Sports Minister laments host’s last place finish in Winlott Games

Minister of Sports, Orando Brewster has expressed disappointment at the cellar placement of the St Vincent and the Grenadines (SVG) athletes in the just concluded Windwards Schools Sports which was hosted at different venues across SVG.

“It is disappointing that I am hosting this year and I did not win the WINLOTT Games,” Brewster said as he spoke at the closing ceremony of the 2025 CBN/WINLOTT Windward Islands School Games last Saturday, August, 2, at the Russell’s Auditorium.

St Vincent and the Grenadines finished fourth in the four-island competition, with Grenada emerging as champions. The hosts won netball and football but did not achieve a podium finish in the other disciplines contested.

“But I am preparing. I’m starting very early and I’m coming to Saint Lucia to take the trophy. I don’t know if my good friend, Kenson Casimir, is ready for that, but I am going to put in all of the work very early as the Minister of Sports so that when we go to Saint Lucia we will improve our ranking.”

Brewster and Saint Lucia’s Minister of Sports, Kenson Casimir, both competed at the CBN/WINLOTT Games a few years ago,and the Games are therefore dear to his heart.

“Look at from whence we came, from very humble beginnings, athletes participating in the WINLOTT Games to now being Ministers of Sports in our various countries,” he told the athletes in attendance.

“So I know the WINLOTT Games is very important … It is very significant, and it is one of the oldest games in the region. It is a legacy that we must cherish.”

He spoke about the desirability of respective Ministers of Sports and sports officials in the four Windward Islands knocking heads on how the Games can be improved.

“I want to make a pledge, and I have to meet with my fellow ministers from the different islands because this game is very important…. We have to sit down in our four countries and really craft something significant, work with CBN to make sure that we improve the Games from what it is today, because in order for it to be sustainable, we have to continue to improve.”

Prime Minister, Dr Ralph Gonsalves, also addressing the more than 300 athletes and officials urged them to determine now, while they are still young what they want to be in the future and begin now to work towards that goal.