Cruz family wins Extreme Canoe Race
God evening I’m James Adderley and we’re certainly glad you could join us for this Tuesday version of Sports Monday. One of the sporting activities to debut in this year’s national celebration is the one hundred and seventy mile Extreme Canoe Race which left San Ignacio at 3:42 p.m. on our independence day Saturday, September twenty-first.
Meet the excited throng of Belizean awaiting the arrival of the event Sunday at the Belcan Bridge straddled across the Belize or Old River.
And of course their anticipation is rewarded as the fist contenders came into view. It’s the Cruz family. Fifteen year old Daniel Cruz making his first appearance in the sport of canoeing, and right behind him is his thirty-eight year old father Hilberto Cruz, while his cousin, seventeen-year-old Felix Cruz mans the stern.
And this is the actual moment they cross the finish line to win the first ever Extreme Canoe Race in a time of nineteen hours, twenty-three minutes; clocking over nine miles and hours in a winding river.
This is the remarkable feat when you take into account that they beat the two time winners of the La Ruta Maya, Koop Sheet Metal by some nine minutes, forcing them into second place.
The Aquada Manatee Boys were in the thick of things earlier on, but at money time on Sunday had been relegated to third place.
In the meantime Dean Lindo’s Joe Grind pulled up fourth, the Wood Depot took fifth, while Black Rock Lodge rounds out the top six.
Felix Cruz, Winner, Extreme Canoe Race
“It was hard. This is my first time.”
Daniel Cruz, Winner, Extreme Canoe Race
“Just tell ah (him), les (let’s) go, les go paddle faster, les go ketch up the other canoe them. I feel good because done mi the reach already”
Changing gears folks, let’s head to the Norman Broaster Stadium inside scenic San Ignacio for B.P.F.L. football as Acros Verdes plays host to Corozal on Sunday.
And as visitors the team from the north get to initiate the kick off. Corozal nevertheless comes out in the role of protagonist and this left foot shot from outside forces Darren Hinds to concede the corner kick.
It’s Darren Hinds being force to come up with another save, so he calmly complies. Of course Hinds see no imminent danger here when Oliver Hendricks simply squanders this opportunity from point-blank range.
Acros Verdes finally gets something going when they try to catch the Corozal keeper out of his boundary. Of course they’ll have to try again.
Folks can you believe it, Corozal fails to convert right here? Well fact is Oliver Hendricks misses again and at the half we’ve got a scoreless ballgame.
So we go to second half and it’s a more offensive oriented Verdes team that shows up and they almost score off this corner kick. Of course if you try and try you’ll succeed, and its Bent Burgess setting table for Sylvan Lyons and Verdes takes a 1-zip lead just like that.
Now you make the call folks, was Burgess fouled or did he take a dive. The referee rules he did. Hey Burgess, what’s up with this move, normally you deliver in these situations. Could be a bad start to a good year.
Maybe it’s that day when Bent Burgess is not so score because on this open look at goal he misses the header. Hey the crossbar looks good, it creates excitement, but it’s not a goal.
Of course it’s never over till it’s over. Oliver Hendricks finds his forward, the ball crashes against the crossbar, Erwin Cano fresh off the bench bodies Burgess and gets rewarded with a goal as Acros Verdes and Corozal rally to a 1-1 regulation tie.
In other results from over the weekend, Kulture Yabra beat Belmopan Bandits 1-zip, Sagitun and Juventus struggled to a 2-2 tie, while San Pedro and Griga United settled for a scoreless stalemate.
That’s our show for today, we certainly invite you back next week. Also want to take time out to thank our cameramen for their special work this weekend. Jah over all, I’m James Adderley.
