16-year-old Amorette Banman has made history for Belize at the 21st North American Powerlifting Championships. Competing in the 63kg weight class for sub juniors for ages 14 to 19, Banman outshone her competitors, including those from the USA, to secure gold medals in three categories: Squats, Deadlifts, and Overall. Additionally, she earned a silver medal in Bench Press.
This makes it a historic milestone for Belize as Banman becomes the first female Junior powerlifter from Belize to win a gold medal at a regional powerlifting event.
In a country where sports like powerlifting might not always take centre stage, Banman’s success reflects immense discipline, dedication, and sacrifice.
Belizean powerlifter Leo Matura has secured two bronze medals at the 21st Annual North American Powerlifting (NAPF) Championship. Competing in the Men’s Open Division 74kg weight class, Matura achieved notable success with third-place finishes in both the bench press and deadlift categories.
At 33 years old and in his third year of competition, Matura’s performance stood out as he lifted a combined total of 630 kg to 650 kg. In addition to his bronze medals, Matura also received a participation medal.
The event featured 362 athletes from across the Americas. Matura’s competed against participants from the USA, Canada, Trinidad & Tobago, Mexico, Panama, Jamaica, and the US Virgin Islands.
Kinetic Health and Fitness praised Matura’s performance on social media, noting his impressive results in a tight competition.
Five more Belizean athletes will be competing as the championship progresses until Saturday.
Competing in the 100-meter sprint at the Stade de France, Shaun Gill secured a commendable sixth place as the solo olympian representing Belize. In this year’s games, Gill carried Belize’s hope alone. Gill first made his debut at Tokyo in 2020.
In an interview with CNA, the 31-year- old highlighted the difficulties faced by athletes in Belize, noting that while resources are gradually improving, they still fall short of what is needed for Olympic-level training. Doing most of his training in the United States while studying at Texas A&M University-Kingsville, Gill has garnered himself as an experienced competitor.
“Back home in terms of resources for sports, it’s not as great or where it should be. But it’s slowly getting there,” Gill explained. “That’s the reason I had to do most of my training in America…Back home, it’s not as good facilities, financing, coaching. I had to leave to get better coaching, a…better environment,” he said.
Marking his retirement from athletics, Gill declared, “It feels really good (to represent the country), this is the most support I’ve ever gotten. I’m speaking not just at home but across the globe…The performance wasn’t good, but it’s a good way to go out.”
Goodnight and welcome to another edition of Sports Monday, I am Paul Lopez. The Belize Elite Basketball Limited’s 2024 Finals are tied at two wins a piece. Two games were played over the weekend inside the Belize City Civic Center. That controversial game three rematch was played on Friday night, while game four was played on Sunday evening. Notably, while fans were out for both games, the numbers were evidently low, leading many to believe that constant controversy within the league has turned fans off. In any event, let’s look at some highlights from both games, as we prepare for game five this coming Friday.
Paul Lopez, Reporting
Smooth bucket for Glency “Coope” Lopez at the start of game one. Devon Campbell with the baseline throw-in to John Kelly under the rim. Victor Evans falls to the floor. Hurricanes up by three points, Richard Smith in possession of the ball. He goes baseline, finds Devin Daly open at the three-point line. Daly with a pump fake and a huge three-point shot. Under three minutes left in the first quarter, Nigel Jones guarding Sidibe Bourama under the rim. Bourama passes off to an open Evans. The dunk finish, extending the Hurricanes’ lead to six points, twenty to fourteen. Daniel Estes with a huge dunk to cut down the six-point lead. The first quarter ended twenty-two to twenty-one points, in favor of the Hurricanes.
Tied at twenty-six a piece early in the second quarter, Estes from the free throw line gives his team the lead. Estes again, less than a minute later, alone under the rim, with the dunk to extend the Defenders’ lead. Tied at thirty-five points with three minutes left in the second, Everal Tablada banks the three-point shot from deep. Tyrique Orosco responding on the other end with a corner three. The first half ended with the Defenders on top with forty-three points to Hurricanes’ forty-two points.
