SSS Games 2026: Saba, Statia & Sint Maarten Compete in the Dutch Caribbean's Most Spirited Youth Sports Series

There is something genuinely special about an inter-island sports competition that begins with a boat or a short flight and ends with young athletes from three small Dutch Caribbean islands standing on the same field, competing against each other, and then sharing a meal before the journey home.

That is exactly what the SSS School Games are, and in 2026, now in their third year, the games have grown from an ambitious inaugural experiment into one of the most anticipated youth sports events on the annual calendar of Saba, Sint Eustatius (Statia), and Sint Maarten.

The 2026 SSS School Games ran across three separate events on three different islands, beginning in early April and concluding with the SSS Games Athletics Championship on Saturday, May 16, 2026, hosted by the Sint Maarten National Athletic Federation. The format is simple, the mission is serious, and the results, as anyone who watched the dodgeball final between Sint Maarten and Statia at the Princess Juliana Sportsfield on Saba will confirm, are completely unpredictable.

Building Beyond Sport

The SSS School Games were launched in 2024 as a direct initiative by the governments and sports federations of the three smallest islands within the Dutch Caribbean: Saba, Sint Eustatius (Statia), and Sint Maarten.

The founding organisations — Saba Government / Public Entity Saba, the Sint Maarten Sports Federation (SMSF), the National Sports Institute Sint Maarten (NSI), and their counterparts on Sint Eustatius — identified a specific gap in the inter-island experience for young people growing up on these three islands.

"The SSS School Games represent a collaborative effort among the islands to encourage physical activity from an early age and instill values of teamwork, sportsmanship, and friendship."

Despite being geographic neighbours within the same constitutional framework of the Kingdom of the Netherlands and sharing language, Dutch administrative systems, and cultural ties, young athletes from Saba, Statia, and Sint Maarten rarely competed against each other in organised sporting events. The SSS Games were created to change that.

• April 21, 2024: Sint Eustatius hosted the Volleyball Tournament for secondary school girls
• May 12, 2024: Saba hosted the Netball competition for primary school girls
• May 26, 2024: Sint Maarten hosted the 3x3 Basketball Tournament for primary school boys

The 2025 second edition expanded to include the ABC Islands (Aruba, Bonaire, and Curaçao) for a special Secondary School Boys 3x3 Basketball Tournament hosted on Bonaire, bringing all six Dutch Caribbean islands together for the first time.

2026 Games: A Tri-Island Affair

The 2026 SSS School Games ran across three distinct events with confirmed dates, locations, and sports, hosted by each of the three participating islands.

Sint Maarten Kicks Off

Sint Maarten opened the 2026 SSS Games series as the first host island. The Sint Maarten-hosted event preceded the April 10-12 Saba weekend, establishing the three-island rotation that defines the annual format.

Saba's Turn to Shine

The most fully documented event of the 2026 series, hosted by Saba, took place over three days at two confirmed venues:

• Venue 1: Princess Juliana Sportsfield, Saba (Dodgeball)
• Venue 2: Cruyff Court, Saba (Soccer)

The Saba edition of the 2026 SSS Games introduced two sports that were new to the series' specific combination:

• Dodgeball tournament for primary school girls: confirmed as "a first for the SSS School Games", this was the debut of dodgeball in the inter-island competition series.
• Soccer tournament for primary school boys: the soccer competition took place at the Cruyff Court on Sunday, April 12, beginning at 10:00 AM

"The SSS-Games are not just about sports, but providing the students a great experience."

The Sint Maarten Sports Federation (SMSF) and NSI Sint Maarten confirmed the community spirit of the event.

Finale in Sint Maarten

The final and newest component of the 2026 SSS Games series is the SSS Games Athletics Championship, hosted by the Sint Maarten National Athletic Federation (SNAF).

• Date: Saturday, May 16, 2026
• Time: 6:00 PM to 9:00 PM
• Venue: Sint Maarten National Athletic Federation (SNAF), Sint Maarten
• Age categories: U9, U11, U13
• Participating islands: Sint Maarten, Saba, Statia

Island Insights

Three Unique Communities

The three islands that compete in the SSS Games are among the most distinctive and most contrasting communities in the entire Dutch Caribbean. Understanding each island's character is essential for appreciating what it means for their young athletes to travel to each other's shores to compete.

