Carib Scope

标签： Saint Lucia

圣卢西亚

  • Young talents impress, but Saint Lucia fails to reach Super 50 final

    Young talents impress, but Saint Lucia fails to reach Super 50 final

    The Windward Islands Super 50 Men’s Competition has seen a major shake-up in its 2024 title race, as defending champions Team Saint Lucia have officially been knocked out of contention to retain their crown, falling short of qualifying for this year’s championship final.

    On Monday, Saint Lucia will shift focus to the third-place playoff, where they will face off against Grenada to close out their tournament run. With the defending champions out of the top two race, the path to the trophy is now clear for two other Caribbean sides: Dominica and St Vincent and the Grenadines, who will clash in the highly anticipated final to decide this year’s tournament winner.

    While the early exit marks a disappointing end to Saint Lucia’s campaign, the tournament has offered plenty of bright spots for the side, with multiple players turning in standout performances that hint at strong future prospects for cricket in the nation.

    On the bowling front, versatile all-rounder Jaden Elibox delivered a career-defining spell during Saint Lucia’s seven-wicket win over Dominica on July 31. Elibox put on a masterclass of line and length bowling, claiming five key opposition wickets while conceding just 21 runs total, single-handedly dismantling Dominica’s batting order to secure the win for his side.

    In a hard-fought loss to Grenada on August 2, rising fast-bowling prospect Joshua Cepal also turned heads with a impressive performance despite his team’s defeat. Bowling a full seven-over spell, Cepal picked up four wickets while giving up only 37 runs, cementing his reputation as one of the most promising young talents in Saint Lucia’s current cricket setup. His strong showing this tournament comes as no surprise to regional cricket observers, after he earned a selection to an exclusive West Indies fast-bowling development camp earlier this year.

    Saint Lucia’s batters also delivered several memorable innings throughout the group stage. Young batting sensation Theo Edward put on a power-hitting display against Dominica, smashing a rapid 66 runs off just 46 deliveries. His knock included six beautifully struck fours and four towering sixes, bringing his side close to victory in a thrilling contest. Before that explosive innings, veteran batter Stephen Naitram and the in-form Elibox produced solid batting performances in a narrow three-wicket loss to St Vincent and the Grenadines. Naitram scored a steady 68 runs off 68 deliveries, while Elibox hit a blistering 75 runs off only 40 balls, nearly chasing down St Vincent and the Grenadines’ total in a thrilling late-match comeback bid.

  • Chevrier in medal position at CAC Games

    Chevrier in medal position at CAC Games

    As the preliminary round of the ILCA 7 men’s laser radial sailing competition reaches its midpoint at the 25th Central American and Caribbean Games, hosted in Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic, two-time Olympic sailor Luc Chevrier of Saint Lucia has emerged as a top contender to secure a spot in Friday’s highly anticipated medal round.

    With five of the scheduled 10 preliminary races completed, the 27-year-old, who claimed bronze at the 2023 CAC Games, currently sits in third place in the overall rankings, sitting only two points behind the event leaders. The regatta launched with a competitive field of 18 skilled sailors from across the region.

    Chevrier got off to a blistering start on the opening day of racing on Saturday. He claimed victory in the very first race of the competition, followed by a solid third-place finish in the day’s second heat, trailing leaders Sebastian Kempe of Bermuda and Pedro Fernandez of Puerto Rico. He closed out the opening day of action with another win in the third race, cementing his status as one of the regatta’s top performers.

    When racers returned to the course at Punta Salinas Beach on Sunday, they were met with favorable racing conditions: warm coastal waters and steady, consistent wind. Chevrier posted consistent fourth-place results in both the fourth and fifth races of the series, while Joshua Higgins of The Bahamas claimed third place in both of Sunday’s heats.

    Following the first five races, Kempe and Fernandez enter the break tied at the top of the overall standings with just seven points apiece. Kempe holds the tiebreaker advantage thanks to two first-place finishes across the opening five races. Chevrier trails narrowly at nine points, putting him well within striking distance of the lead ahead of the remaining preliminary races. As of Monday morning, Mexico’s Gerardo Rodriguez holds fourth place overall, with Higgins in fifth.

