CHETUMAL, Quintana Roo, Mon. Dec. 10, 2018– Over this past weekend, December 7-9, the Ahmadiyyah Basketball League competed in the COPA International Gatorade Tournament in Chetumal, Mexico. They took two teams, U18 and an Open team, and won Gold for both categories.
According to Umar Akbar, one of the team’s organizers and their photographer, they started preparing for this tournament well in advance by first choosing the team from a pool of players that were interested in travelling abroad. They held an audition from them, and chose the best players to be a part of the team.
Throughout the tournament, there were teams from different countries, but in their categories, they only went up against teams from Mexico.
Akbar told us that “the goal is always to win,” so they prepared themselves to ensure that they would win the gold in both categories.
We interviewed three members of the open team who shared Akbar’s same sentiment. Raul Vanegas, the point guard, told us that he prepared mentally and physically for this tournament by working out normally and by praying that he could finish the tournament without injury.
He also said that with the talent that was on the team, and with the work they put in, he was certain that the Gold medal was theirs to win. He shared his excitement at the accomplishment, and mentioned that he was able to learn from the team and the experience on a whole.
Vanegas said that basketball is something he has always been a part of, and he is currently playing semi-pro in California.
Andrew Ortiz, the center player, said that he worked hard in preparing for the tournament. He also shared that, because of Ahmadiyyah, he was able to travel to Mexico and get a contract to play for the ABC, a team in Chetumal. Ortiz said he “feels good,” that a lot of young people from Belize can be recognized regionally and internationally by being a part of the team and being able to play abroad.
Ortiz shared that basketball is “everything to [him],” and that it has been able to keep him off the streets and to stay positive. He has been playing basketball for about 9 years.
The shooting guard for the team, Gregory Rudon, also told us that his preparation included what he does every day, including his daily workout routines. He has been playing basketball from he was 13/14 and he is now 34.
He also agreed with Ortiz and Vanegas that from the time they left Belize, they knew that they were after the Gold and nothing else. They were determined to be the champs.
Akbar said that for now, they are taking a break from international competitions so that they can focus on their own league, which will commence in January. It will be about 500 players in different teams for that league, so that will be their main focus as of right now.