Goodnight and welcome to another edition of Sports Monday, I am Paul Lopez. Belize is gearing up to shine on the international stage once more in volleyball. A group of under-seventeen female volleyball players travelled to Managua, Nicaragua to compete in the inaugural Under-Seventeen Women’s Central American Volleyball Championship. A total of six countries will be competing in the tournament. Belize plays its first match on Tuesday afternoon against Costa Rica. We spoke with Allan Sharp, the President of the Belize Volleyball Association ahead of the games.
Allan Sharp
Allan Sharp, President, Belize Volleyball Association
“Before they use to have under twenty-one, under-nineteen for male and for female under-twenty and under-eighteen. But the FIBE changed everything to be the same, so it is under-twenty-one, under-nineteen and under-seventeen. So, the under-seventeen carries a similar cutoff age to what use to be the under-eighteen prior. But this is the first under-seventeen competition that the region is having.”
Paul Lopez
“And of course, the association and the girls couldn’t pass up this opportunity to compete.”
Allan Sharp
“Not at all. We have a total of eight indoor competitions at the internation level to compete in this year. This is the fifth or sixth one. We still have two more. We try to compete, because this is part of the development, a part of preparing the girls and the players to play at the next level as we keep growing. We play against archrival Costa Rica, first game tomorrow at one thirty and then the following day we play Guatemala, another powerhouse. Then after that we play the host Nicaragua. So, we play what are anticipated to be the top three teams, back-to-back to back, then we finish off with Honduras and El Salvador for the week. Five straight days of playing. I think nobody takes us lightly. Every country gets to choose a match and that is why Nicaragua did not choose us as its first match. So, they just had to take us how it landed with the formula did is used. They did not choose us first and I don’t think anybody wants to play us first.”
The games will be streamed live. From volleyball we move into some basketball action. The 2024 William Dawson Sprite Basketball Tournament is well underway. In week ten of the tournament a total of eleven games were played. We bring you highlights from two of the matches played on Sunday. The first between Mahogany Heights and Freetown Ballers. Mahogany Heights is in the blue jersey, their opponents, Freetown Ballers, are in the maroon jersey. Mahogany Heights wins the tipoff. Ball to Jerson Grinage. He looks for the pass and turns the ball over. Freetown Ballers made good on the turnover on the other end to start the scoring.
Larson Marin with a deep three to put Mahogany Heights on the scoreboard. The first quarter ended with Mahogany Heights on top with seven points. They kept Freetown Ballers at three points in the first quarter. Here in the second quarter, Grinage out to Kendale Clare, jump shot of the screen. Rebound and back to Grinage who passes off to Larson Marin and that’s two points. Mahogany Heights now at nine. On the other end, Russel Humes goes in strong under the rim for the bucket. The second quarter ended with a score of twelve to eight points with Mahogany Heights still on top. Freetown Ballers continued to close the gap as the game progressed.
A throw in for Freetown Ballers early in the third quarter. Ball to Matthew Young under rim. He muscles his way up to the rim for the and-one play. Raheim Flowers, down the court, finds Russel Humes under the rim for the beautiful layup. Mahogony Heights’ lead was cut down to one point at the end of the third. The game score was seventeen to sixteen points. Freetown Ballers had their best quarter in the fourth. They went on to score twelve points in a dominant display. Mahogany Heights scored eight points in the final quarter. Ultimately, after losing three quarters, Freetown Ballers won the match. I.G. Ballers also played against Third World Ballers on Sunday. I.G. Ballers played in the green and white jersey, while Third World Ballers played in light and dark green jersey.
An early start for I.G. Ballers with a layup from Augustine Pitterson. Pitterson picks up the turnover and hands the ball off to Jayson Orosco who makes it look easy on the other end. On the other end, Tafaree Sanchez gets the rebound, spins, puts in the ball and draws the foul. He also made the free throw count. Kerdel Tench with the layup to put his team at seven points and gain the lead. The first quarter ended in favor of Third World Ballers with nine points. They held I.G. Ballers down to four points. Glency Coope Lopez with the and-one in the second quarter.
Immediately after, on the other end, Orosco went in for the slam dunk over three defenders, a young superstar that also plays for the under-nineteen national team. This one ended in favor of Third World Ballers with thirty-nine points to I.G. Ballers’ thirty points. Well folks, that is all we have for you in tonight’s coverage of Sports Monday. Catch you in the next one.
Perhaps the saying by Sir Thomas Moore that to be humble to superiors is a duty, to equals, a courtesy, to inferiors, nobility best describes Doctor Roy Young. A resident of Bermudian Landing, Young is highly educated and in his own way, continues to provide for students who need to advance in school. He is carrying on with his parents’ dream of managing a resort, but with all of this, he has a tenacious love for the sport of cricket. Young sat with for this week’s edition of Belize on Reel and explained how he managed to juggle it all and how he never let go of the sport, and why it’s important to revive cricket among youths. News Five’s Marion Ali reports.
Dr. Roy Young
Dr. Roy Young, Cricket Enthusiast
“What I’m trying to do is to, along with others in the area – is to try to grow the area, to improve the area, to see all of our young people come up differently.”
