As the 2026 Central American and Caribbean (CAC) Games approaches, the Antigua and Barbuda National Olympic Committee (ABNOC) has finalized plans to dispatch a 16-strong delegation to the centennial edition of the tournament, which will kick off in Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic, running from July 24 to August 8 2026.
Widely recognized as the oldest continuous regional multi-sport event on the globe, this year’s milestone CAC Games is projected to welcome more than 6,500 competing athletes across 40 distinct sporting disciplines, drawing top talent from across the Caribbean and Central American region.
Leading Antigua and Barbuda’s contingent will be Thomas Greenaway, ABNOC’s First Vice-President, who will take on the role of Chef de Mission. Leveraging decades of hands-on experience organizing and managing regional sporting events, Greenaway will oversee the team competing across six sports: Athletics, Swimming, Table Tennis, Beach Volleyball, Weightlifting, and Sailing.
The 2026 tournament carries special historic meaning for Antigua and Barbuda: it marks the first time the island nation has entered athletes into Olympic-style weightlifting at the CAC Games. For sailing, the country will field competitors across three separate disciplines, while table tennis continues its upward trajectory as a growing part of Antigua and Barbuda’s national sports development program.
In a statement on the upcoming Games, ABNOC Secretary General Cliff Williams emphasized the unique value the tournament provides for the nation’s emerging athletic talent. “The CAC Games offer an unmatched platform for our athletes to test their skills and gain critical competitive experience against the top competitors across the region,” Williams explained. “We are incredibly proud to field this focused, dedicated team, which includes athletes making historic first-time appearances for Antigua and Barbuda. We are eager to see strong performances from every competitor and to advance the long-term development of all our national sporting programs.”
One major hurdle organizers and athletes are currently navigating is a direct scheduling overlap between the 2026 CAC Games and the 2026 Commonwealth Games, which falls during the same mid-year window. The conflict is particularly acute for track and field athletes: CAC Games athletics events are scheduled for August 3 to 8, while the Commonwealth athletics competition is held earlier in the same overall period. While this overlap leaves open the possibility for elite athletes to compete in both tournaments, it requires meticulous advanced planning to manage travel, training, and recovery. To address this challenge, ABNOC has been working in close collaboration with athletes, coaching staff, and event partners to coordinate logistics, finalize team selection, and plan recovery protocols, all with the goal of helping every athlete deliver their best possible performance in Santo Domingo.