Sports - Channel 5 Belize

Deafening Defeat and Controversy Over Compensation

The 2025 CONCACAF Gold Cup Prelims kicked off on Friday with fourteen nations vying for the last seven spots in the tournament. Belize, ranked twenty-fifth on the CONCACAF Index, faced off against fifth-ranked Costa Rica in front of a packed FFB Stadium. Unfortunately, we took a heavy loss. But there’s a silver lining – many young players got their chance to shine on Friday night since most of the star players were no-shows. Head Coach Charles Slusher revealed that these key players deserted the team at the last minute. News Five’s Paul Lopez was at the game and filed this report.

Paul Lopez, Reporting

On Friday night, a sold-out crowd inside the FFB Stadium witnessed Belize’s Senior Men’s National Team get demolished by Costa Rica’s National Team. The organizers had announced that tickets for the Gold Cup Preliminary match were sold out and that none would be available at the gate. But come 8 p.m., game time, hundreds of frustrated fans with tickets in hand were still lined up at the entrance gate, waiting to get in. They were agitated by the fact that only one gate was being used, leading to a slow turnaround time.

Football Fan #1

“This nuh make sense, it is ridiculous. We bought tickets two weeks before the game and now we can’t get in. Watch this crowd here, it is totally disorganized and the game the look to start, national anthem done the play.”

Football Fan #2

“If you guh stand up there you might do a better job than the lack of Police. Chester just get f***ing removed and deh the look to embarrass Rosado.”

The stadium was buzzing with police officers, and word is that only 2,700 tickets were printed for sale, just shy of the stadium’s capacity. Yet, many fans had to stand and watch the entire match. Costa Rica’s Manfred Ugalde, who plays in the Russian Premier League, scored his team’s first goal in the seventh minute. Ugalde struck again in the thirty-sixth minute with a penalty kick, securing the second goal. Only two minutes later Colombian Premier League player Juan Vargas scored Costa Rica’s third and final goal for the first half. Costa Rica came back in the second half and scored four additional goals. After the game, Head Coach Miguel Herrera, who previously coached Mexico to a World Cup and a Gold Cup title, shared his thoughts on the match.

Miguel Herrera, Head Coach, Costa Rica

“It is the rival team that we needed to confront. If we wanted to have a superior win, we needed to show it on the field. And the players did that. They controlled the ball well. We dominated the game. When you know on paper that you can beat your rival, you need to show it on the field and that is what the guys did.”

The press conference with Belize’s Head Coach Charles Slusher revealed a lot. Slusher revealed that at the eleventh hour most of his key players decided not to play Friday night’s match.

Charles Slusher, Head Coach, Belize National Selection

“The result is expected if you don’t play organized football, and you can’t play organized football if at the last moment before the game you have to find new players to be in a situation. When these guys at the last minute decided not to be there, they hurt the country, they don’t only hurt me, they hurt the entire, for whatever reason. I could tell you categorically if I had the team, we had we could have won the game tonight.”

Regular national team stars like Woodrow West, Charles Tillett and Jordy Polanco were missing in action. According to Head Coach Slusher, these and several other players decided to sit out because they felt they weren’t being fairly compensated for training and playing in the match.

Charles Slusher

“If you guys know the history, before every game there is a controversy over money and everything else. I am always encouraged; I will always fight for my players to get their reward and just. Some of the players could have performed tonight and get an opportunity to get a big contract over the world and make the same money that you say you are not making here at the national team.”

After the defeat, Michael Salazar posted a single word on Facebook: ‘SAD.’ When a fan asked why he wasn’t playing, he replied, ‘Home watching, just being a fan now. Can’t do anything.’ With the seasoned players out, younger and less experienced players had to step up, including fifteen-year-old Marlon Meza.

Marlon Meza, Player, Belize National Selection

“Of course this loss hurts a lot because we are in our hometown. But for me we did our best, we fought for our country, and it just continued hard work from here.”

Reporting for News Five, I am Paul Lopez

Absent National Football Team Players May Face Sanctions

Earlier today, we caught up with Sergio Chuc, President of the Football Federation of Belize, to discuss the players who chose to sit out Friday night’s game against Costa Rica. Chuc revealed that only three players—Jordy Polanco, Moises Hernandez, and Charles Tillett—decided to abandon the match. Their fate now lies in the hands of the F.F.B., which could impose hefty fines or suspend them from their club teams for several games. And what about the compensation controversy? Chuc confirmed that the federation pays each player $100 a day for training. Here’s more from Chuc.

