分类： sports

Barbados is preparing to bid a final, national farewell to its most iconic sporting son, Sir Garfield Sobers, with a full state funeral scheduled for July 29 – one week from Wednesday, and one day after what would have been the cricket legend’s 90th birthday. The beloved cricketer and national hero passed away at his home last Friday, and tributes have poured in from across the globe in the days since his death. Authorities expect thousands of mourners to line the procession route and pack Kensington Oval, widely known as cricket’s Mecca and Barbados’ most revered cricketing ground, for the historic occasion. Details of the national homegoing celebration, officially dubbed “Barbados’ Standing Ovation to Sir Garry,” were announced at a press conference held by the event’s core planning committee, which laid out a full schedule of public commemorations, military honours, and inclusive tributes designed to let both local citizens and the global Barbadian diaspora honour the legacy of the sporting icon. Opening remarks from Senator Lisa Cummins set a tone that balanced solemn respect with joyful celebration of Sobers’ life and impact, emphasizing the profound national and global meaning of the event. “Barbados has been very clear. We’ve seen that since the passing of Sir Garry, our own, that the world pretty much stopped for the first few days to pay him tribute,” Cummins said. “We have seen over the last few days, tributes pouring in from all around the globe, speaking about who he was as a batsman, who he was as a cricketer overall, what his legend was, but we also have to acknowledge that he is our own. He is a Barbadian first and foremost.” In the lead-up to the funeral, Sobers’ casket will lie in state for two days to allow public viewing: first on Monday in the House of Assembly chamber at Barbados’ Parliament Buildings, then at Kensington Oval on Tuesday. Cummins underscored that holding the final service at Kensington Oval holds deep historic meaning, noting “This is the Mecca. This is where Sir Garry is best known. This is Barbados’ iconic cricketing grounds, and so we will send him off in a Thanksgiving ceremony that will take the format of a state funeral on July 29.” She added that the “standing ovation” name was chosen because it reflects the national gratitude owed to Sobers, who was one of Barbados’ only two living national heroes before his death, and is the first national hero to be buried since the honor was first established. The ceremony will be open to all members of the public, a choice aligned with Sobers’ legacy as a man of the people who put Barbados on the global sporting map decades before many other local athletes gained international recognition. “I think every cricketer in this country and every sportsman in this country stands on the shoulders of a cricketing great in the person of Sir Garry,” Cummins said. “He put Barbados on the map long before many others were even thinking about playing world cricket.” The state funeral will include full state and military honours, starting with a ceremonial procession that will carry Sobers’ casket on a gun carriage from Parliament Yard in Bridgetown. The procession will travel along Broad Street, pass the Cricket Legends of Barbados monument, and end at Kensington Oval for the thanksgiving service. After the service concludes, the cortege will travel to Coral Ridge Memorial Gardens for a private interment, closed to the public. Deputy Commissioner Barry Hunte of the Barbados Police Service outlined comprehensive security and traffic management plans for the event, reassuring citizens that authorities have worked to minimize disruption to daily travel while ensuring a safe, dignified procession. Hunte confirmed that most roads along the early portion of the route, including the stretch from Lyndhurst Funeral Home along Passage Road, will not require full closure, though temporary closures will be in place for the segment from Parliament’s south gate through National Heroes Square to Kensington Oval. Timing for closures will be shared with the public in advance through local media outlets. Hunte appealed to the thousands of expected mourners planning to line the procession route to cooperate with uniformed police officers’ directions, and reminded onlookers that unauthorized vehicles will not be permitted to follow the cortege. “We are appealing to members of the public, including those who will come out in their numbers to line the route, to cooperate with the police in terms of the directions given by police officers in uniform to provide a safe, secure environment for all participants and the general public,” he said. “This is a dignified occasion. It’s an official state funeral. Therefore, we ask that no one be too eager to attempt to come up at the rear of the procession en route to Kensington Oval. That is an absolute.” Hunte also asked civilian drivers to pull over to the left side of the road when they encounter the police blue-light escort for the cortege traveling between Kensington Oval and Coral Ridge Memorial Gardens, noting he is confident responsible Barbadian citizens will cooperate to make the event a fitting tribute for the fallen hero. Beyond the funeral itself, the planning committee has rolled out a multi-day national engagement strategy to involve youth groups, sporting organizations, cultural bodies, and community members in honouring Sobers’ legacy. Carol Roberts, chief executive of the National Cultural Foundation, said organizers are collaborating with the Barbados Cricket Association and Barbados Cricket League to ensure as many current cricketers – from club players to school team members – can attend the funeral in uniform, alongside visiting international cricketing legends. Special arrangements are also being coordinated with the Ministry of Education Transformation to give school students access to the Kensington Oval service, framing the event as both a tribute and a living lesson in Barbadian national history. “We anticipate that it will be particularly special because it will be an opportunity for them also to learn about the life, history, and legacy and the amazing feats of Sir Garry, even before he became a national hero,” Roberts said. Musical tributes will be performed by the Band of the Barbados Police Service and a mass choir directed by local musician Julian Bowen. Cabinet Secretary Selma Green announced that formal physical condolence books will open this Wednesday at multiple locations across the island, including Parliament Buildings, Kensington Oval, Government Headquarters, Cricket Legends of Barbados, Bay Primary School, Weymouth Sports Club, the General Post Office, and multiple regional post offices and health facilities. Digital condolence books will also be available for members of the international Barbadian diaspora to leave tributes. To accommodate informal community gathering, several low-key remembrance evenings will be hosted at local clubs and community venues, designed to let citizens share personal memories of Sobers in the casual, conversational settings he enjoyed. “As part of our commemorative activities, but also in tribute to a man who just loved people and who enjoyed nothing more than having a conversation in an informal setting, it will be less formal than the state funeral, but no less commemorative in its intention and in its setting,” Green said. Diplomatic missions based overseas will also open condolence books and stream the funeral live to let Barbadians living abroad join in the national tribute to their most iconic compatriot.

