NEW YORK, October 19, 2025 - President of the Caribbean Association of National Olympic Committees (CANOC), Keith Joseph, has confirmed that Caribbean nations remain committed to participating in both the 2026 Commonwealth Games in Glasgow and the Central American and Caribbean (CAC) Games, despite an unprecedented scheduling conflict that places both events on overlapping dates.
Speaking on the weekly TalkSports programme on Saturday, Joseph described the situation as “unfortunate” but said regional federations and National Olympic Committees (NOCs) are working to ensure that athletes can still represent their countries at both events.
“I think we’re on for both the Commonwealth Games and the CAC Games,” Joseph said. “It’s an unfortunate situation that they’re taking place around the same time, but we are committed to being at both.”
The scheduling clash arose after Victoria, Australia, withdrew as host of the 2026 Commonwealth Games, leaving Commonwealth Sport with a narrow window to secure a replacement. Glasgow, which last hosted the Games in 2014, stepped in with a shorter, scaled-down version of the event.
“Glasgow said, ‘We can do the Games for you in the short time you have — but here are the conditions,’” Joseph explained. “It will be no longer than ten days, involve no more than ten sports, and these are the precise dates we can use. It’s not changing.”
Meanwhile, the CAC Games, organised by Centro Caribe Sports (formerly CACSO), had already set its competition dates years in advance. The 2026 edition also holds special historical significance, marking the 100th anniversary of the Games — the oldest multi-sport event in the world after the Olympics.
“CAC said, ‘We agreed on our dates years ago, and this is our centenary celebration — we can’t change,’” Joseph said. “So both organisations are holding firm, which makes it a difficult but manageable situation.”
To minimise the impact on athletes, adjustments are being made across several disciplines — particularly in athletics, where schedules are being aligned to allow top competitors to participate in both events.
“Over the last several months, they’ve been making minor adjustments to give the best athletes the opportunity to compete in both,” Joseph said. “Some of that has worked, but it’s still very uncomfortable.”
Despite the logistical challenges, Joseph stressed that Caribbean participation in both Games is important.
“We have a responsibility to be at the CAC Games because the Caribbean and Central America make up the majority of the membership,” he said. “And since it’s the oldest multi-sport Games after the Olympics, we can’t turn our backs on that.”
At the same time, Joseph acknowledged that the Commonwealth Games offer higher-level competition and greater exposure for elite athletes seeking international ranking points and professional opportunities.
“We understand why some elite athletes may say, ‘That’s where I want to be,’” he noted. “The Commonwealth Games give them higher-ranking points and the chance to stay on in Europe for money meets. That’s part of their career planning.”
He added that the coming months will require close collaboration between National Olympic Committees, national federations, and athletes to balance priorities and resources effectively.
“It will take some doing,” Joseph admitted. “But I think we’ll find a way. We’ll be attending both Games.”
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