Belize team returns from Cuba
After surprising Belize and in fact the entire Caribbean with our basketball prowess taking gold in the CARICOM Tournament last year, we had all expected Belize’s team to do well in the COPA Tournament in Cuba last week. But it takes more than heart to win a tournament and our boys did far worse than even they had anticipated given the late decision over the selection of a coach and the last minute arrivals of several players. Belize lost to the Dominican Republic, Cuba, Costa Rica, Virgin Islands, won against Costa Rica the second time and finished seventh out of eight teams. Today as they arrived back in Belize, they were understandably disappointed at not being able to bring home a medal for the country which had rooted for them. But many were also angry and said petty politics and infighting between the B.N.B.A. and the Sports Council had cost them precious practice time. News Five spoke to Coach Greenwood, Fred Garcia and John Saldivar who feel the Belize National Basketball Association and the National Sports Council need to work hand in hand. They hope the defeat in Cuba will open everyone’s eyes.
David Greenwood, Head Coach
“Hopefully that they can get together and communicate. And that they can plan four to six months in advance so we can get all the players and coaches and everything settled and get us all together with plenty, enough time so that we can put together a successful team.”
Fred Garcia
“We need to at least get three weeks to a month on our belts. I think the thing between the B.N.B.A. and the Sports Council or whatever little politics there is should stop. This thing is much bigger than politics. I think that what we need to do is realize that these days there are not wars being fought over territory. It’s the athletic competition which is the war between countries these days and these people take this thing very seriously, so that’s what we need to do.”
John Saldivar, Head, B.N.B.A.
“We could see that there was definitely a bias against the Belize team and definitely a bias against the CARICOM teams, because there were two CARICOM teams there. But other than the main factor, and I think we need to be honest, I think that the team needed certainly more than the day or two that they got to prepare. If we brought in the coach two weeks before like we had plan we could have definitely gotten a medal. That is the biggest problem and I hope that it is corrected for the next time.”
Coach Greenwood says he will be leaving the country tomorrow since his work in Belize is finished.