At just 17 years old, one of the Caribbean’s most promising young multi-sport talents is set to take a major leap forward in his competitive career, after earning a coveted spot in a top-tier continental development initiative that will send him training and racing across two South American nations this summer.

Luke McIntyre, a student at Barbados’ Harrison College and already a four-time regional gold medal winner, has been tapped by the Americas Triathlon Development Committee to join the exclusive Team Americas Training Camp, the Barbados Federation of Island Triathletes (BFIT) announced publicly this Tuesday. The two-part program will kick off on August 6 in Asunción, Paraguay, before moving to Lima, Peru, wrapping up on August 24, giving the rising teen a chance to test his skills against the most promising young endurance athletes from across the Western Hemisphere.

For McIntyre, the invitation is far more than just an international training opportunity. Alongside daily training sessions with elite coaching staff and top junior talent from the region, he will compete in two high-profile developmental races: the World Triathlon Development Cup hosted in Asunción, followed by the Americas Triathlon Junior Cup in Peru’s capital. The entire Team Americas initiative is structured as a core part of the long-term development pathway toward the 2027 Pan American Games, which will be hosted in Lima.

The program’s explicit mission is to identify and nurture high-potential young athletes from developing national triathlon federations, with the long-term goal of preparing them to compete at the continental level and eventually qualify for future Pan American Games and Olympic Games. McIntyre is one of only six young male athletes selected from the entire Americas region to join the cohort, a feat that BFIT says underscores just how far he has already come in his young career.

“McIntyre’s selection is a testament to his dedication, perseverance and consistent performances on the regional circuit,” BFIT said in its official announcement. “Being chosen to train and compete within this elite development environment is an important milestone in his athletic journey and reflects his potential to continue progressing on the international stage.”

The federation extended its formal congratulations to the teen, adding that it remains fully committed to nurturing homegrown athletic talent and is proud to see Barbadian triathletes earn international recognition through opportunities like the Team Americas camp. “We wished him every success at the training camp and competitions,” the statement added.

McIntyre’s resume, impressive even for an athlete twice his age, reflects the work that earned him this spot. He has represented Barbados in regional competition since he was just 11 years old, and currently holds two major regional titles: the CARIFTA Games Under-20 boys 5000m gold medal, and the Under-16 championship title from the Under-CARIFTA Triathlon Championships. In 2022, he claimed both the Under-14 Boys’ Triathlon and Aquathlon regional titles, and a year later, he joined his sister Laila McIntyre, Ali Banfield, and Fynn Armstrong to win mixed relay gold at the 2023 CARIFTA Triathlon Championships.

Last year also saw McIntyre compete as one of the youngest triathletes at the 2023 Commonwealth Youth Games, and he claimed a bronze medal in the 5000m at his very first appearance at the CARIFTA Games. As he prepares for his August trip to South America, the young Barbadian star is positioned to turn this elite development opportunity into a stepping stone toward future international competition.

