SVG BASKETBALL 3 X 3 RECEIVES MAJOR BOOST
The headline of the Press Release from the St Vincent and the Grenadines Basketball Federation (SVGBF) circulated earlier this week reads, ‘Team SVG Places Second in the U23 3 x 3 Tournament in Tortola’, signalling the pride and joy of the achievement of young Vincentian players in a sport that has so much promise and which has not made positive headlines for some time in St Vincent and the Grenadines.
The Vincentian team comprised Elroy Joseph, Adrian Sam, Maxron Dublin and Aquando Henry, with Vasha Adams as the coach. President of the SVGBF, Suzette Jackson, accompanied the team on the momentous occasion, while Tevin Bynoe, an executive member of the federation was the organisation’s participant in the technical trainers’ workshop held during the tournament.
ANOCES and OECS Basketball
The Association of National Olympic Committees of the OECS (ANOCES) was officially formalised at a General Assembly in St Kitts and Nevis on Saturday 9 June 2012.
In a Column that addressed the establishment of ANOCES, this columnist wrote, ‘Prior to 1993, only Antigua and Barbuda, BVI, Grenada and St Vincent and the Grenadines of the OECS were members of the International Olympic Committee (IOC). Once Dominica, St Kitts and Nevis and St Lucia became members of the IOC it was possible to commence discussions on the formation of a sub-regional body. St Vincent and the Grenadines Olympic Committee (SVGOC) was at the forefront of this initiative. The NOCs of the larger Caribbean countries were very uncomfortable once the sub regional meetings began to take place and joint positions adopted in their own interest.
‘By 1995 it was clear that the NOCs of the sub-region were committed to making a positive impact as a cohesive grouping at regional and international forums. So it was that the Association of National Olympic Committees of the OECS (ANOCES) was born.
‘…ANOCES adopted a stance that efforts should be made to play a part in the broader development of sport in the sub-region beginning with those sports that already have competitions at this level. It was agreed that the first thrust would be the reintroduction of the OECS Track and Field Championships in St Kitts and Nevis effective 2014. The outcome would be duly evaluated and the process of movement to other sub regional sports would follow.
Importantly, ANOCES insisted that its work would be on development and not just competition. This would inevitably mean facilitating training. Indeed, since December 2012 Grenada has hosted an annual OECS Athletics Academy focusing on athletics…There has been communication with the Secretary General of the OECS Secretariat on this matter given its importance to the broader development process in the sub region.’
The challenges of accessing funding and the seeming inertia at the level of the OECS Secretariat to address sport, despite ANOCES’s attempts to request collaboration, saw the sub-regional organisation falter in its commitments.
During the Pan American Junior Games in Asuncion, Paraguay, in August 2025, the ANOCES executive committee convened to discuss an approach to Panam Sports with a new initiative that could be more sustainable.
The proposal that emerged from the Paraguay discussions was that ANOCES begin with five identified sports – Athletics, 3 x 3 Basketball, Beach Volleyball, Swimming and Table Tennis. In each year, initially, there would be OECS Championships in the aforementioned sports.
Discussions with Panam Sports stated, ‘The planned Championships are consistent with our proposal that they each serve as an important step on the pathway to qualify competitive teams for the Commonwealth Games and Central American and Caribbean Games scheduled for mid-2026, the Youth Olympics for November 2026, Pan American Games, Lima2027, LA2028, and the III Pan American Junior Games (2029) in the sports of, while strengthening the sport’s coaching, technical officiating, and administrative foundations across the OECS sub region… The proposal is founded on the commitment of the NOCs of ANOCES to developing an educational, training and competition pathway’ for the respective sports.
The member NOCs of ANOCES agreed in principle and signed on to the agreement with Panam Sports.
ANOCES 3 x 3 Basketball Championships 2026
The ANOCES OECS 3 x 3 Basketball Championships held in Tortola, British Virgin Islands, over the previous weekend, therefore, was the first of the five sub-regional Chamionships under the agreement with Panam Sports. It was extremely important that the event was well planned and executed. The organisers in Tortola, worked closely with the country’s National Olympic Committee to make certain that all aspects of the Agreement between ANOCES and Panam Sports was upheld in all aspects.
The member NOCs of ANOCES responded as per their own commitments to the organisational principles of the Agreement with Panam Sports and faciitated the participation of their national teams to the Championships.
For its part, the host of the Tournament made certain that the Championships received appropriate sanction for the event from FIBA Americas, the continental arm of the sport’s international parent body, FIBA. Additionaly, the training programme for the technical officials was organised in fulfilment of the Agreement, for the broader development of the sport in the sub-region.
All involved in the planning and execution deserve special commendation for their efforts. The participating teams made the event exciting and have played a major role in setting the stage for the future of the sport in the sub-region.
SVGBF and the Championships
Information on the ANOCES Agreement and the inclusion of an Annual OECS Championships came as a surprise to the SVGBF. However, it was explained that the proposal for the sport’s inclusion addressed only 3 x 3 Basketball. The rationale was similar to that used for the inclusion of an annual Beach Volleyball OECS Championships. It was simply that the shorter version of the two sports allow for a greater chance of qualifying for international multi-sport Games if only because the technical requirements are more affordable and skill competences capable of matching opponents from larger nations, more readily attainable.
In each of the ANOCES member countries, the Basketball proposal was readily accepted and now that the first edition has been completed, both the sport and ANOCES will review and address future plans emanating from this.
To be fair, the SVGBF has had more that its fair chare of challenges over the past several years. However, today, the leadership of the SVGBF has shown a much more structured and consistent approach to the development of the sport, with increasing emphasis on the 3 x 3 version of the game, with growing interest and participation the major outcomes.
It is therefore not surprising that the News Release following the national team’s successin Tortola stated, ‘Team SVG displayed determination and resilience throughout the tournament. On Saturday, May 16th, St. Vincent secured a hard-fought 14-12 victory over Dominica before falling to St. Kitts and Nevis 21-8 in their second matchup of the day.
‘Advancing to the Semi-Finals on Sunday, May 17th, Team SVG delivered an impressive performance against Grenada, earning an 18-12 victory to book a place in the Championship Final. SVG then faced a strong St. Kitts and Nevis team, who had defeated the British Virgin Islands in their Semi-Final contest. Despite a spirited effort from our players, SVG fell 20-15 in the Final to secure an excellent second-place finish overall.’
Importantly, the SVGBF’s News Release hioghlighted the impact of the team’s achievement, overall and what this means to the institution and the pathway ahead. The Reease stated, ‘The SVGBF is extremely proud of the commitment, discipline and sportsmanship demonstrated by our players throughout the tournament. Their performance reflects the continued growth and development of basketball in St. Vincent and the Grenadines and highlights the tremendous potential of our young athletes on the regional stage.’
Conclusion
Following the performance of Team SVG at the ANOCES Championships in BVI, we can feel that the SVGBF will continue along its development pathway with a new-found commitment. Perhaps, the results obtained will serve as a source of motivation to explore the immense potential of engaging in and perfecting our national approach to the shorter version of the game.
The SVGOC’s commitment to the shorter version should encourage its practice all across the country. We can suggest that in every community efforts should be made to introduce and market the game.
We must encourage the SVGBF to build upon the work of the SVG Community College in bringing young players to the fore and serving to broaden participation nationally.
The SVGBF has received a welcome boost. It is now in their hands to use the momentum generated in Tortola, to advance itself up the local ladder of the Vincentian sporting hierarchy.
