The St. Kitts Nevis Labour Party Plans to Introduce a National Sports Academy

Over the past weeks the St. Kitts Nevis Labour Party has been involved in intense discussions with various potential investors to hit the ground rolling once elected; one such area is Sports.

The St. Kitts Nevis Labour Party acknowledges that Sports, Heritage and the Arts can release creative energies to foster self-esteem, community cohesion and economic activity. The youth of St. Kitts and Nevis possess tremendous talent in various sports disciplines. However, although the talent is obvious the support is dormant. Our athletes and creatives are desperately in need of more support, investment, professionalization and exposure and this academy will facilitate that.

In a press conference held on Thursday March 12, 2020, the Rt. Hon. Dr. Denzil Douglas stated, “Our young people already have the talent; all they need is an opportunity. The NextGen SKN Labour Administration will lead and coordinate optimal society-wide investment in these valuable activities.”

Labour has in the past provided scholarship assistance to many, creating an avenue for our athletes to pursue their passion on a wider scale. Several of our athletes and sports professionals have been recruited by various sports organizations and universities, which proves that our athletes have the skills and potential to make it big and it is our role to accelerate that.

We have many more athletes like Atiba Harris, Sheno Berridge, Kim Collins, Keith “Kayamba” Gumbs, Jill Musgrave, and Tiandra Ponteen to name a few.

Labour has partnered with Dr. Bruce Lockerbie, the CEO of PAIDEA, an international sports consultant to assist with the establishment of a National Sports Academy here in St. Kitts & Nevis. PAIDEA has assisted in implementing major sports events regionally and internationally, including World Cup Football and World Cup Cricket.

At the press conference Dr. Lockerbie stated, “A sports academy can bring both the essentials of a strong rigorous learning environment and parallel that with the skills, discipline and encouragement an athlete receives.” He added, “We have constructed a similar establishment in St. Lucia in October 2017.”

This sports academy will be one that combines sports and education. It will be able to accommodate various sporting disciplines as well as provide training and courses to further develop the players physically, technically and mentally. It will open doors for our athletes to compete in the international arena ensuring that our athletes and sportsmen and women receive the necessary training and education to advance their skills in their desired area of interest, whether it be golf, swimming, netball, tennis, martial arts, basketball, football or cricket to name a few.

H. E. Kenneth “Kenny” Douglas is excited about this venture. He stated, “This is a perfect opportunity to harness the talents of our youths, while instilling moral and life enhancing values such as discipline, ethics, integrity, accountability and teamwork.” 

The aim of the St. Kitts Nevis Labour Party is to establish the Sports Academy and the National Academy for the Performing Arts as Centers of Excellence to enhance the skills of our creative and talented nationals, while opening our doors to students from the wider Caribbean Community to attend.