AFTER the recent staging of the historic unified 3×3 basketball tournament in Guadeloupe, Lorna Bell, Special Olympics Caribbean executive director, says the expansion of unified sports across the region remains high on the agenda.

Special Olympics Guadeloupe, with the support of the French-speaking territory’s Government and other partners, hosted the competition from November 14-15 at the Daniel Cassin gymnasium in Saint-Claude.

The event featured Special Olympics unified basketball delegations from Antigua & Barbuda, Barbados, Dominica, Jamaica, St Kitts & Nevis, St Maarten and Trinidad & Tobago. The Guadeloupe programme fielded two teams.

Unified competition promotes social inclusion by combining people with and without intellectual disabilities for sport activities, thereby helping to build awareness and to foster behavioural change.

“The games in Guadeloupe were a tremendous success. Our athletes showed remarkable talent, sportsmanship and unity — reminding us all why the Special Olympics movement is so important to our Caribbean region,” Bell told the Jamaica Observer.

“Our focus is on continued growth, to strengthen and expand unified sports across all islands, and to ensure that every Caribbean programme is fully accredited.

“We want to deepen partnerships with governments and regional organisations and, ultimately, to increase participation so that every athlete — regardless of the size of the island he or she is from and regardless of the available resources — has the opportunity to compete, to lead, and to shine,” she said.

While the keen contests throughout the tournament offered the main highlights in Guadeloupe, Bell said she was moved by the manner in which everyone rallied off the court.

“I was most impressed by the passion of the Guadeloupe community — their national pride, their hospitality, and the energy they brought to the games. The athletes were celebrated like the champions they are.

“The level of volunteerism, the teamwork between our partners, and the presence of unified sports truly highlighted inclusion in action. Seeing young people of all abilities on the same court with excitement and respect — that was the heart of these games,” she explained while acknowledging the support provided by Lions Clubs International Foundation and Aruna Abhey Oswal Trust.

The Special Olympics Caribbean boss said the hard-working organisers left only small room for potential improvement.

“The local organising committee worked with determination and pride, and despite language and logistical challenges they delivered a well-organised and impactful event.

“As with any major sporting competition there is always an opportunity to strengthen areas such as transportation efficiency, earlier alignment on venue preparations, and broader community outreach. But these lessons will guide us as we continue growing and elevating Caribbean-hosted competitions,” Bell said.

The Cayman Islands staged a historic bocce tournament in May 2024, while Trinidad and Tobago followed with the staging of the first-ever regional beach games in November of that year.

Bell said those events and the one in Guadeloupe are prime examples of the growth of the movement in the region.

“We are building momentum. We hosted regional games in the Cayman Islands, in Trinidad & Tobago, and unified basketball in Guadeloupe, and more recently we had the Caribbean Dutch Kingdom Games in Curacao.

“The Caribbean is proving that we are capable of hosting high-quality, meaningful sporting opportunities for our athletes right here at home, and we will not make language a barrier. We are united with a shared purpose, and what we have accomplished together is only the beginning,” she beamed.

Regional programmes will have more opportunity to participate on the international stage at the first-ever Special Olympics Unified 3×3 Basketball World Cup in San Juan, Puerto Rico, December 5-7.

— Sanjay Myers