FFB and National Sports Council celebrate young athletes who excelled at the CODICADER and CONCACAF Women’s U-17 championship games

At the Marion Jones Sporting Complex this afternoon, there was a gathering of Belize’s finest athletes. The Football Federation of Belize and the National Sports Council held “A celebration of Champions” for the athletes who performed exceptionally at the CODICADER and the CONCACAF Women’s U-17 Championship games. The Confederation of North, Central American and Caribbean Association Football Women’s U-17 Championship qualifying games were held from August nineteenth to August twenty-fifth with sixteen participating teams. Belize was victorious in all games, except one, and qualified for the 2020 CONCACAF Women’s U-17. The delegation which headed out to the CODICADER games took part in several games and performed remarkably. Ian Jones, Director of the National Sports Council said today that there is much to celebrate.

Ian Jones, Director, National Sports Council

Ian Jones

“This week we had two very I could say historical achievements in sports. Every year      I think you guys can recall, we send out CODICADER delegations every year. CODICADER is the Central American Games for school students. We have it at three different levels, the U13, the u 15 and the U17. SO this year it was the U15 and for the first time in our history of sending out CODICADER delegations, actually it is the first time in anything football related we were successful in capturing a gold medal. We defeated big countries like Honduras and the finales we played Panama and to be honest when I got the new we playing Panama in the finals I was a little bit of a doubting Thomas because Panama has one of the best development programs in the region. But also with our representation being from the Belmopan football association I, from the jump I said Belmopan has one of our better football programs in Belize. They start from the age of eight up until seniors and you, achieving that, this is a once in my life time that I have seen it in football that we captured a gold medal. We also captured gold medal in the hundred meter males which we haven’t done at any level since 2012. We got silver as well in hundred meters. We got gold in the 150 meter which again was the first time ever that we did at any level and we also got a bronze in the Relay and a bronze in the shot put and a bronze in the hundred meter hurdles. On top of that, the U-17 female national team, again it is the first time we send out a delegation, we as in the country because it is of course through the football federation of Belize that sent out a female delegation in this age range and I can also say that it is the first time ever, at any level in female football that we were able to top our group in a CONCACAF qualifier. So they have actually advanced to the next group for the CONCACAF U-20 world cup. To have successes in sports, it’s something that we need to bring to the attention of the public, something that we need to celebrate as much as possible. We decided to host this congratulatory dinner for.”