NEVIS--St. Maarten is among the islands represented at the 2026 Leeward Islands Debating Competition in Nevis, joining delegations from Anguilla, Montserrat, St. Kitts, Antigua, and host island Nevis for the four-day event.
Delegations were officially welcomed on Wednesday during a cocktail reception hosted by the Honourable Eric Evelyn at the Malcolm Guishard Recreational Park.
Speaking at a press conference on Thursday, Deputy Principal of the Nevis Sixth Form College, Kerilyn David, welcomed the visiting teams, presented the debate schedule, and outlined a full slate of activities for participants throughout their stay.
The social and cultural program includes a shopping trip in Charlestown, a karaoke social on Thursday evening, and an island tour on Friday with visits to several historical sites. Friday’s activities will end with a glow party for participants and Sixth Form students.
On Saturday, participants will take part in a beach picnic followed by a cultural night, where each delegation will present aspects of its island’s heritage. Religious services are also scheduled for Saturday morning for Seventh-day Adventist participants and on Sunday morning for the other delegations, before everyone comes together for a shared lunch.
The competition gets underway Thursday evening with Montserrat taking on St. Kitts. On Friday, St. Maarten will face Anguilla for a place in the next round.
Saturday’s schedule will feature two debates. The winner of the Montserrat versus St. Kitts matchup will advance to meet defending champion Antigua, while the winner of the Anguilla versus St. Maarten debate will go on to face host team Nevis.
The championship debate is set for Sunday at 5:00 p.m., when the winners of the two semifinal rounds will compete for the 2026 Leeward Islands Debating Competition title.
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