Marion Ali, Reporting
He’s the owner of The Nature Resort situated behind the Community Baboon Sanctuary building in Bermudian Landing. But what many may not know is that Dr Roy Young is also President of the Belize National Cricket Association, a retired educator, a consultant, and a mentor to youths in the area. He came from humble beginnings.
Dr. Roy Young
“I born in this village, I born just months before Hurricane Hattie and our house blew down by the school. And so my parents moved out this side, so we were one of the first out this side of the village, and so we lived here as like a lot of people in the rural. I had to cut – I was the only son in the family, so I had to cut firewood, beat rice, and do those kinds of things. And my grandmother was my direct neighbor, so I also do those things for her.”
In 1979, a terrible flood made travelling between Bermudian Landing and Belize City impassable. That was for him, the imprint for his life’s path, never letting go of agriculture and the environment. But right along with that defining moment was his love for the sport of cricket.
Dr. Roy Young
“As young people in the Belize River Valley, we always have time for cricket. We will find that – and so I played as a young person. I played while I was at St. John’s College, in the high school team. And then I played at the village level when I came out here to teach. Our Summer Fever team was a very good team.”
It was during these halcyon days that Young’s path crossed with Felix Sutherland, a resident of Lemonal. The two share quite a few things in common, including a love for cricket. Theirs would be a friendship that Sutherland says blossomed from then and lasts to this very day.
Felix Sutherland
Felix Sutherland, Friend of Dr. Roy Young
“I went in as a student at Belize Teachers College where he taught me REAP. REAP is an acronym for Relevant – it began as Rural Education for Agricultural Production, but realizing the worth of such a program they quickly changed the rural to relevant education in an effort to offer more schools as a result of relevant. It was offered to urban schools as well. So, he was my REAP lecturer and we have been friends ever since. He’s always one to give positive advice. He’s always one to demonstrate. He teaches by modeling what he would like to see. So he has had a profound influence on my life.”
Apr 24, 2023, Belize to Host Central American Cricket Championship Tournament
Felix Sutherland
“I am his first son’s Godfather so, we are also compadres. Presently, Roy is the President of Belize National Cricket Association. I am the Chairman of the Dispute Committee for the Belize National Cricket Association. So, wherever there’s Roy, I am maybe two steps behind or wherever I am, he may be two steps behind.”
Young says that while he no longer plays competitively, he still takes the field, and it’s always a rejuvenating feeling.
Dr. Roy Young
“I do play on what we call the over-fifty for those players who are fifty years and older. So, we had a nice tournament last time. The National Sports Council came out. The Department of the Youth came out. So we have a blast.”
Young says as President of the Association, he wants to revive the dying sport.
Dr. Roy Young
“That’s part of our mandate, so right now we have a team from Carmelita, which is in Orange Walk. We used to have a team from Belmopan. And so our effort to change that is to introduce cricket to the primary schools. So just before COVID we had teams of coaches going out to five schools in Cayo to teach them about cricket.”
In 2018, Young led the Belize Cricket Team to the regional competition and explained why it was so important for people to learn the game.
(Nov 2, 2021)
Dr. Roy Young, President, Belize National Cricket Association
“For people to know about cricket in Belize, we want to start with the awareness and a lot of people don’t want to play the game because they are scared of the ball. There are different versions of the ball, there are tennis balls, there are softballs and so on. So we have our females also playing now and they played a slightly similar ball to the hardball.”
Felix Sutherland says that although his friend has been successful in education, in his career and in sports, he never let any of it breed arrogance.
Felix Sutherland
“Speaking about Roy and putting him in the spotlight is not something that I would have envisioned because he’s always unassuming. He’s so quiet. He’s always reserved and would never be heard loudly, except whenever his, his professional or scholastic aptitude are requested of him.”
Fifty years ago, British Honduras, now Belize, celebrated the country’s first ever gold medal on an international stage. The National Women’s Softball Team, now dubbed the “Golden Girls” were the ones to secure that medal at the twelfth Central American and Caribbean Games. The Golden Girls lost only one match in those games to Puerto Rico. Ironically, they faced off against Puerto Rico in the gold medal match and dominated. The Golden Girls returned home to a hero’s welcome at the international airport, a motorcade through the streets, and sports enthusiasts filling local stadiums to watch the Golden Girls in action. Half of a century later, they were honored as Belizean patriots. But how much does the nation know about and remember the Golden Girls? News Five’s Paul Lopez reports.
Paul Lopez, Reporting
Half a century after the Golden Girls secured the country’s first gold medal in any sport on an international stage, the members of that historic women’s national softball team are being recognized as Belizean patriots. Fifty years ago, they were teenagers with their entire lives ahead of them. Five members of that team have since passed away. The surviving members have aged graciously. We sat down with International Hall of Fame Softball Pitcher Linda Lewis-Brown and her 1974 teammate, Deborah Theus- Sanchez.
