Sports in Barbados are many and varied. The large Barbadian diaspora

Barbadian people

Barbadians are people originating on the Caribbean island of Barbados whether they live there or in the Barbadian diaspora.Rihanna is by far the most popular Barbadian on the planet.-Diaspora:...

 across the globe and wide-scale availability of International television covered on the local cable service and DirecTV

DirecTV

DirecTV is an American direct broadcast satellite service provider and broadcaster based in El Segundo, California. Its satellite service, launched on June 17, 1994, transmits digital satellite television and audio to households in the United States, Latin America, and the Anglophone Caribbean. ...

 has meant that Barbadians have always been up to date on international trends. Barbadians now follow a wide cross-section of sport

Sport

A Sport is all forms of physical activity which, through casual or organised participation, aim to use, maintain or improve physical fitness and provide entertainment to participants. Sport may be competitive, where a winner or winners can be identified by objective means, and may require a degree...

 from across the world. In recent years the Barbadian government has implemented a policy of sport based tourism. Including the hosting of the 2007 Cricket World Cup

2007 Cricket World Cup

The 2007 ICC Cricket World Cup was the ninth edition of the ICC Cricket World Cup tournament that took place in the West Indies from 13 March to 28 April 2007, using the sport's One Day International format...

 and various other events locally. Beyond this the Barbadian calendar is full of many sporting events throughout year.

Cricket

Many Barbadians follow cricket religiously. Locally, cricket is governed by the Barbados Cricket Association

Barbados Cricket Association

The Barbados Cricket Association is the ruling body for cricket in Barbados. The BCA was sstablished in 1933 by an Act of Parliament to replace the Barbados Cricket Challenge Cup Committee, which had administered Barbadian cricket since its formation in 1892...

 (BCA). Barbados has a national team

Barbados national cricket team

The Barbadian cricket team is the representative first class cricket team of Barbados.It does not take part in any international competitions , but rather in inter-regional competitions in the Caribbean, such as the Regional Four Day Competition and the WICB Cup, and the best players may be...

 which takes part in the Regional Four Day Competition, but additionally has players that are a composite part of the West Indies cricket team. Barbados has a number of famous cricketers including: Sir Garfield Sobers

Garfield Sobers

Sir Garfield St Aubrun Sobers AO, OCC is a former cricketer who captained West Indies. His first name of Garfield is variously abbreviated as Gary or Garry. He is widely regarded as one of cricket's greatest ever all-rounders, having excelled at all the essential skills of batting, bowling and...

, Sir Everton Weekes

Everton Weekes

Sir Everton DeCourcy Weekes, KCMG, GCM, OBE is a leading former West Indian cricketer. Along with Frank Worrell and Clyde Walcott, he formed what was known as "The Three Ws" of West Indian cricket.-Youth and early career:...

, Sir Clyde Walcott

Clyde Walcott

Sir Clyde Leopold Walcott, KA, GCM was a West Indian cricketer. Walcott was a member of the "three W's", the other two being Everton Weekes and Frank Worrell: all were very successful batsmen from Barbados, born within a short distance of each other in Bridgetown, Barbados in a period of 18...

, and Sir Frank Worrell

Frank Worrell

Sir Frank Mortimer Maglinne Worrell is sometimes referred to by his nickname of Tae and was a West Indies cricketer and Jamaican senator...

. Cricket grounds include the Kensington Oval

Kensington Oval

The Kensington Oval is located to the west of the capital-city Bridgetown on the island of Barbados. "The Oval" is one of the major sporting facilities on the island and is primarily used for cricket...

 and the 3Ws Oval

3Ws Oval

The 3Ws Oval is a cricket field at the entrance of the Cave Hill Campus of the University of the West Indies in Barbados. Mostly known for the sculpture in the shape of three large wickets that stand tall on the incline above the field. The 3Ws Oval was one of the team warm-up venues for the 2007...

.

Sport governing bodies

• Archery - Barbados Archery Association (BAA)
• Athletics (track and field) - Amateur Athletic Association of Barbados (AAAB)
• Badminton - Barbados Badminton Association (BDA)
• Basketball - Barbados Amateur Basketball Association (BABA)
• Bodybuilding - Barbados Amateur Body Building and Fitness Federation (BABBF)
• Boxing - Amateur Boxing Association of Barbados (ABAB)
• Cycling - Barbados Cycling Union
  Barbados Cycling Union
  The Barbados Cycling Union or BCU is the national governing body of cycle racing in Barbados.The BCU is a member of the UCI and COPACI.-External links:*...
  
   (BCU)
• Darts - Barbados Darts Association (BDA)
• Equestrian - Barbados Equestrian Association (BEA)
• Football - Barbados Football Association
  Barbados Football Association
  The Barbados Football Association is the governing body of association football in Barbados. It organizes the Barbadian national football team.-External links:* at the FIFA website....
  
   (BFA)
• Golf - Barbados Golf Association (BGA)
• Hockey - Barbados Hockey Association (BHA)
• Hockey (Ball) - Barbados Ball Hockey League (BBHL)
• Horse Racing - Barbados Turf Club (BTC)
• Polo - Barbados Polo Association (BPA)
• Polo (Segway) - Barbados Segway Polo Association (SPCB)
• Polo (Water) - Barbados Amateur Swimming Association (BASA)
• Racing - Barbados Auto Racing League (BARL)
• Road Tennis - Barbados (Professional) Road Tennis Association (BRTA)
• Sailing - Barbados Sailing Association (BSA)
• Squash - Barbados Squash Rackets Association (BSRA)
• Tennis - Barbados Tennis Association (BTA)
• Volleyball - Barbados Volleyball Association (BVA)

See also

• Barbados at the Commonwealth Games
  Barbados at the Commonwealth Games
  Barbados have sent teams to thirteen Commonwealth Games. The first Games at which they competed were in 1954, and the only event since they have not attended was the 1986 Games...
  
  
• Barbados at the Olympics
  Barbados at the Olympics
  Barbados first competed at the Summer Olympic Games in 1968, and has participated in each Games since then, missing only the 1980 Summer Olympics by participating in the American-led boycott of those games. The country's only Olympic medal is a bronze won by sprinter Obadele Thompson at the 2000...
  
  
• Barbados at the Paralympics
  Barbados at the Paralympics
  Barbados first competed at the Paralympic Games in 2000. It has participated in every Summer Paralympics since then. The country has never taken part in the Winter Paralympics and has never won a Paralympic medal. Only two people have represented Barbados at the games: Daniel Coulthurst, who...
  
  

External links

• Sports tourism in Barbados: the development of sports facilities and special events, Yolande J. Elcock, Journal of Sport Tourism 10(2), 2005, 129–134
• Sport in Barbados - Totally Barbados
• Sport in Barbados - Barbados Tourism Encyclopaedia