Carib Scope

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  • Antigua Racing Cup Delivers a Blistering Opening Day

    Antigua Racing Cup Delivers a Blistering Opening Day

    The highly anticipated Antigua Racing Cup launched its 2024 edition on Saturday, treating thousands of spectators gathered along the tropical Caribbean coastline to an opening day filled with nonstop drama, blistering speed, and unexpected upsets that lived up to every bit of the event’s growing reputation as one of the region’s premier sailing competitions.

    Organizers had spent more than six months upgrading race infrastructure, expanding spectator viewing areas, and recruiting a stacked field of 42 teams from 11 countries, ranging from seasoned Olympic medal contenders to up-and-coming amateur sailing squads hungry to make their mark on the international stage. The opening day’s conditions could not have been more ideal for high-stakes racing: steady 15 to 20-knot trade winds blew across clear blue waters, with bright sunshine and moderate temperatures creating perfect conditions for both competitors and fans.

    The first set of preliminary fleet races delivered immediate excitement, when a relative newcomer squad from Antigua’s own local youth sailing program pulled off a surprise victory over a heavily favored team from the United Kingdom that had entered the cup ranked second in the regional rankings. The local crew, led by 22-year-old skipper Mia Campbell, navigated the 12-nautical-mile course with precise tactical decisions, capitalizing on a shift in wind direction to overtake three leading boats in the final two miles of the race to claim the top spot. “This is what we’ve trained for, we wanted to show that local teams can compete with the best in the world, and today we did that,” Campbell told reporters after the finish.

    Other standout performances on opening day came from the defending cup champions, a professional team from New Zealand, who won two of their three opening races to sit atop the overall leaderboard heading into day two of competition. The team’s skipper, Peter Thompson, noted that the conditions had tested every crew’s adaptability, calling the opening day one of the most competitive he had experienced in the cup’s history. “You can’t make a single mistake out here, every shift matters, every tactical call can change the result,” Thompson said.

    Beyond the on-water action, opening day also featured a series of community events designed to introduce local young people to sailing, including free introductory clinics and a parade of participating boats through Antigua’s English Harbour. Event organizers reported that ticket sales for the 5-day competition are up 18% compared to the 2023 edition, with more than 12,000 visitors expected to attend over the course of the event, providing a major boost to Antigua and Barbuda’s tourism sector during the peak winter travel season. Racing is set to continue through Wednesday, with the final championship race scheduled for Sunday afternoon.

  • Olympic Sports Scholarships Yielding Record Results

    Olympic Sports Scholarships Yielding Record Results

    For small Central American nation Belize, a targeted investment in homegrown athletic talent is already surpassing early expectations, with an Olympic-backed scholarship program delivering a string of unprecedented podium finishes and personal bests that signal a growing competitive shift for the country’s sports community.

    Launched by the Belize Olympic and Commonwealth Games Association, the four-year scholarship program was designed to solve a longstanding barrier holding Belizean athletes back: the inability to train full-time without financial strain. Under the initiative, six carefully selected elite athletes receive $1,500 in monthly stipends to cover all training-related costs, from coaching and facility rentals to sports psychology services, massage therapy, and even overlapping school expenses. The program’s core goal is far more ambitious than just securing occasional wins: it aims to help Belizean athletes qualify directly for major international competitions like the Pan American Games and Olympic Games, moving beyond the invitational slots that have long been the only route for Belizean representation at the world’s largest sporting events.

    “The idea is to have them peak when you have qualifiers for Pan-American games, Olympic games because we don’t want to have athletes just representing Belize and receiving an invitational slot, right? We want to see athletes qualify,” explained Giovanni Alamilla, Secretary General of the Belize Olympic and Commonwealth Games Association, in an interview following the recent string of successful outcomes.

    Already, just a short period into the multi-year initiative, the results have exceeded the organizing body’s early projections. In recent regional competitions, athletes supported by the scholarship have turned in dominant performances: cyclists Jyven Gonzalez and Justin Chavarria delivered standout finishes at the prestigious Holy Saturday Cross Country Cycling Classic, earning fourth and fifth place respectively. Sprinter Brooklyn Little claimed a gold medal at the CARIFTA Games, one of the Caribbean’s top youth track and field competitions. Swimmer Davia Richardson closed out her competitive season with new personal best times across multiple events, enabled by stipends that covered critical costs including private pool rental and sessions with a sports psychologist.

