BOA to host activities to mark CANOC’s 20th anniversary

The Barbados Olympic Association Inc. (BOA) will, in collaboration with the Caribbean Association of National Olympic Committees (CANOC), host a number of activities from October 4-8, at the Hilton Barbados Resort to mark CANOC’s 20th anniversary.

CANOC serves as the regional representative body for National Olympic Committees, Commonwealth Games Associations and governing bodies of national sports organisations from the Caribbean.

The theme of this year’s celebration is ‘Beyond Possible’. It will commence on October 4 with a two-day workshop, which will be led by the Sustainability Department of the International Olympic Committee (IOC). On October 6, the participants will visit two sustainability projects on the island – the Barbados Light & Power Company’s utility-sized photovoltaic solar farm at Trent’s, St Lucy and the PEG Farm & Nature Reserve at Easy Hall Plantation, St Joseph.

The CANOC 10th Annual Workshop and the 21st General Assembly follow on October 7 and 8, respectively. Delegates from the 29 member countries throughout the Caribbean region are expected to attend.

President of the BOA, Sandra Osborne, said that BOA is pleased to be selected as the host for the workshops and the 21st Annual General Assembly and looks forward to welcoming delegates from across the region to our shores.

“It is an honour for the BOA to collaborate with CANOC and the IOC in hosting these three important events that bring together sport administrators from across the Caribbean. As a regional family of sporting organisations, it is important to acknowledge the strength that lies in our shared cultures and to work together to advance the development of sport for our people,” Osborne said.

The CANOC Workshop and General Assembly will attract delegates from the English, French and Spanish-speaking countries in the region. The workshop will place special emphasis on contemporary issues affecting the world of sport and CANOC’s leadership role in shaping and implementing the Caribbean’s response.

The BOA President and Keith Joseph, President of CANOC, will open the workshop. Several panel discussions and talks will be held throughout the day on topics such as ‘Harnessing the Value of Caribbean Sport’, ‘Creating a Caribbean Sports Value Framework’ and ‘Incorporating Human Rights in Caribbean Sport Value Generation’. Speakers include David Grevemberg, Chief Innovation and Partnerships Officer, Centre for Sport and Human Rights; Chris Stokes OLY, CANOC Chair of Marketing and Monetisation Commission; and Jasmine Mickens, Senior Policy Associate, Open Society Foundations.

Meanwhile, Sunday’s General Assembly will be an occasion to celebrate Caribbean sports and all the achievements made to date and to work to achieve more going forward. The Minister of Youth, Sports and Community Empowerment, Charles Griffith, will officially open the meeting. Welcome remarks at this event will be delivered by the BOA and CANOC Presidents. Video messages from the President of Panam Sports, Neven Ilic; the President of the Commonwealth Games Federation, Dame Louise Martin; and the President of the International Olympic Committee, Dr Thomas Bach, will also be featured during the opening.

A highlight of the opening ceremony will be the signing of a memorandum of understanding between CANOC and The University of the West Indies, which is anticipated to assist with sports development in the Caribbean.