    Competitors are scheduled to take a rest day on Monday, before returning to the water for three more preliminary races on Tuesday and an additional two races on Wednesday. Once all 10 preliminary heats are completed, the top 10 ranked sailors will advance to the gold medal fleet racing, set to take place on Friday.

    Beyond competing for a CAC Games medal, Chevrier is also chasing a qualifying spot for the 2026 Pan American Games regatta in Lima, Peru. To secure his place at next year’s event, the Saint Lucian champion needs to finish among the top two sailors from countries that have not already confirmed a quota spot for the 2027 Pan Am Games. As things stand halfway through the preliminary round, Chevrier is holding down a qualifying position, putting his Pan Am dream well within reach.

  • Saint Lucia triumphant at WISG

    Saint Lucia triumphant at WISG

    After years of disrupted regional sporting events driven by the global COVID-19 pandemic and 2024’s Hurricane Beryl, the 2026 Windward Islands School Games delivered a thrilling underdog story, as host nation Team Saint Lucia overcame a shaky opening day to clinch its first overall championship title since 2019.

    Saint Lucia’s 62-member delegation got off to a disappointing start, recording a fourth-place finish in the opening athletics competition that left many spectators questioning their path to the top spot. But the young Saint Lucian athletes refused to let the early setback define their tournament, mounting a remarkable comeback across the seven-day event that secured them a first-place finish with 37 total points.

    Consistency across multiple disciplines proved to be the foundation of Saint Lucia’s championship run. Beyond sweeping three core sports—netball, women’s volleyball, and men’s football— the home side also earned silver medals in both men’s and women’s basketball, as well as men’s volleyball, turning their early disappointment into a dominant overall performance.

    The tournament’s memorable final act unfolded on Friday, when Saint Lucia capped off their campaign with a clean 3-0 sweep of Dominica at the Francis Baba Lastic Grounds in men’s football. This decisive win came on the heels of two other critical victories that secured Saint Lucia’s perfect 3-0 record across their three title-winning disciplines: a win against Grenada in women’s volleyball at the Beausejour Gymnasium, and an upset defeat of defending netball champions St. Vincent and the Grenadines.

    Dominica emerged as Saint Lucia’s closest competitor, finishing the tournament strong with late wins in men’s and women’s basketball on Thursday, followed by a men’s volleyball victory on Friday afternoon. However, fourth-place finishes in both netball and women’s volleyball left the side trailing far behind the hosts, ending with a total of 29 points to secure the second-place spot.

    Two-time defending overall champions Grenada, which claimed titles at the 2023 and 2025 editions of the games, finished third with 27 total points. The Grenadian delegation retained its dominance on the athletics track, taking top spot in that discipline, and also earned a second-place finish in men’s football. But consistent mid-table performances across the remaining five events—with none finishing higher than third—prevented the side from climbing back to the top of the overall standings.

    St. Vincent and the Grenadines, the defending netball champions, rounded out the top four overall with 19 points. Despite losing twice to Saint Lucia in netball, the side still claimed second place in that discipline, and also earned silver medals in both athletics and women’s volleyball. Fourth-place finishes across the other four events kept the team out of the top three overall.

    This 2026 iteration of the Windward Islands School Games marked the first time the event has been held in consecutive years since the 2018-2019 cycle, after pandemic-related shutdowns and the impact of 2024’s Hurricane Beryl disrupted the normal scheduling of the regional youth sporting competition.

  • I was never fired, I resigned – Dr Ubaldus Raymond

    I was never fired, I resigned – Dr Ubaldus Raymond

    A long-running political misstatement in St. Lucia is being corrected, as former United Workers Party (UWP) public service minister Dr. Ubaldus Raymond has produced official government documentation to disprove repeated opposition claims that he was fired amid an official investigation into misconduct more than six years ago.