Linda Lewis- Brown
Linda Lewis- Brown, Former Softball Athlete
“At that time when we went for that team, I was playing with Berger and she was playing with Guiness. Originally, both of us played for Guiness. We were junior players. We started when they had the Lynchs and the Budna, all the high players that use to go to Jamaica. We aspired to be the same.”
Lewis was sixteen years old at the time. Theus was nineteen years old.
Linda Lewis-Brown
“It was so competitive. The players that was selected really worked hard. We went to practice at four o’clock in the morning. We were working and going to school, and then in the evening and on the weekends my dad made sure I was on the road, the Cemetery Road. We were extremely fit at that time. And Jude Lizama, he is one of the previous coaches, he reminded me that preparing for these games we played against the men team.”
Before being selected for the national team, Lewis and Theus were rivals on the softball field. But, on the national softball team, they were encouraged to put aside their differences and egos to represent Belize. By the time the national selection travelled to the 1974 games in the Dominican Republic, they already had a reputation as one of the dominant teams in the region.
Deborah Theus- Sanchez
Deborah Theus- Sanchez, Former Softball Athlete
“They would take us to the park like two, three hours before the game. Those teams would be out there throwing ball, batting, running. We were not use to that. We use to get up in the morning practice, go in the evening practice. But we did not have those hours to be out there warming up. Mr. Lashley made a very important decision when he said, look ladies we are not going be out here with these people. Come out, observe what it going on and when it is time for us to play, we will do what we normally do.”
Fifty years later, they have a hard time remembering the exact statistics of each of the games played, except for the gold medal game. In that matchup against Puerto Rico’s national team, they won convincingly over their opponents, fourteen runs to two. News of Belize’s first international gold medal went across the Caribbean and made it back home before their return.
Linda Lewis-Brown
“To tell you the truth, from that day, until we landed, after we landed, the reception we got from the Belizean community was amazing. I could still remember coming at the airport, greeted by a lot of people at the airport. The next day we had a parade. The children were on the sidewalk. It was unbelievable.”
Deborah Theus- Sanchez
“The whole celebration thing was exciting. As a Belizean, it was the first time that you would see a mass of people coming out to see these people that won this gold. It was very exciting to be on that truck and everybody was waving. It was like the tenth of September. We were happy and excited about the parade itself.”
As Theus and Lewis explained, the Golden Girl brought the nation together as they travelled across different softball stadiums to play friendly matches and put their talent on full display. Only a few years later, they both migrated to the U.S.A, which was a common practice at the time for young Belizeans seeking out better opportunities. Today, Theus is enjoying her retirement back home. Lewis frequently travels back to Belize. On this occasion, she returned home to be honored at the Tribute to Belizean Patriots Award Ceremony.
Deborah Theus- Sanchez
“I was honored and humbled to be recognized in that way. But, at the same time I think the team was forgotten, because as an Olympic person I think that is etched in history in whatever country you go to. If you are an Olympian it should be etched in the history in not only the softball, but the entire country of Belize. That means, if you become a minister or something, you should have known about the Golden Girls, because we were the first. We put Belize on the map and I think we should have been recognized a little earlier than now. Even though it is done and we appreciate it. I would appreciate if it could be something that don’t wait until a hundred years to come back and say thank you for what we did, you know.”
Linda Lewis-Brown
“I want to give credit to the prime minister. He did say that this team, he recognize this team as the very first gold medal team. I was very impressed by the way he recognized us. Thinking of it, a lot of people have forgotten us, but in his speech he recognized us and he remembers us.”
In the last decade, the name Shaun Gill has become one that is well-known to Belizeans for his accomplishments in track and field. For nearly twenty years, the thirty-one-year-old athlete worked his way up to becoming one of Belize’s biggest names in running, going on to represent the country twice at the Olympics. Since his early days, Gill has been an advocate for Belizean youths pursuing their dreams. Recently, Gill spoke out about the challenges athletes face in Belize, specifically when it comes to funding for facilities, equipment and transportation. Upon returning home from the 2024 Paris Olympics, Gill announced his retirement, choosing instead to pursue a career in his other passion; engineering. In tonight’s edition of Belize on Reel, News Five’s Britney Gordon highlights some of the pivotal moments of Gill’s career and spoke with some of the coaches that aided Gill along the journey.
Britney Gordon, Reporting
Imagine having the weight of the country on your back. Thousands of Belizeans depending on you to make your country shine. For Shaun Gill, he didn’t have to imagine. That was his reality. At the 2024 Paris Olympics, Gill gained international recognition for the pride, passion and patriotism he displayed while waving the Belizean standard as the country’s lone Olympian. But Shaun Gill has been a respected name in track and field for the country for about twenty years, wracking up medals in the Commonwealth Games and the Central American Games. He made his Olympic debut in 2022 in Tokyo.
Shaun Gill
Shaun Gill, Belizean Olympic Athlete (File: July 6th, 2021)
“It is heart-warming, because it is a dream. As athletes this is what we dream about. The Olympics is the biggest stage when it comes to all the sports, all the disciplines in the world. You know, swimming, track, canoeing, any sport you can think about right. And, this is really the highest stage you can be. And, as a kid growing up this was always the dream. Sometimes it felt like it never would have happened, but I just sticked to the sport. I’ve been in the sports ten fifteen years now and I guess the hard work the pay off now.”
