Sports in Barbados are many and varied. The large

Barbadian diaspora Barbadian may refer to: * anything related to Barbados * Barbadians, people from Barbados or of Barbadian descent ** Afro-Barbadians ** Barbadian Americans ** Barbadian Brazilians ** Barbadian British ** Barbadian Canadians ** White Barbadian * C ...

around the globe and wide-scale availability of International television covered on the local cable service and DirectTV has meant that Barbadians have always been up to date on international trends. Barbadians now follow a wide cross-section of sport from around the world. In recent years, the Barbadian government has implemented a policy of sport-based tourism. Including the hosting of the

2007 Cricket World Cup The 2007 ICC Cricket World Cup was the ninth Cricket World Cup, a One Day International (ODI) cricket tournament that took place in the West Indies from 13 March to 28 April 2007. There were a total of 51 matches played, three fewer than at the ...

and various other events locally. Beyond this, the Barbadian calendar has many sporting events throughout the year.

Athletics

Obadele Thompson Obadele "Oba" Thompson BSS (born 30 March 1976) is a Barbados-born former sprinter, lawyer, author, and speaker. He won Barbados's first and only Olympic medal as an independent country by placing third in the 100 metres at the 2000 Sydney Olymp ...

won a bronze medal in the

100m The 100 metres, or 100-meter dash, is a sprint race in track and field competitions. The shortest common outdoor running distance, the dash is one of the most popular and prestigious events in the sport of athletics. It has been conteste ...

at the

2000 Summer Olympic Games The 2000 Summer Olympics, officially the Games of the XXVII Olympiad and also known as Sydney 2000 (Dharug: ''Gadigal 2000''), the Millennium Olympic Games or the Games of the New Millennium, was an international multi-sport event held from 1 ...

. He's the first and only Bajan to win an Olympic medal. He is also the only Bajan to run sub 10 and sub 20 over 100m and

200m The 200 metres, or 200-meter dash, is a Sprint (running), sprint running event. On an outdoor 400 metre racetrack, the race begins on the curve and ends on the home straight, so a combination of techniques is needed to successfully run th ...

. Ryan Brathwaite won the

gold medal A gold medal is a medal awarded for highest achievement in a non-military field. Its name derives from the use of at least a fraction of gold in form of plating or alloying in its manufacture. Since the eighteenth century, gold medals have bee ...

in the

110 metres hurdles The 110 metres hurdles, or 110-metre hurdles, is a hurdling track and field event for men. It is included in the athletics programme at the Summer Olympic Games. The female counterpart is the 100 metres hurdles. As part of a racing event, ten hur ...

at the

2009 World Championships in Athletics The 12th IAAF World Championships in Athletics () were held in Berlin, Germany from 15–23 August 2009. The majority of events took place in the Olympiastadion, while the marathon and racewalking events started and finished at the Brandenburg ...

in Berlin.

Ramon Gittens Ramon Gittens (born July 20, 1987) is a Barbadian sprinter. He represented his country at the 2012 Summer Olympics as well as four outdoor World Championships in Athletics. He was the 100 meters silver medalist at the 2015 Pan American Games. He ...

won a bronze medal at the

2016 IAAF World Indoor Championships The 16th IAAF World Indoor Championships in Athletics were held between March 17 and 20, 2016 in Portland, Oregon, United States. The event did not feature Russia. Following a WADA investigation into widespread and institutional doping practices ...

, as well as the

silver medal at the

2015 Pan American Games Fifteen or 15 may refer to: *15 (number), the natural number following 14 and preceding 16 *one of the years 15 BC, AD 15, 1915, 2015 Music *Fifteen (band), a punk rock band Albums * ''15'' (Buckcherry album), 2005 * ''15'' (Ani Lorak alb ...

Greggmar Swift Greggmar Orial Swift (born 16 February 1991 in Bridgetown) is a sprint hurdler from Barbados. Greggmar attended Indiana State University, where he studied Insurance & Risk Management and was a Five-time All-American in the 60-meter and 110-mete ...

won a bronze medal at the

2014 Central American and Caribbean Games The 22nd Central American and Caribbean Games were held November 14–30, 2014 in Veracruz, Mexico.Sport page

