The Archery Association of Saint Vincent and the Grenadines (SVG), Inc. brought the nation’s top archery talent together this past Saturday for its annual outdoor national championships, hosted at the purpose-built National Archery Range in Belair. What made this year’s competition stand out from all prior iterations was a landmark first for SVG archery: for the first time in the association’s history, elite competitors got the chance to test their skills at the official Olympic distance of 70 meters, alongside new and emerging athletes competing in the dedicated beginner and development divisions. This expansion of competition categories reflects the sport’s steady growth across the island nation, creating pathways for new competitors to progress to elite international standards.
Even before the elimination rounds got underway, archers faced an unexpected challenge in the form of sweltering hot weather that pushed every athlete’s physical and mental stamina to the limit. Despite the grueling conditions, competitors pushed through their 72-arrow qualifying rounds, and their standout performances delivered a historic milestone for the association: multiple new national records were set across the competition’s divisions, underscoring the rising caliber of SVG archery.
After the conclusion of qualifying, athletes advanced to a knockout elimination round, where competitors were narrowed down to determine the gold, silver, and bronze medalists in each category. The elimination matches delivered no shortage of drama, with one division requiring a tense shoot-off to break a tie and decide the podium placements.
When the final arrows landed, the full list of medal winners spanned every division: In the Men’s 70m Recurve event, Rayon Clarke claimed gold and Ian Gibson took silver. The Women’s 70m Recurve division awarded gold to Karen Palmer and silver to Richol Richards. For Men’s 50m Recurve Development, Vanburn Harry won gold, Adrian Parris took silver, and Tristan Ballah earned bronze. The 30m Recurve Beginner Combined division saw Alexys Liverpool take gold, Dreden Lewis claim silver, and Garvanique Walters finish with bronze. Finally, in the Men’s 30m Barebow Beginner category, Kobi Branch won gold and Kris Simmons took silver.
The event received official government support, with Minister of Sports Kaschaka Cupid and Senator Chelsea Alexander making an on-site visit to meet with athletes, organizers, and spectators, reaffirming the government’s backing for growing archery in SVG.
Looking ahead, the event served as a critical qualifying opportunity for upcoming international competitions. A two-person team from SVG will travel to Barbados later this month to compete in the Barbados Senior Games, followed by a much larger 11-member delegation heading to Guyana this October. In Guyana, the team will compete in both the 2026 Caribbean Development Championships and the first-ever inaugural Caribbean Championships, marking a new chapter of international competition for SVG archery.