BASSETERRE, St. Kitts – FRESH off a successful election win, Delwayne Delaney is once again at the helm of Conaree Football Club (CFC) and says he is ready to push the team to greater heights.
The elections, held on Thursday evening (Oct. 2), produced an executive that Delaney described as a mix of youth and experience, with strong male and female representation. He believes this new balance will translate not only into better management but also into improved performances on the field.
“While we have been doing relatively well throughout the years, we have to ensure that we continue to to make strides in the right direction, put proper practises in place," Delaney to SKNVIbes News. "Although it might be for the long term, in any event we have to ensure that the future is protected. In the federation, there's this issue of sports and business."
Delaney emphasized that one of his main priorities is strengthening the business side of the club. He noted that this was part of the reason why newly elected Vice President Irvin Daniel, a young businessman, was brought onto the executive.
“It seems as though you were in the meeting last evening, because that’s exactly why Irvin was brought on,” Delaney said with a smile. “He may not be from Conaree, but his forte is business. We want to showcase the club in a way that marries sports and business.”
Many clubs in St. Kitts and Nevis struggle to secure funding and maintain consistent revenue, making it difficult to send teams or players abroad. The president highlighted that the importance of sports as a business was underscored at the recent IAAF World Championships in Japan, which he attended.
Another priority for Delaney is youth development. The club has already partnered with several schools as part of its grassroots programme, which he said will remain a key focus.
“Yes, that is a priority, and we don’t want to limit our efforts to just the Conaree community. Our community is relatively small, so to field 20-plus individuals in any group can be challenging,” he explained.
Looking ahead, Delaney wants the club to not only dominate locally but also compete regionally and internationally. He hopes to create opportunities for players to be scouted and pursue professional careers abroad.
“We want to give the club bigger exposure,” he said.
Beyond football, Delaney stressed the importance of preparing players for life after the sport.
"We want to ensure that these players are given the opportunity to excel, to develop. At the end of the day, there's life after football," he said. "So we want to hone in those type of life skills as well - whether it be undertaking be peer-to-peer training as it relates to carpentry or farming. Whatever the guys are interested outside of football that makes that earns them a living, we want to ensure that we assist them in that area."
The newly elected Conaree Football Club executive is as follows:
President – Delwayne Delaney
Vice President – Irvin Daniel
Secretary – Keneisha Warner
Treasurer – Eddison Isaac
Public Relations Officer (PRO) – Shelleca Archibald
Assistant Treasurer – Omar Hodge
Assistant Secretary – Trecia Samuel
