Turning Our Eyes Inward – The Caribbean Games in Guadeloupe
In 2006, while attending the Commonwealth Games in Melbourne, Australia, the Caribbean Association of National Olympic Committees (CANOC), confirmed that the Trinidad and Tobago Olympic Committee (TTOC) will firmly commit to hosting the Inaugural Caribbean Games in July of 2009.
The process of having the National Olympic Committees of the Caribbean establish their own regional body, CANOC, was in itself a most significant and historic milestone. This event, though having started as the Caribbean Caucus of NOCs (1999) transitioned to CANOC at the General Assembly on 31 July 2003 in Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic.
One of the major factors that lead to the formation of CANOC at the time was the establishment of a viable quadrennial Caribbean Games.
During the period 1957 through to 1965, the Caribbean organised what was then called, The British West Indies Championships. Antigua, Barbuda, Barbados, Dominica, Grenada, Jamaica, Montserrat, St. Kitts, St. Lucia, St. Vincent and Trinidad and Tobago, with The Bahamas, British Guiana and British Honduras (now Belize) invited to compete.
The Championships took place in 1957 Kingston (JAM), 1958 Port of Spain (TRTO, 1959 Georgetown (GUY), 1960 Kingston (JAM), 1964 Kingston (JAM) and 1965 Bridgetown (BAR) and was restricted to Track and Field Athletics.
The founders of CANOC thought that they could persuade the governments of the region that a Quadrennial Caribbean Games would do much to build solidarity amongst the peoples of the region through sport. Indeed, the member readily bought into the idea and ensured that it was enshrined in the CANOC constitution. The specific article spoke to a minimum of five sports and a maximum of seven, at the very beginning. It also stated that athletics and Swimming, as well as Netball, must be the compulsory core sports on the Games programme.
When the issue of who would host the first edition of the proposed Caribbean Games came up Trinidad and Tobago, with an abundance of existing facilities of a relatively high standard opted to assume responsibility as hosts and placed on the table a sports programme that included, Athletics, Boxing, Tennis and Volleyball (Indoor and Beach). Swimming was omitted because of the inadequacy of the existing facility.
The Games had received official support in the Final Communique emanating from the CARICOM Heads of Government Conference held in July 2008 in Antigua and Barbuda.
Unfortunately, a mere few weeks before the commencement of the games and after the Chefs Seminar had already been held, the Games were cancelled on the advice of the Ministry of Health of the government of Trinidad and Tobago.
Much to everyone’s disappointment, the growing international prevalence of the H1N1 virus left CANOC no choice but to adhere to the government’s decision.
Needless to say, the disappointment had a ripple effect on CANOC and it took much time before the organisation found one of its members willing to step forward to serve as host. In the meantime, the organisation refocused and developed itself into a more broad-based regional sporting body with educational and other programmes, to such an extent that CANOC now stands amongst global multisport organisations, with an ever-increasing reputation that benefits the entire Caribbean.
Enter Guadeloupe
In 2016, the Guadeloupe Olympic Committee, led by Alain Soreze, had not only been given the green light by France to bear the name of an Olympic Committee within the ambit of the broad national French sports fraternity but was allowed to host the 14th CANOC General Assembly.
Guadeloupe then offered itself to host the Inaugural Caribbean Games in June-July 2021. Of course, the onset of the coronavirus forced the postponement of the event by one year, hence the new dates, 29 June – 3 July 2022.
The sports on the Games programme are Aquatics (Swimming), Athletics, 3 x 3 Basketball, Cycling, Futsal, Judo and Netball, all to be completed within four days of competition by 800 athletes and 200 team officials. It is a most interesting event with three team sports.
From its bid submission, Guadeloupe requested that the Games feature U23 athletes. This was agreed before Panam Sports decided to organise the Pan American U23 Games in Cali which took place last November-December.
As it stands, the Games would serve as a possible guide to some of the young athletes vying to make their respective national teams to the Summer Olympics of Paris 2024.
Importantly, Guadeloupe has included Netball, a sport not practised on the island but which has been introduced to it by the Americas Federation of Netball Associations (AFNA). Already Guadeloupe has had training sessions for coaches, umpires and players. This is an innovation amongst French territories that would serve them well in the continent, especially since, apart from Caribbean Games, their representative teams would be eligible to contest for a place in the Central American and Caribbean Games and, hopefully in the future, the Pan American Games.
