Victor second in Decathlon; Peters advances to Javelin final

by Michael Bascombe

GLASGOW, Scotland, July 30, 2026 – Defending champion Lindon Victor was in second place after the opening three events of the men’s decathlon at the Commonwealth Games on Thursday.

After completing the 100 metres, long jump, and shot put, the Grenadian had accumulated 2,685 points.

Canada’s Damian Warner led the competition with 2,765 points, holding an 80-point advantage over Victor.

The decathletes will contest two more events on Thursday—the high jump and 400 metres—before completing the remaining five events on Friday.

Grenada also secured a place in the final of the men’s javelin throw through Anderson Peters.

The two-time world champion produced a qualifying throw of 81.29 metres, the second-best mark of the preliminary round. Sri Lanka’s Rumesh Pathirage led the qualifiers with 82.84m.

Peters will be joined in Friday’s final by two other Caribbean athletes. Bahamian Keshawn Strachan qualified with 78.60m, while Trinidad and Tobago’s former Olympic champion Keshorn Walcott advanced with 78.26m.

Jamaica’s Elvis Graham failed to qualify for the 12-man final after recording 65.07m.

Meanwhile, Jamara Patterson’s campaign in the women’s 400 metres ended in the semi-finals.

The Grenadian finished third in Heat 3 in 52.92 seconds but did not secure one of the two non-automatic qualifying places for the final.

Nigeria’s Ella Onojuvwevwo won the heat in 51.47, with Wales’ Charlotte Henrich finishing second in 52.13. Both advanced automatically.

Jamaica’s Dejanea Oakley recorded the fastest qualifying time of 51.18, while Barbados’ Sada Williams also progressed after clocking 51.85. They will be the Caribbean’s representatives in the women’s 400m final.

Walters makes history as Grenada’s first Commonwealth Games para-athlete

by Ronald Charles, Coach

GLASGOW, Scotland, July 30, 2026 - Nickel Walters became the first Grenadian para-athlete to compete at the Commonwealth Games when he represented the country in the men’s F42–64 discus.

His appearance was an important moment for Grenada’s Paralympic movement and another sign of the progress being made in developing para sports at home.

Walters competed in difficult weather conditions but still produced a personal-best performance. The event brought together athletes from different classifications, with the final standings determined through the Raza points system.

Discus is not Walters’ main event. He would have preferred to compete in the javelin, but that event was not included on the programme. He therefore accepted the challenge of competing in the discus and made the most of the opportunity.

“I am happy and grateful for the opportunity,” Walters said after the competition. “Although I wasn’t able to compete in my best event, the javelin, I adapted to the discus and gave it my best.”

His willingness to compete outside his preferred event, while representing Grenada at this level for the first time, made the occasion even more meaningful.

Walters’ participation also marks another important step for Grenada’s Paralympic programme. The country has now been represented at most of the world’s major para-sport competitions, providing a foundation on which the national programme can continue to build.

The achievement should also help to bring greater attention to Grenada’s para-athletes and the support they need to train, compete and develop.

Walters leaves the Games with a personal best and a place in Grenada’s sporting history. Most importantly, he has opened the door for other Grenadian para-athletes to follow.

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