Journalists urge a structured hosting model for CARIFTA Games

by Michael Bascombe

NEW YORK, July 18, 2026 - Two regional sports journalists have called for a more structured and coordinated approach to selecting and managing hosts of the CARIFTA Games, following confirmation that Guyana will stage the regional junior athletics championship in 2027 and Barbados in 2028.

Terry Finisterre of St Lucia and Dennis Allen of Trinidad and Tobago, appearing on TalkSports on Saturday, examined what the CARICOM announcement means for the immediate future and long-term stability of the Games.

Finisterre said the confirmation provides some certainty but highlighted the need for closer cooperation between governments and athletics administrators. He noted that Guyana had previously offered to host, but political and athletic commitments had not always been fully aligned.

“NACAC and CARICOM have to be working hand in glove going forward,” Finisterre said. He suggested a formal MOU or “ironclad contract,” adding: “They have to agree going forward that this is the methodology by which we are going to assign the CARIFTA Games.”

Finisterre also called for greater continuity between successive local organising committees. Instead of creating new social media pages, media groups and operating systems each year, he said those assets, along with manuals and other organisational material, should be transferred from one host to the next.

“You just hand over the group, you hand over the social media handles, you hand over the manual,” he said.

He believes hosts should be identified three or four years in advance, supported by timelines, contingency plans and representatives from NACAC and CARICOM.

Allen, meanwhile, said Guyana faces significant logistical challenges ahead of 2027, particularly in accommodation, transportation and access to the track facility. He estimated that the country may have to accommodate and move close to 2,000 people, requiring coordination among the athletics association and the ministries responsible for sport, tourism, finance, infrastructure and public works.

“I think that it’s going to pose a challenge to Guyana, not just athletics, but the sports ministry, tourism ministry, finance and infrastructure, public works ministry to get everything up there,” Allen said.

However, Allen expressed confidence in Guyana’s ability to deliver if preparations begin immediately.

“Everything that I have talked about has to be done in 2026,” he said.

Finisterre also urged World Athletics, NACAC, CARICOM and regional governments to support improved broadcasting and commercial development, saying CARIFTA should become “a standalone property that can sustain itself.”

The journalists maintained that the Games’ long-term stability will depend on earlier decisions, stronger institutional cooperation and a permanent framework that extends beyond individual governments and organising committees.

Watch the entire programme