标签： Saint Lucia

A landmark milestone in the long-awaited overhaul of Saint Lucia’s flagship athletic facility is fast approaching, as the international consultant consortium leading the George Odlum Stadium rehabilitation drive is on track to deliver full finalized architectural blueprints, granular technical specifications, and fully itemized cost projections to the national government no later than the first week of December. This critical deliverable clears the path for the Caribbean island nation to restore the 22,000-square-metre venue to full functionality as a world-class hub for regional and international track and field and football competitions.
Overseen by the Ministry of Economic Development and Youth Economy, the comprehensive redesign initiative is tailored to bring the 24-year-old infrastructure into strict compliance with the global governing standards set by World Athletics and FIFA, two of sport’s most rigorous regulatory bodies. The project has been in active development for more than 18 months, following the closure of the public tender process for design, third-party review, iterative modification and on-site construction supervision just over one year prior to the upcoming submission date.
An anonymous source with direct, unpublicized knowledge of the project’s progress, who requested anonymity as they were not formally authorized to speak to local media outlet St Lucia Times, confirmed that the consultant team is in the final stretch of refining all project documentation. “They are at the final verification stage now, where every drawing line, structural calculation, and cost line item is being cross-checked to avoid gaps before handover,” the insider explained. “By the first week of December, the government will have every piece of technical data and the full, audited budget for the entire redevelopment in their hands.”
The scope of the planned upgrades extends far beyond basic structural repairs: the revamped venue will feature a brand new professional-grade synthetic warm-up track, dedicated, regulation-compliant zones for all field events, fully renovated athlete dressing rooms with anti-doping testing facilities, premium corporate hospitality booths for event sponsors, and a purpose-built modern media centre equipped with high-speed broadcast connectivity to support international event coverage.
Steering the entire planning process is a multi-stakeholder advisory committee that convened dozens of formal sessions over the past year and a half, with representation drawn from the Saint Lucia Athletics Association, the Saint Lucia Football Association, and national sports governing body Sports Saint Lucia Inc. Most recently in October, the full committee completed a full on-site walkthrough of the stadium to conduct a granular assessment of every area earmarked for upgrades, documenting existing wear and tear and adjusting design plans to align with on-ground conditions.
The cross-border consultant joint venture leading the design work is helmed by UK-based RLB Consultants, a global firm specializing in large-scale sports infrastructure construction, cost benchmarking and end-to-end project management. The team also includes Canada-headquartered Coles Caribbean, which brings decades of regional Caribbean development expertise, while local Saint Lucian firm Amana Consulting is responsible for all civil and structural engineering assessments tailored to the island’s tropical climate and seismic safety requirements. Project leads confirm that the final design package is only a matter of weeks away from full completion.
Once the government formally signs off on the submitted designs and cost projections, the next procedural phase will launch immediately: an open public tender call for pre-qualified local and international construction contractors to bid on the physical rehabilitation works. The multi-million-dollar project already has secured confirmed, earmarked funding streams: the Saudi Fund for Development allocated US$8 million specifically for the stadium redevelopment in its 2024 grant portfolio, while Saint Lucia’s Ministry of Finance has committed EC$2.5 million to cover all design costs, ongoing supervision services, and pre-construction site preparation works.
Originally completed as a goodwill infrastructure gift from the People’s Republic of China and opened to the public in 2002, the George Odlum Stadium was initially envisioned as the crown jewel of Saint Lucia’s southern regional development strategy, designed to nurture local athletic talent and put the island on the map as a premier Caribbean sports event host. It received a partial upgrade in 2009 to host the prestigious CARIFTA Games, the region’s flagship junior athletics championship, but its purpose as a sporting venue was abruptly interrupted later that same year, when a devastating fire at the nearby St Jude Hospital forced authorities to convert the entire stadium complex into an emergency temporary hospital to deliver critical care to local residents. For more than 15 years, the venue has operated exclusively as a makeshift health care facility, completely sidelining its original sporting purpose.
The planned stadium restoration is inextricably tied to the ongoing construction of the permanent new St Jude Hospital, which national government officials have confirmed is scheduled to be fully completed and operational by 2027. Once the new hospital doors open, health services will be fully relocated off the stadium grounds, freeing the site for the long-awaited sporting redevelopment. As part of the upcoming design review process, engineering teams will also conduct a full structural audit of all buildings on the stadium property to assess long-term wear and modifications accumulated over more than a decade of continuous use as a makeshift hospital, to ensure all upgrades meet modern safety and performance standards before any construction work breaks ground.

