St Lucia, a 238 square mile-island situated mid-way down the Caribbean archipelago is known for its spectacular natural beauty. The lush tropical rainforests of the interior undulate towards the sparkling Caribbean Sea on the west coast and the Atlantic on the east coast. A varied and stunning topography, a warm, friendly population of 160,000 and a national joie de vivre make the former French and British colony among the most appealing in the Caribbean.

St Lucians are no strangers to excellence, the small island nation boasts two Nobel Laureates, one for economics and the other for literature, and sons and daughters of the soil have had their influence felt in the far reaches of the world. If there is one thing though that St Lucians know how to do well, it is recreation. There are no better, more passionate devotees of sport than the St Lucian school child, bank teller or lawyer. Sport in St Lucia has always enjoyed the ability to unify its participants and spectators alike.

And with the limited resources that must necessarily restrict the ambitions of a small island nation, a spirit of commitment to excellence in sport has nevertheless thrived. Many an athlete, before starting his early morning bus route, has risen to train for several hours before work; as a result of these individual and collective devotions, St Lucia has been able to participate in international sports and St Lucian athletes have acquitted themselves admirably competing at the higher levels.

Part of that has been too, the support of devoted fans – Sundays reveal community cricket pitches bustling with activity, Saturday football with sell-out crowds and evening net-ball matches bursting at the seams. The recent appointment of St Lucian Darren Sammy to the West Indies cricket squad seems to give testament to this support.

St Lucia has always been committed to hosting, when it can, regional and international tournaments and meets. The ITF Coca Cola Junior Tennis tournament attracts players from around the world, several OECS swimming, cycling and other tournaments are regularly held here. Many of these successes have been due in part to the efforts of the people behind the scenes at the association level. The SLOC has the privilege of acting as host to some sixteen associations, giving them the advantage of a platform and a unifying body, sharing the Olympic spirit which articulates an ideal that is a natural part of St Lucian culture.