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.