Suriname’s national governing body for football, De Surinaamse Voetbal Bond (SVB), has launched a formal review into the nationality eligibility of multiple players across its men’s and women’s national senior teams, the organization confirmed in an official press statement on April 13. The review was triggered by recent media reports that raised questions over potential legal complications related to the nationality status of several of Suriname’s active international footballers. According to the SVB, relevant stakeholders including the players in question and their club employers have already been in contact regarding the issue, and a thorough, detailed assessment of the situation is currently underway. The association stressed that protecting the core interests of the affected players is the top priority throughout the entire review process, with the organization actively monitoring developments as the assessment moves forward. At the same time, the SVB reaffirmed that it remains committed to advancing the competitive sporting goals of its national teams, consistent with the public brand identity of the squads, known as “Natio – The Green Guardians”. In response to the ongoing review, the SVB has made the decision to field a squad drawn entirely from the country’s domestic local league for the upcoming women’s World Cup qualifying match against Belize. The association noted that this unexpected adjustment actually opens a unique door for emerging homegrown talent to gain high-level competitive experience on the international stage. The SVB added that it is working toward a structural, long-term solution that resolves the eligibility question permanently, and will release additional public updates once more concrete information becomes available.
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Antigua Court Finds Driver Liable in Lashauna Bridgen Death; Body to Be Repatriated After Four Years on Ice
After four years of protracted legal battles spanning two court systems, a landmark ruling from the Eastern Caribbean Supreme Court has finally brought a measure of resolution to the family of Lashauna Sheleta Bridgen, a 29-year-old Jamaican security officer and mother of two who was killed in a 2022 road collision in Antigua. The court’s October 2025 judgment found driver Diondre Samuel fully liable for negligence in Bridgen’s death, ending years of legal limbo that left her remains unburied and her family trapped in unresolved grief.
The fatal incident unfolded on January 20, 2022, along Friar’s Hill Road near Jasmine Court. According to official police records from May that year, Bridgen was crossing the road after exiting a vehicle when she was struck by a vehicle operated by Samuel, a resident of All Saints. Investigators determined Samuel was traveling at excessive speed at the time of impact; the force of the collision threw Bridgen more than 100 feet, causing catastrophic multiple injuries that led to her death shortly after she was transported to a local hospital. The initial investigation formally concluded Samuel was at fault and eligible for criminal prosecution.
What followed was an unprecedented dual-track legal process that legal observers have described as a landmark for Caribbean jurisprudence. Criminal proceedings moved forward first, but in June 2025, a jury acquitted Samuel of the charge of causing death by dangerous driving, ruling that prosecution evidence failed to meet the strict “beyond a reasonable doubt” standard required for criminal conviction. Many expected the case to end there, but Bridgen’s family and their legal team refused to drop the matter, pursuing a civil negligence claim under Antigua and Barbuda’s Fatal Accidents Act.
Represented by Salomon and Simpson Attorneys-at-Law, with early consular support from former Jamaican Honorary Consul Dr. Onika Campbell-Rowe, Bridgen’s estate — led by Avagay Hervelyn Cummings on behalf of Bridgen’s mother Christine Evans and brother Chafray Chafral Bridgen — advanced the civil claim through the High Court. In her ruling on Claim No. ANUHCV2022/0491, Justice Tunde A. Byer found Samuel failed to uphold multiple core duties of a responsible driver: he did not maintain a proper lookout for pedestrians, failed to take evasive action to avoid the collision, and did not exercise reasonable care to protect other road users. The justice also rejected the defense’s argument that Bridgen bore any contributory fault for the incident, assigning 100% of liability to Samuel. The full claim was granted, with the final amount of damages set to be determined at a future hearing.
The ruling resolves not just legal liability, but also a four-year delay that left Bridgen’s remains stored in a mortuary, unable to be repatriated to her home country of Jamaica for burial. The family had sought urgent interim funding for mortuary storage and repatriation costs as early as December 2022, but that initial application was denied. An appeal to the Court of Appeal was also dismissed in May 2023, prolonging the family’s emotional agony.
