Barbados’ Sports Minister, Dr. Esther Byer-Suckoo, will join some of her colleagues in Beijing this weekend for the Fourth Commonwealth Ministers’ Sports Meeting and the official opening of the Olympic Games.
Dr. Byer-Suckoo leaves the island today and she will be accompanied by Chairman of the National Sports Council, Henry Inniss.
The meeting will be held on Saturday, August 9, and a number of items have been placed on the agenda for discussion. They include the health benefits from sports participation, sport and physical education in schools and the work programme developed by the Commonwealth Advisory Body on Sports.
This conference is expected to provide new ways to advance sports development initiatives in the various countries. Previous meetings were held in Athens in 2004 and Melbourne in 2006.
Meanwhile, there will be much pomp and pageantry when the Olympic Games officially open this Friday, August 8, under the theme “One World – One Dream”.
Barbados’ delegation has already left for the games and it includes eight athletes. They are Ryan Brathwaite, Andrew Hinds and Jade Bailey who will compete in athletics; Gregory Douglas in sailing; and Bradley Ally, Andrei Cross, Martyn Forde and Terrence Haynes in swimming.