recruiting. Recruiting because Belize has a lot of talent and a lot of times that we’re just not identifying these youths and even though we’re having these meets, we’re still not reaching everywhere that we could reach. So it’s just to continue identifying these youths and giving them positive opportunity for them to excel.”