Atomic Number (501)
Ah! Gold…The element (Au) with its metallic yellow, heat, and electricity conducting, malleable nature, and atomic number 79. In space, gold is formed inside huge stars that explode in a powerful and luminous blast called a supernova. The metal owes its rarity to the incomprehensible amount of energy needed to help it form. On Earth, its monetary value comes from the fact that it is costly to mine, it can only be found in a few places on the planet, and it cannot be artificially created. Gold is a medium of exchange and since it does not corrode, it has been utilized as currency since 600 BC. Symbolically, the best standard is a “gold standard” and in sports receiving a “gold medal” demonstrates dominance. Why so much talk about gold? This past weekend Belize’s national female volleyball team proved their dominance. The Under-21 Women’s Central American Volleyball Championship ended with Belize achieving a historic win against Guatemala to earn the gold medal. The Belize Civic Centre exploded in a luminous chorus of civic pride. The country with the smallest population in the region clinched its first gold medal in the sport for any category, male or female. The U-21 female volleyball athletes are our stars, and Belize is officially the atomic number (501). Our three particles? Volleyball, Victory, and Gold.
Our little Belize is numero uno. Of all the elements that go into creating a gold-winning volleyball national team, time, repetition, and discipline are among the most important; however other forms of support are necessary to host a regional tournament. Belize has hosted consecutive volleyball tournaments, and perhaps being able to host was a major step towards victory. The home court advantage is a real sports phenomenon. The Belize Tourism Board (BTB) is proud to have been a sponsor of the Belize team and the tournament. The only thing more valuable than “gold” is a diamond, and according to the President of the Belize Volleyball Association (BVA), Mr. Allan Sharp, “BTB is a Diamond Sponsor”. According to Mr. Sharp, the BTB “tries to help in whatever way they can within their areas of control” and the BVA regards them as “a major Diamond sponsor that is always very supportive.” The support and investment have paid off because, this time, Belize is number one.
Belize has been sending its volleyball teams to compete in regional tournaments since 1990. The Ministry of Tourism and Diaspora Relations and the BTB support the development of sports because it helps to advance Belizean identity and civic pride. Not to mention, sports tourism in Belize has its potential. The mission and vision of Belize’s National Sports Policy is to contribute to Belize’s development by leveraging sports. Progress continues in key areas like training, media, infrastructure, sports education, international cooperation, and others. In disciplines such as basketball, football, and volleyball, Belize’s growing number of sporting facilities and arenas are attracting athletes and spectators from near and far. After our victory this past weekend, no one can dispute the importance of sports development and its benefit to Belizean athletes, society, and tourism. While the volleyball team has already had their victory parade, the BTB is hoping that some of our local tourism stakeholders and partners will clinch a few top places in the 1st annual World Sustainable Travel & Hospitality Awards, being hosted in Belize. Perhaps the home court advantage will apply to tourism as well as it applies to volleyball.
This volleyball victory marks a new era for Belize in the sport and the region. The road to the top of the podium has been decades in the making. As the President of the BVA stated, “it is not an overnight thing…but what was fantastic is that it was dominant”. This time our volleyball stars exploded on the court- a supernova of atomic number (501).
Chat again later.
Jasmine Anderson
For the Belize Tourism Board