“To the victor goes the spoils;” James Adderley with winners in sports

james adderley

Good evening I am James Adderley with this week’s dish of Sports Monday.

On Saturday at Belmopan, the Football Federation of Belize endorsed Dr. Bertie Chimilio as President of this FIFA affiliated body by a 7 to 1 vote with the Belize Premier Football league being the only dissenting vote.  The National Sports Council had warned that it would not accept this process by which Dr. Chimilio has been awarded a 4^th consecutive term as president.  We spoke to him by telephone earlier today.

James Adderley

“Doctor Bertie, I know that there was a whole lot of opposition to not only your presidency, but the means by which you were elected for this fourth time. Maybe you could give us a comment about that?”

Dr. Bertie Chimilio, President, F.F.B.

bertie chimilio

“Well if I should start by using the comment from the Honorable Boots Martinez, “Don’t worry about the noise of the market, check your change.”

And I think the people who are making noise, like everything else in politics, when you are opposed to somebody and you have to make all the necessary noises they need for them to be heard. And fortunately for us and for football, they were not heard.”

James Adderley

“You will admit though that it will be rather difficult to work with the present governmental sporting structure in place at this time?”

Dr. Bertie Chimilio

“On the contrary James, I don’t share that thought of yours. The sports op is the same, the system is the same, government has never contributed to football so there will be nothing different.”

James Adderley

“Well the new Minister of Sport has certainly come out against you. This is what I was referring to.”

Dr. Bertie Chimilio

“That’s nothing new, it’s not the first time. I’ve been here for ten years doing that James. They all come against me and unfortunately, they don’t want to learn how the system works, they want to come with sentiments and we just got to do what you got to do. It’s all about the kids, it’s all about the future of this country in football.”

James Adderley

“So how does Doctor Bertie Chimilio and the F.F.B. move forward now?”

Dr. Bertie Chimilio

“We are moving forward. We have to do what we have to do, put our plans in place, look for our finances and move on.”

Turning to basketball scene, The National High School Basketball Tournament staged over the weekend inside the Civic Center found Sadie Vernon of Belize City in the male championship game against Georgetown Technical High School. At the tip off its #6 Charles Armstrong of Sadie Vernon jumping against Wasani Flores of Georgetown and we’re underway. The 1^st field goal of the match comes from Georgetown’s Wasani Flores who picks up the botched effort fro Sheldon Vicente and nails the put back. Sadie Vernon replies with a put back of its own when Andrew Ortiz missed, shot is picked up by London Reneau who banks it off the glass. Lindsay Lopez then penetrates between 2 defenders to knock down this difficult runner as the city team jumps to a 3 point lead. It’s Lopez again with the good heed faint that gets him to the glass for 2 more.

Down by 11 in the 1^st quarter Teron Terry sets up Joel major for the three point shot and he knocks it down. However at the end of the 1^st quarter Georgetown is still down 20 to 9. In the 2^nd quarter Sadie Vernon continues to dominate as Kashief Thomas finds Andrew Ortiz baseline and he delivers the bucket. The lead in 12 when #12 Cho takes on Sadie Vernon to sink this tough bucket in traffic and would convert the 3 point play the old-fashioned way. With this foot on the 3 point line Melvin Augustine banks this long deuce to cut the deficit to 8 pts. And we must inform Gilbert Lopez that game officials are an endangered species when he derails into Referee Kisling. Still at the half the lead is back to 11 points.

In the 3^rd Lopez tries to keep his team in the hunt with this individual that yields a bucket. But folks Sadie Vernon would not relinquish its grip on the lead – Peter McKoy finds Andrew Ortiz who finished the play. Nevertheless, Georgetown wouldn’t quit and the three point basket fro Joel Major cut the lead to 6 points and would finish the 3^rd quarter period down by 9. We’re in the final quarter with Andrew Ortiz works his way down low for 2. Kashief Thomas then receives this long pass from Ortiz for the easy bucket. It’s another long pass to Thomas who knows what to do with it. Sadie Vernon goes on to win 74 to 50 to claim the 2010 National High School male Basketball title and we say congratulations.

Turning to the female title match its Gwen Liz of Belize City facing Delille Academy of Dangriga as Kenya Brown faces Shirley Castillo at the tip off – picked up by Glenda Torres who deals to Adrianna Meighan and she sinks the 1^st bucket of the face off. At the other end the Delille reply is automatic when Ethel Martinez gets this runner to fall. But watch Glenda Torres reply in kind for Gwen Liz who lees by 1 at the end of the 1^st. It’s Glenda Torres who breaks the tie in the 2^nd quarter with this nice move to the hoop.  Ether Martinez then fires up this long deuce for Dangriga to cut the deficit to 3. Adrianna Meighan adds to the Gwen Liz lead with this nice put back. And indeed Delille Academy has no one on its rooster to handle Glenda Torres who impacted this game in a big way. We’re in the 4^th quarter when Torres hooks up with Kenya Brown and the long deuce in good. Gwen Liz wins this one going away in a 43 to 18 final score. Meanwhile folks we congratulate all 4 teams that made it to the finals. We must single out Glenda Torres who emerged with the Most Valuable female player award. And Kashief Thomas who grabbed male MVP honors – kudos to both athletes.