Local News

Last Wednesday the International Olympic Committee held an award ceremony at the Holy Redeemer Parish Hall in Belize City.  The awards were presented by Governor General of Belize Dr. Colville Young.  Shelmadine Carr was awarded for her dedicated participation in Women in Sport and the Prestigious 2012 International Olympic Committee Sport and Sustainable Development Trophy went to the Toledo Institute for Development and Environment, TIDE for their Fresh Water Cup Program which has been ongoing for eight years.  Executive Director for TIDE, Celia Mahung says it is an honor to have received the award

CELIA MAHUNG, Executive Director (TIDE)

“It was rewarding for TIDE to receive this international Olympic award for our work with integrated conservation and sports.  We’ve implemented the Fresh Water Cup for, I’ll say, the pass eight years and it‘s a program that provides teams an opportunity to play in a football competition if they agree to implement an environmental project and the program really keeps growing each year and this year we had a total of twenty one junior teams and eight adult teams.”

NATALIE NOVELO, Reporter

“So you can say that this program have been very successful so far?”

CELIA MAHUNG, Executive Director (TIDE)

“Right, actually this program has had significant impact.  It keep our kids off the street, it gets them engage in meaningful environmental project, it builds their self-esteem, it enhances discipline and other skills as they play football and I guess this is a good time for me to say thanks to all the teams that participated inside Fresh Water Cup this year, the coaches, the manager, Ministry of Education and school principals and teachers from Bella Vista all the way to Punta Gorda and most of all thanks to our partners that made this program a reality.  UNICEF was a major partner particularly with sponsorship of the junior teams that included boys and girls, so thanks to all who made this a reality for us.  Our education ad outreach coordinator Mr. Norman Buddna would visit the schools in the Toledo District who’s between Punta Gorda and Bella Vista and would speak with principal and school teacher to encourage them to participate.  In 2008 TIDE receive the CPAL award for its coordination for the Fresh Water Cup, it was a financial award of $30,000 US this was in 2008. So as I said it felt good to be awarded, even though it is not in cash this time around, for our work here in Belize, nationally.”

Over four hundred boys and girls from fourteen primary schools participate in the Fresh Water Cup annually.  Over ten sponsors were also presented with citations at the award ceremony and awards were also handed out for Chef de Mission from nineteen sixty eight to two thousand and eight.