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)
标签： Barbados
巴巴多斯
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St Philip roads earmarked for repairs, resurfacing
For years, residents of St Philip have raised urgent alarms over crumbling, unsafe road infrastructure across the parish, and their calls for action have finally yielded results: more than a dozen local roads are marked for full resurfacing, while targeted lighting and junction improvements will also address long-standing safety and mobility concerns. Transport and Works Minister Kirk Humphrey made the official announcement Monday evening during the St Philip Ideas Forum, hosted at Princess Margaret Secondary School, where residents gathered to share decades of frustrations with neglected thoroughfares.
Attendees centered much of their discussion on the poor condition of high-traffic and residential routes, including Ebenezer, Marchfield, Mangrove, Train Road and Farm Road. They also flagged persistent flooding near the Wynter Crawford Roundabout, which stems from uneven, degraded road surfaces that disrupt drainage and trap water during heavy storms.
Longtime St Philip resident Andrea Drayton was among the community members who pushed for immediate work on Farm Road, arguing that upgrading the heavily deteriorated corridor would cut crippling congestion on routes leading into Six Roads. Drayton explained, “A huge volume of traffic coming into Six Roads relies on Congo Road, and right now Farm Road is nearly impassable for many drivers. If we resurface Farm Road to make it usable, it will give motorists an alternative route into Six Roads, easing the pressure on the Congo Road corridor.”
Carl Padmore, a 50-plus-year resident of Marchfield Village, shared that the core Marchfield Village Road stretch has never received a full, major resurfacing in his lifetime. “All we’ve ever gotten are small patchwork fixes,” Padmore explained, detailing the 2-mile stretch that runs from the gap opposite Traynor Road near the Church of Christ, out to the four-cross intersection, through the section locally called Suckhole past the former attorney general’s residence, around Zion Pentecostal Church, and out to the local market. “Any time we get heavy rain, that entire route becomes almost impossible to traverse. The whole stretch is in desperate need of comprehensive repair.”
In response, Humphrey confirmed that funding has already been secured for over 10 roads across St Philip, with construction set to kick off imminently. He listed the approved projects: “Steward Hill, Culpepper Development, Bottom Bay, Content, Ocean City Main, Foul Bay Beach Road, Harmony Lodge, Atlantic Ridge, Halton to Ebenezer, and Marchfield Village Road are all fully funded. We also have major infrastructure funding from the Development Bank of Latin America (CAF) for two additional large-scale projects: the Woodbourne development corridor and the route from St Patrick’s to Charnocks.”
Humphrey added that while a small number of projects are still waiting on final design approvals, the vast majority are ready to move into construction. “St Philip residents can rest assured that every one of these roads will be addressed in the very near future,” he said. “This is not an empty promise — we already have the resources allocated for these works.”
The meeting also touched on persistent safety hazards at the junction near St Philip Parish Church, where local resident Alan Hart noted a repeated pattern of preventable accidents, caused by poor sightlines for speeding drivers. Hart called for vegetation clearing, junction widening, and new lighting to reduce crash risk. Humphrey confirmed that the dangerous junction would be prioritized for upgrades, noting that road infrastructure is as much about public safety as it is about mobility. “Roads don’t just move people — they have to keep people safe,” he said. “We’ve assessed the junction, and we will fix the hazard there.”
Drayton also raised the issue of missing street lighting along the Highway 5 corridor between Sky Mall and Six Roads, saying that the unlit sections in undeveloped, non-residential areas force her to take longer, less direct routes home after dark. “There are long stretches with no lighting at all, and it’s extremely dangerous to drive that route at night,” she explained. “Most nights, I end up rerouting through the airport just to get home safely.” In response, a technical advisor from the Ministry of Transport and Works noted that solar-powered street lighting is under consideration for the corridor, pending supply chain availability for the required equipment.
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PM to employers: ‘Pay out workers first if you go bust’
When companies face insolvency, bankruptcy or permanent closure, outstanding workers’ wages must be settled before any other creditor claims are addressed. That is the core mandate of new labor legislation Barbadian Prime Minister Mia Mottley defended before the country’s Parliament Tuesday.