    The correction comes amid a current, undisclosed police investigation into sitting cabinet minister Richard Frederick, where the opposition UWP has publicly called on Prime Minister Phillip J Pierre to suspend Frederick from his ministerial post immediately for the duration of the probe. To bolster their demand, UWP representatives have repeatedly referenced the Dr. Raymond case, claiming that former UWP Prime Minister Allen Chastanet fired Raymond when an investigation into his alleged misconduct was launched — setting a precedent the current government should follow.

    But that narrative does not align with official records, according to Dr. Raymond, who spoke out publicly during a Thursday appearance on the popular Hot 97 talk show Newsspin. He pushed back on the claims after multiple callers repeated the false narrative during the program’s on-air discussion of the current Frederick investigation.

    The public narrative around Dr. Raymond has been shaped by two separate public scandals spanning the late 2010s. In 2017, nude photos purported to be of the minister were leaked alongside intimate text messages, leading two 18-year-old women to be charged with blackmail. The case concluded after the pair issued a formal public apology in open court, with no charges or allegations filed against Dr. Raymond. Two years later, in 2019, explicit audio recordings of a private conversation between Dr. Raymond and a Trinidadian woman were leaked to the public. In response to the public fallout, Dr. Raymond took an immediate leave of absence, as confirmed by the Attorney General’s Chambers at the time. Contrary to opposition claims, Dr. Raymond says he stepped down voluntarily, and Prime Minister Chastanet merely accepted his formal resignation.

    “To put it on the record: saying I was dismissed by Allen Chastanet is wrong. I have heard this claim repeated many times, but this time I decided to call in to set the record straight,” Dr. Raymond told Newsspin’s host. “I resigned, I was not dismissed. I stepped down because I believed, as a matter of principle, that a minister who believes they are under investigation should step aside to allow the process to proceed unimpeded. The official record makes clear there never was any investigation. Had I known that at the time, I would not have resigned.”

    Dr. Raymond added that ongoing repetition of the false claims has caused lasting damage to his personal and professional reputation, and that he had stayed silent long enough without defending his name. He emphasized that he has never been accused of any criminal or ethical wrongdoing, noting that the only misconduct that occurred was the blackmail plot against him in 2017. “No one has ever brought any credible allegations against me. A wrong was committed against me, which is why police arrested two individuals, who later apologized in open court,” he explained.

    In follow-up comments to St. Lucia Times, Dr. Raymond shared two official letters that confirm his account of events. One document, dated January 4, 2023 and addressed to his legal representative from the Attorney General’s Office, explicitly states that the office never conducted any investigation into the former minister, as it lacked the mandate to open such a probe in the first place.

    The second official letter, issued July 2, 2025 by Royal Saint Lucia Police Force Commissioner Verne Garde in response to a formal request for clarification from Dr. Raymond, confirms that a full review of all internal police records found no history of criminal investigations, no pending probes, and no planned prosecution against the former minister. “After a thorough review of our internal records and all investigative departments, the Office of the Commissioner of Police informs you that there are currently no criminal or ongoing investigations in regards to you. Consequently, there are no plans for prosecution against you. Furthermore, there is nothing adverse or otherwise found to discredit you,” Garde wrote in the official correspondence.

  • Pierre: Emancipation unfinished without economic freedom

    Pierre: Emancipation unfinished without economic freedom

    As the 2026 Emancipation Day observance unfolded across the Caribbean, Philip J. Pierre — who holds dual roles as Prime Minister of Saint Lucia and Chairman of the Caribbean Community (CARICOM) — delivered a landmark address calling the project of full emancipation incomplete, arguing that genuine liberation for the region’s people must extend beyond formal political rights to include equal economic opportunity, robust food security, and widespread shared prosperity.

    In his official holiday message, Pierre pushed back against the common framing that emancipation was achieved the moment chattel slavery was formally abolished. Political independence and formal civil liberties, he emphasized, are hollow on their own. Caribbean communities have long waited for inclusive economic systems that generate sustainable wealth, fairly compensate hard work, and open pathways to upward mobility for coming generations, he said.