    Alamilla noted that while the program is still in its early stages, and the Belize Olympic Committee has not had decades to build sustained investment in elite athletic development, the initiative is already lifting competitors to their peak competitive form. Beyond competitive results, the program also eases significant financial pressure on athletes and their families, removing the need for athletes to balance part-time work with rigorous training schedules. “This kind of alleviates a lot of the pressure on them and their family,” Alamilla said. “We’re very excited because now we’re seeing the results.”

    The early success of the scholarship program offers a preview of what Belizean athletes can achieve when targeted investment meets opportunity, laying the groundwork for future breakthroughs on the global Olympic stage.

  • 2027 World Cup Qualifier : Big victory of Haiti over Anguilla [5-0]

    2027 World Cup Qualifier : Big victory of Haiti over Anguilla [5-0]

    In a dominant display of attacking soccer on April 9, 2026, Haiti’s senior women’s national team, the Grenadières, secured a lopsided 5-0 victory over Anguilla during Matchday 4 of the 2026 CONCACAF Women’s Championship, the regional qualification tournament for the 2027 FIFA Women’s World Cup. The match was hosted at the Roger Zami Stadium in Guadeloupe.

    Grenadières head coach Pia Sundhage fielded a revised starting lineup with multiple tactical adjustments, while keeping the team’s core goal firmly in sight: securing a spot at the 2027 World Cup. The starting eleven featured Kaina César V. Pietrus (Lipscomb University, USA), Jennyfer Limage (RC Lens, France), Tabita Dougenie Joseph (Olympique de Marseille, France), Maudeline Moryl (Olympique de Marseille, France), team captain Deborah Bien-Aime (AS Saint-Étienne, France), Sherly Jeudy (RC Lens, France), Roseline Eloissaint (FC Nantes, France), Amandine Pierre-Louis (AS Saint-Étienne, France), Darlina Florsie L. Joseph (Toulouse FC, France), Chelsea A. Domond (En Avant Guingamp, France) and Anyssa Ibrahim (Le Mans FC, France). Four substitutions were made through the match: Alyssa Manasse replaced Tabita Joseph and Nérilia Mondésir replaced Anyssa Ibrahim at halftime; Joséphine Vanuxeem and Betina Petit-Frère came on for Roseline Éloissaint and Jennyfer Limage respectively in the 64th minute; Claire Constant replaced Amandine Pierre-Louis in the 79th minute.

    Haiti controlled the match from kickoff, holding 84% of total possession and denying Anguilla any chance to build attacking threats, with the underdog side failing to record a single shot attempt over the full 90 minutes. The scoring opened in the 15th minute, when Darlina Joseph slotted a right-footed shot into the net from the center of the 18-yard box off a clinical pass from Roseline Éloissaint, putting Haiti up 1-0. Six minutes later, Chelsea Domond doubled the lead, finishing from the center of the box into the bottom right corner to make it 2-0. Sherly Jeudy extended the advantage in the 33rd minute, striking a right-footed shot from outside the penalty area into the bottom left corner for Haiti’s third goal.

    After halftime, the Grenadières kept pressing, adding a fourth goal in the 60th minute. Darlina Joseph scored her second of the match, heading a cross from Domond into the bottom right corner to push the score to 4-0. Substitute Claire Constant capped off the dominant win with the fifth goal 19 minutes later, nodding a close-range cross from Sherly Jeudy (off a set piece) into the top corner of the net to seal the 5-0 result.

    The blowout win improves Haiti’s record in Group D to three wins from three matches, lifting the side to 9 points and putting them provisionally atop the group standings. Entering the final group match against second-place Dominican Republic scheduled for April 17 at the same Roger Zami Stadium in Guadeloupe, Haiti now controls its own qualification fate. A win or draw will send the Grenadières through to the 2026 CONCACAF Gold Cup, the 2027 Women’s World Cup and the 2028 Olympic Games. For the Dominican Republic, who sit second on 7 points with an undefeated record so far, only a win will secure their place in the next round.

