The young men and women representing Team Saint Lucia at the 2026 Windward Islands School Games shrugged off an indifferent start last weekend, sweeping three disciplines over seven days and commanding the overall title for the first time since 2019. A 3-0 win over Dominica in men’s football on Friday night proved to be the cherry on top for the hosts.
For Saint Lucia, consistency was the key. In addition to running the table in netball, women’s volleyball, and football, the home team took second place in men’s and women’s basketball competitions and in men’s volleyball. The 62-member team bounced back big time. They recorded 37 points for the win, despite a fourth-place finish in athletics on the opening day.
The crowning glory was a 3-0 victory over Dominica on Friday night at the Francis Baba Lastic Grounds, hot on the heels of a women’s volleyball win over Grenada at the Beausejour Gymnasium and a defeat of defending netball champions St Vincent and the Grenadines to maintain perfect records in all three sports.
Dominica, the nearest challengers, closed strong, with wins on Thursday in men’s and women’s basketball and on Friday afternoon in men’s volleyball. But fourth-place finishes in netball and women’s volleyball left them well behind the hosts on 29 points.
Two-time defending champions Grenada got to 27 points. The boys and girls of the Spice Isle extended their dominance of the athletics competition and were second in football, but they could finish no better than third in the other five disciplines.
Defending netball champions St Vincent and the Grenadines were beaten twice but still managed to finish second in that sport. They were also second in athletics and women’s volleyball, but fourth in the four other sports, and fourth overall with 19 points.
The competition was held in consecutive years for the first time since 2018-2019 due to interruptions from COVID-19 and Hurricane Beryl in 2024. Grenada, winners at the last two editions in 2023 and 2025, came third this time around.