Belize is one of many countries highly underrepresented at the Olympics. To increase diversity, the International Olympic Committee allows countries to send delegates who did not initially qualify to compete in select events. These are known as universality places. In 2021, Gill was selected as one of the athletes to receive a universality place. Gill’s Olympic career did not end there. In 2023, he received an Olympic scholarship which allowed him to finance his training and improve his skills in the hopes of competing at the 2024 Olympic Games. Coach Ryan Dall, who trained with him at Texas A & M University in Kingsville, says that Gill is a natural role model and leader to younger athletes.
Ryan Dall
Ryan Dall, Coach, Texas A & M University
“It was great working with Shaun. Very hard worker, a very coachable athlete. He always tried to listen to the coaches and do the things that we asked him to do. He was a very good leader for our team, especially as he got older. A lot of the younger athletes really looked up to him and went to him for advice and guidance and things not just about track, but just about life in general. When you have someone who’s been at the Olympics and thing and large international meets. The other athletes really respect that and want to learn from him and learn of his experiences as well. So it was great having him here. We’re definitely going to miss him.”
Being able to represent Belize at the Olympics was an exciting moment in Gill’s career but according to Dall, he celebrated his wins no matter how big or small.
Ryan Dall
“Him competing at two Olympics was certainly memorable. We got to see him on TV and everything like that. So it was very exciting to be able to do that. And then Shaun, there were several races. I remember one here at home that he ran. He had been, I think, stagnant in his progression for a little while. And then he ran. We had a home game, I think it was, and he ran a new personal best, and he was real excited about that. And obviously we were all excited for him.”
Shaun Gill
One of the challenges Gill faced in his career was the lack of resources in Belize. Sports continue to be severely underfunded, and the facilities remain in disrepair.
Shaun Gill (File: August 15th, 2024)
“It takes a lot. It’s going to take heavy investment from the sporting bodies here in Belize. Obviously, heavy investment from the government. We do need the fan support from our Belizeans. And aside from that, especially with track and field, we don’t necessarily have the facilities. So most people, not even just the Caribbean countries, but most people leave their country to find better environments for training. I mean, even some of the great world class athletes, they leave their country and go to Jamaica because they know that Jamaica is the Mecca for sprinting. So we kind of have to look at it and start doing the same.”
Still, Gill pushed on due to his love for the sport. The reality of the of the matter is that being a full-time athlete is difficult to accomplish in Belize, many resort to participating in sports as a hobby. Frederick Evans, a Belizean coach, has been training athletes since the 1960’s. He says that the terrible condition of the facilities is a contributing factor as to why track and field athletes do not thrive in Belize.
Frederick Evans
Frederick Evans, Belizean Coach
“Towards the end, Shaun came to Belize. He tried to train here, but this track is just about done. As soon as he did a little bit of running here, he started to have pain because the track is unresponsive. It’s like hard instead of give and take. So he had to limit whatever little bit he could do here. And he was supposed to go back to Houston, to Texas, to train with his coach. But there was, and I really don’t know what all this was about, but there was some kind of financial problem, which made him unable to go ahead and do that. And so, over a period of years, he had been one of our top athletes, and he really put in his time and effort. Unfortunately, circumstances over the last couple of years were a little bit against his attaining his real potential.”
Evans has trained with hundreds of athletes over his sixty-year career, and he remembers Gill as a zealous athlete.
Frederick Evans
“Shaun was dedicated and committed. Sprinters need to be aggressive to be successful, and he had that aggressive nature about him which in some cases led some people to not like him too much, but you’re not in this to make friends nor to make enemies as the case may be. He was very talented and I personally believe that he did not get to reach his true potential.”
While his professional career in track and field might be over, the love he embodies for his country continues to thrive. No matter what his next pursuit may be, Shaun will have the support of his country right there with him.
Shaun Gill
“Just want to say thank you for all the support around the globe, especially Belizeans at home and abroad. Everybody doesn’t know, but this was my last race. I’m retiring. This is the official announcement. Thank you all. It’s been about eighteen years, this was the last one and it’s a sad moment for me. I didn’t compete. I didn’t get, I didn’t get the performance I expected, but this was the last one. So thanks to everyone. This is my farewell tour. Most of my highlights came at the central American championships where we compete in the region. Back home at our nationals, I went to Texas A & M university, Kingsville for about four years at the college of engineering, those are the highlights of my career, and I’m very grateful.”
Two Belizean youths are off to Jamaica to further their education after receiving athletic scholarships for track and field. They are fifteen-year-old Norman Sutherland and fourteen-year-old Jadeen Williams, who will both be attending Saint Elizabeth Technical High School in Santa Cruz, Jamaica. We spoke with Cojac Smith and Gregory Meyers, who facilitated the application of the athletes.
