The 2026 edition of the annual UWI Games marked a historic milestone for the University of the West Indies Five Islands Campus, based in Antigua and Barbuda, as the institution made its first ever appearance at the multi-campus intercollegiate sporting competition. Opening day of the event delivered a mixed bag of results for the campus’ competitive teams, with a standout victory in men’s basketball offset by an early defeat in men’s cricket.
In the day’s cricket matchup, Five Islands’ Frigates squad faced off against the defending-competitive UWI Mona Campus. Winning the coin toss to bat first, the Frigates put together a steady innings that closed at 143 runs for the loss of 3 wickets after their allotted 20 overs. Asher Cornelius, the team’s star batsman, delivered a career-best performance, scoring an impressive 81 runs not out to anchor the innings and set a challenging target for the Mona side.
Despite the solid total on the scoreboard, Mona’s batting unit responded with an unprecedented dominant display. The Mona Campus chased down the required 144 runs in just 12.3 overs, losing only two wickets in the process to secure an emphatic eight-wicket victory over the debutant Five Islands side.
Far from letting the early defeat derail their opening day momentum, the Five Islands campus bounced back in stunning fashion in men’s basketball. Taking on UWI Global Campus, the Frigates male basketball team put on a commanding defensive and offensive display from the opening tip-off, holding their opponents to just 34 points while putting up 67 of their own. The 33-point victory capped off an encouraging opening day for the first-time participants, giving the campus squad valuable momentum heading into the second day of competition.
Looking ahead to Day 2 of the UWI Games 2026, Five Islands will field competitors across four additional disciplines: lawn tennis, table tennis, men’s football, and men’s volleyball. The team will look to build on their opening day basketball win and pick up more positive results as the tournament progresses.
For the Five Islands Campus, this year’s UWI Games is more than just a competition: it is a landmark moment that cements the institution’s growing role within the UWI regional network. The annual UWI Games was created to bring together student-athletes from all 1 of the University of the West Indies’ scattered campuses across the Caribbean, celebrating athletic excellence, campus community spirit, and regional unity among Caribbean nations and peoples.
For supporters unable to attend the competition in person, the full event is being broadcast live via UWItv, which is streaming the action across its official website, Facebook page, and YouTube channel. Full schedules, real-time score updates, direct links to livestreams, and additional event information can be found on the official UWI Games website at www.sta.uwi.edu/uwigames.