The third quarter was the biggest quarter in game three for the Defenders, they outscored the Hurricane by five points. It may not sound like a lot, but it is an advantage in matchups that are super competitive like this one. In the fourth quarter, both teams scored fifteen points equally. The game ended with the Hurricanes scoring seventy-five points and the Defenders finishing with eighty-one points, technically back-to-back wins for them.
The Hurricanes went into game four on Sunday evening facing elimination. John Kelly with the first points of the game for the Defenders. They are off to a good start. Victor “Vito” Evans came alive in this one with his team’s first bucket. Five minutes into the first quarter and the Defenders are in control of the game with a five-point lead. The Hurricanes made multiple failed attempts from the three-point, until Evans held on to the rock and cut the Defenders’ lead down to two. The Defenders scored nineteen points in the first quarter, while the Hurricanes scored eighteen points. It was a close game up to this point, but things began to go downhill for the Defenders in the second quarter.
Amar Ross with the hot hands from the three-point line early in the second quarter. Shane Pratt with the response on the other end. Five minutes into the second quarter, Marquise Cunningham finds an opening under the rim and slams it in. Under four minutes left on the clock, Evans drives, the ball finds an open Ross at the corner three and he makes good on it. A costly turnover for the Defenders leads to an eight-point advantage for the Hurricanes on the other end.
An open jump shot from Cunningham resulted in the largest lead of the game for the Hurricanes and forces the Defenders’ head coach to call a timeout. This fast break layup from Orosco sealed off a dominant second quarter for the Hurricanes. They ended the first half with forty-nine points to the Defenders’ thirty-seven points. The Hurricanes continued their dominant display in the second half of the match, outscoring the Defenders by an additional twelve points over the last two quarters. They went on to win game four by twenty-four points with a score of ninety-four to the Defenders’ seventy points, tying the series at two games apiece.
As we look ahead of game five, one of the big questions tonight is, will Richard Smith be cleared to play after sustaining an injury in the third quarter of game four. He had to be carried off the court and into the locker room.
While semi-pro basketball took center stage at home, in Paris one Belizean athlete who stole the hearts of many across the world, ran in the preliminary round of the men’s one-hundred-meter race in the 2024 Olympics. Shaun Gill placed sixth in Heat Four and did not qualify to move on as a result. Following his run, the Belize Olympic Association issued a statement saying that they are incredibly proud of his efforts. Gill also did a post-run interview with SportsMax TV in which he announced his retirement.
Shaun Gill
Shaun Gill, Belizean Athlete
“Before we get any further, I just want to say thanks for the support around the globe, especially Belizeans at home and abroad. Everybody does not know, but this was my last race. I am retiring. This is the official announcement. Thank you all. It has been about eighteen years. This was the last one. It was a sad moment for me. I didn’t get the performance I expected, but this was the last one.”
And in other one hundred meters Olympics news, Julien Alfred from Saint Lucia won the nation’s first ever Olympic medal for Saint Lucia. The twenty-three-year-old sprinter won gold in the women’s one hundred meters event, setting a new national record of ten point seventy-two seconds.
USA’s Noah Lyles won gold in the men’s one hundred meters finals. He won over Jamaica’s Kishane Thompson by five-thousandths of a second in a dramatic photo finish. Lyles won in nine point seventy-nine seconds. It was the first, one hundred meters finals in the history of the Olympics in which all runners finished in less than ten seconds.
Well folks, that is all we have for you in tonight’s coverage of Sports Monday. Catch you in the next one.
Goodnight and Welcome to another edition of Sports Monday, I am Paul Lopez. On Friday night, Beacon played against Wolfpack in the Belize City Fast Pitch Softball Championship. This one was for all the marbles.
Paul Lopez, Reporting
Heavy rains at the end of the week left the Rogers Stadium’s softball field riddled with puddles of water. But the match had to be played after several postponements in the past weeks, also due to the weather. At the top of the first inning, Shadalee Ho up to bat for Beacon with runners on second and third. A catcher’s error from Wolfpack led to Beacon’s first run by Arneek Roland. Jassany Castro, in the batter’s box, makes contact and sends the ball directly to the first base. Wolfpack gets the out, but Shadalee Ho makes it home safe.