The long four-year wait was also shaped by repeated administrative and procedural delays. Court documents show that for months, Bridgen’s legal team struggled to obtain critical investigative records, including police reports and coroner’s findings, that were required to advance the civil claim. Dr. Campbell-Rowe intervened at the consular level to escalate the matter, submitting formal requests to then Police Commissioner Atlee Rodney in May 2022 to highlight the delays and push for urgent access to records. Formal representations were also made to then Director of Public Prosecutions Anthony Armstrong, emphasizing the strict statutory limitation period for fatal accident claims and warning that unnecessary delays could permanently prejudice the family’s right to seek justice. These persistent efforts ultimately unlocked the documentation needed to move the case forward, allowing the civil claim to proceed within the required legal timeframe.
The outcome of the dual-track process highlights a key difference between criminal and civil legal standards: while criminal courts require proof beyond a reasonable doubt to convict, civil courts only require a “preponderance of the evidence” to find liability. This difference allowed the civil court to hold Samuel responsible even after a criminal acquittal.
In terms of compensation, the ruling requires Samuel’s auto insurance provider to cover all funeral-related costs incurred in Antigua. Any damages that exceed Samuel’s insurance policy limits, however, will remain the personal responsibility of the defendant, once the final damages assessment is complete. The estate’s claim includes special damages, general damages, aggravated damages, accrued interest, and legal costs.
With the liability question resolved, Bridgen’s remains are scheduled to be repatriated to Jamaica on April 14, 2026, four years after her death. For Bridgen’s brother Chafray, the ruling brings an end to years of unbearable emotional strain. “We are finally at a place where the family can breathe a sigh of relief. This process has not been easy — it has been emotionally draining for all of us. For four years, we carried the weight of not being able to lay our loved one to rest, while dealing with delays, pressure, and the trauma that came with everything surrounding this matter,” he said. Echoing a local proverb, he added: “Long run, short ketch. Even though one arm of the law did not find him liable, a second arm of the law has now spoken clearly. Justice has been achieved in the long run.”
Chafray Bridgen also publicly thanked the family’s legal team at Salomon and Simpson, as well as Dr. Campbell-Rowe, for their years of sustained work through an emotionally grueling process. “This has helped to bring justice and closure on behalf of our family,” he said. The case now moves to the damages assessment phase, while the family prepares to lay their loved one to rest at last.
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FIU urgent public advisories: Money Mule and Smishing scams
Grenada’s top financial oversight body, the Financial Intelligence Unit (FIU), has issued two urgent public alerts to warn local residents about two increasingly common financial fraud schemes that have targeted people in the country recently: money mule scams and smishing attacks targeting bank customers.
The first scam, the money mule scheme, preys on people seeking quick, easy side income by exploiting their personal bank accounts to move stolen funds out of Grenada’s borders. Scammers typically initiate contact through a friend or an unexpected online connection, offering a casual job that requires the target to simply allow funds to be deposited into their personal account in exchange for a cut of the money. Once stolen funds are transferred into the target’s account, the scammers instruct the target to withdraw the full sum and forward the majority of it to an overseas account via local money service remittance providers, letting the target keep a small portion as payment for their role. The FIU emphasizes that participating in this scheme is not a harmless side gig—it is a serious criminal offense. Anyone who agrees to let their account be used to receive and transfer these illicit funds can face charges for money laundering and handling proceeds of crime, which carry penalties including heavy fines and imprisonment. To avoid falling victim and facing legal consequences, the FIU urges residents to never share personal bank account details to support unvetted, illegitimate transactions, never withdraw or transfer funds that are not rightfully their own. If approached by scammers, individuals should contact their bank immediately and file a report with the FIU right away.
