Dominica’s Khaarim John-Baptiste Wins Triple Jump Gold at Windward Islands School Games

Dominica: Khaarim John-Baptiste has successfully secured gold medal in the boys Triple Jump at the Windward Islands School Games, Saint Lucia. The mission was to “GO for GOLD” and Khaarim achieved it effectively with a new personal best of 14.55m.

Along with this achievement, Khaarim also secured silver in the boys High Jump clearing a height of 1.93m.

Saint Lucia is hosting the games for eight days from July 25 to August 2. Delegations from four countries, Dominica, Grenada, St Vincent and the Grenadines, and the host country Saint Lucia are competing in athletics, basketball, boys’ football, girls’ football, and volleyball at four venues.

The main sponsors of the event are Canadian Bank Note and Windward Islands Lotteries. The Windward Islands School Games are one of the oldest school sports competitions in the world. The games were first started in 1912. And Dominica won second place overall in the event last year as the country is aiming for gold this time.

The events are scheduled to be held at four different venues. Field events will be conducted at Mindoo Philip Park, track events at Soufrière Stadium, Court sports at Beausejour Gymnasium, and football will be played at Francis Baba Lastic grounds in Gros Islet.

The Windward Islands School Games have served as a stepping stone for regional athletic excellence. The games provide a platform for young talent where the participants are scouted for international competitions like the CARIFTA Games and the Olympics.

There is a strict 62-athlete roster cap per country and it forces many versatile student-athletes to compete across multiple sports during the eight-day schedule. The games also help in fostering cultural exchange and regional integration among the participants. This further strengthens the sporting and social bonds between the four neighbouring Windward Island nations.