September 26, 2024 - Channel 5 Belize

Legendary Boxing Trainer Henrietta Gill

Well-known boxing trainer Henrietta Gill turns ninety-one-years-old this year. She is among the unsung heroes in Belizean sports. Gill’s passion for mentoring young men and molding them into model citizens, even if they were locked up behind prison walls, made her a role model. The athletes she trained were very good and won medals, a testament to her skillfulness. She did all this in the ‘80s and 90’s, at a time when women were not being welcomed into the sport with open arms. In tonight’s episode of Belize on Reel, News Five’s Paul Lopez looks at the contributions of Henrietta Gill to boxing in Belize.

Paul Lopez, Reporting

If one was to travel back in time to the early nineties when Belizeans came out in droves to watch boxing, the Bird’s Isle was the place to be. This is footage from a fight night back then at an event that was filled with spectators and some heavy hitters in boxing. At ringside, among the trainers, stood one woman who brought immense value to the discipline.

Henrietta Gill, Former Boxing Coach

“I want you to jab up and come back down ok. Work the body and the head, you understand what I am telling you. Nuh guh to the back ah man.”

Henrietta Gill is a legendary boxing trainer. She was in her late fifties and aging gracefully when these videos were captured. At the time, Gill was a trainer for the Adolphus and Civic gyms. She was also employed as an officer in Her Majesty’s Prison where she trained prisoners to box. Her program helped prisoners to better reintegrate themselves into society upon their release. Here she was preparing a group of boxers from the prison for the 1993 Belize Games.

Henrietta Gill (File: Aug 3^rd, 1993)

“We work everyday from Monday to Friday and we start everyday at two o’clock and we finish the latest at four. It is really hard work. We start with our exercise, going to shadow boxing, skipping, punching of bags, etc., etc. They work really hard and to be frank Marie, I am really prepared for ’93.”

Voice of: Ann Marie Williams, Reporter

“Gill’s boxers are a little different from their competitors in that whether they win lose or draw, they will sulk behind the walls of her majesty’s prison.”

Former Boxer

“I take part in the first Belize Games. I won a gold medal, and I was quite satisfied. I am hoping I am going out there and doing my best. That is what everybody expects of me, to do my best.”

Ann Marie Williams

“What is it like taking punches in the ring?”

Former Boxer

“Just like giving, you take, and you give, that is the point right.”

Henrietta Gill’s passion for developing prisoners into model citizens extended beyond the boxing ring. Here she is captured participating in a talent show organized by prisoners at Her Majesty’s Prison. In 2022, almost three decades later, News Five caught up with an eighty-nine-year-old Gill in Belize City, still active and very cheerful.

Henrietta Gill (File: Sept 5^th, 2022)

“Now the first thing you have to train your boxers is you have to drop in their stance. Anytime you tell your boxer drop in the stance they put their right foot, because they write with their right hand, but no. You see the body is turned. So, you don’t. When you say drop in your stance, it is the left. And this is your position. You can block anything from there. And this is the punch. When the punch comes, it comes… that is the punch…*laughs* I feel great and many nights I would stay and wonder, how did I do so many things? And then I came with one question. I could not have done it without the help of God. He gave me the energy, because at that time I was holding two jobs. I was working with Mr. Tatesfield, that is Debbie Gegg’s daddy, and I was working at the prison.”

In this interview Gill explained that she took up boxing as a trainer in 1981 because her son had a passion for boxing and needed a trainer.

Henrietta Gill

“My biggest challenge in boxing was the American coach that came. He refused for me to stay in the workshop. He partly told me to come out and go. So, Mr. Nicholas came to me and said, Ms. Gill if I were you, I would go home. I said over my dead body. I am determined, especially when I need something, and I know it is good. So, I stood there. He asked questions and I put up my hand and he ignored me. When break time, he went to have lunch with Mr. Adolphus at the prison. At that time, I was already at the prison. When he came back, he was man enough to stand in front of the class and apologize to me for being rude.”

