Earlier we showed you our national male basketball team returning home on Saturday with their silver medals. They were the sub-champions in last week’s COCABA Tournament in Cancun Mexico. And while everyone is talking about the controversial end of the gold medal game on Friday night, the fact is that when Team Belize arrived in Cancun, they still weren’t sure if they were going to play. And even after winning the first game – the team wasn’t sure if the win would count. Our team of Keith Swift and Wilson Pat were in Cancun every step of the way for the team’s triumphs, setbacks, its back to back victories, and for Friday night’s crushing defeat. Here is a recap.
Keith Swift Reporting,
The 12 member national basketball team arrived in Cancun on Sunday afternoon. And on the bus to the hotel, there was great expectation and great apprehension faces because even though they were already in Cancun, the team wasn’t certain if they would be allowed to participate in the COCABA tournament. That is because FIBA was questioning the eligibility of 7 players.
[Sunday, August 9th, 2009]
Alex Carcamo, Team Belize
“I am a Belizean and that is what I do. I represent Belize to the fullest.”
Marlon Garnett, Team Belize
“I wasn’t given a Belizean passport because I paid for it or anything. My mom was born and raised, all her side of her family born and raised in Belize and moved to the States when she was thirteen or fourteen or whatever so my blood is Belizean blood. I got the Belizean flag tattooed on me so I am in my mind, I am a dual citizen so I am born and raised in the States but I have Belizean roots. So because I am half Belizean, does that make me less of an American is my question that I ask.”
On Monday afternoon when the team arrived at the Benito Juarez Poliforum to play Nicaragua, they still hadn’t gotten that answer. That is until minutes
before game time when the players were already on the court – they had already sung the national anthem and were preparing for tip-off when FIBA reps told the Basketball Federation that five of Belize’s players were ineligible.
[Monday, August 10th 2009]
Paul Thompson, President – Basketball Federation President
“The President of the COCABA called me over just before game time and mentioned to me that a few of our players won’t be eligible to play. Of the seven that they were questioning, the players that will be able to play are Milt and Alex Carcamo because they said they played in the CARICOM games and that they would allow Marlon Garnett to play because he would be considered a naturalized citizen so that is in effect what they are saying. They want for us not to play 5 of our players in believe.”
But the players did play – all 12 of them and what a game it was as with Joshua Arana on drums in the bleachers and a small but hearty bunch of fans, team Belize easily outmatched, outplayed, and outscored Nicaragua to clinch its first win by 31 points – convincing but not satisfying for the veteran professionals.
Alex Carcamo,
“The game was good, we had to get our little jitters out and what not but I don’t know if we are really happy with what we did because we could have beaten them by more but we just got to go out and take it stride by stride.”
Keith Swift,
“So you said you’re not sure if you guys did enough but you won
by more than 30 points.”
Alex Carcamo,
“Yeah but Nicaragua wasn’t anything compared to Belize this time around. We could have won by at least 50 points.”
Milton Palacio, Team Belize
“It was good. It was good to finally play against another team. We practiced with each other every night, playing hard against each other in practice every night. Guys were a little rusty but you know what, I don’t want to get too over happy because it’s great that everybody came to play, everybody supportive, everybody off the bench so we played good tonight. I wasn’t really proud of my performance but we won and that is the biggest thing that matters.”
The morning after that big win on the court, the off-court battle continued. Instead of celebration - the mood inside the Cancun Radisson hotel’s lobby was tense on Tuesday morning. The team was still unsure about its status because
Belize had been pulled from the FIBA website and from the tournament schedule.
[Tuesday, August 11th 2009]
Kevin Siroki, Coach
“Seven guys and they say we can choose one of those guys to actually put on team because they are naturalized, not born Belizeans and this is craziness. They are just trying, since Belize came here with a good team now the people in the federation, the FIBA Federation that are running it here, maybe they are scared of us, it looks so.”
Keith Swift,
“They took our name off the website, there is no mention of Belize. What does that mean for our victory yesterday?”
Kevin Siroki,
“In our hearts we beat the heck out of Nicaragua.”
Milton Palacio,
“We using Belizean players, we using Belizean born, I mean Belizean parents, Belizean descent players and this is terrible. For them to send a letter saying that just shows they are scared of us.”
Despite the uncertainty, at game time on Tuesday the team returned to the Poliforum to face Guatemala – and this time they had fan support – these ladies drove all the way from Sandhill to give theirs.
Woman #1,
“It was a nice drive, just a cool drive from Sandhill to Chetumal and to Cancun, very nice easy drive.”
In 40 minutes of play on the court, a national team with renewed intensity and purpose whipped Guatemala by 37 points. The significance of the win wasn’t lost on the players.
Charlie Burgess, Team Belize
“This is a great moral victory for the country because Guatemala’s been trying to claim Belize for the longest and so we’re just letting them know that you all might can beat us in football and in any other sport but in basketball we own ya’ll.”
Alex Carcamo,
“Ahh this is good just because it is Guatemala and the rivalry we’ve had with them for so long. We knew we had to come out here and give our all.”
