…FIG President Visits Barbados and has High Praise for Local Gymnastics
President of the Barbados Amateur Gymnastics Association (BAGA), Sheldene Pinder, has been appointed to sit on the International Gymnastics Federation’s (FIG) School Curriculum Working Group for a three-year period commencing June 2025.
The announcement of Pinder’s appointment came during the visit to Barbados of the FIG President, Morinari Watanabe. On her appointment, Pinder said she is keen to make a contribution at the international level, adding, “President Watanabe’s goal is to position Barbados as a global role model for the inclusion of gymnastics in the school curriculum. At present, we have 167 active gymnasts, and efforts are being made to get even more Barbadians involved in the sport.”
While brief, President Watanabe’s visit marks the start of a dynamic new era for gymnastics in Barbados, driven by opportunity, strategic collaboration, and a shared commitment to advancing the sport on the island. The BAGA President, reflecting on the visit which occurred from April 5 to 6, 2025, described it as a key milestone in fostering a closer working relationship between the BAGA and the FIG. Furthermore, she explained that President Watanabe’s visit has also created new opportunities for advancing gymnastics locally, which include access to funding, improved training programmes, and specialised technical support.
During his visit, President Watanabe participated in a series of tours and meetings and attended the Barbados Trident Classic Artistic Gymnastics Competition held at the Garfield Sobers Gymnasium on April 5. Additionally, he paid courtesy calls to the Minister of Youth, Sport and Community Empowerment, Charles Griffith, and the Barbados Olympic Association Inc. (BOA), where he was guided on a tour of the Olympic Museum by the Director of the National Olympic Academy of Barbados, Janelle Denny.
Denny said that the BOA was pleased to welcome the FIG’s chief, adding, “His visit reinforced the importance of blending sport development with Olympic education. It was encouraging to see his appreciation for our history and to hear of his commitment to supporting the future of gymnastics and youth sport in Barbados.”
The FIG official also visited Flip Gym in Wildey, St. Michael, the island’s only artistic gymnastics facility, and Acroflex Gym, located in Shop Hill, St. Thomas, to gain firsthand insight into the local gymnastics infrastructure and the potential of the sport locally. Additionally, he toured the site earmarked for the construction of a national gymnastics facility.
According to Pinder, President Watanabe has a vision for the sport of Gymnastics to grow in Barbados.
“He outlined his plans and indicated that he would like our Federation to host a FIG Congress in the very near future,” Pinder said. “He also suggested that we continue with our strategy of developing the sport at the primary school level and further proposed the introduction of a gymnastics programme for the elderly.”
Furthermore, President Watanabe, who said that gymnastics in Barbados has a promising future, pledged the FIG’s support to acquire equipment for the upcoming gymnastics training facility, and discussions occurred regarding the possibility of inviting Barbadian gymnasts to Japan for summer training. Another of the exciting outcomes was the announcement of the introduction of a new discipline to Barbados — parkour — signalling fresh opportunities for youth engagement and sport diversification.
While on the island, President Watanabe, a Japanese national, also met with the newly appointed Ambassador of Japan to Barbados, H.E. Yusuke Miyasaka.