Alongside the money mule warning, the FIU also issued an alert about a surge in smishing attacks—fraudulent text messaging campaigns that specifically target Grenadian bank customers. These scams use fake text messages sent from local Grenadian phone numbers to trick recipients. The messages typically claim the recipient’s bank account has been suspended or that suspicious unusual activity has been detected, and include a clickable link that claims to let the user fix the issue immediately. While these messages and accompanying fake pages are often designed to look identical to legitimate bank communications, they are entirely fraudulent. If a recipient clicks the link, they are redirected to a convincing fake bank website that mirrors the design of a real local bank portal. When targets enter their full banking credentials—including their full name, account password, authentication codes, and registered email address—the stolen information is immediately sent to the criminals behind the scam. With this access, scammers can take full control of the victim’s bank account and linked email, then transfer all available funds out of the account within hours. Even if the account holds no balance at the time of the attack, the account and personal information remain permanently compromised.
To protect against smishing attacks, the FIU outlines clear safety guidelines that all bank customers should follow. Consumers should never click links included in unsolicited text messages or emails claiming to be from their bank, and should never share personal or banking-sensitive information through SMS links or third-party web portals. One-time passwords and two-factor authentication codes should never be shared with any third party, even someone claiming to be a bank representative. Instead of clicking links from messages, users should always manually type their bank’s official web address into their browser to access their account. Any message claiming account issues should be verified by calling the bank directly through its official publicly listed contact number. If an individual realizes they have already fallen victim to a smishing attack, they are instructed to contact their bank immediately to lock the account, change all passwords for both online banking and linked email accounts, and submit a full report to the FIU for investigation. A key reminder from the FIU: no legitimate bank will ever ask customers to verify or restore their account access via a text message link. The core rule of thumb for consumers to avoid this scam is simple: don’t click, don’t share, don’t send sensitive information.
This public advisory is released by the Financial Intelligence Unit of Grenada, with the outlet NOW Grenada noting that it does not take responsibility for opinions or content shared by contributing official bodies, and provides a channel for users to report abusive content if encountered.
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GTA targets high-yield growth and MICE Opportunities in Guyana
After four days of targeted industry discussions and collaborative engagements, the Grenada Tourism Authority (GTA) has wrapped up a high-stakes sales mission in Guyana, laying new groundwork for expanded tourism cooperation between the two Caribbean neighbours. The core goal of the mission was to strengthen existing bilateral tourism partnerships and unlock untapped growth pathways that benefit both island nations.
A central priority of the GTA’s outreach centered on the fast-expanding Meetings, Incentives, Conferences, and Events (MICE) sector. During one-on-one and group sessions with Guyanese corporate stakeholders, GTA representatives showcased Grenada’s world-class event infrastructure and proven ability to host everything from small executive retreats to large-scale regional professional forums. These presentations positioned Grenada’s tri-island destination as a flexible, attractive option for the Guyanese business community seeking unique event locations outside traditional markets.
Beyond corporate and MICE-focused travel, the mission also included structured technical briefings with local travel trade partners in Guyana. These sessions updated industry stakeholders on the latest developments across Grenada’s tourism ecosystem, from ongoing upgrades to airlift connectivity between the two countries to the rapid expansion of Grenada’s luxury and boutique accommodation offerings. Representatives also outlined plans for new custom-curated travel experiences tailored to the varied preferences of Guyana’s local population and large expatriate community.
Tornia Charles, Chief Marketing Officer at the GTA, emphasized the strategic logic behind the mission, noting that Guyana’s rapidly evolving economy has driven equally rapid shifts in the travel habits and expectations of its residents. “This mission was designed to align our tourism product with those shifting demands, ensuring that Grenada’s business and experiential offerings directly meet the rising expectations of this maturing market,” Charles explained.
The outcomes of the in-country engagements align closely with the GTA’s broader regional development goals, with insights and feedback collected during the mission set to shape the authority’s future marketing campaigns and trade support initiatives.
