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Blue, white, yellow trim, the Arawak statue on the left sleeve, and the coat of arms of Saint Barthélemy on the chest. The jersey marking the revival of the Saint Barthélemy national soccer team looks sharp. That said, to take the field once again, the island’s club players—honored by being selected for the national team—needed a special outfit. Because this Saturday, October 31, for the first time in years, a team made up of players from the island’s clubs will face off against another team. In this case, it will be the team from St. Thomas (U.S. Virgin Islands). A great soccer celebration is in store.
Promoting the Clubs
Officially, this match between the Saint-Barth men’s team and the Saint Thomas team will mark the inauguration of the Saint-Jean stadium, which underwent renovations for nearly five months. In reality, it was the Ajoe under-15s and the women’s team who had the honor of making the first passes on the brand-new field against teams from Saint Martin. But that doesn’t matter.
“For this evening, we want to recognize the island’s clubs and the presidents of the associations for what they do all year long,” explains Tim Walrave, president of the Territorial Soccer Committee. “The national team hasn’t really existed for years,” he continues. “We first wanted to get everything back on track at the committee level before reviving it.” The goal is for the national team to play four matches a year—two at home and two on the road. And he assures us: “The players are going to want to give it their all!”
The day before the match, the teams and their coaching staff will gather on the plaza in front of the Collectivité’s hotel to commemorate a moment that also marks a milestone in the recent history of the sister-city relationship between St. Thomas and St. Barthélemy. “We want to develop soccer in Saint-Barth on a sustainable basis, and this weekend will be important,” says Tim Walrave.
Kickoff is scheduled for 8:00 p.m., but fans are expected to arrive as early as 7:00 p.m. There will be some big surprises before the game and at halftime. And one guest whose presence is of particular importance to the Territorial Soccer Committee: the president of the French Soccer Federation, Philippe Diallo.
