The Barbados National Senior Games are about more than a lifestyle; they are about healthy ageing.
Minister of People Empowerment and Elder Affairs, Kirk Humphrey, underscored this point as he officially launched the Games, which run from June 10 to 25, across 13 disciplines.
“These games are about active ageing, eating healthy, [and] putting a message out there that as you get a little bit older, you don’t have to [stay at] home. Barbados wants to be a healthy place.
“We have an older generation, [and] we are ageing very rapidly in this country, but we have to make sure that as we age, Barbadians can age well,” the Minister emphasised.
He stressed that the aim was to reduce mortality without increasing morbidity, to allow people to live longer without become sick.
To facilitate this process, Mr. Humphrey said his ministry was working closely with the Ministries of Health, Sports and Education, and anyone who wanted to be involved, to ensure that persons remain active and age healthily.
He lamented that Barbados had a history dating back to the days of slavery, which has resulted in its population coming into contact with non-communicable diseases (NCDs) because of what persons were forced to eat on plantations.
“Our DNA is said to be more predisposed to these NCDs, and that is why we have to put in extra effort,” he pointed out.
However, the Minister pointed out that ageing was part of a life cycle, and it was important to begin eating properly from a young age.
He called for inter-generational exchanges to allow young people the opportunity to interact with older persons and allow values to be passed on.
Mr. Humphrey urged Barbadians to sign up and take part in the Games, which are being held for the first time since 2019 due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
Noting that there were over 400 persons that year competing in track alone, he added that an even larger turnout was being anticipated for this year’s games, with competitors slated to participate from Kenya, the British Virgin Islands, St. Lucia, Guyana, and Trinidad and Tobago.