Track and Field Takes Center Stage in Weekend Sports

Good evening, I am Paul Lopez with this week’s installment of Sports Monday. We begin tonight’s coverage on the running track where long-time track and field coach Fred Evans hosted a mock triple and long jump competition.

Young athletes showed up to receive expert guidance and compete against each other. Evans told us that the event was all about preparing promising athletes for official competitions. He says the turnout was a bit disappointing, but he has other mock competitions scheduled for the upcoming weeks.

 

Fred Evans, Track and Field Coach

“The turnout is a little disappointing but this is the first one. In two I will do the same things for the throws, shot discuss and javelin with the same objectives in mind, see where they are, their minds, and get them use to preparing their minds to compete. The techniques we are working on relates primarily to take off. The most important part of any jump is the takeoff, where and how. And, like one of the athletes today is getting close to the board and pulling his feet back because he is afraid to foul. This is one of the things we have to deal with mentally. I tell my athletes, if you are afraid to foul, then you are afraid to win.”

 

And from track and field to first division football inside the Marion Jones Sporting Complex. The Belize District Football Association’s First Division Tournament continued over the weekend with two big matches. In the first game of the evening, Reggae Boys took on Belize United. Late into the second half with no goals on the scoreboard for either teams a beautiful and precise corner kick from Reggae Boys went over the head of the goalkeeper and into the net. That’s one goal for Reggae Boys. Well, folks that is how that one ended, with Reggae Boys securing a victory against Belize United.

 

In the second match of the evening, Leaders of Tomorrow went up against Grave Yard in a thrilling match that ended two goal to one in favor of Grave Yard. The first goal of the match came at the twenty-third minute from Leaders of Tomorrow’s Sanja Pitts who hustled his way inside the penalty box. But only four minutes later, Grave Yard’s Jospeh Jacob landed this goal as the keeper charged towards him, bringing the match to one goal apiece. And then in the thirty-eight minute, Grave Yard’s Kevan Reyes sealed the deal for his team with second goal. The goalkeeper was once again caught way outside the penalty box.

 

Over the weekend, the Belize Table Tennis Association hosted its first tournament for 2026. Here are the top competitors from that tournament. Young George Espat continues to leave his mark on the discipline. He was crowned the junior champion. The finalists in that category also includes Sariah Martin in second place, while Cheryl and Ellie Chang both secured third place medals. Seasoned player Takahiro Fugata won the tittle of Senior Champion.  Daryl Palacio secured the silver medal in the senior category, while Tyrone Tun and Eric Stamp both secured bronze medals. In the novice category, Xander Castillo took home gold, Cian Glenn secured silver, while Arian and Anila Blair walked away with bronze medals.

 

And finally, we send our well wishes to several of Belize’s top cyclists that were involved in a crash during a prep race over the weekend. The Cycling Federation of Belize issued a statement saying that during the first lap several athletes from the lead group were involved in the pileup, namely, Oscar Quiroz, Christoper Waight, Leon Leslie, Roque Matus, Wendell Williams, and Joslyn Chavarria Jr. They were taken to the hospital with severe road rashes, bruises and fractures. Roque, Chavarria and Waight required overnight observation, while Quiroz required MRI testing to determine the severity of their fractures.

 

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