分类： sports

With less than three weeks remaining until the 2026 Commonwealth Games kick off in Glasgow, Scotland, the Saint Lucia Olympic Committee (SLOC) has delivered a major surprise alongside announcing its official delegations for two back-to-back regional and global multi-sport events.

In a public press conference held on July 1, SLOC not only confirmed its roster for the XXV Central American and Caribbean (CAC) Games set to run in Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic from July 24 to August 8 but also revealed that reigning Olympic women’s 100m champion Julien Alfred will not compete in Glasgow. This announcement reverses earlier expectations that Alfred, who claimed a 100m silver medal at the 2022 Birmingham Commonwealth Games, would return to defend her medal at the 2026 iteration.

Across both events, the size and scope of Saint Lucia’s participation differ dramatically. For the Commonwealth Games, which will run from July 23 to August 2, only three track and field athletes will represent the Caribbean nation—all of whom are male sprinters. Three sports that were expected to field athletes in Glasgow, including netball, boxing, and weightlifting, will not send competitors to Scotland, and swimming will be unrepresented at both the Commonwealth Games and the CAC Games.

The small size of Saint Lucia’s Commonwealth Games track and field delegation stems from strict qualification rules put in place by the Saint Lucia Athletics Association and SLOC. To earn a spot on the Glasgow roster, athletes were required to hit the established performance qualification standard three times across a specified qualifying window, with at least one valid result recorded during the 2026 competitive season. Of all the athletes who attempted to hit the mark, only four managed to meet the standard, and ultimately just three were selected.

Leading the small Saint Lucian delegation in Glasgow is Khailan Vitalis, a hurdler competing for Clemson University. Vitalis will contest the men’s 110m hurdles on July 27, and he enters the Games ranked among the top 16 hurdlers in the Commonwealth this year. He far exceeded the qualification requirements, hitting the standard 11 times over the qualifying window. On July 28, 2024 Olympian and national 400m record holder Michael Joseph will join compatriot Marvric Pamphile, a member of the British Army, in the men’s 400m heats. Joseph hit the qualification mark seven times, while Pamphile managed to hit the required standard three times, all of which came during the 2025 season. Two additional individual competitors will round out Saint Lucia’s entire Commonwealth Games delegation: two-time Olympic sailing competitor Luc Chevrier in the men’s laser event, and Yadhu Urs in men’s golf.

For the larger CAC Games in Santo Domingo, Saint Lucia will field a far bigger contingent, with 26 athletes competing across seven different sports. All three sports that skipped the Commonwealth Games—netball, boxing, and weightlifting—will compete in Santo Domingo, joined by golf, table tennis, sailing, with track and field also represented. Notably, this tournament will mark Saint Lucia’s debut in competitive weightlifting at a multi-sport event, with Raiven Gabriel and Jennica Albert set to make history as the nation’s first weightlifting competitors at this level.

Vitalis, fresh off his run in Glasgow, will be the only track and field athlete representing Saint Lucia in the CAC Games, and he is scheduled to compete in the tournament’s opening rounds on August 4. Boxing will send three competitors: John Didier, Kyghan Mortley and Donaii Cooman, while the table tennis delegation features six athletes, with three men (DeAndre Calderon, Manie Eleuthere, and Leshon Francis) and three women (Shatal Charles, Zarianne Anthony, and Cherese Darcheville) competing.

Saint Lucia’s netball team, ranked fourth heading into the CAC Games, will face a challenging group stage from August 3 to 7, with matches scheduled against Trinidad & Tobago, the Dominican Republic, Bermuda, defending champions Jamaica, and Barbados. There is lingering uncertainty over the full strength of group contenders Jamaica and Trinidad & Tobago, as both nations’ netball squads are also competing at the Commonwealth Games in Glasgow, where the netball competition concludes on August 2—just one day before the CAC Games netball tournament kicks off.

To boost their medal chances, Saint Lucia’s netball roster has been reinforced with high-profile talent, including professional basketball player Megan Nestor and collegiate athlete Dasha Eugene. The squad also features Jermia Martial, named Most Valuable Player at the recent Coast To Coast tournament, and Naija Ferdinand, captain of Saint Lucia’s Under-16 national team. The full 12-player roster is completed by Lizzy Dorvius, Aaliyah Estephor, Kiana Nelson, Lerkisha Felix, Melika Destang, Patrina Wilson, rising young schoolgirl shooter Neriah Charler and Roxanne Snyder.

On Thursday, FIDE, the global governing body of chess, announced a landmark appointment that marks a milestone for Caribbean chess: Tris-Ann Richards, president of the Saint Lucia Chess Federation, has been selected to lead the organization’s Commission for Women’s Chess as its new chair.

Richards brings a robust, multi-faceted resume to the top role, holding credentials as a FIDE Woman Candidate Master, certified international arbiter, and accredited chess instructor. For years, she has spearheaded grassroots and international chess development across the Caribbean and beyond, most recently serving as a councillor on the FIDE Commission for Women’s Chess before stepping into the leadership post. Her core mandate in the new role will center on expanding access and encouragement for women and girls to participate in every segment of the global chess ecosystem.

