NEW YORK, October 18, 2025 - The President of the Caribbean Association of National Olympic Committees (CANOC), Keith Joseph, has called on regional governments to place sport at the centre of their national development agendas, arguing that it remains an underutilised tool for unity, productivity, and economic growth across the Caribbean.
Speaking on the weekly TalkSports programme on Saturday, Joseph expressed disappointment that sport continues to be treated as an afterthought by many Caribbean leaders, despite its proven capacity to unite people and enhance the region’s image on the global stage. He pointed to the second CARICOM–Africa Summit, noting that sport was notably absent from the agenda.
“I was very disappointed that in the second CARICOM summit with Africa, sport was not on the agenda at all,” Joseph said. “It seems some of our leaders are still caught up in the nostalgia of what cricket once meant for us. While cricket played a huge role in shaping our identity, athletics has long taken over that mantle in uniting the region.”
Joseph highlighted that track and field has, for decades, captured the imagination of Caribbean people more broadly than any other sport. He noted that moments such as Usain Bolt’s Olympic victories transcended national boundaries and showcased the Caribbean’s potential for global influence.
“When Bolt was running, there was no crime in Jamaica — people were too busy wanting to see him destroy the international community,” Joseph said. “Brand Bolt became bigger than Brand Jamaica, but he also became the embodiment of Jamaica. Our politicians have not yet understood the value of sport to our global image.”
The CANOC President emphasised that, unlike cricket, which has a limited global reach, athletics and the Olympic movement provide exposure to more than 200 member countries, offering far greater opportunities for the Caribbean to showcase its talent and culture internationally.
Joseph believes that while several regional leaders — including President Irfaan Ali of Guyana and Prime Minister Mia Mottley of Barbados — have demonstrated strong support for sport, others have yet to embrace its broader social and economic potential.
“When we met President Ali earlier this year, he spoke passionately about sport development and outlined the facilities being constructed in Guyana,” Joseph said. “Prime Minister Mottley has also expressed her support for our initiatives. These are examples of leadership that understands sport as a development tool.”
However, Joseph lamented that most regional governments still fail to integrate sport into broader social and economic policy frameworks.
“We talk about sport tourism, but only when we’re hosting an event,” he said. “We haven’t built the political and economic infrastructure to support sport as a pillar of our economy. Sport is tied to health, productivity, and discipline — all vital for national development — yet we don’t seem to value those connections.”
He pointed out that in many Caribbean territories, the private sector, rather than government, leads sport tourism initiatives. The recent ICC Men’s T20 World Cup, co-hosted in the region, demonstrated how major events can inject significant revenue into local economies. Still, Joseph said, the wider benefits are often overlooked.
“The T20 World Cup generated millions across host islands,” he explained. “But instead of discussing the economic success, people focused only on whether the team won or lost. We have to change that mindset.”
Joseph concluded by urging regional leaders to treat sport not as recreation, but as a strategic driver of unity and development. He recalled historian Douglas Hall’s reflection that the collapse of the West Indies Federation was due to a lack of people-centred engagement — a mistake he says should not be repeated with sport.
“Sport starts with the people,” Joseph said. “If we engage sport as a vehicle for bringing our peoples together, we will be far more successful. That is what CARICOM has yet to achieve — to bring our people together through sport.”
No comments:
Post a Comment