Belize National Basketball team prepares for COCABA
Good evening I’m James Adderley and this is Sports Monday.
The two finalists in the Female Football League emerged over the weekend. So we join that mighty confrontation between Gentle Touch of Esperanza and the Belize Defence Force at the M.C.C. Grounds yesterday as the Military tries to overcome a 4-zip deficit from game one. Thus the B.D.F. looks to strike early when Sherraine Tracey mounts this run but is beaten to the ball by goalkeeper Eden Gentle. Two minutes later, Tracey picks up this ball around midfield and takes it all the way to launch this left foot that beats the keeper and the B.D.F. is up 1-zip just like that. We’re thirty-two minutes in when Ann Godoy fails to clear this ball effectively from in front of the B.D.F.’s goal Abbi Halliday pounces on the loose ball to tie the score at one apiece. Nine minutes into second half the Brazilian, Kimberly Peres, attacks off the right wing and pushes the ball past Nikita Jones as Gentle Touch takes a 2-1 lead. Folks, we slow mo this play to leave no doubt that Shamira wade does foul this ball inside the box justifying the penalty call made by the referee. The B.D.F. sends Cynthia Salazar for the conversion and the solider does not disappoint for the 2-2 tie. In the meantime, the B.D.F. is awarded another penalty when Kendra Gentle hands this ball inside the area. This time the Military goes to Araceli Lambey who hit it straight at Eden Gentle who comes up with the save. The long whistle would close this show on a 2-2 score but Gentle Touch, nevertheless, advances to the final with a 6-2 aggregate over the B.D.F. who will now head back to camp.
In the other semi-final matchup, Pumas Girls completed a two game sweep of Millennium with a 2-zip blast yesterday inside the M.C.C. Grounds for a pass to the finals. Thus the championship series kicks off at Esperanza Cayo on Saturday, August eighth, with Gentle Touch hosting Pumas in game one of a name and away series.
In softball news, Carla Humes and the National Women Softball Team were defeated 7-0 by Colombia in the first outing at the seventh Pan American Softball Tournament currently being staged at Venezuela. Belize now faces Cuba three p.m. on Saturday, Brazil thee p.m. on Sunday. We play the Dominican Republic seven-thirty p.m. Monday, Ecuador on Tuesday, on Wednesday it’s a double header for Belize. At eleven-thirty p.m. we battle Antilles and in the nightcap we face the USA, and on Thursday Belize battles El Salvador and Panama.
In cycling news, Tour Director Jerome Williams has informed us that the second annual Belize Cycling Association Jr. Tour will blast off this Thursday, sixth August and concludes on Sunday ninth, August. TV Five’s Jose Sanchez spoke with Tour Director Williams this morning.
Jerome Williams, Director, Belize Cycling Assn. Jr. Tour
“Dis dah di second annual cycling junior tour, for riders eighteen years and younger. We do four stages, six districts. Stage one, we will do a time trial from mile fourteen to Belize City. Stage two; Orange Walk via the Boom Road to Acros. Stage three will do what we call the king stage from Belmopan to Dangriga and back to the gap. Then stage four will do Benque Viejo to Belize City.”
In other cycling news, we head to Leslie’s Imports for the start of yesterday’s mountain bike race presented in memory of the late Camel Haylock. And the thirty or so riders suited up for the event are off. By the time the race reaches the Hattieville roundabout Paul Trapp and Marlon Rhaburn have taken complete control of the pace. This look at the chase group on the Burrell Boom Circuit gives us the feeling that the lead duo would never be caught. As we fast forward to the finish line on the Northern Highway, we find the solitary figure of Paul Trapp grabbing the big W. Settling for second right here is Marlon Rhaburn who couldn’t hang on to Paul Trapp’s pace. Fresh Fred Usher outsprints Vallan Symms for third place and it’s Symms who rounds out the top four.
Turning to the basketball scene, we take you back to the year 1998. We’re inside the City Center where Belize is about to capture gold in the CARICOM Basketball Tournament against Guyana. Yes, it’s Milton Palacio dishing to Alex Carcamo as Keith Acosta looks on. And when Carcamo sinks this bucket the deal is done and Belize Basketball goes gold. Well, eleven years later, the National Team of Belize embarks on another golden mission. And yes, there three athletes are again in the hunt but it’s a brand new team making the journey to Cancun, Mexico this Sunday to compete in the Central American Basketball Championships. Meet one of the new players, Marlon Garnett, formerly of the NBA, now playing in Serbia. Garnett missed the 1999 Pan American Tournament at Cuba because of poor management by the Basketball Association back then.
