_{Photo: Ricky Gongora, deceased}

BELIZE CITY, Mon. Oct. 21, 2024

He had returned home a week earlier from the KHMH, where he had received treatment after suffering his second stroke, but late Saturday evening as tropical storm Nadine was nearing the end of its passage over Belize, we got the news that Ricky Gongora, the premier striker coming out of the Lake, from Berger-404 of the 1970’s to Belikin Duurly’s of the 1980’s, had passed. Ricky is among a number of Belizean football greats who have already been honored with membership in the Belize American Football Hall of Fame, which was organized in 2017 by a group led by veteran footballer Wellington Ramos out of New York; and it is a given that, whenever the official Belize National Football Hall of Fame is launched, Ricky’s name will be among the august inductees. We extend our sincere condolences from Kremandala to all his relatives, friends and football fans who were blessed to see him in action in his days as one of Belize’s best on the Barracks. Rest in peace, brother Enrique “Ricky” Gongora!