School Sports Suspended

Secondary student-athletes in Saint Lucia will be denied an opportunity to showcase their talents and abilities this term, as school sports have been suspended. The Ministry of Youth Development and Sports, along with the Ministry of Education, Innovation, and Gender Relations are expected to make a joint announcement to that effect on Wednesday. The first term of the 2024-2025 school year started in the first week of September, and is expected to run until early December. In this term, schools would normally be engaged in football, netball, and basketball competition, as well as the schools road race. Only the road race is now expected to happen, according to sources close to the discussion. This term faced the unusual interruption due to the Julien Alfred Homecoming in late September. Ironically, the celebration of the nation’s first-ever Olympic gold medallist may have played a role in affecting the development of the island’s young athletes. One official, who wished to remain anonymous, told St. Lucia Times that the disruption in instruction occasioned by the week of activities, including school rallies and a holiday, in addition to the resources that went into planning the festivities, were a factor in deciding to cull sports. The...