Marlon Garnett, Belize National Basketball Team
“I wouldn’t call it a bad experience. I think it was just kind of a misunderstanding and miscommunication. I arrived in Cancun, on my way to Cuba back in 99 and apparently the plane ticket wasn’t arranged for the return to Los Angeles so I just happened to go back to LA. So I don’t call it a bad experience, I don’t hold any bad feelings toward the federation or the management. Obviously, I’m here and I will be here.”
James Adderley
“You’re finally here, do you think you have something to prove?”
Marlon Garnett
“Not personally, no but as a country, I think we do. This is good opportunity. We got a lot of guys to commit and a lot of good talent in Belize to commit and play and we have the opportunity of qualifying for Central Basketball next summer so there is something to prove as a team and put Belize on the map and represent the country. But I think that if we would try to come out and showcase ourselves as individuals, that would be the worst thing to do. I think we need to come together and try to find some unity as a team, put our heads together and make the process work starting with this tournament here in Cancun.”
One of the few homegrown players to make the team is Keith Acosta, who was a key factor in the 1998 gold medal run.
Keith Acosta, Belize National Basketball Team
“First of all, I feel grateful to have another opportunity to play the game again and to represent Belize country in general. It’s a wonderful feeling with the guys coming and getting to try and represent the country once more and bring back another gold medal to the country to make Belize proud and basketball family in Belize proud once more.”
James Adderley
“It’s the first time you guys have been together on this team. What’s your early gut feeling about the chemistry and the cohesion and the unison?”
Keith Acosta
“It feels wonderful. There’s a lot of professional guys so putting together a team in like two weeks, three weeks, that’s sufficient time for professionals, unlike some of us local guys who are just going from zero to a hundred quite fast, not having anything and then for a long period such a big transition. For us it’s kinda difficult, but like them, we try to be professional about the preparation and try to get ready to be productive with them as well. So for the guys coming in, they’re professionals but us locals we just gotta get on that level with them as well.”
Now here is Alex Carcamo who scored the last bucket in the championship game back in 1998.
Alex Carcamo, Belize National Basketball Team
“I’m approaching it like any other game. For the last ten years, I’ve been playing professional basketball so it’s nothing big to me. I’m looking forward to it cause Belize hasn’t seen me in ten years so they are going to be in for a show.”
James Adderley
“Where have you been basketball wise?”
Alex Carcamo
“I played in China for three years, Korea for one, Israel for four, and last year I was in Argentina.”
James Adderley
“So you are on top of your game and ready to go.”
Alex Carcamo
“Oh yeah, definitely.”
James Adderley
“I was looking at your performance this evening and I am impressed. You seem to be very sharp.”
Alex Carcamo
“Well, I’ve worked really hard. Unfortunately, I’m a little oversized. Scouts underestimate my size because I’m kinda skinny but I have a hard line so I’m ready to go out there and just show myself.”
Of course, Milton Palacio will have a key leadership role on this team, having carries us to glory before.
Milton Palacio, Belize National Basketball Team
“It looks good. I think this year is gonna be a little tougher because a lot of teams are gearing up, a lot of teams are a lot better and a lot of teams are going with a couple NBA guys, European guys, so a lot of guys are season. So I think this team is more talented, I think there’s more scorers on this team, but in 98’ it was a team—I think we were a big family and I think that’s the biggest thing we came with in advance and got together real well. So expectations are high but I think that everybody ahs to be patient with us because it has been a long time since we’ve come back to represent our country.”
James Adderley
“Out of the competition you’re facing, you think probably Panama will be of a hardest challenge?”
Milton Palacio
“Yeah, Panama and Mexico, they are the toughest teams in this tournament. So they’ll be tough but we gotta go out there and play hard. Being a pretty small team, we gotta go out there and really scrap and really be aggressive and just leave it all on the floor.”
The team leaves for Cancun on Sunday on the Maya Island Air to began our search for gold. We’re in the group featuring Nicaragua, Guatemala and Panama. We must win two outings to move on to the playoffs. Of course, I’m a Belizean, I know you are too.
Finally folks, the Guiness Open Nine Ball Tournament is into money time. In semi-final play last week Mike’s Club handled Advanced 3-1, Travellers rolled over Catt’s Place by that same score. Tomorrow, Tuesday, Advanced needs to tie the series to stay alive when Mike’s Club visits and of course, Catt’s Place will try to stay in their series when they host Travellers on Thursday.
Hey folks, that’s out show for today. We invite you back same time, same place, next week. Jah over all, I’m James Adderley.