    Current Group D Standings:
    1. Haiti: 3 matches, 9 points, 16 goals scored, 0 goals conceded, 3 wins 0 draws 0 losses
    2. Dominican Republic: 3 matches, 7 points, 16 goals scored, 3 goals conceded, 2 wins 1 draw 0 losses
    3. Suriname: 3 matches, 4 points, 5 goals scored, 5 goals conceded, 1 win 1 draw 1 loss
    4. Belize: 2 matches, 0 points, 1 goal scored, 15 goals conceded, 0 wins 0 draws 2 losses
    5. Anguilla: 3 matches, 0 points, 1 goal scored, 16 goals conceded, 0 wins 0 draws 3 losses

  • Leeward Islands Hurricanes take on T&T’s Red Force for West Indies Championship preview

    Leeward Islands Hurricanes take on T&T’s Red Force for West Indies Championship preview

    The 2026 West Indies Championship is poised to get underway this Sunday in Antigua, where one of the regional circuit’s most anticipated opening series will see Leeward Islands Hurricanes lock horns with Trinidad and Tobago Red Force across three tightly contested four-day matches. All three fixtures will be hosted on Antiguan soil, with the opening clash taking place at Coolidge Cricket Ground, followed by matches at Sir Vivian Richards Stadium and Antigua Recreation Ground across subsequent weeks.

    For the Hurricanes, the new championship cycle brings a fresh leadership change: 32-year-old Barbadian all-rounder Justin Greaves will take the captain’s reins for the first time since he joined the franchise three years ago, the appointment confirmed in an official press release from Cricket West Indies (CWI). Greaves has described the opportunity to lead his side as one of the biggest honours of his professional career, saying he is eager to lead from the front on the field while leaning on the wisdom of seasoned veterans in his squad. “Leadership has always been a core part of how I approach the game,” Greaves noted, adding that he plans to set the tone for the team through consistent, high-impact performances in every contest.

    The last meeting between these two regional powerhouses delivered a run-fest for the record books, ending in a high-scoring draw that saw both sides rack up more than 1,100 combined runs. Trinidad and Tobago’s captain Joshua Da Silva led the charge with centuries in both innings, while veteran batter Jason Mohammed notched an impressive double century. Undaunted, the Hurricanes responded with an opening partnership of more than 200 runs, with Mikyle Louis and Kadeem Henry both reaching three-figure scores. Both batmen retain their places in Greaves’ 13-man squad for the upcoming series, joined by Jewel Andrew – who hit a double century in recent pre-season trial matches – and Karima Gore, who also turned heads with a century in warm-up play.

    Greaves has expressed confidence in his squad’s depth and balanced roster, saying the group has all the tools to compete consistently across the full series. He highlighted that consistent discipline, incremental improvement across matches, and focused execution in every phase of play will be critical to unlocking success for the Hurricanes. On the opposing side, Red Force brings a wealth of elite experience to Antigua, with no fewer than nine members of their 13-man squad holding international caps for West Indies. Greaves acknowledged the significant challenge posed by Red Force’s seasoned pace bowling unit, but framed the series as a critical early opportunity for his side to prove they belong among the region’s top contenders, noting that the Hurricanes believe they are one of the strongest teams in the championship and must back that claim with results.

    For Trinidad and Tobago, the 2026 cycle carries extra motivation: it has been 20 full years since the side last claimed the Regional Four-Day Championship title, and their 2025 title bid was derailed by a shock defeat to Jamaica Scorpions in the penultimate round of the season. This year, with only three group-stage matches on the schedule, captain Da Silva says there is zero room for error, making a strong opening start non-negotiable. “We have a very well-rounded group: our batting unit has plenty of international experience, our senior fast bowlers are in top form, and our spinners have performed consistently for us over the past year,” Da Silva explained of the side’s prospects.

    One of the most anticipated additions to the Red Force squad is Evin Lewis, who is set to make his return to first-class cricket after a nearly 10-year absence. Da Silva said the side has been thrilled by Lewis’ reintegration into the group, noting the star batter has come into the camp with a renewed work ethic and sharp form in pre-season training. Beyond his on-field contributions, Da Silva highlighted Lewis’ positive impact on team culture, saying “he really brings us together” with his experience and leadership in the dressing room.

    Recent head-to-head history gives a slight edge to the Hurricanes, who have claimed two wins from the last four meetings between the sides, with the remaining two fixtures ending in draws. But Red Force is approaching the series as a fresh starting point, with Da Silva emphasizing that past results will have no bearing on the contest ahead. “Success comes down to focusing on the present, staying consistent, and executing the fundamentals over four days of play,” Da Silva said. With both sides locked in and ready to compete, the three-match series is set to deliver an intense, high-stakes opening to the 2026 West Indies Championship, with plenty of regional title implications on the line from the first ball.

