Sports field has loving caretaker
The old capital, a rough and tumble settlement that gradually grew out of the Mangrove Swamp, never has had much in the way of space for parks and recreation. And what open space we do have is hardly anything to boast about. That’s why any effort to improve the situation is a welcome one. News 5?s Jacqueline Woods reports.
Jacqueline Woods, Reporting
Forty-year-old Bernard ?Dubu? Thomas has played football for most of his life and for the past eighteen years he has taken care of the Football Field at the former Youth Hostel, known as Hoy?s Hostel Field. The facility is probably one of the least publicized sporting venues in the city, but a number of upgrades promise to raise its profile. Thomas, who grew up next door to the location, says he painstakingly cleared the land in the hope of developing something positive for neighbourhood youths. This collection of photographs highlights just some of the events that have taken place on the field.
Bernard ?Dubu? Thomas, Caretaker, Hoy?s Hostel Football Field
?So it is very important to come together and have something for the youths because the youths have nothing right now. It only semi-pro; what happen to the youths them? There is nothing organised for the youths. There is nothing at all organised for the youths. When we do have the primary school competition it?s a three months thing or two weeks thing and it?s done. It?s short. It?s not properly organised. The college and primary competitions are not organised in my behalf as an ex-football player.?
The call to improve conditions has not fallen on deaf ears. Thomas says recently the Belize City Council embarked on a project that will upgrade the space for track and field events. Thomas says as much as he welcomes the work being done he hopes to see other amenities included in the plan that would make it a fully functional multipurpose sport facility.
Bernard ?Dubu? Thomas
?We need a bathroom over there for the kids because St. Michaels come here, Wesley School comes here, Grace Primary comes here at times to have P.E. Where is the bathroom??
?Right now I am short of lights I only have two lights working for the last seven months. Nobody pays attention to that. Sometimes when the people they come, half of the field is dark so they go back out. Some of them stay with it and some of them go with it.?
Each year Thomas hosts a football tournament to promote the facility. Much of the funds raised for the events come from donations he has managed to collect from the public…but Thomas admits that the one man effort has not been easy.
Bernard ?Dubu? Thomas
?All I am asking for is support to bring the youths them together. Right now I have under fourteen tournament that I want to have Holy Saturday. I will like to have it on that day. I also want to have an under nineteen tournament on first of May. There are a lot of things we want to do right now but we have no support.?
If you would like to assist Thomas with the upcoming football tournament scheduled for the Easter weekend, he can be contacted at the field situated just behind the police station on Raccoon Street. Jacqueline Woods for News 5.