The approach by Guadeloupe has been remarkable on all fronts. Here is a small Caribbean island, that has stepped up to the plate to host what will be a historic component of the Caribbean and global sporting history. This initiative speaks volumes of the commitment of the peoples of this island to regional integration and social solidarity.
For too long we have allowed the separation by water and language to override the rich cultural realities that bind us, constantly enabling us to strive after excellence without hesitation.
Guadeloupe 2022 promises to host a sporting spectacle the likes of which the Caribbean has never experienced and which forges a novel contribution to the region’s history; an impact that resonated far beyond the reaches of the sport.
In times past the Caribbean allowed the sport of cricket to serve as an inspiration, the embodiment of all of the aspirations of our peoples.
The Caribbean Games in Guadeloupe has the potential to showcase the abundance of our talented U23 athletes in seven sports.
Facilities
To be fair, Guadeloupe does possess some excellent facilities that have been very well maintained, a credit to the existing sports structure on the island. The facilities are also fairly expanse with an adequate number of rooms for the various activities attendant to the sport being practised at each of them.
Each venue has adequate seating as well as areas for the media to engage in adequate coverage of the particular competition.
Netball would be played indoors rather than on hard outdoor surfaces as is still the unfortunate case in several Caribbean countries.
Cycling will be conducted on a concreted track surface that is open, not covered. However upgrading work has already begun on the competition surface as well as on the lighting and other amenities. The stands are in good condition.
The road race and Time Trial routes have already been decided and arrangements planned for the safe execution of the events.
Of course, cycling events will feature both male and female categories.
The stadium for track and field athletics is in good condition. There is a three-lane 150m warm-up track but a large grassed area to accommodate general warm-up before engaging in the specific warm-up, before the competition.
Guadeloupe has a major Futsal competition going on for some time and the facility chosen for the Games is the main national arena for the sport. Some of the attendant facilities are more than adequate to host the Main Operating Centre (MOC), Transport Hub and Media Centre.
Accommodation
All participating delegations will be at one hotel which will serve as the Caribbean Games Village. It is all-inclusive and delightfully expansive.
While it is some distance from some of the competition venues, generally it is acceptable and athletes will certainly enjoy the environmental covid-19 bubble that will be created for the Games much to their liking.
The Games Village also has isolation rooms in the unlikely event that any of the participants tests positive for Covid during the Games.
Covid Protocols
CANOC, the proprietors of the Caribbean Games is agreed that only fully vaccinated individuals would be allowed to compete in Guadeloupe. This is a necessary result of the organisation’s commitment to the health and safety of all participants.
In any event, as it currently stands, non-French individuals travelling to Guadeloupe are not allowed to enter the island if they are not fully vaccinated.
The CANOC medical team has identified their needs and are satisfied with the facilities identified for the performance of their duties.
CANOC Technical Delegates’ Seminar
CANOC and the OCOCG facilitated a seminar for the technical delegates of the sports that will constitute the Caribbean Games during the period 17 – 21 January, in Guadeloupe.
The seminar brought together the local technical personnel, the OCOCG, CANOC officials and local sports technical personnel. It also featured visits by the respective local and international technical delegates for each sport to comprehensively analyse the state of readiness of each facility and programme and, where necessary, make recommendations to the OCOCG.
Next Steps
CANOC and the OCOCG are in discussions with Panam Sports regarding television coverage of the Games. The Technology arrangements for the timing, scoring and results management has also been determined and so too all of the equipment needs.
Promotions have begun all around Guadeloupe, the Caribbean and internationally.
There is full engagement of the authorities in Guadeloupe and assistance from the French authorities.
On offer too, is a training programme at CREPS, where there is now a modern High-Performance Training Centre (HPTC). CANOC members are being invited to send two representatives to be trained in the organisation of major sports events. They will be at the HPTC from two days prior to the start of the Games through to two days following its conclusion. This is an offer that CANOC is particularly pleased to have all of its members seize with both hands, given the valuable contribution that such an educational experience can have on the region’s positioning in the global sports environment going forward.
As Caribbean people, Let us engage in some introspection. Let us look at ourselves, our achievements over the centuries and commit ourselves to excellence.
Let us be proud of Guadeloupe and commit to collaborating to make the Inaugural Caribbean Games a successful start to a new phase in Caribbean sporting history.
