Amandala

What is Amandala?

Amandala is a Belizean newspaper with a website at amandala.com.bz. Its about page states: “AMANDALA, a biweekly newspaper published on Tuesdays and Fridays, was founded as an organ of the United Black Association for Development (UBAD), which emerged on August 13, 1969.”^[2] The site's title line reads “Amandala Newspaper”, followed by the paper's own slogan, “Belize's Leading Newspaper”, which is its self-description.^[1]

The about page names Evan X Hyde as publisher and places the paper alongside KREM, which it calls “the first independent radio station which broke government monopoly over the airwaves on November 17, 1989”, and KREM TV, which it says was established in 2004.^[2] No owning company or current shareholding is stated on the pages retrieved, and none is given here.

What does Amandala cover?

Sport is published on a path of the news site, amandala.com.bz/news/category/sports/.^[3]

Basketball. Amandala reported that the Belize City Defenders won the 2026 National Elite Basketball League (NEBL) championship on 17 July 2026, beating the Belikin Orange Walk Running Rebels 70–68 in game four at the Orange Walk Multipurpose Complex to take the series 3–1.^[4] Its sports page also carried an earlier finals report headed “Defenders lead NEBL Finals, 2-1”.^[3]

Youth and schools. On 7 July 2026 it reported what it called the first Super Nationals High Schools Football Championships, organised by the National Sports Council for under-17 boys by district and won by Belize District, 4–0 over Toledo District, at the Marion Jones Sports Complex.^[5] Its sports page lists companion reports on the NSC Super Nationals in volleyball and under-17 girls' basketball.^[3]

Football. On 21 July 2026 it reported the second round of the National Amateur Inter-district Championship (NAIC), which it states is organised by the Football Federation of Belize, and gave the quarter-final pairings for 25 and 26 July.^[6] The same page lists reports on the FIFA World Cup, whose final was played on 19 July 2026.^[3]

How large is Amandala's audience?

No audited readership survey or circulation audit for Belizean newspapers was retrieved, so no independent figure can be given.

The paper's about page states: “AMANDALA has been the nation's most read newspaper since Belize's Independence in 1981.” It cites no measurement for the claim, which is the paper's own.^[2]

Since when has Amandala existed?

The paper's own account ties its founding to UBAD, “which emerged on August 13, 1969”, and states that “Even after UBAD was divided and later dissolved in 1974, AMANDALA remained.” It describes the first issue as “a stenciled sheet (looking somewhat like a newsletter)”, begun after UBAD members and supporters subscribed $250 in donations.^[2]

The about page does not give the date of the first issue, so the founding is given here only as the paper describes it.

Why does Amandala matter in Belize's sport?

Amandala reports the national basketball league through its finals, the National Sports Council's youth championships and the amateur inter-district football championship, with scores, venues and dates.^[4][5][6]

It is published twice weekly and sits in the same group of media as KREM radio and KREM TV, by its own account.^[2] Its claim to be the most read newspaper is its own and was not checked against any measurement.