7 News Belize

Costa Rica Dominates Beach Volleyball Final
posted (July 25, 2011)
The finals for the Central American Beach Volleyball Championship were held on Sunday afternoon in Belize City. As we told you when we left on Friday night, things were not looking great for Belize after one day of play - the home team had lost every game - except one played against another Belizean team.

But, truth be told, this was what they call a learning experience for Belize. In the end, the superior play of the dominant teams shone through and on Sunday that meant Costa Rica's Male and Female team taking home the gold and Guatemala's male and female teams taking homes silver. We spoke to the winners:..

Estevan Escobar, Costa Rica, Male Gold Medalist
"it's an amazing feeling. Winning any tournament is hard, but specifically you are the champion, you are the best team in Central America and Costa Rica has been winning for the last years, so keeping up the tradition was important as well. Guatemala is always a tough competition and they are physical, they have everything it takes - they gave us a great match."

Natalia Alfaro, Costa Rica, Female Champs
"We are very happy. We are excited. We lost last year in Costa Rica but right now we are the champions, so we are very happy and we have to celebrate in Costa Rica."

Ana Lourdes Ramirez, Guatemala, Female Silver Medalist
"We are very happy because it's our first tournament together and she is a younger girl. She played this year in the Central American youth tournament and they won. so this is really good for us."

Allan Sharp, Pres. Bze. Volleyball Assn.
"The last two days - first of all the Belize team came through. The females actually tied up for fourth in the round robin and it had to go down to points ratio for us to be placing fifth. In fact the team that we beat and the team that was tied for fourth ended up playing for bronze. They came in fourth overall. The men also won major game. Gave the #1 and #2 team everything they could handle. The last days the fans came out."

Natalia Alfaro, Costa Rica, Female Champs
"The Belize Female Team - they are very good but they have to continue training and practice more because other Central America teams are practicing right now so they have to continue to practice more."

Reporter
"We gotta ask you your impression of our Belizean male team."

Estevan Escobar, Costa Rica, Male Gold Medalist
"They are great athlete. I think they need a little more experience going to other tournaments and playing but we played against them and they gave us one of our toughest matches in the tournament. They got up to 19 and they almost took us, so I think they have everything it takes. They just need a little more practice and a little more experience outside but they are great."

Reporter
"What's your impression of the Belize female teams."

Ana Lourdes Ramirez, Guatemala, Female Silver Medalist
"Well they are new teams. We play a lot of tournaments that they should play but they didn't so I think they should play more so their level can be higher than this time."

Natalia Alfaro, Costa Rica, Female Champs
"We love Belize; the hotel and the food and the people; the people are very polite. We are very happy to be here and we love to come back again."

Ana Lourdes Ramirez, Guatemala, Female Silver Medalist
"I was here in 2006 for the same tournament and this year was really good. The hotel was excellent, the food was really good and we are really excited to be here."

Estevan Escobar, Costa Rica, Male Gold Medalist
"It's a great gift to be here in beautiful Belize. Everybody have been amazing - such a beautiful country and to win a tournament like this not only for myself or for my partner but for all of our country and for everybody that supported us. Thank you very much."

Belize Female Team one Barbara Cadle and Jasmine Anderson came in fifth, while the male team one of Arvid Arnold and Ernest Broaster in came in sixth. The other Belize female and male teams both came in last in their respective categories…

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