Belize off to Commonwealth Games 2014

Patrick Henry

Belize may not have qualified to participate in this year’s World Cup tournament but our athletes in five other disciplines will take to the international stage on July twenty-third in Scotland where they will compete in the 2014 Commonwealth Games.  Belize’s delegation is comprised of eleven athletes and six coaches, as well as a Chief of Mission.  Included among them are Katy Sealy, Brandon Jones, Kenneth Medwood and well-known sprinter Kaina Martinez.  She is scheduled to participate in the one hundred and two hundred meter races.  This afternoon, News Five spoke with Executive Director of the National Sports Council Patrick Henry who has been chosen as the Chief of Mission.

Patrick Henry, Chief of Mission, Belizean Delegation

“The twentieth Commonwealth Games will be played in Glasgow, Scotland from July twenty-third through August third.  The official opening ceremony is scheduled for July twenty-third at nine p.m. local time at Celtic Park and the games will come to an end on August third at nine p.m. also at Hamden Park.  Belize will be participating in athletics, cycling, triathlon, shooting and table tennis.  Belize’s competition begins on the twenty-fourth of July with the individual event in triathlon.  As you may know, we have been participating in Commonwealth Games since 1962 under the name British Honduras and since 1978 under the name Belize.  Since 1994 we have participated in all the games, including Delhi in 2010 and this year in Glasgow. I know that Kaina has been in contact with the Belize Amateur Athletic Association.  I have seen correspondence from the national federation to Kaina Martinez and back and forth.  I have been in contact with Brandon Jones who will be representing Belize in triple jump and long jump, he’s in North Carolina; as well as Kenneth Medwood who should be in Europe right now doing some training; as well as with Katy Sealy who will be representing Belize at the games.  I first met Katy in 2010 when she represented Belize in Delhi and from there, from that time we have been following her progress and no doubt we are hoping that she will be able to make it this time around in Glasgow. The Commonwealth Games is the second largest multi-sport event in the world just behind the Olympics.  It’s every four years and the next games are scheduled for 2018 in Gold Coast in Australia.  Basketball will be added as an exhibition sport.  Basketball and softball, any of the host countries can add those two games as an exhibition sport.  So we do have athletes in those disciplines that can look forward to those events in Gold Coast in 2018.  For the sake of those who may not know the Commonwealth Games are made up of fifty-two territories and the total for the games themselves there are seventy countries and territories that actually make up the Commonwealth Games Federation.”