On the Phone: Sergio Chuc, President, F.F.B.

“I think it has been blown out of proportion. There are actually three players as I am understanding that have chose to sit out, Jordy Polanco, Moises Hernandez and Charles Tillet those are the players that have been sitting out. The other players were asked not to come back to camp by the coach. I believe there is a great misunderstanding in the compensation that was cut. We have been traditionally paying them a hundred dollars per day when they come into camp. That is doubled when they travel. This time around the manager of the team decided to break down the payment and tell them you will get your hundred dollars per day if you do your two sessions, because the training are two sessions, one in the morning at six to eight and the other at four to six. What would happen is that some of the players would only come for the afternoon session or some players would come for the morning session and sit out the afternoon session.”

Reporter

“What about guys like Woodrow West and Michael Salazar?”

On the Phone: Sergio Chuc

“They have not been called up to team. Michael Salazar was not called up to the team, that is the coach discretion. Woodrow West was called up the last minute, because we were having issues with out number one goal keeper Charles Tillett. He was called into camp and showed up the first day and after the training he sat down with the coach and made several demands and the coach said don’t come back because you are not our first goal keeper and you are not in position to making demands and we prepare playing with out young goal keeper than to have a forty-year-old goal keeper making demands on the federation.”

A Closer Look at the Weekend in Sports

Good evening, and welcome to another edition of Sports Monday. I’m Paul Lopez. Tonight, we kick off with a recap of Friday night’s football showdown between the Belize Senior Men’s National Football Team and Costa Rica at the packed FFB Stadium. Fans turned out in droves, filling the stadium to the brim, and a lively group of cheerleaders kept the energy buzzing. But Team Belize needed more than cheers and a sea of supporters to face a team aiming for their fifteenth consecutive Gold Cup appearance.

Four minutes into this one Belize had an early opportunity in front of the goal, but goalkeeper Patrick Sequeira was there to grab the ball. At the seventh minute, midfielder Carlos Mora passes off to Alonso Martinez inside the penalty area. He finds Manfred Ugalde in front of the goal and he gently sends the ball into the net. That is one for Costa Rica. At the thirty-fourth minute, Kenneth Vargas went down hard inside the penalty box. The referee awarded Costa Rica a penalty kick. Ugalde took the shot and outplaced goalkeeper Isaac Castillo. Only four minutes later, the ball found Martinez outside the penalty box. He passed it off to Ugalde, back to Martinez and then Vargas in front of the goal. He was right on target for Costa Rica’s third goal of the match. The first half closed with a score of three goals to zero.

Sixty-one minutes into the game, Belize was awarded a free kick towards goal just outside the penalty area. Angelo Capello took the shot and was unable to get to pass the defensive wall. Costa Rica’s fourth goal came by way of a Jeyland Mitchell header off a corner kick at the sixty-fourth minute. Their fifth goal, only five minutes later, also came by way of a header off a corner kick. This one is by Alvaro Zamora. Here is one moment where it looked like Belize had a good break. Jahiem Mena fired towards the goal. Goalkeeper Sequeria fumbled the ball and then recovered. Costa Rica added two more goals to their tally, finishing the match with seven, while Belize couldn’t get on the scoreboard. Team Belize is already in Costa Rica for the second leg of the match, set for Tuesday night.

Switching gears to another sport close to Belizean hearts – basketball. Elite or semi-pro basketball has been on hold since the highly controversial 2024 season. Fans have been eagerly asking when the Belize Elite Basketball League will start its 2025 season. Well, tonight we can confirm that the BEBL won’t be returning this year. Instead, there’s a new league in town – the Belize Premier Basketball League. According to Jacob Leslie, President of the Belize Basketball Federation, the BPBL is set to tip-off in the first week of May.

Jacob Leslie, President, B.B.F.

“The Belize Elite Basketball League organizers and owners have shared with the federation that they are not able to participate or host a competition this year. They want to properly organize so they are preparing to have their season in 2026. You have another league, the Belize Premier Basketball League who being proposed by Mr. Gordon who is well known with the Hurricanes. They made a proposal to host a tournament which should take place in May. In the future if the BEBL ever returns it looks like there will be two leagues. One will run from January to May and then you can have players participate in a secondary league post June, July up until he end of the year.”

The federation has officially sanctioned the bylaws of the new BPBL.