Mottley presented the Protection of Wages Bill for its second reading in the House of Assembly, framing the proposal as a critical update to existing worker protection frameworks. The legislation formalizes and reinforces workers’ legal right to collect all owed wages and employment-related payments even when their employer can no longer operate, positioning unpaid wages as a non-negotiable legal obligation rather than an optional debt that can be set aside during insolvency proceedings. It marks the latest in a series of worker-focused bills advanced by the Mottley administration, designed to shore up employee protections amid ongoing global economic uncertainty.
“Leaving a job or seeing that a business fails in which you are working does not erase the obligation to pay the employees,” Mottley told lawmakers. She emphasized that safeguarding workers’ income during business collapse is not just a matter of individual financial security, but a critical step to preserve the country’s social fabric. Mottley noted that existing insolvency laws already grant priority status to workers and the National Insurance Scheme (NIS) over other creditors, a provision rooted in the recognition that failing to protect workers during business failure would cause irreversible social harm.
“One of the reasons why in our insolvency legislation, there is priority given to workers and to NIS is because we understand the social fabric that will be torn if we don’t protect the people even in the face of closures, in the face of insolvency, and ultimately even in the face of bankruptcy,” she added.
A key provision of the new bill, Clause 18, establishes a clear, enforceable timeline for settling outstanding wages when employment ends. The clause mandates that all unpaid wages and other owed amounts must be distributed to workers no later than the payday of the next scheduled pay period following the end of employment. This rule applies explicitly to cases where a business ceases operations with unpaid wage obligations.
To illustrate the bill’s core requirement, Mottley offered a simple example: if a shuttered business owes a worker $2,000 in unpaid wages, that worker must receive the full amount before any payments are made to other creditors, such as goods suppliers that hold claims against the insolvent company. Mottley also noted that the clear guidelines in the legislation are particularly helpful for small business owners navigating financial hardship, as it clarifies which obligations take legal priority when cash flow is limited.
“I’m saying this for the benefit of small employers as well. So that you know that if you’re going through a rough time and the money’s short, and you’re going to decide who you have to pay, don’t go break the law and pay the creditor; pay the worker first,” she said.
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Jarvis hits four goals as Mavericks top BFA Kotex Women’s League
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.
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Payday to become legal obligation under wages bill
The Mia Mottley-led administration of Barbados is moving forward with sweeping new labor protections that will codify into law a requirement for all employers to pay workers on their pre-scheduled paydays, with late wage payments only allowed in cases of verified genuine emergency. Prime Minister Mia Mottley opened the second reading of the landmark Protection of Wages Bill in the country’s House of Assembly on Tuesday, framing the legislation as a critical step to entrench working people’s rights and reinforce the fundamental principle that earned wages are the sole property of employees, not the businesses that employ them.
Mottley emphasized that regular, on-time wages are far more than a line item on a company’s accounting ledger for working people. “A wage packet is not an accountant entry. It is rent, it is bus fare, it is school lunch,” she told lawmakers. “This is what helps people buy food or may have to go for prescriptions. It allows people to keep their body and their dignity safe.”
Under Clause 3 of the proposed legislation, all employers will be legally required to establish a fixed, recurring pay period and a set recurring payday, a provision designed to give employees the financial certainty they need to plan their household expenses and long-term obligations. That consistent predictability is non-negotiable for workers to map out their daily and monthly lives, Mottley noted. The bill lays out clear timelines aligned with existing common pay structures: hourly, daily, and weekly wage earners must receive pay no later than the end of each week, workers on fortnightly schedules must be paid at least once every two weeks, and monthly salaried employees must receive their compensation at minimum once per calendar month.
Mottley stressed that she intentionally structured the bill’s provisions to be accessible and understandable for every worker across every sector of Barbados’ economy, from agricultural field workers and factory staff to hotel employees and domestic household workers. Contrary to some misunderstandings, the legislation does not mandate that all employers switch to a weekly pay cycle; instead, it locks in legal protections for whatever regular pay schedule an employer and employee have already agreed to.
