Tennis Tournament Raising Standard of Discipline in Belize  

The Belize Tennis Association hosted tennis players from across Central America this weekend for the Belize Open Men’s Singles Tennis Tournament. It all went down at the Pickwick Tennis Club’s home court. The tournament saw twenty athletes compete for the coveted cash prize and bragging rights. It is not one of the sporting disciplines we see often covered in the media, partially because tennis in Belize is not as popular as team sports like basketball and football. But tennis has a faithful following in Belize and young athletes who take it very seriously. News Five’s Paul Lopez tells us more.

 

Paul Lopez, Reporting

Tennis has been played in Belize for more than seven decades. At the height of its popularity in the nineteen fifties, Edward “Billy” Musa Senior was involved.

 

Edward Musa Sr., Tournament Sponsor

“In the fifties and sixties we had three tennis clubs vying against each other for the Martinez Shield. It was a prestigious shield that each club wanted to win. The Belize Club, where we are right now, were mainly expatriates under the colonial rule there were a lot of expatriates in Belize. At the New Town Club, where the old two tennis courts are, there was a big building there and they were involved in tennis too. They were civil servants working for the government.  The Pickwick Club on North Front Street were mainly businessmen.”

 

In 2024, the discipline remains alive in Belize. Admittedly, it is not as popular as it once was back in the fifties.

 

Edward Musa Sr.

“A lot of people think that tennis is only for the well to do elites and this is not the case. What we find, the problem with tennis is that it is an individual sport and players, our population prefer team sports like basketball and volleyball.”

 

 

 

Even though the popularity of the discipline has somewhat dwindled over the years, Musa remains at the helm of the efforts to keep tennis alive in Belize. He sponsored a regional Open Men’s Singles Tennis Tournament over the weekend in Belize City. Samron Pott, the Tournament Director, says it has been running since 2017.

 

 

 

Samron Pott, Tournament Director

“This year’s event has twenty players. Belize is represented, Guatemala is represented, Mexico is represented, and Nicaragua is represented. So, we have some talent out there at the pickwick club this year. Two, three gentlemen have already proceeded to the semi-finals, one Belizean, one Nicaraguan, one Mexican the last quarter finals are on display on the court over there nuh. And that one is between our top ranked Belizean, Stephan Sosa and the Guatemalan who represented Guatemala internationally.”

 

Stephan Sosa, a resident of Belmopan, plays for the Belmopan Tennis Club. We witnessed him win his match after competing against his Guatemalan opponent in a match that ran for approximately two hours under the sweltering heat of the day.

 

Stephan Sosa, Tennis Player, Belmopan Tennis Club

“The majority of the toll comes from the heat. I find that to be the most difficult element for me to combat and just the fact that the format is so condensed, it being done over one weekend, it is a bit hard to recover, it is a bit hard to recover between matches considering that little resting time. Beforehand I prepare by buying supplements and ensuring I have the fuel my body needs to play optimally. I purchase a lot of electrolytes drinks like Gatorade. I also have energy gels among other various other supplements I wouldn’t like to disclose to be honest. They are not illegal supplements for the record. I am just making that clear.”

 

Pott was born into tennis and intends to utilize his youthfulness to keep the discipline alive in Belize.

 

Samron Pott, Tournament Director

“So I was born into tennis, so the passion existed from birth, and it is a beautiful game. I know what tennis can do for an individual in terms of values that you learn through tennis, but fitness as well, it is a great way to stay fit. So, it is something I intend to do for quite a while, keep this sport going.”

 

 

At the end of the weekend tournament, Mexico’s Braulio Bautista emerged as the champion for the third time.  Nicaragua’s Orland Suarez won the silver medal, while Belize’s Stephan Sosa secured the bronze medal. A successful end to a tournament that sees tennis played at its highest level, raising the standard of the discipline in Belize. As for Edward Musa Senior, he shows no signs of slowing down.

 

Edward Musa Sr.

“We participate in regional tournaments, like Guatemala and Mexico invites us, but internationally we have to qualify, and we have not reached that standard yet.”

 

Paul Lopez

“How long do you plan to keep this up. You have been in it since the fifties?”

 

 

Edward Musa Sr.

“Until I die.”

 

Reporting for News Five, I am Paul Lopez.