And to wrap up tonight’s coverage, we bring you highlights from the Inaugural Rumble in the Tropics Cycling showdown, organized by the Belize Tourism Board. Seventy riders, including four from Mexico, took off from the starting line at the Xaibel Service Station just outside Dangriga Town, heading towards Belize City. The biggest station prize of the day valued at fifteen hundred dollars was placed at mile twenty-seven on the Hummingbird Highway on top of an arduous incline known as the gap. Hollis Baptist captured that prize with a comfortable lead. Another big station prize was situated at the entrance to Armenia Village following another arduous climb. Giovanni Lovell broke away from a group of four lead riders and sprinted to the top of the incline to claim the station prize.

A pack of ten lead riders surged into Belize City, crossing the Chetumal Bridge with Derrick Chavarria leading the charge. Before they could reach the finish line in front of the Belize City Civic Center, the riders had to complete three laps between the Flag Monument Roundabout and the Cemetery Road Roundabout. When all was and done, after a hundred miles or racing, Anthony Mahler/Digi Alliance Rider Goran Gabourel rode across the finish line in first place to secure the five thousand dollars prize.

Goran Gabourel, Winner, Rumble in the Tropics

“Dah mih wah really hard race, tough race, I think the minister mih want kill us today. I really have to big up my team, we ride perfectly, tactically today and anyone of us could have win it. I just have to thank those guys to give me the opportunity to show what I got.”

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

Minister Mahler Commits to Marked Improvements in Sports

One decision that’s drawing a lot of attention is the move to place the Ministry of Youth and Sports under the Ministry of Tourism. Anthony Mahler has been reappointed as the main minister, while Prime Minister John Briceño has brought in newcomer Devin Daly as the minister of state. When we spoke with Minister Mahler today, he promised significant improvements for sports within the first one hundred days.

Anthony Mahler, Minister of Sports

“The Prime Minister in his infinite wisdom decided I could take up the role for youth and sports. If you look at the population, sixty-eight, seventy percent of the population is under thirty., which they play a crucial role. I am tired of hearing the youth is our future, the youth is now. They make up a huge part of our labor force, they are driving the economy forward and they should be given the recognition. The same thing with sports, there is nothing in this country or anywhere in the world that unites a people, no politics, no church, nothing. So, these things have a ways to go in terms of reaching a level they should be, but Minister Daly and I will work tirelessly to ensure that sports and youth get the right attention it needs.”

Paul Lopez

“How daunting of a task when you think about the work that needs to be done where sports is concerned, facilities, investing in the athletes, people have this notion that you have these backing and so the expectations will be high.”

Anthony Mahler

“I don’t know which backing you are talking, Mr. Daly and I have the will, and the focus and the drive to get it done. You will see mark improvement within the hundred days. I assure you of that, and the nation of that. We nuh come fuh play, we come fih work serious.”

The Sport of Robotics; and A Dominant Win in Cycling

Goodnight and welcome to another edition of Sports Monday, I am Paul Lopez. Back in 2023, Robotics was officially declared a sport in Belize. Over the weekend, eight robotic teams from across the country gathered inside the Belize High School Auditorium to compete in the National First Lego League Robotics Championship. This year’s theme was Submerge. Each team was tasked with him building robots that are programmed to complete a list of missions within the marine space. They were also required to identify an issue within the marine ecosystem and present an innovative solution to that problem.

Gustavo Carillo, Organizer, First Lego League Championship

“Right now we are trying to push this challenge in Belize, because everything is pushing towards technology and robotics and there is a lot of careers and fields that has to do with STEM. So engineering, mathematics, science and with this challenge these students can delve into the engineering and mathematics aspects, understanding how the project works, and do their research.”

Paul Lopez, Reporting

The competition was at its peak during the robotics games as the eight teams went head-to-head. Points were scored based on the number of missions accomplished within the allotted time, across three rounds.At the end of the day, the youngest team among the group, Titanic Tech, emerged as the third-place winners. They edged out one of the Belize High School’s AbissalX for the placement in the final round. The second-place trophy went to the Orange Walk Muffles College Bob Cats. They also received individual awards for Best Innovative Performance and Sportsmanship. The overall winners of the tournament were the Belize High School Atlantians. They brought down the defending champions, Itz’at STEAM Academy Robotics Team.

Ericson Che, Atlantians, FLL Champions

“Right now after the late night we took and after all the trial and error, it fells really good.”

