Category: Sports

Pickstock Criterium Takes Over Central American Boulevard

Goodnight and welcome to another edition of Sports Monday, I am Paul Lopez. Benny’s Belize Hurricanes dominated inside the Belize City Civic Center on Friday night against the Belmopan Trojans. Hurricanes won their game against the Trojans by thirty-three points. The Hurricane’s entire starting five were good for double digits. The same was true for two of their bench players. Sidibe “The African” Bourama, played eighteen minutes and finished the game with sixteen points and nine rebound. Bourama displayed dominance under the rim, especially in the third quarter.  2023 league MVP Victor Evans finished with thirteen points and ten rebounds, contributing the most rebounds for his team that night.

Paul Lopez, Reporting

Amar Ross “The Three Point Boss” played twenty-two minutes of this and finished with sixteen points. He exited the game and went back to the locker room with an injury to his angle. But, soon enough he returned and continued to play. Ross was sixty percent from the three-point line on Friday night. Off the bench, Marquise Cunningham was good for fourteen points and six rebounds. For the Belmopan Trojans, Jevaughn Mckenzie was good for fifteen points and Dartavious Young finished with fourteen points, lead their team in scoring, though they lost the game. After the match we heard from the Hurricanes’ lead scorers.

Sidibe Bourama, Benny’s Belize Hurricanes

“My teammates are looking for me, Ross and Vick and Cope they are always looking fo the big men. When you run the floor you get awarded with the ball and then after that I just came and play hard you know. I just wanted to come out harder and set a standard because in the first half I got into two quick fouls and I was mad about it but I said I was just going to come out and play hard and if I foul out I foul out and I just go after it.”

Amar Ross, Benny’s Belize Hurricanes

“I mean it is God honestly. God has been here for me from the beginning. He is here for me now. He keep me going through it. Even my angle getting rolled, it’s just him that I still have the strength to play through that. Like, so I am just thankful and grateful and blessed.”

Paul Lopez

“Are you concerned any at all about the games coming up, you have a huge game against the Belize City Defenders?”

Amar Ross

“Well I will just say it like this, you all going to see me play. There is no way I am sitting out, so that is it. You all are going to see me play, I will figure it out.”

From basketball we take you to some football action in the Williams Dawson Peace Cup. This weekend we were in Sand Hill Village for the match between Kelly Street and Port FC. This one ended two goals to zero in favor of Kelly Street. Here is how those two goals played out. In the eight minute of the game, Port FC’s goal keeper kicked the ball to his teammate on the right. That player kicked the ball towards his teammate near the goal.

Number eight for Kelly Street applied pressure on the goal keeper, leading to a turnover and placing Kelly Street’s number ten in position to score the team’s first goal of the match, a costly error there by Port FC. The second goal of the match came at the seventy-first minute. Good defensive presence and offensive strategy placed number ten on top of the penalty box to receive the pass. He missed kicked but his teammate was in front of the goal to save the play and make the goal. As we said, Kelly Street won the match.

And finally for tonight, we bring you some highlights from the Pickstock Criterium on Sunday in Belize City. This race followed the Belmopan Cycling Classic that was held earlier in the day and won by Wasani Castro. In the Pickstock Critirium, elite riders raced along the Central American Boulevard from the Pallotti Roundabout to the Hand Roundabout and back for twenty-five laps. Four laps into the race and a small gap has been opened by a group of seven riders as they made their way pass around the Pallotti roundabout.  Eleven laps in and the lead has been cut down from seven to four riders.

Among them are Byron Pope, Gregg Lovell and Derrick Chavarria. with eight laps remaining, a group of seven rider, lead by Devonte Bennett is working to bridge that longstanding gap. With six laps remaining Wasani Castro and Giovanni Lovell breaks away from the chase pack and presses in an attempt to bridge that gap. Three laps remaining and Wasani Castro has taken the lead in this one, as his effort pays off.  At the finish line, its Giovanni Lovell in first place, followed closely by Wasani Castro in second.

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. The La Ruta Maya Belize River Challenge is two weeks away. The Boom to the City Canoe Race sets the stage for that monster event. 

On Sunday morning, twenty-five canoes were at the starting line in Burrell Boom Village. The starting horn goes off and the paddlers began to dig deep as they all sped off.

