Tuff eNuff is IBL 2022 Champions
Good evening and welcome to this week’s edition of Sports Monday, I am Paul Lopez. We have some exciting sports highlights and reviews for you tonight. So, let’s get started with the Inter-Office Basketball League. The IBL 2022 Champions have been crowned and they are none other than the undefeated team Tuff eNuff. Taking a look back at Saturday night’s decisive game two inside the Belize Civic Center, Tuff eNuff was already up one in the best of three series. But, Central Health/Customs went into the game with the intention of keeping their championship hopes alive. The game was off to a great start with back-to-back baskets on both ends of the court. Wade with the hot hands for a three-point basket. Number twenty-two Eyan Rene also made some huge baskets for his team. At the end of the first half the score was thirty-three to forty-three in favor of Tuff eNuff. Up-and-coming artist Yas Thalia gave fans a halftime show to remember, with her impeccable stage presence and flawless vocals. In the second half of the match, Tuff eNuff turned up the heat as they were getting a whiff of the sweet smell of victory. Central Health/Customs played their hearts out but in the end they were unable to force a game three, which puts Tuff eNuff back on top of the league once again.
Paul Lopez
“Arana, Congratulations, you guys are the IBL 2022 Champions. How does it feel?”
Francis Arana
Francis Arana, Regular Season MVP
“Well, it feel really great. We worked all season to accomplish this. Now as a team we accomplished what we wanted. So it feels really good.”
Paul Lopez
“What does it mean for you to have gone through this journey undefeated?”
Francis Arana
“Well, it is something really good because it takes dedication and hard work to go through a season undefeated. It is not easy. You see we put up a lot this season and we came out undefeated. So, it was a hard work. It wasn’t easy.”
Paul Lopez
“We noted that earlier you were awarded the MVP regular season award. What does that award mean to you?”
Francis Arana
“Well it is a great accomplishment. It is my first MVP for Inter-Office. It is my first finals. I have won many championships but this is my first Inter-Office so it feels really good.”
Rico Black
Rico Black, IBL Coach of the Year, Tuff eNuff
“After COVID ah neva really know what I mih wah do because I lost a lot of money and a lot of the program weh I mih the do for the youths to provide jobs and things for them and create to keep them with me. I lost of couple of them, and when they did the Inter-Office earlier, before the IBL, they didn’t invite me, so ih really hurt me because they know I always bring competition to the basketball. But, when they did say yes, I regroup my boys together with the help of Joseph and Taylor, we came in made a nice team to compete. Suh, dah wah sweet victory for me, because it has been a while I haven’t played in the IBL.
Reporter
“So what do you guys for to celebrate now this victory?”
Rico Black
“Well, ih funny, because we have to do a two days celebration, Belize City and San Pedro. So, we wah party pan the joy ride.”
The Finals MVP went to none other than Glency “Coope” Lopez of Central Health/Customs. We say congratulations to Team Tuff eNuff and coach Rico Black on his fourth IBL championship.
And from basketball, we move into bodybuilding. The Belize Bodybuilding and Fitness Federation hosted the Mr. Belize 2022 Championship on Saturday night inside the Ramada Hotel. After a two year pause due to the COVID-19 pandemic, bodybuilding enthusiasts were back out for a full night of competition in four categories, which included the novice, men’s physique, the open bodybuilding class and bikini fitness. Making the award podium in the Men’s Physique Open category were big names to the sport like Darwin “Puppy” Leslie, Eric Vasquez, and Mark Alford. Clayton Grinage was also back to defend the Mr. Belize title. He had competition in the likes of Abu Sesay and Godfrey Alford. And, in the end the hard work and dedication that Grinage maintained during the COVID-19 pandemic proved enough for him keep his title as Mr. Belize. He was crowned the Mr. Belize Champion 2022. Alford received the second place trophy and Sesay secured third place.
Members of the Cycling Federation of Belize converged on the U.W.I. Auditorium on Saturday to hold elections for a federation executive. Our cameras were not allowed to enter the room, but after a short twenty minutes inside, the meeting came to an end and members began to leave the compound. After inquiring, we learnt that voting had to be postponed for another two weeks due to some technicalities. So, we spoke with the outgoing president of the federation, Orson Butler to find out more. Here is what he told us.
Orson Butler
Orson Butler, President, C.F.B.
“The thing is that today we came to dissolve the federation and to have an election for the new slates nuh. What happen is that we do have a technicality that was shown based on our constitution. The federation sent out an email stating that the election would be today, twenty one days ago. However we received applicant information on the twelfth of the month, which is fifteen days to today. The constitution also has that there has to be a proposer, for president, vice-president, secretary and treasurer. That was not done in that manner, so for the National Olympic Committee and Sports Council the election needs to be carried out by our constitution. Now, we dissolve the meeting, asked both parties and slate to do their proposals and nominees and we have confirmed that by both slates. So, we move the election to two weeks from today which I believe will be the tenth of December.”
We also took the opportunity to get to know the two slates vying for leadership. We spoke with both president candidates.
Tariq Cano
Tariq Cano, President Candidate, C.F.B.
“The main objective is to make this country fall in love with the sport and get our athletes internationally known and get Belize on the map and to development for the youths throughout all the six districts, not just the local districts such as Cayo, Orange Walk and Belize that have been known for cycling. We want to spread it across the country and develop the sport to a new capacity that has not been seen before.”
Alicia Thompson
Alicia Thompson, President Candidate, C.F.B.
“We have a great vision and we have great people involved. We have persons who have been in cycling for years, business persons, team owners, who definitely our vision is to develop cycling and we want to do that through unity. Each and every member we want to hear their voice, we want to understand what they want. We have been in it so long that we have heard their cries and we want to bring those changes for them.”
Alright, and that is all we have for you for tonight. Thanks for joining us, until next time.
