Track & Field Athletes Win Big in 2023 CADICA Championships

On Monday night, track and field athletes who represented Belize at the 2023 CADICA Championships in Guatemala City returned to the country after winning big in the regional tournament. During the sporting event, Belize won seven gold, eight silver and two bronze medals in various disciplines; in one instance, Belizean American athlete Brooklyn Little broke the 2011 long jump record. A News Five team was at the Ned Pitts Olympic House as the team was welcomed home after a stellar performance. Duane Moody reports.

Duane Moody, Reporting

Applause is in order for over twenty track and field athletes who competed in the 2023 CADICA Championships in Guatemala over the weekend and brought back medals in various disciplines. It’s an annual event that the Belize Athletics Association participates in and, according to President Jaheed Smith, the U-18 and U20 athletes always excel and do well.

Jaheed Smith

Jaheed Smith, President, Belize Athletics Association

“This is an event that we usually participate in every year. It’s the CADICA U-18 and U-20 event, the junior events as we call it. We usually do very good at this event because usually around this age, we are very competitive with the other countries. It is usually when we hit to the seniors then they kinda outshine us a little bit. But usually in the junior, our raw talent, we stand up well with them. We brought back seventeen medals – seven gold, eight silver and two bronze medals.”

Duane Moody

“Was this a successful outing, a successful performance?”

Jaheed Smith

“Yes, yes, definitely. It was very successful. A lot of these athletes, this is their first time going out and for a lot of them it is just their experience and they know for another time like next year or future – if they continue with the sport – they need to train harder. A lot of them on the first try, they get medals so of course that motivates them to do better.”

…and even after travelling for sixteen hours by bus from Guatemala City to Belize, the athletes were motivated and ready to resume training so that they can compete in upcoming sporting events. Most of these athletes trained every day for two to three months, sometimes twice a day.

Nyasha Harris

Nyasha Harris, Gold Medallist, U-18 4X100

“It was my first time so it was a bit rough, but when we got to the hotel and I started talking to my teammates it got smoother and I became less nervous. Before the race, I was nervous, I was shaking. But when I was doing the race, I became less nervous and I became more confident. And that pushed me forward to come in first fourth and fifth.”

Keemar Wagner won a silver medal in the U-18 four hundred meter and a bronze medal in the medley relay.

Keemar Wagner

Keemar Wagner, Silver Medallist, U-18 400 Meter

“It was very challenging. First when I reached on the track, I was judging some of the other guys because of how they long looked. But when I actually raced, it wasn’t as easy as how it looked. And with the second and this third, this gave me a reason that I need to train harder and push more so whn I go again, it is to come back with the gold one around my neck.”

Jahson Logan

Jahson Logan, Silver Medallist, U-20 Shot Put

“It really took all my strength and power to do shot put because shot put is not really easy sport. All your strength to do it and yah.”

Duane Moody

“You were the only from shot put that went for Belize?

Jahson Logan

“Yes sir. This was my third trip going out of country for track. And my experience was normal because it wasn’t my first time. The experience was really good because it was very short this time and we just pull through and we were together.”

Minister of State in the Ministry of Sports, Gilroy Usher Senior was there to welcome the athletes. He says that G.O.B. will continue to invest in sports, including athletics.

Gilroy Usher

Gilroy Usher, Minister of State, Sports

“The government’s commitment to sports is on a continuous basis. Prior to this victory here, we had the victory of Dimitri Meyers who won the three thousand meters in the CARIFTA Games in the Bahamas. Afterwards, we had Mister Quiroz who won the Cross Country championship after the garland was taken by foreigners for quite some time. And so, we continue to do everything possible to promote sports with the limited resources that we have in the country.”

The coaches were Shelmadine Carr and Frederick Evans. Duane Moody for News Five.