Rebecca Nicholson attempted a steal to second base and found herself in a difficult position that she was able to somehow maneuver her way out of. Nicholson successfully made it to second base, while Sharon Vernon made yet another run for Beacon. A pitch to Sherlene Humphreys is fumbled by the catcher. Nicholson makes it home safe.
Beacon made a fifth run in the first inning after Wolfpack’s pitcher fumbled a popup ball, allowing Lynese Alvarez to make it home safely. Wolfpack would not make its first run of the final match until the third inning. By this time, their opponents had already scored a total of ten runs. Their first run came off this hit towards second base and a subsequent fumble that sent number seventy-seven home. Ivana Baptist came from behind with a high-flying hit into center field that led to Wolfpack’s second run. This one was from Alexie Flowers.
Well folks, that was the last of Wolfpack’s scoring run in this match. Beacon Softball Club went on to score four more runs at the top of the fourth inning. Another run from Rebecca Nicholson. Sherlene Humphreys with the steal to home plate. She is immediately followed by a sprinting Kendal Morgan who looked as if she was ready to overtake her teammate. And a final run from number two.
The game ended with Beacon Softball Club scoring fourteen runs to Wolfpack Softball Club scoring two. With that, Beacon is the 2024 Belize City Softball Champions. They are set to represent the Old Capital in the upcoming national tournament.
From softball, we move into some basketball action. The Belize Elite Basketball finals will finally continue Friday night after an extensive break. The controversial game three between the Belize City Defenders and the Benny’s Belize Hurricanes will be replayed as the first order of business. With that, the best of five games series is tied at one game apiece. We heard from B.E.B.L. Commissioner Glenn Gill about how the league has been able to overcome this hurdle and what fans can expect on Friday inside the Belize City Civic Center.
Glenn Gill
Glenn Gill, Commissioner, Belize Elite Basketball League
“So far I guess we have gone over the glitches, especially with the Civic not being available to play the game. And, I can categorically state at this potin that the third game will be replayed Friday at nine o’clock at the Civic Center.”
Paul Lopez
“What is the schedule for the games following that?”
Glenn Gill
“The fourth game will be played on Sunday. The time has not been finalized as yet, but it will be played on Sunday. If there is a fifth game, it will be played the following Thursday which is the eight of August.”
Paul Lopez
“How are the team right now, in terms of heading into these matches? Are they onboard?”
Glenn Gill
“I was made to understand that the teams are practicing. I expect that it will be a highly contested game again this Friday. I want to encourage the fans to come out and see a well-played basketball game.”
And finally, for tonight, the Williams Dawson, Sprite/Digi Basketball Tournament is on its second weekend of games. We have been following the defending champions, Hard Rock Boyz, as they are off to an early winning streak. On Saturday, they played against Hattieville Underdogs at the Yabra Green Basketball Court.
Early basket for Hattieville under the rim from number ten. Big rebound and put back for Hard Rock’s Earl “Bolo” Johnson to secure his team’s first basket. Hattieville’s number ten again, this time from the three-point line, makes it count. Marcel Richards with the fast break, but he ends up missing the open layup. Raheem Thurton, showing his size under the rim, goes up and banks the bucket. The first quarter ended with Hattieville Underdogs on top. But that changed in the second quarter. Hard Rock finished the first half with seventeen points to Hattieville’s sixteen points.
Travis Bernardez in the third quarter with the early fast break to extend his team’s lead. “Bolo” Johnson with the rebound and the put back under the rim. Hard Rock Boyz outscored their opponents fourteen to three points in the third quarter. Hattieville Underdogs went on a massive run in the fourth quarter. They scored eleven points while Hardrock Boyz was only able to secure four points. But, in the end Hard Rock Boyz won this one with thirty-five points to Hattieville Underdogs’ thirty points.
