The anticipated 2024 Mundialito season is here again, starting with a short opening ceremony on Friday, July 12th, at the Ambergris Stadium, where participants were given jerseys and introduced to their coaches. On Saturday, July 13th, the seven participating teams were celebrated with a grand rally, welcoming one hundred and thirty-three players in this year’s tournament with contestants aged 6-13. Teams participating in the intensifying match include Belize, Argentina, Brazil, France, Portugal, Germany, and Canada.
At 4PM, following the parade, a friendly exhibition match was held, which saw three competing teams: Argentina vs Belize, Germany vs Brazil, and France vs Portugal. The second round of games will be held on Saturday, July 20th, beginning at 4PM with three competing teams: Belize vs Canada, Brazil vs Argentina, and Portugal vs Germany.
From February to May, first-time contestants and competitors who have been in the academy since the first phase trained to prepare for the tournament. This segment is considered the second phase of games, where teams will be meeting their opponents during the week, and on the weekend, they will be competing.
In an interview with The San Pedro Sun, Coach Ada Cordova shared, “We are happy to be hosting the Mundialito this year once again; the children who participated in this year’s competition have been waiting to take part in the tournament with anticipation ever since the year started. For us the Mundialito is very important as these kids who are competing are in the age range of 6-13, and it’s believed that it’s the time when they begin to dream the most and taking sports seriously. Noticing that after this, some will become teenagers and will be entering high school levels, then eventually turning into adults. So, we believe that it’s the perfect time to teach them important life skills such as teamwork, communication, leadership skills, and time management to value their individual strengths while acknowledging the significance of collective effort. And I believe that these kids are very talented and just need a little push to reach their goals, so I am happy to be able to contribute towards this competition.”
The San Pedro Town Council Sports (SPTCS) invites everyone to come out and cheer their favorite team in this year’s season, as it motivates the children to continue pushing towards success. They would also like to thank this year’s sponsors: Castillo’s Hardware Co. Ltd, Alaia Belize, Caramba Restaurant & Bar, Victoria House Resort & Spa, F&S Golf Cart Rentals, Atlantic Bank, Diego Castellanos, and the San Pedro Town Council SPTC. With their support, the staff provides hydration drinks and snacks and assists them with acquiring sports equipment for practice and use during the tournament.
