Juventus and Bandits fight to scoreless tie
Good evening, I’m James Adderley welcoming you to this fresh deal of Sports Monday. Week five of the Regent Insurance Cup brought undefeated Juventus of Orange Walk face to face with the league leading Builder’s Hardware Bandits of Belmopan inside the Isidoro Beaton Stadium Saturday night.
We go to live action as David Trapp centres into the danger zone, but the Bandits simply can’t make use of the pass. At the other end Juventus tries to steal the lead when Pablo Tun centres from out of the midfield, but they fail on two attempts to score.
It’s more Juventus when Marlin Teck mounts this individual effort that ends in a serious left foot launch that sails wide.
But believe me folks, the “L” in Locho Coyi is for lucky, as he survives unscathed by this terrible defensive error.
It seems it’s all Juventus when Teck launches this spotkick that forces Charlie Slusher to come up big.
Downfield Edmund “The Buzzard” Pandy displays his shooting skills by bending the pill around the wall, but Darren Hinds dives and saves.
Of course we must mention to Dean Flowers that he should have thought Orange Walk ahead right here, but rushes the finish both times and at the half we have a scoreless ballgame.
So we go to the second half and “The Buzzard” Pandy finds Kello Leslie with this spotkick, but the header sails high.
When Wayne Wiltshire centres this ball, the Bandits come up with their best scoring opportunity, but Dennis Serrano fails to get the pill past Hinds, who pays for the save with his body, but he would survive.
Nevertheless, the Bandits continue to increase the pressure, but this left foot offering from Wayne Wiltshire is easily corralled by Darren Hinds and when the long whistle blows it brings the curtain down on a scoreless stalemate that leaves Juventus undefeated with nine points-only good for third place–while the Bandits fall to second place with ten points.
In the meantime, Sagitun zoomed to the top of the standings with eleven points by blanking the San Pedro Seahawks 3-zip at the island yesterday.
Kulture Yabra pulled up to the fourth place with eight points by crushing Jacintoville United 4-2 at Toledo. And Real Verdes earned its sixth point by scorching Griga United 1-zip.
Turning to the boxing scene, here comes another attempt at reviving this sport that used to be huge in the jewel and we think it just might work this time. Meet one of its proponents, Norman “Pappy Pote” Orosco.
Norman Orosco, Manager, Fist of Truth Gym
“I have recently taken this gym over from Dakers with an understanding that this country needs gold medallists from the Olympics. It’s time to put our country on the map. And I am going at it and at this point I have a fighter who has made me so happy that I could see, yes, we’re on the road to a gold medal.”
We asked Orosco about the Belize City competition from Leopold Smarts Gym, touted to be the best in the country.
Norman Orosco
“Yes, Smart’s gym is coming on very good. I like it because then it’s competition and we want the best for this country, because it’s all about the country. We want the country to have champions. And as I said, it’s time to raise champions, not destroy them. Bob right here is what I know is a champion.”
James Adderley
“What weight you fight at?”
Eduardo Babb, Boxer
“My weight is one thirty-five.”
James Adderley
“How did you get involved in boxing?”
Eduardo Babb
“Because of my father. He supported me in boxing, he love boxing. I tell him I’m gonna be his champion.”
James Adderley
“And how you hook up with Pappy Pote?”
Eduardo Babb
“We saw it in the news. Because I just came from L.A. last two months I came. I was training at the L.A. boxing gym and I saw Pappy Pote and these guys training and I told my dad I want to go to train in Belize.”
James Adderley
“So you had already made up your mind to be a boxer before you came to Belize?”
Eduardo Babb
“Yes.”
James Adderley
“What’s your exposure like when you were living in the States?”
Eduardo Babb
“Well I just went for six months in the United States just training.”
James Adderley
“Now you will be participating in a headline event, Belize versus Mexico at San Pedro this Saturday. Do you have that confidence that you could just jump right up into the sport and get it on?”
Eduardo Babb
“Yes, because I know I feel ready for this fight here. I train very hard, me and Mr. Pote, sometimes my dad at home. I know I ready to bring this victory to Belize.”
Meanwhile folks, a Belize vs. Mexico card is being planned for Saturday at San Pedro featuring Horace Cadle and Joseph Eagan of Smart’s Gym and Eduardo Babb of Orosco’s Fist of Truth Gym.
For sure, we wish team Belize maximum success on Saturday and of course we wish boxing the best in the future.
In softball news, Camalote Duurly’s Cristal picked off Grace Kennedy 3-1 yesterday at Camalote to become the seven-time champion of Cayo Softball. Kenisha Sutherland got the win over Kareema Gillette. We say congratulations as first place took home the Vicenta and Jack Hope trophy, while second place got the Edison Hope trophy.
That’s it for now; we want to thank our cameraman for his great work over the weekend. Jah over all! I’m James Adderley.