The highly anticipated 2026 Saint Lucia Inter-Secondary Schools Table Tennis Championships is set to shift to its competitive knockout phase next week, following the conclusion of all Group 4 preliminary matches at the Castries Table Tennis Centre this week. The upcoming round of 16 singles clashes and team quarterfinal fixtures will officially kick off at the Beausejour Gymnasium starting at 10 a.m. on November 10, showcasing the island’s most promising young table tennis talent.

In the boys’ team Group 4 division, Castries Comprehensive Secondary School (CCSS) delivered a flawless, dominant performance spearheaded by national team standout Leshon Francis. The squad, which also features unbeaten teammates Jay Alcee and Kareem Innocent, swept all three of its group stage opponents — Saint Lucia Sports Academy (SLSA), Corinth Secondary, and Sir Ira Simmons Secondary — with identical 3-0 scorelines to claim the top spot in the group and secure an undisputed spot in the team quarterfinals. The second quarterfinal berth from the group went to Corinth Secondary, whose campaign was anchored by standout displays from Jedd Desir and Kervan Marcel. The team earned hard-fought wins of 3-1 against Sir Ira Simmons, 3-2 over Babonneau Secondary, and a narrow 3-2 edge against SLSA to advance.

The girls’ team Group 4 matches were marked by tightly contested, nail-biting finishes throughout the draw. Led by national champion Shatal Charles, SLSA claimed first place in the group, edging out both Corinth Secondary and CCSS with razor-thin 3-2 victories. CCSS secured the group’s second knockout spot behind the consistent play of Lyzan Seraphin, Nefetari Godard, and Emma-Lee Wells, while Corinth Secondary rounded out the advancing girls’ team cohort with strong contributions from Elizabeth King and Laricia Oculien.

CCSS also put on an impressive showing across all singles qualification brackets, securing dozens of spots in the upcoming round of 16. In the under-13 boys’ category, Jay Alcee of CCSS earned a place, alongside Corinth Secondary’s trio of Jedd Desir, Jelanie Flermius, and Omari Matthew. The under-15 boys’ division will feature SLSA’s Omari McCaunley, plus CCSS’s Leshon Francis, Jay Alcee, and Jedd Desir. Francis and Alcee also locked in their spots in the under-19 boys’ draw, where they will be joined by McCaunley and his SLSA teammate Mitchel Deterville.

CCSS’s female athletes dominated their respective singles age groups, taking five out of six available under-13 girls’ qualification spots: Nefetari Godard, Emma-Lee Wells, Kezie Edwards, Hanah James, and Azelia Emmanuel claimed those berths, with the final spot going to Kelisa Antoine of Sir Ira Simmons. The CCSS squad completed a full clean sweep of all under-15 girls’ qualifying positions, with Lyzan Seraphin, Godard, Wells, and Edwards all advancing. For the under-19 girls’ division, Shatal Charles qualified for SLSA, Seraphin, Godard, and Wells moved through for CCSS, Amia JnMarie earned a spot representing Babonneau Secondary, and Elizabeth King secured her place for Corinth.

With Group 4 now fully wrapped up, the full field for the championship knockout rounds is confirmed. The boys’ team quarterfinals will see CCSS and Corinth Secondary join previously qualified sides Special Education Centre Vieux Fort, Vieux Fort Comprehensive, Soufriere Comprehensive, TVET Building Construction, Ciceron Secondary, and St. Mary’s College. The girls’ team quarterfinal lineup includes Vieux Fort Comprehensive, St. Joseph’s Convent, Entrepot Secondary, SLSA, CCSS, and Corinth Secondary. All upcoming matches will be hosted at the Beausejour Gymnasium, as the island’s top secondary school table tennis players compete for the 2026 championship titles.
*(Photo credits: Leshon Francis and Shatal Charles portraits courtesy of the Saint Lucia National Table Tennis Association)*

The highly anticipated Under-16 Netball Tournament, organized by the Ministry of Youth Development and Sports, has entered its decisive knockout stage, with just four elite secondary school teams remaining in contention for the national title. The semifinal showdowns are scheduled to unfold next Wednesday at the Beausejour Gymnasium, where the two winning sides will secure their spots in the tournament’s final championship match.