As Gill reflected on her life and her impact in the sport of boxing, she often used the word “blessed” to describe it. Gill now lives in the U.S., an unsung hero who never sought fame and fortune.

Henrietta Gill

“Yesterday when I was coming from church, two boys said hi Ms. Gill. I said how you doing. They said we are fine. I said, have a good day. So I passed again, hi Ms. Gill. I said, you know something, I am not worried. If everybody like you all know me here on earth, in heaven I am well know. That is my assurance.”

Reporting for News Five, I am Paul Lopez.

National Jerseys For 2024 CODICADER Athletes

We are eight days away from the start of the 2024 CODICADER Games in El Salvador. Belize is sending athletes to compete in five sporting disciplines. These are high school aged athletes that are expected to go up against their counterparts from five Central American countries. Today, the Ministry of Sports and the National Sports Council held a ceremony at the Marion Jones Sporting Complex to hand over jerseys to the athletes. News Five’s Paul Lopez reports.

Paul Lopez, Reporting

Belize is preparing to send a total of one hundred and sixty-five high school athletes, coaches and chaperones to the 2024 CODICADER Games in El Salvador. The games officially begin on October second. Today, the Ministry of Sports through National Sports Council handed over Belize jerseys to the athletes that will be competing.

Gilroy Usher, Minister of State, Ministry of Sports

“First I will begin by saying congratulations to the members of the 2024 CODICADER team who will be receiving their official jersey this morning. Many thanks to the Ministry of Sports through the National Sports Council for its assistance in making the jersey possible as well as all others whose contributions have been this a reality this morning.”

Belize will be competing in five disciplines, football, basketball, volleyball, judo and track and field.

Iris Centeno, Director, National Sports Council

“I can recall when he had that meeting with NSSSA, they talked about how demanding the challenges or how challenges come along for them when they have to represent the different sports. They let the deputy and myself know how much they need the assistance. We know, we are athletes, so we know the demands and wanted to give that support. So, this morning we just want to present these jerseys.”

Belize hosted the games in 2023 at a cost of two hundred thousand dollars. This time around, fifty thousand dollars is being invested in the Belize delegation to compete in El Salvador. Minister of Sports, Rodwell Ferguson will be travelling with the delegation as a special invited guest to the games.

Rodwell Ferguson, Minister of Sports

“Because we have to make sure we provide for the athletes. Like what Marvin said, we have to make sure that everybody is register and to register one athlete it is sixty dollars U.S. and if you multiply that by one sixty-seven it is over ten thousand U.S. dollars just for registration. We have to buy uniforms and gears for the young people as they travel. It is under-eighteen sports starting the second of October, 2024.”

Paul Lopez

“For you, what do you hope to get from your attendance at these games?”

Rodwell Ferguson

“Well, it is only symbolic, they request that the minister of the different countries attend at least the opening ceremony. So, I will be there at least for the opening ceremony and then I will return back to go to another activity. But, it is symbolic thing for the country of Belize that the minister of sports is there.”

The jerseys were handed over to the coaches and chaperones as the athletes were at school during this time of the day. But assurances were given that they are prepared to compete and represent Belize well. They are scheduled to begin their travels on Monday.

Marvin Ottley, Deputy Director, National Sports Council

“Gwen Lizzaraga High School, Saint Catherine Academy, Kings College, I don’t see anyone from SJC but these are the representing schools from the immediate Belize District. Then we also have the schools outside of Belize district. This one was a bit fast but we believe that from the National Sports Council that it was important to do a presentation from Minister Ferguson, minister Usher, the Director of Sports, the chairman of the board, the board of directors of the NSC. We believe we could have invested a bit more in the athletes by providing the jersey, the alternate jersey for all the team sports and also the polo shirts which is called the walk arounds and also the sweat suits, the travelling sweats.”

Reporting for News Five, I am Paul Lopez.

Ministry of Sports Congratulates Douglas Langford Jr.