    “Political freedom alone is not enough. Our people deserve economic freedom. They deserve opportunity. They deserve ownership. They deserve prosperity,” Pierre told the region in his address.

    Outlining his vision for what complete emancipation would look like, Pierre stressed that the Caribbean must build local, regional economies that allow young people to build meaningful careers without leaving their home countries, give local entrepreneurs the space to thrive, and recognize the critical contributions of small-scale farmers, artisanal fishers, and domestic manufacturers.

    Pierre also wove two pressing contemporary policy priorities into the long-running narrative of emancipation: food sovereignty and affordable clean energy security. No Caribbean nation can claim to be truly free or fully secure, he argued, if it remains dependent on imported food and cannot provide its people with energy that is accessible, reliable, and aligned with global climate goals.

    Turning to the historical legacy of chattel slavery, Pierre reminded audiences that Emancipation Day is not merely a ceremonial holiday — it is a permanent reminder that freedom was not granted voluntarily by colonial powers. It was won through relentless struggle and enormous sacrifice by enslaved people themselves.

    “Freedom was never handed to our ancestors. Freedom was demanded. Freedom was fought for. Freedom was paid for with sacrifice, with courage and with an unbreakable faith,” he said.
    Pierre also highlighted the lasting structural inequities that followed formal abolition: when enslaved people were granted formal freedom, they were left with no land, no accumulated wealth, no compensation for centuries of forced unpaid labor, and few pathways to economic opportunity. Meanwhile, the colonial powers and enslavers who profited enormously from their exploitation retained all the wealth they had extracted, he noted.

    Addressing the ongoing regional movement for slavery reparations, Pierre clarified that the push for restitution is not rooted in a desire to assign blame or seek revenge. Instead, it is a demand for historical truth and long-delayed justice for the systemic harm and intergenerational trauma caused by centuries of chattel slavery.

    Closing his address, Pierre called on all Caribbean people, across member states of CARICOM, to carry forward the unfinished work of their ancestors, continuing the push to build a region that is more just, more economically integrated, more united, and more prosperous for all. The best way to honor the sacrifice of those who fought for emancipation, he urged, is to build equitable societies that open new doors of opportunity for every future generation of Caribbean people.

  • What does the forecast hold? Drier months, increased heat expected

    What does the forecast hold? Drier months, increased heat expected

    Residents of the Caribbean island nation of Saint Lucia are being urged to prepare for prolonged dry conditions and above-average temperatures over the closing months of 2026, as a developing El Niño pattern reshapes regional weather through the island’s traditional wet season.

    Speaking at a Wednesday press briefing hosted by the Saint Lucia Water and Sewerage Company (WASCO) held at the National Workers Union Conference Room, Saint Lucia Meteorological Services Director Vigil Saltibus outlined the key risks associated with the current climate shift. El Niño, a naturally recurring ocean-atmosphere weather pattern defined by unusually warm surface temperatures across the eastern and central Pacific Ocean, is partially driving the expected deviation from typical seasonal conditions.

    “El Niño typically acts to suppress rainfall during the Caribbean wet season, and the event is also linked to higher-than-average global temperatures overall,” Saltibus explained. While the large-scale pattern reduces overall precipitation, he emphasized that dangerous weather events remain possible. Localized flooding can still develop if atmospheric instability combines with enough moisture, particularly in association with passing tropical waves, tropical storms, and upper-level troughs, he warned. Residents should remain vigilant for these events even amid broader dry conditions.

    El Niño events generally last between 9 and 12 months, and occur at irregular intervals of 2 to 7 years. Saint Lucia’s official wet season runs from June through November, but Saltibus’s forecast shows the most severe drought and peak heat will hit between September and November. This high-risk window aligns exactly with the peak of the annual Atlantic hurricane season, which runs from June 1 to November 30 each year.

