Special Olympics National Games scheduled for this weekend
Love FM | Over a hundred athletes are expected to converge in Belize City this weekend for the seventh Special Olympics National games. Alan Auil is the Chairman of Special Olympics Belize.
Alan Auil; Chairman, Special Olympics Belize
“We’ll be having Special Olympics Nations Game on Saturday. That is this Saturday the 20th; the national games are the annual event where we bring in the athletes from throughout the country. We have our athletes divided into three regions; north, central and south. We will have teams from each of the regions competing against each other in track and field. They will be winning medals and ribbons for their achievement on Saturday.”
Maria Novelo, Reporter
How many are participating and is this and all day event?
Alan Auil
“It’ll be an all day event and we are expecting about a hundred and five athletes, 35 from each region, and again it will be mostly or all track and field. We have already had our football tournament and this game on Saturday will be the track and field portion of our national games. It is something we do every year. This is the seventh annual such event that we are hosting and this year it will be held at the MCC Grounds.”
Maria Novelo, Reporter
How is the preparation process going?
Alan Auil
“Well, it’s a challenge especially being that this is a big weekend for our friends down south, the Garifuna Settlement Day and so it is a challenge trying to get a team from down south in the first place because they have so many other activities going on this weekend. Also it has been difficult because of the economic times right now trying to get funds and everything together that we need to be able to accommodate the teams that will stay here. The bussing, the food, everything; it has been difficult but I think we’ll manage. We’ll have some assistance from the Ministry of Education and we also have assistance from our partner in this event who have partnered with us for the past four or five years in SMART. We’ll get it done. It’s been difficult but we’ll get it done. We’ll have a good games come Saturday.”
Maria Novelo, Reporter
Over the years who has dominated the competition?
Alan Auil
“The northern region actually, the guys from Orange Walk tend to be quite fast. Between them, it’s alternated between northern and Belize which would be the central region but I think a kudos’s to the guys from Orange Walk. They tend to be quite athletic.”
Auil says some of the top athletes will participate in the upcoming regional CODICADER games in Panama.
