Sports fans across Belize were treated to a packed week of competitive action spanning basketball, endurance cycling and soccer, as rival teams battled for wins and bragging rights across the country.
First up was the highly anticipated rematch between the Running Rebels and the revamped Belize City Defenders in Orange Walk, hosted on this week’s Sports Monday with host Shane Williams. The Defenders took the court hungry for redemption after a lopsided 17-point loss on opening night, but found themselves trailing early in the contest. A physical on-court brawl disrupted the flow of play, forcing both teams to finish with depleted rosters: the Defenders played the remainder of the game with six available players, while the Rebels finished with five. When the final buzzer sounded, the Running Rebels held on to claim a 71-62 victory. In a statistical oddity, the two players at the center of the brawl—Ajang Aguek of the Defenders and Kenneth Perkins Jr. of the Rebels—finished as the game’s top scorers, each pouring in 20 points.
Across other basketball matchups held over the weekend, the Cayo Western Ballaz pulled off a major upset in San Ignacio, knocking off the league’s top-ranked San Pedro Tigersharks by a 15-point margin, 93-78. Star players Mark Gordon and Clency “Coope” Lopez led the charge for the Ballaz, putting on an offensive clinic with 35 and 28 points respectively. Further north in Corozal, the Spartans notched their first win of the 2026 season, besting the Belmopan Trojans 82-72. Terrence Johnson Jr. anchored the Spartans’ balanced scoring attack, notching 17 points as one of five Spartans players to hit double figures on the day. For the Trojans, Bryan Hudson led all scorers with 26 points in the losing effort. Following the weekend’s games, the updated league standings show an incredibly tight race at the top: three teams hold identical 5-2 records, turning the competition increasingly intense as the season progresses.
The weekend’s biggest headline event came in the form of the annual Weekend Warriors Cross Country Cycling Classic, a grueling 70-mile race that kicked off Sunday morning in Santa Elena, Cayo, and finished at San Cas Plaza in Belize City. A total of 84 riders lined up at the starting line on Loma Luz Boulevard, before tackling the route along the George Price Highway, across the Chetumal Street Bridge, and onto the Philip Goldson Highway, a route that tested both rider endurance and raw speed. When the race reached its final stretch, three riders broke away to contest the finish: Brandon Cattouse of the Running Rebels, Henry Moreira of Bundles of Joy, and Kenroy Gladden of SPD. Moreira dug deep in the final sprint, using a strategic move to block Cattouse’s path and edge out the competitor to claim first place in a total time of 3 hours, 13 minutes and 57 seconds. Gladden crossed the line to take third.
In a post-race interview, Moreira explained his game-winning strategy: “I knew Brandon is a good sprinter. I knew if I wanted to win this race, I had to prepare for a long sprint. I hung back in the last position through the final stretch to watch what everyone else was doing, then launched my sprint early. When Brandon came up on my left, I managed to block that side, forcing him to switch to the right. I just put in one extra push, and even though he caught up to my crank, I held on to take the win.”
Of the 81 riders who officially started the open category race—including three women—only 53 managed to complete the demanding route. In the B Category division, Liam Stuart of M&M Engineering crossed the line first, followed by Kenny Gladden of Team Loans 2 Go in second and Roque Matus, also of M&M Engineering, in third. In the Female Category, Kedisha Francis was the only rider to successfully complete the course, earning her the category win. The annual event once again showcased the depth of endurance cycling talent across Belize, with tightly contested finishes and competitive performances across every division.
In soccer action, Reggae Boyz FC and Kelly Street FC delivered a tense, action-packed showdown under the lights in front of a packed, energized crowd, in what was billed as the match of the week. Reggae Boyz got on the board first, when Jaheem Thomas found the back of the net in the 37th minute, taking a 1-0 lead into the break. Kelly Street answered quickly in the second half, with Winfield Fisher equalizing in the 50th minute after capitalizing on a defensive mistake to pull his side level. With the score tied at 1-1, both teams pushed hard for a late game-winning goal, but solid defending from both sides and missed opportunities—including a disallowed offside goal on one end—kept the deadlocked intact through the final whistle.
To close out the week of sports, Belize’s Lady Jaguars earned a historic 2-0 victory over Suriname in CONCACAF Women’s World Cup Qualifiers. Mikhaila Bowden put Belize on the board from the penalty spot in the 70th minute, before Alisha Terry doubled the lead six minutes later with a well-placed shot that sailed just over the reach of Suriname’s goalkeeper, securing the shutout win for the side.
That wraps up the week of top-tier sports action across Belize. Host Shane Williams closed out the broadcast with a reminder to fans: “Friendly competition unites, and balling is life, so keep balling Belize!”
