Guyana will host the CARIFTA Games for the first time in 2027, while Barbados will stage the regional junior athletics championships in 2028.

The development puts an end to uncertainty over hosting the games after both St Kitts and Nevis and Trinidad and Tobago both pulled out from bidding to host the games in 2027.

Barbados was initially awarded the rights to host the 2026 CARIFTA Games but later withdrew due to ongoing redevelopment work at the National Stadium.

Guyana had previously expressed interest in hosting the 50th edition of the CARIFTA Games in 2023, but a formal bid was not submitted.

NACAC President Mike Sands thanked CARICOM Heads of Government for their support in securing hosts for the upcoming editions of the competition.

“On behalf of the NACAC Athletics Council, officials, and athletes of the NACAC Athletics family, I wish to thank the CARICOM Heads for their swift and positive response in support of the CARIFTA Games,” Sands said.

“I especially thank President Ali of Guyana and Prime Minister Mottley of Barbados for agreeing to host CARIFTA 2027 and 2028. This secures the immediate future of what is arguably the world’s premier junior athletics event.”

Grenada hosted the 2026 CARIFTA Games after stepping in at short notice, marking the second time the country has hosted the competition within three years.

NACAC said the 2026 Games recorded the widest television and livestream viewership in CARIFTA history, reaching audiences across the Caribbean, the United States and Europe.

The organisation also highlighted the importance of continued investment in sport across the region, noting that about 26 per cent of the Caribbean’s 44.8 million people are under the age of 25.

“With approximately 26 percent of the Caribbean’s 44.8 million people under the age of 25, NACAC Athletics is urging regional governments to continue investing in sport as a driver of youth development,” the organisation said.