Government assists three sporting endeavours
He laboured four years on the back benches before a split in the ruling party thrust him into Cabinet as Minister of Defence, Youth, and Sports. Today Rodwell Ferguson, wielding the smallest of those three portfolios, got a chance to spread some cheer around the country.
Janelle Chanona, Reporting
During brief ceremonies at the Sports Council conference room today, four organisations officially received financial support for various youth and sport related activities, courtesy of the Government of Belize.
The National Secondary Schools Sports Association will use its ten thousand dollars in preparation for the twelfth Central American Scholar Sports Games.
Deon Sutherland, Vice President, National Secondary Schools Sports Assn.
“This money will be used solely for our athletes going to Guatemala. As you see in our media package, the total cost of this investment is seventy thousand dollars, so the association through its sub-committee headed by Mr. Hugh Staine, Mr. Lacey, and Mr. Inis have been finding other ways of getting funding for this project.”
Janelle Chanona
“How much do you still need?”
Deon Sutherland
“I believe that they are somewhere around twenty-five, thirty thousand dollars to complete.”
According to Youth for the Future’s Linsford Castillo, the twenty thousand dollars they’ve been given will fund this year’s Young Leaders camp in Toledo.
Linsford Castillo, Y.F.F.
“Really, the camp will be focussing a lot on governance, a lot on advocacy, and a component of life skills development of course be included. The whole aspect of volunteerism and productivity will be heavily focussed on, all with the end in mind to ensure that we do our part in empowering young people towards leadership.”
The Belize Premier Football League received ten thousand dollars.
Maito Perdomo, Commissioner, Belize Premier Football League
“This money is going to be used for the champion team that’s going to be travelling to Costa Rica for the UNCAF Champions Tournament. The first game plays in Costa Rica on the weekend of the eight and ninth of August and the following week they come to Belize.”
Janelle Chanona
“Do you think we’ll represent well in Costa Rica?”
Maito Perdomo
“Well I’m hoping so. Costa Rica, a couple of the teams are interested in some of our players so I think we’re looking good. We got good news this week too that two of our players were signed in Honduras and that’s good news for us. I’m hoping that when the teams go as a team and a group that they’ll do better as a team than just an individual going out there.”
National softball champions Unitedville’s Hot Mamas’ cheque was for five thousand dollars.
Shandy Orellano, Pitcher, Hot Mamas Softball Team
“We still need about ten thousand dollars more cause the bus fee is sixteen thousand dollars. … I come from Camalote and Camalote is the home of softball and I start play softball at the age of ten, so that’s fifteen years now since I’m playing softball.”
Janelle Chanona
“How do you feel when you’re playing?”
Shandy Orellano
“I feel great cause I’m a star.”
According to Minister of Sports Rodwell Ferguson, that’s exactly the attitude the Government is hoping to foster in Belize’s youth.
Rodwell Ferguson, Minister of Sports
“Even before I became the Minister of Sports, in my own constituency everything that surrounds me is sports. I have my own Rodwell Ferguson Cup for the last three years and almost every week I have marathons in my constituency because I realise that sports will definitely assist the young people and keep them out of trouble.”
Janelle Chanona
“And that’s what you’ll be pushing.”
Rodwell Ferguson
“Yes, as a matter of fact, after I leave here I’ll be in Orange Walk this evening to meet the Sports Council there and I’m going around the country to meet with all the Sports Councils to try to activate them.”
Reporting for News Five, I am Janelle Chanona.
Belize’s delegation to Guatemala City for the Central American Scholar Sports competition will include one hundred and eighty-two athletes, officials and chaperones. Meanwhile, one hundred and fifty young people are expected to participate in the Y.F.F.’s Youth Leadership Camp. The “Hot Mamas” will be in Nicaragua between August fifteenth and the twenty-second for the sixteenth Central American Games.
