Saba and St. Eusta­tius signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) on Friday, July 21, 2021 and thereby commit to combine efforts, network and knowl­edge to strengthen sports. Through the MOU a posi­tive sporting climate on and between both islands is cre­ated.

Saba and Statia will under­take joint initiatives such as enhancing the sports structure and related ac­tivities, organizing regional sporting tournaments and competitions and bringing specific sports knowledge to the islands. There will also be a connection with other domains like health, culture, youth and poverty.

The recent visit of Statian swimming instructors to Saba is part of the strength­ened collaboration. The swimming instructors from the Sint Eustatius Swim­ming Association (SESA) and Sports Facilities Foun­dation (SSFF) teach swim­ming to Saban children as part of the summer pro­gram on Saba.

The planned visits of the Dutch Sporting Associations in 2022 and the introduction of an Inter-Island exchange pro­gram for youth to encour­age their development, are both big steps in developing sports on the two Islands.

Meaningful connections are made and the partici­pants are able to experi­ence each other’s culture. It is important to reduce barriers for its inhabitants in order to obtain a healthy lifestyle. At the same time, it is about creating a plat­form for talented athletes, especially youth, to opti­mize development and per­formance.

Saba and Statia have a strong, long-term bond. With only a few kilometers between the two neigh­boring islands within the Caribbean Netherlands, the small communities and isolated locations can sometimes be seen as a limitation for sports and its youth. Both Public Enti­ties therefore seek a united approach to significantly increase the development and participation of sports in the coming four years.

The Daily Herald.