Special Olympics Caribbean Executive Director Lorna Bell is brimming with excitement on the verge of the launch of the regional beach games in Montego Bay, Jamaica.

The launch is scheduled for 11:00 am on Tuesday, August 4 at S Hotel Montego Bay.

The Special Olympics Caribbean Beach Games is to be staged at Harmony Beach Park in Montego Bay from November 18-22.

EVANGELISTA… this is not just a sporting event, this is a platform brought to us by the incredible country of Jamaica (Photo: Collin Reid)

Harmony Beach Park, managed by the State-run Urban Development Corporation, is in close proximity to Sangster International Airport and a host of hotels on Montego Bay’s famous hip strip, making it a convenient location for visiting delegations and officials.

The beach games — a novelty staging for Jamaica — is expected to attract approximately 20 Special Olympics regional programmes participating in swimming, football, volleyball, basketball, and bocce.

The event is to be the second such regional beach games, following in the footsteps of the landmark 2024 staging in Trinidad and Tobago.

Bell, formerly executive director of Special Olympics Jamaica, said the staging of the beach games is timely as the western belt of the country continues to rediscover its footing following the devastation caused by deadly Hurricane Melissa last October.

A section of Harmony Beach Park

“We are excited to welcome regional countries to Jamaica for the Special Olympics Caribbean Beach Games, a first-of-its-kind event conceptualised by former Caribbean athlete Kester Edwards. More than a sporting event, these Games represent hope and recovery as we help to rebuild our Special Olympics programme in western Jamaica following the devastation of Hurricane Melissa,” she told the
Jamaica Observer.

“We look forward to sharing the full details at our press launch on August 4, as we count down to an unforgettable celebration of inclusion, unity, and sport from November 18–22 at the beautiful Harmony Beach Park in Montego Bay,” Bell noted.

While competition is in full swing during the beach games, organisers will stage a motor activity training programme, an early childhood development programme, healthy athletes screening as well as family-oriented projects.

A view of Harmony Beach Park

David Evangelista, chief executive officer of Special Olympics International, gave a nod to the holistic concept behind the staging of the regional beach games.

“This is not just a sporting event, this is a platform brought to us by the incredible country of Jamaica, and one of our fastest and most exciting regions in Special Olympics — the Caribbean, reinforcing the transformative power that our unified platform brings to people with and without intellectual disabilities. We’re creating opportunities for connection, discovery and for excellence, and we’re doing it unified,” Evangelista declared.

—Sanjay Myers