On July 24th, at its Wildey Headquarters, The Barbados Olympic Association Inc. (BOA) joins with the Organising Committee of the Tokyo Olympic Games 2020 and other National Olympic Committees across the world to celebrate the One Year Anniversary to the start of the Games in Tokyo 2020.
Chef de Mission to the 32nd Summer Games in Tokyo, Cameron Burke, highlighted during his remarks that the BOA was making every effort to send the best team possible. He spoke in the presence of Japan’s first resident ambassador to Barbados, Teruhiko Shinada, and IGT Global Service accounts development manager, Patrick Clunis.
To mark this occasion, there was a flag-raising ceremony, and a countdown clock positioned in front of the BOA’s building which will count down to the opening of the summer games.
Ambassador of Japan in Barbados, His Excellency Teruhiko Shinada said this was the second Summer Olympic Games to be held in Tokyo with the first held 55 years ago in 1964. Assuring that the Bajan team would be welcomed and hosted in Nanyo City during the games.
At this event The Barbados Lotteries Tokyo 2020 supporting initiative, the ‘Going for Gold’ scratch game, which was first launched in 2015 to generate funds to support athletes to Rio 2016 was also relaunched to support athletes preparing for the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games.
IGT Global Service accounts development manager, Patrick Clunis said the Going for Gold initiative would be used as a driving force to help provide funding for Barbados at the upcoming games. Additionally, he said, it was another way for IGT Global and BOA to strengthen their ongoing partnership.