Sports

Barbados Surf Pro 2024 – March 18 – 24

For the second year in a row, Barbados will host the World Surf League (WSL) Q5000 at the renowned “Soup Bowl”, Bathsheba, St. Joseph, from Monday, March 18, to Sunday, March 24, beginning at 8:00 a.m. each day.

The WSL Q5000 men and women’s event, which has the highest rating at the Qualifying Series level and is the largest surfing event held in the Caribbean region, will have participants from 19 countries, including Barbados, competing for a chance to win first place and walk away with US$10,000 and 5,000 points.

The week of March 18 to 24 will also see the staging of the Live Like Zander Junior Pro, in memory of Zander Venezia. The two events are being hosted by Diamonds International and Surf Promotions Barbados Limited, in conjunction with the Barbados Tourism Marketing Inc. (BTMI).

Speaking during a media launch yesterday, at the BTMI’s Warrens, St. Michael, location, BTMI’s Manager of Sport, Kamal Springer, noted that one of the BTMI’s objectives is to promote Barbados as a sporting tourism destination, and by hosting and promoting events such as the WSL Q5000 it highlights the island’s capabilities for hosting major sporting events.

“It is incredibly important … for our sports business strategy to make sure that we partner with these massive sporting leagues [such as] World Surf League and to make sure that our events are world-class, so that we can get more people, spectatorship and more athletes coming to the destination,” Mr. Springer said.

He added that in addition, it allows the island to showcase its culture and lifestyle to millions of viewers worldwide through the various media outlets covering the event.

Co-director of Surf Promotion Barbados Limited, Louis Venezia, disclosed that when Barbados hosted last year’s WSL Q5000, the country received a $1.1 million injection into the economy as a result of competitors, coaches, family members and friends, and media personnel, who utilised accommodations, car rentals, and patronage supermarkets, restaurants, etc.

Barbados Tourism Marketing Inc.’s Manager of Sport, Kamal Springer (centre) speaking during the media launch of the Barbados Surf Pro and Live Like Zander events while co-director of Surf Promotion Barbados Limited, Louis Venezia (left) and Tourism Development Corporation Representative, Jacqueline Gill, look on.

“In 2023, our event attracted 456 hotel rooms, Air BnB and beach house rentals, and 115 car rentals. These arrivals amounted to 5,838 audited nights spent. According to this data, the estimated return on investment for the 2023 event was a whopping US$1.1 million that was injected into the Barbados economy. The tourism impact reflected through this event is an undeniable benefit to the economy of Barbados,” Mr. Venezia stated.

He shared that to date, the event had received 246 entries – 168 men and 78 women, and thanked the sponsors for helping to make the event possible.

Barbados Surf Pro and Live Like Zander Junior Pro 2024 will be covered by various media outlets and can be followed on all WSL social media platforms.

Barbadian Pro Surfers Chelsea Tuach and Josh Burke are encouraging the public to come out in their numbers and support the “Bajan” competitors as well as to participate in the Loyd Tea “Wellness Weekend” free activities.

Activities include Pilates and Yoga on the beach, sunrise hikes along the east coast, a beach cleanup, free entertainment for the kids hosted by Eco Kids, and on the Saturday evening, there will be a free fashion show hosted by Sea Egg Barbados, which will be followed by live entertainment. (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.