A landmark new initiative for youth football in the Caribbean is set to launch this week, as three local sports organizations team up to host the first-ever Easter Grassroots Youth Football Festival in Portsmouth, Dominica on April 9, 2026.
Organized through a partnership between Portsmouth Football Academy, Bombers Football Club and Sport Aid Dominica, the one-day competitive gathering will be hosted at Portsmouth’s iconic Benjamin Park, with play running from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. local time, according to an official statement from Bombers Football Club.
Unlike standard regional tournaments, the festival is purpose-built to shine a spotlight on emerging young talent across two age divisions: Under-11 and Under-13. Four squads have already confirmed their participation, drawing competitors from across the region: the host Portsmouth Football Academy, Dominica’s own National Football Academy, Newtown Juvenile Football Academy, and an incoming guest team from neighboring Guadeloupe, Club Sport Guadeloupe. Beyond the excitement of on-pitch competition, the event centers core developmental priorities: honing technical football skills, fostering collaborative teamwork, and upholding the values of respectful sportsmanship among the next generation of players.
The festival has secured wide-ranging institutional and corporate backing to bring the project to life. Hon. Fenella Wenham Shepherd is the event’s lead political supporter, with additional key partnership support from the Dominica Football Association, the Dominica Air and Seaport Authority (DASPA), and local beverage brand Trois Pitons Water. The release emphasizes that this cross-sector collaboration reinforces ongoing momentum for expanding youth-focused and community-rooted sports programs across the island.
What makes the festival stand out is its dual purpose: while it celebrates youth football, it also serves as a core pillar of a broader strategy to grow Dominica’s sports tourism sector. Event organizers are working to cement both Portsmouth and the wider nation as a growing hub for youth football development and cross-regional sporting cooperation. By including a visiting team from Guadeloupe, the event is already taking a critical first step to establish Dominica as a go-to destination for organized, high-quality youth sporting competitions across the Caribbean.
“This festival is about more than football—it is about creating opportunities, building discipline, and opening pathways for our young players,” event organizers shared in comments included in the release. “It is also a step toward developing sports tourism in the north of the island.”
Organizers have already announced long-term plans for the festival, with the goal of turning the one-off inaugural event into a recurring annual staple of the regional youth football calendar. Future iterations are set to expand participation, with invitations open to additional local academies, as well as more teams from across the Caribbean and beyond the region. Local community members are encouraged to attend the event at Benjamin Park to cheer on the young competing athletes.
Easter Grassroots Youth Football Festival kicks off in Portsmouth