Well folks that is all we have for you in tonight’s coverage of Sports Monday Catch you in the next one.
Every athlete aspires to the honour of carrying their nation’s flag at the Olympic Games’ opening ceremony. However, few would want to be the one to choose which athlete should take on this prestigious role. For some countries, the decision is simple.
Four nations will still be represented by just one athlete each. Belize, Nauru, Somalia, and Liechtenstein may seem vastly different—spanning four continents, varied in size, and diverse in languages—but they share a unique distinction: their Olympic hopes rest solely on the shoulders of a single individual.
Despite their solitary status, each athlete’s journey is unique. Belize’s Shaun Gill and Nauru’s Winzar Kakiouea could face each other directly, both competing in the 100m sprint. Puntener and Kakiouea are making their Olympic debuts, while Hassan and Gill are returning for their second Games after competing in Tokyo 2020.
Gill, a recent engineering graduate from Texas A&M University, will find familiarity in the presence of over twenty fellow Texas A&M students also competing in Paris. Hassan, who has trained in Kenya and Ethiopia, may not be widely known among his peers but has demonstrated strong performances, including a recent seventh-place finish at the African Athletics Championship.
Kakiouea’s path to the Games is particularly remarkable. Representing Nauru, a tiny Pacific island nation, he embodies the spirit of determination and resilience. His journey serves as a testament to the power of individual commitment and the unyielding pursuit of excellence.
The Ballin’ Like Her Girls basketball camp is underway, and girls from all over the country are participating. This three-day camp engages girls from pre-school age, ranging all the way to college age. It was started to encourage young women to engage in the sport in the hopes of expanding its popularity among the demographic. We spoke with Rosco Reese, President of the Belize District Basketball Association, and two participants to learn how successful the camp has been so far.
Rosco Reese
Rosco Reese, President, Belize District Basketball Association
“Basically FIBA wants to include females more in the sport of basketball. In our country, we know that there are a lot of young girls that play basketball, but there’s no real organized leagues or camps for young girls. So through the Belize District Basketball Association, we came up with the idea to plan a female basketball camp and this is the results right here.”
Britney Gordon
“Have you ever been able to play basketball with so many girls before?”
Kenisha Avila
Kenisha Avila, Participant, Seventeen-years-old
“No, not really. It’s the first time, but at our high school, San Pedro High School, we play basketball. We have our own team. And yeah, those are the only team I have played with before. And this is very new to me and I really love it.”
Mila Guerrero
Mila Guerrero, Participant, Ten-years-old
“So, this is one of my first times playing, but my brother plays a lot, and my sister actually played here and won here.”
Britney Gordon
“How does it feel to be surrounded by so many girls playing a sport like you?”
Mila Guerrero
“It makes me just feel happy because a lot of people share the same interests as me.”
Goodnight and welcome to another edition of Sports Monday, I am Paul Lopez. Tonight, the nation is celebrating Belize’s National Women’s Under-Twenty-One Volleyball Team’s historic gold medal win in the Under-Twenty-One Central American Volleyball Tournament. The highlight match of the entire week took place on Saturday night between Belize and Guatemala. This was for the gold medal. We bring you these highlights courtesy Go Live Belize.
Paul Lopez, Reporting
Zion Henderson opened the match with an excellent serve. A huge dig from Dasailyn Thurton. Kaleigh Cardinez finds Gareth “Might Mouse” Bruce, who gave Belize its first point in this one. Up nine to eight points, Blessed Omamurhe with the serve. Belize sought to block, and the ball went out on the block. The point went to Guatemala. Jevia Leslie with the serve. Gareth Bruce with the dig. Henderson sets Nisan Martinez. Belize’s lead went up to seventeen. Match point for team Belize, with Guatemala at seventeen points. That serve from Guatemala went straight into the net. Set number one went to Belize.
