Team Belize Dominating in Regional Volleyball Tournament  

Good evening, I’m Paul Lopez, and welcome to your weekly dose of Sports Monday! We’re kicking things off in San Ignacio, where the Cayo Western Ballaz and the Belize City Thunderbolts lit up the court in a high-energy showdown. But this one didn’t just bring the heat—it nearly boiled over. Just minutes before the final whistle, things took a dramatic turn. Take a look at what happened.

 

Thunderbolts’ Charles Garcia got into a confrontation with a fan on the sideline. Here he is approaching that fan, before pulling off his hat and hitting him in the face with it. Now check this out, here’s another angle of the confrontation, this time captured by a fan in the stands. And get this, the person being confronted by Garcia? None other than Dr. Julio Sabido, the CEO of the Ministry of Health and Wellness. Things nearly escalated even further when Garcia almost clashed with another fan who stormed the court, but quick action from police officers on duty kept it from getting out of hand. Garcia was eventually escorted back to the court, while Dr. Sabido made his exit from the venue.

 

After the match, Thunderbolts Head Coach Darren Bovell didn’t hold back. He took to social media, pointing fingers at the referees, saying they dropped the ball. According to Bovell, he had already raised concerns earlier in the game when fans first went after Garcia. He says he flagged it again when threatening gestures, like cutthroat signs, were being made toward his player. That, he says, is when things spiraled. Bovell is now calling on the league’s commissioner to step up and be more selective about which officials are paired for these high-stakes games.

 

Now, all of that drama unfolded near the end of the game, but before things got heated off the court, the real battle was happening on it. The Cayo Western Ballaz came out swinging, clearly determined not to repeat last weekend’s homecourt loss. And they meant business. From the opening tip, they took control. By the end of the first quarter, they were already up twenty-six to ten, thanks in large part to standout performances from Dennis Flowers III and Arik Nicholas. And they didn’t let up. By halftime, the Ballaz had stretched their lead to a commanding eighteen points—forty-three to twenty-five over the Thunderbolts.

The Thunderbolts brought that lead down to twelve points at the end of the third quarter, with big time buckets from Mathew Young and Victor Evans. The Thunderbolts then brought the Western Ballers’ lead down to eight in the fourth, but this one eventually slipped out of their hands. A big home court victory for the Cayo Western Ballers, much to the delight of the fans that were inside a packed-out Sacred Heart Auditorium.

 

And speaking of defending home turf, Team Belize came out swinging on Sunday night. The National U-23 Women’s Volleyball Team lit up the Civic Center with a dominant win over Panama in the Central American Championship, hosted right here at home by the Belize Volleyball Association. It was a clean sweep. Belize took the first set 25–14, crushed Panama 25–6 in the second and sealed the deal 25–17 in the third. Next up, they face El Salvador tonight, Honduras on Wednesday, and Guatemala on Thursday. We’ll be keeping a close eye on those matchups.

 

Now, from the volleyball court to the football field; out in Lucky Strike Village, the William Dawson Peace Cup is heating up in the knockout rounds. On Sunday, Caesar Ridge FC went head-to-head with Hattieville/Rockville in a do-or-die showdown. And folks, this one wasn’t even close, it was a blowout from start to finish. Caesar Ridge on the attack. Lawnie Leslie with the ball and he blasted one into the goal. Two minutes later, corner kick for Caesar Ridge, a header inside the box. The goalkeeper tried to get the ball out, but Dejean Thompson was right there to clean things up.

 

Seven minutes later, another corner kick for Caesar Ridge and what a beautiful kick from Naim Wilson. The ball bounced off the sidebar and went into the goal. In the thirty-eight minutes of the first half, it was Hattieville’s Lebron Robinson alone on the attack. He beat the goalkeeper and gave his team a desperately needed goal. Ceasar Ridge scored four goals in the first half and two in the second, for a total of six goals. Team Hattieville/Rockville only scored two goals, one in each half. Their run for this season has officially come to an end. The semi-finals kick off on Saturday inside the Marion Jones Stadium. Caesar Ridge FC will take on Rookies FC, while Survivors FC will play Tut Bay FC.

 

And to wrap things up tonight, there’s a new team leading the Belize Athletics Association, and it’s headed by Olympic sprinter Shaun Gill, who’s now officially the new president. The association held its elections over the weekend, and here’s how the lineup looks: Alvin Tillett steps in as first vice president, Dylan Jones takes the second VP spot, and Kimberly Casimiro is now the general secretary. Keisha Young will serve as assistant secretary, while Ashontie Carr takes charge of public relations. Rounding out the team are committee members Shelmadine Carr, Julia McCord, and Gloria Serrano. It’s a fresh start for the BAA, and we’ll be watching to see what this new executive brings to the track. Well folks, that is all we have for you in tonight’s coverage of Sports Monday. Catch you in the next one.