The 21st Central American and Caribbean games start tomorrow in the City of Mayaguez, Puerto Rico. Belize is sending 17 athletes to compete in 4 disciplines: Athletics, Cycling, Karate and Taekwondo.

The cycling delegation was the first to leave and they will represent at the opening ceremonies. We were able to catch up with the Belizean Team at the airport before they left. :....

Emaun Hyde "What are your hopes for the games?"

Perry Gibson
"We are entering into the male road race and the female time trial; we have two entries into the time trial. We are hopping basically to at the minimum try to get a medal. The idea is to try to get a medal. Which medal, that depends on the luck and the competition."

Gregory Lovell
"I expect good results. The races that are international are very fast."

Emaun Hyde
"Will you bring home a medal?"

Gregory Lovell
"Yeah."

Emaun Hyde
"Are you more excited or nervous?"

Gregory Lovell
"Well I'm not nervous, I'm a little excited. It's a Central American and Caribbean games, and I'm proud to do that."

Shalini Zabaneh
"You have to be mentally prepared, physically as well, but if you go there not believing in yourself then you've already lost."

Emaun Hyde
"Do you think that having support makes a difference in how well you perform?"

Shalini Zabaneh
"Always, you always need 100% support from everybody you know, and one negative person can bring you down, but you have to stay positive."

Emaun Hyde
"How does it feel representing your country?"

Shalini Zabaneh
"Oh, it's an honor. I love representing Belize, I love representing my country."

Shalini Zabaneh, will be the Belizean Flag Bearer. She is the three time National Road Champion and a Silver Medalist at the recently concluded Central American Games.

Athletes in the other discipline leave the country next week....

The games continue until August first.

Belizeans at Central American and Caribbean Games

The Central American and Caribbean Games in Puerto Rico is completing the first week of competitions despite a late start. The delay was caused by a tornado that hit Mayaguez, damaging the stadium where the opening ceremony was to be held and injuring seven persons. According to the National Coach of Belize’s Cycling Team, they were in a safe location and were not affected by the tornado. That’s the good news, but Coach Perry Gibson is not thrilled with the way the competitions are going so far. But still he told us via phone today that he has hope for his team.

Via Phone: Perry Gibson, National Coach, Belize Cycling Team

“It hasn’t been going—I wouldn’t say badly—but really what has happened is that at these games we’ve met the powerhouses in Central America and the Caribbean, namely Mexico, Venezuela, Puerto Rico, Columbia and Costa Rica. In the time trial that we had Shalini Zabaneh was eighth and for the males Byron Pope was tenth. He basically made the top ten. Only one guy from Jamaica from the Caribbean had beaten him.”

Delahnie Bain

“Do you see it getting any better for them?”

Via Phone: Perry Gibson

“Yeah, what we have right now is that we have the best chance I believe we have is Gregory Lovell in the track in the two hundred meter sprint. That will be taking place tomorrow.”

Delahnie Bain

“And the other riders, do they have any more events to take part in?”

Via Phone: Perry Gibson

“Yes, there is still the road race, which will take place next week Wednesday. So it’s a road event next week Wednesday for both male and female.”

Delahnie Bain

“So that gives them a bit of time to prepare. What do you think they need to do to…”

Via Phone: Perry Gibson

“Everyday we’ve been preparing very well. The weather here is very unpredictable; there’s a lot of rain but what we’ve been doing is early morning, we’ve been getting up three o’clock Belize time and doing our training early.”

Gibson and the cycling team will return to Belize on July twenty-eighth.

http://edition.channel5belize.com/?p=36020