Shane Brathwaite Shane Rashad Brathwaite (born 8 February 1990 in Bridgetown) is a hurdler from Barbados who competed in the 110 metres hurdles at the 2012 Summer Olympics but did not finish the race in the qualifying heats. His gold medal in the octathlon at th ...
won a gold medal in the
octathlon An octathlon is a combined event competition consisting of eight different sports or contests. Track and field An octathlon in athletics is an event which consists of eight track and field events. The word "octathlon" derives from the Greek words o ...
at the
2007 World Youth Championships in Athletics The 2007 World Youth Championships in Athletics were the fifth edition of the IAAF World Youth Championships in Athletics. They were held on 11–15 July 2007 in Ostrava, Czech Republic. Results Boys Girls Medals table See also ...
. This is the first Bajan gold medal at a global athletics championship. Brathwaite also won Gold at the
2019 Pan American Games The 2019 Pan American Games ( es, Juegos Panamericanos de 2019, links=no), officially the XVIII Pan American Games and commonly known as the Lima 2019 Pan-Am Games or Lima 2019 ( qu, Limaq 2019), were a multi-sport event governed by the Panam Spo ...
and Bronze at the
2015 Pan American Games Fifteen or 15 may refer to: *15 (number), the natural number following 14 and preceding 16 *one of the years 15 BC, AD 15, 1915, 2015 Music *Fifteen (band), a punk rock band Albums * ''15'' (Buckcherry album), 2005 * ''15'' (Ani Lorak alb ...
. Akela Jones won a bronze in the women's
high jump The high jump is a track and field event in which competitors must jump unaided over a horizontal bar placed at measured heights without dislodging it. In its modern, most-practiced format, a bar is placed between two standards with a crash mat f ...
at the
Pan American Games The Pan American Games (also known colloquially as the Pan Am Games) is a continental multi-sport event in the Americas featuring summer sports, in which thousands of athletes participate in a variety of competitions. The competition is held ...
. Olympian Sada Williams is the National record holder over 200m and 400m. She's a Multiple Carifta Games Champion. She ran a national record 50.11 over the distance at the
2020 Olympic Games The , officially the and also known as , was an international multi-sport event held from 23 July to 8 August 2021 in Tokyo, Japan, with some preliminary events that began on 21 July. Tokyo was selected as the host city during the 1 ...
.
Andrea Blackett Andrea Melissa Blackett (born 24 January 1976, in London) is a Barbadian athlete who specializes in the 400 metres hurdles. She is also a women's track assistant coach at her alma mater, Rice University. Her greatest achievement in athletics i ...
was the
1998 Commonwealth Games The 1998 Commonwealth Games ''(Malay: Sukan Komanwel 1998)'', officially known as the XVI Commonwealth Games ''(Malay: Sukan Komanwel ke-16)'', was a multi-sport event held in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. This edition is marked by several unprecedent ...
Champion over
400m hurdles The 400 metres hurdles is a track and field hurdling event. The event has been on the Summer Olympics, Olympic athletics (sport), athletics programme since 1900 Summer Olympics, 1900 for men and since 1984 Summer Olympics, 1984 for women. On a s ...
. She also placed fourth in the Women's 400 metres Hurdles event at the 1999 IAAF World Championships in Seville, Spain. Olympian Jonathan Jones is the first Bajan to run under 45 seconds over
400m The 400 metres, or 400-meter dash, is a sprint event in track and field competitions. It has been featured in the athletics (sport), athletics programme at the Summer Olympics since 1896 for men and since 1964 for women. On a standard outdoor runn ...
. He holds the national record with a time of 44.64. Mario Burke won bronze medal in the
100 metres The 100 metres, or 100-meter dash, is a sprint race in track and field competitions. The shortest common outdoor running distance, the dash is one of the most popular and prestigious events in the sport of athletics. It has been conteste ...
at
2016 World Junior Championships in Athletics The 2016 World U20 Championships in Athletics was an international athletics competition for athletes qualifying as juniors (born no earlier than 1 January 1997) which was held at Zdzisław Krzyszkowiak Stadium in Bydgoszcz, Poland on 19–24 Ju ...
. He is only the second Bajan to run sub 10 seconds over the distance.

Cricket
Cricket started in Barbados around 1894, with the Barbados Cricket Association starting in 1933. Many Barbadians follow cricket religiously. Locally, cricket is governed by the Barbados Cricket Association (BCA). Barbados has a national team which takes part in the Regional Four Day Competition and the
Regional Super 50 The Super50 Cup, currently named the CG Insurance Super50 Cup for sponsorship purposes is the domestic one-day cricket competition in the West Indies. It was previously known as the KFC Cup until the fast food chain pulled out of sponsorship in ...
, whereas the
Barbados Royals The Barbados Royals (previously known as the Barbados Tridents) are the representative franchise cricket team of Barbados in the Caribbean Premier League. They are one of the six teams specifically created in 2013 for the inaugural season of t ...
is a franchise team in the Caribbean Premier League. Additionally, Barbados has players that are a composite part of the West Indies cricket team. Barbados has a number of famous cricketers including:
Sir Garfield Sobers Sir Garfield St Aubrun Sobers, (born 28 July 1936), also known as Sir Gary or Sir Garry Sobers, is a former cricketer who played for the West Indies between 1954 and 1974. A highly skilled bowler, an aggressive batsman and an excellent fielder, ...
,
Sir Everton Weekes Sir Everton DeCourcy Weekes, KCMG, GCM, OBE (26 February 19251 July 2020) was a cricketer from Barbados. A right-handed batsman, he was known as one of the hardest hitters in world cricket. Weekes holds the record for consecutive Test hundred ...
, Sir Clyde Walcott, and
Sir Frank Worrell Sir Frank Mortimer Maglinne Worrell (1 August 1924 – 13 March 1967), sometimes referred to by his nickname of Tae, was a West Indies cricketer and Jamaican senator. A stylish right-handed batsman and useful left-arm seam bowler, he became fam ...
. Cricket grounds include the Kensington Oval and the
3Ws Oval The Three Ws Oval (Most commonly styled '3Ws Oval') is a cricket field at the entrance of the Cave Hill Campus of the University of the West Indies in Barbados. Mostly known for the sculpture in the shape of three large wickets that stand tall on ...
.

