Football is the most popular sport in Belize although it receives very little help from the government or private industry. Although Belize has moulded superb basketball players for the USA in addition to one of the best ever track and field athletes, Marion Jones, for the international and Olympic scene, footballers have so far been few and far between. Their record on the world football stage is equally modest.
The first Goal Project
On 25 November 2002, in the presence of Prime Minister Said Musa and President Anthony Chanona, FIFA President Joseph S. Blatter inaugurated the football academy in Belmopan that had been built with the help of Goal. The complex will primarily be used for developing youth football. It contains two buildings with enough room to accommodate 34 players, coaches and officials, a kitchen and restaurant, lecture rooms and offices. Both pitches are suitable for competitions; one of them was even refurbished as a small stadium to accommodate 5,000 spectators. The costs of the project were borne by Goal and the FIFA Financial Assistance Progamme, whereas the national association funded the two grass pitches. The municipality of Belmopan supplied the land to enable this unique training centre to be built for Belize.
 |
 |
The second Goal project
To enhance the headquarters of the Football Federation of Belize (F.F.B.) in Belmopan, which were constructed in the federations first Goal project, a training centre with dressing rooms, stands, floodlights and parking has been built on the same site, providing the F.F.B. with adjoining football facilities and thus helping it fulfil its task of promoting the game at domestic level. The Goal Bureau approved this project on 3 December 2006 and work started immediately.
