Patterson advances as Grenada experiences mixed fortunes in Glasgow

by Michael Bascombe

GLASGOW, Scotland, July 28, 2026 – Jamara Patterson advanced to the semi-finals of the women’s 400 metres as Grenada experienced mixed fortunes on the track on the second day of competition at the Commonwealth Games on Tuesday.

Patterson finished third in the opening heat in 52.79 seconds to secure her place in Thursday’s semi-finals.

Charlotte Henrich of Wales won the heat in 52.13, while England’s Laviai Nielsen finished second in 52.72.

Patterson was among four Caribbean athletes who progressed from the opening round. Jamaicans Shana Kaye Anderson and Leah Anderson advanced after recording 52.71 and 52.74, respectively, while Bermuda’s Caitlyn Bobb qualified in 54.94.

However, Grenada’s Michael Francois and Joshem Sylvester were unable to advance from the opening round of the men’s 400 metres.

Francois finished third in Heat 1 in 46.62, narrowly missing a qualifying place. Nigeria’s Edidiong Udo won the heat in 45.73, with Barbados’ Desean Boyce taking second in 46.55. Both advanced to Thursday’s semi-finals.

Sylvester placed fourth in Heat 6, crossing the line in 48.17. Amal Glasgow of St Vincent and the Grenadines won the heat in 46.03, while India’s Vishal Kayalvizhi was second in 46.49.

Jamaica’s Zandrion Barnes was the fastest qualifier overall, clocking 45.13.

Barnes led a strong group of eight Caribbean athletes into the semi-finals. The other qualifiers were Trinidad and Tobago’s Jereem Richards, who recorded 45.72; Jamaica’s Delano Kennedy, 45.82; St Lucia’s Michael Joseph, 45.84; Glasgow, 46.03; Trinidad and Tobago’s Jaden Marchan, 46.17; Jamaica’s Antonio Watts, 46.36; and Boyce, 46.55.

Grenada captures track and field title at Windward Islands Secondary Schools Games

by Michael Bascombe

CASTRIES, St Lucia, July 27, 2026 – Grenada captured the Track and Field Championships at the Windward Islands Secondary Schools Games, which opened here on Saturday.

The Grenadian athletes amassed 282 points to finish comfortably ahead of St Vincent and the Grenadines, which placed second with 220 points. Dominica finished third with 207 points, while host country St Lucia scored 193.

Grenada also topped the men’s and women’s team standings. The men accumulated 140 points, while the women finished with 142.

Annalisa Brown led Grenada’s impressive performance and is in line to be named the championships’ most outstanding athlete after winning five gold medals.

Brown won the women’s 400 metres, 800m and 1500m before helping Grenada to victory in the 4x100m and 4x400m relays. The highlight was her personal best time of 53.83 seconds over the 400m.

Grenada also recorded victories in football, netball, and both volleyball divisions on Sunday.

The male volleyball team defeated Dominica 3-1. After losing the opening set 18-25, Grenada recovered to win the next three sets 25-23, 25-11 and 25-17.

Grenada also overcame Dominica 3-2 in female volleyball. Dominica won the opening set 26-24, but Grenada responded by taking the next two sets 25-16 and 25-7. Dominica forced a deciding set by winning the fourth 25-21 before Grenada completed the victory 15-11.

In football, Grenada edged Dominica 2-1, with Che Charles and Kelroy Peters scoring the goals.

The Grenadian netballers also made a strong start, defeating defending champions St Vincent and the Grenadines 31-20.

Assistant team manager and one of the team coaches, Latisha Collymore, said the team remained in high spirits. With the track and field title already secured, she said the focus was now on carrying that winning momentum into the other sporting disciplines.

Teams from Dominica, Grenada, St Lucia, and St Vincent and the Grenadines are competing in basketball, football, netball, track and field, and volleyball. 

Watch the opening ceremony and track and field championships 

Whittaker: Traditional media must uphold standards amid social media challenges

by Michael Bascombe

KINGSTON, Jamaica, July 25, 2026 – Veteran Caribbean sports broadcaster Lance Whittaker believes traditional media organisations must adapt to changing audience habits while continuing to uphold high standards of accuracy and reliability.

Whittaker, appearing on the TalkSports programme on Saturday, said television, radio, and newspapers are facing increased competition as more people turn to social media and other digital platforms for news and information.

“Traditional media is facing a challenge now because I don’t think the percentage of people viewing any major seven o’clock television news in the evening is the same now as it was 40 years ago,” Whittaker said.

“A lot of people now depend on social media for their news, so that’s a challenge for traditional media.”

Despite the changing media environment, Whittaker said traditional outlets have a greater responsibility to maintain their professional standards, particularly when information circulated on social media is not always properly verified.

“Traditional media has to recognise that it has to uphold its high standards and protocols regarding the accuracy and reliability of information because a lot of the social media platforms don’t go through the rigid tests to clarify whether stories are accurate or not,” he said.

Whittaker described the present period as a difficult one for Caribbean media companies, with declining financial returns and the high cost of operating traditional television, radio, and newspaper organisations.

He said he was troubled by the closure of established media entities in the region and questioned whether many private television stations were currently profitable.

“Running a traditional media entity now costs a lot of money, and the financial returns in sales and the commercial returns often don’t match the income of the company,” Whittaker said.

“So, it really is treacherous times for traditional media.”

