Photo Credit: Bowen and Bowen Ltd.
By Aaron Humes: It appears threats of legal action have been made by organizers of the Belikin La Ruta Maya Belize River Challenge following the contretemps over changes to the race’s finishing area and festivities being moved to the Grand Resort and Residences on the Philip Goldson Highway near the Haulover Bridge.
The four-day race will officially end at the Bridge. However, some paddlers are threatening to continue on to the Belcan Bridge anyway, while the Belize Canoe Association has proclaimed that its participants in the race will boycott lead broadcaster LOVE FM. It has also been reported that the organization of the race will change hands next year.
On this morning’s LOVE FM morning show, hosts Rene Villanueva Sr and Troy Gabb maintained that all questions about race logistics have been answered. “If somebody can come up with a better spot, fine then, come up,” Villanueva stated.
Gabb then added, “For those media houses that are pushing this negativity because of their competitive vibe, I wish them well as well, in justification of trying to destroy something that is so patriotic for almost the last thirty years, that is Belizean through and through.” He did not name the media outlets to which he was referring.
He then continued, “For those persons after this, because of the fact that you sought to defame and scandal maybe the sponsors, or libel them as well and the organizers, I wish you well in court as well.” Villanueva added that he was “sad and disappointed” by the route some chose to take. Gabb accused the detractors of “affecting and damaging the psyche of the race” and claimed that they had no solution in place to challenge the decisions of the organizing committee, comparing it to Bad Bunny’s Super Bowl halftime show and the publicity garnered by conservative opposition to his selection.
Earlier, Villanueva responded to questions on how the timing of the race will be dealt with by noting that it was in the hands of the Belize Defence Force and that the route change was “forced” by the forthcoming replacement of the Belcan Bridge which is expected to take up the next three years.
Gabb pointed out that the race has finished elsewhere before, including at the Swing Bridge in its first year, at Bottom Dollar’s former North Front Street location and at Double Head Cabbage rather than Bermudian Landing for the third leg.
The official entrance fee at Grand Resort’s Plaza is ten dollars for adults but children under 12 enter free and parking is free and paddlers still have their traditional passes for family members and parking at the reserved area at Grand Resort.
The post Will lawsuits be instituted following La Ruta Maya race? appeared first on Belize News and Opinion on www.breakingbelizenews.com.
Photo Credit: Bowen and Bowen Ltd. By Aaron Humes: It appears threats of legal action have been made by organizers of the Belikin La Ruta Maya Belize River Challenge following the contretemps over changes to the race’s finishing area and festivities being moved to the Grand Resort and Residences on the Philip Goldson Highway near
The post Will lawsuits be instituted following La Ruta Maya race? appeared first on Belize News and Opinion on www.breakingbelizenews.com.
