Minister for Youth Development and Sports Kenson Casimir has praised the high level of competition at the just-ended Island Champs Inter-School Sports Meet but expressed disappointment over the withdrawal of 1st National Bank as a sponsor.
The event, held on Sunday, saw St Joseph’s Convent and St Mary’s College emerge as champions in the girls’ and boys’ categories, respectively.
Casimir, speaking in an on-site interview, highlighted the impressive performances on display.
“It speaks to what’s happening throughout the island in terms of schools. We really want to develop alumni associations in each school so that we can really get the communities involved in the secondary schools on the community level to make Island Champs a bigger and better event every year,” he said.
This year, the Island Champs competition lost the sponsorship of 1st National Bank. The Saint Lucia-based institution had been the title sponsor of the meet since its inception in 2023, providing financial support during the event’s infancy. However, the bank has faced challenges over the past financial year, including alleged industrial action taken by staff.
While it is unclear whether these specific events contributed to the withdrawal of sponsorship, Casimir said 1st National Bank’s absence was “very disappointing”, but he was grateful for the contributions of other sponsors, like Acado Distribution, that stepped in.
“Banks go through different things at different times. Thankfully, we have a lot of people coming on board. It speaks to persons paying attention to what has been happening in sports in Saint Lucia when you can lose a sponsor like 1st National and still get other sponsors coming on board,” he said.
“We continue to encourage more people to come on board because we need corporate sponsorship with everything we do, especially when you want to develop sports. I’m encouraged, and we certainly hope that things get bigger and better every year.”
Now in its third year as a weekend event under the current administration, Island Champs continues to evolve. As participation grows, so too does the discussion on how best to support young athletes while creating an engaging spectacle for fans.