  • Saint Lucia table tennis teams qualify for CAC Games

    Saint Lucia table tennis teams qualify for CAC Games

    In a milestone achievement for Caribbean table tennis, all six members of Saint Lucia’s national table tennis squad have secured qualification for the 2024 Central American and Caribbean (CAC) Games, marking the first time in the island nation’s history that both its men’s and women’s teams will compete at the regional multi-sport event. Scheduled to run from July 24 to August 8 in the Dominican Republic, this year’s CAC Games will welcome the Saint Lucian contingent after a strong showing at the regional qualifying tournament held earlier this month in Santo Domingo.

    The qualifying event saw all six athletes — Manie Eleuthere, Leshon Francis, DeAndre Calderon on the men’s side, and Cherese Dearcheville, Shatal Charles, Zariana Anthony representing the women — secure top-eight finishes in their respective group standings to advance. Notably, Saint Lucia stands alone as the only English-speaking Caribbean nation to earn spots for both genders in the CAC Games table tennis competition this cycle.

    In an interview with local outlet St Lucia Times, head coach Chris Wells highlighted the team’s extraordinary mental toughness throughout the qualifier, pointing to a standout clash against Jamaica as the defining moment of the tournament for his squad. “The match against Jamaica really showed what this team is made of,” Wells explained.

    Wells recounted the tense back-and-forth of the upset win: after Eleuthere and Francis claimed a hard-fought victory in the opening doubles match, which was evenly matched from start to finish, DeAndre Calderon took the court against Jamaica’s top-ranked player. After splitting the first two sets, Calderon maintained his composure despite loud, distracting but legal support from the Jamaican bench, digging deep to claim the win and put Saint Lucia up 2-1 in the team tie. When Francis dropped the next match to leave the overall score tied 2-2, Eleuthere stepped up for the decisive final rubber against Azizi, the Jamaican player who had pushed Calderon hard earlier in the day.

    The decider was just as dramatic: Eleuthere took the first game, only to see Azizi rally back to take a 2-1 set lead. Eleuthere fought back to level the match at 2-2, and fell behind 7-4 in the decisive fifth game. Calling a timeout to reset, Eleuthere refocused, reeled off consecutive points to force a Jamaican timeout, and closed out the match with an 11-7 win in the final game, securing a 3-1 team victory for Saint Lucia. Throughout the entire men’s team qualifying event, Calderon remained undefeated, winning all three of his individual matches.

    The men’s side started their group stage campaign with a narrow 3-2 loss to El Salvador before their upset win over Jamaica pushed them into the top two of their four-team group, enough to secure qualification. For the women’s team, the road to the CAC Games was even more groundbreaking: this is the first time any Saint Lucian women’s table tennis team has qualified for the regional competition. After finishing outside the top two in their group stage, with losses to Colombia (3-0), Trinidad and Tobago (3-0) and a narrow 3-2 defeat to Guyana, the team earned a spot in a do-or-die playoff against Jamaica — and pulled off another upset win to book their place in the main draw.

    Following their successful qualifying campaign, both Saint Lucian teams will remain in the Dominican Republic for the next two weeks to compete in the Senior and Junior Caribbean Table Tennis Championships, gaining valuable on-site competitive experience ahead of July’s CAC Games.

  • Saint Lucians set national records at US collegiate meets

    Saint Lucians set national records at US collegiate meets

    A historic week for Saint Lucian track and field unfolded across multiple United States collegiate competitions, with two new national records set and a series of standout podium performances cementing the Caribbean nation’s rising presence in NCAA circuit competition.

    Leading the wave of record-breaking results was hurdler Khailan Vitalis, a junior transfer athlete at Clemson University, competing at the 98th Clyde Littlefield Texas Relays hosted in Austin. In the preliminary rounds of the men’s 110-meter hurdles, Vitalis clocked a ninth-place qualifying time of 13.82 seconds, shaving one hundredth of a second off his own previous personal best, which he set at the 2024 Jo Meaker Classic and Multi. This new mark not only earned him a spot in the event final but also established a new Saint Lucian national record. Though the promising athlete clipped a hurdle during the final round and was unable to finish the race, his preliminary performance still ranks as the 13th fastest time recorded by any Commonwealth Games athlete so far this year.

