Belize Bank wins year’s first canoe race
Good evening, I’m James Adderley and you’re most certainly welcome to this portion of Sports Monday.
After a week of rest, Wagiya of Dangriga returned to the RFG Insurance Cup Tournament with a visit to the Belize Defense Force at the M.C.C. Grounds yesterday in a bid to return to the top of the standings and they immediately go to work. At the other end, the B.D.F. counters but Deon Flowers had the coordinates mixed up somewhat. The military launches another foray into the danger zone but the header fails to find the target and a lack luster and goalless first half mercifully come to an end. However, things change rapidly in the second half because two minutes in Erwin Flores finds Deon Flowers with the head and right away volley beats Wagiya’s Anthony Requena in for the B.D.F. 1-zip lead. This is at the forty-seventh minute. Evan Mariano then guns this right foot in an effort to double the B.D.F. lead but the ball inches wide. Indeed it’ all bombs away for the military when Deon McCauley unleashes this missile that forces Requena into a big time save. Folks, Wagiya might be in contention for the lead in the standings right now but this one is all B.D.F. and Deon McCauley’s left foot punch is pushed out at the last minute by goal keeper Requena. One of the rare moments of offensive display by Wagiya in the second half comes off this set piece that Charlie Slusher swats to Philip Lewis who simply can’t react in time, people. This ballgame ends 1-zip as the military rolls.
In other action around the league Hankook Verdes handed the San Pedro Dolphins a 2-zip beating. Suga Boys Juventus broke out of their rut in a big way by trampling Santels of Cayo all of 7-nil and Revolutionary Conquerors also came up with a big W over the weekend, edging Georgetown Ibayani 3-2. Thus the standings look like this going into week eighteen. Verdes is boss with 26 points, Wagiya clings to second place with 23 points, the B.D.F. has moved to 22 points, F.C. Belize 21, Georgetown Ibayani 19, San Pedro 18, Juventus 16, Revolutionary Conquerors has vacated the cellar with 14 points. Santels sinks to the bottom on goal differential also with 14 points. This weeks schedule finds Santels hosting B.D.F. That’s on Saturday, while on Sunday F.C. Belize travels to Hankook Verdes, Revolutionary Conquerors visits Suga Boys Juventus and Wagiya will play host to the San Pedro Dolphins.
In news from the Super League of Belize, Benque D.C. United doubled Estrellas F.C. 2-1 over the weekend. Alpha Barcelona beat Barrio Fino 3-2, Kraal Road ran over Roots 3-1 while Texmar burned Belmopan 2-1. Texmar will battle Kraal Road and Barrio Fino faces Belmopan Bandits. That’s on this coming Saturday’s schedule and on Sunday Alpha Barcelona will be hosted by Benque D.C. United and Estella F.C. travels to the M.C.C. Grounds to face Roots F.C.
Now lets head to Burrell Boom for blast off time in the first annual Boom to Manatee Lookout canoe race presented by the Belize Canoe Association. So we go to the start where nineteen canoes are in the hunt for the big W in this race today on the Belize River that travels from Boom to Manatee Lookout. For the Agro Tech and Hardware Supplies team, despite a late start, they still had to learn the hard way that haste does makes waste. We now join the fans at Manatee Lookout for a big finish people and here it comes. The Belize Bank, featuring Armin Lopez, Amado Cruz and Darwin Cruz jumps on the lead and are able to maintain over a very feisty Atlantic Bank team in a sizzling finish of one hour thirty-seven minutes and here’s Grumpy Old Men taking third place. We caught up with Armin Lopez, captain of the Belize Bank team and if you don’t know people, this particular canoe team is the multiple winner of the La Ruta Maya River Challenge, which is a bigger event.
Armin Lopez, Captain, Belize Bank Team
“We sprint, well actually Atlantic sprint first. And when we saw they sprint first I done know that they know weh the finishing deh, cause I neva know weh the finishing deh so. We sprint as we si they sprint, we sprint together. And pan the turn when I si the buoy deh right deh I seh—well we decide fi gone everything wi have and we sprint they out.”
The next race on the calendar comes up on Saturday, seventeenth February and travels from Burrell Boom to Belize City. Hey, you won’t want to miss this one. Meanwhile folks were only twenty-two days away from the sixth edition of the M&M Tour of Belize. You know this is a cycling tour right? Registration has been completed so stay tuned for the details.
In closing, sports Monday takes this opportunity to join the rest of the nation in mourning the untimely passing of Andy Palacio. Sleep on Andy. That’s it for now. We invite you back same time same place next week. Jah over all. I’m James Adderley.
