Dominance. That’s what the Belize National Basketball Team showed this
afternoon in Cancun at the COCABA Championship in its matchup against Guatemala.
When the game finished at a few minutes to 5:00 Belize time, the final score
was 100 to 63 in Belize’s favour – a 37 point margin. Marlon Garnett
was the leading scorer with 21 points, while Alex Carcamo had 12 and Richard
Troyer had 11.
The team showed defensive intensity and offensive explosiveness and easily outmatched
their Guatemalan opponent.
The victory should be sweet, knowing that Belize’s national team can
so thoroughly dominate and “do-up” our sometimes unfriendly neighbour
to the west.
We say “should be sweet” because really, there’s no reason
to celebrate; it’s quite possible that our two wins so far could be forfeited.
That’s right, despite numerous efforts to communicate to the world governing
body for basketball, FIBA that all our players are Belizeans by descent, there
has been no reversal of their position that 7 of our players are ineligible.
Those efforts included a call from the Prime Minister himself this morning,
but to no avail. So, that’s where we are tonight. With its two wins, the
Belize team by right should have qualified to advance to the medal round to
be played on Thursday and Friday – but it has not, and the future of the
team in this tournament is undecided.
Here’s what’s been done. The Belize Basketball Federation is in
the process of filing an official protest which will be dispatched tonight.
That protest will request a decision before the end of the first round of play
which concludes tomorrow night. The timing is critical because FIBA Americas
Secretary General Alberto Garcia will also be going to Cancun tomorrow and he
is expected to make a determination.
The bottom line is that so far, Belize has been allowed to play what are being
treated as phantom games because the tournament manager Enrique Basulta doesn’t
want to make a determination either way; his boss, Garcia is expected to do
that. All this unfolds while the Belize team prepares to play the toughest contender
in its group tomorrow. That’s Panama – which is itself stacked with
U.S. – schooled talent.
Government’s Sports Director of Sports Anthony Michael outlined the protest
proceedings and an attempt at intervention by the Prime Minister after a meeting
with the Belize Basketball Secretary General Julian Murillo this morning.
Anthony Michael, Director Of Sports, National Sports Council
“A meeting was held this morning with the highest person in our land.
The Prime Minister met with Mr. Julian Murillo this morning and Julian said
the meeting went well. The Prime Minister made couple phone calls to see what
can be done. According to Julian, an appeal needs to be made by the Basketball
Federation of Belize. That appeal should be at the head office in Geneva by
today or later tonight. They needed some funding and that funding has also been
done by the government of Belize according to Mr. Julian Murillo according to
Mr Julian Murillo who indicated that the Prime Minister also assisted in that
venture. So, from the National Sports Council and the Ministry of Sports we’re
appealing that these guys are Belizeans . FIBA is indicating that these guys
cannot play for your country; they’re not Belizeans.“
“After the tournament, 14 days after the tournament the headquarters
will decide the legitimacy of these players in question. If it is found and
they make a ruling they will stand by what they feel and they will ban us, then
even if we win gold we will only win it emotionally and the gold medal will
be given to another team.”
So here’s what it is. The games are being played under protest
by Belize – which is not official yet because the filing is still being
made. But officially, the position as we understand it is that Belize is playing,
but we’re sort of like ghosts, so officially we are accruing no points
for our victories. Without those, it’s equivalent to forfeiting the game,
so even though the Belize team is enjoying an average 34 point margin of victory
– officially, the result is being recorded just like we didn’t play
at all – like we never showed up. Crazy, right?
But, that decision to forfeit Belize’s wins could be reversed under appeal
and so it’s important that the team continue to play. As we said earlier
that appeal hearing and decision is being requested before the end of the first
round tomorrow night.
But what else can the team do but keep playing? It’s arguably the most
talented basketball team Belize has ever put together and putting all the pieces
in place took months and that included coaxing international professional players
to represent their country for free.
And now that they’re in Cancun they’re being told by the tournament
organizers and FIFA that it will amount to nothing.
Email
Print