Saint Lucia Cricket High Performance Centre (or HPC) athletes have caught the attention of the Saint Lucia Kings, the Windward Volcanoes, and West Indies Academy. After an outstanding performance at the U23 Bilateral 50 Overs, top performers training at the Centre have been drafted, showcasing the vitality of the facility.
At a briefing to congratulate all the players for their efforts throughout the year and underscore the relevance of the support of the High-Performance Centre, key officials put a spotlight on the need for continuous investment in our own.
According to Head Coach of the Centre, Mr. John Eugene, he is proud of the efforts of all the coaching staff and players who have trained tirelessly, expressing that the journey has been phenomenal. He particularly highlighted the efforts of the top-order players showing good form with some overcoming injuries and showcasing their abilities after training at the HPC. He proudly stated,
“I’m truly impressed with all the players and acknowledge the most recent achievements of Ackeem Auguste who earned a triple century in a recent U23 bilateral game against Dominica, the highest by any Saint Lucian cricketer ever. He joins the Saint Lucia Kings [for the CPL 2024] and will be playing with the West Indies Academy alongside McKenny Clarke. Shadrack Descartes also joins the Kings, and has been drafted by the Windward Island Volcanoes with Noel Leo and Keon Gaston. The dynamic Selena Ross joins the U19 West Indies team, following in the footsteps of HPC alum, Zaida James and Qiana, both currently with the senior team.”
For Saint Lucia, the HPC model has begun bearing fruit with some of the athletes already representing the island and region, many of whom have expressed the usefulness of an equipped training facility home. The players were encouraged to keep working hard and upgrading their skills as many of the other recruits narrowly missed selection.
Chairman of the Steering Committee of the HPC and President of the Saint Lucia National Cricket Association, Mr. Wayne Auguste affirmed the achievements of all the athletes and lauded the key partners and the government of Saint Lucia for creating such a centre which provides an amazing training ground for world class athletes. He reinforced the need for each player to take this opportunity seriously and understand that eyes are now on them to showcase their best always. Train hard and prove that you deserve that top spot. He also offered congratulatory remarks to Nerissa Crafton who was recently appointed to the West Indies Women’s team, showcasing the growth and development of our female cricketers.
Also present at the briefing was the Honourable Kenson Casimir, Minister of Youth Development and Sports. He encouraged the players to keep striving for excellence as every small achievement showcases the bigger picture we are headed towards.
He expressed his elation and highlighted the need for passion and having such individuals from a wide cross section of Saint Lucia who understands what sports development means, as we celebrate our first gold and silver Olympic Medals.
“Today’s achievements have justified what I saw as the best course of action to develop cricket in Saint Lucia. The work has yielded results, and we have gone ad nauseam to speak to what both the male and female players have achieved to justify the investment that we have made in this sport.”
He added, “We are in the golden era of sports development in this nation…a window of opportunity for [the players] to grab hold, get results and get the requisite support backed by us… We have what is needed to create world class athletes.”
The HPC remains a solid training ground at home, to develop, coach and maintain successful cricketing careers. The Saint Lucia Cricket High Performance Centre wishes Ackeem Auguste, Lee John, McKenny Clarke, Noelle Leo, Keon Gaston, Selena Ross, Nerissa Crafton, Qiana Joseph and Zaida James all the best in their new roles.
The HPC is supported by the Saint Lucia Kings, the Saint Lucia National Cricket Association and the National Lotteries Authority. To support the development of the players or follow their progress, at the Saint Lucia Cricket High Performance Centre, don’t hesitate to contact us here.
