For many years now the people who are involved in the sport of football in Belize have been saying that my relative Bertie Chimillio, has been using the football leagues funds for his own personal activities. Now, that he has been removed from the presidency the government of Belize, along with FIFA, are going to investigate all the financial transactions made under his reign as president of the league.
I just hope and pray that they find no evidence of misappropriation of funds; for if they happen to find any evidence, the consequences against him will be very severe.
Many people have been speaking to me about Bertie Chimillio in Belize and the United States not knowing that we are related and the things they have been saying about him are not nice. I would caution that we make no assumptions until all the evidence is presented to the government of Belize and FIFA, because he should be considered innocent until proven guilty.
Many other Belizeans have been dying for years now to get Bertie Chimillio’s position; not because they possess the necessary skills, experience and education to improve the quality of football in Belize, but because they want to have access and control over the money that he was controlling.
In the Belize National Interdistrict Football Champions of 1975 and 1976 which was controlled by Belize Amateur Football Association (B.A.F.A.), I was a member of the All Orange Walk selection team that ended up in the finals against Dangriga’s Queens Park Rangers that was defeated twice.
In 1975 we were given a gold plated medal, and in 1976 we received a gold-p lated trophy.
This was despite the fact that thousands of dollars were made at M.C.C. Grounds during those years, yet there was no football stadium in the city of Belize. After living in the United States for a few years, I felt that I was used and abused by the people who were controlling football in Belize and I decided to throw both of those trophies in the garbage.
Football is Belize’s No.1 sport, yet over the years the quality of football I see Belizeans playing today is worse than when I was growing up watching and playing the sport.
There is no building that I know of, where our young children can go and gather information on our Belizean football heroes, because there is no Belize Football Hall Of Fame that is active in our country.
There was an attempt by my friends Nick Dujon and Ray Davis years ago, but without any cooperation they got frustrated and gave it up.
I am now 57 years old and if I was to be selected, I might not be around to witness it, like many other great players who are dying yearly.
Belize has not qualified yet to reach the World Cup. Getting rid of Bertie Chimillio is one thing, but there are other fundamental football issues that FIFA, the Belize government and the Belize Football League need to address.
Yours truly,
Wellington C. Ramos
wramos451@hotmail.com