As the global athletics community prepares for the 2024 World Athletics Under-20 Championships, set to unfold from August 5 to 9 in Eugene, Oregon, Barbados is set to compete with what the head of its national governing body calls the most talented youth track and field delegation the island nation has ever sent to an international competition. The 16-member team departed Barbados earlier this week, and Amateur Athletics Association of Barbados (AAAB) president Noel Lynch has expressed high confidence that this cohort of young athletes has the skill and experience to compete for medals against the best junior competitors from around the globe. “Each athlete on this squad has already proven they can compete at the highest junior level, and they have already earned their place as world-class competitors,” Lynch said in remarks following the team’s sendoff. Lynch highlighted four standouts he believes are most likely to reach the podium, starting with shot putter Jayden Walcott. “Any young thrower who can put the shot over 20 meters is a lock for the final and a serious contender for a medal at any global junior championship, and that’s exactly what Jayden has done,” he explained. 400-meter runner Kadia Rock is another athlete Lynch expects to perform well. Rock enters the championships on a hot streak, capturing silver medals at both the 2024 CARIFTA Games and the NACAC Championships held earlier this year in Mexico. At the NACAC event, she ran a personal best 51.04 seconds in the 400m – a time that while achieved at high altitude, still puts her in medal contention in Oregon. Sprinter Jayden Green, who competes in the 200-meter, has also earned high praise from Lynch, after clocking back-to-back personal best times at the Barbados Grand Prix and the NACAC Championships. The AAAB president also singled out Shamari Greenidge-Lewis, who anchored the Barbados under-20 4x400m relay team to a new meet record and gold medal at this year’s CARIFTA Games in Grenada. Greenidge-Lewis ran 46.35 seconds for the open 400m at Mexico’s high-altitude NACAC event, and his personal best sits at 46.2 seconds. Lynch notes that the young runner has the potential to break the 46-second barrier under the right conditions in Oregon. One of the most high-profile additions to this year’s squad is Amir Thompson, a promising young sprinter based in the United States and the son of two Olympic medalists: Barbados’ own Obadele Thompson and American sprint legend Marion Jones. Lynch called Thompson’s decision to represent his father’s home country a major win for Barbados athletics. “He’s run a wind-assisted 9.95 seconds in the 100m, and his personal best for 200m is 20.37 seconds. Having someone of his caliber choose to compete for Barbados is a huge deal for our program,” Lynch said. Thompson is not the only US-born athlete on the squad; he will be joined by Taylor Foster, a young female hurdler who ranks first among junior hurdlers in New York State and among the top five in the entire United States for the 100m hurdles. Distance runner Ashlyn Simmons, who has won multiple CARIFTA Games medals in middle distance events, is another young competitor Lynch expects to turn heads in Eugene, noting that she still has massive untapped potential. After reviewing the form of every athlete on the squad and analyzing the global competition field, Lynch says he is confident Barbados will leave Oregon with no fewer than five medals. Beyond the World Under-20 Championships, Lynch also previewed upcoming performances for Barbadian athletes at the upcoming CAC Games and Commonwealth Games, highlighting defending Commonwealth 400m champion and national record holder Sada Williams. “I think she is going to do incredibly well in Birmingham,” Lynch said, noting that while Williams recently lost her long-time coach Stephen Francis, she has maintained excellent form and is on track to defend her title. Lynch went so far as to call Williams the greatest female athlete to ever come out of Barbados’ athletics program. Lynch also used the interview as an opportunity to pay tribute to Barbadian sports icon The Right Excellent Sir Garfield Sobers, who passed away on July 17. Sobers, widely considered one of the greatest cricket players of all time, left a legacy that extends far beyond the pitch to inspire all Barbadian athletes across every sport, Lynch said. “Sir Garfield set a standard of excellence that every young Barbadian athlete, no matter what sport they play, can aspire to. He proved that even from our small 166-square-mile island, you can reach the very top of global sports,” Lynch added. Full Roster of the 2024 Barbados World Under-20 Athletics Team: Female athletes: Alika Harewood, Aniya Nurse, Ariel Archer, Ashlyn Simmons, Kadia Rock, Nyah Clarke, Taylor Foster Male athletes: Aidan Moore, Amir Thompson, Jahkye Brewster, Jayden Green, Jayden Walcott, Nadal Seale, Rashad Gibson, Shamari Greenidge-Lewis, Zachary Wall Management team: Rene Layne (Team Manager), Ramon Armstrong (Head Coach), Alywn Babb (Coach), Shonelle Trotman (Sports Therapist)

A stunning goal-scoring spree unfolded at the Barbados Football Association’s Kotex Women’s League this Monday, held at the BFA Technical Centre, with one of the most lopsided results of the season so far.