Earlier this week, we told you about Belizean basketball phenom Douglas Langford Junior and his scholarship to play basketball at Harvard University. Following the news of his accomplishment, the Ministry of Sports issued a release congratulating Langford and sending him well wishes. Today, the minister reiterated that message issued in the release. We also asked him if Belizeans athletes must leave the country to enjoy that kind of success.

Rodwell Ferguson, Minister of Sports

“We did something in black and white about two or three days ago. Douglas, I saw him grow up as a child. He is now seventeen years old. That is a major accomplishment for the country of Belize. So, on behalf of the country of Belize I want to congratulate Douglas Langford and his family in particular, his mom and his dad for pushing him to where he is today. I am hoping that he will become a member of the NBA in the next three or four years.”

Paul Lopez

“Do athletes have to leave the country to become as successful as him?”

Rodwell Ferguson

“Well, to a certain extent because we are very small country, less than four hundred thousand people. Douglas left when he was fourteen years old. His parents are still here, and they pushed him to go there. So, I guess I don’t think so, but that is the protocol I see established for the last couple of years.”

Support Sports App Being Recreated

In June, the Ministry of Sports launched an app called Support Sports. The app must now be redone. Support Sports was launched to give everyone at home and abroad a chance to contribute towards that effort for Belize’s athletes. But, according to Minister of Sports Rodwell Ferguson, the app was overtaken by glitches and not accomplishing what the ministry set out to do. With Prime Minister John Briceño’s announcement that businesses contributing to sports will receive business tax credits, Minister Ferguson is hopeful that support will increase with the relaunch of the app.

Rodwell Ferguson, Minister of Sports

“Because, it was not, I don’t know what to say. There were some glitches. So, when we tried to attempt to use it, it did not accomplish what we want. So, we asked somebody to do an app over for us and hopefully by Friday of this week it is going to be completed. So we are going to test it , try it and see how it works.”

Reporter

“What was the feedback to the previous launch?”

Rodwell Ferguson

“The feedback was excellent, especially from the business community. If you notice when the prime minister made his presentation at the last House meeting that there will be a special arrangement for business to contribute and they will get back a return of their contributions. So, we are not going after the business. We are now going after all Belizeans after the app is finished.”

Studying the Gap Between Indigenous People and Higher Education

Today, Galen University and its partners launched a regional research project to collect data on indigenous communities in Central America and their relationship with the pursuit of higher education. The study is spearheaded by a team in Mexico and has selected Belize to be one of the focal points. Galen University’s research team provided more details about the project. Here’s News Five’s Britney Gordon with the story.

Britney Gordon, Reporting

Roughly eleven percent of Belize’s population is comprised of indigenous people. Of that eleven percent, less than a third have sought higher education. A new study has been launched to analyze the factors that contribute to this trend. The Supporting Policies and Practices for Indigenous Peoples in Institutions of Higher Education and Academic Research in Central America Project was created to gather data on the phenomenon with the goal of curbing the numbers. Doctor Filiberto Penados provided us with some more details of the regional study.

Dr. Filiberto Penados, Research Director

“It’s a regional project that involves Mexico, Guatemala, Belize, and Costa Rica. And it really aims at understanding how indigenous peoples are participating in higher education. And what are the factors that influence their participation or lack of their participation? With a hope to generate intervention, policy, and ideas from changing the participation the rate of participation across the region, the participation of indigenous peoples in higher education tends to be low. Again, it’s the reason for the project.”

The three-year project is led by the Social Anthropology Research and Education Center of Mexico with support from the International Development and Research Center in Canada. Universities across the region were chosen to participate in the study. The team felt it necessary that Belize be an active participant in the study because of its unique culture as the only English-speaking country in the region.

Dr. Filiberto Penados

“The first year is the data collection so both in terms of finding out from the institutions their enrollments, their graduation rates, who is participating, who is not participating, who is dropping out, who is not dropping out, and the reasons why. This, in terms of indigenous peoples, of course. And so we’re gonna collect that data. And then in year two, by the middle of next year, we should have the results. We’re going to be able to present that and invite this network that I’m talking about, who can come and look at that and have a forum where we can generate some policy and intervention ideas and then focus on the dissemination, publication of the results in the third year.”

