John says historic Masters gold capped ‘long journey’

by Michael Bascombe

NEW YORK, Oct. 10, 2026 - Nigel “Bunto” John has described Grenada’s first World Masters Athletics Championships gold medal as the emotional reward for years of work, dedication, and resilience.

John won the men’s M50 long jump in Daegu, South Korea, on August 25 with 6.64 metres, breaking the previous championship record of 6.59m.

“I kind of get emotional about that because it’s been a long journey,” John said on Saturday’s TalkSports programme.

“I put in a lot of work, dedication, and resilience into whatever I was doing to reach that point. It was surreal, and I was thinking not only about myself but about Grenada as a whole.”

John edged France’s Bakri Daroueche, who took silver with 6.63m. Former Jamaican Olympian James Beckford secured bronze with 6.33m.

John said he entered the competition believing a record was possible, although the long jump has been secondary to his preferred event, the 400 metres.

“I’m predominantly a 400 runner,” he said. “I eat, sleep, and wake up every morning thinking about the 400. Since I was small, the 400 was my thing.”

He said he added the long jump to his programme to contest a field event in club competitions, choosing it ahead of the high jump while maintaining his focus on running.

John and Curtis Brereton represented Grenada at the championships, which were held from August 22 to September 3.

John also acknowledged the Government of Grenada for helping the two athletes attend the championships.

“I was able to write letters and get some assistance from the Grenadian government,” he said. “They have been wonderful in assisting me in attending those championships.”

John specifically thanked Permanent Secretary Kim Frederick and the Ministry of Youth and Sport for their support.

Guyana targets regional sports-hub status with new training centre

by Michael Bascombe

GEORGETOWN, Guyana, Sept. 19, 2026 - Guyana is finalising plans for a multi-sport high-performance centre at Good Hope before taking the project to tender, as the government seeks to establish the country as a regional training hub.

Minister within the Ministry of Culture, Youth and Sport, Steven Jacobs, said the proposed complex would include three playing fields, an indoor training facility, a performance laboratory, a strength-and-conditioning gym, and accommodation for athletes.

“We’re still going through the design as we speak,” Jacobs said on Saturday’s TalkSports programme. “The consultant is to reach us next week so that we can finalise and then move out to tender to get this up and running.”

Jacobs said work was already taking place on the fields at the proposed site, but the wider complex remained at the design stage.

The plans also include nutrition and recovery areas, an auditorium for classes, and athlete testing services intended to support sports science and biomechanics assessments.

“We want Guyana to be positioned as a sporting destination, as a sporting hub, where we can provide a space and opportunity for sportsmen and women around the entire region and also internationally to come to this country and get the necessary training,” Jacobs said.

He said athletes using the centre would be assessed and provided with individual training and development plans.

“You’ll have something that is complete that will make sure that when people go there, they can actually leave with a programme and plan,” he said.

According to Jacobs, the government examined high-performance facilities in other countries while developing the concept, with particular attention given to centres that combine training, testing, recovery, nutrition, and accommodation in one location.

The proposed centre will form part of a wider sports academy and three-field complex at Good Hope.

Jacobs also disclosed that approximately 25 athletes had been selected for an existing elite programme aimed at preparing competitors considered capable of reaching the Olympic level.

“We have an elite programme for a selected group of athletes that we think have the necessary potential to go to the Olympics - about 25 people,” he said.

Hotel, tourism packages planned for 2027 CARIFTA Games

by Michael Bascombe

GEORGETOWN, Guyana, Sept. 19, 2026 - Guyana is preparing hotel capacity and tourism packages for a potential influx of thousands of people, including athletes, scouts, and spectators, during the 2027 CARIFTA Games, Minister within the Ministry of Culture, Youth and Sport Steven Jacobs said Saturday.

Speaking on the TalkSports programme, Jacobs said a local organising committee and secretariat were already working on arrangements for the March 27–29 regional junior track and field championships.

He said the Guyana Police Force, Ministry of Tourism, and other government agencies were involved in planning for security, accommodation, and the movement of visitors.

“For the CARIFTA Games, we have the potential of bringing a thousand-plus persons here, including athletes and persons coming in to watch the Games, scouts, and so forth,” Jacobs said.

“We’re already starting to work on hotel rooms because these are things that we need. It’s an Easter weekend, and we understand what may happen.”

Jacobs said visitor packages would be developed in consultation with the Ministry of Tourism, allowing those travelling for the Games to experience other parts of Guyana during their stay.

