We all know about the men's senior national basketball team that's currently playing in the Centro basket tournament in the Dominican republic. That's the big ticket; according to the FIBA Americas website, each national delegation to those games had to spend about two hundred thousand dollars to get there.
And while that gets all the attention the male under 15 team is crying out for just a fraction of that to go to their regional competition in Guatemala. Coach Matthew Smiling told us why it is so important that these young men get support..
Andrew Smiling, Coach
"Well, we are preparing for the COCABA sub 15 tournament, it's the same thing like the senior men that played last year now they are playing the Centro Basket it's the same thing we are preparing for the 25th of July, in Guatemala."
Jules Vasquez
"Now, what is the situation with the readiness of the team?"
Andrew Smiling
"Well, we are getting together, we are working out every day at the Civic Centre 4:00pm to 6:00pm, on Saturdays 12:00pm to 2:00pm. But we have major problems with funds. I have to be lending the kids my shoes, imagine. We done have any funds at all at this moment, I have been sending out letter to people, i have been appealing to the public everybody to everybody concern that the Sub 15 really needs some funds. We believe that if we put our interest and money at this level, these are 14 and 15 year old, we already have 4 of them here that are over 6 foot, now I believe that if we invest 10 years in this group, 10 years down the road, they will be the ones that will be representing us, they will have the loyalty to Belize."
Player
"If work out hard, and treat myself good and lesson to Mr. Smiling, I believe I can do that."
If they get their sponsorship together the team leaves for Guatemala on July 25th....
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