Youth Athletes Aim for Glory in Bahamas – channel5belize

Jul 17, 2017

A small contingent of athletes headed today for the Bahamas where the Commonwealth Games are taking place this week. One thousand athletes will be competing overall in nine sporting disciplines. News Five caught up with local athletes at the Philip Goldson International Airport where the hopefuls in track and field, cycling and tennis were all geared up to take on competing athletes from seventy countries. News Fives Duane Moody reports.

Duane Moody, Reporting

Meet the team of five Belizean athletes and two officials that will represent Belize in Bahamas for the 2017 Commonwealth Youth Games in the field of Athletics, also referred to as Track and Field, Cycling and Tennis. Today, the team left the country on an American Airlines flight in hopes of performing their best and return with medals. The international games will feature over one thousand athletes from seventy participating nations. A track star herself, Tricia Flores is the Athletics Official that is traveling with the team.

Tricia Flores, Athletics Official

It started with the senior athletes, but because they want the younger athletes to get this exposure as well. Thats how it came about yes.

Tricia Flores

Duane Moody

What is your advice for these young persons going out thereto prepare themselves to do these things?

Tricia Flores

Well I could speak of the track and field athletesthe athletes in general.to go out there and just try their best, do their best. Because I believe that they are more talented than us. I would just say that they could go out there, be their best and let the country look good, let themselves look good as well.just represent us well.

Sixteen-year-old Hilary Gladden and seventeen-year-old Joshire Stanley are runners for the two hundred and one hundred meters athletics games. Both are fairly new to the sport, but are considered powerhouses in the track and field world in Belize.

Hilary Gladden

Hilary Gladden, 200M Athlete

I feel good. Ive been running for one year, from since I was in second form. It is such a privilege to be proud to represent Belize.

Joshire Stanley, 100M Athlete

It took me at least a year and three months to prepare for my event.

Joshire Stanley

Duane Moody

How long have you been running and your anticipations for the games?

Joshire Stanley

Ive been running for at least two years and my anticipation is just to do my best and make Belize proud.

While Adrian Marshalleck is the only athlete to represent Belize in the tennis singles category, Gian Lino and Nashen Ysaguirre are confident that cycling results will see them on top.

Nashen Ysaguirre

Nashen Ysaguirre, Cyclist

This will be my second trip pertaining to cycling. Ive been riding for approximately two years so we have some high expectations.

Duane Moody

Talk to us about thatdo you expect to come back with some medals?

Nashen Ysaguirre

Its possible. Last year, we went to St. Lucia and seeing that it was the first cycling trip for most of the guys, we did great. I expect much better results this year, maybe a top three.

Duane Moody for News Five.

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Youth Athletes Aim for Glory in Bahamas - channel5belize