Often, Belize is excluded form regional studies, so this project shines a light on the valuable data in the small country. Each participating country has a lead university coordinating local data collection.

Lynmara Rosado-Lino, Research Assistant

“The end goal of the project with the policymaking, the development of new ideas, and perhaps even new ways of addressing this concern and incorporating Indigenous people into higher education, both as students, but also as decision makers, starts from now. So the aim is to build our network.”

Galen seeks to create a network of researchers from the Mayan and Garifuna communities, as well as the country’s other tertiary level institutions.

Lynmara Rosado-Lino

“We have communicated with the Office of Indigenous Peoples Affairs as well as the Indigenous Association of Belize National Indigenous Association and other stakeholders, other groups to include them within our network so that they may assist us both in tracking down our participants, gathering our data and then thereafter in the end to help us develop those policies, help us to generate ideas, to present those possible ideas, to other stakeholders that are also involved currently, like Ministry of Education and the various universities at LIB and have a conversation among all of us into, as to what we can do with this data .”

Collecting the data is just one part of the project’s objective. The teams are working towards creating a network of stakeholders to advocate for policies that will increase the number of Indigenous people in higher education and use the data to support their recommendations. Research Assistant, Lynmara Rosado-Lino, hopes that through the data, tertiary education institutes will also adapt their curriculums to be more inclusive of indigenous students.

Lynmara Rosado-Lino

“The indigenous voice. I mean, Belize has such a rich Indigenous history. That’s where it all starts. So it is important that there’s a voice and a presence, and representation in our institutions of higher education. So it’s not jut about representation and getting Indigenous people into the schools but also that they are comfortable in these schools, that the indigenous ways of knowing are honored. So it’s not just so western-focused. These are the theories that come from outside, but also what are the theories that we have here when it comes to medicine, when it comes to social sciences. It exist, it’s a whole society. So there is definitely important ways of knowledge that can be incorporated into our curriculum and higher education systems,”

Belizeans who want to be a part of this study or know someone who may assist with data collection are invited to contact Galen University for more information. Britney Gordon for News Five.

The All-White Comedy Belizean Jam

The Best Western Belize Biltmore Plaza will come alive on Saturday night with loads of laughter. Comedy Belize is hosting an All-white Comedy Belizean Jam with a star-studded lineup of comedians. We spoke with Delroy Fairweather, the owner of Comedy Belize, and comedian Hot Topic.

Delroy Fairweather, Owner, Comedy Belize

“I wah tell yo straight to the point, laughs. This is what it is going to be about on Saturday, just straight laughter. From the time you get in that building until the time you leave, it will be nothing but solid laughs. The lineup is a firebrand lineup. I always work with Hot Topic to bring these guys. He is like a, I would call him a mentor and consultant. In this comedy game you need to have someone who knows what is happening out here. Again, Saturday night starting at seven p.m. sharp. That is what we pride ourselves with, Best Western Biltmore Plaza. Sixty dollars for the tickets. You could reach out to the Biltmore for tickets. Six ten two six zero one, six ten fifty-one ninety for tickets. Or we could use the baddest app bout Belize right now, Kwiq Pass.”

Hot Topic, Comedian

“It feels good to always come back and always build different lineups. We always cater to the people in Belize. Anything we see our minds racing we want to talk about it and bring laughter to it and just have a good time. The crowds get bigger every time and that is what we are looking forward to on Saturday. So things you see and don’t want to talk about, we going to talk about it and make it funny. From the P Diddy to the Shyne, whatever. We just know how to twist it and make laughter come out.”

Police Say He Shot Up Roaring Creek Police Station

Eighteen-year-old Shamar Smith of Belize City has been charged with shooting the Roaring Creek Police Station in the Cayo District on June 23, 2024. Smith faces charges of “aggravated assault,” “damage to property,” and “mischievous act.”