Melinda Telesford, Marketing Executive at the GTA, added that the on-the-ground engagement gave the GTA team unparalleled insight into the needs of Guyanese travelers. “This mission allowed us to go beyond the surface and truly understand the pulse of the Guyanese traveller. We found a remarkable alignment between Guyana’s growing professional class and Grenada’s diverse experiential offerings, which will allow us to curate a bespoke marketing roadmap for this market moving forward,” Telesford said.
By targeting both the fast-growing corporate MICE segment and the rising demand for premium leisure travel, the GTA is moving beyond conventional destination promotion to build a long-term, sustainable cross-Caribbean tourism corridor. This strategic positioning ensures that as Guyana’s travel market continues to mature, Grenada is well-prepared to welcome a new wave of discerning, experienced travelers seeking unique Caribbean getaways.
Disclaimer: NOW Grenada does not assume responsibility for opinions or statements shared by contributing parties. Users may report content violations through designated official channels.
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Grenada to Venice: New work rooted in experience
As the 61st La Biennale di Venezia approaches, two seasoned Grenadian artists with more than three decades of collective creative experience each are putting the finishing touches on an innovative new body of work that will anchor Grenada’s national pavilion at the world’s most prestigious international art exhibition. Chris Mast and Lilo Nido, both long-time staples of Grenada’s contemporary art scene, have crafted a collaborative presentation that weaves together their distinct individual artistic trajectories while highlighting their shared commitment to exploring materiality, place and emotional connection through their practice.
Chris Mast, an alumna of Humboldt State University (now California State Polytechnic University, Humboldt), has built her reputation on a bold assemblage practice that centers found and upcycled materials. She transforms discarded everyday objects into layered, thought-provoking visual narratives, drawing constant inspiration from close observation of the world around her and reinterpreting overlooked items to carry new meaning. Across her decades of practice, Mast has refined this approach to create work that bridges ecological awareness and visual storytelling.
Her collaborator Lilo Nido is a photographer and multimedia artist whose practice is shaped by decades of global travel that have deeply influenced her creative perspective. Guided by intuition and emotional resonance, Nido subscribes to the core belief that art can transcend cultural divides, that heartfelt creation speaks a universal language that resonates across audiences. In recent years, she has expanded her practice beyond photography to include evolving experimental textile works that lean into this philosophy.
What unites both artists’ practices beyond their shared connection to Grenada’s creative community is a deep exploration of handpainted batik, a traditional textile art form that both creators reimagine through a contemporary lens. They merge the tactile, centuries-old tradition of batik with modern expressive techniques, creating a dialogue between contrasting artistic approaches: Mast’s structured, material-focused assemblage works converse with Nido’s intuitive, spontaneous multimedia practice, resulting in a presentation that balances discipline and creative risk.
Both artists have previously shown work both individually and collectively in multiple exhibitions organized by the Grenada Arts Council (GAC), which supports the Grenada Pavilion’s participation in the Venice Biennale. This marks the ninth time Grenada has hosted a national pavilion at the Venice Biennale overall since it first joined the event in 2015: six of these pavilions have been presented during the international art exhibition, with three featured during the parallel architecture Biennale. For 2024, their new collaborative work marks both a continuation of each artist’s individual creative journey and a powerful point of convergence, where decades of experience, experimental curiosity and the unique context of Grenada’s creative landscape intersect to welcome a global audience of art lovers to Grenada’s ninth presentation at the iconic event.
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Belize City Teen Still Missing Four Days Later
In Belize City, a grieving family remains trapped in a nightmare of uncertainty, as 17-year-old Alwin Marin Junior has now been missing for four days following a violent incident that claimed the life of his fishing companion.
Marin was last spotted last Thursday, when he left his family home to head out on a routine fishing trip with 18-year-old Jaheil Westby. But what began as an ordinary outing quickly turned to tragedy: by the pre-dawn hours of Friday, searchers found Westby’s body in a thick, bushy plot of land behind the Port of Belize Limited facility in the Port Loyola neighborhood. Preliminary examinations confirmed the young man died from apparent gunshot wounds, leaving investigators with more questions than answers. Marin has not been heard from or seen by family or authorities since the day the pair left for their trip.
