BASSETERRE, St. Kitts – The St. Kitts and Nevis Tennis Association (SKNTA) has voted to reappoint Watkins Chiverton as its president during its annual general meeting on April 29, held at the Media Centre of the Warner Park Cricket Complex. Chiverton will lead the association for a new term, with his top priority being securing a permanent, dedicated venue for the sport across the island federation, following news that existing tennis courts have been cut from the upcoming redevelopment plans for Warner Park.
Alongside Chiverton’s return to the top leadership role, the SKNTA confirmed its new executive committee, which remains largely consistent with the previous board. Walwyn Chiverton will stay on as vice president after running unopposed for the position. Zhonee Stapleton has been elected general secretary, with Tracey Wattley taking on the role of assistant secretary, and Neil Owen returning to his post as treasurer. Four additional executive committee members – Genelle Lake, Samuel Rowe, Jamoy Bryan, and Shamara Maynard – were also selected to round out the leadership team.
In his post-election remarks, Chiverton emphasized that the new executive leadership enters office with a clear and ambitious mandate to grow tennis across St. Kitts and Nevis. A core part of this agenda is deepening collaborative ties with the International Tennis Federation’s regional development team. Chiverton explained that this partnership will focus specifically on narrowing the performance gap between Caribbean tennis players and competitors from Central America, who have consistently outperformed regional rivals in international competition in recent years.
Chiverton highlighted that steady progress has been made over his previous term, most notably in expanding youth development programming that has built a stronger pipeline of emerging talent. Local players have also maintained a strong international presence, with national teams representing St. Kitts and Nevis in both the Billie Jean King Cup women’s international competition and the Davis Cup men’s tournament. To continue this upward trajectory, Chiverton noted the association will focus on expanding access to development opportunities, including more structured training, increased court time, and additional competitive match play. These investments, he argued, are critical to helping young players build experience and improve their technical, tactical, and mental skills to compete at the highest international levels.
Despite the positive momentum across the sport, Chiverton highlighted a major looming threat to tennis development in the country: the loss of dedicated court space at Warner Park, the country’s primary multi-sport complex. Under the government’s proposed redevelopment plan for the site, existing tennis courts have been removed from the final design, leaving the SKNTA without a confirmed permanent base for its training and programming.
The outgoing leader-turned-president called the facility shortage a significant challenge that puts recent progress at risk. “It puts us in a state of uncertainty,” he said. “At a time when we’re seeing real progress, not having a proper venue to train and host programmes is a serious risk.”
Chiverton confirmed that high-level talks with government officials will be the association’s top priority in the coming weeks, as the SKNTA seeks formal commitments to protect tennis development and guarantee a permanent home for the sport. St. Kitts and Nevis has recorded one of the most consistent growth rates for tennis among Caribbean sporting bodies in recent years, and Chiverton warned that losing momentum now would constitute a major setback for the entire community.
“What we need are clear commitments that the sport will continue to have a place to grow and thrive,” he added. Official discussions between SKNTA leadership and government representatives are expected to get underway within the next month.