Gregory Meyers
Gregory Meyers, Scholarship Facilitator
“Mister Smith and I have been working diligently about getting these scholarships for these young men. We started this process collaborating with some coaches and the different principals, Weil and CARIFTA. In Grenada in Easter of this year that conversation developed into where we brought three four coaches from Jamaica here to give a clinic. During that clinic, they were able to meet some of these young athletes. One of them had competed at CARIFTA, Jadeen Williams. And through our collaboration and communication and the things that we’ve done to this point, we were able to secure these scholarships for these young men. And that’s in conjunction with the hold ups with Jamaica. Jamaica had a few changes in their rules, which we had more scholarships, but those scholarships were rescinded because of the change in the rules. Fortunately, through our diligent hard work with and collaboration with these coaches and principals we were able to secure at least two scholarships for these young men”
Britney Gordon
“And what exactly does the scholarship entail? Where will they be studying and what will they receive?”
Gregory Meyers
“Okay, the scholarship is for their tuition and for their books We are working hard to Secure the funding for their room and board Which we’ve reached out and we’ve had a lot of generous benefactors to help us to this point. They will be studying at St. Elizabeth’s Tech with and training under coach Neil Harrison who was here in Belize in June. And they should be leaving within the next week, within the next seven days.”
Cojac Smith
Cojac Smith, Scholarship Facilitator
“It’s a great step in the right direction in development for these young athletes. One of the things that we’ve been short going forward as a country is the development of our talent. So recognizing that these youths from a young age and seeing that the talent that they have and being able to capitalize on that and giving them the opportunity to go on further their education allows, as well as working with these excellent coaches in Jamaica will bring a sort of notoriety as well as give other students Kids the inspiration to work hard and train as well as you have to remember that these are student athletes, so their grades are exceptional as well. So it’s a great opportunity and we really want to promote this level of positivity within athletics.”
When it comes to performing at the highest level of basketball in Belize, Darwin “Puppy” Leslie, cannot be counted out from that conversation. At the peak of his career, Leslie was deemed the best of the best, following in the footsteps of Keith “Superman” Acosta. But, apart from one documentary series that was produced almost ten years ago, there is not much information out there about Leslie’s accomplishments, his contributions to society, growing up in an impoverished community, and the role a God-fearing mother and disciplinarian father played in his life. His achievements on the court are too many to mention in one news item. But, in this month’s installments of Belize on Reel, we will be looking at Belizean athletes who have gone above and beyond in their respective disciplines. Today, News Five’s Paul Lopez sat down with Darwin “Puppy” Leslie for an extensive interview. Here is some of what he learned about one of Belize’s basketball icons.
Paul Lopez, Reporting
When having a conversation about the basketball greats in Belize, names like Milton Palacio, Clinton “Pulu” Lightburn, Keith Acosta, and many others come up. Darwin “Puppy” Leslie is no exception.
Darwin “Puppy” Leslie
Darwin “Puppy” Leslie, Belizean Basketball Icon
“Puppy came from Queen Square with a next famous guy, Orson Picart. WE had the performing arts. We used to go to Bliss and act. My act was I was a puppy. I had to get in a puppy costume for my role and Orson Picart had a turkey costume. Orson Picart being the clown that he is, when we went back to Queen Square, he started to tease me about the puppy.”
That name would remain with him throughout his entire life, even as he performed at the highest level on the basketball court. Leslie was born in 1981 in Belize City. He started playing basketball in his early teens on a blacktop basketball court at the then Princess Royal Youth Hostel on Dolphin Street.
Darwin “Puppy” Leslie
“Being on that basketball court was everything. Then I had my little brother with me as well, Jacob Leslie. So it was always me and him getting whipping for being on Hostel without basketball shoes and if anybody know hostel at that time it was raw tar. So we was out there midday and that tar would be popping, like the actual street. And we were out there barefoot playing.”
A quick search of Darwin Leslie’s name on the internet won’t produce much information about his significant accomplishments as a basketball player. That search may yield some statistics on his six years playing in the National Elite Basketball Tournament during which he won back-to-back championships with the San Pedro Tiger Sharks, garnered the finals MVP award and was declared the “big dog” of the league. But his collection of trophies and awards speaks for itself. He dominated in under-fourteen and under seventeen tournaments. He also dominated in the senior tournament with the Christian Ambassadors, where he was awarded regular season and finals MVP. From there, he moved up to compete in Belize’s semi-pro league.
Darwin “Puppy” Leslie
“I had the best time in basketball because I had a chance to play against all the old greats. It was like flipping over the card to Darwin and those younger guys. But I played against Bovell, Shabba, Keith Acosta was named superman. Could you imagine that a man playing basketball name superman. So, you know he is flying over the court. He was the guy I wanted to be like and see if I could compete against him to even overtake him.”
Puppy Leslie’s younger brother, Jacob Leslie, is another prominent figure in Belizean basketball. Jacob Leslie recalls his brother’s first year in the semi-pro league, specifically one match against Keith “Superman” Acosta. Jacob was studying in the U.S. at the time.
