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• Curacao secure League A promotion, Gold Cup berth after 4-1 win over St Lucia in Group B

  Curacao secured promotion to League A and direct qualification for next year’s Concacaf Gold Cup after they topped Group B of League B in the Concacaf Nations League action on Monday. 

  The Dutch-speaking Caribbean Island bettered St Lucia 4-1 in their top-of-the-table clash at the Ergilio Hato Stadium in Willemstad, Curaçao.

  Gervane Kastaneer opened the scoring in the 27th with a tidy finish on the volley as he connected well from Jearl Margaritha’s weighted cross.

  St Lucia pulled level in the 29th courtesy of Ryan Charles, who won possession at the top of the penalty area and finished at close range.

  However, Kastaneer grabbed his brace to put Curacao back on top as he produced another decent close range finish to make it 2-1 at the break.

  Any hopes St Lucia had of a comeback were dashed in the 73rd when Juninho Bacuna displayed nippy footwork to dismiss markers and slot home.

  Bacuna then completed his brace and Curacao’s rout when he fired home in the 79th to secure their promotion to League A and, by extension, a berth in the Gold Cup.

  They topped the group with 13 points, four more than St Lucia (nine points), while Grenada, who were 3-0 winners over St Martin in the other group contest, ended on seven points.

  Rahim Dennis (39th) and Keelan Lebon (87th and 90+3) sealed Grenada’s win against St Martin to ensure they stay up in League B for another edition.

  By virtue of that loss, St Martin, who finished last on the four-team standings on six points, have been relegated to League C for the next edition of the Nations League.

• Michael Johnson optimistic about bright future for field events amid rise of track-centric meets

  Legendary sprinter Michael Johnson, the founder of the upcoming Grand Slam Track (GST) series, is confident that field events will not be sidelined despite the emergence of track-only competitions like GST and September's all-woman Athlos NY meet. Instead, Johnson envisions a future where field events flourish in their own right, buoyed by specialized leagues and platforms.

  Grand Slam Track recently announced its inaugural season for 2025, with meets scheduled in Kingston, Miami, Philadelphia, and Los Angeles. As excitement builds for the all-track format, concerns have surfaced about the potential marginalization of field events like the shot put, discus, javelin, and triple jump. However, responding to a query from Sportsmax.TV, Johnson dismissed these fears, offering a compelling case for optimism.

  “I think you will see quite the opposite,” Johnson said. “Ryan Crouser, the Olympic champion and world record holder in the shot put, is going to start his vision for a throws league that is specifically for the throws where the fans who actually appreciate those events and understand the great athleticism that is required for those events can actually be closer to the action. And so those events don’t fall secondary to what’s happening on the track, and I have offered my support to Ryan for that.”

  

  Johnson, a four-time Olympic gold medalist and former 200m and 400m world record holder, pointed to Crouser’s initiative as an example of how specialized leagues can elevate field events.

  “So I don’t think you will see those events continue to go away. I think it’s the exact opposite,” Johnson continued. “I think that there has been inspiration around how you now create leagues for those events as well, where you can make those events more prominent.”

  Field events have experienced a resurgence in recent years, with Caribbean athletes making significant strides on the global stage. Trinidad and Tobago’s Keshorn Walcott and Grenada’s Anderson Peters have won Olympic and World Championship medals in the javelin. Jamaica's Roje Stona set an Olympic record to win gold in the discus, with compatriot Rajindra Campbell claiming shot put bronze. Dominica’s Thea LaFond made history by winning her country’s first Olympic medal, a gold in the triple jump, ahead of Jamaica’s Shanieka Ricketts, a two-time World Championship silver medalist.

  Johnson believes specialized leagues and tailored events are key to ensuring that these athletes and their disciplines receive the recognition they deserve.

  “Right now, they’re getting lost in a huge stadium where fans far away can’t actually see and appreciate the athleticism,” Johnson explained. “So I think that this [Grand Slam Track] paves the way for a brighter future for the field events.”

  Grand Slam Track’s inaugural season promises to bring a fresh, dynamic format to track events, while Johnson’s endorsement of field-event-specific leagues highlights his broader vision for athletics as a sport. With initiatives like Crouser’s throws league on the horizon, Johnson’s optimism reflects a shift toward creating dedicated platforms for all disciplines to shine.

   The 2025 GST series, set to kick off with a meet in Kingston from April 4-, marks an exciting evolution for the sport. As Johnson’s vision takes shape, the future appears brighter not just for track athletes but for the field-event stars whose talents deserve a stage of their own.

   

   

   

   

   

   

   

• Julien 'The Black Dragon' Baptiste eyes bigger stage after defending Massachusetts middleweight title

  Julien “Black Dragon” Baptiste, the reigning Massachusetts Middleweight boxing champion, successfully defended his title last Saturday, November 9, with a sixth-round TKO victory over Anthony Hines at Fall Reckoning in Dorchester. The main event saw Baptiste overwhelm his opponent with a flurry of punches, prompting the referee to stop the bout at 2:35 of the penultimate round.

  With the victory, Baptiste improved his professional record to 8-4-1, cementing his place as a dominant force in the Massachusetts boxing scene. Reflecting on the win, he expressed gratitude and acknowledged the hard work that went into his preparation.

  “And STILL!!!!” Baptiste exclaimed. “I would like to thank God ?? for another opportunity for me to showcase my skills and talents. Training camp was on point from beginning to end. Mark DeLuca made sure that I got 1% better each day. Was it easy? Hell no ?, but if you want to stay champion, you’re gonna have to be uncomfortable until you get comfortable to get the job done.”

  The fight marked another milestone in Baptiste’s journey, one that began in his youth as the son of Jamaican and Grenadian parents. His mother, Donna Holder Willemsen, hails from Duncans in Trelawny, Jamaica, while his father, Egbert Baptiste, who is battling cancer, is from Grenada. Julien credits both of them for his drive and determination.

  “Their strength and spirit, along with my mother’s, drive me to success,” he said.

  Baptiste’s introduction to boxing came after his college football career as an All-American free safety. While pursuing his NFL dreams, he was invited to a boxing gym by a cousin from Jamaica, and from that moment, he found a new passion.

   “I fell in love with it,” he recalled. “I was there every day. That was in New York. Then I left New York and came to Massachusetts, back to the town I went to school at, looking for work. The first gym I worked at just happened to have a boxing gym and a coach. And here I am now as Massachusetts champion.”

  

   In 2023, Baptiste captured the vacant United States Boxing Federation (USBF) Middleweight title, which he has successfully defended three times. His Massachusetts title has also been defended on three occasions, adding to his growing legacy.

   “I know what is at stake every time I fight because my belts are on the line every time I fight. Whenever I fight here in Massachusetts, both my belts are on the line,” he said.

   Now 35, Baptiste acknowledges that time is not on his side in the sport, but he remains focused on his ultimate goals.

   “I’m coming to the end of my athletic career. I just want to get on ESPN,” he said. “I fought on ESPN earlier this year at Madison Square Garden in February and lost by split decision. I want to get back on that stage, so hopefully by next year, I should be back on a bigger stage on television or something of that nature.”

   Beyond boxing, Baptiste’s aspirations include securing a home and retiring from the sport with his health intact.

   “I want to leave the game with my mind and my brains, my health. I want to be one of the ones leaving with my health. I want to help the youth and show that there are ways to get out of situations to better yourself,” he said.

   With his dedication, resilience, and a drive rooted in his Caribbean heritage, Julien Baptiste continues to embody the spirit of a champion both inside and outside the ring.