To illustrate the core purpose of the bill, Mottley used the country’s current minimum wage as an example. A worker earning the minimum hourly rate of $10.71 who works a standard 40-hour week earns $428.40 in pre-deduction wages, all of which is already owed to the employee by right. Most workers have already allocated those earnings to cover essential recurring costs: rent or mortgage payments, transportation, groceries, school fees, and other non-negotiable expenses. “A worker should not have to lend it back to any business by waiting beyond payday,” Mottley said, adding that delayed wages should only be permitted when catastrophic, unforeseen emergencies make on-time payment impossible. “It cannot be part of the everyday reality of our workers,” she emphasized.
Beyond mandating timely pay, the bill introduces new, strict safeguards surrounding wage deductions. Under the proposed rules, any deduction from an employee’s pay requires explicit written consent from the worker, and employers will be strictly prohibited from charging interest on wage advances made to staff. “So a man can’t say: ‘I am going to give you $1 000, but you must pay me back at ten per cent.’ That’s prohibited, and it is a criminal offence,” Mottley explained.
The bill also generally bans employers from imposing fines or making deductions from wages for poor or negligent work, with only narrow exceptions for cases where an employee’s actions cause proven property damage, as outlined in the legislation’s text. Mottley urged any worker who has questions or concerns about legal or illegal deductions to reach out for guidance to their labor union or the national Labour Department, noting that for any permitted deduction that requires advance notice, employers must provide a clear, written explanation of the reason for the withholding.
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High Commissioner in UK pays tribute to Sir Garfield Sobers
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.
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Push for purpose-built, accessible emergency shelters
As climate change drives increasingly intense and destructive storm activity across the Caribbean, regional disaster management leaders are pressing national governments to abandon the long-standing practice of using repurposed schools and community centers as temporary emergency shelters, and redirect funding toward constructing purpose-built facilities designed to safely accommodate all displaced people, particularly vulnerable groups such as people living with disabilities.
The urgent call was delivered on Monday by Mandela Christian, Programme Manager for Preparedness and Response at the Caribbean Disaster Emergency Management Agency (CDEMA), during the opening of a regional train-the-trainers workshop hosted at the UN House. The event is a key component of the Resilient Caribbean project, a €1.1 million (equivalent to $2.5 million) initiative funded by the European Union that supports 13 CDEMA member states. The project’s core goals are to boost regional disaster preparedness, strengthen cross-national collaboration and response capacity, and guarantee inclusive, accessible support for the Caribbean’s most at-risk populations. The workshop, which also received backing from the United Nations and CDEMA, is equipping emergency shelter officials from across the region with training in cutting-edge, inclusive shelter management practices.
Christian told reporters that CDEMA has spent years pushing governments to reevaluate how emergency shelters are designed and used, driven by two key factors: the growing severity of climate-fueled natural disasters, and the wide range of unique access and support needs of people seeking refuge during emergencies. “We work proactively to embed inclusion across every part of our shelter planning, we examine the full spectrum of vulnerabilities that displaced community members face, and we have shared clear guidance on how existing public buildings can be retrofitted to better accommodate people with disabilities and other at-risk groups,” Christian explained.
However, he also emphasized that retrofitting older, non-purpose-built structures has hard limits that many national governments are now recognizing. “More countries are coming to the conclusion that relying on existing buildings like schools and community centers is not the optimal long-term solution, simply because these spaces were never designed to function as emergency shelters,” he said. “We are now seeing a growing shift toward investing in purpose-built shelter facilities that come equipped with accessible infrastructure, including proper washroom facilities, clear entry and exit routes for people with mobility impairments, and other critical accessibility features.”
Christian added that CDEMA is advising governments to integrate accessibility and inclusion requirements into the initial design of all new public infrastructure, including new schools, multi-purpose community facilities, and dedicated emergency shelters. “Whether countries are retrofitting older shelters or breaking ground on new schools and community spaces, these accessibility needs have to be prioritized from day one,” he noted. “That means guaranteeing clear access for disabled residents, installing adequate sanitation facilities, building structures strong enough to withstand severe storms, and building in security features from the design phase.”