Jacob Leslie
Jacob Leslie, Co-Owner, Belize City Defenders
“There was a game he was going to play Keith Acosta and I came back to Belize because I wanted to see that game. I went to him before the game and I said, you are the best player in the country. They are saying he is the best player in the country, but you are and tonight you are going to show them you are the best. I remember one play where Keith Acosta was guarding him at the top of the key and I was excited and he pulled a move and dunked the ball and that is so etched in my memory, from that day I said, you are it. They have to pass the mantle to you. I think in that game he scored like thirty-five points. He still lost, but I think he put the basketball world on notice that I am here.”
At the height of his career, Puppy Leslie was very popular among young, aspiring basketball players. In 2007, he began mentoring those very youths in the Belize Bulldogs basketball program that was started with current Belize City Mayor, Bernard Wagner.
Darwin “Puppy” Leslie
“I realize that playing semipro, travelling to all six districts, a lot of kids the say Puppy, a lot of kids the take pictures after the game, a lot of kids the wait with their parents until I come out the shower. I was like, what? So, I started teaching what I know along with Rasco Reece and Rupert Brown. We did that program for ten years, every Saturday with funding from Belize Bank.”
But, behind the spotlight of being the best of the best at basketball in Belize, was a young man who grew up in an impoverished community. His father and mother were the bedrock of the family. They made sure discipline was instilled in the home and that each of their six children sought God.
Jacob Leslie
“My father was very strict in budgeting and finances and made sure the money is in order. My mother was the spiritual leader of the family. So my mother made sure we go to church, Sunday school, youth services and that molded us as men. So, it is natural for him to be in a position to give back, to make impact, because that is what Christianity teaches you right.”
Darwin “Puppy” Leslie
“We use to take our chamber pot, and I am being as real as I can be, it uses to be under the bed, we put it in a bigger bucket and after a couple days we go to the kennel. So that was tough. I remember having the one-man bathroom over the kennel, we use to use those, right in Queen Square.”
Darwin Puppy Leslie officially retired in 2019 from the National Elite Basketball League. He is an unsung hero, with no stadiums named after him, no national awards presented, no substantial, tangible recognition despite his many contributions to raising the level of basketball played in Belize and mentorship. And if you ask him, Puppy will tell you that God always has a plan.
Darwin “Puppy” Leslie
“When I think about my life, I think about they came a certain time where I don’t have any control over my life. Right now God is taking full control of my life. But I know for sure I am someone sent here to give service to humanity. I know that a fact and I can say that with confidence.”
On Tuesday, we told you that the Belize Athletic Association moved to vote out President Cojac Smith and Public Relations Officer Gregory Meyers during a special meeting. We also heard from Smith, who told us that the decision violates the regulations that guide BAA decisions. Well, Smith and Meyers have taken their position one step further. They have retained the services of Glenn Godfrey’s law firm. Today, GDG wrote to the association on behalf of its clients. The letter says that his clients’ removal was not advised by the association’s disciplinary committee, which Godfrey asserts is contrary to the BAA’s constitution. Godfrey further contends that the BAA’s constitution provides no basis for removals based on personal grievances or through a vote of no confidence. The letter describes the move as an attempt at a hostile takeover that threatens the association’s standing with World Athletics. Godfrey refers to the motion as void and the appointment of Alvin Tillet as illegitimate and unlawful. Additionally, the letter calls on the BAA to cease and desist from any further slanderous statements against Smith and Meyers and to immediately remove its September second press release. Godfrey noted that failure to do so will result in Smith and Meyers seeking damages for defamatory publication. When we spoke with Smith on Monday, he contended that he did nothing to warrant a vote of no confidence.
Cojac Smith
Cojac Smith
“And what people seems to forget is that this is philanthropy work. This is not being paid for. I get nothing paid for this. A lot of times I take money out of my pocket and that is how we do it. It is both myself and the public relations officer that were victims of this situation. We weren’t given due process and the small handful of members that felt disgruntled with how things were handled, which you know people are always iffy on change, so they decided to take this route which is unconstitutional, and we are researching how we will deal with this going forward. I am always open to criticism. At the end of the day I am not perfect. I have things I can work on and change. However, this is also my profession. I do have degrees in these types of things, however management, so to be questioning my leadership based on what you think or your opinion that I should have done something when it is outside of the constitution, I actually following the constitution in relation to what they are stating out there. At the assembly I clearly articulated everything against the motion that was brought to me. However, it was just still go ahead and make the vote. I have no problem with taking criticism. However, in this instance I did nothing wrong. I followed the procedure. I made sure that whatever situation was brought to me was due process.”
Earlier today, the Belize Athletic Association issued a release announcing that Cojac Smith is no longer serving as the president of the association. The release also stated that Gregory Meyers is no longer serving as public relations officer. Well, we reached out to Smith for comments, and he told us that as far as he is concerned, he maintains the role of BAA president. BAA’s release noted that Alvin Tillett, the first vice president under Smith, has been appointed as the acting president. This all played out on Sunday during a special general assembly. So, how did the association get to this point. We spoke with embattled President, Cojac Smith about how it all played out.
