Top 5 — Wishes for Caribbean Sports in 2025
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As 2024 comes to a close, I’d like to highlight my top 5 wishes for the new year:
Track Hits the Mainstream in the US
Track and Field is serious business in the Caribbean, but it still struggles to attract American fans outside of the Olympic cycle.
The multitude of events can sometimes be overwhelming for newcomers and casual fans, but new track-only competitions like ATHLOS and Grand Slam Track are working to change that.
Both competitions simplify the presentation of the sport to make it more palatable for individuals who may be unfamiliar with the intricacies of track and field.
And while most major track and field meets in the US are hosted in Eugene, Oregon (aka TrackTown USA), these events will highlight the importance of meet locations and accessibility.
Bottom Line - With Kingston (Jamaica), Los Angeles, Miami, and Philadelphia as host destinations, Grand Slam Track will finally offer American fans an appealing way to engage with the sport and its top athletes directly
Reggae Boyz Qualify for World Cup
For the first time since 1998, the Reggae Boyz will qualify for the FIFA World Cup.
Along with a host of noteworthy players in the MLS, Jamaica is bolstering the national team through the diaspora in the UK.
Fourteen of the 25 men on Jamaica’s 2024 Copa América squad were born in England.
The 2026 World Cup will be the biggest tournament yet, and Jamaica is committed to spending millions of dollars on its qualifying campaign.
Bottom Line - A successful qualifying campaign would not only boost the nation’s brand strength, but it would also boost the economy. Presence in the World Cup has the true potential to affect the business cycle, especially as it relates to tourism and the popularity of exports.
NBA Emirates Cup Heads to the Bahamas
The NBA won’t rest until the Emirates Cup is one of its marquee events, along with Summer League, the All-Star game, and the NBA Finals.
NBA executives made clear that they are not tied to Las Vegas as the host city for future iterations of the tournament, and, with Emirates as the title sponsor, the UAE is the most likely alternative.
That said, I think the Bahamas would be an even better location.
From hosting the Battle 4 Atlantis college basketball tournament to training camp for the Miami Heat, the Bahamas is becoming synonymous with high-level basketball and exceptional hospitality.
Through its “Sports in Paradise” initiative, the Bahamian Ministry of Tourism has been instrumental in bringing major sporting events to the country.
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Bottom Line - If the Emirates Cup does leave Vegas, the Bahamas needs to be part of the conversation. Along with a vibrant basketball culture and a robust tourism infrastructure, the country resides in the Eastern Time Zone, making it easy to align with the traditional NBA schedule.
Jamaica’s Rojé Stona Makes an NFL Roster
Reigning Olympic men's discus champion Rojé Stona of Jamaica is in the process of transitioning to the NFL.
Stona, 25, is among 14 athletes selected for the NFL’s International Player Pathway (IPP) program. The athletes representing 13 countries will train for 10 weeks at IMG Academy in Bradenton, Florida.
The 6’6, 263-pound athlete has previous experience with American football, having participated in Arkansas football's pro day and minicamps with the New Orleans Saints and Green Bay Packers last spring.
I expect to see Stona on an NFL roster as a defensive end next year.
Bottom Line - Stona has kept the door open for a return to the discus, but his immediate focus is on impressing in the IPP camp, which starts in January. Since the IPP program started, 41 international players have signed with teams, with 23 IPP athletes currently on NFL rosters and five on active rosters.
Basketball Takes off in Guyana
As the fastest-growing economy in the world, Guyana is significantly investing in its sports ecosystem.
Earlier this year, President Dr. Irfaan Ali met with Masai Ujiri, the Vice Chairman of the Toronto Raptors and Co-Founder of Giants of Africa, to discuss how the 2019 NBA champions can help develop basketball in Guyana.
Ujiri explored avenues for the Raptors to contribute to Guyana’s basketball growth, focusing on areas like building sports facilities, organizing coaching clinics, identifying young talent, and promoting grassroots basketball initiatives.
And that’s not all. With the recent launch of the One Guyana League, the country will have almost six months of non-stop basketball.
Taking place across multiple venues, the league offers fans an opportunity to witness the best basketball talent from across Guyana for the first time.
Bottom Line - Despite the popularity of basketball in the Bahamas, Puerto Rico, and the Dominican Republic, don’t sleep on the developments in Guyana. In 2025, I hope to see the country break ground on a new basketball facility and increase the prize pool for the One Guyana League.
This article is a special extension of BACKCOURT Business – a weekly newsletter covering the business of sports in the Caribbean and other emerging markets
Happy New Year! Until next time ???