SURINAME · SPORT
Key Facts
- —What is happening The Inter-Guyanese Games, a youth sports meeting of Guyana, Suriname and French Guiana, opened on Friday, 23 October 2026, in Paramaribo and runs to Sunday, 25 October.
- —Why it matters The three neighbours speak English, Dutch and French. The Games are one of the region’s longest-running youth sports exchanges, Guyanese outlets say.
- —The numbers The Games began in 1967. This edition has eight sports, and the 2022 Games drew about 430 participants from the three countries.
- —Who is who Suriname hosts through its school sports federation, SSFS. Guyana and French Guiana, a French overseas territory, send teams of school athletes under 18.
- —What to watch Results from the weekend, whether the three sports directors agree the next host, and whether disputes like the one in 2024 return.
- —What it means for you There is no sourced effect on travel or business, but the Games show how three neighbours keep ties through youth sport.
The Inter-Guyanese Games are a small but long-running sports meeting that keeps three very different neighbours in contact. It opened on 23 October in Paramaribo.
The Inter-Guyanese Games explained in one line: school athletes from Guyana, Suriname and French Guiana compete in a rotating host country. The 2026 edition opened on Friday, 23 October, in Paramaribo, Suriname’s capital.
It matters to foreigners as a long-running youth exchange between three neighbours on South America’s north-east coast. Officials describe the Games as being about friendship and school sport.
The Games have three names: Inter-Guyanese Spelen in Suriname, Inter-Guiana Games in Guyana and Jeux Inter-Guyanes in French Guiana. Related coverage includes the Rio Times news report on the opening and the Rio Times Suriname page.
The Inter-Guyanese Games Explained in Plain English
The “Guianas” here means the three territories, on South America’s north-east coast. They are Guyana (English-speaking), Suriname (Dutch-speaking) and French Guiana (French-speaking and part of France).
The Games are for school students, and De Ware Tijd reports that the 2026 teams are boys and girls under 18. Suriname’s school sports federation, SSFS, is the organiser.
In Plain English
- Guyana: English-speaking country, led in sport by Director of Sport Steve Ninvalle.
- Suriname: Dutch-speaking host in 2026, with Enrique Ralim as Director of Sport.
- French Guiana: French overseas territory, with Tatiana Tisserand as sport director.
- SSFS: Suriname’s school sports federation, which organises the Surinamese side.
How the Games Began in 1967
De Ware Tijd reports that the Games began in 1967 in Suriname, with football as the only sport. Suriname won the trophy, which Guyana’s then prime minister, Forbes Burnham, had provided.
The next year the Games moved to Guyana, and French Guiana was absent, De Ware Tijd reports. The same paper says Suriname won again.
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A Pause After 2017 and a Restart in 2022
De Ware Tijd says the last edition before a break was in 2017, because interest was low, especially in French Guiana. The coronavirus pandemic in 2020 then made a restart harder.
Stabroek News reports that Guyana and Suriname decided in August 2021, during a Surinamese government visit, to revive the Games. Outremers360 reports that the three sides signed a protocol on the rules before the 2022 edition.
Guyana hosted the 51st Games from 25 to 27 November 2022, according to the Guyana High Commission in South Africa. About 430 people took part: 197 from Guyana, 172 from Suriname and 67 from French Guiana.
Why the Three Governments Back Them
A French-language report on the 2022 protocol lists the aims: better relations, mutual understanding, solidarity, foreign languages and school sport. It also lists tolerance, sportsmanship and cohesion.
The same report says entrants must be 19 or under and in school at home the year before. The 2026 age limit is under 18, De Ware Tijd reports.
Guyana’s sports minister said in 2022 that the Games give young people a taste of international competition. Suriname’s Minister Lalinie Gopal said on 23 October that the Games are about friendship, respect and cooperation, not only winning.
Hosts and Editions Since 2022
Since the restart the host has rotated: Guyana in 2022, Suriname in November 2023 and French Guiana in October 2024. Guyana hosted again from 5 to 7 December 2025, and Suriname hosts in 2026.
