Sports Announced For Commonwealth Youth Saint Lucia 2017

The 2017 Commonwealth Youth Games will be held in Saint Lucia three years hence, over a five-day period between late July and early August. The Sports Programme for the Games is set to include seven disciplines, six of which were named by the Saint Lucia Olympic Committee in a press release this week. The six are Athletics, Beach Volleyball, Twenty20 Cricket, Netball, Swimming and Tennis. A reliable source has indicated that Cycling is the sseventh; confirmation has been requested of the SLOC. Table Tennis, according to the release, will be an alternate sport if any of the selected seven sports is unable to participate.

This news comes in the wake of a meeting last weekend between Richard Peterkin, Chairman of the Commonwealth Youth Games 2017 Local Organizing Committee, and the relevant National Federations. Also addressing the meeting were LOC member Fortuna Belrose, who is President of the Saint Lucia Olympic Committee / Commonwealth Games Association as well as Permanent Secretary in the Ministry of  Youth Development and Sports; and Cabinet Secretary Darrel Montrope, representing the Government of Saint Lucia. Also present at the head was Jim Xavier,  Director of Youth and Sports. 

The Cabinet Secretary informed the participants that the Government of Saint Lucia has reiterated their support for the nation's hosting of the event and that in preparation for the Games a five-member ministerial sub-committee has been appointed to provide impetus to the planning and mobilization. Mr Montrope also  appealed to the National Federations for the early presentation of specific and realistic budgets so that the requisite resources can be identified and acquired, in light of the challenging economic realities.

Speaking on the issue of housing the expected 1000 athletes and 250 officials, a challenge he has publicly addressed previously, the Chairman indicated that there were two options being examined. The first and preferred option is to construct an Athletes' Village consisting of housing units which would be used during the Games and subsequently sold to Saint Lucians. The second option would involve the use of existing hotel accommodation. Mr Peterkin indicated that a location in Vieux Fort close to the George Odlum National Stadium appeared to be the most promising so far.

Mrs Belrose appealed to the National Federations to communicate and share plans for the identification and development of potential athletes able to participate in the Games, and to work closely with the LOC and Government to ensure that Saint Lucia delivers a successful CYG 2017. Representatives of the various Federations took the opportunity of last weekend's meeting to air their concerns - ranging from the suitability and preparation of venues to the possible clash of the dates of other major international sporting events.

The quadrennial Games are a small-scale version of the Commonwealth Games, designed for the youth of the 71 Commonwealth countries. All competitors in the Commonwealth Youth Games will be a minimum of 14 and maximum of 18 in the year of competition. Athletics and swimming have been part of every Games since the inaugural CYG, hosted by Scotland in 2000. Tennis has been contested in 2000 and 2008. This will be the first time that beach volleyball, netball and cricket are contested at the Games.

Saint Lucia has only ever won one medal at CYG, through Jeannelle Scheper, who took silver in women's High Jump at the Isle of Man Games in 2011.