Tied at the start of the second set, Guatemala served, and that one was too strong for team Belize to stop. Guatemala down by one point up to serve. Henderson again to Martinez. It is blocked, but Jevia is alert and she brought it down to give Belize a point. Game tied at eighteen a piece, Bruce picks up the serve, Henderson back to Bruce and “Mighty Mouse” did what she does best. Because of their excellent performance throughout the week, Team Belize only needed to win two sets to secure the gold medal.
Akili Jones with the serve. Jevia Leslie with a block. Guatemala sent the ball out of bounds, and Belize secured the gold in the second set. But the game was not over. A win for team Belize would put Guatemala in third place and Nicaragua in second place in the tournament. We fast forward this one to match point for team Belize in the third set. With everyone inside the Civic Center on their feet, Bruce serves the ball. Ball back to Belize’s side. Bruce to Avianka Avila, over to Martinez for the spike, and that one went out of bounds, off Guatemala. The entire stadium erupted in celebration.
Along with the gold medal, team Belize also took home three individual awards. The Most Valuable Player Award went to Nisaan Martinez. Gareth Bruce received the Best Attacker Award, while Zaine Henderson received the Best Setter Award.
Nelissa Martinez
Nelissa Martinez, Coach, National Women’s Volleyball Team
“To start with we had two workouts every day, Monday to Friday. And the preparation was real tough. They did weights and had to do preparation with other coaches like Larry, Kyle, Ms. Lupita. And for me I teach them what I know, as a player and a coach.”
Paul Lopez
“What was it about this week’s competition that Belize clicking on all cylinders in order for them to go undefeated with a perfect score?”
Nelissa Martinez
“First of all I must say home advantage. We must say thanks to the fans. We really appreciate you guys. Also everyday we spoke with the girls and made sure they understood, you know what, we got to take this home. And they did just that. Congratulations to the team. They certainly made the entire country proud. And that was not Guatemala’s only defeat on Saturday night in Belize. Belizean boxer Amir “King Mir” Rudon defeated Guatemala’s Juan “El Torro” Mendez by unanimous decision. Rudon fought Mendez in a six-round super lightweight bout inside Swift Hall. We also send our congratulations to Rudon and his entire team.”
Let us now move into some basketball action. The William Dawson Sprite/Digi Basketball Tournament is back. The first two games of the 2024 season were played on Friday night at the Yabra Green Sporting Complex. Here are some highlights from a matchup between defending champions Hard Rock Boys and 2.0 BZE.
An early two pointer for 2.0’s Oliver Solis. Travis Bernardez returned the favour under the rim at the other end. Back again for another season, Earl “Bolo” Johnson with the layup off the breakaway. Marcel Richards with the wide open two-point shot. Alrick Olivera gets it and puts an end to Hard Rock’s run with a two-point jumper. Down by two points at the start of the second quarter, Joshua Franklin with a hail Mary of the backboard. Johnson again fumbles the ball, manages to get it back, spins around, and quickly puts it up. Franklin passes off to his teammate on the fastbreak, and that’s a smooth two-point layup. Bolo Johnson with the turnout jumper. What a beautiful shot! Solis to the rim; find Donovan Baird who puts up the layup to end the first half. Ultimately, Hard Rock took home their first win of the season with thirty-four points, while their opponent was only able to secure twenty-nine points.
Well folks that is all we have for you in tonight’s coverage of Sports Monday. Catch you in the next one.
The Football Federation of Belize (FFB) announced the termination of Coach David Perez’s contract as Senior Men’s National Team Coach, effective immediately.
During his tenure, Coach Perez demonstrated unwavering dedication and made significant contributions to Belizean football. His commitment to player development and his leadership of the Senior National Team have been commendable. The FFB expressed sincere gratitude to Coach Perez for his service and extended best wishes for his future endeavors, confident that his experience and expertise will continue to positively impact the football community.
The FFB remains steadfast in its commitment to the growth and success of Belizean football and will actively pursue the necessary steps for the vetting and appointment of a new Head Coach to guide the Senior Men’s National Team.