Sint Maarten: The largest, most populous, and most internationally connected of the three SSS islands, Sint Maarten is home to approximately 43,000 people, the Princess Juliana International Airport (SXM), and one of the busiest cruise ports in the eastern Caribbean. Its schools draw students from more than 100 nationalities.

Saba: The smallest island in the Kingdom of the Netherlands by land area, Saba covers just 13 square kilometres and has a permanent population of approximately 2,000 people. It has no beaches, one road (called The Road), and one of the most dramatic landscapes in the Caribbean.

Sint Eustatius (Statia): The least visited of the three SSS islands and the most historical, Sint Eustatius covers approximately 21 square kilometres and has a population of around 3,200 people. It was once one of the most important trading ports in the entire Atlantic world.

Competition with a Social Twist

One-Day Events with Heart

The specific format of the SSS School Games is one of the key reasons the inaugural edition received the feedback it did: "overwhelmingly positive from participating organisations, parents, and athletes themselves."

The events are deliberately designed as one-day competitions that combine sporting tournaments with social activities, creating an experience that is about more than the scoreline.

• Athletes travel to the host island by air or ferry on the day before or the morning of the event
• Competition takes place across a morning-to-afternoon programme with multiple matches per sport
• Athletes and accompanying staff from all three islands share the same venue and social spaces throughout the day
• Results and winners are announced at the end of the event day
• Athletes return to their home islands having competed, socialised, and experienced a different island community

Sint Maarten's Athletic Edge

Infrastructure and Ambition

The SSS Games Athletics Championship on May 16, 2026 reflects the strength and ambition of the Sint Maarten National Athletic Federation (SNAF), which has been building toward exactly this kind of hosted inter-island competition through its investment in youth athletics development.

In April 2026, just weeks before the SSS Athletics Championship, Sint Maarten sent a national delegation to the 53rd CARIFTA Games in Grenada (April 4-6, 2026), with athletes Joleen Tomlin, Nahjah Wyatte, Nessiah Wyatte, Marlon Prince, Michael Van De Veer, Adio Williams, Sebastiana Reyes, and coach Carlos Brison representing the island at the Kirani James Athletic Stadium in St. George's, Grenada.

Visitor's Guide

How to Engage with the SSS Games

2026 SSS Games confirmed schedule:

• Event 1 (Sint Maarten-hosted): Early 2026, Sint Maarten (sport and date to be confirmed through SMSF/NSI channels)
• Event 2 (Saba-hosted, April 10-12, 2026):
• Saturday, April 11: Dodgeball (primary school girls), Princess Juliana Sportsfield, Saba, 10:30 AM
• Sunday, April 12: Soccer (primary school boys), Cruyff Court, Saba, 10:00 AM
• Results: Statia defeated Sint Maarten in soccer; Sint Maarten vs Statia in dodgeball final
• Event 3 (Sint Maarten-hosted, Athletics Championship, May 16, 2026):
• Saturday, May 16, 2026, 6:00 PM to 9:00 PM
• Venue: Sint Maarten National Athletic Federation (SNAF)
• Age categories: U9, U11, U13
• Participating islands: Sint Maarten, Saba, Sint Eustatius

Organising bodies:

• Sint Maarten Sports Federation (SMSF)
• National Sports Institute Sint Maarten (NSI)
• Sint Maarten National Athletic Federation (SNAF) — for athletics event
• Public Entity Saba / Saba Government
• Sint Eustatius counterparts

Following the SSS Games:

• Saba Government (Facebook: PublicEntitySaba): primary source for Saba-hosted events
• Saba Public Health (Facebook: sabapublichealth): posts live updates including scores
• NSI Sint Maarten (Facebook: nsisxm): Sint Maarten perspective and post-game commentary
• Sint Maarten National Athletic Federation (Facebook: SNAFSXM): athletics event source

Getting to Sint Maarten for the May 16 Athletics Championship:

• Princess Juliana International Airport (SXM): direct connections from New York, Miami, Toronto, Amsterdam, and Caribbean hubs
• The SNAF venue is accessible from the airport in approximately 15-20 minutes by car

May 16 weather on Sint Maarten: 30-33°C, trade winds, water ~29°C

Frequently Asked Questions

What are the SSS Games and when did they start?
The SSS School Games are an annual inter-island youth sports competition between Saba, Sint Eustatius (Statia), and Sint Maarten, the three smallest Dutch Caribbean islands. They were launched in 2024 as an initiative by the governments and sports federations of the three islands to "foster youth engagement in sports while strengthening social connections between students from neighbouring islands." The format is a series of one-day tournaments hosted in rotation by each island, combining sport with social activities.

