Five years ago, I wanted to write this article giving an in depth analysis of the various sports programs on the island and my opinion on why I thought that we were being stagnated and not going forward, and this goes for most things in Barbados. Barbados sports has been going through a metamorphosis for more than thirty years now and there is clearly no evidence of it not been stymied.
I left the island in the late sixties and Barbados had a very strong sports program where they did well at the international level. I do not have to speak about the cricket, because that speaks for its self. A Barbados football team of the 50’s and 60’s was a power house against the likes of Trinidad, Jamaica, Air France team and visiting English clubs from England. None of the other islands in the Caribbean were capable of beating Barbados in any sport, whether it was Netball, Athletics, Football, Cricket or even pitching marbles. I returned to live in Barbados in the early 80’s and the very week of my arrival, I ventured to the what is called the National Stadium (I always refer to it as a cow pen, because I have seen high school stadiums far superior, furthermore Universities and International Stadiums, it is disgraceful.) to watch Barbados and St. Lucia play a football match. Barbados lost to St. Lucia 1-0 and tears came to my eyes, as a result of that defeat I have never watched any form of football on the island since then. I could not believe that some twenty years later that the standard of Barbados football had deteriorated so badly that St. Lucia could have beaten them. Since then, I hear or read in the press of some of the smaller islands defeating them from time to time. We were once a football power house against the likes of Trinidad and Jamaica, but now no more. Further into the article, I will state my thoughts and the reasons why Barbados is at cross roads in all sports.
Since athletics has been my life sport and very dear to my heart in more ways than one, I will speak on the pitfalls, failures and downfalls of athletics, which are also the same problems that are plaguing all the other sports programs are suffering from.
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