Cojac Smith
Cojac Smith, Belize Athletics Association
“To be honest I am a professional project manager and that is what I do. I have my own small business, and I also do consultancy. So, in any situation like this dealing with a situation where I am voted out on ground that is unconstitutional. I did nothing wrong, and I have to speak out against it. It is not within my frame or my own personal belief that I should sit down and take this when I did nothing wrong. So I have to take a stand and say that the entire process for the voting was unconstitutional and I am still legally the president of the BAA, however means or whatever the press release are being sent out at this point in time. It is unconstitutional what happened on Sunday. There are steps and processes about how you have disputes and how it is handle. Those were vehemently opposed to and violated at the meeting on Sunday. When they decided it is going to be a vote I stepped out. I can no longer be apart of something unconstitutional and no longer following the rules. I did not participate or vote on it. Just the entire process was in shambles. I won’t touch base too much on it. I am currently doing my research as to how I will handle the situation and see how to deal with it. But, by no way will I allow my name to be tarnished when all I have been doing is trying to better the association and better sports for Belize.”
Paul Lopez
“Is the public perhaps getting a view, an inside look as to a part of the reason why we are not seeing certain disciplines advance in Belize. Things are so bureaucratic and tends to be so political at times. And, do you lament this?”
Cojac Smith
“You are hitting the nail on the head. I am sure you have seen this where you wonder why things are not happening. When you have like minded individuals that are trying to make change and development you have those who resist the change. And then you have those that resist the change. Instead of trying to see beyond what is right in front of their face and looking at the bigger picture you have reisistance and that resisntance got to the point where there is a feeling of wanting to get rid of the president.”
Goodnight and welcome to another edition of Sports Monday, I am Paul Lopez. The Beacons are your 2024 National Women’s Softball Champions. They displayed championship stamina, playing four games back-to-back, including the championship match. They worked their way out of the losers’ circle and brought down the tournament’s undefeated team, the Belize Bank Bulldogs, to secure a three-peat.
The sun had set, and the lights came on inside the Sand Hill Softball stadium. The Belize Bank Bulldogs were undefeated and one win away from securing the 2024 Championship. Their opponents, defending champions Beacons, were outperformed during the tournament and so they had to claw their way back to the top. They came into this one after two back-to-back winning games. But their journey was far from over. Beacons would have to win this one and force and final game. This is the bottom of the first inning. The Bulldogs have two outs and a chance to lead the game with a runner on third. A massive swing sends the ball into left field. And that is a beautiful catch by Dianelli Wade to end the inning.
At the top of the second inning, Mexican Esthela Segovia is up to bat for Beacons. Segovia connects the first pitch of the inning. That one goes and goes and its out of the park for a homerun. She takes her celebratory lap and the dugout erupts in excitement. At the top of the third, the Bulldogs’ catcher and pitcher are alert as Arneek Roland tries to steal second base. Sharette Vernon came from behind her with a massive hit into left field thar puts her at second base. The Bulldogs were able to hold them off in that inning. There is a runner on second at the top of the third, Bulldogs’ number nine inside the batter’s box. She hits just inside the line towards right field and there goes Renisha Richards sprinting towards the home plate. It’s a very close call and the umpire calls that one safe. The game is now tied at one run a piece.
Let’s fast forward this one to the top of the sixth inning where the game is still tied at one run each. Beacons had two outs, no runners on base. Their pitcher, Mexican Alejandra Vasquez is up to bat. She has two strikes. Vasquez connects and that one goes all the way out of the park. A second homerun for Beacons. The defending champions held off the Bulldogs for the rest of the match and forced a second and final game. The grand finale began at ten p.m. on a Sunday night. Fans were still out and so were some of the children that were preparing for their return to school on Monday.
We are at the bottom of the second, Beacons are up to bat. Shadelle Ho inside the batter’s box with two strikes as a runner on third. Clean hit directly to the shortstop. Arneek Roland makes it home and Ho gets on first base. He’s now on third. Esthela Segovia on first and Vasquez up to bat. Segovia goes for the second base steal. The ball hits her helmet and Ho sprints to the home plate. That’s two runs for Beacons. Beacons is still in the lead with two runs at the top of the fourth. Ashley Lucas is up to bat for the Bulldogs with a runner on first. Lucas with a hit into center field. The catch is fumbled and number two, Hilton ran across the home plate safe. One run for Bulldogs.
Kelsey Robinson up to bat. She hits a ground ball into left field. Lucas secures the second run for Bulldogs to tie the game.The game remained tied at the bottom of the fifth inning. Runners on first and third base for Beacons. Sharette Vernon bunts. The pitcher glanced at third base and overthrows to first. A huge error that sends Lynesse Alvarez and Arneek Roland home for two runs. The Bulldogs are trailing by two at the top of the sixth. 6:25 Here, runners on first and second. Joline Davis is inside the batter’s box. Davis hits a powerful ground ball into left field. Pinch runner Bood makes it home and gives Bulldogs a fighting chance.