Karii Domingo, Atlantians, FLL Champions

“All the other teams did excellent, I talked to all of them. I was amazed with their robots. Yes we won but everyone here are winners, everyone that participated and put in the effort, we are all champions at the end of the day.”

And from the sport of robotics we move in some cycling. We are talking about the Westrac Belmopan Cycling Classic. On Sunday morning, riders lined up at the starting line in front of Westrac Belize City for a hundred-mile race under the sweltering heat of the day. The race was from Belize City to Belmopan and back. Here is how this one played out courtesy Ordonez Bike Shop and the Belize Cycling Federation.

At mile fourteen, before the race reached Hatieville, Derick Chavaria broke away from the main peloton and took the lead. Folks it was all Chavaria after this point. Heading into Saint Mathews Village, Derick Chavarria had created a fifty seconds gap between himself and the main group of cyclist. Fifty miles into the race, in the City of Belmopan, Chavaria had widened that gap to three minutes and thirty-seconds, giving him a significant lead. Here the main peloton of riders passed in front of the Belmopan Comprehensive School playing catchup with Derick Chavarria.

Folks, we fast forward this one to Burton Creek Bridge just outside of Belize City. Still, it was Derick Chavarria, all alone. At this point the gap between the main peloton had extended beyond seven minutes and there was no signs of catching up with Chavaria. Chavaria crossed the finish line in front of Westrac Belize all alone with a comfortable lead. Second and third place was a sprint to the finish between Gyven Gonzalez and James Alford. Gonzalez secured second and Alford secured third. We heard from the champion.

Derick Chavarria, Winner, Westrac Belmopan Cycling Classic

“The race gone not as planned. We had a different team tactics. I guess because of how the other teams ride we had to switch it up. I never really expect to run from all the way so far, but I guess nobody wanted to chase or follow, so I said just put the pressure on the crowd because if we could burn out the other teams, the domestics we could capitalize and Gyven could sit down until they catch me.”

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

Guava Limb Three Peats in La Ruta Maya River Challenge

The La Ruta Maya Belize River Challenge wrapped up on Monday morning in Belize City. The hundred-and-twenty-five-mile race kicked off on Friday morning with a false start on the Macal River. Over four days and eighteen hours, fifty-four teams paddled towards the finish line, cheered on by spectators and support teams along the riverbanks. In its twenty-eight years, the race has become a beloved cultural event in Belize. Here’s a special edition of Kolcha Tuesday with Paul Lopez.

Paul Lopez, Reporting

The La Ruta Maya Belize River Challenge is an annual event that attracts thousands of spectators to the banks of the Macal and Belize Rivers. This endurance canoe race covers a hundred and twenty-five miles and takes place over four days. To prepare, teams train for months. Fans and support crews follow the race downriver, eagerly waiting at the finish line near the Belcan Bridge in Belize City. From a distance, the sight of the first canoe approaching the finish line sends excitement through the crowd. The two-time defending champions, Slim and Trim Like Guava Limb, dug deeper with every stroke. With the same determination they showed at the start, Guava Limb powered across the finish line to claim their third straight victory.

Javier Guardado, Paddler, Slim and Trim Like Guava Limb

“First of all want to thank God and I want to thank my sponsor, Guava Limb and Cha Creek and my fans and family. I see that today we have a lot of fans, so thanks to them. We got a lot of courage of them and we needed to make them proud of us. I made my dad proud of me so yeah.”

The victory did not come easy for the defending champions. Throughout the race, Guava Limb faced one of their toughest rivals yet, Memory Lane Global Missions. Despite not winning a single stage before the final day, Guava Limb kept pushing. Memory Lane proved to be the faster sprinter at each finish line, but Guava Limb’s determination paid off in the end. But, on Monday Guava Limb dropped Memory Lane on the Haulover Creek channel. They gained an advantage that saw Memory Lane cross the finish-line two minutes after them.

Amado Cruz, Paddler, Memory Lane Global Mission

“The race was hard, everybody wanted us, well I don’t know if they wanted us to win or Guava Limb. But we gave it our all. I am happy with our performance and we gave it our all. Thinks did not turn out our way when we entered the channel. We crashed and Guava Limb got a head start on us there.”

The journey of Milenie Cabb and the UES Lucas Oil mixed team was just as inspiring as the dominance shown by the top two teams. UES Lucas Oil maintained their third-place overall position throughout the entire race. Milenie Cabb, her husband Clayton, and their teammate Enrique Cruz never let the all-men elite teams intimidate them.

