Over the years, Barbados and Japan have maintained strong diplomatic ties and The Barbados Olympic Association Inc. (BOA) is continuing to build on that strong relationship with Nanyo City beyond the 2020 Summer Olympics in Tokyo, Japan.
Speaking during the official announcement of the Barbados delegation team to the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games, President of the BOA, Sandra Osborne, QC said they will continue to cultivate a stronger relationship with the Japanese ambassador to Barbados, His Excellency Teruhiko Shinada, and the people of Nanyo City.
“Our Ambassador of Japan to Barbados was unable to make it with us. But I certainly want to acknowledge their support as a true friend of sports. The embassy has cemented a relationship that we have built with the Nanyo City of Japan which was named as the site of our pre-games camp. Regrettably, we were unable to participate in all the pre-games and post-games activities in Nanyo City but our friendship with this town remains strong,” the President said.
On Tuesday, July 6, however, Ambassador Shinada visited the BOA where he presented President Osborne and Secretary General, Erskine Simmons with special gifts from the host city, Nanyo. including commemorative stamps issued by the Japan Post to record the friendly ties between Barbados and Nanyo City. There were also caps and pamphlets made by the students of the Nanyo Senior High School.
In return, the Ambassador was presented with Team Barbados athletic attire symbolic of the continuing friendship between the countries.