Top 5 — Jamaica Basketball Begins World Cup Campaign
PLUS: Guyana's Global Super League returns, Sabina Park hosts Jamaica's first day-night Test, and more
Whatsup Squad,
Here are the stories making waves in Caribbean sports this week:
⭐️ FEATURE STORY
Jamaica Basketball Begins World Cup Campaign
Jamaica Basketball ran a 60-player open tryout at Kingston’s National Stadium to pick an 18-man camp for August’s Americas Pre-Qualifiers in Mexico.
JaBA President Paulton Gordon said the session spotlighted home-grown talent while NBA stars like Norman Powell and Nick Richards are expected to join later.
From the 18 to be named for the training camp, Head Coach Coach Turner will select the best possible 12 to go to Mexico.
Bottom line: A credible World Cup push would energize local hoops, attract new sponsors, and invite new investment into JaBA’s grassroots programs.
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🇬🇾 Guyana
Guyana launches ExxonMobil-backed Global Super League
The single-site T20 tournament bowled off on 10 July in Georgetown with five franchises.
The tournament’s second edition is highlighted by a reported $15 million (USD) sponsorship slate led by ExxonMobil.
Bottom line: Early indicators, such as 80% hotel occupancy and high ticket sales, suggest Guyana’s sport-tourism bet is already paying off.
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🇯🇲 Jamaica
West Indies Hosts Australia in a Historic Sabina Park Test
ICC venue inspectors cleared Sabina Park for Jamaica’s first-ever day-night Test.
Temporary LED floodlight rigs, upgraded sight-screens, and a dusk-to-dawn power-backup plan satisfied the governing body’s safety checklist.
Now, Australia is seeking a clean sweep of the series after victories in the first two Tests in Barbados and Grenada.
Bottom line: ICC approval removed the last logistical hurdle and turned Kingston into target destination for day-night Tests in the Caribbean.
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🇯🇲 Jamaica
Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce Sets Retirement Clock
The eight-time Olympic medalist told Marie Claire that 2025 will be her last competitive season, with the Tokyo World Championships as her final meet.
But her story is far from over.
"I want my legacy to be the totality of who I am. The mom, the athlete, the entrepreneur, the philanthropist. I want it to be about impact. The impact that I've had on and off the track”
Bottom line: After retirement, she’ll pivot full-time to her AFIMI hair-care brand and Pocket Rocket Foundation. Sponsors and meet organizers now have a one-year window to leverage the region’s most marketable athlete before she exits the track.
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🇱🇨 Saint Lucia
Saint Lucia Eyes Slice of Sports Tourism Market
The Saint Lucia Tourism Authority (SLTA) unveiled a new “Play Saint Lucia” strategy, pledging to work with federations from golf to rugby to package events that fill hotel rooms and pump visitor spend into local businesses.
The SLTA also outlined its vision to leverage high-profile athletes like Olympic champion Julien Alfred to boost global visibility.
The Olympic sprint star has been prominently displaying the SLTA logo during Diamond League broadcasts beamed to millions of viewers across Europe, Asia and the Americas.
Bottom line: A coordinated, ROI-driven game plan positions Saint Lucia to challenge larger rivals for event rights and raises the bar for how smaller islands convert sport into year-round tourism revenue.
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Until next time ✌🏾
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