Guyana and West Indies cricketers Romario Shepherd and Keemo Paul are lending their support to the budding cricket stars of Region One, standing behind the Under-13 Tapeball Competition with a generous sponsorship of $300,000 for the first-place cash prize.

The tournament, which kicked off recently at the Kamwatta Recreation Ground, is organized by the Sebai Primary School PTA and is being held under the impactful theme, “End Child Labour.”

Shepherd, who has been a longtime supporter of the event, and Paul’s involvement mark a strong show of commitment to nurturing youth talent while raising awareness around child labour in the region.

The final match, scheduled for November 16 at Fitzburg Recreational Ground, promises to be a grand affair.

Thanks to the International Organization for Migration, champions will receive beautifully crafted trophies, while the Ministry of Labour has sponsored trophies for sub-regional winners and runners-up.

The competition is the result of a combined community effort, with other sponsors stepping forward to offer their support, as Orlando Rogers of One Plus Total Solutions and Skywest Charter Service have donated the $200,000 second-place prize.

Meanwhile, ASP Chandradat Kooldeep, Maureen Rebeiro, Pro Red Resources, Peter De Freitas, International Imports and Supplies, Breeze Enterprise, Frontier Pharmacy, Mr. Ram Supreme Construction, Toshau Barmeter, CDC Chair Matthew’s Ridge, Alana James Amin, and the Department of Education Region One have all contributed to making the event a success.

Giving the lineup of young talent from various primary schools competing, the Under-13 Tapeball Competition is not just a game but a platform for personal growth and an important message to combat child labour in the community.

West Indies captains Shai Hope and Hayley Matthews, as well as star athlete Sada Williams, were among the highlights, as the National Sports Council recognized a number of Barbados standout athletes from a range of disciplines at the 39^th staging of its awards ceremony on Friday.

The event staged at the Garfield Sobers Sports Complex was flocked by the country’s finest, who were rightly celebrated for their dedication to achieving sporting excellence.

Williams, who enjoyed a stellar year capped by her bronze medal performance in the 400m at the World Athletic Championships in Budapest, received the much-deserved nod for the coveted Minister’s Award and the National Sports Personality Award for 2023.

Matthews and Hope stood out in their respective categories, winning that award in the senior division. Claiming the school awards were St Gabriel’s School and Harrison College, while Esther Maynard was honoured with the Lifetime Achievement Award for her committed service in the athletic community.

Diminutive golfer Ashton O’Kola Physically topped his peers in the Junior Outstanding Sportsperson category, as Chess phenom Hannah Wilson won the honours in the female side.

The Wesley Worrell Award was presented to table tennis player Chad Doughty. Signia Finance and the Barbados Bottling Company received the Sponsors Award for their continued support, while well-known sports journalist Kenmore Bynoe secured the Media Award.

In the Team Award category, the Barbados Women’s Squash team reigned supreme. Emerging Athlete awardees were Desean Boyce in athletics and rising tennis star Hannah Chambers.

Kofi Hinds received the Alvin Burgess Award for Sports Administrator, recognizing his excellent work in the hockey arena, and The Coach-of-the-Year award went to Jesse King in athletics.

Youth Awards were distributed to Rejada Hinds, Scott Galbraith, Shakobi Gittens, Sarama James, Zachary Maynard, Laila McIntyre, and Chaz Reifer-Belle. Special awards were given to Paul Bernstein, Dorian Best, Michelle Elliot, Roberta Foster, and Akeem Rudder.

Minister of Youth, Sports and Community Empowerment Charles Griffith in his remarks called for greater support from the private sector.

“From the time I took up this role as Minister of Sports I have been asking the private sector to come on board because it is impossible for government to fund all of the programs that we think are necessary to move our athletes to the next level,” Griffiths said.

“The onus is on us to ensure that every single playing field on this island is active with youngsters engaging in sporting disciplines and we have started the process of lighting all of those playing fields across the island. It is an ongoing project, but we expect to see the finishing line at some point in time,” he added.