Bridgetown, Barbados – The Barbados Olympic Association Inc. (BOA) was pleased to welcome Sophie, the Countess of Wessex, to tour the Olympic museum and meet with BOA representatives at the Association’s headquarters on Saturday, March 1, 2014. The Royal visit was hailed as a fantastic precursor to the upcoming planned celebrations for the arrival of the Commonwealth Baton as part of the Queen’s Baton Relay from March 5-8.
President of the BOA, Steve Stoute, and other members of the Executive Council welcomed the Countess before commencing the tour of the facility led by Director of the Olympic Academy, Dave Farmer. The Countess is well known for her work with children and young people and she was especially fascinated with the multimedia area of the Olympic museum where school children and other members of the public can watch videos and learn more about the Olympic Movement. She expressed an interest in learning about sport in Barbados, the role of the BOA and local athletes that were competing on the global stage.
Following the tour, the Countess mingled with BOA staff and specially invited guests. Steve Stoute thanked the Countess for her support and for taking the time to visit given her and her husband’s busy itinerary with the Duke of Edinburgh Awards, their purpose for visiting the island. He presented her with special mementos on behalf of the BOA, including a scarf decorated with a flying fish motif and printed in the colours of the Barbados flag as well as a similar tie for her husband Edward, the Earl of Wessex.
Donning the scarf immediately, the Countess thanked the BOA for facilitating the visit and wished the athletes participating in the upcoming Commonwealth Games in Glasgow all the best. She indicated that both she and her husband would look forward to seeing the success of the athletes at the Games.