This Weekend’s Sports in Review
Goodnight and welcome to another edition of Sports Monday, I am Paul Lopez.
The Anthony Mahler Mundialito Tournament 2023 continued on Saturday at the Berger Field in Belize City. There were some exciting matchups between the sixteen male teams competing in the tournament. Here is a thrilling battle between the dynamic Belize United and the skillful Sampson Academy.
Thewhistle is blown to start the first of three periods.
We are now in the second period, after zero goals were scored on both ends of the field.
Corner kick taken from the right by Belize United. The ball goes pass the far post. It is intercepted by Clive Medwood, Lennon Sosa with the ball, back to Medwood. The ball is deflected by the defenders to Belize United’s Christopher Gilharry on top the penalty box. He launches a rocket towards the goal keeper. Young Azair Gaynair is vigilant and in place at the left post for some beautiful cleanup work. He scores the first goal for Belize United.
We are now in the third and final period, Belize United’s number three kicks the ball across the field. Number eleven, Jonathon Garay with a little bump to the defender, spins, makes his way into the penalty box and fires into the net for a second goal for Belize United. That game would end two to zero goals in favor of Belize United.
In a second matchup of the day, it is Tut Bay Yabra FC against Hattievile United.
Sixteen minutes into the match, Tut Bay Yabra takes a corner kick. The ball goes into the penalty box and a hand ball is called by the referee inside the box against Hattieville United.
Young Breylen Middleton spots up for the penalty kick, shoots and that is an easy first foal for Yabra.
In the third period, once again it is Middleton, this time for the corner kick. What a spectacular placement of the ball as it goes over the keeper’s head, hits the back post and goes straight into the net.
Two minutes later, number seven, Ali Thurton, is positioned for the pass. It almost appears as if he is offside. No whistle is blown. He faces off with the goal keeper and it’s straight into the goal.
That matchup ended three goals to one in favor of the Tut Bay Yabra FC.
And from football we move over to some basketball action. More than twenty teams are competing in the William Dawson Sprite/Digi Youth Basketball Tournament. The games are two weeks in and this weekend saw fourteen games played in one day, a first for the tournament.
One of the highlight matches of the day was between Team Police and Complex Titans. This one was high energy and a display of physicality and skills.
Number three for team Police Rodrick Williams with the ball. He drives in from the arch, does a bit of acrobatics on his way up to the hoop and banks the layup.
Here we see number nine Kenroy Davis attempting to make a very difficult pass inside. He turns it over, ball to Francis Arana who drives it down the court for an easy bucket.
Arana spots up for the three point shot, he misses, does not get the foul call, the ball is taken down the other end and a foul is called on Raheem Baptist.
Arana again controlling the pace, passes the ball to Baptist in the paint. There is no one to guard Baptist who goes up for the layup.
Long pass to Akeem Trapp who takes it all the way to the rim, blocked by Arana but he draws the foul. Arana does not think he fouled Trapp.
With less than a minute left on the clock and Titans up by three points, Trapp’s three-point attempt is blocked by Arana.
Complex Titans now up by four, following a free throw by Arana, Police throws in the ball on the front court, to Williams who throws up a long two-point shot and he is fouled. Williams now has a chance to bring the score to a one possession ball game. He misses the first and he misses the second. He is not able to make those critical points. This one ended thirty-four to thirty points in favor of Complex Titans.
Douglas Hyde, Chair, Basketball Tournament Committee
Douglas Hyde
“The teams as we bring them from the different communities, they are not experienced teams under whistles and structures. So, this tournament gives them that opportunity to play under whistle, play under structure. It is not easy, but we are getting their slowly by appreciating that the teams love what we are doing. You can see, yes it is a physical game but it is also, you have five fouls to take too. They understand that. It is not a game where we bring violence. It is a opposite where we promote peace.”
Last week we brought you the Gons Second Annual A and Juniors Cross Country race. On Sunday, Gons Racing Club hosted its Second Annual B and Female Cross Country races. Riders took their places at the starting line at the Spanish Lookout junction in preparation for their race to Leslie’s Imports in Belize City. The race had participation from three female riders and thirty-two B riders.
Going into Belmopan, it was a sprint for the station prize at the roundabout. Peter Jones launches an attack. He is followed closely by four riders. Kenneth Butler in second place is now on the wheel of the first rider. Out on the left, Charles Garay launches an attack towards the station prize. He is followed closely by Roger Bryant. Butler with another burst of energy, as he speeds past Garay for that prize in Belmopan.
Jogger’s Dean Belisle is alone up front around mile twenty-eight.
His lead lasts for a few minutes before he is overtaken by Stinger’s Shawn Duncan.
At Mile twenty-five it is the relentless Charles Garay making a return.
Leaving Hatieville, there is a station prize at Mile fourteen. Once again it is Garay who makes the sprint for that hundred-dollar cash money prize.
At mile ten its Colin Mejia all alone. He has been dominant for the past few miles.
At the eight mile roundabout it is still Colin Mejia in the lead.
Passing OId Belize, Scott Bell shows dominance and takes the lead, but the race is not yet over.
With a short distance away from the finish line, the main peloton is back together. Isaiah Willacey is out in the front. Mark Tasher, to his left, picks up the pace. Fred Usher, in the white jersey, gets out of his saddle for the sprint. He drops Tasher to claim the victory.
Fred Usher, Winner, Gons Cross Country
Fred Usher
“The race dah like half and half. I mih the suffer, people think I neva the suffer but I dah old school. I had a lee loose bowel this morning and thing and I overcome that.”
The Ahmadiyya Basketball League held its Season Eight Championship Games on Sunday inside the Belize Civic Center. In the under-twelve division, it was Samuels Warriors against Hard Rock. In the end, Hard Rock claimed the 2023 under-twelve title. In the under-fifteen category, it was Savage Storms up against the defending champions, Falcons. Savage Storm dominated that one for the 2023 title. In the under-seventeen finals, 24/8 defeated the Orange Walk Running Rebels for the title. North Side Baller’s defeated the U.B. Black Jaguars in the under-twenty-two finals to take the 2023 title. And, in the final matchup of the day, the Open Championship game, Hard Rock put on a clinic against the Orange Walk Dina Pros to claim the title.
Well folks, that is all we have for you in this week’s coverage of Sports Monday
Until Next Time
Be Mindful that Nature is the Best Playground
Go Out and Have Some Fun.
