Nearly 30 years have passed since Belize’s iconic “Golden Boys” men’s national basketball squad claimed gold at the 1996 CARICOM Men’s Basketball Championships, a historic victory that has stood as the high water mark for the nation’s hoops legacy ever since. Now, for the first time since that legendary run, a young, hungry junior national team has qualified for the Central American and Caribbean Games, and the entire Belize basketball community is rallying around the squad as they eye a historic return to the top of the regional podium.
Local outlet News Five’s sports correspondent Paul Lopez visited the team’s closed training camp at Belize’s Civic Center this week, catching a first-hand look at the disciplined preparation that has defined the squad’s build-up to the tournament. For the Belize Basketball Federation, the team’s qualification alone marks a milestone decades in the making.
“It has been almost three decades since our Golden Boys brought home CARICOM gold, and we have not qualified for a major regional multi-sport games basketball tournament since that 1998 run,” explained Jacob Leslie, president of the Belize Basketball Federation, during an on-site interview at the Civic Center. “For Belize to return to this regional basketball stage is a historic moment for our entire program.”
Leading the new generation is captain Douglas Langford, who serves as the team’s emotional and on-court anchor, both in practice and in competitive play. For Langford and his teammates, the tournament is about more than just a medal: it is an opportunity to put Belize basketball back on the regional map and open doors for the next generation of young Belizean players.
“We are here to shock a few regional powerhouses and bring gold home to Belize,” Langford said. “We want to put our country on the basketball radar, and create the same kind of opportunities for young kids that dream of playing that we have been given.”
Helmed by veteran head coach Bernie Tarr, the coaching staff has spent weeks honing customized offensive and defensive game plans tailored to Belize’s group-stage opponents. Tarr emphasized that while the team is embracing the underdog role, their sights are set firmly on a podium finish.
“Of course every team comes into a tournament wanting to win, and our clear goal is to reach the podium,” Tarr said. “We are in uncharted territory — no Belize basketball team has been in this position since 1998, and we are ready to see how our squad rises to the challenge.”
Running the point for the team is starting point guard Devin Moody, who will carry the responsibility of setting the team’s offensive tempo and orchestrating plays against tough regional competition. Moody made the team’s goal clear: nothing short of a gold medal will satisfy this hungry squad.
“The president gave us a clear reality check on what is expected of us, and our whole mindset is focused on winning,” Moody said. When asked what the team’s target was for the tournament, he added: “Gold is the only mindset we have coming into this tournament. We are taking it one game at a time, and we are ready to deliver on that goal.”
The 2026 Central American and Caribbean Games men’s basketball tournament features eight competing nations, split into two preliminary groups. Belize was drawn into Group A, where they will face off against Nicaragua, Guatemala, and the Dominican Republic in the opening round. The team’s first matchup is scheduled for this coming Sunday, tipping off what the entire Belize basketball community hopes will be a historic run for the nation.