To strengthen sporting ties: Dutch and French St. Martin attend CANOC General Assembly as one

WILLEMSTAD--The St. Maarten Sports Federation (SMSF) and Comité Territorial Olympique de Saint-Barthélemy et Saint-Martin (CTOS SBSM) proudly mark a historic milestone as representatives from both the Dutch and French sides of the island participate together for the first time in the Caribbean Association of National Olympic Committees (CANOC) workshops and Annual General Assembly, taking place from October 15 to 19, 2026, in Curaçao.

The delegation consists of SMSF President Naomi Korstanje and Executive Board Member and Assistant Secretary Kimberly Reyes-Puello, alongside Virginie Carien, President of the Comité Territorial Olympique de Saint-Barthélemy et Saint-Martin (CTOS SBSM), and Peggy Oulerich, Sports Director of CTOS SBSM.

Over the past year, SMSF and its French-side counterparts have worked towards strengthening cooperation and securing greater regional representation for Saint-Martin. SMSF is therefore particularly pleased to welcome CTOS SBSM into the CANOC family, marking an important achievement for sports development across the 37-square-mile island.

Building on this milestone, both organizations have committed to working towards a strategic Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) to strengthen institutional cooperation, support sports development, and create greater opportunities for athletes, coaches, and sporting organizations. Looking ahead, SMSF also hopes to support Saint-Martin in expanding its regional relationships, including opportunities within Centro Caribe Sports and beyond.

Throughout the October 15 to 19 program, the delegation will participate in workshops and training sessions addressing current trends in sports development, regional networking opportunities, Curaçao's sporting Honors Night, and the annual CANOC General Assembly.

SMSF President Naomi Korstanje shared:

"We are stronger together. While our island consists of two distinct administrative territories, we share one home, one passion for sports, and a common responsibility towards our athletes and future generations. This milestone goes beyond representation; it is about building bridges and creating opportunities for the development of sports across our entire island."

This achievement comes during an exceptionally active year for SMSF as the Federation continues Phase Two of its restructuring and institutional development, working alongside its members and strategic partners to strengthen governance, organizational capacity, and sustainable support for the sporting sector.

CTOS SBSM President Virginie Carien shared:

“Joining CANOC represents an important step forward for CTOS SBSM and for the sporting movement of Saint-Martin and Saint-Barthélemy. It gives us the opportunity to strengthen our Caribbean identity, build new partnerships and create new pathways for our athletes, coaches and sports organizations. We strongly believe that cooperation between the two sides of our island, and more broadly across the Caribbean, can open doors that would be much more difficult to access individually. We would also like to sincerely thank the Sint Maarten Sports Federation and its President, Naomi Korstanje, for their support and guidance in helping us take this important step forward.”

CTOS SBSM is a relatively young Territorial Olympic and Sports Committee, and its recent membership in CANOC marks a new stage in its development. This regional integration offers new perspectives for cooperation, knowledge-sharing and participation in Caribbean sporting networks, while creating opportunities to strengthen the position of Saint-Martin and Saint-Barthélemy within the wider Caribbean sports community.

As both organizations continue building on this partnership, SMSF and CTOS SBSM look forward to sharing further developments and strengthening their contribution to the wider Caribbean sporting community.

One Island. Two Sides. One Shared Vision.

TOGETHER, we move sports forward!

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