With the National Senior Games track and field circuit no longer being held on two consecutive days, athletes will now have time to prepare for several events.

This was outlined recently by National Senior Games Coordinator, Ytannia Wiggins, during a stakeholders’ meeting in the school hall at Harrison College, Crumpton Street, St. Michael. The meeting was hosted by the Ministry of People Empowerment and Elder Affairs, which bears responsibility for the Games.

Ms. Wiggins noted the field events will be held 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.

The coordinator also announced that a major Active Living, Active Ageing Sports Festival will take place on September 20 and 21, at the Garfield Sobers Sports Complex. The two-day festival, hosted in partnership with the National Sports Council (NSC), promises to be a dynamic mix of sporting demonstrations, friendly competitions, and wellness activities for seniors and their families.

Billed as a celebration of wellness and community, the festival aims to promote fun, fitness, and connection at every stage of life – from the actively ageing to the young-at-heart.

Additionally, as part of the September activities, the Ministry will partner with Q in the Community to launch the Q-Sports Series – a lively segment of short, fun activities designed especially for seniors. This initiative seeks to bring sport and movement directly into communities, encouraging active lifestyles in familiar, welcoming spaces.

Media personality Patrick ‘Salt’ Bellamy will join the festivities with his signature “40 Fuh Life” 5K Road Race, marking his transition into the Masters category of the Senior Games. The inclusion of a pre-senior, 40 – 49 age group into the games serves as a vital bridge, encouraging ongoing participation and helping to ensure the sustained growth and vitality of the Games for years to come.

Ms. Wiggins also shared that her team will be working with the We Gatherin’ Committee to host a series of pop-up events in communities across the island, throughout the year. They are designed to build excitement, increase visibility, and bring the spirit of the National Senior Games directly to the people.

In partnership with the NSC, the Games will also support daily senior fitness sessions held at the Wildey Gymnasium, from 10:00 a.m. The sessions will not only promote the upcoming Games but also align with the Ministry’s broader mandate to encourage active ageing.

Ms. Wiggins noted that the organisers hope these movement sessions will inspire more community members to get involved with the Games and embrace healthier and more active lifestyles.

She added: “The idea is simple – we’re creating a space where our elder community can come together, support one another, and embrace a lifestyle of active living and ageing. It’s about building meaningful connections and making movement a natural part of everyday life. 

“With Barbados’ ageing population steadily growing, it’s more important than ever to create inclusive opportunities that prioritise wellness, mobility, and social engagement. We’ve been having real conversations about how we can better reach and involve seniors – not just as participants, but as valued members of a thriving, active community.” (PR/GIS)

Article by David Harris & Photos by Christopher Williams

Former England’s cricketer Roland Butcher launched his autobiography Breaking Barriers-Barbados to England and Back before an appreciative audience at the Three Ws Oval of the University of the West Indies (UWI) on Wednesday night. 

Butcher, 71, the first black man to play Test cricket for England was born in East Point, St Philip on the eastern part of Barbados and moved to England at the age of 14. 

In 1974 Butcher joined the English County Middlesex, six years later Butcher an attacking middle-order batsman was selected for two One Day Internationals (ODIs) against Australia. On March 12, 1981, created history created history when he made his Test debut against the West Indies at Kensington Oval.  

The launch was hosted by the office of Pro Vice and Principal of the Cave Hill Campus of the UWI Professor Clive Landis. Several members of the cricket fraternity in Barbados attended the event, among them were the legendary Barbados and West Indies opening batsman The Most Honourable Desmond Haynes, ex Barbados and West Indies batsman Philo Wallace, the vice president of the Barbados Cricket Association (BCA) Calvin Hope, former  Barbados wicketkeeper Erskine King, and outgoing chief executive officer of the BCA Dr Roland Toppin.  

Chairman of the National Sports Council (NSC0 Mac Fingall, president of the Barbados Football Association (BFA) Randy Harris, and director of the Barbados Olympic Association Dr Adrian Lorde  

 Butcher and the book’s co-author Dr Sasha Sutherland read excerpts from the publication.  

There were video greetings from several people connected to Butcher including his son Paul, and captain of the West Indies women’s team Hayley Matthews. 

Tributes were paid to Butcher by Landis and Britian’s acting High Commissioner to Barbados Charley Williams. 

Butcher told the audience that even though he was a professional cricketer, and his wages were better than a normal job cricketer of his era played cricket because they loved the game. 

“When I said there was no money, the money was better than just a normal job. Desmond will tell you also we played the game because loved the game. We probably would have played for nothing. We had a great love for the sport and got a lot of enjoyment from it”, Butcher said.  

Haynes spoke about Butcher’s skills in the field that their former captain at Middlesex Mike Gatting once told him that “Roland was once of the best fielders in the world”. 

“I used to be very keen to see Roland fielding in the covers especially when we were playing in the Sunday League, I never saw Colin Bland (who is rated as one of greatest cover fielders, but I think Roland was fantastic fielder in the covers”, Haynes said. 

Butcher said his friendship with Haynes began in 1976 when they called to trails for the Barbados cricket team. 

“We were teammates and at Middlesex – and more recently we West Indies selectors’; and then were both fired from that job”, Butcher said to the amusement of the audience.  

by David Harris

Former national footballer Renaldo “Pee Wee” Gilkes, is not satisfied with the state of football in Barbados. Gilkes, 37, represented Barbados from Under-15 level through to the senior team; a defensive mid-fielder during his playing days, he has made a successful transition to coaching.

