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This island’s seniors will have an additional six new sports to compete in when the 20th edition of the National Senior Games starts in another two months.

Coordinator of the games, Jasper Blades said motorsports, badminton, cricket, football, volleyball (both beach and court) and bodybuilding will feature in the May 5-20 event, bringing the total number of disciplines to 19.

Pointing out there was potential for other sports to be added, he said the ministry had also engaged the services of a technical advisor to aid in the preparation and development of these sports.

He was speaking on Friday at the launch of the games at the Vauxhall Senior Citizens Village where Minister of People Empowerment and Elder Affairs Kirk Humphrey urged Barbadians to support the games either as participants or spectators.

“I want to encourage all of Barbados to come over to participate in this year’s games. We plan them to be extremely exciting…. This year, we intend to have more games, more participation, and use more venues,” he said.

“I also want to invite some new runners to come out and participate in the games. I want some new, not necessarily young, but new faces to come to the Games and participate and to get the level of fitness eventually… and just to maintain healthy ageing. The whole idea here is about healthy ageing.”

Noting that Barbados has one of the oldest populations in the world, Humphrey added: “If you look at the trajectory, unchecked, in the next few years, the average Barbadian will be almost 60, so we have to be careful in terms of how we plan Barbados. We have to make sure that we have events for seniors to be able to do. This is not about getting old and lying around; this is about active ageing…. And so we want to encourage Barbadians to get involved,” the minister said.

The Elder Affairs Minister disclosed that three seniors would be honoured at this year’s games but did not reveal their identities. “We still have to do some confirmation,” he said.

However, Humphrey said a programme, Road to Senior Games, will be televised over the next eight weeks. Some of the athletes who participated in the games over the last 20 years or so will be highlighted.

One of the veteran athletes, Victor Young, is already preparing for the games with his eyes set on reclaiming one of his titles.

“I don’t just come on the track . . . to make sport, I come to do a job!” he declared.

The finals of the track and field segment of the National Senior Games will be held at the Usain Bolt Complex on May 18-20, the last three days of the event.

fernellaweederburn@barbadostoday.bb