Now, Marin’s mother, Patricia Cardinez, is speaking out to share her theory about what triggered the violence that has upended her family’s life. In an exclusive interview with local outlet News Five, Cardinez insisted her son had no history of conflict with others, but suggested that people close to the teen may hold grudges against him. “My son has no problem with nobody. But people have problems with my son. And I believe somebody who is in this has to be somebody close to my son, whom my son trusts,” she said.
Cardinez also pointed to a specific, recent disagreement that she believes may be linked to the incident: an argument over ownership of a horse that unfolded shortly before Marin and Westby left for their fishing trip. “Whosoever he had a talking about this horse, that is the person they have to search for,” she urged investigators.
As the search stretches into its fourth day, a desperate Cardinez says her family has exhausted all local efforts to locate her son, and is now pleading for higher-level authorities to step in to aid the search. “As a mother right now, we done search to find him… I need somebody more stronger who could come in and find him, so we could put him down and make him rest. Because if he don’t rest, I won’t rest neither,” she said, her voice heavy with grief and worry.
The family’s plea for help has expanded to social media, where a relative shared a public post asking the broader Belizean community for any information that could lead to Marin’s recovery. The post describes Marin as a kind, hardworking young man, and asks residents to keep an eye out for the 17-year-old brown-skinned teen. “We beg you all… he’s 17 brown skin you all plz help us,” the post reads.
As of Monday, official police investigations into Westby’s death and Marin’s disappearance remain ongoing. While one family has already begun mourning the loss of Westby, Marin’s loved ones continue to cling to the fragile hope that their son will be found, even as uncertainty grows with each passing day.
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Govt partners with UNFPA to strengthen GBV protections ahead of disasters
When natural disasters and humanitarian crises strike, the heightened danger of gender-based violence (GBV) against women and girls is often pushed to the margins of emergency response — a gap that the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA) is working to close through a new pre-crisis preparedness initiative in partnership with the Barbados government.
Kicking off Monday at UN House in Hastings, a two-day multi-stakeholder workshop brought together representatives from government agencies, UN bodies, and community organizations to strengthen cross-sector coordination and build robust protection frameworks for vulnerable groups ahead of future disasters. The event is led by UNFPA in collaboration with Barbados’ Bureau of Gender Affairs, centered on a core premise: emergency protection systems cannot be built from scratch when a crisis is already unfolding.
Jenny Karlsen, Deputy Director of UNFPA’s Subregional Office for the Caribbean, told local outlet Barbados TODAY that pre-disaster coordination is critical to preventing GBV response from being deprioritized amid competing emergency needs. “When a disaster hits, immediate priorities like securing clean water and food understandably take the spotlight, but the reality is that risks of gender-based violence spike dramatically in these chaotic, disrupted settings,” Karlsen explained. “Without pre-existing systems in place, protection needs for women and girls are too often overlooked when they are most at risk.”
Over the course of the workshop, participants are mapping coordinated service delivery across government ministries and non-governmental sectors, exploring strategies to center youth input in solution-building, and addressing often-overlooked specific needs of women and girls. One key topic of discussion is integrating menstrual hygiene management into disaster preparedness: the group is working to establish protocols for pre-positioning and distributing sanitary hygiene products to vulnerable communities, a basic need that regularly goes unmet in emergency response.
A major systemic barrier the workshop aims to address is the global and local gap in disaggregated data on disaster-related GBV. Currently, underreporting and weak reporting mechanisms mean experts lack an accurate picture of how many women and girls are affected during crises. Many survivors avoid coming forward to report abuse due to stigma, unsafe conditions, and lack of accessible reporting pathways — challenges that are amplified in the aftermath of disasters. UNFPA’s initiative prioritizes expanding data collection and reforming existing reporting frameworks to make it safer and easier for survivors to seek support.
