Under-15 basketball players staying at substandard facility in Guatemala

matthew smiling

A team of young basketball players are representing Belize in Guatemala at the Junior COCABA Under-15 games. So far the team has won a game against Mexico, but it is by default and they played Costa Rica this afternoon. But the young players and their coach are unsatisfied with the accommodation arrangements and the playing facilities. News Five spoke via phone, to coach Matthew Smiling, who says there have been a few improvements at the hotel since their arrival, but it is still way below FIBA standards. Smiling also told us that their complaints have fallen on deaf ears.

Via Phone: Matthew Smiling, Coach, Under-15 Basketball Team

“The main thing is the place that they are housing us, the accommodation. It’s one big room and four teams in it. There’s no privacy for us. The bath is not really acceptable. They did make some adjustments to the bathroom area but still. One of the teams, especially the Guatemalan team, they don’t really have no adults here at night with them so dehn dah di ones weh really mek wah lot ah noise. I had to get afta dehn last night myself. I mi think dehn wah kick mi out ah di place but I guess afta dat everything get quiet. We can’t understand how this is a FIBA sanctioned event. Basically this is a qualifier for another tournament and we are up in arms at how FIBA approved of this; one, the accommodations and two, the playing area. The playing area is a cement court and according to FIBA rules, you play on wooden court. Even the uprights of the rims are cement, the padding around it is not adequate. One of the Salvadoranian guys got hurt yesterday. Ih land up inna di upright and ih get wah knock pan ih shin because di padding is not right. We brought that up to the attention at the technical meeting before the game and still they did nothing about it.”

Delahnie Bain

“Have any of the other teams complained or are they just going with it?”

Via Phone: Matthew Smiling

“Yes, Salvador was the one making the most noise about it. They threatened to come out the competition.”

Delahnie Bain

“Are you and our team maybe considering that option too?”

Via Phone: Matthew Smiling

“Well, not at this point. One of our options also is to try to move the team. The only thing is the area where we are, we are at zone eleven and there’s no good hotel around here. 05:29:18 the better hotels are in zone twelve and zone four. Those are the better hotels but they are a bit far from here. If we could arrange transportation then we will look at that option.”

According to Smiling, they have been in contact with the Basketball Federation that has promised to report the matter to FIBA. You may recall, the football matches for the Central American and Caribbean Games were cancelled earlier this month because the accommodations and facilities did not meet minimum standards.