In the only fixture scheduled for the evening, the Mavericks side delivered a dominant, one-sided performance to shut out Police 8-0, solidifying their position as an early title contender. The writing was on the wall for Police even before halftime, with Mavericks holding a comfortable 2-0 lead going into the break, but the second half saw the attacking side pull away completely to turn the match into a rout.

It was forward Felicia Jarvis who stole the show on the night, bagging an incredible four goals to lead Mavericks to the resounding win. Her scoring spree kicked off late in the second half: she found the back of the net in the 78th and 82nd minutes, converted a penalty just two minutes later in the 84th, and wrapped up her haul deep in stoppage time to cap off her career-best performance.

The match got off to a fast start for Mavericks, with Gabrielle Birmingham opening the club’s account as early as the 7th minute, breaking the deadlock for her side. Makela Alleyne doubled the advantage just before the halftime whistle, slotting home in the 44th minute to send Mavericks into the break with a solid two-goal buffer.

Minutes after the restart, Terena Clarke extended the lead to 3-0 in the 49th minute, putting Police firmly on the back foot. Jarvis’ three quick-fire goals over just six minutes of play erased any remaining hope of a Police comeback, making the final result inevitable. Alleyne got her second of the night just one minute after Jarvis’ penalty, pushing the scoreline to 7-0 in the 85th minute, before Jarvis added her fourth and Mavericks’ eighth in the 90th minute to complete the thrashing.

The blowout result has catapulted Mavericks to the top of the league table, edging out second-place Paradise on goal difference. Notably, Paradise still has one match in hand on the new league leaders. After four matches played, Mavericks have accumulated nine points with an impressive goal difference of 12. Meanwhile, Paradise, who remain unbeaten so far this season, also hold nine points from three outings, but their goal difference of six is half that of Mavericks, leaving them just shy of the top spot.

Empire, fresh off an 8-1 victory over Whitehall this past Saturday, sits in third position on six points. RF Prime and Technique follow closely in fourth and fifth place respectively, both also holding six points. At the bottom of the table, three sides are still searching for their first points of the season: sixth-placed FVFC Femini, seventh-placed Whitehall, and eighth-placed Police, who now sit winless after Monday’s heavy defeat.

As the global cricket community mourns the passing of the sport’s most iconic all-rounder, Right Excellent Sir Garfield Sobers, Barbados’ top diplomatic representative to the United Kingdom has celebrated the legendary athlete’s far-reaching legacy that extends well beyond the cricket pitch. The Barbadian national hero, universally hailed as the greatest all-round cricketer in the history of the sport, passed away last Friday, just five days before he would have celebrated his 90th birthday.

In a statement released following the news of Sobers’ death, Barbadian High Commissioner to the UK Edmund Hinkson shared the deep sorrow of the entire London-based diplomatic mission, reflecting on the extraordinary arc of the legend’s life and impact. “Born into modest circumstances in Bayland, a tight-knit urban community in Barbados, Sir Garry climbed to the absolute peak of global stardom through unwavering commitment to excellence, innate natural talent, unmatched leadership ability, incredible resilience and unshakable self-confidence,” Hinkson said.

Sobers’ standing in cricket goes far beyond his eye-catching statistical records, Hinkson noted. A masterful batsman, a versatile four-format top-tier bowler, an agile fielder and a reliable catcher, he also captained one of the most dominant West Indies national teams the sport has ever seen in the mid-1960s. Off the pitch, he was equally admired for his consistent generosity to peers and community, and his remarkable humility in the face of unprecedented sporting success – a trait Hinkson said should serve as a model for emerging athletes and public figures across the region.

Most notably, Hinkson emphasized the pivotal cultural role Sobers and his dominant West Indies side played for Caribbean immigrant communities across the United Kingdom during a critical period of post-colonial transition. In the 1960s, as thousands of Caribbean people newly independent from British colonial rule built new lives in the UK, the West Indies team’s consistent test match victories over England transformed cricket into a source of collective pride. “Our English-speaking Caribbean people, just starting to navigate life as citizens of newly independent nations, were able to stand tall and hold their heads high with national and regional pride, even as they faced the daily challenges of building new lives as immigrants in our former colonizing power,” Hinkson explained.

Weeks before his passing, the Barbadian High Commission in London honored Sobers as part of its annual National Heroes Day celebrations on April 25. The event also featured a special lecture delivered by Sir Clive Lloyd, who succeeded Sobers as West Indies captain, that explored the “phenomenal life of this great man.”

Hinkson closed the statement by extending the mission’s deepest condolences to Sobers’ children, grandchildren and entire extended family. “Though he is no longer with us physically, we hope his extraordinary legacy will remain etched in our hearts forever,” he added.