Barbados’ annual National Senior Games is gearing up for its 2024 iteration, with early registration numbers already passing the 150-athlete mark, and event leaders projecting a significant jump in sign-ups following the official launch event this Saturday.
Ytannia Wiggins, a sports advisor leading coordination for the games, shared that the 2024 competition has expanded to include 25 distinct sporting disciplines, and she is urging more Barbadian senior athletes to complete their registration before the event kicks off. “Early registration numbers are already looking really strong, and we fully expect that count to climb steadily after our public launch this Saturday,” Wiggins stated in a press briefing.
The official launch day will kick off with a ceremonial motorcade that starts at the Ministry of People Empowerment and Elder Affairs. The procession will wind through multiple local residential communities, stop at Pelican Village, and end at Golden Square Freedom Park, where a day of public festivities will be held for attendees. At the park, visitors will be able to enjoy live entertainment, exhibition matches showcasing a range of competitive sports, and a public dance festival that includes line dancing and Latin dance open sessions.
For the track and field discipline at the heart of the games, the final round of field events is scheduled to take place on September 19 at Harrison College’s athletic grounds. The track event finals will follow one week later on September 26, hosted at the internationally recognized Usain Bolt Sports Complex. The entire National Senior Games program will wrap up on October 3 with the Active Living Festival, which also serves as the closing event for Barbados’ annual Month of the Elderly celebration.