7 News Belize

Minister says Time Away From CODICADER Should Be Used To Improve
posted (July 7, 2017)
As we told you two nights ago, Belize's student athletes will have to sit on the sidelines, possibly for two years because Belize is expected to be sanctioned by the organizers of the Codicader games. The organizers want Belize to host the Codicader special athletes games in August, and Government is saying it can't afford it. That's because the Ministry of Sports is still recovering from hosting last year's games, and then would still have to pay for a large contingent to go to the regular games in October.

So, the Ministry - through the National Sports Council - is waiting for the official letter of sanction to come from CODICADER next week. In the meantime, sports Ministers Patrick Faber says Belize's athletes and coaches should use the time to try and re-focus their energies on getting better:...

Hon. Patrick Faber- Minister of Education, Youths, and Sports
"We really feel, like you, that it's unfair to our athletes but that's what it is. We simply do not have the funds to host those games at this time. We have other things that of major priority for us."

Jules Vasquez- Reporter
"But you'll agree that, maybe it was a 120 thousand, I think that was the figure floated last time, a person in the public might say: but man, uno dih look fu pay Ashcroft 95 million US in legal costs."

Hon. Patrick Faber- Minister of Education, Youths, and Sports
"You do know that we are protesting that, so don't put it like we are willingly making that payment."

Jules Vasquez- Reporter
"Absolutely, but I am saying that if you dih fight over 95 then you'll accept paying 50."

Hon. Patrick Faber- Minister of Education, Youths and Sports
"I'm not sure it is what you've said, I'm not sure it's just $120 thousand but you were just at the Marion Jones Stadium, you've seen the struggles that we are having there. In fact, we have invested quite a lot of money recently and I think that spending like that could be of greater benefit to our athletes right now. And again, we have gone to these games, we have participated but I believe that all will agree that we have not done very well because our athletes need far more training and grooming before we can participate in these games; and that is what we intend to do in the time that we are sitting out, if you will. But I believe, as well, that we need to take a step back, we need to use our monies wisely, use the time to better prepare our athletes so that they are able to participate once again down the road and do so in a much better format, better prepared than we would have been and we have been over the past years."

We'll let you know when that official letter of sanction comes next week.

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