(CARICOM Secretariat, Turkeyen, Greater Georgetown, Guyana)  St Kitts and Nevis are the undisputed champions of the CARICOM Regional Quiz Competition 2008.

In a keenly contested finals held on 1st July 2008, in Antigua and Barbuda, the team, comprising Yunoka Flemming, Kalea Clarke, Latoya Claxton and Rademis Tyson proved their mettle by beating the formidable Saint Lucian Team 41-37 points to hold on to the CARICOM Regional Quiz Trophy donated by Scotia Bank, and a cash award of US$1000 among other prizes.

Fifteen year-old student of Saint Joseph Convent Secondary School, Saint Lucia, Lena Taupier did her school and country proud by earning the Sagicor Trophy for the best overall player in the competition. She also earned two tickets, courtesy of Caribbean Airlines, to visit Guyana; a one day trip to the Kaiteur and one day trip to Arrow Point Resort on the Demerara River.

The Runner-up team, comprising Lena Taupier, Jasia King, JnClaude Gustave and Denise Fedee won the Citizen’s Bank Trophy and a cash prize of US$750.

In delivering the closing remarks Ms Marilyne Trotz, Special Adviser, Office of the Secretary-General, CARICOM, thanked the Government and people of Antigua and Barbuda for hosting the Semi-Finals and Finals of the competition, and noted that the competition would not have been a reality were it not for the help of several regional and Guyana based sponsors from the Business Sector.

The CARICOM Regional Quiz Competition 2008 was organized in collaboration with the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) for students of middle grades in secondary schools and was aimed at further increasing their knowledge about the Caribbean Community and the Integration movement.

Eleven Member States – Antigua and Barbuda, Barbados, Dominica, Guyana, Jamaica, Montserrat, St Kitts and Nevis, Saint Lucia, St Vincent and the Grenadines, Suriname, and Trinidad and Tobago – participated in this year’s competition. The four-round competition started in April at the national level and continued with two zonal rounds hosted by St Vincent and the Grenadines and Trinidad and Tobago in early June.

In addition to the CARICOM Trophy, the winner and runner-up received prizes and trophies donated by a number of organizations including: Ansa Mcal, Caribbean Airlines, Citizen’s Bank Guyana Inc, Hand-in Hand Mutual Fire and Life Insurance Company, Frandec Travel Service, Giftland Office Max, Guyana and Trinidad Mutual Fire and Life Insurance company, Laparkan Holdings Limited, Medi-care Pharmacy, Le Meridien Pegasus, Neal and Massy Holdings Limited, Roraima Airways, Sagicor Group Limited, Scotia Bank, Guyana and Topaz Jewellers, Guyana.

Contact:  piu@caricom.org