Milenie Cabb, Paddler, UES Lucas Oil

“Where I get the strength, I could say how I start to paddle. I lost a baby and I was not ok. My husband brought me to canoeing to distract myself. I started paddling and that motivated me to say that I am strong, because my husband said I am a strong woman and I can show it to the world. Now, here I am paddling. Thank you.”

Guava Limb’s three-peat earned them the right to take home the Kinich Ahau Trophy. And, they already have their eyes set on a fourth championship in 2026.

Javier Guardado

“We will plan how we will celebrate that. It is big. That was our plan since we were coming up from small. We did not change with no team. We continued with Guava Limb and thanks to my two partners that are here.”

Over the years, the number of participants in the race has been dropping. In 2025, fifty-four teams joined, which is ten fewer than in 2024. There were times when over a hundred teams competed. Sponsorship has also been dwindling, and the future of this beloved annual event depends on the financial support teams can secure. Reporting from News Five, I am Paul Lopez.

La Ruta Maya 2025 False Start and Controversial Finish

The 2025 La Ruta Maya Belize River Challenge had an eventful start this morning with its first-ever false start. As the race official was counting down, most teams took off before the starting horn was blown. They covered a lot of ground before realizing they had to turn back and restart. Once the race officially began, the fifty-four teams paddled for five and a half hours to reach the finish line in Banana Bank. The first of four stages ended with a controversial finish. Paul Lopez was there to cover the race and filed this report.

Paul Lopez, Reporting

La Ruta Maya Belize River Challenge had a rocky start this morning. Paddlers gathered under the Hawksworth Bridge, but most teams took off before the starting horn sounded.

Several teams stayed behind after the false start.

Paddler

“Deh got the fault, they start five four, you don’t do that. You blow the horn and let everybody go.”

Fernando Oliva, Ready for Life, Male Pro

“More than half of the competitors didn’t move off this morning. It was just a communication issue. The officials did not say go. Someone else said go and it was the official’s time.”

Paul Lopez

“What do you wait for or listen for before taking off?”

Fernando Oliva

“In any competition, race, Olympics, it is an issue to pay keen attention on the voice that is the official voice. It could be a gun, a signal. You just have to focus, eliminate the noise from the crowd.”

After some deliberation, the event organizers decided to restart the race. The challenge was that many of the canoes, including the defending champions Slim and Trim Like Guava Limb, were already far ahead.

Emil Bradley, Manager, Guava Limb

“I don’t know which horn sounded but a horn sounded. It is the excitement. I didn’t know it was false until I saw some canoes and then they said it was a false start. It takes a lot out of a team to sprint to the distance where they turn back. It takes a lot, but everybody has to do the same thing, so yeah.”

One hour later, at eight a.m., all paddlers were back at the starting line and this time they got it right. Mayor Earl Trapp was present to welcome spectators to the Twin Towns.

Earl Trapp, Mayor, SI/SE

“I look at it as a very key and important race starting here in San Ignacio especially as it relates to tourism. This is a tourist destination and it brings many visitors from a far into our community. So, it definitely helps to stimulate the local economy.”

On the first day of the four-day race, paddlers set off from San Ignacio and made their way to the riverside in Banana Bank. About an hour and a half into the race, we caught up with them at the Baking Pot Ferry. Leading the pack were three teams: the defending champions Guava Limb, Memory Lane Global Mission, and Team Lucas Oil/Westrac. Interestingly, Team Lucas, which includes two men and a woman, is giving the two elite all-male teams a serious challenge.

Armin Lopez, Coach, Team Lucas Oil/ Westrac

“I think they have enough, no excuse, they have enough training, because we have a good sponsor, Westrac. Thank God they have a good sponsor. We really happy that Westrac the sponsor us and the give us a good support.”

Five and a half hours into the race, six lead canoes rounded the bend into the final stretch at the riverside in Banana Bank. With just under two hundred meters to go, Guava Limb and Global Missions broke away from the pack. They were neck and neck, sprinting towards the finish line. Suddenly, their canoes collided, nearly causing both teams to capsize. They quickly recovered, but Memory Lane Global Mission managed to gain a slight edge, crossing the finish line first to win stage one. Guava Limb followed just a few seconds later, securing second place. Team Lucas Oil came in third.