The gathering also turned attention to an emerging, rapidly growing threat: virtual and online gender-based violence. Karlsen noted that global data shows a steady rise in online abuse against women and girls, and the impacts of this form of violence during disasters are still not fully understood. As part of its global work to address this gap, UNFPA has already rolled out capacity-building workshops to analyze emerging evidence on online GBV, but much remains to be learned about its specific dynamics during crises.
Last year, UNFPA’s Caribbean subregion released research examining online violence against women in public life, which confirmed the trend of rising digital abuse across the region. “Online GBV affects every woman and girl, from young people growing up in a digital world to women in public leadership,” Karlsen said. “Addressing this evolving challenge requires coordinated action across legislation, policy, and public awareness. It is an emerging threat that we can no longer afford to ignore as we build more inclusive, effective disaster preparedness systems.”
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Bus Operators Say 75% of Earnings Now Goes Just to Fuel
A looming public transportation crisis is set to upend daily travel for thousands of Belizeans, with independent bus operators announcing they could suspend all services within days if the national government fails to deliver urgent financial support. The warning, delivered by Philip Jones – president of the Belize Bus Association and a veteran city bus operator – paints a dire picture of an industry pushed to the breaking point by spiraling operational costs and institutional gridlock.
The crisis traces back to a decision from Belize’s Cabinet last Friday, when policymakers delayed acting on two critical demands from the association: a long-requested fare adjustment and a targeted fuel subsidy to offset global price spikes. Jones describes the financial pressure facing association members as “colossal”, a burden that has already made daily route operations unsustainable for dozens of small operators.
Global market volatility driven by ongoing Middle East conflict has sent fuel prices surging across Belize, eating into operator revenues at an unprecedented rate. Jones confirmed that 75% of the average operator’s daily earnings now go exclusively to covering fuel costs – leaving almost no disposable income for mandatory vehicle maintenance, employee wages, or even earnings for the business owners themselves. “Many days we don’t get a salary as owners,” Jones explained, highlighting the cascading impact of rising energy costs across small transportation businesses.
Tensions have also spilled over into long-simmering friction between independent operators and the state-linked National Bus Company (NBC). Jones reports that association members have lost faith in the Minister of Transport to advance their interests, accusing the minister of withholding support to pressure independent operators into aligning with the state-run NBC. The operators have already raised allegations of anti-competitive practices by NBC, including so-called “sniper runs” where state-owned buses cut off independently scheduled routes to pick up passengers first, further eroding already thin profit margins for small businesses.
In a push to break the current deadlock, Jones has begun drafting a formal letter requesting a direct meeting with Prime Minister John Briceño to address the crisis. The association is also renewing a long-standing demand for a representative seat on the national transport board – a position the group has been denied since Jones first formally requested the representation in writing back in September 2025. Without immediate intervention from the prime minister, Jones warns, commuters across the country who rely on independent bus service for work, school, and essential travel could be left stranded without notice.
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Saint Lucia win, lose in Windwards U19 Cricket
The 2024 Winlott Inc Windward Islands Under-19 Men’s Super50 Championship has gotten off to an explosive start, with defending champions and host nation Dominica jumping to the top of the early tournament standings after securing wins in both of its opening weekend matches. The opening two days of play delivered a mix of surprise upsets and dominant performances from the four competing teams, with 2023 runners-up Saint Lucia splitting its opening fixtures: a commanding victory over St Vincent & the Grenadines followed by a tight low-scoring loss to Grenada.
Sunday’s clash at Portsmouth’s Benjamin’s Park delivered one of the opening weekend’s standout individual performances, as left-arm spinner Shamel Hillaire’s incredible 6-wicket haul for just 26 runs guided Grenada to a 20-run victory over Saint Lucia. Grenada won the toss and elected to bat first in the 35-over limited-overs contest, posting a total of 123 all out. Unusually, the team’s top scorer was extras, which contributed 29 runs to the total. Five Grenadian batters reached double figures, with Kemile Abraham top-scoring among registered players with 24 runs off 65 deliveries.
