Guyana prepares to host first CARIFTA Games

GEORGETOWN, Guyana (CMC):

A new chapter in Caribbean athletics is being written as Guyana officially begins preparations to host the 2027 CARIFTA Games, marking the first time the country will welcome the region’s premier junior track and field championship.

The prestigious event is scheduled for March 27-29, 2027, at the National Track and Field Centre in Leonora. As preparations gather pace, a high-powered delegation from the North American, Central American and Caribbean Athletic Association (NACAC) has arrived in Guyana for an initial assessment.

Led by NACAC President Michael Sands and Technology Commission Chair John-Paul Clarke, officials from the regional athletics governing body conducted an extensive walkthrough of the Leonora facility on Monday, evaluating the venue that will serve as the centrepiece of the three-day championship.

The site visit brought together key stakeholders, including Ministers of Culture, Youth and Sport Charles Ramson Jr and Steven Jacobs, Director of Sport Steve Ninvalle, National Sports Commission Vice-Chairperson Cristy Campbell, and Guyana Athletics Association President Sheryl Hermonstine.

The inspection provided regional and local officials with an opportunity to assess the country’s infrastructure and outline the logistical framework required to stage a successful championship.

Discussions focused on facility upgrades, technical operations, security arrangements, hosting capacity and overall event readiness.

“This represents a monumental occasion for Guyanese sport,” the delegation noted during the visit, as the nation prepares to welcome the Caribbean’s finest junior athletes.

The awarding of the 2027 CARIFTA Games to Guyana is a significant milestone for the country’s sporting fraternity. Despite being a long-standing participant in the competition and consistently producing standout athletes who have excelled on regional and international stages, the nation has never hosted the event.

First staged in Barbados in 1972 by Austin Sealy to mark the historic transition from the Caribbean Free Trade Association (CARIFTA) to the Caribbean Community (CARICOM), the annual competition has evolved into the region’s premier proving ground for junior athletics talent, launching countless careers on the global stage.

For Guyana, the 2027 Games represent more than a hosting opportunity. They signal the country’s emergence as a destination for major regional sporting events and provide an opportunity to showcase its sporting infrastructure and hospitality to the wider Caribbean.

With preparations now officially under way, attention will focus on Guyana’s progress as it embarks on a historic journey to deliver a memorable staging of the region’s most anticipated junior athletics championship.