Teenage talent Akela Jones continues to leap to greater heights.
She was chosen as the Barbados Olympic Association’s (BOA) junior athlete for 2010 when the body held its annual awards and dinner at the Hilton Barbados last Friday night.
Jones, who has dominated the high jump in every local and regional competition that she has taken part in, was selected as the top junior female, while cyclist Darren Matthews, who is competing in Colombia was chosen as the top junior male.
Squash player Karen Meakins and swimmer Bradley Ally copped the senior female and male titles respectively, with the outstanding Ally also winning the President’s Award which saw his aunt Mezan Ally making numerous trips to the podium as Bradley is training in France.
In front of an audience which included Minister of Youth, Culture, Family and Sport Stephen Lashley, Minister of Education Ronald Jones, Philip Cullingan, Human Resource Development, , Charge d’Affaires, British High Commission, Dr Brent Hardt, Charge d’Affaires, Embassy of the United States and Dr Mohini Harris, Honorary Counsel for India, athletes, federations and administrators were honoured for their contributions during 2010.
Members of the Amateur Athletic Association of Barbados, the Barbados Hockey Federation, the Barbados Rifle and Pistol Federation, the Barbados Squash Rackets Federation and the Barbados Amateur Swimming Association were all recognised for their performances at the 2010 CAC Games.
The Barbados Cadet Corps was awarded the IOC Trophy for inspiring young people, while appreciation awards went to Barbados’ only two Olympic medallists, James Wedderburn (50th anniversary) and Obadele Thompson (tenth annniversary).
Special awards were given to Vaneisha Cadogan, who gained the highest marks in the masters degree in sports management, and Ian Weithers, who earned the international coach enrichment certification programme qualification during 2009-10.
During the night, long-serving BOA president Steve Stoute alluded to the mixed fortunes which Olympic sport experienced during 2010 where particpation in the CAC Games, the inaugural Youth Olympic Games and the Commonwealth Games stretched the BOA’s financial and human resources to the limit.
Stoute, who along with former president Austin Sealy would be honoured for almost a century of volunteerism to sport at the local, regional and international levels, lamented the fact that . . . “a number of our top competitors were unable to travel Delhi (for the Commonwealth Games) and the result was that for the first time in many years, we failed to win a medal.
“This was painful especially with our neighbours like St Vincent and the Grenadines, Trinidad and Tobago, Jamaica and others reaching the podium.
“It seems that we have either regressed or we are progressing at a slower rate than other countries including our Caribbean brothers.
“There is no other regional NOC, with perhaps the exception of Trinidad and Tobago that has more projects and programmes than ours,” Stoute said.
“Next year the Pan American Games are scheduled for Guadalajara, Mexico in October and we must ensure that we do not have another medal-less Games.”
During his feature address, Lashley outlined the need to focus on attracting more people to pursue careers in sports.
“We need sport psychologists, managers, trainers and physical therapists, for example,” he said.
“These issues continue to command our attention at the Ministry of Family, Culture, Sports and Youth and hence, we are in the process of developing a Sports Development Act that will speak to enabling the environment for the athletes, associations, federations, trainers, managers and other professionals and, of course, employers who have national athletes on their staff.”
