The 2012-2013 Belize District Primary Schools Basketball Championship came to an end on Friday, May 10th, at the Bird’s Isle in Belize City.

In the girls’ championship game, Holy Redeemer School edged Belize Elementary School by the score of 15-14 to capture the 2012-2013 Belize District Primary Schools Basketball title and the right to represent the district at the National Primary Schools Basketball Competition scheduled for May 24th, 2013. The top scorer for Holy Redeemer School was Zaria Jenkins with 10 points, while the top scorer for Belize Elementary School was Donna Che with 6 points.

In the first girls’ game of the day, Holy Redeemer School defeated Holy Cross Anglican School from San Pedro by the score of 18-2. The top scorer for Holy Redeemer was Diana Elijio with 8 points while Tatyana Estrada scored the 2 points for Holy Cross Anglican School.

In the second game, it was Belize Elementary School that defeated Lucky Strike Government School by the score of 18-4. The top scorer for Belize Elementary School was Chelsea Williams with 9 points, while Shenieva Herbert scored all 4 points for Lucky Strike Government School.

In the boys’ championship game, St. Martin De Porres School defeated Ephesus Seventh Day Adventist by the score of 35-28 to capture the 2012-2013 Belize District Primary Schools Basketball title. The top scorer for St. Martin De Porres School was Glen Arzu with 16 points and the top scorer for Ephesus Seventh Day Adventist School was Delbert Sabal with 8 points.

In the first boys’ game played in the day, St. Martin De Porres defeated Our Lady of the Way Roman Catholic School from Ladyville by the score of 37-4. The top scorer for St. Martin De Porres School was Glen Arzu with 13 points and the top scorer for Our Lady of the Way Roman Catholic was Dijon McField with 4 points.

In the second boys’ game, Ephesus Seventh Day Adventist School defeated Caye Caulker Roman Catholic School by the score of 41-15. The top scorer for Ephesus Seventh Day Adventist was Antwan Palacio with 19 points and the top scorer for Caye Caulker Roman Catholic was Francisco Torres with 10 points.

Holy Redeemer girls and St. Martin De Porres boys will represent the Belize District at the National Primary Schools Basketball Championship scheduled for Friday, May 24th, at Bird’s Isle.
We say congratulations to all our student-athletes that participated in the competition at all levels.

The Hon. Herman Longsworth, Minister of State in the Ministry of Education, Youth and Sports with direct responsibilities for youth and sports along with Patrick Henry Acting. National Sports Director attended the 3rd Annual The Business of Sports International Conference held under the theme “Change the Game” at the Jamaica Pegasus Hotel in Kingston, Jamaica, from April 30th – May 3rd, 2013.

The three days working conference brought together key presenters from Canada, United Kingdom, USA and Jamaica who all presented on the role of sports as a business including the issue of Branding, which includes both athletes and merchandises (Rule 40) of the International Olympic Committee and how it is applied to Caribbean countries; as well as a lunch presentation on the topic “Sports for All” that was presented by the Hon. Michael Fennel, Immediate Past President of the Commonwealth Games Federation and the current President of the Jamaican Olympic and Commonwealth Games Association. The conference organizers also took the advantage of having three Caricom Ministers of Sports at the conference and were able to include onto the official programme a ministerial presentation segment.

The Ministers of Sports that were in attendance at the conference and whom participated in the ministerial segment included the Hon. Herman Longsworth, the Hon. Stephen Lashley (Barbados) and the Hon. Natalie Neita-Headley (Jamaica). The ministers also responded to questions that were posted to them by the audience.

On the last day of the conference, Marion Jones presented on the topic “Paradise gained, lost and redeemed.” She walked the audience through a very emotional presentation and also responded to questions from the audience that included students, parents, sporting officials and the general public.

The highlight of Belize’s participation at the conference was Minister Longsworth’s meeting with the Hon. Natalie Neita-Headley at Devon’s House on Thursday, May 2nd, 2013, in which both countries have agreed in principle to a MOU that will be beneficial to both. During the meeting, both ministers of sports discussed a wide range of issues including Belizeans doing first degrees in Physical Education at the G.C. Foster College (School of Physical Education), athletes making maximum use of the High Performance Centre at Mona, and the introduction of Swimming to Belize as a formal discipline.

The Concept paper and framework for the latter was received by the Hon. Herman Longsworth on Tuesday, May 7th, 2013. At the conclusion of the meeting, the Hon. Natalie Neita-Headley presented a copy of the Jamaican Sport Policy that was tabled in Parliament on March 25th, 2013, to the Hon. Herman Longsworth.