We have been following his development as a boxer, and on Saturday night twenty-three-year-old Amir Rudon will face off against his toughest opponent yet. Juan “El Toro” Mendez has more recorded fights under his belt. He is five years older than Rudon and aims to knock out his opponents. This match is Rudon’s Super Lightweight debut at one hundred and forty pounds. He describes it as a steppingstone towards much bigger titles. On Saturday, News Five’s Paul Lopez joined Rudon inside Alpha Boxing Club. Here is that report.
Paul Lopez, Reporting
He is about to face his most challenging opponent to date. On Saturday, July twentieth, Amir “King Mir” Rudon will go head-to-head with Guatemalan Juan “El Toro” Mendez in a six round super lightweight bout.
Amir Rudon
Amir Rudon, Boxer, National Lightweight Champion
“It seems to me that he has a power punch or a knockout punch, his record is a eight wins, three losses, but seven of his victories are by way of knock out.”
On Saturday, Rudon gave reporters a sneak peek into his training routine inside Alpha Boxing Club. Against his sparring partner, Rudon shows a great balance between speed and patience as he looks for the openings his opponent may present. With much precision, Rudon lands a few punches to his opponent’s body and couple to the face. His combinations are quick and show off his ability to manage the space between his opponent and pounce at any given moment. Rudon took a couple blows and dodged many of the shots directed towards him.
Amir Rudon
“I keep wanting to fight against better opponents, better names, bigger fights, step up into the competition and fight for regional titles and those stuff, so this is definitely sort of a test, I think it’s safe to say it’s a test to see if you want to say, “if we are ready for what’s to come”, and I’m confident in passing the test for sure.”
Paul Lopez
“The more we talk to you over the years, we continue to see our circle of influence grow, we continue to see you inspire more and more young boxers because of your discipline and the commitment you have to that. How do you feel about the level of influence you have right now and the inspiration that you’re creating for many young boxers?”
Amir Rudon
“It is with upmost pride and honor to be in this position, and I don’t take it lightly, or anything like that. It’s definitely been a long journey and I appreciate all the support I am receiving. You know, I’m not alone, although it’s a lonely sport, I’m not alone, I have a great team of people around me. I got you guys; I got the country’s support and I appreciate every single thing and we’ll go to the top together.”
Rudon’s eyes are set on winning a world title for Belize. As a twenty-three-year-old boxer with a promising future in boxing ahead of him, getting there requires focus on the opponent at hand. Mendez is coming into this one with two consecutive wins under his belt. Rudon is five years younger than Mendez, and this will be his first time fighting at one hundred and forty pounds.
Paul Lopez
“How well do you believe you could hold out for 6 rounds, against such a high caliber of a opponent like the one you’re facing next week?”
Amir Rudon
“100% confident that I will be able to go 6 rounds with him, I’m preparing for much more than that, its only that this fight is going to be 6 rounds but I’m confident that could do more rounds, next week Saturday or you know, anytime its presented.”
Steven Heusner, one of the members of the group that manages Rudon, is confident that he is currently in the best form to face off against Mendez.
Steven Heusner
Steven Heusner, Member, Amir Rudon Managing Team
“He was three and zero, but now it is six and zero with three straight knock outs, and you know it’s been a lot of work behind the scenes training, getting, you know, we just came back from Houston from a five-week training, which was very extensive. You know so, the level is going up, it’s a lot of hard work, you know I’m calling Amir almost every day. His mom, Mr. Marin, my wife, you know the support team is there all the time.”
Paul Lopez
What sort of contributions does your team Make in deciding who’s the next opponent for Amir?
Steven Heusner
“Well, you know, it’s a, we’re building, so as we go along, we’re going up in the opponent’s quality, you know so this is the biggest step for him so far, and if we get past this one, September will be a bigger step for him as well.”
Amir Rudon
“Sorry to interrupt, when, when not if, when.” *laughs*
The fight is set to go down inside the Swift Hall in Belize City.
Steven Heusner
“It is going to be exciting, Amir has improved juristically, and we are guaranteeing a victory, and we want to see the opponent on the canvas.”
