ROAD TOWN, TORTOLA, June 6,
2026 - President of the Association of National Olympic Committees of the
OECS (ANOCES), Ephraim Penn, believes the organisation's early success could
eventually help lay the foundation for renewed regional sports cooperation,
including discussions surrounding the possible return of an OECS Sports Desk.
Appearing on Saturday's edition
of the TalkSports programme, Penn was asked whether there remains
a need for a formal OECS Sports Desk, which for years played a role in
coordinating sporting initiatives and development programmes across the
sub-region.
While stopping short of directly
calling for its immediate return, Penn stressed that ANOCES is currently
focused on demonstrating that meaningful and sustainable regional collaboration
can work before pursuing broader institutional support.
"There's a need for
cooperation among the OECS countries, and that is where we have started,"
Penn said. "It can evolve into further discussion."
The British Virgin Islands
Olympic Committee President explained that ANOCES first wants to establish a
successful sporting product through its championships and development
initiatives before approaching governments and regional institutions for
greater collaboration.
"If we are successful and we
have a successful product from ANOCES, then we can go to the governments and to
the OECS Secretariat and say, 'Look, we are not just talking. We have a product
that can benefit the entire region. How can we work together to help foster
better cooperation in the sporting environment for the OECS?''
Penn noted that simply creating a
sports desk without a strong foundation of cooperation would not be enough to
address the challenges facing sport in the region.
"Setting up a desk is one
thing, but we need collaboration and cooperation," he said. "Not only
in the sporting sector, but the private sector has to play a key role.
Government has to play a key role."
The ANOCES President said the
organisation's primary focus is engaging young people through sport,
particularly at a time when many countries across the Eastern Caribbean are
facing social challenges affecting youth.
"We have looked at the
landscape. Our young people are suffering. They are crying, especially our
young men," Penn said. "It's a big challenge among young men
throughout the OECS. It's not particular to any one island or any one country."
He argued that sport can provide
a positive avenue for engagement and development, but warned against waiting
for ideal conditions before taking action.
"We cannot just sit down and
say we're not going to do this because we don't have a sports desk, or we're
not going to do this because we don't have this or that," he said.
"We have decided to start, and once we begin to do that, then the other
things will fall into place."
ANOCES is currently embarking on
its first full year of regional championships, including track and field, beach
volleyball, and table tennis competitions, as it seeks to create sustainable
opportunities for athletes throughout the sub-region.
Penn expressed hope that
successful events would attract support from both governments and the private
sector, helping to strengthen the organisation's long-term vision for regional
sports development.
"This is the first year, and
we are hoping and praying that all our events are very successful and that we
present a good product that the private sector would want to buy into and
governments would see the advantage of supporting," he said.
The ANOCES President also
acknowledged the contributions of those who worked with the former OECS Sports
Desk, noting that their efforts should not be forgotten.
"I know there was a lot of
work that went into the Sports Desk, and there are people who really did a lot
of work that should be appreciated because, just like us, their heart was in
the right place," Penn said.
He emphasised that the ultimate
objective remains the advancement of athletes and future generations across the
OECS.
"We are trying to do the right thing, not only for ourselves, but for the athletes and, most importantly, the future athletes of our sub-region," Penn added. "Let's work together for that."
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