King urges new approach to sport, culture as growth key

Barbados must urgently reposition sport and culture from the sidelines to the centre stage of national development, Senator John King said on Monday, arguing that these creative industries could be the next major drivers of the economy if properly harnessed.

In debate on the Appropriations Bill, the former culture minister highlighted that while Barbados has historically produced world-class talent, it has often failed to capitalise on the business potential of these industries.

Sen King pointed to the global success of the 2024 ICC T20 World Cup staged here as a blueprint for what is possible, but urged the government to go further by developing homegrown events.

“Just think what Barbados can do if we were the ones putting on the tournament—tournaments that we own the intellectual property to, that we own the rights for broadcasting to,” Sen King said. “The amounts of money that can be garnered from us just owning these events is something we must begin to think about.”

The government senator emphasised that the economic “multiplied effect” of sport extends far beyond the athletes themselves, creating jobs in sports nutrition, psychology, media, and local services like transport and vending.

Drawing on his experience as a former supervisor at the Government Industrial Schools, King noted that sport is one of the most effective tools for crime reduction and social cohesion. He recounted stories of how seeing a father show up to a cricket or football match could mend broken family dynamics for at-risk youth.

“When a father turns up to watch his son play football or box and he does well, you begin to see how effective it is in bringing people together,” Sen King remarked. “Any investment that we make into sport cannot be argued based on just dollars and cents. The value goes way beyond the numbers.”

Turning to cultural heritage, he lamented that Barbados has yet to fully “value the assets” it possesses, from its unique language to its historic monuments. He cited Jamaica’s branding of its patois and Cuba’s world-renowned ballet and sports programmes as examples of what can be achieved with the right mindset.

Sen King argued that Barbadian stories are “endless” and should be used to create movies, documentaries, and merchandise for a global audience.

“We have stories to tell. We have places for people to actually come and see things that we ourselves might take for granted,” he said. “We’ve got to begin to change the mindset as to how we value these assets.”

While praising current budgetary moves to improve facilities, the senator stressed that infrastructure alone is not enough. He called for a focus on mentorship and a revision of the school system to better support children who show an aptitude for dance or sport rather than traditional academics.

Reflecting on the global success of Barbadian stars like Rihanna and West Indies Women’s cricket captain Hayley Matthews, King suggested that if Barbadians could excel “with very little input”, the potential for the next generation – backed by intentional government investment – is limitless.

(RR)