BASSETERRE, St Kitts – Prime Minister of St Kitts & Nevis, Terrance Drew believes the Kittitian and Nevisian diaspora has great potential, following a visit to the island by Chelsea football superstar Cole Palmer.
Chelsea footballer Cole Palmer (second right) accepts a St Kitts & Nevis football jersey from Prime Minister Terrance Drew (second left) during his trip to St Kitts & Nevis.Palmer arrived on the island on Monday, a day after he scored two goals to lead Chelsea to the Club World Cup title via a 3-0 thrashing of Paris Saint-Germain in Sunday’s final.
Describing him as a “son of the soil”, Drew said Palmer’s visit was a perfect example of the power of the island’s diaspora.
“During our meeting, I had the opportunity to present Cole with our national team jersey and a special piece of indigenous Caribbean art, symbols of his ancestral heritage and our pride in his achievements. I told him personally, he is not just visiting, he is home.
“Cole’s journey from Manchester to the global stage is not just an inspiring sports story, it is a powerful reflection of the strength and potential that lies within the Kittitian and Nevisian diaspora,” Drew said in a Facebook post.
“We look forward to deepening this bond and ensuring his visit reflects what we already know in our hearts: Cole Palmer is a son of the soil!”
The 23-year-old along with his family received a hero’s welcome on his first-ever visit to the St Kitts, the birthplace of his grandfather Sterry Palmer.
They were greeted by Deputy Prime Minister of St. Kitts and Nevis, Dr. Geoffrey Hanley, and Minister of Tourism, Marsha T. Henderson, and alongside a troupe of traditional Masquerade performers, Palmer and his family were given an authentic Kittitian welcome.
Palmer proudly wears the flag of St. Kitts and Nevis – alongside the England flag – on his football boots to honour his family’s roots.
