Philipsburg, Sint Maarten – Member of Parliament will be submitted a motion during the second round of the 2026’s budget debate next week, calling on the Government of Sint Maarten to develop a comprehensive National Sports Excellence Strategy aimed at maximizing the impact of limited public resources and elevating the country’s performance in regional and international sports competitions.
The proposal recognizes the important work being done by the many sports federations operating throughout Sint Maarten. The motion does not seek to eliminate or defund any sport. Instead, it proposes a dual-track approach that maintains support for all recognized federations while strategically investing in a select number of sports with the greatest potential for international success.
“Small countries that have achieved sporting excellence have done so through focus, planning, and strategic investment,“. While participation remains important, Sint Maarten must also position itself to compete and excel.
The proposed strategy would request Government to:
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Assess all sports federations using objective criteria such as participation, governance, development structures, and competitive results;
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Identify a limited number of National Priority Sports for enhanced investment and elite athlete development;
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Establish performance-based funding mechanisms;
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Create a national high-performance framework for coaching, talent identification, sports science, and athlete support;
The motion further emphasizes that sports development should be viewed not only as recreation but as an investment in youth development, national pride, tourism promotion, and country branding.
By focusing resources where Sint Maarten has the strongest opportunity for success, the country can create pathways for athletes to compete at the highest levels while continuing to support broad participation and community engagement across all sports.
