From left: Vice Principal Ray Lawrence, Belize’s Stann Creek Ecumenical College Head Coach, Gary Francisco and
Principal Jacklyn Cayetano. Photo by Nelson A. King
By Nelson A. King
The principal, coach, officials and athletes
of the lone Belize high school that
has to date competed in the prestigious
Penn Relays Carnival at the University
of Pennsylvania in Philadelphia have
expressed profound disappointment in
the athletes’ inability to compete this
year because of the games’ cancellation
due to the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic.
This year would have marked the
third consecutive year that athletes from
Stann Creek Ecumenical College in
Belize would have vied in the illustrious
games at the Franklin Field Stadium in
Philadelphia.
“First, in taking a step back to examine
the situation, I am amazed at all
that has happened in this regard,” Dr.
Jeremy Cayetano, the school’s principal,
told Caribbean Life exclusively on Sunday.
“Our students, for two consecutive
years, have had the opportunity to travel
out of our country, Belize, to participate
this event.
“Our students have been exposed in
many cases to a new country, different
cultures and competition at a very
high level,” she added. “That is huge, and
we must take time to recognize the person
who had not only the vision but also
the determination and will, Mr. James
Cordice.”
Vincentian-born Cordice, the pioneer
and coordinator of St. Vincent and the
Grenadines’ participation in the Penn
Relays, was instrumental in having a
high school in Belize compete in the
annual games, which usually take place
over three days culminating in the last
Saturday in April.
“When there is someone with wings
as large as his, taking you somewhere,
you can trust that you will get there,
Caribbean L 24 ife, April 10-16, 2020
and get there we did,” said Dr. Cayetano
about the Philadelphia-based Cordice,
who is also an executive member of
Team Jamaica Bickle, the Queens-based
philanthropic organization that provides
meals and transportation, among other
things, for Jamaican and Caribbean athletes
participating in the Penn Relays.
“Personally, my heart is sad for the
students who are leaving school this
year,” Dr. Cayetano added. “For them to
have put in so much energy and effort
only to not go in the end is heartbreaking.
“Beyond that, the opportunities that
would have been lost, in terms of exposure
to scholarship and other academic
opportunities, are disappointing, indeed,”
she added.
Cayetano said she plans to liaise with
the junior colleges, which the students
intend to attend, and pitch the idea of
having them compete as their students
in the coming school year.
“There is no guarantee that something
will happen, but, at least, there is a
sliver of hope that all may not have been
lost for these students in this regard,”
she said.
“For those students who will remain in
our school, their training will continue,
and it only means that they will be even
better and stronger in the new school
year for Penn Relays 2021,” she added.
Attorney Clive E. Lino, chairman of
the Board of Governors of Stann Creek
Ecumenical College, was grateful to the
organizers and sponsors for “giving us
the opportunity to participate in the
Penn Relays.
“However, with the dangers posed
by COVID 19, we at Stann Creek Ecumenical
College have regrettably taken
the decision not to participate in the
2020 Penn Relay,” he said. “Our students,
coaches, faculty and staff were all ready to
participate in this prestigious event, and
we pledge to remain in a state of readiness
for whenever the relays are called
again.”
Lisbey Castillo, a teacher at Stann
Creek Ecumenical College and member
of the Penn Relays Committee, said the
cancellation of the 2020 Penn Relays was
“extremely heart-wrenching for our Ecumenical
Family.
“The effort from our sports committee,
administration, staff and students
was overwhelming,” he said. “We had students
participating in rigorous training
after classes trying their best to manage
school and athletics.
“Teachers were managing their contact
hours with students while finding
time to travel around the country and
seek sponsorship to cover the cost of our
trip to Philadelphia,” Castillo added. “Our
students displayed significant improvement,
which gave us the hope that we
would be a force to reckon with in our
third year of participation.
“We were ready!” he continued. “This
year, we were going to shake the Penn
Relays. However, the universe had its way.
The coronavirus played the role of a persistent
villain who would stop at nothing
to kill the dreams of our students. Seemingly,
it did just that!”
Head Coach Gary Francisco, said, he,
too, was very disappointed in the cancellation
of Penn Relays 2020, but added that
God knows best.
“I don’t like be the one to break any
kind of bad news, but, sometimes, God
put us in positions for a valid reason – to
be strong for others,” he said. “Now, we
can put this behind us, and go back on
the drawing board and prepare for Penn
Relays 2021. We will be back greater than
we ever were.”
CWI grade
Continued from Page 23
represent West Indies and a better
relationship with CWI stakeholders.
Last March, the Skerritt-Shallow
team defeated the incumbent Dave
Cameron and his running mate
Emmanuel Nathan to take over the
leadership of CWI.
They had presented a “Cricket First
Plan” to revitalize West Indies cricket,
which included increased investment
in grassroots cricket; modernization
of coaching education, revaluation
of team selection, repair stakeholder
relations and utilizing of regional
technical expertise.
Dr. Shallow speaking on the Mason
and Guest radio show in Barbados
last week, said the administration
had made some progress in those
areas.
Among the areas he gave his team
kudos for was revamping the selection
process.
Gayle in lineup
Continued from Page 23
title in Australia.
Harper said: “I think all available
players are part of our plan at this
point,” Harper said recently on the
Mason & Guest radio show in Barbados
when asked about Wallace’s
comments.
“At this point in time we’re still
trying to find out what’s our best
combinations, the best composition
of the team and seeking opportunities
to determine. At this point everyone
that’s available will be considered,”
he said.
Harper said that between now and
he time the squad is chosen for the
World Cup, players have the opportunity
to prove themselves worthy of
being selected.
The 2020 ICC Men’s T20 World
Cup, the seventh edition of the tournament,
is scheduled to run from
Oct. 18 to Nov. 15.
Continued from Page 23
“Work will continue on contingency
plans and options for both men’s
qualification pathways. We will provide
updates in due course on these
plans and decisions on the staging of
the remaining events this year. India
hosts next year’s T20 World Cup and
the 50-overs events in 2023” the ICC
said.
This year’s women T20 World Cup
was held in February-March in Australia,
which will also host the men’s
version starting in October. The
World Cup trophy tour for the men’s
event, which was scheduled to start
next month, was also postponed.
Belize high school team disappointed
ICC events