Last weekend’s Saint Lucia Premier League finale didn’t just crown the SAIL Gros Islet Knights as champions, it marked a financial milestone for local cricket. With $83 000 in total prize money distributed, including $25 000 to the winning team and $500 per match for individual players, the 2025 SPL became the most lucrative domestic cricket tournament in Saint Lucian history.
For standout performers, the month-long competition generated earnings exceeding $6 000, a figure Youth Development and Sports Minister Kenson Casimir called “transformational” for athletes accustomed to semi-professional conditions.
For Casimir, the tournament was proof that Saint Lucia’s unprecedented investment in its athletes is paying off.
He emphasised the broader impact of this investment, noting that about 300 households benefited directly. “This is another feather in the cap of the Ministry of Youth Development and Sports and, of course, the Government of Saint Lucia,” he said. “The Minister of Finance has worked tirelessly to see a youth economy in sport in Saint Lucia.”
Now in its fifth season since its 2017 inception, the SPL follows the successful launch in 2024 of the Saint Lucia Semi-Professional Football League (SPFL), a collaboration between the government and the Saint Lucia Football Association.
The SPFL’s second season is set to begin next month, alongside the sixth edition of the Dream11 Saint Lucia T10 Blast in June. Additionally, the National Lotteries Authority continues to support emerging talent through the High Performance Centre.
While past SPL editions featured West Indies stars like Andre Fletcher and Rahkeem Cornwall, this year saw fewer regional players despite increased financial incentives. Casimir acknowledged this as an area for growth, stressing the need to attract experienced players who can elevate the league’s standard and mentor local talent. He also called for greater private-sector involvement.
“Regional players were absolutely clamouring to be part of this competition,” Casimir said. “We’re talking about players from St Vincent, Dominica, Grenada, and of course, some of the bigger islands, looking at SPL online and wanting to be part of it.”
He called for more business engagement using Gros Islet, the area he represents in Parliament, as an example: “If we can get 50 or so businesses to contribute about $1 000 towards [the Knights], we have a large chunk of money to ensure that we continue to develop the programme and to have an even better competition next year.”
He proudly declared Saint Lucia a regional leader in sports development, citing the presence of West Indies A team members at the final, where young batsmen Jard Goodman and Kimani Melius dazzled the crowd. The government’s investments, he said, are creating life-changing opportunities for Saint Lucian youth.
The Gros Islet Playing Field, which hosted the final, is undergoing a major transformation. Over the past year, perimeter walls, a grandstand, and a parking lot have been added, but Casimir said there is more to come.
“The first phase is 98 per cent complete. And, as a matter of fact, in June we’ll be seeing some commencement of work near the community centre and a grand opening in August – we’ve put in place August 5 – for the brand new Gros Islet Mini Stadium.”
The minister said consultations were underway on the renaming of the stadium, pavilion and stands after local sports figures.
Casimir noted that enclosed fields like Gros Islet’s allow for advertising areas, a revenue-generating strategy already successful at the Grande Riviere Playing Field. This model, he said, will help facilities become self-sustaining while supporting professional franchises.
Despite expanded reach this year with matches in La Fargue, Choiseul, Mindoo Phillip Park and Phillip Marcellin Grounds, Casimir admitted that community engagement needs improvement.
“One of the challenges that we’ve had is the marketing of our professional products in terms of cricket and football,” he conceded. “I’ve met a lot of people who said to me, despite the fact that it’s advertised on radio and TV and social media, that they were still not aware that this was happening. It means that we have to go back to the drawing board and do even more in terms of community interventions.”
Next season, organisers will focus on building cheerleading squads and enhancing the trophy presentation with fireworks and confetti for a more electrifying atmosphere, he said.
With plans already underway for 2026, Casimir is confident the SPL will continue to raise the bar for sports in Saint Lucia.
Very well Mr minister. Congrats. But can more be done for the elevation of the arts in Saint Lucia. We must develop other sectors so more can benefit from a wider range of activities. The responsible minister for the arts must step up. So far so good for what the government is doing…but more is needed.
Well done to all who took part.
However I find myself echoing the statement.
NOT ENOUGH EVENT ADVERTISING
Bill boards with the next match put up in a prominent position and well in advance not the night before!!!!
Lots of people who would have attended didn’t know until it was too late