BASSETERRE – Three St. Kitts and Nevis match officials represented the federation at the Caribbean Football Union’s Next Generation Referee Course Class of 2026, with Jody Walters earning the prestigious Instructors’ Award during the three-day intensive program.
Walters, Zoend Browne, and Jabari Trotman—all serving as referees—joined 21 other officials from across the Caribbean for the fifth edition of the course, hosted locally by the St. Kitts and Nevis Football Association.
“This weekend was just the start. The hard work begins now,” Course Administrator Dave Meikle told participants, urging continued dedication to technical knowledge and fitness as officials transition to the online program.
Trinidad and Tobago’s Shawn Gonsalves (Referee) and Martinique’s Gladys Namrit (Referee) topped the class with the highest cumulative scores in fitness and technical assessments. Robert Emmanuel of Antigua and Barbuda (Assistant Referee) and Jamaica’s Monique Williams (Referee) finished as runners-up.
Leadership honors went to Sherwin Alli of Guyana (Referee), Emmanuel, and Namrit, while Alli also received the Peer Award.
The 24 participants represented 15 CFU Member Associations, receiving training from FIFA and Concacaf instructors including FIFA Fitness Refereeing Instructor Kelesha Antoine and FIFA Technical Instructor Dianne Ferreira-James.
Established in 2022, the Next Generation program targets high-performing match officials eligible for progression to the FIFA International Referees List, strengthening referee development across the Caribbean with support from CFU, Member Associations, and Concacaf.