Paul Lopez, Reporting

At Manatee Lookout, just outside of Belize City, Team Lucas is leading the charge. Team Guava Limb is close by in second place.  Right on their tails are the Belize Coast Guard and Black Orchid Resort. Team PACT and Team Wild pressed on behind the four lead canoes, as did Westline, Wateva Boys and Riverside. At the Riverside Tavern in Belize City, two hours and forty-three minutes after the start of the race, the Belize Coast Guard crosses the finish line in first place, all alone. Almost a minute later, Guava Limb paddles across the finish, followed by Black Orchid Resort in third place.  Team Lucas secured fourth place and PACT took the fifth spot.  We spoke with the victors of this challenge.

Daniel Gregorio, Paddler, Belize Coast Guard 1.5

“It started to play in our favor when we were coming to the creek mouth from there we said alright then.  We were in a set position. The position we didn’t want it, but we still ended up top three in it and from then we wade out wade out, wade out and the two top teams crashed each other and we took it from there and didn’t back down nothing.”

Let’s head back to the village where the Boom to City Canoe Challenge started, this time for the ninth Annual Boom Run. This run features races in three categories, the five, ten and fifteen kilometer races.

A total of nine runners took off from the starting line for the fifteen-kilometer race. Shortly after, the starting horn went off for the ten runners who ran the ten-kilometer race. The largest group of runners, more than two dozen, participated in the five kilometer run.  Taking on the morning’s cool and asphalt road, one foot in front these runners raced on.  At the five-kilometer finish line, Christopher Broaster ran in at first place.  First place in the ten kilometer race went to Jovanny Baizar and in the female category; the first prize went to Jennifer Lopez. Albert Davis secured first place in the fifteen kilometer race, adding another gold medal to his collection. Dorisha Sabido also won gold for that distance in the female category.

From running the road to riding the highway, the second annual Alfred Parks Memorial Race was nothing short of exciting. For the elite race, the starting line was established in Cotton Tree Village. Riders rode west to the Loma Luz Boulevard, made a u-turn and then rode east to Belize City. From the starting line all the way to Central Farm, the field of riders remained together for the most part. The only time we saw breakaways were during sprints for station prizes.  Here, on the Loma Luz Boulevard, we see the lead group of ten riders turning on the roundabout as they begin their ride east. The main field of riders only seconds behind.

In Roaring Creek, Jyven Gonzalez streams past in first place, closely followed by Guatemalan rider Roney Julaju. The main field of riders was just under a minute behind the lead group. Julaju pressed gas just outside of Belmopan and created a significant gap between himself and the lead group. Outside of Saint Matthew’s Village, Jyven Gonzalez is leading a group of eleven riders who are twenty seconds behind lead rider Julaju. A short distance from the Belize Zoo, Julaju’s lead has been cut down, bringing his valiant effort to an end. Melvin Torres makes the dash towards him. Bob Gabourel, from nowhere, challenges Julaju for the station prize. Approaching mile eight, Jyven Gonzalez opens a gap with a surprise attack as he sprinted towards the  wheels of Bob Gabourel who was out-front.

With only a short distance left to the finish, Gonzalez gets out of his saddle and rides off ahead of Gabourel. Jyven Gonzalez won the race and was crowned the 2024 Alfred Parks Memorial Race Champion. Bob Gabourel took home the silver medal, followed by Oscar Quiroz in third place. And finally for tonight, we bring you some action from the William Dawson Peace Cup.

We bring you highlights from the match between Lake I FC and Hattieville FC. That game ended in favor of Lake I FC, two goals to one. Twenty minutes into the match, Carlton Roberts capitalized on this opportunity for Hattieville. Right before the close of the first half, Lawnie Leslie placed Lake I on the scoreboard with this skillful touch into the goal. Lake I FC secured another victory with this free kick from on top of the penalty box, given off a whistle for a hand ball.

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

In January, we showed you the deplorable state of the Marion Jones Sporting Complex’s race track. And the Marion Jones Sporting Complex is not the only sporting facility that is in dire need of upgrades. Across the country, athletes are subjected to training and competing in less than optimal sporting facilities. To the National Sports Council’s credit, we have been sent photos and videos of ongoing repairs to the Russell Chiste Garcia Auditorium and Carl Ramos Stadium in Dangriga. But Minister of Sports Rodwell Ferguson agrees that greater investments are needed. This morning, during his appearance on Open Your Eyes, Minister Ferguson noted some changes to the government’s sports strategy and budget for the upcoming fiscal year.