Kelsey Robinson with a massive hit only shy of a few inches from being a homerun. That hit brought in the fourth runner to tie the game. Down to the last inning, the Bulldogs were unable to make any runs in the top of the seventh. Beacons were left with an opportunity to close out the season with one run. Runners on first and second. Mexican Esthela Segovia up to bat. Segovia hits a ground ball into center field. Sharette Vernon, with her coach behind her, sprinted to the home plate, securing the run that would give Beacon the 2024 Championship. Watch as she gets dogpiled at home plate. Fireworks went off. Beacons with the three-peat. Beacons also took home six individual awards, including the MVP award.
Let’s wrap up this week’s installment of Sports Monday with some highlights from this weekend’s Williams Dawson Sprite Basketball Tournament. This one is between Survivor Ballers and Lords Bank Warriors.Some quick stats for you here. The first quarter ended with Survivor Ballers in the lead, seven points to three. The Lord Bank Warriors came back in the second quarter with a much different mindset and outscored the Ballers by three points to bring the game with one point at the half. The third quarter was near even in scoring. Survivor Ballers scored eleven points and Lords Bank Warriors scored ten points. The third ended with the Ballers in the lead with twenty-six points to the Warriors’ twenty-four. In the end, Survivor Ballers took home the victory with forty-five points to Lords Bank Warrior’s forty-one points. As a reminder, the William Dawson Sprite Basketball Tournament was established to unite rivaling communities through the discipline.
Well folks, that is all we have for you in tonight’s coverage of Sports Monday. Catch you in the next one.
Softball fans who are used to attending the national tournament in Belize City, will have to travel to Sand Hill this weekend to cheer on their favourite team. The Rogers Stadium field is undergoing major resurfacing and retrofitting, following incessant rains that left it unsafe for use. The first games begin at six-thirty this evening and the tournament resumes at nine-thirty on Saturday and Sunday with fifteen teams taking part. It promises to be an exciting competition, with all teams said to have a degree of strength. Entrance to the Sand Hill Softball Field is five dollars and there’ll be fifteen games played altogether. News Five’s Marion Ali spoke with the Tournament Organizer, Shane Williams about the shift from Belize City to Rural Belize for the event. Here’s that report.
Marion Ali, Reporting
For the first time, at least in recent memory, the National Softball tournaments are being played outside of Belize City. It is a necessary move to allow for resurfacing and repairs to be done at the historic Roger’s Stadium. This weekend, the National Women’s Softball Tournament will be held in Sand Hill Village. Tournament Organizer, Shane Williams told News Five that the field at Roger’s Stadium had become unsafe for the players.
Shane Williams
Shane Williams, Tournament Director, National Women’s Softball Tournament
“We had to make that decision because the Rogers Stadium is not fit for a national tournament at the moment. We had a really bad year in terms of rain and the field condition was already in subpar state due to damages from previous storms and hurricanes. The playing field is very unlevel. We had some serious injuries in the Belize City Tournament this year that we cannot allow to happen at the national level. So, we had about two weeks to prepare the field for nationals because the Belize City Tournament was playing and it played late due to weather conditions. So we only had about two weeks to prepare the field…”
Williams says the Sand Hill softball field is one of the best to hold the event and it was tested only recently when the men’s tournament was held there.
Shane Williams
“Sand Hill Village has a very good field. It hosted the male nationals two weeks ago, and it was a very good host. The village itself was a very good host for the players, so we believe that this will be one of the more memorable tournaments.”
Marion Ali
“And when do you foresee the Rogers stadium field will be ready again for more games?”
Shane Williams
“Well, that’s the good thing. Even though we have moved the tournament to Sand Hill, we have not stopped working on Rogers Stadium. We have over fifteen loads of material that have already been brought into the stadium. They are being spread out at the moment. We have 10 additional lights that will be put up over the next couple of weeks that have already been purchased. And we have some donors, B.T.B. And other donors that will be investing in the fence and we are looking at specific private company for the installation of a scoreboard that we have been looking for several years. So I would say by the time tournament is ready, which is January, the calendar opens, Rogers Stadium definitely will be ready.”
Altogether there are eight teams competing for bragging rights of National Women Softball champs and the trophy this year. They are the Esperanza Wolverines and Roaring Creek Grace Kennedy, Orange Walk’s Palmar and Elites, Belize City’s Beacon Softball Club and Wolfpack Softball Club and from Belize Rural we have Doublehead Cabbage and Belize Bank Bulldogs. Williams says it will be no walk in the park for any of them.
Shane Williams
“The defending champs are the Beacon Softball Club from Belize City and you know, they have us very solid team. They have even international players as well on that team. We have the rural who believe that this will be their year to unseat them, especially since they are hosting for the first time. So the home field advantage will definitely be with Belize, but the Bulldogs and the Double Head Cabbage Unity team. The Orange Walk teams are fairly new and from what I’ve seen in their practice, they expect to come and make some real upset in the tournament. Cayo has won the nationals multiple times before, and the same for Roaring Creek Grace Kennedy team, it’s coming back with some very young talent and Esperanza Wolverines are always contenders. So there’s no setfavorites, I would say. But this will be an exciting tournament.”
