And as the President of the Belize Basketball Federation Paul Thompson knows well how badly Belize needs a proper indoor sports facility. Right now they're trying to field an under 14 team to play regionally, but they have nowhere to practice. And, it's a shame because Belizean basket ballers continue to do well on the world stage. Recently, our under 18 three on three tam had a respectable showing at the world championships in Jakarta Indonesia. Thompson discussed these events, and how they relate to a lack of training facilities:..
Paul Thompson
"3X3 U-18 National Team for Belize participated in the U-18 world championship in Jakarta, Indonesia from September 26-29. We played against some very huge country; Germany, Spain, we actually beat Brazil and we beat Venezuela and we lost to Germany and Spain. According to coach Smiling we had a good chance of winning the game against Spain."
"We also lost to Turkey, so we ended up with a 3 and 4 record and actually placed 19 out of 32. Now, how does this tie in to what's happening here at the City Center? This is an example that's right in front of us. For basketball, we don't have a home. Right now we are trying to prepare for a U-14 COCABA Championships that will happen in Honduras and we don't have anywhere to practice."
"The Bird's Isle is housing volleyball every day of the week and on Sundays we can't use it or else we would have to pay for that facility. We can't use the SIC gym. If it is we go outdoors, we have to worry about rain or maybe there are not lights."
"The coaches that are involve are voluntary and so we have to wait on when they have time. But we don't have a home. We have to be hopeful in basketball when we are put a part of an organization that is going to build a facility because we see that tomorrow should be better than today and that we have a home."
"We placed 19 out of 32. We beat Brazil in a match and we don't have a home. If we had a home and we could prepare our youths the best possible way, we could have come in 8th or 4th. We could have gotten medals."
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