Carlos Lenares, Paddler, Memory Lane Global Mission

“Well you know the finishing is there, collapse happens, canoes stick and thing. They have certain things that you can’t avoid. I hear that they are going to protest on us because they say we hold their canoe, but everybody out here saw what happened. So, they could go head and protest. In life you have to learn to lose.”

Javier Guardado, Paddler, Guava Limb

“What exactly happened, those guys held our canoe and that was the problem there.”

Paul Lopez

“So you felt a hold?”

Javier Guardado

“I saw him hold my canoe.”

Paul Lopez

“So how do you go about settling this, do you go and make a protest, or do you reset and go into tomorrow?”

Javier Guardado

“Well, we have three days more left to go and we have God and faith and our teammates, so yeah.”

Reporting for News Five, I am Paul Lopez

BDFA First Division Tournament Finally Concludes

Good evening and welcome to another exciting edition of Sports Monday! I’m Paul Lopez, and tonight we have some thrilling highlights from the final match of the Belize District Football Association’s First Division Tournament. You might remember that the finals were postponed due to a tragic incident during the semi-finals, where a spectator was fatally shot. But on Saturday, the atmosphere was much safer with heightened security measures. Over a dozen police officers were on duty, and everyone’s bags were thoroughly checked at the entrance to the Marion Jones Sporting Complex.

Now, let’s get to the main event! Tut Bay F.C. faced off against Survivors F.C. in a thrilling showdown for all the marbles. Thirty-one minutes into the game, a throw in for Survivors went into the penalty box. The ball was set up right in front of the goal, and Troy Augustine was in the perfect spot to score for his team. Less than a minute into the second half, Tut Bay’s Calvin Thurton spots an opportunity after the goalkeeper fumbles a Hail Mary. Thurton seized the opportunity and kicked the ball into the net while the goalkeeper was out of position. With that, Tut Bay leveled the score. Twenty minutes later Tut Bay’s Raheim Herbert broke away from midfield with the ball. He sprinted down the left wing and launched a bullet towards the goal before the defense caught up. Herbert gave his team the lead, but the match was far from over.

As the sun set and the stadium lights came on, Survivors got another chance. A major blunder by Tut Bay in the penalty box set up Shemar Gillett perfectly, and he didn’t miss, tying the game once again. Well folks, this long anticipated showdown went into overtime. Four minutes into overtime, Survivors executed a beautiful pass through the legs of Tut Bay’s defender. Devon Augustine was in position to clean up and make the goal count. Twelve minutes into overtime, Augustine made another move down the left field. He gave the defender a hard shove, almost like a push, sending him crashing into the goalkeeper. Augustine scored the ball in an open goal. Tut Bay saw some relief from this long pass across the field, with the chase down by Tut Bay’s Calvin Thurton led to a faceoff with the goal keeper. A controlled tap over the keeper’s head placed the ball in the goal.

And that’s the final score, with Survivors F.C. edging out Tut Bay F.C. four to three. Survivors F.C. are your 2024-2025 Belize District First Division Champions and will represent the east in the upcoming inter-district tournament. Now, let’s check out some of the individual awards handed out during the tournament. Best Management of the Season and Best Coach went to Jermyn Swift and the Reggae Boyz.

From football we move over to some softball action. Saint Catherine Academy took on Pallotti High School on Saturday in the Central Secondary School Softball Tournament. Here is how that one played out. S.C.A. is first up to bat. K’lee Kelly swings and sends the ball towards third base. She sends her teammate to the home plate and makes it to third base after stealing two bases. Number eleven for S.C.A up to bat. The pitcher fielded the hit, but the first baseman fumbled and then overthrew it to the catcher, allowing Kelly to score. S.C.A. racked up six runs in the first inning, and their cheerleaders went wild.

Still in the first inning, Pallotti High School took to the batter’s box. Chriselda Thomas is up to bat with runners on second and third. She hits towards first base. S.C.A. gets the out, but it’s a small sacrifice for Thomas, because she brought in two runs. Pallotti had their best inning in the second, scoring seven runs. However, S.C.A. managed to hold them to just two more runs for the rest of the game. Meanwhile, S.C.A. scored three runs in the third inning, four in the fourth, and one in the fifth. In the end, S.C.A. emerged victorious with a score of fourteen to eleven.