Whittaker said many broadcasters and journalists are now creating their own podcasts, YouTube channels, and other independent digital platforms.

He believes media professionals must be prepared to adjust to the changing industry rather than resist the opportunities provided by new technology.

“We may be a little bit stubborn if we don’t recognise that we have to pivot a bit and do some of that,” he said.

Whittaker said he had also made that transition following the closure of SportsMax, where he worked, in July last year. He now uses a YouTube page (Lance Whittaker Voice & Motion) to publish his horse-racing content.

“A lot of people are doing that now because, depending on how committed and diligent you are with it, it is a source of income as well,” he said.

Whittaker noted that television has been especially affected because of the high cost of broadcasting, while radio may be in a slightly better position because it is less expensive to operate.

He said some state-owned media organisations continue to receive government funding, but private companies are finding it increasingly difficult to remain viable.

“For me, it’s very troubling, but we have to keep pushing on because I’m passionate about media,” Whittaker said.

“I think it’s important for the media houses to tighten their grip on what’s happening and try to stay afloat and flourish even.”

Watch the entire programme 

West Indies’ batting decline painful to watch, says Whittaker

by Michael Bascombe

KINGSTON, Jamaica, July 25, 2026 – Veteran Caribbean sports broadcaster Lance Whittaker says the continued decline in the quality of West Indies batting is heartbreaking and painful to watch, particularly for those who witnessed the team’s dominance during the 1970s and 1980s.

Whittaker, speaking on the TalkSports programme on Saturday, was responding to concerns about the West Indies’ batting during the 2025 Pakistan tour and the team’s repeated difficulty in reaching 200 runs.

“I started broadcasting in 1984. In 1984, Clive Lloyd was the West Indies captain, and he transitioned to Viv Richards being the West Indies captain,” Whittaker said.

“At the time, the West Indies were unquestionably the best team in the world.”

Whittaker noted that some sports researchers consider the West Indies team of the late 1970s and 1980s to be among the greatest teams in the history of sport.

“So, to see the West Indies going from that position in the 80s and early 90s to where we are now, it is heartbreaking. It really, really is heartbreaking,” he said.

Whittaker, who has worked in sports broadcasting for 42 years, said he has covered West Indies cricket throughout its decline and believes the region’s batting skills have deteriorated significantly over the past three to four decades.

He recalled discussing the issue with former Barbados Prime Minister Owen Arthur, who believed that West Indies batsmen had lost the art of batting.

“When he started to see West Indies’ batters looking uncomfortable against short-pitched bowling, it grieved his heart,” Whittaker said.

“In the days back in the seventies and eighties, you bowled short to Roy Fredericks and so on, and spectators would be picking the ball up in the stands.”

Whittaker said many current West Indies batsmen appear uncomfortable against short-pitched and high-quality pace bowling. He added that they also struggle when facing quality spin bowling.

“Our batting quality has just gone down significantly,” he said.

The Jamaican broadcaster also pointed to concerns about pitches, the attractiveness of the regional cricket product, and the level of financial investment in the sport.

He said the infrastructure and facilities used to develop Caribbean cricketers have not kept pace with those available in India, Australia, England, South Africa, and other leading cricket nations.

“Those are problems that need to be fixed because, if they aren’t, we will continue to see the West Indies struggling at the bottom of the table,” Whittaker said.

“What is happening now in West Indies cricket is very, very painful to watch, especially from someone who had seen when we were at the top - and not just at the top, but invincibly at the top.”

Whittaker said Caribbean people took tremendous pride in the successful West Indies teams of that period and described the current difficulty in scoring 200 runs in an international innings as troubling.

“I know people will say maybe sometimes the pitches are affecting the batting performances, but when you have quality as a batsman, you adjust to the conditions, and you find a way to make runs,” he said.

Watch the entire programme 

Whittaker calls for a regional training programme for sports journalists

by Michael Bascombe

KINGSTON, Jamaica, July 25, 2026 – Veteran Caribbean sports broadcaster Lance Whittaker has called for the establishment of a regional training programme to develop young and aspiring sports journalists throughout the Caribbean.

Whittaker, who appeared on the TalkSports programme on Saturday, said such an initiative could draw on the knowledge and experience of established journalists and broadcasters while providing participants with clear professional standards.

“Yes, I think it would help because there are a lot of people who have a lot to contribute to something like that,” Whittaker said.

The Jamaican broadcaster has spent 42 years in the profession and believes his experience could be useful in helping to prepare the next generation of Caribbean sports journalists.

“As I said, I’ve been in it for 42 years now. I’m semi-retired at the moment, if you want to call it that, and I think I can offer a lot if I were to be a part of a programme training young or budding sports journalists throughout the region,” he said.

Whittaker suggested that the programme should have an established structure, with guidelines and standards covering the various areas of sports broadcasting and journalism.

He said that while there is considerable talent across the region, many young journalists need proper guidance and opportunities to develop their abilities.

“Being guided by a fixed programme that sets the guidelines and the standards by which sports broadcasting should be followed, I think it’s necessary, and I think it would be beneficial,” Whittaker said.

“I don’t think anyone could argue that having something like that throughout the region would not help significantly because there are a lot of talented people who just need to be nurtured and guided in the right direction.”

Whittaker said a coordinated regional approach could help improve the overall standard of sports coverage and ensure that developing journalists are better prepared for the demands of the profession.

“I would suggest that would be a good plan,” he said.

Watch the entire programme