Matthew Arindell Makes His Mark In Beach Wrestling

Barbados’ beach wrestling prospects seem to be in great hands. And this is evident by the outstanding showing of some of our young people at the Lake Erie Beach Wrestling Series, in Canada.

Justin Boyce, Matthew Arindell, and Rebecca Williams each secured first place in their respective categories at the August 2024 competition, while Barbadian descendant Kanye Cumberbatch of New York placed second in his class.

The win was thrilling for all of them, especially 17-year-old Matthew Arindell, who has now made his mark in the sport. He is excited to have accomplished such a feat, especially since he only had one year of beach wrestling experience under his belt. Reports are that he was able to outclass two highly experienced and decorated fighters. 

“After winning the fight, which took at least two minutes or more, I felt satisfied knowing that my training wasn’t in vain, and it helped me to push for gold. My plans are to keep training hard and to compete in tournaments,” the Samuel Jackman Prescod Institute of Technology student said.

In Canada, Matthew participated in an exchange programme at the Central Toronto Wrestling Academy in Ontario, and underwent a “very tough training regimen” under high-level wrestling coaches. He also trained with some refugee youths from several countries.

His coach, Sylvan Mascoll, praised the young man’s performance in Canada, describing it as “excellent”, especially since he has only been training for a year. He is hoping the 17-year-old student would get more opportunities to compete internationally. “That would be very good for him,” he surmised.

Initially, when Matthew started at Central Barbados Wrestling, under coach Mascoll, his focus was just on fitness training. But over time, he learned various techniques, to the point where he was encouraged to participate in the Barbados Beach Open last November.

“In my view, I did considerably well as an amateur, so I decided to pursue the sport further,” he stated.

Matthew is a graduate of the Barbados Wrestling Association’s initiative Beat the Block Wrestling Programme. Under that programme, he and a group of young people underwent training here last year with a Romanian coach, when the Barbados Wrestling Association and the National Peace Program (NPP) partnered to offer the training.

The teenager trains almost daily – he goes to the gym for two days and engages in wrestling drills and techniques for the rest of the week.

Acknowledging that there are some aggressive techniques within the sport, he stressed, however, that wrestling has assisted him in becoming resilient, as he presses on to reach his educational goals.

“Wrestling has helped me with my discipline towards most things, in general, and allowed me to keep the mentality to keep pushing past my limits.”17-year-old beach wrestler Matthew Arindell

“Wrestling has helped me with my discipline towards most things, in general, and allowed me to keep the mentality to keep pushing past my limits,” Matthew stated.

Young people who have an interest in this sport, he proffered, must be strong-willed, ready to push through failure, and learn from each experience, not only in wrestling but in life, generally.

Coach Mascoll added: “For any young person who has an interest in beach wrestling, it is very good. It helps you to relax, and focus on your goals in life, not just wrestling, but in life. Altogether, wrestling keeps you strong mentally and physically.”

Acting Director of the NPP, Alison Roach-Plummer, congratulated Matthew on his achievements and stressed government’s commitment to helping young people thrive on their journey.

“The NPP has been working assiduously to assist people and it remains committed to so doing. When we receive these good reports that people – young and old – are succeeding as a result of our contribution, then it makes us happy and propels us to continue,” Mrs. Roach-Plummer said.   

President of the Barbados Wrestling Association, Rollins Alleyne, praised Matthew and the other young people who competed in the beach wrestling competition in Canada, saying he was proud of their performance.

Mr. Alleyne continued: “Matthew Arindell’s emergence as a new force in beach wrestling, along with the achievements of his teammates, marks a promising future for Barbados’ wrestling. Matthew’s journey continues with exciting opportunities on the horizon, as he heads to Canada for further training and competitions, the 2025 Junior Pan Am Games Qualifier, and the 2025 U20 World Championships in Bulgaria.”

Matthew recently showed off his prowess again in beach wrestling by taking the U20 Division (90+kgs) in the Third Edition of the Barbados Open Beach Wrestling Tournament. 

Clearly, his love for and commitment to the sport will ensure that he continues to reap success, as he makes sure his name is indelibly written in the annals of beach wrestling.  (PR/GIS)