Beyond physical accessibility, Christian stressed that modern emergency shelters must also provide a safe, dignified environment for all people displaced by disasters, regardless of their background. “We cannot remove people from one dangerous situation only to place them in another,” he said. “It is non-negotiable that every person entering a shelter feels comfortable, secure, and protected.”
He added that high-quality emergency shelters must meet basic needs for food, clean water and sanitation, while also putting robust safeguards in place to prevent sexual exploitation and abuse, and ensure no resident faces exclusion based on their religion, gender, gender identity or any other personal characteristic.
These new calls for infrastructure reform come as climate change continues to amplify the intensity of hurricanes, tropical storms and other natural hazards across the Caribbean, making resilient, inclusive emergency shelter a increasingly critical pillar of regional disaster preparedness. Christian also shared that CDEMA is currently collaborating with the University of the West Indies to develop updated, climate-resilient building code frameworks that will help reduce the damage hurricanes and other extreme weather events inflict on national building infrastructure across the region.
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Caribbean urged to strengthen emergency shelter systems
As climate-fueled natural disasters grow increasingly frequent and destructive across the Caribbean, regional and international officials have emphasized an urgent need to reinforce the region’s emergency shelter infrastructure through trained workforces, enhanced cross-agency coordination, and more disaster-resilient facilities. The call to action was delivered Monday during an advanced emergency shelter training-of-trainers workshop hosted at the UN House in Barbados.
The event is backed by Resilient Caribbean, a joint disaster resilience initiative funded by the European Union’s Civil Protection and Humanitarian Aid Department (ECHO). The project is executed by the UN International Organisation for Migration (IOM) in formal partnership with the Caribbean Disaster Emergency Management Agency (CDEMA), the region’s leading coordinating body for disaster response.
Virginie Andre, disaster risk management programme manager for the European Union Delegation to Barbados and the Eastern Caribbean States, explained that effective disaster preparedness goes far beyond the traditional focus of stockpiling relief supplies and drafting evacuation routes. “Preparedness is about more than emergency supplies or evacuation plans. It is about trained people, clear responsibilities, strong coordination [and] how can we respond rapidly, effectively and with dignity when communities need them most,” Andre said during the workshop opening.
Andre noted that the Resilient Caribbean project forms a core component of a broader, refreshed strategic partnership between the European Union and Caribbean nations focused on boosting overall disaster resilience. The collaboration gained new momentum starting in 2025, when a high-level dialogue between Mia Mottley, then-Chair of the Caribbean Community (CARICOM) and Prime Minister of Barbados, and the President of the European Commission reinvigorated joint work on disaster risk reduction.
“Both sides had agreed to place greater emphasis on ‘anticipation, preparedness [and] resilience, not only responding once disaster occurs,’” Andre said. She added that this renewed partnership has already begun delivering tangible progress, with multiple new regional programs in development to upgrade weather forecasting, climate data services, cross-border logistics coordination, and local community preparedness across all Caribbean member states.
Dr. Ramona Archer-Bradshaw, Barbados’ Chief Education Officer – whose ministry oversees the country’s network of emergency shelters – echoed the call for investment in shelter system capacity, highlighting the outsized social role shelters play during regional crises. “Across the Caribbean, shelters provide more than a physical space during emergencies. They offer safety, dignity, reassurance and hope to individuals and families facing some of the most challenging circumstances of their lives,” she said.
Dr. Archer-Bradshaw pointed out that most of the Caribbean’s emergency shelter network relies on public school facilities, which form a foundational pillar of national and regional disaster management frameworks. These facilities provide life-saving temporary refuge for families displaced by hurricanes, flooding, and other climate-driven emergencies that have become more common in recent decades.
She emphasized that running safe, effective shelters requires specially trained personnel who can coordinate limited resources, enforce public safety protocols, and address the unique needs of vulnerable groups – including elderly residents, people with disabilities, and unaccompanied children – in an inclusive, respectful manner.
“This training programme represents an important investment in building those capabilities across our region,” Dr. Archer-Bradshaw said. Participants in the regional workshop will first deepen their own skills in emergency shelter coordination and management, before returning to their home countries to cascade this training to local shelter workers and disaster response teams. “By cascading this training within your jurisdictions, you will contribute to a more prepared and capable region, one where communities are better protected, shelter operations are more effective, and vulnerable populations receive the support that they need when disasters occur,” she added.