The path to the semifinals saw dominant group stage performances from two standout sides: St Joseph’s Convent (SJC) and defending title holders Soufrière Comprehensive (SCSS), who both swept their respective groups to claim top seeding positions. Joining them in the final four are Castries Comprehensive Secondary School (CCSS) and Beanefield Comprehensive, who locked in the second-place qualification spots from Group A and Group B respectively.

In Group A, SJC put on a flawless, undefeated campaign, finishing top of the standings with a perfect 15 points from three matches and a staggering +53 goal difference. The team cemented their pole position with a tight 18-13 victory over CCSS, converting every single one of their 18 shot attempts during the fixture. Star goal shooter Xanaiia Emmanus led SJC’s offensive charge with a perfect 14 goals from 14 attempts, while supporting goal attacks Skai St Claire and Leyla Sylvester each chipped in 2 goals to round out the total.

CCSS, the Group A runners-up, finished with 10 points and a +40 goal differential, anchored by strong performances in the shooting circle from goal shooter Valencia Seraphin, who sunk 12 of her 16 attempts, and goal attack Luwander Antoine, who added 1 goal from 6 chances. Third place in Group A went to Leon Hess Comprehensive, who finished on 5 points after a narrow 11-10 win over Entrepot Secondary, who exited the tournament without earning a single point. Leon Hess’s scoring was split perfectly between goal shooter Alexi Philip, who converted all 7 of her shots, and goal attack Onyella Enebeli, who landed all 4 of her attempts. For Entrepot, goal shooter Azaria Leon scored 7 from 11 and goal attack Jahnii Charlery added 3 from 7.

Over in Group B, defending champions SCSS asserted complete dominance across the southern zone fixtures, finishing top of the table with a maximum 20 points from four matches and an outstanding +98 goal difference. One of their standout group stage results was a 28-13 triumph over Choiseul Secondary played at the Micoud Court, where Harriel William led SCSS with 15 goals from 23 attempts, Steffi Paul netted 9 from 19, and Kheryss Ferguson contributed 4 from 7. For Choiseul, Malia Isidore scored 10 from 15 and Kevlyn Fostin added 3 from 9.

Beanefield Comprehensive secured Group B’s second semifinal spot with 15 points, punching their ticket to the knockout rounds after a dominant 16-4 away win over hosts Micoud Secondary. Notably, Beanefield’s entire 16-goal output in that fixture came from goal shooter Jerannie Marquis, who converted 16 of her 24 attempts, while goal attack Annia St Ange was unable to register a goal from her 4 shot attempts. For Micoud, Sashaly Martyr scored 3 goals from 6 tries and Shanequa Jn Baptiste added 1 goal. Choiseul finished third in Group B with 10 points, ahead of Vieux Fort Comprehensive on 5 points, while winless Micoud Secondary rounded out the group standings in last place.

The November 11 semifinal lineup at the Beausejour Indoor Facility will kick off with a first match pitting Group A winners SJC against Group B runners-up Beanefield Comprehensive. Immediately following the conclusion of that fixture, the second semifinal will see defending champions and Group B top seeds SCSS go head-to-head with Group A runners-up CCSS, with the two victors moving on to compete for the tournament’s overall title.