In 2024 more than 300 athletes aged 13 to 19 competed in Cayenne in seven sports, Outremers360 reports. Its budget was €300,000 (about US$336,000), paid by French Guiana’s territorial authority.
In 2025 Kaieteur News reported 137 athletes aged 14 to 18 in six sports. The 2026 edition has eight sports: athletics, swimming, basketball, volleyball, futsal, chess, boxing and judo.
What Happened in Paramaribo on 23 October
Gopal, Suriname’s Minister of Youth Development and Sport, opened the Games at the Anthony Nesty Sports Hall for President Jennifer Simons. The motto is “Building Nation Through School Sport”, according to SR Herald, GFC Nieuws and De Ware Tijd.
Boxing and judo are introductory sports this year, the three outlets report. De Ware Tijd says boxing is Suriname against Guyana and judo is Suriname against French Guiana.
Competition runs to Sunday, 25 October, and De Ware Tijd says the visiting teams leave for home on Monday. Venues include the Anthony Nesty Sports Hall, the Andre Kampervene Stadium and Parima for aquatics, Kaieteur News reports.
A Dispute Over the 2024 Games
After Cayenne in 2024, the Suriname federation alleged problems with transport, housing and food, De Ware Tijd reported. It said it would not accept an overall champion.
Suriname and Guyana both voiced displeasure and planned to raise it in evaluation talks. The French organisers’ reply is not in that report, and no source reviewed says whether it was settled.
What It Means for US Readers
The sources show no effect on travel, trade or investment. For a US reader the Games are a small window on how three neighbours keep ties through youth sport.
Background is in the Rio Times guides to Suriname’s political players and Suriname’s culture. The Latin America section has more regional coverage.
What Is Not Known
Results, medal tables and an overall winner for 2026 were not available in the sources reviewed. Total athlete numbers for all three 2026 delegations have not been published.
Kaieteur News gives the end date as 25 October in one report and 26 October in another. SR Herald, GFC Nieuws and De Ware Tijd say 25 October, so this guide uses it.
What Comes Next
The finals and closing events run through Sunday, 25 October. No source reviewed names the 2027 host or says the 2024 dispute is settled.
The 2022 to 2026 rotation would point to French Guiana next, but that is an inference, not an announcement. The three sports directors are the people to watch.
Frequently Asked Questions
What are the Inter-Guyanese Games?
A regular sports meeting for school athletes from Guyana, Suriname and French Guiana. The host rotates, and Suriname hosts the 2026 edition in Paramaribo.
When did the Games start?
They began in 1967 in Suriname, with football as the only sport. De Ware Tijd reports they paused after 2017 and returned in 2022.
Who takes part in 2026?
School athletes under 18 from Suriname, Guyana and French Guiana. Eight sports are on the programme, with boxing and judo as introductory sports.
Why do the three countries hold them?
The organisers cite better relations, mutual understanding, foreign languages, tolerance and school sport. The 2022 protocol lists these aims.
Is French Guiana part of France?
Yes, it is a French overseas territory, and its territorial authority funded the 2024 Games. Its team takes part alongside Guyana and Suriname.
Does this affect travel or business?
The sources show no effect on travel or business. Check the US State Department advisories before visiting Suriname, Guyana or French Guiana.
Sources: SR Herald, 23 October; GFC Nieuws, 23 October; De Ware Tijd, opening; De Ware Tijd, preview; De Ware Tijd, history; De Ware Tijd, 2024 dispute; Kaieteur News, 21 October; Kaieteur News, 22 October; Kaieteur News, 2025 Games; Stabroek News, May 2023; Stabroek News, October 2023; Guyana High Commission, 2022 Games; Outremers360, 2022 protocol; Outremers360, 2024 Games; Guyana Times, 2025 (all accessed 24 October 2026). Conversion at the 24 October 2026 rate of about €0.89 per US$1.
This article was produced by The Rio Times’ automated newsroom system. How we use AI · Report an error · Editorial responsibility: Matthias Camenzind, Editor-in-Chief