The 2026 CAREBACO Badminton Championships, held in Kingston, Jamaica from August 14 to 18, delivered a historic breakthrough for Barbadian badminton, as the Caribbean island nation claimed multiple podium finishes across team and individual competition, capping one of its most successful regional tournament campaigns in recent history.
In the team events, held before individual competition got underway, Barbados put on a dominant display to reach the senior men’s and women’s team final. The squad secured their spot in the championship match with a tense 3-2 victory over regional rival Trinidad and Tobago, with key wins coming from Shae Martin and Sabrina Scott in mixed doubles, Kennie King in men’s singles, and the pairing of King and Martin in men’s doubles. They ultimately fell to host nation Jamaica in the final to claim the senior team silver medal, while the country’s junior squad earned a bronze finish in the junior team competition.
Barbados’ greatest success came in individual junior play, where young shuttlers from the island captured seven gold medals across age divisions ranging from Under-11 to Under-19, with a handful of rising stars delivering standout multi-medal performances that stole the spotlight. Lyam Clarke and Yazmyn Eastmond led the charge, each walking away from the tournament with three gold medals apiece.
Clarke kicked off his run by taking the top spot in the Under-11 boys’ singles draw, while Eastmond claimed gold in the Under-11 girls’ singles event. The pairing then combined to win the Under-11 mixed doubles title, before both moved up an age division to claim additional gold. Clarke partnered with Liam Bruce to take the Under-13 boys’ doubles title, finishing ahead of Jamaican duo Zamani Allen and Justin Dillon, while Eastmond joined Jasmine Hope to secure victory in the Under-13 girls’ doubles.
Sahara Brathwaite added two more gold medals to Barbados’ total, winning the Under-17 girls’ singles title over Trinidad and Tobago’s Samiya Karim, then pairing with Xian Trotman to claim the Under-19 girls’ doubles crown. Beyond the seven gold medals, Barbados secured multiple additional podium finishes across junior draws: Bruce took silver in the Under-13 boys’ singles, Isabelle Wood earned silver in Under-15 girls’ singles, and Siraj Brathwaite and Zaria Mayers claimed silver in Under-13 mixed doubles. A number of other Barbadian shuttlers reached the semi-final round, securing joint third-place finishes, including Jeremi Wright (Under-13 boys’ singles), Isaiah Hinds (Under-17 boys’ singles), Xian Trotman (Under-19 girls’ singles), Zaria Mayers (Under-11 girls’ singles) and Jasmine Hope (Under-13 girls’ singles).
In senior individual competition, Barbados added another medal to its total, with Arianne Downes and Shania Forde reaching the women’s doubles semi-finals to take joint third place. Host nation Jamaica dominated the senior individual draws, filling both final spots in men’s singles, men’s doubles, women’s doubles and mixed doubles. Tahlia Richardson claimed the women’s singles title with a win over fellow Jamaican Alexandra Beckford.
Overall, the 2026 CAREBACO campaign marked a major milestone for Barbadian badminton, showcasing both the strength of the nation’s senior program and the depth of emerging young talent coming through its junior development system. The seven individual junior titles spread across multiple age groups, paired with strong team results, confirm that Barbados has established itself as one of the top badminton contenders in the Caribbean region.