New IOAPA Country Coordinator for Barbados

The Barbados Olympic Association Inc. (BOA) is pleased to announce that Solomon West has been selected to represent Barbados as Country Coordinator for the International Olympic Academy Participants Association (IOAPA).  

West’s term, which runs from 2023-2025, was confirmed by the IOAPA Board on September 20, 2023. This comes on the heels of his recent visit to Greece to attend the 63rd International Session for Young Olympic Ambassadors (YOA) hosted by the International Olympic Academy (IOA). West was one of two Barbadians selected by BOA to attend the two-week session in June, which attracted approximately 150 young leaders from National Olympic Academies and Committees worldwide. 

The IOAPA was founded in 1989 to promote international and multicultural fellowship among past IOA participants. With over 1,100 members from 128 countries, the organisation provides resources and tools to facilitate Olympic education and promote Olympism worldwide.

The Country Coordinators work with past, present, and future attendees of IOA Sessions and promote the Olympic Movement within their respective countries. West will be responsible for liaising with those participants and the IOAPA members in Barbados. Among the activities under his purview are maintaining an active national IOAPA network, promoting the international and national IOAPAs and recruiting new members. He will also work with the National Olympic Academy (NOA) and the BOA to assist with promoting Olympic ideals nationally. 

The NOA Director, Vaneisha Cadogan, said the BOA looks forward to working with West in his new capacity. Cadogan added, “I would like to congratulate Solomon on being selected as Barbados’ Country Coordinator for the IOAPA. Solomon has demonstrated an unwavering dedication to sports. We are confident that he will bring the same level of commitment to his role with the IOAPA and advancing the vision of the Olympic Movement”.