As the 34th edition of the Organisation of Eastern Caribbean States (OECS) Swimming Championships prepares to kick off this weekend at Saint Lucia’s Rodney Heights Aquatics Centre, the host nation’s 34-member competitive squad is gearing up to dethrone regional rivals and claim its first overall team crown since 2014. Coming off a narrow second-place finish at the 2025 tournament hosted by Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, where the team trailed defending champion Grenada by a mere 24.5 points, Saint Lucia’s swimming federation has curated a roster stacked with emerging junior talent and seasoned regional veterans, led by head coach Roosevelt Romain. The team’s deep junior divisions form a rock-solid foundation for high point accumulation: 9-10 boys standout Miles Andrew arrives fresh off claiming the individual high-point award at the recent national short course championships, while the 11-12 age group is anchored by CARIFTA Aquatics champions Tyler Dantes and Sapphire Parks. Dantes shaved his own national 50-metre backstroke record down to 29.57 seconds just last month, and Parks — who secured 10 gold medals and two regional records at the 2025 OECS meet — set five new national marks during national trials held in October. In the senior age brackets, established regional stars bring proven competitive pedigree: Jayden Xu leads the boys 15-17 category with top-tier performances across backstroke, breaststroke, and individual medley events, while US-based Tristan Dorville headlines the boys 18 and over division, competing across sprint and middle-distance freestyle and butterfly races. For the women’s 18 and over group, Olympian Mikail Charlemagne and national teammate Naekeisha Louis deliver elite experience in the 50-metre and 100-metre sprint events. The host team faces a notable setback with the absence of two key athletes: Noah Dorville and Fayth Jeffrey are currently in Dakar, Senegal representing Saint Lucia at the Youth Olympic Games, removing reliable podium-caliber points in middle-distance freestyle and individual medley events. Even so, the national swimming technical committee remains confident that the roster’s collective depth will keep Saint Lucia firmly in the title hunt across the three days of competition. This year’s championship will welcome more than 175 swimmers representing nine Eastern Caribbean territories, with defending champion Grenada and 2024 title winner Antigua & Barbuda positioned as the primary rivals vying for the top team ranking when the tournament wraps up on Sunday afternoon.

The highly anticipated 2026 Saint Lucia Under-19 Secondary School Basketball Championship is set to culminate in a blockbuster final next week, as two powerhouse programs secured their spots following hard-fought semifinal showdowns held Tuesday at the Beausejour Gymnasium. Two-time reigning title holders Sir Arthur Lewis Community College (SALCC) will face off against Soufrière Comprehensive Secondary School (SCSS), a three-time tournament finalist, in a matchup that pits consistent defending dominance against a hungry side eager to claim its first top prize.

The night’s second semifinal delivered edge-of-the-seat drama, as SCSS fended off a ferocious late comeback from Leon Hess Comprehensive Secondary School (LHCSS) to squeeze out a narrow 55-53 victory. SCSS carried a modest 27-23 lead into halftime before exploding for a dominant 21-10 third-quarter run that stretched their advantage to a commanding 48-33 heading into the final 10 minutes. LHCSS mounted an extraordinary last-ditch rally, outscoring their opponents 20-7 across the fourth frame, but ultimately fell just two points short of overturning the deficit. Tournament top scorer Curdin Jones turned in a historic all-around performance for SCSS, notching 34 points, 33 rebounds, six steals, two blocks and a single assist to anchor his side’s win. Support came from Sanchez Felix who added six points and 13 rebounds, Trenton Henry who pulled down 11 rebounds alongside three points, Kevon Gills with five points and six steals, and Aloysious William who contributed six rebounds, five steals and four assists. For LHCSS, sharpshooter McKhail Feliz led all scorers with 28 points, draining seven three-pointers in the process, while Sage Lewis posted a double-double of 16 points and 14 rebounds to go with five assists, three steals and two blocks, and Ahlil Cyril chipped in eight points.

The opening semifinal proved to be a far more controlled affair, as SALCC earned a decisive 48-29 victory over St Mary’s College (SMC) in a rematch of the 2025 championship final. The defending champions built their lead steadily, going up 14-12 after the first quarter, 26-18 at halftime, and 38-25 through three periods, before locking down defensively to hold SMC to a mere four points in the final frame. SALCC dominated the possession battle across the full 40 minutes, generating 13 more field goal attempts than their opponents courtesy of 10 extra rebounds and seven fewer turnovers. Nyel Joseph led SALCC’s balanced attack with 19 points, nine rebounds and four steals, while Mezan Lewis added 12 points, Romuald Wilson notched five steals to go with five rebounds and four points, and Shayne Edgar put up four points, five rebounds, four steals and four assists. SMC’s top performer was Jabarie Archibald with 12 points, six rebounds, six steals and two blocks, while Rollins Estwick turned in a standout defensive display with eight steals alongside two points, two rebounds and two blocks.