B.T.L. is National softball champion 2008
Good evening, I’m James Adderley and this is Sports Monday.
Week six of the RF&G Cup tournament brought the Belize City Derby to the M.C.C. Grounds as F.C. Belize took aim at the Belize Defence Force in a battle for the hearts and minds of the metropolis by the sea. In the opening minutes it’s the B.D.F. launching the first real shot at goal through the efforts of Oliver Wiltshire, whose shot is kept out by goal keeper Stanley Reneau. However, it’s F.C. Belize who almost opens the scoreboard when this floater from Byron Usher bounces off the crossbar. Roberto Bernadez then gets this chance to give the B.D.F. the lead but it’s right at the keeper. At the other end, Deon Frazier fires this ground ball that forces Reneau to come up with the save and at the half we do have a scoreless ballgame. In second half Jeromy James gets this open look at goal but ends up launching a high riser. Meanwhile folks, Charlie Slusher faces all kinds of pressure on this offensive push by F.C. but there’s still no goal to report. Byron Usher then tries this right foot splice that misses the target. Folks, late in the ballgame F.C. Belize gets its best chance to score off this corner kick but the header sails over the cross bar. People, we must say this was a very defensive ballgame was a very defensive one and both ball clubs seemed very satisfied with the scoreless draw.
In other action around the league, the San Pedro Dolphins held Nizhee Corozal to a 1-1 tie. Hankook Verdes dropped Suga Boys Juventus 2-1, Wagiya and Benque D.C. United battled to a 1-1 draw, while Georgetown Ibayani and Llagulei battled to a scoreless stalemate.
Looking at the standings after week six shows that F.C. Belize leads with sixteen points, Llagulei has thirteen, Nizhee Corozal ten, B.D.F., Verdes, and Juventus all show nine a piece in that order. Georgetown Ibayani records eight points, San Pedro Dolphins five, Benque three and Wagiya got it’s only point of the season so far yesterday.
In other football news we must say kudos to Gentle Touch of Esperanza, who not only won the 2008 female basketball title, but yesterday beat the all star selection 2-1. Hey girls, when you’re big, you’re large.
Turning to the Belize Bank Super League tournament, action in week two saw Texmar Boys blank Lake-Collet Survivors 4-zip. It was Kraal Road F.C. and Cayo United battling to a 1-1 draw, Valley Renaissance did a number on Western Rebels 5-1, Tsunami and Barrio Fino of Corozal settled for a 2-2 stalemate, and San Felipe Barcelona blanked Lucky Strike Black Orchid 5-zip. Thus, week three in this league will fin Texmar Boy facing Lucky Strike Black Orchid, Kraal Road F.C. goes to work against Valley Renaissance, Western Rebels will see action against Tsunami, San Felipe Barcelona tackles Cayo South United and Barrio Fino Corozal will hook up with Lake-Collet Survivors.
Turning to the softball scene, the National Softball Tournament staged at the Rogers Stadium over the weekend saw Camalote Crystal Parrot facing B.T.L. of Belize City for all the marbles. We’re in the bottom of the first inning when Jolene Davis smacks Shandi Orellano to bring Lydia Cacho home for the first run of this ballgame. Greta Davis then steps up with this long double to bring in Jolene from second for the 2-zip lead. In the second inning Erlene Belisle singles in Martha Rhys as B.T.L. begins to pull away. All this is happening while Camalote seems unable to get a run off Elaine Humes who is backed up by good defensive play today. In the third inning B.T.L. breaks the ballgame wide open. The bases are loaded for Martha Rhys and when she makes contact poor fielding allows one run to score. The bases remain loaded when pitcher Elaine Humes is hit by the pitch from Orellano. Another comes in. Gladys Bruce run then brings in two more runs with this swing. Lydia Cacho then joins the explosion bringing in the runner from third. The bases are loaded when power puncher Ruth Lamb slams this pitch to the outfield. Three more runs come in. Kenisha Sutherland is then brought in to replace the struggling Orellano. She gets an unruly welcome from Martha Rhys who brings home Ruth Lamb. B.T.L. goes on to win 16-1 and claim the National Softball title 2008 edition and we say congratulations.
In other softball news, belated congratulations to Central Bank of Belize/Customs combination, who bested B.E.L. in a three game championship series for the 2008 interoffice title. Marlon Garnett had three home runs and Gilbert Gordon two in the series while Wendy Gillette picked up two wins. We say to all good show.
Turning to the Billiards scene, the annual nine ball tournament is set to kick off this Saturday at nine a.m. at the Corozal Civic Center with seven teams participating in the two day affair.
John Waight, Representative, Bowen & Bowen
“Since 1997 we have been the main sponsors for the eight ball but now it’s the nine ball and we started with five teams. Now, presently we have seven teams coming and the Grand National will take place at the Corozal Civic Center on the sixth and the seven. The prizes we had before, the maximum was one thousand, five hundred and now we have three thousand, five hundred as the maximum first prize; second prize is two thousand, five hundred. Additional, to that we have created an incentive for young people to get into the sport with a first prize and a second prize cash prize plus trophies.”
In table tennis news folks, the Belize Table Tennis Association launched an Open Classification Tournament at the Belize Elementary School Auditorium over the weekend and before we get to the results here is Tux Vasquez, president of the Belize Table Tennis Association.
Tex Vasquez, President, Belize Table Tennis Association
“Yes, we had an open classification tournament yesterday at the Belize Elementary auditorium. Over a two days of a full round robin and a sixteen draw knock-out which gives players all that opportunity to participate and to be able to play all the players. The point here for the association is to be able to start the classification of ranking for players in the association.”
James Adderley
“It appears that there’s a new breed of players in town.”
Tux Vasquez
“Well, we had the influx of a couple Chinese and they actually ended up with first and second place. But I think that’s just because the games were well contested. All the players are still there as some of the better players but our concentration right now is really on the students and the high school and primary school students.”
James Adderley
“And where does table tennis go from here?”
Tux Vasquez
“Table tennis will go quite a long way, James. You will see that in a couple of years this will be one of the biggest sports in this country. We are affiliated with the I.T.T.F., which is International Table Tennis Federation and they are concentrating with us to mainly develop this sport in the primary and secondary schools. So for me it’s not about us anymore, it’s about the youths.”
Meanwhile folks, it was Zhi Cheng of Dangriga beating Francisco Ming Liu of Placencia in the final of the open category while David Jones of Belize City had to settle for third. In the student category, Daryl Marr took top honours, Tristian Lanza second and Gian Martinez settled for third; all students of St. John’s College.
Finally, the Eighth annual Lionman Triathlon reigns supreme in Belize City at the Barracks on Sunday seventh September. It’s an event you won’t want to miss. All the big guns will be coming out including the defending champion from Guatemala.
Hey folks, that’s our show for today. We invite you back same time, same place, next week. You do know that there will be a lot of action on the celebrations calendar so make sure you are in tuned with the sporting action. Jah over all, I’m James Adderley.
