SAASS Sets the Standard as InterCol Enters a New Era

by Michael Bascombe

Congratulations are in order for the St Andrew’s Anglican Secondary School (SAASS) on a truly historic and well-deserved championship performance at the 2026 Inter-Secondary Schools’ Athletics Championships (InterCol).

Let me first establish a disclaimer. I am a proud alumnus of the Grenada Boys’ Secondary School (GBSS) and a former President of the GBSS Alumni Association in New York. However, this commentary is written from a place of fairness, respect, and appreciation for the athletes, officials, organisers, and spectators who collectively made InterCol 2026 a resounding success.

SAASS did not win by chance. Their triumph was built on planning, structure, and execution. Head coach Niade Simon pointed to early preparation, beginning as far back as August 2025, where a core group of athletes was identified and placed into a comprehensive programme covering both track and field.

But beyond the programme, what stood out was the system behind the team.

A visit to the SAASS tent in the athletes’ village revealed a level of organisation that speaks volumes. Volunteers were fully engaged, masseurs attending to recovery, cooks ensuring proper nutrition, and support personnel managing logistics. This allowed coaches to focus solely on performance and strategy. It was a well-oiled machine.

In essence, SAASS did not just bring a team; they brought a support structure. And in modern sport, that often makes the difference between competing and winning.

With this victory, SAASS now moves to 22 boys’ titles, stepping ahead of their perennial rivals, GBSS. For GBSS, this result signals a period of transition and rebuilding. Head coach Nicholas Benjamin acknowledged the challenges, with injuries, relay mishaps, and extended congratulations to the champions.

However, this moment also invites deeper reflection.

GBSS and Presentation Brothers’ College (PBC), two of the largest all-boys institutions in Grenada, each with populations exceeding 700 and 400 students, respectively, possess a vast talent pool within their own walls. The question now is not about ability, but about systems, structure, and sustained athlete development.

This brings me to a broader call to action.

I am challenging the Grenada Association of Principals of Secondary Schools (GAPSS) to explore greater collaboration and expanded competitive opportunities for student-athletes. Given current global and geopolitical realities, international exposure may be limited, but the Caribbean remains a viable and valuable competitive space.

I want to suggest some areas for growth and collaboration.

Inter-island competition circuits within the OECS and wider Caribbean; exchange meets and dual competitions between leading schools; sports science integration, including nutrition, recovery, and injury management; stronger alumni engagement frameworks to support funding and mentorship; and data tracking systems to monitor athlete progression year over year

InterCol has become more than a championship; it is a national institution. The 2026 edition has raised the bar not just in performance, but in preparation, presentation, and professionalism.

The challenge now is clear: sustain the momentum, deepen the structures, and expand the opportunities.

If this is the standard set by SAASS, then InterCol and Grenadian athletics as a whole stand on the brink of an exciting new era.