Members of UWI St Augustine’s championship-winning men’s basketball team with Coach Kern George (front row, left). PHOTOS: KC MEDIA LTD
During most of the academic year, The UWI follows a familiar rhythm.
Students hurry between lectures. Study groups gather beneath trees. Conversations revolve around assignments, exams, and deadlines.
But, for just over one week in May 2026, that rhythm changed completely. The return of The UWI Games transformed the campus into something that felt closer to an athletes’ village than a university.
Residence halls filled with competitors from across the Caribbean. Sporting venues buzzed from morning until evening. Students who had never met before found themselves supporting one another, sharing meals, and building friendships that stretched beyond campus boundaries.
Track and Field captain and para-athlete Johan Biput watched the transformation unfold throughout the games.
“Seeing the athletes and campus transform from what they were during the semester and year into a vibrant village of athletes similar to the Olympics is just an absolute privilege and honour,” he said. For him, seeing student-athletes experiencing the games for the first time became one of the event’s most rewarding aspects.
Biput’s comparison resonated with many participants, including second-year students Sion Hackett and Ajani Rechais. Hackett, 23, leaned on learnings from his Leadership and Management degree to captain the St Augustine cricket team to a third- place finish, while Rechais, a Sports Kinetics major, was part of the St Augustine team that edged out the Mona Campus to the basketball crown.
Rechais, who can play either the shooting guard or small forward positions, was ruled out of the Games because of medical reasons. However, his competitive fire remained.
“Having that name across my chest isn’t for the weak, and the magnitude of the event is surreal,” Rechais said, before the games began.
Coach Kern George said Rechais’ absence from the court was a big loss for the team, but the energy and presence the youngster brought to the bench showed what the games are all about.
While Rechais had to take a back seat this time around, Hackett was front and centre as he led the cricket team into action at the Sir Frank Worrell Memorial Ground. Hackett’s journey started in his infant days while watching cricket matches with his grandfather. He quickly developed a love and passion for the sport which propelled him to the maroon colours of the West Indies Under-19 team, and later earned him a First-Class debut with the Combined Campuses and Colleges team at age 20.
He said the 2026 games gave him the chance “to inspire others and contribute positively to the UWI community”.
Whether the sport of choice was basketball, cricket, football or hockey, The UWI was a hotbed of activity. The blend of regional colours spread through the campus as student-athletes from the varying islands moved between venues, accommodations, and dining facilities.
With racket in hand, tennis player Jamila Welsh was one of those athletes who moved busily through the halls, trying her utmost to get those extra serves in. Born in St Kitts, Welsh has adapted to life seamlessly in St Augustine, with her leadership skills and calming presence being seen as an asset both on and off the court. Even in her final year, the Electronics major juggles her studies, tennis training, and student- leadership, while also trying to maintain a social life.
She will be saying goodbye to the halls of The UWI soon, but at the other end of the spectrum, first-year student Caitlyn Look Fong is just getting her feet wet at the institution. Hailing from Gasparillo, the Doctor of Dentistry student was quite happy for her first taste of the games.
For Look Fong, who has already represented T&T in regional swim meets, the build-up to the games was just as rewarding as the main course.
“My most memorable moment so far has been transitioning into university-level training and being part of the team environment,” she said, on the eve of competing. “Being able to train with more athletes, push my limits, and adjust to a higher standard has been a big and meaningful experience for me.”
She began swimming at age five after her parents enrolled her in lessons to learn how to swim safely. By age nine, she was swimming competitively. And a few weeks ago, she and her St Augustine teammates joined with former Olympian Cherelle Thompson to deliver gold for the campus.
Similar to Look Fong, many students currently enrolled at The UWI never attended a UWI Games before. The tournament had not been held since 2019, meaning an entire generation entered university without experiencing one of the institution’s most celebrated traditions.
The return of the games offered more than competition. It offered connection.
Students from different territories exchanged stories about their campuses, cultures, and lives. Athletes formed friendships with competitors that they would spend the week battling on courts and fields. Supporters adopted teams and players they had never heard of only days before.
Even for Biput, whose experience differed from many competitors, the games created opportunities he had not expected.
As a para-athlete, there were no direct competitors in his category. Instead, he participated in an invitational event alongside his peers.
“I was surprised and thankful to race against them,” he said.
His focus remained firmly on supporting teammates and celebrating the progress of sport at the St Augustine Campus.
“There was a lot of emotion and pride for the track and field team.”
Biput credited two-time Olympian Coach Jehue Gordon and the athletes for their continued growth and dedication. “We have high hopes for the future of sport, particularly track and field at St Augustine.”
Though Biput has big dreams for what lies ahead, this time, the Mona Campus sped away with the track and field honours. Not only did the team take track and field gold, they also defended their overall title.
The games, however, offered so much more than bragging rights. As the festivities drew to a close with the fanfare of the awards ceremony, the campus gradually returned to its normal routine.
The visiting athletes departed. The venues grew quieter. Students turned their attention back to coursework and examinations.
Yet, for those who experienced the week firsthand, something remained.
The memory of a campus transformed. The memory of loud stands, new friendships, and shared celebrations. And the reminder that university life can be about much more than what happens inside a classroom.
Until the Cave Hill 2028 Games then. Make sure to be reunited, reignited and ready.