    Despite the overlapping timing, Saltibus noted that El Niño typically suppresses Atlantic hurricane activity, leading to a 2026 season forecast to be near-normal to below-normal in overall activity. Official meteorological predictions call for 8 to 14 named storms, 3 to 6 hurricanes, and 1 to 3 major hurricanes (Category 3 or higher) this season. As of early August, two named storms – Arthur and Bertha – have already formed and moved through the Atlantic basin.

    In response to the forecast, both Saltibus and WASCO leadership have stressed that proactive preparedness and consistent water conservation remain top priorities for communities across Saint Lucia to mitigate the impacts of the coming dry and hot conditions.

  • Saint Lucia loses respected business leader Evaristus Jn Marie

    Saint Lucia loses respected business leader Evaristus Jn Marie

    The Caribbean nation of Saint Lucia is mourning the loss of one of its most prominent cross-sector leaders, Evaristus Jn Marie, who passed away Friday at 67 after a period of illness that was never publicly disclosed.

    Over a professional career that stretched across more than 30 years, Jn Marie built a reputation as a steady, respected leader across both private business and national public institutions. At the time of his death, he held multiple critical leadership posts: he served as chairman of two major national entities, the National Insurance Corporation (NIC) and the Bank of Saint Lucia. He also held a board seat at the East Caribbean Financial Holding Company Ltd, acted as managing director for his family’s enterprise Jn Marie & Sons Ltd., and served as a board director for the Saint Lucia Electricity Services Limited, widely known as LUCELEC.

    Beyond his corporate and institutional roles, Jn Marie emerged as a leading voice for the island’s fuel retail sector during his tenure as president of the Saint Lucia Petroleum Dealers Association. He regularly stepped into the public eye to advocate on behalf of local petroleum retailers, particularly during policy and pricing debates that directly impacted the sector’s stability and the livelihoods of its operators.

    Jn Marie also dedicated years to formal public service, serving as an independent senator before rising to the position of Deputy President of the Senate of Saint Lucia.

    Following the announcement of his passing, tributes have poured in from across the island’s political and business communities. Among those paying respects is House Speaker Claudius Francis, a lifelong friend of Jn Marie and a former classmate from St Mary’s College. Francis remembered Jn Marie not just as a respected leader, but as a trusted confidant whose commitment to serving the Saint Lucian public went far beyond the titles he held.

    In a written tribute, Francis noted: “He gave himself to public service with a seriousness that marked him as a man of immense value.”

    Francis reflected on Jn Marie’s consistent willingness to answer calls to serve his country, highlighting that his guidance was always steady, his loyalty to the people of Saint Lucia never wavered, and his leadership was never motivated by personal acclaim. Instead, Francis emphasized, Jn Marie’s work was driven by a core goal: to ensure that every institution he served operated in the best interest of the Saint Lucian public.

  • Saint Lucia concludes participation at Commonwealth Games

    Saint Lucia concludes participation at Commonwealth Games

    After four days of competitive action at the 2014 Commonwealth Games hosted in Glasgow, Scotland, the tiny track and field delegation from the Caribbean island nation of Saint Lucia has wrapped up its tournament run. While none of the team’s athletes advanced to a final event, the competition offered critical developmental and qualifying experience for rising stars, including one sprinter already bound for the 2024 Paris Olympic Games.

    Leading the team’s performance was 23-year-old sprinter Michael Joseph, a resident of Gros Islet who currently competes collegiately at the University of Arkansas and holds Saint Lucia’s national record in the men’s 400-meter event. A 2022 Commonwealth Games finalist, Joseph kicked off his Glasgow campaign in the opening round of the men’s 400m on Tuesday. Drawn to the unfavored outer Lane 8, he held strong pacing through the race to cross the line third in his heat with a time of 45.84 seconds, securing a spot in the event’s semifinal round.

    On Thursday, Joseph took to the track at EDF Scotstoun Stadium for his semifinal matchup, this time drawn to inner Lane 1. He crossed the finish line sixth in his semi with a time of 46.69 seconds, placing 13th overall across all semifinalists and falling just short of qualifying for the event’s final. Despite the early exit, the performance adds to Joseph’s resume ahead of his upcoming appearance at the 2024 Paris Olympics.

