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The national sport of Barbados is cricket, another aspect of our British heritage that is now "uniquely" ours. Two national organisations administer the local game on a competitive basis, the Barbados Cricket Association based at the historic Kensington Oval and the Barbados Cricket League, located at Blenheim.
Some great international players such as Sir Frank Worrell and Sir Garfield Sobers have come from our island and have been honoured for their contributions to the game. Barbados is one of the international centres for cricket and plays host to regular test matches between the months of January and April, with teams drawn from the West Indies, England, Australia, New Zealand, India, Pakistan and South Africa.
Horse-racing is another sport which has many avid fans. The Cockspur Gold Cup, the premier racing event in the Caribbean, was inaugurated in 1982, and has become an international event. This event was renamed the Sandy Lane Gold Cup in 1997. The home of horse-racing is the historic Garrison Savannah.
There are a number of other sports and games which attract wide participation. These include netball, football, basketball, field hockey, squash, badminton, swimming, yachting, skin-diving, water-polo, game fishing, surfing, windsurfing, snorkelling, lawn, table and road tennis, volleyball, golf, polo, rugby, football/soccer, cycling, boxing, karate, judo, athletics, national and international 10K-marathons, chess, dominoes, bridge, darts, draughts, whist and hearts.
Motor rallying is very popular in Barbados and our road network is especially suitable for this sport. Drivers, local and regional, participate in special stages and rallies. Rallies are often based on the Tulip international system of navigation which allows competitors from overseas to compete on even terms with their Barbadian counterparts.
Body building is another important sport in Barbados. Teams produced have been Central American and Caribbean Champions for 12 consecutive years. Darcy Beckles won Mr. World and was the runner-up for the Mr. Universe competition in the 70's. Barbados continues to make its mark in the World Team Championships.
The National Stadium
The Barbados National Stadium was built on a 22-acre site and officially opened in 1970. It has a 400m eight-lane rubberised track and a 500m cycling track.
The five spectator stands are covered and provide seating for 5,000 persons. The main stand which seats 600, incorporates booths for sports reporters as well as wireless and television broadcast. In November 1996, the stands, gates and the velodrome of the National Stadium were named after outstanding Barbadian athletes.
The stadium and its annexe provide facilities for soccer, hockey, cycling, boxing, shooting, netball and all track and field events.
Parking is available for over 1, 000 vehicles.
Gymnasium
The multi-purpose Gymnasium is part of the Garfield Sobers Sports Complex.
Situated at Wildey, St. Michael, the Gymnasium is one of the most modern sporting facilities in the Caribbean with full air-conditioning and seating for 4,000 patrons. The games hall floor is made of maple parquet timber with concealed rubber grommets to give slight spring to absorb the impact and reduce pressure on the athlete's joints.
The indoor facility is designed to cater to twelve sporting disciplines — table tennis, volleyball, weight lifting, bodybuilding, boxing, basketball, judo, karate, badminton, gymnastics, handball and netball.
There are modern sauna and massage rooms for male and female athletes, and a medical room for pre-match medical checks.
The gym is fitted with two-timing and electronic scoreboards which are programmed to show international time, same time, correct game and scoring data for basketball games.
The Wildey Gymnasium is also available for cultural and religious events, conventions and assemblies. The sports complex now boasts an artificial hockey turf, the only one of its kind in the region.
The Aquatic Centre
This new swimming complex is designed for competitive swimming and watersports as well as other pool-based recreational activities. It was built by the Barbados Amateur Swimming Association with funds raised entirely by its efforts.
The facility boasts a 25-metre by 10-metre teaching pool which is one metre deep and a 50-metre by 25-metre pool which can be used for both short course and long course laps. Daktronic timing equipment is installed and starting blocks and anti-turbulence lane markers are of international standards.
A covered stand seats 800 spectators and runs the full length of the 50-metre pool.
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