Gilkes is a Confederation of North, Central America and Caribbean Association Football (Concacaf) coach instructor who also holds a Concacaf B license, and an Advance National Diploma from the Soccer Coaches of America. He is a former head coach of the Boys Under-14 and Under-17 teams; and is currently the coach of the Premier League club Kickstart Rush. Gilkes is an ex member of the youth and technical committees of Barbados Football Assocation (BFA).

“I am not satisfied with the state of football; there are a number of frailties that exist within the domestic system of the sport, and it is not solely due to the national federation’s contributions or sometimes lack thereof. There are many institutions which affect the quality of football but I would identify, the clubs,  schools , the ministry of sports and the Barbados Football Association (BFA) as the organisations that have to come together to make football stronger”, Gilkes told Advo Magazine.

Gilkes said to improve the standard of football there must be collaboration between the key stakeholders of the game in policies and operations and clearly defined objectives for the grassroots, coach education, technical development and governance of the sport.

“Football is a team sport in every area of its operations; and without synergy there won’t ever be long term success, maybe temporary gratification- but to reach the heights we aspire to, there must be closer ties between the Schools Football League and the BFA, and by extension the clubs. The internal committees of the BFA and the administrators of the clubs have to recognize they share the same

objectives and must align their intelligence to serve the players and the game. Collaboration between the National Sports Council (NCS) and the BFA is critical. The NSC is the primary agency for sports development in the country, specifically at grassroots level, where their coaches encounter thousands of children at primary and secondary schools, albeit without any sports development guide or syllabus” Gilkes said.

He said that the BFA had started to move in a positive direction with the Football for Schools program which looks at the social, emotional and technical development of the grassroots players.

“There has been some initial training. but it was slow without any real progress, therefore, it has become another futile program, without the requisite policies or personnel to guide it .There must be discipline specific programs including  festivals, workshops, and professional activities to support physical education teachers, NSC coaches, the clubs’ coaches, and officers of BFA. Events that bring members of these institutions in a room at the same time, so that they can recognize their roles are relevant to the main goal”, Gilkes explained.  

According to Gilkes, the relationship between the BFA and the clubs has been stagnant for several years : “There is the BFA and then there are the clubs- seemingly siblings with different parents. I think the separation between the two bodies emerges because neither knows their roles, responsibilities or rights. For example, the officers of the BFA are unaware that they are there to serve those who elected them to office; and that they are a part of a service institution; therefore, they are to assist the clubs and help them improve, because the clubs’ improvement means a strong association. Clubs’ members are unaware of their rights, and it is due to ignorance and some unknown fear; however, I believe with relief of this ignorance, via formal and informal education-the fear will be removed. I think there needs to be stronger ties and greater collaboration between the clubs, schools, and the BFA”.

Gilkes is not happy the grassroots program of the BFA which he believes is the core of any sports organisation especially if longevity is its intention.  

“When a sports association is building a strategic plan,  the grassroots program always receives significant attention, because the plan benefits the participants at the end of the program. I am not happy with what is occurring at the grassroots level in football. I am more annoyed that the same policies, and operations are employed year after year, and there is an expectation of improvement or a different result. There needs to be a sub group in the association’s technical department which caters specifically to grassroots program. A sub group  which manages and supports youth clubs and their operations;  mentors, assesses, and support youth coaches, strategically monitors the progress of outstanding players, along with any other duties or tasks that will improve the grassroots product, which subsequently leads a greater pool of coaches and administrators to serve at the national level”, Gilkes said.

He believes that coaching education has taken retrograde steps during the past five years: Between 2017 to 2020, Barbados was the leading nation in football education throughout the region. Hosting a number courses promoting the drive for coach education in the region, and  developing future coach educators and instructors, this was done without a coach education department. In 2022/23 a coach education department was established within the BFA, a welcome move especially for me as an educator. However, the wheels of operation within that department were slow initially but now they have seemingly stopped”.

“I know that there are officers within the BFA that are pro education like I am; however, their enthusiasm is being curtailed by superior personnel which is unfortunate. In recent days there has been a subtle attempt to rejuvenate the interest of 2017 to 2020, but I believe most of the constituents of this area of the game have lost trust and interest in the process”, he added.

Gilkes said a lot needs to be done to improve the state of football on the island and expressed the view that the staging of the initial Prime Minister’s Cup last year was a positive move for the sport. .

“The Prime Minister’s Cup was a step in the right direction; however, it addresses only one  of the areas which affect our progress and ability to keep up with our regional and confederation counterparts. We need a development in the form of a curriculum, consistent and quality education platforms for coaches, referees, administrators,  and physiotherapists. A football calendar is imperative, we are into the first quarter of the year and there is no information about the kickoff for the Youth or Women leagues.  There needs to be

 an improvement of faculties; or an assignment of specific fields to aid in the technical development of the game”, Gilkes said.

Gilkes, who is a schoolteacher and a graduate of the University of the West Indies said football play a major role in the development of Barbadians youths, and cited himself as one that has benefited from the game.

“It may sound like a cliche, but football has literally saved my life and provided me with opportunities and experiences that I could never have imagined as a little black boy running around in Bush Hall. I now dedicate my knowledge, skills, and experiences to the sport that has given me so much; professionally, educationally and athletically. Without football, I don’t know who or what I would be today”, Gilkes said.