‘Banditos’ to Storm Nicaragua; They’ll Be Wearing New Gear
The Belmopan Bandits won the Premier League of Belize and that qualified them as the team to represent the Jewel in the 2017 Scotiabank CONCACAF Champions League. In its first round of the competition, the team will face off against Nicaragua in a home and away series, which starts with its first game on August third in Nicaragua and then on August tenth at the Isidoro Beaton Stadium in Belmopan. Today, the management of the team held a press conference to introduce the new Bandits team and jerseys to the media. News Five’s Duane Moody reports.
Duane Moody, Reporting
Today at the Isidoro Beaton Stadium in the Garden City, the Belmopan Bandits officially revealed the new composition of the team and launched new jerseys and other promotional items as they embark on the journey to the Scotiabank CONCACAF Champions League. The event precedes the team’s departure next Monday to Nicaragua where it will represent the country in its first away game on August third.
Estevan Tejeda
Estevan Tejeda, C.E.O., Bandits Sports
“It is the strong commitment to sports and the development of youth that we have all gathered here. This event speaks to the commitment that all of us have – the area representative, Bandits Sports, Belmopan business and the community as well as to our achievement in making it to the Scotiabank CONCACAF League 2017.”
Douglas Grant Jr.
Douglas Grant Jr., Liaison Officer, Belmopan Bandits
“We have three major sponsors hat sponsors us throughout the entire year which is the Builder’s Hardware, the Woodstock and Jebco Constructions. For Champions League, two other sponsors have come along which is Smart and Belikin. So there are five sponsors for this Champions League venture, along with the support of our President the honorable John Saldivar.”
The team has acquired some new faces. While Jordy Polanco and Denmark Casey have stepped aside, the team has imported three Honduran nationals, a Colombian and several other Belizean footballers, including Dalton Eiley and sixteen-year-old football star Jaylen Budna. So what’s the strategy of the team going into the upcoming match against Nicaragua?
Shane Orio
Shane Orio, Goalkeeper, Belmopan Bandits
“Nicaragua and like what he said, Nicaragua is going to be difficult moving forward. Again, they have the same sentiments that we have….when a lot of Belizeans heard that we got Nicaragua; they said that it was going to be easy, it’s an opportunity to move on and they feel the same way. Now the strength of the Nicaragua team, we have to be realistic; we have a little information about them and it is the same process about them, they have little information. And the players, the addition that the team has made, I believe that we are a much better team, a much stronger team and apart from that, the youth that we have added to this team is very important. I mean Jessie August is considered one of the best U-seventeen players to play in the U-seventeen tournament in Costa Rica and Jaylen is also here. We have international experience like Georgie and the other two Honduran guys. So we hope that we will be able to come together for one goal, which is to advance to the next round.”
Various shirts, water bottles and stickers are on sale for football fans. Duane Moody for News Five.