Keith Swift,
“When I spoke to you this morning you were a bit frustrated. Did that
frustration affect your performance, which might have been a good thing?”
Marlon Garnett,
“I think at this point now they are trying so many things everyday that it is kind of old, we’re over it now but this morning, waking up early in the morning at 7:30 and hear that they are trying to steal our victory from yesterday and they don’t want us to play, you know all the details of the situation, and its just a little frustrating.”
Milton Palacio,
“We have a chip on our shoulder this whole tournament, regardless of who it is going to be, whatever team it is, we have a chip on our shoulder and we know we are going to go out there and play hard and that is what we’re trying to do.”
And so with the two wins in the bag and the controversy seemly behind them – the team returned to the Poliforum for what all agreed would be its toughest match – the game against a very formidable team from Panama. And with drumming in the bleachers, Belizeans were literally wrapped up in pride
– this man was so caught up in the nationalist sentiment that he danced in the stands and in the blink of an eye, he streaked across the court with a Belizean flag during a time out.
His celebration, though it almost got him in trouble with security was timely because team Belize prevailed but it was hard fought. Apart from Marlon Garnett’s eye injury and some testy exchanges on court - we were tied at the end of the first quarter, up by only one at halftime, up by four at the end of the third quarter, and we secured the win by a slim four points.
[Wednesday, August 12th 2009]
Keith Swift,
“How does this victory feel?”
Milton Palacio,
“Oh this is big, this is one of the best because you know we knew those guys were the big team here and we knew there were a lot of crazy calls out there but we stuck with it. I just tried to contain the game and keep slowing the game down and that was it. I am just proud of these guys, they stuck with it and they played hard tonight.”
Reuben Morales, LOVE FM
“Alex Carcamo says he had been waiting since 1998 to beat Panama.”
Milton Palacio,
“Yep we had been and we know they are a good team, we know they are a great team but we came out here with heart tonight and just played hard and got the win.”
Keith Swift,
“How does it feel, you guys are on top?”
Milton Palacio,
“You know with all this controversy; they want us to play and they don’t want us to play, so we had a chip on our shoulder. That is why we came here and we are going to celebrate tonight and that’s it and we got Costa Rica tomorrow.”
And they did because Wednesday’s win against panama catapulted Belize into the semi-finals as the top seed for group B. The first match was against Costa Rica on Thursday where the mood was celebratory, Belize was one win away from the finals and the gold medal. Victory was in sight and Belizeans were
energized. Team Belize was up by ten points at halftime but the lead offered no comfort to Gene Myvett.
[Thursday, August 13th 2009]
Gene Myvett, Team Belize
“The first half, it was suitable, it wasn’t to our liking. We are our biggest critic. If we aren’t playing good even though we are up, we still got to pick it up.”
But by game’s end – Belize’s victory was sealed: 99 to 75. We had qualified to play for gold against Mexico.
Richard Troyer,
“It is exciting. In the locker room we are not celebrate this victory very much. It is great to be in the finals and we just got to focus on who we
have tomorrow.”
And so the stage was set for Friday night’s gold medal game at the Benito Juarez Poliforum. This was it: Belize versus the powerhouse Mexico – a nation with a population of three hundred thousand against the host country with a population of 110 million. Belizeans streamed into the Poliforum early and they were energized with patriotic spirit and armed with flags –making for a mood that was simply electric.
[Friday August 14th 2009]
Woman #1,
“I am also on my holiday break and I decided to take advantage of the opportunity and come and support my team Belize. I live in Dangriga…all the way from Dangriga, that’s right.”
Adrian Heusner, Fan
“I believe myself to be a true patriot and a true nationalist and
I am here to support the team.”
Julian Murillo, Secretary General – BBF
“We’re going to win, we’re going to win. Feel the excitement, feel the passion, feel the energy of people in the stadium.”
Hon. Elvin Penner, Minister of Sports
“I surely expected our team to go for the gold medal but I didn’t expect so many fans to be here.”
And one of those fans making noise was panama’s national team star Danilo Pinnock.
Danilo Pinnock, Panama National Team Player
“The energy that Belize played with is what we were missing in this tournament and that’s really why I am following the team and supporting the team the way I am because of the way they are fighting like champions.”
Keith Swift,
“So you’ll be cheering for us tonight?”
Danilo Pinnock,
“I’ll grab me a flag right now and I will be cheering in the crowd like a fan.”
But this was Mexico’s turf and they came out by the thousands and to match our drums, they brought out marching bands. All forty minutes of play was touch and go – it was a tightly contested game with many lead changes: Belize up at the end of the first quarter, Mexico up at halftime and Belize up at the end of the third quarter.
And in the fourth quarter - Belizeans were all nervously and anxiously waving flags watched as with only seconds to go, this free throw off a very questionable flagrant foul call ended it all. Belize was unable to convert the game winner and it delivered victory to Mexico 106 to 103. A stinging, possibly unjust,
defeat for Belize and a bitter end for a team that had come so far and endured so much.
