Aubrey Lopez’ teammates remember the sports star

Kirk Burgess

Earlier we told you about the community mourning the murder of Aubrey Lopez who leaves behind a wife and their eight year old son Jayden. His loss is not only being felt by family and friends but also by the sports enthusiasts. Yvette Price, the president of Belmopan’s Volleyball Association said that in his youth, Aubrey played with the Belize Junior National team as a setter.  And in 2009, Aubrey refereed several volleyball marathons and played in Belmopan Male Volleyball Tournament. But those who saw Aubrey perform; remember his excellent sportsmanship when he won a championship playing for the Raiders basketball team.  Up to the time of his death he was the captain for the Belmopan Bandits which is currently undefeated.   News Five spoke to two of his teammates who gave testimony to the man who gave selflessly of himself on and off the court.

Kirk Burgess, Teammate of Aubrey Lopez

“I know Aubrey for more than ten years. We played—di first time I meet Aubrey dah when I mi di play high school ball and I used to play fi Excelsior and we mi di play gainst E.P. Yorke and he dah mi di coach. From di first time I si ah he mi very competitive cause ih used to always have dah leadership quality bout ah. Di first time I play wid ah dah when I gone play inna 2001, I gone play wid Raiders and we mi play together. We play together fi two years deh. We gone dah wah couple trips outside; we gone dah Mexico gone play. Den I recently join di Belmopan team dis year and I really get fi si di true side ah Aubrey. Ih dah wah real leader, like I seh before. Ih always deh up pan we mek sure day we di do di correct thing all di time, mek sure we come dah practice. Off di court, ih dah mi wah good friend; he always de deh if yoh need ah yoh just call ah and ih always de deh.

Teammate of Aubrey Lopez

“I know Aubrey from coming to Belmopan from twelve years and I been on every team dat we bring out from Belmopan. Di team basically di semi-pro team, di senior team at UB tournament and stuff so basically I played on practically every team dat he’s been on in di city of Belmopan.”

Jose Sanchez

“Okay, what was he like on and off di court?”

Teammate of Aubrey Lopez

“Everybody know on di court, Aubrey was a leader, he was a captain. Basically, every night when we go to work out or so like he was di new coach. He basically run di show, he was a player coach. He always push us to do our best and contribute on di court and even  try to help getting our thing off di court, meaning manager wise and stuff like dat.”

Kirk Burgess

“Fi we team, we wah really miss di man. He dah mi di heart and soul ah fi we team yoh know. He dah mi fi we captain so there’s no way we could replace he. So todeh dah wah sad day fi we, sad fi basketball. We wah really miss di man.”

The team has a game scheduled for Sunday, on the day which he is going to be buried.