Rodwell Ferguson, Minister of Sports

“As the Minister of Sports, about a month ago, I took a comprehensive document to Cabinet that involved the entire country in terms of facilities and how we can support sports. Cabinet looked at it very fruitful and the prime minister appointed a subcommittee headed by myself, includes Minister Coye, Minister Mahler and Minister Fonseca. We hope to announce to announce to the nation at the budget presentation debate what we are going to do to upgrade our facilities across the country. Beside that I like to be innovative and I came up with an idea for an application to raise money through the app for sports, both nationally and in the Diaspora and the app should be launched sometime in April. We are asking a minimum of a dollar a month. If every month a one hundred thousand people give a dollar that is a hundred thousand locally. And if a hundred thousand give a dollar in the U.S that is two hundred thousand for us because it doubles. I strongly believe the app will work because there are many Americans and organizations in the states that are Belizean led who wants to contribute. But, they want to make sure their money is being spent wisely. So we are committing to them that they are going to get a monthly report of the revenue and expenditure.”

Good evening and welcome to another edition of Sports Monday, I am Paul Lopez. From an entertainment point of view, the Belize City Defenders spared no expense in giving fans a show on Friday night inside the Belize City Civic Center. A thirty-foot monitor was hoisted inside the venue for the first time.  Fans were able to view replays and see themselves. But, everyone was there to watch the game between the Belize City Defenders and the Dangriga Dream Ballers.

Paul Lopez, Reporting

Dangriga’s Delvon Henderson over the rim with a hot start to the game. Five minutes left on the clock in the first with Rebels up six points to four, Defenders’ Nigel Jones puts up the ball over three bodies under the rim. The first quarter ended with the Belize City Defenders on top, fifteen to fourteen points. Baller Brandon Rogers over Devin Daly at the start of the second quarter. Daly, on the other end, responds from the three-point line. Up, thirty points to twenty-seven, Henderson makes a basket from deep to give his team their largest lead of the game.

The first half ended with Dangriga on top, thirty-seven to thirty-six points. Right out the gate in the second, Lorenzo Dillard finds Jones over the rim. Dillard, this time with the three-point shot off the assist from John Kelly Devon Campbell from just under the arch gives his team the largest lead of the game with forty-six to thirty-nine points. Richard Smith, the Third, showing muscle under the rim with this play. The Defenders outscored their opponents by twelve points in the third, maintained their lead in the fourth, and went on to win the game. Here is more from Dillard and Jones.

Lorenzo Dillard, Belize City Defenders

“We finally figured out what we are playing for and that is each other. We went in the locker room, we were down one, we talked. We came together; see what we could do to bounce back and we did just that.”

Nigel Jones, Belize City Defenders

“I feel like tonight they had a couple problems adjusting to the way we switched up in the second half, they tried to go man and when they go man it opened it up for us and that gave me a chance to find the lane to cut and my teammates were able to find me.”

Let’s jump into some football action. We continue with our coverage of the William Dawson Peace Cup. Tonight, we bring you highlights from the match between Westlake FC and Kelly Street. Thirteen minutes into the game, Kelly Street’s Francis Andrews sprints ahead of two defenders. The referee does not call an offside. In front of the goal, he fires with his left foot and makes it count. At the twenty-six minute mark, West Lake’s Dylan Jones beats three defenders inside the penalty box to put his team on the scoreboard. Ten minutes into the second half, Kelly Street’s goalkeeper collided into one of his opponents’ knee. He fought to maintain consciousness on the ground and left the field with an injury to the face. West Lake went on to seal another  victory, with a pass all the way from midfield that landed in front of the goal for the finishing touch.

In cycling, Derrick Chavarria was crowned the champion of the 2024 Annual DigiWallet Valentine Tour.  In the Individual time trial on Friday night, Derrick Chavarria topped the scoreboard in the Men’s Elite category, finishing the two-mile ride with a time of three minutes and fifty-seven seconds. In the second leg of the tour, riders raced from Belize City to Dangriga through the Coastal Road, for seventy-three miles. Chavarria was among a large group of riders that was the first to make it across the finish line. And on Sunday, the circuit race in Santa Elena Town ended with a photo finish between Chavarria and Oscar Quiroz. Chavarria was declared the champion with his final times for all three stages combined.

