The Barbados Olympic Association Inc. (BOA) announced that champion female boxer Kimberly Gittens and swimming stalwart Luis Sebastian Weekes would lead the country’s 2023 Central American and Caribbean (CAC) team as flag bearers. Chef de Mission Gail Craig-Archer made the announcement at a special team meeting held at the Hilton Barbados Resort.
The goal of the meeting was to officially announce the team and orientate athletes and officials on matters such as safeguarding, protection of competition manipulation, anti-doping policies, nutrition, illness prevention, and recovery strategies.
In a recorded message, President of the BOA Sandra Osborne apologised for her absence while congratulating the athletes on making the team. “To qualify for Games such as these is often a hard journey in itself, and the fact that you are on the final entry list is testimony to your status as one of the top athletes of the Central American and Caribbean regions,” she said. Osborne also made mention of the four new disciplines in the competition for Barbados this year, noting that this is the biggest contingent that the country has ever fielded.
The new disciplines are netball, chess, rowing, and surfing. The quartet brings the local team tally up to 22 in San Salvador, the venue for the first Games since the pandemic.
Of the 57 disciplines being staged, Barbados will field entries in aquatics, archery, athletics, badminton, boxing, chess, cycling (road and track), equestrian, golf, men’s hockey, women’s hockey, karate, netball, rowing, sailing, shooting, surfing, swimming, table tennis, taekwondo, tennis, triathlon, weightlifting, and wrestling. All are expected to give competitive performances.
The CAC delegation of 181 persons comprises 115 athletes and 66 officials representing the largest team the country has fielded since qualification became mandatory. The Games run from June 23 to July 8 in Santo Domingo and the capital city of El Salvador.
The full team list:
Aquatics: Jack Kirby, Luis Weekes, Adara Stoddard, Danielle Titus, Danielle Treasure
Archery: Charlene Gill
Athletics: Desean Boyce, Jonathan Jones, Rasheeme Griffith, Kyle Gale, Sada Williams, Shane Brathwaite, Tristan Evelyn, Rivaldo Leacock, Matthew Clarke, Sonia Gaskin, Kuron Griffith, Tia-Adana Belle
Badminton: Kennie King, Dakeil Thorpe, Dave Forde
Boxing: Jabali Breedy, Ju-sean Shepherd, Tyreece Taitt, Charles Cox, Kimberly Gittens
Chess: Karen Figueroa, Orlando Husbands, Martyn Del Castilho, Hannah Wilson
Cycling: Amber Joseph, Jamol Eastmond, Edwin Sutherland
Equestrian: McKenzie Manning, Roberta Foster, Monique Archer, Zoe Archer
Golf: Xzavier Wiggins, Emily Odwin
Women’s Hockey team: Jada Prescod, Anaya Alleyne Germain, Nakisha Downes, Takirsha Cambridge, Ayanna Wilson, Katrina Downes, Camille Pounder, Aliyah Griffith, D’Jamila Edwards, Kristina Hinds, Kenya Alleyne, Sterre De Koning, Tiffany Browne, Nakira Downes, Iana Strickland, Reiann Stoute
Men’s Hockey team: Akeem Rudder, Che Roach, Che Warner, Marlon Daniel, Kris Holder, James Godding, Dwayne Atherley, Jerome Harewood, Javier Wharton, Jemar Small, Keenan Knight, Shonkeel Wharton, Khodi Gibson, Justin Catlin, Neil Franklin, Shakeel Wharton
Netball team: Faye Agard, Jada Smith, Shonica Griffith, Tonisha Rock-Yaw, Sabreena Smith, Brianna Holder, Latonia Blackman, Akeena Stoute, Trishan Deane, Kimani Archer, Tamara Trotman, Victoria Monerville
Rowing: Ianto Brewer
Sailing: Scott Gittens
Shooting: Marwin Bynoe, Dave Seale, Tesonna Alleyne, Michelle Elliot
Surfing: Kai St George, Chelsea Tuach, Jacob Burke
Table Tennis: Angela Reid, Krystle Harvey, Anthonette Riley, Kenady King, Tyrese Knight, Trevor Farley, Mark-Anthony Dowell, Tre Riley
Tennis: Kaipo Marshall, Hannah Chambers, Xavier Lawrence, Serena Bryan, Stephen Slocombe, Gabrielle Leslie
Taekwondo: Liana Best-Smith, Kristin Turton, Chioke Holder, Che Wiltshire
Triathlon: Matthew Wright, Niel Skinner
Weightlifting: Quontana Clarke
Wrestling: Adrian Maynard