In Saint Lucia’s bowling attack, fast bowler Bjorn Fanis turned in the most impressive performance, claiming 3 wickets for 23 runs from his 6.1 overs. The paceman put consistent pressure on Grenada’s middle and lower order, breaking key partnerships to keep Grenada’s total well below 150. All-rounder Cody Fontenelle chipped in with 2 wickets for 26 runs from six overs, while Saint Lucia captain Theo Edward also picked up 2 wickets for just 21 runs from his five overs. Opener Liam Wilson, though he finished the innings without a wicket, delivered extremely economical spell, conceding only seven runs from four full overs.
Chasing a modest target of 124 runs to win within 35 overs, Saint Lucia got off to a flying start, reaching 30 runs without loss after the first five overs. Captain Edward got the chase off to a steady start, scoring 15 runs off 15 balls, and the team’s momentum held through the next three overs, adding another 12 runs. The first wicket fell when opening partner Roystan Fannis was dismissed for nine runs, followed quickly by Johnathan Daniel’s departure for 11 runs, which left Saint Lucia at 43 for 3 wickets.
A 30-run stand in 36 balls between Tyler Venner and Aiden Scholar stabilized the innings briefly, but Venner’s dismissal for a team-high 16 runs at the hands of Hillaire triggered a dramatic late-order collapse. Hillaire went on to claim six of the last seven Saint Lucian wickets, and also assisted in a runout to wrap up the innings, bowling Saint Lucia out for 103 runs. Only four batters from Saint Lucia managed to reach double figures in the disappointing chase.
The day before Sunday’s loss, Saint Lucia delivered a dominant display against St Vincent & the Grenadines at the Geneva Playing Field, sealing a 163-run victory to open its tournament campaign. Put in to bat first after losing the toss, Saint Lucia posted a competitive total of 208 all out in 43.5 overs, led by Jean Claude Emmanuel’s 41 and Johnathan Daniel’s 44. Fontenelle chipped in with a useful 33, while Kanil Nelson contributed 15 to the total. For St Vincent & the Grenadines, bowler Kazado Henry turned in a strong individual performance with 4 wickets for 30 runs.
In response, St Vincent & the Grenadines’ batting line-up collapsed completely, being bowled out for just 45 runs in 16.1 overs. Young fast bowler Nathaniel Joseph produced a devastating five-wicket haul for Saint Lucia, taking 5 wickets for only 17 runs from his six overs, while Wilson picked up two additional wickets to help finish off the innings.
As the tournament moves into its next round of fixtures, Saint Lucia is scheduled to face undefeated table-toppers Dominica on Tuesday, in what is shaping up to be one of the most anticipated matches of the early group stage.
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Paradise edge Bagatelle to extend lead
Matchweek action in the Barbados Football Association Premier League unfolded at the BFA Technical Centre in Wildey this Sunday, delivering three tense, tightly contested fixtures that shook up the top of the table and left title race dynamics far from settled.
Opening the triple-header, league leaders Paradise notched a hard-fought 2-1 victory over Bagatelle to stretch their advantage at the summit. The dominant opening 20 minutes of play spelled disaster for Bagatelle: Tyrel Rayside-Demondonca broke the deadlock for Paradise in the 18th minute, and just three minutes later, Kamoil Griffith doubled the lead to put Paradise firmly in control. Bagatelle mounted a comeback effort in the second half, pulling one goal back in the 61st minute, but Paradise held firm to fend off the late pressure and secure all three points.
Speaking to reporters from Barbados TODAY after the final whistle, Paradise head coach Mario Harte expressed satisfaction with the result while highlighting areas his squad must improve ahead of upcoming fixtures. “The first half was relatively straightforward, we were in complete control,” Harte said. “But football shifts momentum quickly, and in the second half, most of the positive play went Bagatelle’s way – they deserve credit for that. I also have to praise my guys for staying resilient and fighting for these points, especially when we didn’t have many substitutions to turn to. We’re missing suspended striker Sheran Hoyte and a handful of other key players, so getting three points was always our top priority.”
