Former Women’s Cross-Country Champion Kaya Cattouse was a no-show for the thirty-fourth race on Sunday. She was expected to compete, but a few days before the race, she raised concerns that might have led to her withdrawal. On Facebook, Cattouse claimed that the Cycling Federation approved junior women riders to race on Sunday, not to support their development, but to meet a sponsorship quota. She argued that the federation was taking the easy way out by putting these young riders in a competition that’s not suitable for their age, instead of doing the hard work to develop female cyclists. The federation responded, saying the decision had nothing to do with sponsorship. We spoke with President Glenn Flowers and General Secretary Leticia Westby.
Glenn Flowers
Glenn Flowers, President, Cycling Federation of Belize
“There is a lot of challenges coming towards it and we made a decision. We contacted the CCU and our counterparts outside. We asked the question and they said it is ok as long as we monitor it and have a timeframe that you can cut off. Clearly it speaks for itself that the kids are ready and they did well.”
Paul Lopez
“Was any sort of winds taken from your sails given that former cross country champ Kaya did not participate yesterday?”
Leticia Westby
Leticia Westby, Secretary General, Cycling Federation of Belize
“I would say that she has been the role model for female cycling in Belize. Her not participating yesterday, I perceive the competition yesterday covered that. It was a good competition. Yes her being there would have added and could have produced a Belizean win. But the young girls she was stating was not ready for the competition, we saw differently. It was not us asking them, it was them asking us if they can participate. Of course we know we had an event for them specifically because that is how we are trying to develop women cycling.”
Glenn Flowers
“What the junior cyclist came to me and said is that in their preparation for their championship they were practicing a hundred miles and they were not doing the exact miles. They were convincing me that they were ready because they were not only training for their race. They were doing a hundred miles so they know they could compete and do well.”
There’s a new basketball league coming to town. The Belize Premier Basketball League will start its season in four weeks. The seven teams in the inaugural season will be introduced on opening night at the Belize City Civic Center. Among them are four familiar organizations and three new ones. The BPBL has named Claudio Leal as its league commissioner. We spoke with Leal earlier today.
Claudio Leal
Claudio Leal, Commissioner, Belize Premier Basketball League
“Very significant is that within this league there are three championship cups. We are doing it just like the NBA format. We are going to have what we call one cup in the north, the north and the south, the Maya Cup. Then we have a cup in the east and west, we call that the toucan cup. These two will play and the winners of that cup will get five thousand each and then those two will play for the finals of the championship cup or what we call the Jaguar Cup. The winner will walk away with fifteen thousand dollars, with twenty gold rings and all the niceties. So it is twelve players, each team comprised of twelve players, on foreign player from any part of the world, one Belizean American and ten players. Out of those ten players, one has to be under twenty-one. That is the new format that we have introduced and that is what we are going with. The commissioner’s office also have two deputy commissioners, the first deputy and second deputy, Mr. Francis Arzu and Mr. Amir Garcia, Arzu first and Garcia second. Those two young men brings a lot to the table. I am very comfortable with the by-laws and the regulations we have in place. What makes this league different is the structure,, not only of the management, the executive but all the other committees that have pledged their commitment to serve as a part of this league. So success, the probability of success for this league is huge. It is paramount to understand that this league is not like any other league. This league will raise the level of basketball in Belize.”
Goodnight and welcome to another edition of Sports Monday, I am Paul Lopez. The Thirty-Fourth Annual Women’s Cross Country Cycling Classic was held on Sunday. Nine riders took their positions at the starting line in San Ignacio for the seventy-mile race to the Digi Park in Belize City. Here is an overview of the race with the help of the Cycling Federation of Belize.
In Georgeville, eight riders were racing together, with only one lagging behind. Leading the pack was American elite rider Jade Stevens. The federation also allowed two junior riders and one youth rider to join the big race. That group of eight dwindled down to four riders in Roaring Creek Village. Francine Gigli broke away in front of Garbutt’s Puma Gas Station with sixteen-year-old junior rider Irene Baki on the chase. Gigli ultimately secured a twelve-hundred-dollar station prize at the Belmopan roundabout. The race took on a new dynamic outside of Mahogany Heights when Baki broke away from a group of five lead riders. Baki continued to pry open a gap as the sole lead rider until American Jade Stevens rode across the gap alone and caught up with her eight minutes later.
Stevens and Baki shared the lead, with a six-minute gap between the chase group, all the way up to the entrance to Belize City. Stevens launched an attack against Baki at that point and rode away from the junior rider. Folks, Stevens rode across the finish line at the Digi Park all alone with more than a minute to spare before fans caught sight of Baki turning the corner towards the finish line. Stevens is now the Thirty-Fourth Women’s Cross Country Champion, with Irene Baki finishing in second place. The race for third was a thrilling sprint to the finish between Francine Gigli and Junior Rider Lianni Choto, with Gigli clinching the third spot. Interestingly, Baki, Choto, and Chelsey Gillett all competed in last week’s Junior Cross Country Cycling Classic, where Baki came out on top. We heard from both Stevens and Baki after Sunday’s race.
