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“St. Kitts and Nevis is one of only five nations in the world to win the men’s 100m at the World Championships. And yet, we still have no national holiday for our greatest athlete.” – Delwayne Delaney

Basseterre, St. Kitts – August 18, 2025 (SKN Times) — The cries are growing louder, the calls more urgent, and the question more damning: Why has St. Kitts and Nevis still not declared August 25th – Kim Collins Day – a national holiday?

That is the clarion call of Delwayne Delaney, Olympian, community leader, and President of the St. Kitts and Nevis Amateur Athletics Association (SKNAAA). In a powerful statement that has sent shockwaves through the sporting fraternity and beyond, Delaney challenged the Government and the people to give Collins the recognition he deserves:

“Can we make Kim Collins Day a public holiday please? With over 200+ countries in the world, St. Kitts and Nevis is one of only five to ever win the 100m at the World Championships since its inception in 1983. The others are the USA, Canada, Great Britain, and Jamaica. We won before Jamaica ever did—and we are the smallest nation in the world to accomplish this feat. August 25th is a date that must never be forgotten.”

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A Global Feat, A National Shame

When Kim Collins blazed to victory on August 25th, 2003, in Paris, he not only stunned the world but also etched St. Kitts and Nevis into global athletics history. His win was more than a medal; it was a national awakening, a David vs. Goliath triumph that placed our tiny federation among the giants of sprinting.

Yet, while Jamaica basks in the glory of Usain Bolt and celebrates its track and field icons with national reverence, St. Kitts and Nevis continues to treat Collins’ victory as little more than a passing memory. There are no parades, no festivals, no national day of recognition—only sporadic social media posts and scattered radio mentions.

As Carla Astaphan scathingly noted in response to Delaney’s post:

“So what exactly would a public holiday achieve? A trip to the beach, picnics, rest? How will Kim be celebrated when to date, except for social media and a few radio and TV talk shows, the day goes unnoticed? … Now it’s past time to plan an event to mark the day.”

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Public Outcry: “This Man Is Seriously a Legend!”

The flood of responses to Delaney’s call reveals a nation frustrated with years of empty promises and political lip service.

• Kandia Warner reminded the public: “Ain’t now they promised a holiday in his name. He deserves it.”
• Derionne Fleming declared: “This is no small feat!!!!! This man is seriously a legend!”
• Stephan Daley poetically thundered: “He is the Bee that brought pure sweetness to St. Kitts & Nevis after we gave up sugar… Give the man the holiday and let people celebrate it freely on the track or sprinting up hills. Call it National Sprint Bees Kim Collins Day!”
• Marsha S. Mills summed it up simply: “Long overdue.”

From birthday parties where families huddled around tiny televisions in 2003, to Facebook debates in 2025, one thing is clear: Kim Collins remains a hero whose victory still inspires collective pride.

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Broken Promises, Broken Respect

What makes this debate sting even more is the memory that politicians once promised to declare a holiday in Collins’ honour. Yet decades later, the promise lies broken, buried under the weight of neglect and political self-interest.

As Duncan “Biglice” Wattley bluntly put it:

“Very good suggestion. Should have happened a long time ago… along with other goodies for Sir Kim Collins.”

How many Independence speeches have mentioned Kim’s name? How many ministers have basked in his glory at public events, yet failed to follow through with action? The hypocrisy is glaring.

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Why a Holiday Matters

This is not about a day off to “go beach.” This is about preserving national pride, teaching our children their history, and celebrating the Federation’s place in world sport.

Kim Collins’ achievement is not just an athletic milestone—it is a symbol of resilience, possibility, and national identity. For the smallest nation on earth to conquer the world’s most competitive race should be etched permanently in the calendar of St. Kitts and Nevis.

Countries far larger than ours dedicate national holidays to heroes of war, politics, and colonial resistance. Why then can’t the people of St. Kitts and Nevis celebrate a homegrown sporting hero whose achievement ranks among the greatest in the world?

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The Final Sprint: Will the Government Fumble Again?

Delwayne Delaney’s call has reignited a firestorm, forcing the Government and the Ministry of Sports to once again face a question they have dodged for far too long.

Will August 25th finally be declared Kim Collins Day, a national holiday?

Or will another year pass with the people forced to argue on Facebook while their leaders remain silent?

If the Government cannot find the will to honour its greatest national sportsman, then it risks sending the message that excellence in St. Kitts and Nevis will always be forgotten, ignored, or politicized.

Kim Collins deserves more than applause. He deserves a day of national pride, reverence, and celebration. Anything less is an insult not just to him, but to the entire nation.

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SKN Times – Featured Analysis

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