Where it began

The BOA, together with its affiliated National Sporting Federations, staged the first national multi-sport Games to commemorate Barbados’ 50th Anniversary of Independence. The event was called the BOA 50th Anniversary Independence Games.

• Announced at a press conference at the BOA headquarters in Wildey on Tuesday, October 11
• 22 National Federations scheduled to take part
• Committee chaired by Lt. Col. Trevor Browne
• A Beach Games component was held over a single day

BiiG is born

Following the success of the 50th Anniversary Games, the BOA announced a month-long, multi-sport event to be hosted every November. The Games were branded the BOA Independence Invitational Games (BiiG), and the launch promised that everything would be “BiiGer” than the inaugural edition.

Highlights

• More than thirty National Federations hosted local and international tournaments and competitions
• BOA President at the time, Steve Stoute, explained the decision to make the event annual
• The branding reflected the Olympic values of excellence, friendship and respect, the national spirit of pride and industry, inclusiveness, and sustainability
• Adopted as the “Green Games”, with credit given for green initiatives such as reducing plastics
• Due to overwhelming interest, the Beach Games expanded beyond a single day
• Officially opened with the lighting of the Games flame

Growing regionally

The third edition was launched at Pirates Cove on Bay Street, with the Minister responsible for sport lighting the flame as activities for Barbados’ 52nd year of Independence got under way.

• 27 National Federations due to take part, in disciplines including Volleyball, Archery, Beach Rugby, Orienteering, Surfing, Kayaking and Taekwondo
• Visiting participants from 13 regional and three international countries
• Surfing alone attracted more than 130 people
• The programme ran until Sunday, December 9
• The Minister encouraged the BOA to expand the beach festival, which the organising chairman described as the testing ground for future expansion

Champions crowned

BiiG continued to showcase sport-specific championships, including the Lucky Horseshoe BiiG Tennis Games, held from November 28 to 30 with the finals on November 30.

• Russell Moseley and Cherise Slocombe were crowned BiiG Man and BiiG Woman of Tennis
• Slocombe also took the 2019 People’s Choice Female Champion title

BiiG is back!

BiiG returned after its three-year break with four sports:

• Beach Wrestling, Nov 17–18 at Brandons Beach. Opening night on Friday, Nov 17 at 7 p.m. featured “Barbados vs The Rest”, with the finals on Saturday at 3 p.m.
• Beach Volleyball, Nov 18–19 at Brandons Beach, with the finals on Sunday, Nov 19 at 7 p.m.
• Cycling, Sunday, Nov 26 at 7 a.m. on the Mighty Grynner Highway
• Weightlifting, Dec 1–2 over Independence weekend at the Garfield Sobers Gymnasium

The wrestling and volleyball finals were shown on Flowsports. Rascals of Barbados and Barbados were named as partners alongside the BOA.

Spotlight: Beach wrestling

Supported by the Barbados Wrestling Association, beach wrestling became a popular part of BiiG, staged on Brandons Beach. The Association describes it as a pathway to develop young wrestlers from the beach to Olympic-style wrestling. Beach Volleyball has also drawn regional champions, including title defences by pairs from Trinidad and Tobago.

The BiiG Beach Festival

Billed as “A Celebration of Sports and Community at the Beach”, the festival ran across two weekends at venues including Rascals on Brandons Beach and the Garfield Sobers Sports Complex.

• Sports: Beach Volleyball, Weightlifting (Street Style), Wrestling, Surfing, Triathlon, and Beach Netball for the first time
• Sponsors: Rascals and Glacial Pure
• Chairman: Cameron Burke, First Vice President of the BOA
• A family-friendly multisport event that captures Barbados’ beach culture and gives local athletes a stage to excel

Beach Festival with We Gatherin

The 2025 BiiG Beach Festival took place at Brandons Beach, St. Michael, with We Gatherin as title sponsor. Lead-in events started earlier in the month, with Beach Volleyball at Rascals from November 8 and Surfing at the Soup Bowl in Bathsheba from November 14 to 16.

The festival weekend opened on Friday, November 21 at 6 p.m. with a “Bajan rum shop beach lime” ceremony: an athlete parade by sport, remarks from organisers and partners, the lighting of the cauldron, and a street-party style show with a tuk band and fire eating.

Programme

• Thu, Nov 20: Dominoes, Darts and Warri
• Sat, Nov 22: Rowing at Browne’s Beach; Beach Cricket, Rugby, Netball and Beach Volleyball at Rascals; Road Tennis; and Athletics at the Garrison Savannah
• Sun, Nov 23: Aquathlon, Rowing, Women’s Football, Rugby, Netball, Beach Wrestling and the Beach Volleyball finals

BiiG 10

In 2026, BiiG celebrates ten years under the slogan “BiiG 10”.

• Dates: November 20 to 22, 2026
• Venue: Savvy on the Bay, Bay Street, St. Michael
• Format: Evening games from 5 p.m., bringing the action closer to the public
• Sports: Beach Football, Beach Rugby, Beach Volleyball, Aquathlon, Beach Wrestling and Sailing
• Chairman: Cameron Burke, Chairman of the BiiG Local Organising Committee