COMMUNITY JUSTICE CUP KICKS OFF WITH TWO SUCCESSFUL MATCHDAYS

Basseterre, St. Kitts, 12 October 2026 (SKNIS) – The Community Justice Cup 2026 opened over the weekend of 10 and 11 October at the SKNFA Technical Centre in St. Peters. Two days of football drew enthusiastic players, parents and supporters from across the Federation.

More than 120 boys and girls aged 9 to 13, from throughout St. Kitts and Nevis, have registered to play in the Under-11 and Under-13 categories. The tournament is organised by the Ministry of Justice and Legal Affairs in partnership with the St. Kitts and Nevis Football Association (SKNFA). It is implemented with the support of the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) and the Justice Action Coalition Fund.

The Community Justice Cup uses football to bring community justice principles to young people: fairness, accountability, respect, teamwork and the peaceful resolution of disagreements. Teams are deliberately mixed, so players from different villages and towns play side by side. The aim is to build friendships across community lines and help prevent conflict before it starts.

On opening day, players took part in a Community Justice Session led by Mr. Cosbert Woods of the Rotary Club of Liamigua and Dr. Etsu Bradshaw-Caines of the Garden of Rebirth. They spoke with the young participants about the values the tournament is built on.

The Honourable Garth Wilkin, Attorney General and Minister of Justice and Legal Affairs, said he was delighted with how the tournament began.

“The Community Justice Cup is a football tournament with much more—it about teaching our young people, early in life, that fairness, respect and accountability matter, and that disagreements can be settled without conflict. By putting children from different communities on the same team, we are building the relationships that make our communities safer and stronger. I am extremely pleased with the turnout and with the quality of football we have seen. These young players have shown real talent, discipline and sportsmanship, and they have done their communities proud.”

The tournament continues on Saturday 17 October at the SKNFA Technical Centre and ends with Finals Day on Sunday 18 October 2026. The finals will be held alongside a Community Justice Village, where parents, participants and the public can learn about the community justice mechanisms and support services available in St. Kitts and Nevis. Booths will be hosted by:

• Ministry of Social Development and Gender Affairs
• National Intervention Team
• ELEVATE
• Rotary Club of Liamigua
• Garden of Rebirth
• Office of the Director of Public Prosecutions
• His Majesty’s Prison
• Royal St. Christopher and Nevis Police Force
• Human Security and Well-Being Secretariat

Matches run from 10:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m. on each matchday. The public is invited to come out and support the players.

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