What is the 2026 SSS Games schedule?
The 2026 SSS School Games ran across three events: a Sint Maarten-hosted event in early 2026; the Saba-hosted event on April 10-12, 2026 (dodgeball for primary school girls at Princess Juliana Sportsfield on Saturday April 11 at 10:30 AM, and soccer for primary school boys at Cruyff Court on Sunday April 12 at 10:00 AM); and the SSS Games Athletics Championship on Saturday, May 16, 2026 from 6:00 PM to 9:00 PM at the Sint Maarten National Athletic Federation, featuring U9, U11, and U13 age categories.

Who organises the SSS Games?
The SSS School Games are organised jointly by the Sint Maarten Sports Federation (SMSF), the National Sports Institute Sint Maarten (NSI), the Public Entity Saba / Saba Government, and their counterparts on Sint Eustatius. The athletics component is additionally supported by the Sint Maarten National Athletic Federation (SNAF). All three island governments participate in the governance and hosting rotation of the annual series.

What sports are in the 2026 SSS Games?
The 2026 SSS School Games features three sports across its programme: Dodgeball (primary school girls, hosted on Saba, April 11), Soccer (primary school boys, hosted on Saba, April 12), and Athletics track and field in U9, U11, and U13 categories (hosted on Sint Maarten by SNAF, May 16). The 2026 edition marked the first time dodgeball appeared in the SSS Games, and the first time an athletics-specific championship was added to the series.

How are the SSS Games different from other Caribbean youth sports competitions?
The SSS Games are distinct because of their small-island, community-first format. Unlike larger regional competitions such as CARIFTA, the SSS Games are specifically designed for the three smallest Dutch Caribbean islands, with one-day tournament formats that combine competitive sport with social exchange between young athletes. The events are public and free to watch, hosted at community sports facilities including Saba's Princess Juliana Sportsfield and Cruyff Court, and the programme explicitly aims to build lasting friendships between young people from Saba, Statia, and Sint Maarten alongside the competition results.

Verified Information at a Glance

• Event Name: SSS School Games 2026 (Saba, Sint Eustatius / Statia, Sint Maarten)
• Event Category: Annual Inter-Island Youth Sports Competition Series
• Year established: 2024 (inaugural edition)
• 2026 edition number: 3rd annual
• Participating islands: Saba, Sint Eustatius (Statia), Sint Maarten
• Confirmed 2026 events and dates:
• Event 1: Sint Maarten-hosted (early 2026)
• Event 2: Saba-hosted, April 10-12, 2026
• Saturday, April 11: Dodgeball (primary school girls), Princess Juliana Sportsfield, Saba, 10:30 AM
• Sunday, April 12: Soccer (primary school boys), Cruyff Court, Saba, 10:00 AM
• Event 3: SSS Games Athletics Championship, Saturday, May 16, 2026, 6:00 PM-9:00 PM, Sint Maarten National Athletic Federation (SNAF)
• 2026 confirmed sports: Dodgeball (primary school girls), Soccer (primary school boys), Athletics U9/U11/U13
• 2026 Saba event results: Statia defeated Sint Maarten in soccer; Sint Maarten vs Statia in dodgeball final
• First-ever SSS Games sports introduced in 2026: Dodgeball (girls primary); Athletics championship (U9/U11/U13)
• Organising bodies: SMSF (Sint Maarten Sports Federation), NSI Sint Maarten, SNAF (Sint Maarten National Athletic Federation), Public Entity Saba, Sint Eustatius Government Sports
• Athletics Championship venue: Sint Maarten National Athletic Federation (SNAF), Sint Maarten
• Entry: Free public events
• Social media sources: Facebook: PublicEntitySaba, sabapublichealth, nsisxm, SNAFSXM
• Nearest airport (Sint Maarten events): Princess Juliana International Airport (SXM)
• 2025 expansion: SSS Games extended to include ABC Islands (Aruba, Bonaire, Curaçao) for 3x3 basketball
• Sources: Saba Government, Public Entity Saba, NSI Sint Maarten, SNAF, Sint Maarten Government, RSSSF, Athletics.app