7 News Belize

The Many Mysteries of “Ephre"
posted (July 6, 2017)
Yesterday, the Sports Council threw a major press conference to welcome international "futsal" player Paco Sedano. If you didn't know his name that's because "futsal" isn't popular in Belize, but in Europe its huge and that's where Sedano plays for the legendary Barcelona FC. So, he's a big name, but he was only here as a spokesperson for a project that's much bigger than sports? How big? That's what Jules Vasquez tried to find out:...

Jules Vasquez reporting
They came bearing gifts, and the main attraction is the man on the right, Paco Sedano.

He's a world renowned futsal goalkeeper playing for Barcelona FC and a bonafide international sports figure.

He represents the credibility card for EFHRE International University:

Dr. Jaime Rodriguez Quintosa, President EFHRE International University
"Our objective in this presentation is just that you can know EFHRE International university and when we are more advanced to begin with everything, we will be informing you."

And by "everything" he means a whole lot! We're talking medicine, sports, and sports medicine:

Dr. Jaime Rodriguez Quintosa, President EFHRE International University
"Efhre's going to develop a medical university in Belize, a hospital, a high sports performance center all this is in our project."

"We want Belize to become the paradise of sciences."

Jules Vasquez
"Is there a projected timeline, a projected location, for this big project in Belize?"

Dr. Jaime Rodriguez Quintosa, President EFHRE International University
"Yes, we're actually working on it. We're seeing where the perfect location will be. We also have negotiation, but it is still a private, a private issue, with the different owners of the lands."

That's a big, big plan, but is it for real? Is Efhre International University even for real? Just a basic google search for Efhre on the web turns up this .bz website, and even when you go to the ".es" or Spain website - it shows the address for the university as being at 4 miles George Price Highway.

That, we suspect is the home of this man on Sedano's right, Guatemalan-American businessman George Orellana, the outfit's man in Belize.

The university website offers courses of study in areas such as "underwater hyperbaric medicine", but neither the Belize or Spain site seems to say where the university's physical facilities are.

But if the medicine part leaves many questions to be answered, no sweat, they also do tourist promotion:

Prof Raul Fernandez Moya, General Secretary - EFHRE International University "We have to say that since now we have been promoting the brand of Belize all around the world in order to be more known and to be more, ah, overseas."

They shared a video, which looked like a poorly translated promotional feature talking about "astonishing beaches", and of course throwing in that good old blue hole.

And if you don't buy the tourism angle, then that brings up back to sports - and the only part that seemed to fit on this day, star goalie, Paco Sedano:

Ian Jones, Sports Director - Belize
"They have brought along with them, some football kits and training equipment which they are going to donate to the national sports council, in which we will make use of them."

"It's quite a number of equipment, today they've only brought. Well we're only presenting samples of the types of jerseys. These jerseys are from Barcelona Football Club, FC Barcelona, they're authentic original jerseys, and they're more than welcomed by the national sports council."

They brought a suitcase full - of high end sports apparel, and say don't let this little suitcase fool you, they say a whole container full is coming.

Dr. Jaime Rodriguez Quintosa, President - EFHRE International University
"We wanted to also give a little gift, of what is coming in a container of sports clothing. We tried just to send one container with clothing initially because we don't know how, we don't know if it will arrive correctly, if this is the way to send it in a container, but it will be just the beginning."

But when we asked the value of donation, we were told not to look this gift horse in the mouth, just say thanks:

Lic. Paco Sedano, FC Barcelona Player - EFHRE International University
"We have more than 100 shirts and pants and jerseys. This is only a little, little part. It's not important the value how much they are."

And if you like the sports angle, these jerseys are just the start, there will of course be sports facilities to follow.

Dr. Jaime Rodriguez Quintosa, President - EFHRE International University
"We are also focused on the sports development which will be leaned (directed) to high performance facilities and the objective is to prepare local Belizean people with right trainers and with professional players so that we can have first division teams."

First division teams? If it all sounds like a fantasy, Paco says believe.

Lic. Paco Sedano, FC Barcelona Player - EFHRE International University
"The importance is not Paco Sedano is here. The importance is EFHRE International University is here, because the project is real."

It wasn't captured on camera, but the event did have the attendance of Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Sports Patrick Faber, and former Sports Minister of state, Elodio Aragon.

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