Against the backdrop of a string of standout performances by Saint Lucian athletes at top-tier international competitions, the island nation’s Minister for Youth Development and Sports Kenson Casimir has publicly credited the current Pierre administration for building a supportive ecosystem that has driven this wave of sporting success.
Speaking to journalists during the pre-Cabinet press briefing held on Monday, Casimir — who traveled to Santo Domingo to attend the recent Central American and Caribbean (CAC) Games — drew a direct line between the government’s policy investments and the tangible results achieved by local competitors on the global stage.
The recent run of results speaks for itself: Saint Lucia’s national netball squad claimed a bronze medal at the CAC Games, sailor Luc Chevrier secured a silver medal in his event, and rising sprinter Jady Emmanuel turned heads at the Under-20 World Championships in Eugene, Oregon. Emmanuel not only finished 8th in the competition but also set a new national record of 11.28 seconds in the 100-meter event, marking a new milestone for the country’s track and field program.
Outlining the breadth of the administration’s achievements over its current term, Casimir told reporters that under this government, Saint Lucia has won medals at nearly every major global multi-sport event, with just one exception. “We can see that we have an Olympic medal too. We can see that we have CAC medals. We can see the Pan-American, Commonwealth; we have done well at every global event. I don’t think any government could boast of that level of achievement in sport in a five-year period except one,” he said.
Despite celebrating this unprecedented winning streak, the minister stopped short of declaring the national sports sector fully developed, acknowledging that meaningful work remains to elevate competitive standards across all sports — particularly men’s and women’s football.
“The only sport that we’ve not dominated on a global level as yet is football,” Casimir acknowledged. But he expressed cautious confidence in the long-term trajectory of the sport, noting that the current government has already committed more public and private investment to football development than any preceding administration in the country’s history. “But we will get there. You know we are putting in the work. This government has certainly invested in football more than any government has in our history, and we’re certainly expecting very soon to reap those rewards,” he added.