    Joseph was not the only Saint Lucian 400m sprinter in Glasgow. Marvric Pamphile, a 31-year-old Choiseul native serving as a soldier in the British Army, also competed in the opening round of the men’s 400m on Tuesday. Pamphile recorded a time of 47.12 seconds in his heat, finishing 19th overall in the opening round and did not advance to the next stage of competition.

    The first Saint Lucian athlete to compete at the Commonwealth Games in Glasgow was hurdler Khailan Vitalis, who took on the men’s 110m hurdles in the opening heat round on Monday. Vitalis finished the race with a time of 14.46 seconds, placing 11th overall across all opening heats and missing out on a spot in the next round.

    Unlike his teammates who will return home following the conclusion of the Glasgow Games, Vitalis immediately traveled across the Atlantic Ocean following his competition to Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic, where he is set to compete as the sole track and field athlete representing Saint Lucia at the upcoming Central American and Caribbean (CAC) Games. Both the 2014 Commonwealth Games team and the CAC Games delegation are selected and managed under the oversight of the Saint Lucia Olympic Committee.

  • Pierre: ‘If they get me vex, I will call an election sooner than later’

    Pierre: ‘If they get me vex, I will call an election sooner than later’

    On the fifth anniversary of the Saint Lucia Labour Party’s (SLP) 2021 electoral victory, Prime Minister Philip J. Pierre launched a sharp counterattack against the opposition United Workers Party (UWP) during a televised celebratory public meeting Thursday night, issuing a clear warning that he would not hesitate to call an early general election if opposition pressure continues to escalate.

    The event, which brought together thousands of SLP supporters to mark five years since the party reclaimed power, opened with Pierre extending gratitude to backers for what he described as “protecting our victory” in the 2021 poll. But the prime minister quickly shifted focus to growing tensions with the UWP, which has waged a consistent campaign of criticism against his administration since the most recent general election on December 1, 2025. That vote delivered a landslide win for the SLP, which secured 13 of the 17 available parliamentary seats, leaving the UWP with just a single holding.

    Since taking office for the current term, the UWP has raised public alarms over a series of policy and governance issues, including soaring domestic cost of living, rising violent crime rates, perceived mismanagement of public finances, and underperformance of several key Cabinet ministers. The opposition has also formally demanded the removal of multiple sitting ministers from Pierre’s cabinet, creating a sustained standoff between the two major political parties.

    Pierre struck back hard at those criticisms during Thursday’s rally, accusing the UWP of actively undermining national stability and engaging in underhanded tactics to cripple his administration. He claimed the opposition has reached out directly to foreign diplomatic agencies, international financial institutions, and global grant-making bodies to discredit the SLP government, in a move he said is designed to “destroy this country.”

    The prime minister argued that the opposition’s persistent aggression stems from the fact that they still hold one parliamentary seat, emboldening their efforts to disrupt governance. He issued a stark ultimatum: if the UWP continues its attacks and pushes him too far, he will trigger an early election far ahead of schedule, and he pledged that the outcome would leave the UWP completely shut out of parliament.

    “If they get me vex and I decide I don’t want any opposition, I will call an election sooner than later,” Pierre told the cheering crowd, repeating the warning later in his address to emphasize his resolve: “Let me say for the last time, if they get me vex I will call an election sooner than later, and there will be nobody in Parliament.”

    In a rare moment of candor, Pierre acknowledged that his current administration has navigated significant headwinds, with a range of external economic and political pressures putting strain on the small island nation. Even so, he urged SLP supporters to maintain party unity, continue defending the administration’s electoral mandate, and remain committed to keeping the UWP out of power for good. “I never want you to get into a situation where these guys ever rule Saint Lucia again,” he added.