Jade Stevens
Jade Stevens, Champion, 34th Women’s Cross Country
“Very competitive, very strategic in the beginning. I thought we could work together, but I could see that sometimes it was either people trying to slow me down or come behind me or try to make me do more work. That is how it goes, strategy, trying to make me do some work. That was very strategic, shout out to Lovell team for putting on the pressure.”
Irene Baki
Irene Baki, Sub-Champion, 34th Women’s Cross Country
“To be honest I feel great, because I could not believe that I actually come in second and I actually manage to come in with the foreigner, until she let me go. But that is fine, because I feel like I did a lot and achieve a lot. So I feel very happy about this. And I just did a cross country last week and I came in first and now this one I came in second, I am really proud.”
Proud, as she should feel, congratulations to all the ladies that competed in this one. It was nothing short of a thrilling race. The final showdown of the cycling season takes place on Saturday. Yes, I am talking about the Ninety-Fifth Holy Saturday Cross Country Cycling Classic. Glenn Flowers, the President of the Cycling Federation of Belize and Secretary General Leticia Westby gave us some insight into what can be expected of the highly anticipated showdown.
Glenn Flowers
Glenn Flowers, President, C.F.B.
“I am anticipating that this is going to be one of the biggest, best cross country coming up. We have our local guys and a few foreigners that will be contesting us, but I am looking for a fantastic race coming up this Holy Saturday.”
Leticia Westby
Leticia Westby, General Secretary, C.F.B.
“We have on a norm we have about seventy to eighty riders that will be participating. This is where we have the influx of Belizean Americans that will be enjoying the sea and sun and we have already approved twenty-five foreign riders, talking about Canada, U.S.A, all the way down to Venezuela, Honduras.”
And now, let’s switch gears from cycling to football! The Belize District First Division Football Closing Season is heating up, with Ceasar Ridge FC on a winning streak. They faced off against Old Road Defenders and dominated the match, finishing with a 2-0 victory. The first goal was scored early in the second half by Jacon Joseph. His shot towards the goal was a second attempt by his team after the goalkeeper deflected the first shot towards the goal. The second goal came late in the second half. And it was a very costly one. A hard tackle by Old Road’s goalkeeper sent Ajani Vaughn to the ground. The ball still went into the goal, but Vaughn suffered a serious foot injury. He was attended to by medics and taken off the field on a stretcher with what appeared to be a displaced knee.
That is how this one ended. We also captured highlights from the match between Kelly Street and Hattieville United. Kelly Street defeated Hattieville United by three goals to zero. The first goal was scored by Delroy Andrews in the twenty second minute. Steven Baizar came from behind in the fifty-first minute to put his team up by two goals. Francis Andrews sealed the game for his team with the third goal one minute before the end of regular time. Well folks, that is all we have for you in tonight’s coverage of Sports Monday. I am Paul Lopez.
A brand-new Transport Board officially got to work today—and big improvements may be on the way for Belize’s troubled public transportation system.
The newly appointed board held its first meeting this morning in Belmopan. During the session, Minister of Transportation Louis Zabaneh shared his vision for a more efficient, inclusive, and environmentally friendly system that better serves commuters across the country.
Minister Zabaneh said the goal is to create a transportation network that works for all Belizeans—whether they’re students, workers, business owners, or tourists. He’s banking on this new team, made up of professionals from both the public and private sectors, to help drive real change.
A 26-year-old Ready Call customer service agent has been charged in connection with the stabbing of a woman at Digi Park over the weekend.
Erynne Bellezaire was arraigned this morning in the Belize City Magistrate’s Court, where she pleaded not guilty to charges of dangerous harm and use of deadly means of harm for allegedly stabbing Chelsea Lewis during a fight over the weekend.
Bellezaire was granted bail of $1,500 with conditions that she stay at least 100 yards away from Lewis and have no contact with her or any prosecution witnesses. Her next court date is June 16.
Police say the stabbing happened around 3:40 a.m. after a dispute between two groups of women who had earlier been at a nightclub. Lewis suffered multiple stab wounds to the face and body and remains in stable condition at the KHMH. Investigators have not established the reason behind the dispute.
Deputy Technical Director of Animal Health, Dr Jonathon Pech, examined the animal on Sunday and said, “The samples that were taken from the horse, the worms, they were negative for screwworm. I examined him again today, and the wounds are healing well. The horse is looking much better now.”
