Belizean contingent heads to commonwealth games

While the Queen’s Relay Baton makes its passage through Belize leading up to the Commonwealth Games in Delhi later this year, a contingent of athletes from the Jewel led by Chef de Mission Frank McKenzie left for Panama today to compete in the Ninth Annual Central American Games.  Unlike previous years the events will take place in Panama and El Salvador and will see the participation of athletes in cycling, karate, softball, volleyball and athletics.  News Five spoke with Ned Pitts, President of the Belize Olympics and Commonwealth Association.

Ned Pitts, Pres. Belize Olympics and Commonwealth Association

“The contingent that left for Panama today are three disciplines: karate left, volleyball and softball.  They have left today then the balance leaving tomorrow to go to Panama.  Those are the three discipline there, about thirty odd of them left today.”

Isani Cayetano

Ned Pitts

“You were mentioning earlier that in terms of the way Belize will be represented this time around it’s completely different from the way they were represented in the last Central American Games.  Can you elaborate for us a bit?”

Ned Pitts

“Well the previous Central American Games was concentrated in one city, one country and we use to send a hundred and odd people but because it’s scattered around and you know cost factor has gone up we have not been able to send as strong a [contingency] in numbers, not in performance; the numbers as we would have liked to send.”

The first group left the country this evening aboard Taca Airlines.  In the past athletes have brought back from the Central American games, various medals including gold and silver.