In other softball news, the University of Belize Jaguars dethroned Independence Junior College to win the ATLIB Softball National Championship over the weekend. The games took place in Esperanza Village and featured five tertiary institutions. Congratulations to the U.B. Jaguars on their impressive achievement.

And finally, for tonight, Cyclist Derrick “Young Phenom” Chavarria travelled to the Dominican Republic last week to compete in the nation’s Intendance Cycling Tour. By the end of the tour, Chavarria had an impressive haul: a silver medal in the Under-23 category, another silver for consistency, and a gold medal for winning stage five. Congratulations to Chavarria. Well folks, that is all we have for you in today’s installment of Sports Monday. Catch you in the next one.

Nyasha Harris Set Eyes on Olympics 2028

Seventeen-year-old Nyasha Harris is not only pursuing a degree in Business Entrepreneurship but also making waves on the running track. When she’s not hitting the books, she’s out there conquering the world with her speed. Her dream is to represent Belize at the 2028 Olympics in the United States, and she’s well on her way. News Five’s Paul Lopez caught up with Harris after school at the Marion Jones Sporting Complex to learn more about this young athlete blazing a trail in track and field.

Paul Lopez, Reporting

Seventeen-year-old Nyasha Harris is making waves in track and field on the regional stage. Her best events are the one hundred and two-hundred-meter races. Last year, Harris made history as the first Belizean female to win gold in the hundred-meter race at the Under Eighteen CODICADER Games in El Salvador. She then went to Playa de Carmen, Mexico, and brought home two more gold medals. In February, she dominated the ATLIB Track and Field Championships, winning gold in the hundred and two-hundred-meter races, the relay race, and the high jump. Just two weeks ago, Harris added two more gold medals to her collection in those races at a World Athletics event in Mexico.

Nyasha Harris, Track and Field Athlete

“It started from my parents, I got it in the genes. My mom uses to do track. She went to Guatemala and won silver. My aunts did track and field as well. I was born; I went to preschool where I started running for Sports Days. Then we moved on to primary school where I was running for sports day, and I got into the track meet for the CSSSA.”

The Central Secondary Schools Sporting Association (CSSSA) gave Harris an early taste of high-level competition while she was still in primary school. When she moved on to high school, she continued to compete in the CSSSA and kept her gold medal streak alive.

Nyasha Harris

“I want to be just like my mom and even better than her. I want to continue her dream because she did want to finish track and field because she I am doing that for her too.”

Paul Lopez

“Is there a race that solidified this journey for you to say this is the route I want to take?”

Nayasha Harris

“It would be the one in October where I ran and came in first for the one hundred.”

Despite the worn-out tracks at the Marion Jones Sporting Complex, Harris continues her training there. Over the past two years, her hundred-meter dash times have improved dramatically. Her coach, Fred Evans, a seasoned track and field expert, may have lost his hearing, but that hasn’t stopped him from giving Harris the guidance she needs to keep excelling.

Fred Evans, Coach

“I was hoping she would be good enough to get into the Olympics last year, but she has an accident, I will call it an accident because it was PE at school and she tore the muscles in her calf. So that just set her back. We want to get her in a system where the environment, the culture is track and field and books and then she can really excel. I think she can be good enough to have the national record for the one hundred meters and represent us at the 2028 Olympics.”

Nyasha Harris

“My vision will definitely be 2028 Olympics. I am really trying to make it there in the next four years.”

Balancing her studies as a Business Entrepreneurship major with her track and field training, this teenage athlete has a full schedule. Despite the challenges, she deeply appreciates the support from Belizeans cheering her on in her races.

Nyasha Harris

“I really want to say thank you guys, all the messages and comment is have been receiving makes me really grateful and more confident in my races ahead of me. I realty want to make Belize proud and put you on the map, so I am trying my hardest. I want to say to you guys thanks for all the support as well.”

Reporting for News Five, I am Paul Lopez.

Electrifying Weekend in Sports Across Disciplines

Good evening and welcome to another edition of Sports Monday, I’m Paul Lopez. You might be wondering if the Belize District Football Association plans to finish its first division tournament. The tragic murder of Brandon Baptist during the semifinals at the Marion Jones Sporting Complex a few weeks ago is still fresh in everyone’s minds. The final showdown between Survivors F.C. and Tut Bay F.C. is now set for March 1st. We spoke with Ian Gaynair, an Executive Member of the football association, about the upcoming match and the security measures in place.

