GREAT BAY--Preparations are officially underway for the 2027 Special Olympics Kingdom Games as Special Olympics St. Maarten, SOSM, together with its Kingdom partners, concluded an intensive two-day planning mission that marks the beginning of the island’s journey toward hosting one of the Kingdom of the Netherlands’ premier inclusive sporting events.
The Special Olympics Kingdom Games bring together athletes with intellectual disabilities from across the Kingdom to compete, build lifelong friendships and demonstrate the transformative power of sport. Following the successful inaugural Games in Bonaire in 2023 and the second edition in Curaçao in 2025, St. Maarten proudly accepted the responsibility of hosting the third edition after receiving the official Kingdom Games Torch during the Closing Ceremony in Curaçao.
To lead preparations, an Executive Committee has been established, bringing together representatives from Special Olympics St. Maarten, the Government of St. Maarten and the national sporting community. The committee consists of Sharon Cangieter, National Director of Special Olympics St. Maarten; Minerva Rumnit, Board Chair; Paul Bell, Sports Director; Naomi Konstanje, President of the St. Maarten Sports Federation; Jonelle Richardson, Department Head of Sports within the Ministry of Education, Culture, Youth and Sport; and Jisk Goslinga, Director of the National Sports Institute.
The committee was joined by Kingdom partners Niels Cannegieter and Stefaan Eskes of Foundation SO International Events, SOIE, who visited St. Maarten to begin the detailed planning process. The two-day mission included inspections of the proposed competition venues, the Raoul Illidge Sports Complex, John Cooper/José Lake Sr. Ball Park, Bako Richardson Little League Stadium and Caribe Swim Team Pool, as well as visits to accommodation facilities for athletes, coaches, officials, volunteers and guests.
Strategic planning sessions established the initial roadmap for the Games, focusing on venue readiness, athlete services, transportation, volunteer engagement, communications and operational planning. The delegation also met with representatives of the St. Maarten Sports Federation to strengthen collaboration across the sporting community and encourage broad national support for the Games.
The planning mission concluded with a meeting with the Honorable Minister of Education, Culture, Youth and Sport, Melissa Gumbs, who reaffirmed Government’s commitment to support Special Olympics St. Maarten with the hosting of the 2027 Kingdom Games.
The Games will be hosted by Special Olympics St. Maarten, which serves as the lead organization within the Local Organizing Committee. The event forms part of a Kingdom-wide initiative established through a partnership between Special Olympics International, SOI, and the Foundation SO International Events, with the support of the Ministry of Health, Welfare and Sport of the Netherlands.
Through this collaboration, the partners are committed to expanding opportunities for athletes with intellectual disabilities while strengthening cooperation and inclusion across the Kingdom.
One of the signature elements of the Games will once again be Unified Sports, where athletes with and without intellectual disabilities compete together on the same team, demonstrating that inclusion is not merely an aspiration, but a reality achieved through sport.
Beyond the competition, the 2027 Kingdom Games will leave a lasting legacy by promoting inclusion, challenging stereotypes surrounding intellectual disabilities, strengthening Kingdom partnerships, encouraging volunteerism and generating economic activity through sports tourism.
The event will also showcase St. Maarten’s ability to successfully host a major international sporting event while inspiring communities to recognize ability over disability.
Special Olympics St. Maarten looks forward to welcoming delegations from the Netherlands, Aruba, Curaçao, Bonaire, Saba, St. Eustatius and host nation St. Maarten for what promises to be a celebration of courage, friendship, determination and unity.
As preparations continue, the Local Organizing Committee invites government agencies, businesses, schools, sports organizations, volunteers and the wider community to become part of this historic journey.
Through partnership and collective effort, the 2027 Special Olympics Kingdom Games will not only showcase athletic excellence but also create a lasting legacy of inclusion that will benefit generations to come.
“Together, we are building more than a sporting event; we are building a legacy. The 2027 Special Olympics Kingdom Games will demonstrate the very best of St. Maarten while creating opportunities for every athlete to shine and reminding us all that inclusion has the power to transform lives, communities and our Kingdom.”
