CARICOM Announces 2027 CARIFTA Host

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ST. LUCIA – The 2027 CARIFTA Games are headed to Guyana.

The announcement was made during the 51st Regular Meeting of the CARICOM Heads of Government in Saint Lucia, where regional leaders approved Guyana’s bid to host the Caribbean’s premier junior track and field championships.

The conference also confirmed that Barbados will host the 2028 Games.

It will mark the first time Guyana has hosted the CARIFTA games, expanding the event’s reach throughout the region.

The CARIFTA games, first held in 1972, have served as the Caribbean’s premier development meet, helping launch the careers of olympic and world champions.

At the 2026 CARIFTA Games in St. George’s, Grenada, Jamaica continued its dominance, finishing first in the medal standings with 71 total medals – 28 gold, 27 silver and 16 bronze.

Trinidad and Tobago placed second with 42 medals (12 gold, 16 silver, 14 bronze), while The Bahamas finished third with 35 medals, including 10 gold, 14 silver and 11 bronze, marking another strong showing for Team Bahamas at the region’s premier junior track and field championships.

Champions Crowned at “Peace on Da Streets” Classic

After 15 years of coming up short, the politicians are finally celebrating bragging rights.

The game was led by MVP Jay Philippe game-high 25 points.

Meanwhile, Quinton Lightbourne secured 10 points, along with 5 steals.

The politicians ultimately defeated the pastors 70-51 in the marquee matchup of the Peace on Da Street Basketball Classic at the Kendal Isaacs Gymnasium.

The victory ended a long losing streak for the politicians, who had never defeated the pastors during the 15 years the exhibition game has been part of Dr. Carlos Reid’s annual tournament.

Leonardo Lightbourne added 11 points for the winners, while Clay Sweeting scored nine, and Zane Lightbourne finished with seven points.

For the pastors, Dr. Don Clarke led the way with 18 points, Delvonne Duncombe scored 12, and tournament founder Dr. Carlos Reid finished with six points.

The politicians set the tone early, building a 19-6 first-quarter lead before taking a 33-25 advantage into halftime.

They maintained control the rest of the way to secure the historic win.

The tournament also crowned champions in several other divisions.

Valor Elite captured the church division title with a 37-27 win over Lighthouse.

The Baintown Stars won the constituency division, defeating the Bain and Grants Town Cybots 32-27.

In the under-20 division, International Basketball Academy Bahamas claimed the championship with a 37-27 victory over the rotary diplomats.

Then in the under-13 final, Falcons Elite edged Island Dreams 24-20.

Individual honors went to Corey Sands, who won the three-point shootout, while Tianno claimed the slam dunk competition.

Young Named Frontier League Player of the Week

Bahamian outfielder Chavez Young continues to make his mark in the Frontier League.

After being selected to the 2026 Frontier League All-Star Game, the Québec Capitales standout was named the league’s player of the week following an outstanding stretch at the plate.

He carried that momentum into the Capitales’ final series before the All-Star Break against the Trois-Rivières Aigles, where he hit his first home run of the week in the series opener, and recorded hits in each of the final two games.

For the week, Young hit .563, finishing with three doubles, one home run, eight RBI, three stolen bases, 14 hits, and an on-base percentage of over .650, earning him player of the week honors.

The hot streak continued after the All-Star Break.

Young picked up hits in three of Québec’s four games against the Tri-City Valleycats, reaching base multiple times during the series as the Capitales opened the second half of the season.