Charlie Burgess,
“You’ve got to be excited and happy about the overall outcome because we came out here to place and qualify for the next tournament which is next year but all the hard work that we put in back in the City Center when we was in Belize, all those days of dedication, all the blood sweat and tears that we put in to that and then to come out here for us to get robbed of just call, it hurts. I am excited at the same time but I’m sad.”
Keith Swift,
“So you think you were robbed?”
Charlie Burgess,
“More so, because the calls were going up and down but that one call determined the whole game, that one call determined the entire game and I don’t think the ref should have allowed that to get like that.”
Alex Carcamo,
“Like I told you, this was going to be a war all the way through and I just can’t believe the referee made that call at the end of the day like that. Keenan clearly went for the ball and he was in front of the man but that’s what you got to expect. This is their home turf, it is a close game and this is what’s going to happen.”
Kevin Siroki,
“Those guys played their hearts out. We were possession away from maybe winning the game. It was a tough call at the end there but we got down nine points and they never went up ten points on us. We kept battling back and that showed a lot of heart and a lot of Belizean pride and we came here to win
it and I am sorry that we didn’t. But I tell you what, our players left everything on the floor and they did it for Belize and that is why I am so proud of us.”
Keith Swift,
“Do you think that last call was a bad call?”
Kevin Siroki,
“It was a tough call, a tough call. He had that ball and he went for the ball, he didn’t go for his head or anything like that. But you know we played Mexico in Mexico.”
Milton Palacio,
“We came here tonight, everybody didn’t expect us to be here, they didn’t think we were going to win, they didn’t think we were going to be at the championship game and now we are here but you know it hurts. We qualified but it still hurts a little bit.”
Keith Swift,
“Some of the other players said they were some bad calls. Do you agree that the game was stolen?”
Milton Palacio,
“I never talk about the referees. If it is it is, that is the game of basketball.”
Marlon Garnett,
“Two great teams battling it out. Obviously we came on the shorter end of that stick but we accomplished a whole lot coming here. Losing still feels bitter sweet but we’ll take silver.”
Keith Swift,
“Do you still consider this losing, you still leave here with a silver medal around your neck?”
Marlon Garnett,
“I wouldn’t say losing but again like I said it is bitter sweet because obviously it was so close to get the gold but our goal to here to the tournament was to qualify for Centro-Basket and we’ve done that.”
Keenan Jourdon, Team Belize
“It’s bittersweet that we came in second because we know we
had an opportunity to win the game. We played a great game, Marlon played a great game and a great tournament. It is a bittersweet victory.”
Keith Swift,
“What is it like holding that trophy in your hand?”
Keenan Jourdon,
“It is alright but I know we wanted the gold. But what can we say, we played in Mexico, of course a lot of calls would go their way but we did our best and they came out victorious but hey we qualified for the Centro-Basket next year so hopefully everything works out with FIBA so we can play next year.”
And while they lost the game, Belize earned the respect of the Mexican team which has beaten them twice.
Enrique Zuniga, Mexican National Team
“Belize has been getting better every year. I remember the first time we played this team it was five years ago and they’ve been getting better so I have a little respect for them and for the people that came all the way to support them.
They should go back with their heads up and keep playing and working hard the way they are doing. I think they are doing a pretty good job and hopefully I will meet them next time because that is the type of team you want to play, the type of team you’re proud to play and their very competitive, they are very good players, and like I said we’ve got lot of respect for them.”
Keith Swift,
“Some of the players say that last call was a bad call.”
Enrique Zuniga,
“Well it might be a bad call but this is the referee’s decision. There were a lot of bad calls at the game so I don’t think the last call, that was the one that decided the game.”
And that’s why, while the Mexicans did a victory lap with their gold trophy – Team Belize held their silver trophy high.
Richard Troyer,
“This is still an accomplishment, I mean who would have thought that
we would have come here and gotten second place, the silver medal. So it is an accomplishment for us.”
Keith Swift,
“So this second place doesn’t take away from what you guys accomplished?”
Richard Troyer,
“No not in my eyes. I think we accomplished a lot from where we were in 2006 when I played on the national team. Compared to being here today the difference is night and day.”
Charlie Burgess,
“We accomplished something good. We qualified for the next round which is next year so everybody that is a part of this team should be happy. Like I told you we was dedicated, we put hard work into it. We won, we came out with silver and that’s better than anything. A lot of teams that came here, 8 teams came here and only three left with a place.”
Alex Carcamo,
“We can definitely leave with our heads held high because throughout the whole tournament they tried to tell us we couldn’t play and we never gave up. Our key word was resurrection and I think we resurrected Belize definitely. We are definitely on the map right now.”
Keith Swift,
“You’re like a celebrity right now, everyone wanting to take pictures with you guys. What is that like?”
Charlie Burgess,
“Its wonderful man, we signing autographs, taking pictures – it is a dream come true but a dream come true would have been us standing on that middle platform holding up the gold.”
But gold or not – they were the little team they said couldn’t but still did hold their head high, play through adversity and perform like champions – in the end emerging as sub-champions in COCABA, but champions in the minds and hearts of a proud and grateful nation.
7NEWS produced for broadcast by News Director Jules Vasquez
Edited and Prepared for the internet by Keith Swift