Basketball
Barbados' basketball team has a unique history of international accomplishments. It was the only Caribbean team that qualified for the
2006 Commonwealth Games The 2006 Commonwealth Games, officially the XVIII Commonwealth Games and commonly known as Melbourne 2006 (Boonwurrung/Woiwurrung: ''Narrm 2006'' or ''Naarm 2006''), was an international multi-sport event for members of the Commonwealth held ...
and celebrated several surprising victories. Overall, the team finished 5th, leaving behind South Africa, Scotland and India. Further, it is one of the few Caribbean teams that qualified for the FIBA Americas Championship.

Football

Rugby Union

Scouting and Guiding

Kitesurfing and Windsurfing
Barbados is a popular destination for kitesurfing and Windsurfing.Barbados Kitesurfing Guide
/ref> Wind is blowing most of the year, and its best at December to March. Barbados has great wave for kitesurfers and windsurfers, and there are no flat water spots. Main kite and windsurf beach is Silver Rock at the south tip of the island.

Sport governing bodies
*Archery – Barbados Archery Association (BAA) *Athletics (track and field) –
Athletics Association of Barbados The Athletics Association of Barbados (AAB) is the governing body for the sport of athletics in Barbados. History AAB was founded in 1947 as Amateur Athletic Association of Barbados (AAAB), and was affiliated to the IAAF in 1966. In 201 ...

AAB
*Badminton –
Barbados Badminton Association Barbados is an island country in the Lesser Antilles of the West Indies, in the Caribbean region of the Americas, and the most easterly of the Caribbean Islands. It occupies an area of and has a population of about 287,000 (2019 estimate). ...
(BBA) *Basketball – Barbados Amateur Basketball Association
BABA
*Bodybuilding – Barbados Amateur Body Building and Fitness Federation (BABBF) *Boxing – Amateur Boxing Association of Barbados (ABAB) *Cycling – Barbados Cycling Union (BCU) *Darts – Barbados Darts Association (BDA) *Equestrian – Barbados Equestrian Association
BEA
*Football –
Barbados Football Association The Barbados Football Association is the governing body of association football in Barbados. It is responsible the administration of football in Barbados with responsibility for the Barbadian national football team as well as the other Barbados ...
(BFA) *Golf – Barbados Golf Association
BGA
*Hockey – Barbados Hockey Federation (BHF) *Hockey (Ball) – Barbados Ball Hockey League
BBHL
*Horse Racing – Barbados Turf Club
BTC
*Polo – Barbados Polo Association (BPA) *Polo (Segway) – Barbados Segway Polo Association
SPCB
*Polo (Water) –
Barbados Amateur Swimming Association Barbados is an island country in the Lesser Antilles of the West Indies, in the Caribbean region of the Americas, and the most easterly of the Caribbean Islands. It occupies an area of and has a population of about 287,000 (2019 estimate). ...

BASA
*Racing – Barbados Auto Racing League (BARL) Barbados Rally Club (BRC) *Road Tennis – Barbados (Professional) Road Tennis Association
BRTA
*Sailing – Barbados Sailing Association (BSA) *Squash – Barbados Squash Rackets Association (BSRA) *Tennis –
Barbados Tennis Association Barbados is an island country in the Lesser Antilles of the West Indies, in the Caribbean region of the Americas, and the most easterly of the Caribbean Islands. It occupies an area of and has a population of about 287,000 (2019 estimate). ...

BTA
*Volleyball – Barbados Volleyball Association
BVA

See also
*
Barbados at the Commonwealth Games Barbados have sent teams to fifteen Commonwealth Games. The first Games at which they competed were in 1954, and the only event since they have not attended was the 1986 Games. They have won twelve medals, with a twenty-eight-year medal drought b ...
*
Barbados at the Olympics Barbados first competed at the Summer Olympic Games in 1968, and has participated in each Games since, with the exception of the 1980 Summer Olympics when Barbados joined the American-led boycott and has never competed in the Winter Olympic Games ...
*
Barbados at the Pan American Games Barbados Barbados is an island country in the Lesser Antilles of the West Indies, in the Caribbean region of the Americas, and the most easterly of the Caribbean Islands. It occupies an area of and has a population of about 287,000 (2019 e ...
*
Barbados at the Paralympics Barbados first competed at the Paralympic Games in 2000. It has participated in five Summer Paralympics since then. The country has never taken part in the Winter Paralympics The Winter Paralympic Games is an international multi-sport event wh ...

References

External links

Sports tourism in Barbados: the development of sports facilities and special events
Yolande J. Elcock, Journal of Sport Tourism 10(2), 2005, 129–134
Sport in Barbados
- Totally Barbados

- Barbados Tourism Encyclopaedia
Sports in Barbados
- Official Website of Destination Barbados and Barbados Tourism Marketing, Inc {{DEFAULTSORT:Sport In Barbados