Ian Gaynair, Executive Member, BDFA

“I like that both sides have a lot of big fan base. I think the energy is high and everybody is looking to the finals. They are asking me when is the finals, when is the finals. And now, we had to set the final game for, we want to play it last Saturday, but because players from Survivors said they are not fully recovered, so we had to give everyone a fair chance. We cant play it this Saturday due to some players from Tutbay about five of their platers are still high school students and they are going to the nations. Being very considerate, we will push it until next week so that nobody has any issue and everybody is ready. The team that win the champion will go and represent in interdistrict. We went to police station to have a discussion with some of the higher-ranking police for the safety of everyone that will attend he game. It will play four-thirty on Saturday March first. We will safeguard everyone from the parking lot the bears and the field, officials everybody will be safe. We will bring out a lot more police.”

So, that tournament is set to conclude on March first. As Gaynair mentioned, the Secondary School Football Nationals are set for this coming weekend. Pallotti and Gwen Lizarraga High Schools will proudly represent Belize Central in the tournament. This decision was made over the weekend at the Marion Jones Sporting Complex. Pallotti High School took on Saint Catherine’s Academy for the spot. The rain that came down the night before left the football field wet and muddy.

The first goal of the match came from SCA’s Maliyah Garcia. She sent the ball flaying towards the goal and got the bounce over the goal keeper’s head. A foul on SCA’s number nine sends her plunging into mud and water and a read card for Pallotti’s Arriyannie Hernandez. Early in the second half, Pallotti’s Jasha Bernardez gained control from midfield, sprinted towards goal and gently tapped the ball over the goal keeper’s head to put her team on the score board. Five minutes later, SCA’s Maliya Garcia once again from out of nowhere sends the ball into the goal and regains the lead for SCA. Bernardez scored again in the sixty-second minute of the game with a corner shot that bounced off the keeper and went into the goal, tying the game at two apiece.Bernardez later scored a penalty shot awarded to her team from a foul inside the penalty box. She scored and completed a hat trick. Her team took the lead with three goals. The match finished with that score, sending Pallotti High School to the national tournament. We heard from Bernardez.

Jasha Bernardez, Captain, Pallotti High School.

“I saw my team struggling a little bit. So, during the second half I told my coach that I think we should make a change which is putting me at the top and put two other persons where I was defending before, so that we could score and when we are finished scoring defend. So, I guess that is how the game ended in our favor.”

The boys’ game was a whole different story. Gwen Lizarraga’s team absolutely crushed Wesley’s boys, ending the match with a staggering ten-zero score. From the very start, it was clear which team was superior, and Gwen Lizarraga dominated the field. Wesley opened the game with possession of the ball. It is cleared with Gwen Liz Calvin Thurton hot on its heels. A clean tackle leads to a turnover and a goal for Thurton six seconds after the starting whistle was blown. Thurton went on to score an addition three goals for four at the end of the game. The remaining goals came from five other Gwen Lizarraga players.

Now, let’s paddle away from football and dive into some thrilling canoe racing action. The La Ruta Maya Belize River Challenge is upon us. The last race ahead of that grand slam event was held on Sunday. Paddlers raced from Burrell Boom to Belize City. We’re now at the final stretch of the La Ruta Maya competition, with a total of eighteen canoes racing to the finish line. And, the paddlers are off. Early in the race there was at least one spill in the river. Just outside of Ladyville, heading into Belize City, three teams are in the lead, stern to stern, Guava Limb, Memory Lane Global Missions and Team Lucas Oil Mixed. Heading into Belize City at the Haulover Creek Bridge, Global Missions gained a slight edge over Guava Limb as they pressed on to the finish line.

From the Riverside Tavern, where the finish line was set, spectators watched as Global Missions paddled ahead with a commanding lead over Guava Limb. They crossed the finish line in first place, leaving Guava Limb to take second. Team Lucas Oil, featuring one female paddler, secured third place. We caught up with the victorious team for their thoughts.

Amado Cruz, Memory Lane Global

“I want to say thanks to my two teammates, Christian and Carlos, they are good paddlers. I mean, training is everything and once you put in the work you get good results.”

Paul Lopez

“Talk about when you all let go of Guava Limb, because going into the channel you are were neck and neck, and what is the competition like with Guava Limb.”

Amado Cruz

“You cannot underestimate anybody right now and Guava Limb is the defending champions of La Ruta Maya. We got a break in the channel, and we did a move, got an advantage over them and kept that pace and ended up holding that first place.”

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