The FIDE Commission for Women’s Chess was founded with a clear mission: to narrow the persistent gender gap in competitive chess and build a more inclusive, equal chess community. To deliver on this goal, the commission runs targeted programs, from specialized training for emerging female players to practical support for mothers balancing competitive chess with caregiving, and works to open more pathways for women to advance into leadership positions as arbiters, trainers, and tournament organizers.

Richards’ rise to the chair position breaks new ground in multiple ways. Currently, just a small handful of women lead national chess federations worldwide, making her leadership all the more notable. Beyond her work in national governance, she has already driven impactful international initiatives, including the widely successful Queen’s Gambit Challenge. That project has already empowered hundreds of women and girls from across the globe to learn the game and hone their competitive skills.

Under Richards’ tenure leading the Saint Lucia Chess Federation, the organization has dramatically expanded its outreach, bringing chess programming to groups that have historically been excluded from the sport. Today, the federation runs chess initiatives in local schools, underserved rural and urban communities, correctional facilities, and senior centers, with a persistent focus on programming that builds economic and social empowerment for women and girls.

In a statement following the announcement, Richards shared her gratitude for the opportunity to lead. “I am deeply honoured to be entrusted with this responsibility,” she said, acknowledging her predecessor Anastasia Sorokina for her foundational work leading the commission. “I also thank the FIDE leadership and Commission members for their confidence and support. I look forward to working with federations and partners across the world as we continue to create greater opportunities for women and girls and strengthen the global women’s chess community.”

FIDE President Arkady Dvorkovich echoed that optimism, endorsing Richards’ appointment as an ideal fit for the role. “I am delighted to welcome Tris Ann Richards as the new Chair of the Commission,” Dvorkovich said. “Her experience, passion, and long-standing commitment to chess development make her an excellent choice to lead this important area of FIDE’s work. I wish her every success in her new role.”

Beyond the immediate impact on global women’s chess, the appointment represents a watershed moment for both Saint Lucia and the wider Caribbean region. It signals that the Caribbean’s chess community is gaining growing recognition and influence in global chess governance, contributing meaningful leadership to advance the sport’s international development.

As the Caribbean sports community gears up for the first Association of National Olympic Committees of the Eastern Caribbean (ANOCES) Athletics Championships, scheduled to run July 4–5 at Basseterre’s Kim Collins Athletic Stadium in St. Kitts & Nevis, the Saint Lucia Olympic Committee has finalized its six-member roster for the regional competition. The championship brings together elite track and field talent from nine Eastern Caribbean territories, all members of the Organisation of Eastern Caribbean States (OECS), and forms part of a broader development initiative backed by Panam Sports.

Leading Saint Lucia’s medal hopes is 23-year-old sprint hurdler Khailan Vitalis, who enters the event as the form favorite. In May 2026, Vitalis set a new Saint Lucia national record of 13.59 seconds in the 110-meter hurdles, a mark that ranks as the fourth-fastest ever recorded by an OECS athlete and the fastest time posted by any hurdler in the sub-region this year. He is expected to face his toughest competition from Grenadian duo Isaiah Patrick and Kyle Nedd, who will challenge Vitalis for the top spot on the podium.

The nation’s throwing squad also boasts strong medal potential, with collegiate teammates Joy Edward and Naya Jules both in contention for hardware. Both athletes compete at the Division I level for the University of Charleston in South Carolina, and have posted top-three results across the OECS in their respective events this season. Jules enters the championships with the second-longest javelin throw recorded in the sub-region this year, while Edward set a new Saint Lucia national record in shot put of 15.63m, which ranks third among OECS throwers in 2026.

In the sprint events, 2025 CARIFTA double sprint champion Jady Emmanuel makes her return to international competition after being forced to miss the 2026 CARIFTA Junior Games in Grenada due to an injury. The young sprinter is set to line up for both the women’s 100-meter and 200-meter races in Basseterre, as she looks to regain her competitive form ahead of future major events. Joining Vitalis in the short sprints is Stephan Charles, who will compete in the men’s 100-meter; defending national champion Shelton St Rose was originally expected to compete but has withdrawn from the event ahead of kickoff. Completing Saint Lucia’s roster is Jamaica-based 400-meter runner Hannah Charles, who ranks as her nation’s fastest 400m athlete this season. While her 2026 best time ranks ninth across the OECS, Charles remains a dark horse for a medal depending on the final composition of the event’s entry list.

Beyond the on-track competition, the ANOCES Athletics Championships holds broader significance for regional sports development. The event is one of five OECS-based sports competitions receiving targeted support from Panam Sports, through a collaborative partnership between the global continental sports body and the ANOCES sub-regional grouping. The five sports prioritized for development support under the program are swimming, table tennis, 3×3 basketball, athletics, and beach volleyball, designed to boost grassroots and elite athletic development across the Eastern Caribbean.