After a six-year break from competitive inter-island youth sports, the St. Kitts and Nevis Inter-Island Primary Athletics Championship made its triumphant return on May 3, hosted at the state-of-the-art Mondo Track at Nevis Athletic Stadium. Co-organized by SKN Athletics and the Nevis Island Administration (NIA), the long-awaited event drew crowds of enthusiastic track fans and set the stage for the federation’s most promising young primary school athletes to test their skill, speed and grit against their peers from across the two islands.
The competition spanned four age divisions, from Under-9 through Under-13, giving rising male and female athletes the chance to compete for individual and team glory across a full slate of track events. When the final race crossed the finish line, Team Nevis claimed the overall championship title, turning in a dominant performance that earned the squad 19 gold medals, 14 silver medals, and 10 bronze medals. Team St. Kitts turned in a strong showing of their own, racking up 15 golds, 20 silvers, and 16 bronzes to cement the tight, competitive nature of the meet.
Two young standouts earned the highest individual honors of the championship. Roné Isles, a rising star from Team Nevis, secured the title of Victrix Ludorum for her extraordinary multi-event performance. Isles claimed three individual gold medals in the Girls Under-13 400m, Girls Under-13 800m, and Girls Open 1200m, before adding two more gold medals as a key member of the winning Girls Under-13 4x100m and Girls Open 4x400m relay squads. Calvert Gift of Team St. Kitts took home the Victor Ludorum title for his own exceptional performances across the meet.
Hon. Senator Troy Liburd, Nevis Island Administration’s Minister of Education and Youth, joined a wave of public praise for all competing athletes after the event. “On Sunday we celebrated not just a victory, but the power of teamwork, perseverance, and national pride,” Liburd said in his address following the championship. He extended formal congratulations to Team Nevis on their overall win, noting that the result stood as a testament to the relentless dedication of the young athletes, their coaches, and supportive families who nurture growth both on and off the track. “Your collective effort has made the entire Federation proud. Well done, Team Nevis- your success inspires us all,” he added.
Liburd also made a point to celebrate Team St. Kitts’ strong competitive showing, emphasizing that the sportsmanship, mutual respect, and athletic excellence on display throughout the championship perfectly embodied the unifying spirit of healthy competition that the event was built to foster. The championship’s return has already reignited widespread excitement for youth track and field across the federation, with fans and organizers looking ahead to the next installment of the inter-island competition.