Pride on the line as Belize takes on Mexican ballers

There are few things that raise the morale of a nation more than success in the arena of international sport. Belize, a country very much in need of a morale boost, will have a chance to enhance our self esteem tonight and tomorrow when we take on the national basketball team of Mexico. They are the first games of a four game home and away series leading to a larger tournament in the summer and represent the first steps in a long process that culminates with the 2008 Olympics. But as I found out this morning, the road to Beijing is not without obstacles … some very tall obstacles.

Kevin Seroki, Head Coach, Team Belize
?Hey! It?s going to take hard work tonight and you guys know it. We didn?t expect anything different. We didn?t expect anything different but hard work.?

Hours before the starting buzzer, Team Belize?s practice sessions took on a fierce intensity.

Darwin Carter
?All we got to do is believe in each other…believe we can win, one, two, three, Belize! Let?s go guys.?

Belize has fourteen reasons to be intimidated and they all play for Mexico.

Uno, dos, tres Mexico!.

The Mexican roster is chock full of the best of the best, American college all stars, European hot shots and former Olympians. At six eleven, two hundred and eighty-five pounds, Horacio Llamas was the first Mexico-born player to play in the N.B.A.

Horacio Llamas, Centre, Team Mexico
?We got twelve players, we had the advantage inside because probably, I haven?t see them the Belizean team but as I see we have an advantage inside but they have an advantage running so we are going to try to not make them run. If they run, alright, we got twelve players that can play as good as the first five.?

Janelle Chanona
?So you just switch out when you guys get tired??

Horacio Llamas
?Yeah, hopefully we switch out every three minutes.?

Jorge Rochin, Power Forward, Team Mexico
?We came here to win. We cannot take this team easy because we know they are talented players. So we just got to come here and play do our game and come out with a win somehow.?

Janelle Chanona
?What do you think the best asset of the Mexican team is right now??

Jorge Rochin
?Definitely, inside. We got four or five players that we can play inside. We are versatile, we can come outside and play too. We got great shooters and passers so like you said, we?re taller so we are going to try to combine our good shooters with playing down low and come out on the win that way.?

Enrique Zuniga, Point Guard, Team Mexico
?It?s going to be hard because of the weather especially, it?s too hot. We are not used to playing in this kind of weather but I think we are ready for this game. We are prepared mentally. Because the team has been together for a while, we know each other so I think we are going to have a very good experience here in Belize.?

Francisco Ramirez Orosco, Head Coach, Mexico
?This not a walk in the park we are taking this serious, every game is very important, coming through the Central basket which is in the summer so obviously every game we face, we face it with the best attitude that we can and we don?t look at anybody as a weak opponent, we already know what Belize can do and I think we are prepared for that.?

Head Coach Francisco Ramirez Orosco is confident of victory.

Francisco Ramirez Orosco
?We have a pretty good balanced team the strength, the size and also some good shooters so in that we also find that they blend in more well together, playing with each other and against each other. They?ve been playing for a while, together in international play as well so he?s comfortable with the five.?

Kevin Seroki
?All they are looking for is a split as it is. If they get a split they are happy. We want to beat their butt twice. But it?s going to take hard work, team work, playing together and getting it done. That?s all it is mein. That?s all it is. It?s up to you guys now mein.?

Today Team Belize head coach, Kevin Seroki did his best to rally his troops.

Kevin Seroki
?We knew they were going to be big and strong and when they walked in they were all big and strong so we didn?t have any questions about that. We?re not worried about them. We are worried about ourselves. We take care of our business then we?ll show at the end of game?s score clock Belize win.?

Janelle Chanona
?They realize that Belize is going to be running the ball up and down and they are going to be intent on slowing down the game. How do you match up against that??

Kevin Seroki
?Well it?s a great thing. But we do have some bigger guys this time with Sonny Watson, Englebert Cherrington and Shabba. We got some guys that can match up with those guys. But they don?t have the guards that can match up with our guards so that?s why we?re at advantage.?

But just in case, it won?t hurt to milk the home court advantage either.

Kevin Seroki
?Just come on out and support the Belize team cause it?s all about us, about the country. Wear that red and blue tonight and wave those flags for us. We need everybody?s support.?

Janelle Chanona
?Enrique you have a lot of basketball fans in Belize, Mexican and Belizean, any message to them about coming out to the game??

Enrique Zuniga
?It?s going to be a very good game. It doesn?t matter who wins I think the people are going to win, they are going have a good experience, they are going to watch a good basketball game and we are going to try and give a good show to the people here in Belize.?

Tip off time is set for eight o’clock. Tickets are ten dollars general, five dollars for children under twelve and twenty dollars reserve. And for those who can’t make it to the City Centre the game will be aired live right here on Channel Five.