_{Photo: Belize National U18 Men’s Basketball Team headed for Argentina for FIBA U18 AmeriCup 2024}

BELIZE CITY, Thurs. May 30, 2024

From a hundred 16-year-olds recruited in trials across Belize a couple years ago, the Belize Basketball Federation had selected 30 of the best players to form the base of the National U-18 team that will be representing Belize this coming week at the FIBA U18 AmeriCup 2024 in Argentina, so said BBF president, Jacob Leslie in an interview with KREM Radio’s Marisol Amaya today.

There had been some difficulty getting the nationality papers for a Belizean American youth, Josiah Mosley, who is currently ranked number one in Texas, and one of the top ten players at his position in all of the USA. With the Immigration Department going into high gear to get his passport ready, there is still a slim chance that Mosely may be able to join the Belize team, who travel tomorrow by bus to Cancun, and fly to Columbia and then on to Argentina where they are scheduled to arrive around 5:30 a.m. on Saturday, in time for their first game in the tournament on Monday.

The team includes 19 players, and they are going up against powerhouse national U18 teams from big countries like Canada, USA, Brazil, Argentina, etc. As Jacob says, they have already achieved a whole lot, just to have qualified to participate at this level, the highest a Belize basketball team has ever been. And Belize will be proud of their effort, which we know will be all they can give, whatever the outcome. Leslie says that the games will be streamed live on the FIBA YouTube, and fans can check the link on the BBF Facebook page for details.

Go for it, guys! Belize will be watching and riding with you all the way! Le’s go, Belize!!