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. A category five hurricane blew through the Belize City Civic Center on Friday night. The highly anticipated basketball match between the Bennys’s Belize Hurricanes and the Orange Walk Running Rebels brought out fans from both teams for this thriller.

Paul Lopez, Reporting

BEBL’s Rookie, the African Giant, Sidibe Bourama dropped fifteen points for the Hurricanes, with a seventy-five percent shooting average for the night, and six rebounds. Hurricane’s Jamal Harris followed closely behind with fourteen points at the end of the game. He is a clutch three-point shooter and big under the rim, finishing with ten rebounds Captain Victor “Vito” Evans led his team in scoring, ending the game with sixteen points. He is a play maker and an executer with a high IQ on and off the ball. Running Rebel’s Mathew Young put on a valiant effort for his team, completely dominating under the rim, racking up twelve rebounds, with an efficient fifty-five percent shooting average from the field for the night, ending the game with twenty-one points.

2023 Season MVP contender James Stanback is off to a slow start in the season, banking only four of his nineteen attempts from the field. Notwithstanding his sluggishness from the field, Stanback was a hundred percent from the free-throw line. But, ultimately the Benny’s Belize Hurricanes secured its second straight win with eighty-nine points to the Rebel’s seventy-one points. The name of the game here was defense, and overall the Hurricanes was more structured on the defensive end and took advantage of the Rebel’s poor defensive display. We spoke with a few players from the winning team after the game.

Sidibe Bourama, Benny’s Belize Hurricanes

“One of my focus is to play harder, to bring the toughness for my team, protect the rims and make sure I run the floor. Whatever jump shot I got around, to make sure I make that and bring the time together that is my focus most of the time.”

Victor “Vito” Evans, Benny’s Belize Hurricanes

“I have been blessed in the last like eight years to be mentored by some really good guys in Meta World Peace and Cory Maggette . They though me a lot about the game as far as just, I should never go down the court and predetermine what I will do. I should always see the floor and know where everybody is at and then go on my instinct from there.”

Paul Lopez

“For the season, do you guys feel like you are getting comfortable and hitting that sweet spot?”

Clency Lopez, Benny’s Belize Hurricanes

“Yes, we don’t want to feel like that, because if we feel like that, because if we feel like that teams wah come and beat we and we just want to continue pushing it. 1:39

Let’s move over to some football action. The Central Secondary School Sports Association hosted its regional championship games on Saturday inside the Marion Jones Sporting Complex. Here is more from those games. The match for third place between Sadie Vernon High School and Saint John’s College male teams ended in a penalty shoot-out after thirty minutes of overtime. Up by one, after scoring their first kick and blocking SJC’s first shot, Sadie Vernon’s goal keeper executed another massive block.

Number fourteen for Sadie Vernon came behind with a kick that completely missed the goal. Ultimately, two massive stops from SJC’s goalkeeper would secure the bronze medal for his team. In the female finals, Wesley College took on Gwen Lizarraga High School. Gwen Liz came into the last of this best-of-two matchup with two goals, leaving their opponents with no other options than to score more than three goals and stop Gwen Liz from scoring. Five minutes into the match, Wesley’s Zairah Gentle launched this superb free kick from beyond the penalty box that flew right pass Gwen Lizarraga’s goal keeper.

Gentle lit a fire in her teammates that would ultimately burnout under the sweltering heat of the day and ninety-minutes of play time. Gwen Lizarraga High School finished the game on top and secured their spot in the upcoming National Championship. In the male finals, the very same schools went up against each other. And, as fate would have it, Wesley College’s male team was also down two goals coming into the second and final game. Twenty-seven minutes into the game, Wesley’s Jacob Joseph was awarded a penalty kick after a nasty foul from number seventeen for Gwen Lizarraga.  Joseph scored the penalty shot. Early in the second half, the referee blew a whistle against Wesley for a hard tackle, giving Calvin Thurton an opportunity to extend the lead. And, Thurton did just that.  With only eight minutes left in the game, a hand ball was called against Wesley inside the penalty box.  Christon Linares secured the gold medal for Gwen Lizarraga with that penalty kick. Gwen Lizarraga High School male team is also moving on to the Nationals.

Well Folks, that is all we have for you in tonight’s coverage of Sports Monday.

Catch you in the next one.