Sports

Barbados National Senior Games – June 10 to 25

The Barbados National Senior Games are about more than a lifestyle; they are about healthy ageing.

Minister of People Empowerment and Elder Affairs, Kirk Humphrey, underscored this point as he officially launched the Games, which run from June 10 to 25, across 13 disciplines.

“These games are about active ageing, eating healthy, [and] putting a message out there that as you get a little bit older, you don’t have to [stay at] home. Barbados wants to be a healthy place.

“We have an older generation, [and] we are ageing very rapidly in this country, but we have to make sure that as we age, Barbadians can age well,” the Minister emphasised.

He stressed that the aim was to reduce mortality without increasing morbidity, to allow people to live longer without become sick.

To facilitate this process, Mr. Humphrey said his ministry was working closely with the Ministries of Health, Sports and Education, and anyone who wanted to be involved, to ensure that persons remain active and age healthily.

He lamented that Barbados had a history dating back to the days of slavery, which has resulted in its population coming into contact with non-communicable diseases (NCDs) because of what persons were forced to eat on plantations.

“Our DNA is said to be more predisposed to these NCDs, and that is why we have to put in extra effort,” he pointed out.

However, the Minister pointed out that ageing was part of a life cycle, and it was important to begin eating properly from a young age.

He called for inter-generational exchanges to allow young people the opportunity to interact with older persons and allow values to be passed on.

Mr. Humphrey urged Barbadians to sign up and take part in the Games, which are being held for the first time since 2019 due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

Noting that there were over 400 persons that year competing in track alone, he added that an even larger turnout was being anticipated for this year’s games, with competitors slated to participate from Kenya, the British Virgin Islands, St. Lucia, Guyana, and Trinidad and Tobago. (PR/GIS)

Sports

BARBADOS WINS CWI RISING STARS UNDER-19 CHAMPIONSHIP

by David Harris

Defending champions Barbados defeated Guyana by 44 runs to retain their title in Cricket West Indies (CWI) Rising Stars Under-19 Championship at the Coolidge Cricket Ground, Antigua on Wednesday.

Needing to avoid defeat in their fifth and final match of the tournament to clinch the title, the Barbadian lads scored 209 for eight wickets, before bowling out Guyana for 160 in 45.3 overs.

Barbados were wobbling at 71 for four wickets, after winning the toss and opting to bat. Captain Justin Parris made an attractive 38 runs from 40 balls, the left-handed batsman struck five fours, but his dismissal in the sixteenth over left Barbados in a precarious position. Seth Smith (47) and Rajeev Parsooram (21) repaired the early damage with a crucial fifth-wicket partnership of 61 runs, before Parsooram was dismissed by left-arm pacer Brandon Henry.

After Parsooram’s wicket fell; Smith added 40 vital runs for the sixth wicket with Yuvraj Persaud who made 19, Smith’s rearguard inning ended innings ended when he was dismissed by Henry in the 43rd over, the wicketkeeper/ batsman faced 75 balls and counted four boundaries. Asher Brandford 18 and Zarell Harding 15 not out ensured that Barbados posted a total over 200 runs.

Medium pacer Reyaz Laif took three wickets for 34 runs, he was supported by fast bowler Usain Fredericks two wickets for 53 runs,, and Henry who picked up two wickets for 24 runs.

Chasing 210 for victory, Guyana slumped to 55 for five wickets in the 17^th over as the Bajan bowlers took early wickets; but a defiant knock of 50 runs from Henry briefly give the Guyanese hope. Henry faced 88 balls and lead a lower resistance that saw Guyana to 156 for eight wickets before he was bowled by Parsooram. After Henry was dismissed Guyana’s innings ended quickly.

Brandford captured three wickets for 19 runs with his medium pace; he was supported by fellow medium pacers Joshua Thomas and Parsooram with two wickets for 35 runs and 19 runs respectively, while Parris picked up two wickets with his leg-spin.

Sports

JAYDEN WINS GOLD AT CARIFTA GAMES

by David Harris

Jayden Green captured Barbados’ lone gold medal at the 52nd CARIFTA Games which ended at the Hasely Crawford Stadium, in Mucrapo, Trinidad on Monday night. The 17-year-old student of the Christ Church Foundation School won the Under-20 Boys’ 200 metres at the three -day track and field meeting in 20,93 seconds ahead of Jamaicans Tyreece Foreman (20.95) and Junior Galimore (21.01); Green is the first Barbadian to win the event since Mario Burke in 2015.

The rest of team collected five silver and eight bronze medals with several athletes recording personal best. Barbados won 14 medals at the games, their best performance since the 2016 Games in Grenada where they won 20 medals.

Sports

GET READY FOR THE NATIONAL SENIOR GAMES

Calendar lists all the events from May to September 2025

NATIONAL SENIOR GAMES field events will begin on Saturday, May 31, at Queen’s College, Husbands, St. James, while the road races, involving running, cycling, walking, and skating, will take place on Sunday, June 1, on the Mighty Grynner Highway. Monday, June 9, will see the culmination of the track events at the Usain Bolt Sports Complex.