Schools and athletes do well in CODICADER Games

On Monday, a radiant Shalini Zabaneh displayed her gold and bronze medals she won at regional cycling championships in Jamaica. Today another group of young athletes showed off their trophies and medals. The high school athletes participated in the sixteenth CODICADER games held in El Salvador over the past two weeks and they brought home the gold and silver. It’s the fifth year that Belize competed in basketball, volleyball, football, softball, chess, karate and athletics. News Five’s Delahnie Bain reports.

Delahnie Bain, Reporting

Deon Sutherland

Belizean high school students recently returned from El Salvador after participating in the CODICADER championships. According to Deon Sutherland, the President of the National Secondary School Sports Association, the athletes performed impressively.

Deon Sutherland, President, NSSSA

“This had been one of our best years in terms of performance. Of course as the years go by we get better. Actually, this year we got four medals. We won second place in two team sports; in basketball and softball. The males of Sadie Vernon won the basketball second place and the females of Nazarene also got second place in the team competition. We had two gold medals; a young man from Sadie Vernon won the most steals and most assists and we had a young man from E. P. Yorke, Jervis Myvette getting two gold medals in the one hundred and the two hundred meters.”

Lincey Lopez

A motorcade was held in Belize today for the Sadie Vernon basketball team, which was tied with El Salvador at five wins and no losses, but received the silver trophy.

Lincey Lopez, Sadie Vernon Basketball Team

“We mi feel good but I think we mi deserve gold cause usually di home team want win, dehn noh wah let down dehn own team.”

Delahnie Bain

“Did you guys go out there with a strategy in mind?”

Lincey Lopez

“Yeah, I think so.”

Delahnie Bain

“You wanna tell us what that is?”

Lincey Lopez

“We mi gone out deh fi just get dis gold yah and bring it back to Belize but di home team neva want wi bring it back so ih mi hard.  I get my two—dis dah my first year fi high school I gone dah CODICADER and I get two medal fi most assist and most steals and I bring it dah Belize and I feel proud ah it.”

Jervis Myvette

The athletes from Edward P. Yorke and Nazarene High Schools were also proud of their achievements.

Jervis Myvette, E. P. Yorke Track and Field

“Dah mi wah good experience cause dah my second time I gone out deh. I just try my best.”

Delahnie Bain

“Can you tell us about the medals you won?”

Jervis Myvette

“Well, I mi have to qualify fi my one hundred and I mi win di finals fi dat. I mi qualify fi di two hundred and I mi win di finals fi dat. I mi win all di race dehn. I mi di train hard. Whole summer; eena di morning we go dah gym. Dah evening, come back and train eena di evening; whole summer, every day except Sunday.”

Amber Wade

Amber Wade, Nazarene Softball Team

“We didn’t expect to get a silver medal but it was very good. With the help of me and my team members, we got to bring back a silver medal for Belize and we were very supportive all throughout.”

Delahnie Bain

“How does it feel to know that your school brought back the first medal for Belize in softball for CODICADER games?”

Amber Wade

“I felt very good and proud to bring back something because I know people would be very proud of us.”

Delahnie Bain for News Five.