  • Kings in camp at Daren Sammy Ground ahead of CPL 2026

    Kings in camp at Daren Sammy Ground ahead of CPL 2026

    As the 2026 Republic Bank Caribbean Premier League (CPL) draws near, the Saint Lucia Kings have kicked off their pre-tournament preparation at their home ground, the Daren Sammy Cricket Ground, aiming to turn their 2025 regular season dominance into a historic title run. With several key players still tied up with West Indies national team duties and international franchise commitments, the core available squad got an early start to training on Thursday, putting in work ahead of the competition’s August 9 opening fixture.

    Last year, the Kings turned heads across the Caribbean cricket circuit, topping the regular season table with a solid 5-3 win-loss record under the leadership of head coach Daren Sammy. However, their championship push derailed abruptly in the playoffs, where consecutive heartbreaking losses left them eliminated before a shot at the final. To address the gaps that led to that playoff collapse, the franchise’s management has overhauled the roster, with a deliberate focus on expanding the team’s spin bowling options – a move designed to add versatility and pressure on opposing batting lineups across all formats of the T20 competition.

    A number of familiar faces have departed the franchise this offseason, including international stars Alzarri Joseph, David Wiese and Tabraiz Shamsi, as well as fan-favorite local players Johnson Charles and Shadrack Descarte. In their place, the 2024 CPL champions have recruited a talented cohort of global spin talent: Sri Lankan off-break specialists Maheesh Theekshana and Charith Asalanka, and dynamic Afghan left-arm spinner Noor Ahmad. Local fast bowler McKenny Clarke has also made a return to the squad, joining returning local talents Matthew Forde, fast bowler Keon Gaston, and promising young West Indies batsmen Ackeem Auguste and Jewel Andrew. The biggest leadership shift sees Roston Chase, a former CPL Player of the Season, take over as the team’s new captain for the 2026 campaign.

    To consolidate the batting order, the franchise has retained New Zealand batsman Tim Seifert and local standout Johann Jeremiah, and added South African allrounder Schadley van Schalkwyk to the mix. Assistant coach John Eugene expressed confidence that the new blend of seasoned veterans and exciting young prospects will make the Kings a formidable contender in this year’s tournament.

    “I think we have a very good chance of competing and a very good chance of winning,” Eugene told reporters during the first week of training camp. “I think we have some exciting talent, some new faces going into this season, but these are guys who have been in and around the regional circuit. We’re happy to have McKenny back. Keon is back, and Chase is leading. It’s unfortunate that we don’t have Johno [Johnson Charles] at the top, but that’s franchise cricket. We have to move on from there. I think with the blend of the exciting young talent that we have on show, in addition to the seasoned campaigners, we will definitely be a force to be reckoned with.”

    Eugene also praised the appointment of Chase as captain, noting the veteran allrounder has long demonstrated the leadership qualities needed to steer the squad. “I think Roston has grown and shown a lot of maturity, even before you as captain,” Eugene said. “He is one of the guys who, you know, we could have always talked to in terms of advice and whatever it takes, you know, to build the team. So, it’s no surprise that he’s chosen as captain. I am sure he’ll do a fantastic job.”

    The 2026 CPL schedule has set up the Kings perfectly to build early momentum in front of their home fanbase. After opening their campaign on the road against the Antigua & Barbuda Falcons at Arnos Vale Stadium in St Vincent & the Grenadines on August 9, the team will return to Gros Islet for five consecutive home matches at the Daren Sammy Cricket Ground. Their home stand kicks off on August 12 against the St Kitts & Nevis Patriots, followed by a rematch with the Falcons on August 14, a clash with Shadrack Descarte’s new side Barbados Tridents on August 16, a meeting with the Guyana Amazon Warriors on August 19, and a fixture against the Jamaica Kingsmen on August 21.

    Currently, the Kings are in the middle of a seven-day intensive pre-tournament camp at their home ground, focused on clarifying player roles, aligning on team expectations, and ironing out tactical details ahead of the opening match. “We’re here right now at Daren Sammy in a seven-day camp, and obviously we’re going to look to tick a lot of boxes, a lot of roles and clarity of roles and expectations, you know, going into our first game,” Eugene said. “So, it’s an exciting time for us as usual every year. We’re just looking forward to executing as much as we can over the next seven days.”