    The second national record of the week came from hammer thrower Lauralyn Clifford, a senior transfer at the University of Texas San Antonio. Competing on the same Austin track at Mike A. Myers Stadium, Clifford extended her own national record with a throw of 58.57 meters (192 feet 2 inches), enough to secure a fifth-place finish in the event. Clifford currently holds the top position in the women’s hammer throw rankings across the American Conference, and her latest throw puts her within just one meter of breaking the UTSA program record. She also ranks among the top 25 hammer throwers from all Commonwealth Games nations this season.

    Beyond the two record-breaking performances, several other Saint Lucian athletes claimed top finishes at meets across the country. Sprinter Miguel Charlery picked up a pair of first-place titles at the All-American Meet hosted by East Stroudsburg University in Pennsylvania, taking gold in both the men’s 100-meter sprint with a time of 10.81 seconds and the 200-meter sprint with a 21.74 second finish. Mid-distance runner Kereser Augustin also claimed a top spot competing for Washburn University at the 18th Annual David Suenram Gorilla Classic, winning the women’s 400-meter race in 56.44 seconds while also placing 13th in the 100-meter sprint with a time of 12.61 seconds.

    NCAA Division I All-American high jumper Jenneil Jacobie delivered an inspiring performance, overcoming a recent ankle injury to clear 1.76 meters (5 feet 9.25 inches) and take second place for East Texas A&M University at the Bobcat Invitational. At the Joey Hanes Invite, thrower Natalie Albert secured third place competing for the University of Memphis with a 56.57-meter hammer throw.

    A host of other Saint Lucian athletes also recorded solid results across the week of competition: Michael Joseph placed fifth in the men’s 400-meter at the LSU Battle on the Bayou with a 45.53 second time; Asa clocked a 3:59.56 to take 24th in the men’s 1500-meter at the George Mason Dalton Ebanks Invite, where Rayshawn Harris placed 61st in the men’s 800-meter with a 2:02.18; Shamael Durand notched a 23rd-place finish in the men’s discus throw (41.40 meters) and ninth in the men’s shot put (12.68 meters) at the Bobcat Invitational; Cagini Pilgrim took fourth in the men’s 100-meter (10.87) and sixth in the men’s 200-meter (22.01) at the Joey Haines Invite, while Ishmael Durand placed 39th in the 200-meter at the same invitational with a 22.57; Narlia Albert claimed 23rd in the women’s 200-meter (28.07) at the Ursinus Springfest; Jola Felix placed 15th in the women’s 200-meter (25.92) and 12th in the women’s 100-meter (12.62) at the Central Methodist Invite; Naomi London placed 11th in the women’s 100-meter at the Texas Relays with an 11.32; Mya Hippolyte took fourth in the women’s 100-meter (12.09) at the ISU Pacesetter Invite; Carleen Lionel placed 22nd in the women’s 100-meter (12.47) at the Sam Howell Invitational; Jasmine Stiede took fifth in the women’s 1500-meter (4:47.7) at the Friends Invitational; multi-event thrower Joy Edward recorded marks of 13.74 meters in the women’s shot put, 52.58 meters in the women’s hammer throw, and 34.68 meters in the women’s discus at the Golden Eagle Invite; and Nebia Montrope placed 15th in the women’s 800-meter (2:34.25) at the Cougar Distance Carnival.

  • GNSC and Parish Councils undertake CPR, First Aid and AED Training

    GNSC and Parish Councils undertake CPR, First Aid and AED Training

    Grenada’s leading sports governing body is taking proactive steps to boost safety across the country’s sporting ecosystem, with a new specialized training initiative focused on life-saving emergency skills set to launch next spring.

    The Grenada National Sports Council (GNSC), working in coordination with its regional Parish Sports Councils and the Grenada Red Cross, has announced that it will host a comprehensive training program covering cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR), basic first aid, and automated external defibrillator (AED) operation on April 9, 2026. The full-day training session will be held at the Grenada Red Cross headquarters building.

    This new training program is the latest in a series of ongoing capacity-building efforts by GNSC, aimed at equipping sports administrators, council staff, and development personnel with the critical skills needed to handle unexpected medical crises. Recognizing that organized sports inherently involve intense physical exertion and regularly draw large crowds of spectators to venues and events, GNSC leaders note that the initiative is specifically designed to strengthen the organization’s ability to deliver fast, effective medical responses when emergencies occur at sporting facilities, competitions, and daily workplaces across the island.

