标签： Saint Lucia

Young athletes from the shadow of Saint Lucia’s iconic Pitons delivered an extraordinary performance on Tuesday, securing a dominant victory at the Inter-District Primary Schools Road Race in Gros Islet. The event, which gathered nearly 100 competitors from across the island, witnessed District 8 (representing Soufriere and Canaries) capturing three out of four available gold medals.

The competition commenced on Bella Rosa Road, with participants navigating a challenging three-kilometer course culminating at the Daren Sammy Cricket Ground. Despite the demanding route, all competitors exhibited remarkable determination and athletic prowess throughout the event.

In the Under-13 boys division, Kem Deterville of District 8 claimed gold with an impressive time of 11:22.7 minutes, while his teammates secured additional positions within the top ten rankings. Jason Williams from District 1 earned silver with 11:33.5, and Nathan Dupre of District 3 captured bronze at 11:37.5.

The Under-13 girls category saw Earnisha Cherubin from District 8 achieve gold with a time of 13:44.3 minutes. She was followed by Lean Gaillard of District 3 (14:14.6) and Chrisannie Mitchel of District 5 (14:18.1). Once again, all three District 8 runners finished within the top ten positions.

A particularly remarkable performance came from Hadassah Jules in the Under-11 girls category, who outpaced both Under-13 female competitors and many male runners with an extraordinary time of 12:51.3 minutes. Her teammate Dreamer Longville secured third place (13:30.4), while Octavia Octave of District 6 claimed second (13:10.9).

The sole category not won by District 8 was the Under-11 boys division, where Vanile Eugene of District 3 took gold with 11:55.2 minutes. Lidj Jn Pierre of District 7 secured silver (12:10.7), while Janik Prospere of District 8 earned bronze (12:20.6).

The event demonstrated exceptional athletic talent among Saint Lucia’s youth while highlighting the emerging dominance of runners from the Soufriere and Canaries region.

In a landmark development for Caribbean sports infrastructure, the Commonwealth of Dominica has achieved official selection as a beneficiary nation under World Athletics’ prestigious Project 10 initiative. This designation culminates a rigorous two-year application process and paves the way for constructing a cutting-edge synthetic track and field facility in Portsmouth.

The Dominica Athletics Association (DAA), which spearheaded the technical proposal submitted in December 2023, confirmed the achievement following extensive consultations and evaluations by international sporting authorities. The project aligns strategically with the Dominican government’s existing master plan for a modern national sports complex, which additionally envisions an Olympic-standard swimming pool.

Critical to this success was the collaborative effort between sporting bodies and government leadership. The DAA formally acknowledged Prime Minister Roosevelt Skerrit, Sports Minister Oscar George, and key figures including Reggie Severin and Billy Doctrove for their unwavering institutional support. Numerous technical teams and government departments were also recognized for ensuring Dominica met World Athletics’ exacting standards.

This world-class infrastructure promises to revolutionize athletic development on the island, providing elite training conditions and positioning Dominica as a potential host for regional and international competitions. The facility is expected to inspire new generations of athletes by providing access to professional-grade training environments.

The DAA emphasized its commitment to ongoing partnerships with the Government of Dominica, World Athletics, and the Qatar Olympic Committee to bring this transformative project to fruition, heralding a new chapter for track and field in the Eastern Caribbean.

Saint Lucia’s groundbreaking performance at the IBA Men’s World Boxing Championships concluded on Tuesday when 19-year-old sensation John Didier faced elimination in the Round of 16. The Vieux Fort native’s remarkable journey ended against Spain’s second-seeded Gazimagomedovich Jalidov, an Olympic quarterfinalist from Paris 2024, in their light-heavyweight clash (75-80kg) at Dubai Tennis Centre.

Despite entering as the clear underdog against the Russian-born Spanish veteran, Didier demonstrated exceptional defensive technique during the opening round. The 30-year-old Jalidov unleashed aggressive combinations, but the Saint Lucian prospect effectively neutralized much of the early offense. After three minutes of action, Didier trailed narrowly on the scorecards, with four judges scoring 10-9 and one judge awarding a 10-8 margin to the Spaniard.

The contest shifted dramatically in the second round as fatigue visibly affected the Caribbean boxer. Jalidov capitalized with precision punching, forcing two standing eight-counts against Didier within the final 36 seconds of the round. The referee ultimately stopped the bout following the second mandatory count, preventing further punishment.

Didier’s campaign marked a historic achievement for Saint Lucian boxing, as he became the nation’s first representative to advance beyond the initial round in world championship competition. His performance over the weekend shattered previous national records and established new benchmarks for Caribbean boxing.

In related tournament action, fellow 19-year-old Saint Lucian Kyle Marcel competed in the middleweight division (75kg), suffering a unanimous decision defeat to Sri Lanka’s Mohommed Usaith. Despite winning the first round on a split decision, Marcel faded in subsequent rounds, finalizing scores of 30-26 on two cards and 29-27 on three cards.

Gros Islet Cricket Club has decisively advanced to the championship match of the Saint Lucia National Cricket Association Premier League Two-Day tournament following a commanding 10-wicket victory against South Castries at Mindoo Phillip Park. The defending champions demonstrated exceptional all-round performance that underscored their tournament dominance.

The match commenced with South Castries opting to bat first after winning the toss, though their innings quickly encountered difficulties at 70-7. Kester Charlemagne emerged as their batting savior, delivering a spectacular 57-run performance from just 43 deliveries that included four boundaries and six maximums. His aggressive partnership-building efforts, particularly a 45-run stand with Uriyah Charlemagne, propelled South Castries to a total of 140 runs.

Gros Islet’s bowling attack was spearheaded by teenage sensation Daniel Lorde, who claimed an impressive 6-44 from 11.3 overs of off-spin bowling. The 15-year-old Castries Comprehensive Secondary School student fittingly captured Charlemagne’s crucial wicket among his six dismissals. He received solid support from Bjorn Fanis (2-11) and single wickets from Jeandell Cyril and Leon Alexander.

The champions’ response was emphatically led by captain Jard Goodman, who dominated the crease with a magnificent 107 runs from 89 balls, featuring 10 fours and five sixes. Despite early batting partner dismissals, Goodman established a pivotal 51-run fourth-wicket partnership with Khanil Nelson (26) that solidified Gros Islet’s commanding position. Their first innings total of 210 established a significant 70-run lead.

South Castries’ second innings showed marginal improvement with Ephron Charles contributing exactly 50 runs and Charlemagne adding 45, though their total of 146 proved insufficient against Gros Islet’s relentless bowling attack. Fanis excelled with 5-41 while Alexander claimed 3-31, setting a modest 78-run victory target.

Goodman returned to complete the victory with an unbeaten 48 from 47 deliveries, guiding his team to 78-0 without losing a wicket. In post-match comments, the captain emphasized their consistent approach: “Regardless of tournament format, we back our skills and training. As defending champions with a younger unit, we embrace expectations and aim to dominate every match.”

Gros Islet now awaits the winner of the upcoming semifinal between Central Castries and Babonneau to determine their opponent in the championship decider.