Broadcast on October 19, 2026, this week’s edition of *Sports Monday*, presented by the National Sports Council of Belize, brings together the latest updates from Belizean athletes competing across regional sports events.
The headline focus of this segment is Belize’s National Women’s Volleyball Team’s run at the AFECAVOL Final Four Championship, hosted in Managua, Nicaragua. The team put on a series of hard-fought performances across the four-day tournament: they opened with an impressive 3-1 four-set victory over host nation Nicaragua last Thursday, dropped a 0-3 shutout to Costa Rica the following day, and bounced back quickly to claim a convincing 3-0 win over Guatemala on Saturday. That strong win earned Belize a bronze medal rematch against Guatemala on the tournament’s final day. The deciding match pushed all the way to a full five sets, but Guatemala ultimately pulled ahead to secure a 3-2 win, leaving Belize to finish the tournament in fourth place just outside the podium. Despite the near miss, the team earned individual recognition: standout player Fatima Ramirez took home two honors, named 2nd Best Hitter and the tournament’s Best Scorer for her consistent high-performance play.
Off the court, Belize’s volleyball community is ushering in new leadership. Two weeks prior, the Belize Volleyball Association held a general meeting to elect its new executive board, where Francis Usher was selected as the association’s new president, joining eight other elected executive members. In an interview following the vote, Usher outlined his collaborative leadership approach, rejecting centralized top-down decision-making. “As a team we will delegate responsibilities,” Usher explained. “One of the things we spoke about was breaking out the 20 to 30 key tasks that need to be addressed immediately. We divide and conquer, prioritize goals, and execute as a collective. Everyone knows the end goal we’re working toward, every member has a clear role, and this isn’t a one-man show – we will move forward together to deliver results.”
Shifting to cycling, the broadcast also highlighted two Belizean riders who earned strong finishes at Sunday’s Clasica Provincia de Chiriqui hosted in Panama. Derrick “Young Phenom” Chavarria finished 10th overall in the elite field, while Jaylen Briceno claimed 22nd place overall and third position in the competitive Under-23 division. Belize’s national cycling contingent also included riders Jyven Gonzalen, Dylan Levy, Tarique Flowers, Goran Gabouriel and Carlton Robinson, who all represented the country in the regional race.
This report is a full transcript of the televised *Sports Monday* broadcast, brought to viewers by the National Sports Council of Belize.