Director of Sport Steve Ninvalle and Athletics Association of Guyana president Sheryl Hermonstine are involved in the preparations, he added.

North American, Central American and Caribbean Athletic Association (NACAC) president Mike Sands and technology commission chairman John-Paul Clarke inspected the National Track and Field Centre at Leonora in August.

“Recommendations were made. The layout of the facility was already completed,” Jacobs said. “We’re working to make sure that it’s a smooth process, and that CARIFTA Games 2027 could be something to be remembered.”

The Leonora facility will be the principal venue for the Games, which Guyana will host for the first time.

Guyana launches free GOAL study pathway for athletes

by Michael Bascombe

GEORGETOWN, Guyana, Sept. 19, 2026 - Guyana has launched free sports-study programmes designed to allow athletes to continue their education while competing, Minister within the Ministry of Culture, Youth and Sport Steven Jacobs said Saturday.

Speaking on the TalkSports programme, Jacobs said the initiative was introduced through the Guyana Online Academy of Learning, commonly known as GOAL.

“We’ve just launched sports programmes through the GOAL programme,” Jacobs said. “That now equips or gives people an opportunity to take up their education while playing sport, free of cost.”

Jacobs said the programme forms part of an effort to place education alongside athletic development and better prepare competitors for life during and after their sporting careers.

He also referred to a recent sports seminar involving an Australian university, although he did not identify the institution during the interview.

The ministry has also introduced Beyond the Game, a series highlighting athletes who have combined academic achievement with success in sport.

Jacobs cited Chelsea Edghill, Jonathan van Lange, Matthew Nandu, and Shemar Britton as examples.

“All of these people were successful at school and still excelled in sport,” he said.

Jacobs said those examples could help younger athletes understand that education and high-level competition do not have to be treated as separate pursuits.

“We’re really trying to look at how to shape our athletes so that we have a more finished product,” he said.

Beyond Kirani: Where is Grenada’s next generation of professionals?

Sports Commentary by Michael Bascombe

Sir Kirani James is not competing at the World Athletics Ultimate Championship in Budapest this weekend, but any serious discussion about the present and future of Grenadian athletics still has to include him.

James turned 34 on September 1 and remains competitive internationally. He ran a season-best 44.83 seconds for third in Zurich, clocked 44.92 in Brescia, and returned to the podium in Rovereto on Tuesday with 45.11.

That level of consistency, more than 15 years after he emerged internationally, deserves recognition. But it also raises an unavoidable question: who will eventually fill the void when Kirani leaves the international circuit?

Grenada is not without athletes competing beyond the domestic level. World Athletics lists Gamali Felix and Michael Francois, both 400-metre athletes, and 200-metre runner Troy Mason among Grenada’s ranked athletes under its Athletes’ Representatives framework.

However, Grenada’s most established presence at the highest level remains concentrated around James in the 400 metres, Anderson Peters in the javelin, and Lindon Victor in the decathlon. Victor reinforced his international standing this year by winning the Commonwealth title in Glasgow with 8,096 points. Sprinter Nazzio John has also indicated his intention to turn professional for the 2027 season.

So perhaps the question is not simply, “Where are Grenada’s professional athletes?”

A better question is: Where is the next group capable of consistently reaching major championships and competing at the top level of the international circuit?

Grenada has produced successful juniors and athletes who have secured overseas scholarships. The difficulty appears to be sustaining that progression into the senior ranks.

What happens between 18 and 23? How closely are athletes monitored once they leave Grenada? Is the NCAA and college route producing the expected outcomes? What happens when scholarships end? Is there sufficient support for athletes who have completed college but are not yet earning enough from the sport to continue full-time?

The situation involving female athletes deserves particular attention.

Grenada Athletics Association (GAA) President Johnell Mitchell raised the issue on TalkSports last weekend.

“We need to do something about our female athletes and the direction of our female athletes,” he said.

Mitchell referred to Suerena Alexander and Jamara Patterson and also identified triple jumper Christanna Charles as an athlete with significant potential. His wider concern was that too few promising female juniors are progressing successfully into the senior ranks.

Before solutions can be prescribed, however, the GAA needs evidence.

What happened to Grenada’s leading female athletes after CARIFTA and InterCol? How many were still competing three or five years later? If they left the sport, why?

Was it coaching, scholarships, finance, education, family responsibilities, limited competition, or the absence of a realistic professional pathway?

Grenada athletics has produced world-class athletes. The more difficult challenge is building a system that makes world-class development less dependent on exceptional individuals.