Grenada has officially been named host of the 2026 CARIFTA Games, following Thursday’s announcement by the Grenada Athletics Association (GAA) confirming government approval. The prestigious junior athletics meet is set to take place from April 4–6, 2026, at the Kirani James Athletics Stadium in St George’s.
Shortly after the official announcement was made, Sportsmax.TV spoke with GAA President Conrad Francis, who is currently overseas, about the significance of the moment and what it means for Grenadian athletics.
“We’re so happy and elated,” Francis said. “We got the green light to proceed with the organising of the Games, and this could not have happened without government support. In fact, with NACAC, one of the requirements is that we must have government backing.”
He was quick to clarify that while Grenada has faced funding challenges with past events like the Grenada Invitational, CARIFTA represents a different proposition entirely.
“That Grand Prix was a private venture that had government support but was not organised by the association. The CARIFTA Games is a different kettle of fish. This is a regional competition, and governments across the region have always supported it, along with the corporate sector,” he said.
According to Francis, the government will serve as the main financier for the 2026 edition, with the GAA tasked with mobilising additional corporate sponsorship. Despite the limitations of the local business landscape, Francis is optimistic.
“We’ve been working behind the scenes even before the announcement was made,” he revealed. “We’re very optimistic we will get the support. Our corporate sector is small, but we think they’ll come on board.”
The GAA also issued a public appeal on Thursday, calling on businesses to join as partners:
“We now extend a clarion call to Corporate Grenada: Come onboard as proud partners of this prestigious event. Let’s work together to deliver the best CARIFTA Games ever and continue the proud legacy.”
Grenada’s 2025 CARIFTA team returned home with 13 medals—2 gold, 6 silver, and 5 bronze—and Francis believes that hosting the next edition provides the perfect platform to push the country’s young talent even further.
“We saw it as an opportunity to showcase our athletes,” he told Sportsmax.TV. “We’ve been building gradually. We think we can reach a new level next year because we have a good group of athletes, and we’ve already started the process.”
He confirmed that Grenada will, for the first time, be sending a full team to the upcoming ECG Championships—an important stepping stone in the development pipeline from grassroots to elite junior competition.
Francis also pointed to the growing national pride and support surrounding Grenadian athletes, many of whom now enjoy strong backing both at home and in the diaspora. Yet, he admitted with a laugh that not everyone is thrilled the Games are coming to St George’s.
“I don’t know if you were in Trinidad for the last Games,” he said, “but we’ve begun to build a strong regional following. In Trinidad, we had a very large turnout supporting us. Some people in Grenada are actually upset that we’re hosting the Games—because they wanted to travel! They enjoyed the experience so much.”
To bolster promotion and public engagement, the GAA plans to involve Grenada’s most iconic track and field ambassadors—decathlon star Lindon Victor and Olympic 400m champion Kirani James.
“We intend to use all the resources we have to help promote the Games,” Francis said. “And definitely, we’ll see how we can factor them into our efforts. That is definitely on the cards.”
With support from the government, optimism within the corporate sector, and a rising generation of athletes hungry for success, Francis believes the path is clear for Grenada to stage a truly historic event.
“Let’s make history,” the official GAA statement read. “Let’s make it the best ever.”