Dr Pech says with continued treatment, Oney should fully recover within two to three weeks. “I strongly believe that the horse will be able to go back to being clinically healthy in approximately two to three weeks,” he noted.
The update comes after a disturbing video showing three teens hacking the tied-up horse with a machete went viral, sparking outrage across the country. The incident occurred near the Faber’s Road Extension.
Five individuals — including two adults and three minors — were arrested and charged with cattle theft, cruelty to animals, and abetment to commit cruelty to animals.
Oney’s sixteen-year-old owner, Devonte Broaster, said the horse was stolen and that the attackers tried to extort him for its return.
An R-Tillett Bus Service official has taken to Facebook to addressed the recent bus fire incident. Rene Tillett expressed frustration over the backlash received. He said, “I am not a person to come out and make posts like this, but after the 2 incidents we’ve gone through and seeing all the negativity from people, I’ve decided to speak out.”
He shared that in just four days, two of their reliable buses had been lost. He stressed that the company has always ensured their buses are up to standard, well-maintained, and in excellent condition. “I personally take no rest on weekends, working diligently along with my family and coworkers,” he added.
” I see all those people commenting about “old tired buses”, those are the same people that almost never have to travel because for the ones that travel daily, can see that our buses are always on the best condition as possible.”
Tillett concluded by thanking loyal customers for their continued support, expressing gratitude for the positive comments during these challenging times.
Two Belize City men, Scorian Stuart, 18, and Michael Gillett, 23, were arrested and charged with the murder of Luis Marin, which occurred on Tuesday, April 8. They were charged with the crime of murder.
A.C.P. Hilberto Romero, Regional Commander for the Eastern Division, confirmed that the murder of Luis Marin was an act of retaliation. “Yes, that is the information we have received. It is retaliation for that incident.”
Marin had been a suspect in a previous shooting incident in Belmopan, which occurred on Saturday, April 5. The incident, widely circulated on social media, showed three men fleeing from a car while shots were fired at them. Following this, Marin was found dead inside his home in Belize City’s Majestic Alley area just days later.
“They had some interaction with those persons, and that is what led to this murder,” he explained. However, he clarified that Stuart and Gillett were not in the vehicle involved in the Belmopan shooting. “We don’t have information that they were in that vehicle,” Romero said.
Police investigations continue into a stabbing incident early Friday morning, which left 24-year-old Chelsey Lewis hospitalised with multiple stab wounds. According to A.C.P. Hilberto Romero, Regional Commander of the Eastern Division, Lewis was involved in a fight with several women at Newtown Barracks in Belize City, which resulted in her injuries. Romero confirmed, “She was taken to the KHMH for treatment and is in stable condition.”
The incident occurred after Lewis and several friends had been socialising at Thursday Thirsty Nightclub. Following their departure from the club, the group walked into a nearby park, where they encountered two other women, including Erin Belezaire. An argument ensued, escalating into a physical altercation. Romero explained, “We are not sure what they were arguing about,” but noted that Belezaire allegedly stabbed Lewis with a knife she had in her possession.
Belezaire, 26, was arrested and charged with “dangerous harm” and “use of deadly means of harm”. Police confirmed that no one else was injured in the fight. Romero added, “Other persons were detained, but this person was arrested for dangerous harm.”
During an Oval Office meeting on April 14, President Donald Trump and El Salvador’s President Nayib Bukele firmly rejected the notion of returning Kilmar Armando Abrego Garcia, a Maryland man wrongfully deported to El Salvador. Despite a U.S. Supreme Court ruling that mandated the U.S. government “facilitate” Garcia’s return, White House officials maintained that the decision to return him rests with El Salvador.
When questioned by CNN’s Kaitlan Collins about the possibility of sending Garcia back to the U.S., Bukele dismissed the idea, calling it “preposterous.” “I hope you’re not suggesting that I smuggle a terrorist into the United States,” he remarked. “How can I smuggle a terrorist into the United States? Of course, I’m not going to do it.”
The Supreme Court’s recent ruling, which was brief and unsigned, left U.S. District Judge Paula Xinis’ order in place, demanding Garcia’s return. However, the Court distinguished between “facilitating” his return and “effectuating” it. Senior White House officials have since objected to the ruling, arguing that it infringes upon U.S. foreign policy decisions.
Initially, Trump had indicated he would respect the Supreme Court’s ruling, stating last week, “If the Supreme Court said bring somebody back, I would do that. I respect the Supreme Court.” However, his stance shifted following discussions on the matter.
Abrego Garcia, who entered the U.S. illegally around 2011, was granted asylum by an immigration judge in 2019 after it was determined that a gang in El Salvador had been targeting and threatening him due to his family’s pupusa business. This protection prevented his deportation at the time.
