Photo: Kinich Ahau, second place

by Charles Gladden

ORANGE WALK TOWN, Tues. Dec. 12, 2023

Over the weekend, Belize hosted the 5th Pok Ta Pok World Cup in Orange Walk Town, which culminated with the Mexican male and Guatemalan female teams receiving the title of World Cup champions.

At the beginning of the year, the tournament was announced by the Association of Pok-Ta-Pok of Central America and the Caribbean via a press conference, where it was revealed that the games would be held at the Orange Walk Multipurpose Sporting Complex.

Seven countries within the region participated in the competition – Belize, Guatemala, El Salvador, Honduras, Mexico, Panama, and the United States – which were each represented by two male teams; and for the first time, a female team also represented Belize, Mexico, and Guatemala, respectively, with six to eight members on each team.

Many Belizeans were excited by the fact that Ek’ Balam Belize (Belize Black Jaguars), who were the reigning back-to-back three-time champions of the tournament, would be defending their title on home turf.

However, they were eliminated, as Belize’s K’iinich Ajaw, which represented the Jewel in the finals, fell short against Mexico with a 54 to 46 score. Meanwhile, in the female division, the Belize female team secured third place, with Guatemala and El Salvador taking first and second places, respectively.

The tournament started on Friday, December 8, and concluded on Sunday, December 10.