    Unlike passive, lecture-only safety courses, the upcoming program will provide all participants with hands-on, practical instruction. Attendees will have the opportunity to practice CPR techniques under expert supervision, master core first aid protocols for common sports-related injuries, and learn to correctly and confidently operate AED devices, which are critical for responding to sudden cardiac arrest events.

    Alvin Clouden, Chief Executive Officer of the Grenada National Sports Council, emphasized that the training reflects the organization’s unwavering commitment to prioritizing safety and preparedness for everyone involved in local sports. “By ensuring our staff and council members are properly trained, we are taking proactive steps to safeguard athletes, officials, and the general public who gather for sporting activities across Grenada,” Clouden said in a statement announcing the program.

    GNSC has publicly expressed its sincere gratitude to the Grenada Red Cross for partnering on the initiative and contributing its specialized emergency response expertise to make the training possible. Both organizations share a core commitment to advancing public safety, expanding professional capacity in the sports sector, and raising awareness of the importance of emergency preparedness across all areas of community life.

    Looking forward, GNSC leaders confirmed the organization will remain dedicated to fostering a safer, more resilient sports environment for all Grenadians. The council says it will continue pursuing collaborative partnerships and expanding access to specialized training opportunities that strengthen national emergency preparedness for sporting events and public gatherings.

    This announcement was shared via NOW Grenada, which notes it is not responsible for opinions or content shared by contributing organizations. Users can report any abusive content through the platform’s official reporting channels.

  • Economic Impact Assessment Survey for CARIFTA Track and Field Championships 2026

    Economic Impact Assessment Survey for CARIFTA Track and Field Championships 2026

    As Grenada vies to host the 53rd edition of the CARIFTA Track & Field Championships in 2026, local authorities have launched a comprehensive Economic Impact Assessment (EIA) Survey during ongoing preliminary championship activities to evaluate the potential full-range benefits of welcoming the premier regional sporting event.

    The collaborative survey initiative brings together three key national stakeholders: the Macroeconomic Policy Unit within Grenada’s Ministry of Finance, the Grenada National Sports Council (GNSC), and the 2026 CARIFTA National Organising Committee (NOC). This effort is a clear reflection of the Government of Grenada’s dedication to transparent, data-driven planning and public accountability, particularly as the nation works to meet the formal hosting requirements and commitments laid out for the 2026 championships.

    The core mission of the EIA Survey is to systematically quantify and examine both the direct and indirect economic ramifications of staging the 2026 CARIFTA event on Grenada’s economy. The scope of analysis spans multiple impact areas, including measuring total spending from inbound visitors, participating athletic teams, event officials, international media and on-site spectators, alongside assessing broader knock-on effects for local employment levels, cross-sector business activity and overall national revenue growth.

    Aaron Moses, chairperson of the 2026 CARIFTA NOC, explained that the data gathered through the assessment will act as a foundational resource for national and sector-level strategic planning across sport, tourism, transport and hospitality. Beyond immediate planning, Moses noted that the survey findings will also shape future policy development, guide critical fiscal decision-making, and strengthen Grenada’s prospects for bidding on other large-scale international sporting events in years to come. As the assessment remains ongoing, the final results will also establish key performance benchmarks that allow policymakers to compare the economic outcomes of major sporting events hosted in Grenada across different time periods.

    To guarantee a holistic and accurate evaluation, research teams have collected data from a diverse cross-section of stakeholders touched by the event. These groups include casual visitors and event spectators, local and international competing athletes, team officials and accredited event delegates, hotels and small guesthouse accommodation providers, local restaurants, street vendors and small business operators, ground and air transport service providers, as well as event volunteers and temporary event staff. By gathering input from across these varied groups, organisers aim to build a granular, accurate picture of spending trends, service utilisation rates, and how economic benefits circulate through multiple sectors of Grenada’s economy.

    In a public appeal, Moses has urged all selected participants to share open, complete responses throughout the survey process, stressing that broad public cooperation is the only way to capture an accurate, unfiltered picture of the full impact that hosting the 2026 CARIFTA Championships will deliver for the island nation.