The shooting occurred when a gunman in a white hoodie opened fire at the station around 12:30 a.m. A police officer was standing in front of the building at the time of the attack. No one was injured, though investigators recovered eighteen expended shells from the scene.

Motive is unknown.

Orange Walk Woman Turns 109 Years

While Belize celebrated its 43 years of independence, Orange Walk resident Efigenia Cal celebrated her 109th birthday. Born on September 21, 1915, Cal has seen over a century of change. She was married at the age of 15 and raised nine children.

“My birthday passed just this Saturday. I turned one hundred and nine,” Cal said during an interview with News 5.

Reflecting on her life, Cal shared memories of her late husband, Emiliano Cal, who died at the age of 35. When asked about her health, she remarked, “I feel bad; I get pain; my knees and feet hurt sometimes.”

Her granddaughter, Maria Carrillo, expressed her gratitude for having her grandmother in her life. “It means a lot for me because she’s been so long with me. I care for her and mind her.” Carrillo noted that Cal enjoys a diet rich in callaloo, spinach, beets, and sweet potatoes.

“She could do the work. For example, I’m a sell vendor, and I sell corn and tamalitos… And then she helps me. She grinds it. And she peels the corn. She bakes by herself. So far, I don’t have to bathe her; she bathes herself, cleans herself, and eats by herself,” Carrillo added.

While Carrillo feels a mix of pride and concern, she stated, “One of these days she has to go… but she still has faith and is strong.”

Brother Charged with Murdering His Brother

Police formally arrested and charged Matyas Carlos Bo with the murder of John Bo, which occurred on Thursday, September 26. The fatal stabbing occurred in Bella Vista, Toledo. At the scene, 35-year-old John Bo was seen lying on the ground inside a fenced yard with a stab wound to his chest. Investigations revealed that the brothers were socialising with 31-year-old Luis Pensamiento when an argument broke out between them over a bottle of Revel Rum.

Reports indicate that John hit Matyas on the head with an unknown object, injuring him. In retaliation, Matyas allegedly stabbed John in the chest with a screwdriver before fleeing the scene and discarding the weapon.

Matyas, twenty-six years old, was later apprehended at his parents’ home several blocks away in Bella Vista.

11-Year-Old Girl Needs Urgent Spine Surgery

Eleven-year-old Jenica Jenkins, an aspiring fashionista, is in need of urgent medical attention following a severe scoliosis diagnosis in January 2023.

Jenica’s mother, Kezia Young, described her daughter as “a bright, beautiful, energetic little girl.” Young told News 5, “Initially, when we tried to get care for her, we thought that at first we just needed a brace, but upon deeper checkup we realised that she, that the curvature in her spine was beyond what the brace could fix and surgery was recommended, and we immediately started searching for doctors and paediatricians that could provide the surgical care that she would need.” Jenica and her mother live in Belize City.

According to Young, when she first reached out to the World Paediatric Team, Jenica was not considered a priority case; however, within one year, Jenica’s condition has worsened.

After reaching out to various healthcare providers, a surgical team was found to evaluate Jenica. However, a scheduled surgery in April was postponed to September and ultimately cancelled due to the unavailability of a paediatric surgeon. Young explained, “The paediatric surgeon that was supposed to be coming with the team would not be coming in the team, so the surgery would have been a no-go, meaning that she would not be getting the surgery anymore.”

Young added, “Throughout this year, she has been experiencing a lot more pain than usual. A lot more limitations. She can’t play as much without experiencing pain… Sometimes it can be tiring and painful for her, so she lays down a lot.”

Despite her challenges, Jenica remains optimistic. “I feel super good as usual,” she shared, expressing her dream of becoming a fashion designer and modelling them one day.

In a bid to fund her daughter’s surgery, Young is actively seeking donations. “Any assistance is good assistance,” she emphasised. A GoFundMe page has been established, and contributions can also be sent directly to Young’s account at Atlantic Bank (Kezia Arnold, Account No. 211534151). Jenica’s mother can be reached at +501-621-8940.