With this win, Paradise now sits atop the table with 27 points, pulling two points clear of closest title rivals and defending champions Weymouth Wales. Ellerton occupy third place on 23 points, while Kickstart Rush sit just behind in fourth with the same point total, separated only by goal difference – and Kickstart Rush holds a game in hand over all the top sides. No club has held a lead larger than four points at any point this season, and Paradise has spent more weeks in first place than any other competitor. When asked how his squad is handling the pressure of leading a tight title race, Harte noted his team has adjusted well to the challenge. “Honestly, I’m glad we’ve gotten back-to-back early 4 p.m. kicks,” he explained. “Getting our result out of the way first puts immediate pressure on the teams chasing us, and that works to our advantage.”
In the day’s second fixture, Ellerton overcame a slew of squandered chances to grind out a 1-0 win over UWI Blackbirds. Anson Barrow scored the match’s only goal in the 31st minute: after controlling a cross neatly inside the 18-yard box, he fired a powerful shot past UWI goalkeeper K’den Hee Chung. Barrow had missed a far clearer scoring opportunity earlier in the half, but his one successful finish was enough to carry Ellerton to victory. UWI Blackbirds remain in seventh place in the standings with 12 points after the loss.
Ellerton head coach Corey Barrow shared his mixed feelings after the match, coming off a disappointing defeat to Kickstart the previous week. “It was an ugly performance, but it got the job done,” he said. “An ugly win is always better than a pretty loss, but we made this game far more difficult than it needed to be. At the end of the day, though, three points is all that matters right now. This league is just like the English Premier League – the table is so tight, every point counts, and every match feels like a cup final. I’m not happy with how we played, but I’m grateful for the result. That said, our lack of cutting edge in attack does concern me. With the attacking talent we have on this squad, we should be creating more chances and putting more goals away.”
The final match of the evening saw defending champions Weymouth Wales navigate a stubborn defensive block from St Andrew Lions to claim a crucial 2-1 win. Rashad Jules put Weymouth Wales ahead in the 36th minute, and Ranaldo Trim extended the lead to 2-0 with a stunning long-range strike in the 85th minute that looked to have put the result to bed. St Andrew Lions grabbed a late lifeline when Shamar Edwards converted a penalty in stoppage time, but Weymouth Wales held on to protect their lead and take all three points.
Like the other top winning sides on the day, Weymouth Wales’ coaching staff voiced mixed feelings about the performance. The defending champions have looked out of sync for much of the season, a trend that continued on Sunday. “Getting three points is always a good outcome, but as a coaching staff, we’re not happy with how we finished our chances tonight,” assistant coach Andrew Jean said. “We missed so many clear opportunities that would have put this game to bed much earlier. We’re working on that in training, and we hope to clean up that mistake moving forward. We’ve been focusing on attacking drills for the last two weeks, because wastefulness in front of goal has been one of our biggest weaknesses all season. The guys just need to apply themselves better in front of goal. Our goal right now is to win every remaining match in this round. We’re still the defending champions, and we fully believe we can retain our title.”
Premier League action is set to resume tomorrow evening at the BFA Technical Centre with another double header kicking off at 7 p.m. Kickstart Rush can climb back into second place with a win against bottom-of-the-table Wotton, who remain winless and point-less this season after forfeiting their most recent fixture. In the night’s second match, Brittons Hill United will look to jump back into third place when they face off against Eyre’s Meatshop Pride of Gall Hill. Brittons Hill currently sit fifth in the table with 22 points, while Gall Hill occupy eighth place on 11 points. Gall Hill will be eager to extend the gap between themselves and ninth-placed St Andrew Lions, who sit in the relegation zone with just six points from 12 matches played so far this campaign.