  • Chentelle Swaby gets 50th cap, starts for Reggae Girlz against Antigua

    Chentelle Swaby gets 50th cap, starts for Reggae Girlz against Antigua

    KINGSTON, Jamaica – A historic milestone is on the horizon for Jamaican women’s football this Friday, as Chantelle Swaby is set to earn her 50th senior cap for the Reggae Girlz when they kick off their Concacaf Women’s World Cup qualifier against Antigua and Barbuda at Kingston’s National Stadium.

    Coming off a hard-fought 3-2 away win over Nicaragua in Managua back in March, the Jamaican technical staff has reshaped their starting eleven for this home fixture, making five total changes to the starting side that secured three points on the road. One of the most notable new inclusions is central defender Tianna Harris, who will make her senior home debut for the Reggae Girlz in the match.

    Joining Harris and milestone-chasing Swaby in the revised starting lineup are winger Olufolasade Adamalekun, defender Kalyssa Van Zanten, defender Allyson Swaby – Chantelle’s teammate and sister – young forward Kameron Simmonds, and attacking midfielder Atlanta Primus, all of whom earned starting nods from the coaching staff.

    The two sides last met in international competition back in 2018, when Jamaica dominated the fixture to secure a lopsided 9-0 victory over Antigua and Barbuda. Friday’s match will give fans a chance to see how Lorne Donaldson’s side has progressed in the years since that encounter, as they push toward qualification for the 2023 FIFA Women’s World Cup.

    The full starting lineup named by the Jamaican coaching staff is as follows: Rebecca Spencer (goalkeeper), Tianna Harris, Chantelle Swaby, Shania Hayles, Khadija Shaw, Kalyssa Van Zanten, Deneisha Blackwood, Allyson Swaby, Kameron Simmonds, Atlanta Primus, and Olufolasade Adamalekun.

  • Imjustagirl unleashes brilliant speed in debut

    Imjustagirl unleashes brilliant speed in debut

    Fresh off a dominant, eye-catching debut performance at the track on April 6, 2026, three-year-old American-bred bay filly Imjustagirl has emerged as one of the most promising young prospects in Jamaican thoroughbred racing, leaving her trainer cautiously optimistic about what the future may hold for the young champion.

    Coming into her first official outing after a string of exceptional morning training sessions, the long-striding filly lived up to every bit of the pre-race hype, delivering a masterclass performance that left onlookers impressed. Competing over a 6-furlong (1,200-meter) distance in the Restricted Allowance II race — an event open to non-winners with two races under their belt among native-bred three-year-olds, and maidens aged three and up for imported runners — Imjustagirl crossed the finish line a full seven lengths ahead of her nearest competitor, posting a blistering overall time of 1:11.3, with split times of 21.4 seconds for the opening quarter, 45.2 for the half-mile, and 58.1 for the five-furlong mark.

    In a post-race interview with Jamaica Observer’s *The Supreme Racing Guide*, trainer Jason DaCosta shared that he had been tracking Imjustagirl’s development through training and had never seen a horse post such remarkable morning gallops on Jamaican tracks. He entered the debut with high hopes, and the young filly far exceeded even his lofty expectations. DaCosta revealed he had simple instructions for jockey Robert Halledeen ahead of the race: avoid overworking the young horse early on, and conserve her energy for the stretch run, a strategy that paid off dividends.

    “She did it effortless, very impressive time, basically jogging around, and I couldn’t be happier,” DaCosta said. “She beat a good horse and she did it effortless.”

    The race unfolded exactly according to plan for Imjustagirl and her team. The filly broke cleanly from the starting gate and grabbed the early lead within the first few strides, holding the top spot through the half-mile mark as second-place finisher Army Tank, ridden by Dane Dawkins, worked to recover from a slow start out of the gate. As the field entered the final stretch, Imjustagirl was still cruising comfortably, and Halledeen only needed to give her a light cue to accelerate before she powered away from the competition to secure the landslide victory. Purosangue, ridden by Clive Lynch, rounded out the top three.

    While the debut performance has put the racing world on notice of Imjustagirl’s talent, DaCosta emphasized that the filly is still early in her development, and his team plans to take a patient, measured approach moving forward. The trainer’s top priority is keeping the three-year-old healthy and happy as she prepares for future races, with the goal of a strong full season ahead. “It is early days and so we are going to take it step by step, one day at a time,” he added.