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Engineer backs US study highlighting energy transition barriers
Barbados’ ambitious goal to shift from fossil fuels to renewable energy has hit a major roadblock, according to a new U.S.-led study that has sparked sharp debate among local energy experts over the root causes of delays.
The study, conducted by U.S.-based research firm MarketScale, pinpointed deep-rooted structural and regulatory barriers that have slowed the island’s transition, noting that long-standing industry power dynamics have reinforced the status quo rather than driving meaningful change. Barbados still relies heavily on costly imported fossil fuels to power its national electricity grid, the research found. It also highlighted that two key players — the private utility Barbados Light and Power Company Ltd. and state-owned Barbados National Energy Company — hold structurally dominant positions in the local energy market, blocking out alternative models and underutilized renewable technologies including onshore wind, pumped-storage hydro, and biofuels made from locally sourced sargassum and sugarcane bagasse.
The findings, first reported by Barbados TODAY on Friday, drew contrasting reactions from two leading local energy industry figures. Trevor Browne, a veteran electrical engineer and former president of the Barbados Association of Professional Engineers (BAPE), publicly backed the MarketScale analysis, arguing that bureaucratic and structural gridlock has effectively stalled the entire transition.
Browne pushed back against claims that institutional resistance from incumbent energy providers is not a primary barrier, a position held by Aidan Rogers, former president of the Barbados Renewable Energy Association (BREA). Rogers dismissed the MarketScale study as lacking both contextual accuracy and local nuance, arguing that Barbados has already taken significant steps to curb the influence of long-standing market incumbents. Instead, Rogers blamed under-resourced regulatory bodies and poorly defined intervenor processes for the slow pace of change, noting that delays in licensing, tariff setting, planning approval and regulatory decision-making are the main drags on progress.
But Browne rejected that framing, saying the MarketScale study offers one of the most accurate breakdowns of the systemic challenges holding back Barbados’ energy transformation. Six years after the government launched its landmark 2019–2030 National Energy Policy (BNEP), Browne emphasized, the country still has no detailed public implementation plan outlining how the shift from fossil fuels to renewables will be rolled out. He pointed to high-profile unresolved examples, including a 2022 rate hike application submitted by Barbados Light and Power that remains pending as of 2026, with consumers stuck on temporary interim rates with no clarity on when a final decision will be reached.
Transitioning the entire national energy system while keeping core services operational is an unprecedented challenge that requires overcoming major technical, administrative, financial, political, social and educational hurdles, Browne explained. He aligned with the MarketScale conclusion that incumbent providers actively resist shifts that would disrupt their existing market power, arguing that the current sector structure continues to dictate the slow pace and conservative direction of the transition.
Browne also noted that the study identifies multiple underpromoted viable alternative energy approaches that have been sidelined to protect the status quo. “Concepts such as cooperative ownership, the use of biofuels such as bagasse and sargassum, and of pumped storage – rather than battery storage, appear to have been discarded due mainly to various pressures applied in order to maintain their status quo, by the incumbent, dominant players,” he said.
The veteran engineer stressed that fundamental planning, structural and regulatory issues remain unaddressed six years after the BNEP was adopted, which is why the transition has ground to a halt. “Such a complex engineering and management undertaking as the BNEP can never be implemented successfully in the absence of very exact and detailed professional preparation, planning, and strategising being put into place upfront. No such planning has ever been shared with the public or with the various stakeholders,” he said.
Unresolved core issues range from sector ownership structures and regulatory frameworks to financing models and legal provisions, Browne added. He also warned of a growing “photovoltaic dead end,” where hundreds of millions in private solar investment has been effectively trapped because the national grid lacks sufficient energy storage capacity to absorb the extra power generated. The ongoing uncertainty around the unresolved rate case and the absence of a clear national strategy has also spooked potential investors, he noted.
To move the process forward, Browne is calling on the Barbadian government to treat the energy transition as the large-scale, complex engineering project it is, and hand oversight to experienced professional administrators. He proposed establishing a multi-disciplinary panel of engineering, financial, regulatory and business experts to develop a comprehensive overarching framework and draft a formal public national energy transformation plan. Additional recommendations include updating outdated energy legislation and regulatory rules, appointing a dedicated professional engineering or project management entity to oversee day-to-day implementation, and ensuring full public and stakeholder engagement and education throughout the process.
Browne emphasized that the success of the BNEP is critical to securing long-term energy reliability for Barbados, and that industry stakeholders stand ready to support the government in delivering on the policy’s goals.
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Jangoo: Windies still packed with quality despite series loss
In an emotionally charged ODI match played at Bridgetown’s Kensington Oval just 48 hours after the passing of Caribbean cricket legend and national hero Sir Garfield Sobers, New Zealand have secured an unassailable 3-1 series lead over the West Indies, clinching a dramatic one-wicket victory in the fourth fixture of the five-match tour. The low-scoring thriller ended with the Black Caps edging over the line to reach 189 for nine, holding on despite a spectacular five-wicket haul from West Indies spinner Gudakesh Motie that kept the hosts in the match until the final overs.
Sent in to bat first on a pitch that offered significant turn and assistance to bowlers from the opening over, the West Indies top order struggled to find consistent rhythm. Opener Amir Jangoo stood out as the home side’s top scorer, hitting a polished 51 off 73 deliveries, while Ackeem Auguste contributed 33 from 50 balls and Motie added a valuable quickfire 41 from 56. The hosts were ultimately bowled out for 189, a total that captain Shai Hope later acknowledged was well under the par score required to challenge the world’s second-ranked ODI side. New Zealand’s bowling attack shared the wickets evenly: Matthew Fisher picked up three wickets for 40 runs, while Michael Bracewell and Man-of-the-Match Mitchell Santner claimed two wickets each. A late turning point came when a potential match-winning catch for the West Indies was dropped after Justin Greaves and Ackeem Auguste collided in the outfield, a moment that proved costly for the home side.
Chasing the modest target of 189, New Zealand lost wickets at steady intervals throughout their innings, with Motie’s spin turning the pitch into a tricky battleground. Mark Chapman top-scored for the visitors with 80, and Bracewell added 32, but it was Santner’s unbeaten 34 off 56 balls that guided New Zealand across the finish line, securing the narrow one-wicket win that sealed the series.
Speaking after the final ball, Jangoo, who was pleased with his personal half-century but acknowledged the team’s underperformance, said the result was a difficult outcome to process. “Of course it was a very difficult result and a tough pill to swallow but yeah it just wasn’t good enough on the day, so (we) just have to keep going,” he said. Despite the series already being lost, crucial ICC Men’s Cricket World Cup qualification points remain on the line, and Jangoo said the side is determined to end the tour on a positive note, buoyed by strong local support from fans in Barbados. “We have one more game of cricket to play and we got some amazing support from the Bajan supporters. I think we need to come out, play with pride and get a win. It’s pretty difficult because we know how much was at stake in this game, it’s all about understanding where we went wrong. We know the quality we have in our team.”
Jangoo also paid tribute to the West Indies bowling unit, which he said delivered a outstanding effort to keep the side in the match. “They gave heart and soul for the team, it’s so good to see Gudakesh get those five wickets, Alzarri (Joseph) bowled with some serious pace. The type of quality that this team has, we don’t deserve to be going to the qualifiers, but that’s the position that we are in.”
West Indies captain Shai Hope reflected on the match, noting that batting first in Caribbean conditions always presents a unique challenge, but admitted his side must improve their ability to adapt quickly to changing pitch conditions. “I still feel as though we need to apply ourselves a lot better. We’re still not really understanding and adapting to the conditions as fast as we should. I just believe that as elite batters that we want to call ourselves, guys who’ve been playing for quite some time, we still need to show a bit more impetus, especially at the top. We still need to take more responsibility, myself included. But yeah, it’s definitely not a 180 surface. It’s still challenging here at Kensington; we still gave the New Zealanders a fight. But 180 is not going to be enough when you’re playing against the second-best team in the world.”
The fifth and final match of the ODI series is scheduled to get underway at Kensington Oval this coming Tuesday.