Commonwealth Games

Team BVI wraps up Birmingham 2022 appearance with Gold medal and invaluable experience

August 10, 2022 by Admin

BIRMINGHAM, ENGLAND – AUGUST 06: Kyron McMaster of Team British Virgin Islands celebrates after winning the gold medal in the Men’s 400m Hurdles Final on day nine of the Birmingham 2022 Commonwealth Games at Alexander Stadium on August 06, 2022 on the Birmingham, England. (Photo by David Ramos/Getty Images)

The Birmingham 2022 Commonwealth Games ended on August 8 with a spectacle of fireworks and artists as teams from 72 countries walked into the Alexander Stadium for the Closing ceremony. Joy Victor, a member of the 3×3 basketball team was the flagbearer for the BVI.

The territory was represented at the Games by 17 athletes competing in 4 sports – squash, 3×3 basketball, track and field and cycling. The crowning glory of the 9 days of competition for the team was the success of defending champion Kyron McMaster who, once again, delivered for the nation by winning the gold medal in the 400m hurdles with a time of 48.93.

“This was the largest team that we have taken to a Commonwealth Games and I can say that the athletes rallied in friendship and support ensuring a firm sense of team spirit,” said Chef de Mission Mark Chapman. “The athletes had solid assistance from their coaches both on and off the field and benefited from the treatment on tap provided by Chiropractor Thomas Jeppesen. It was good to see the athletes support each other’s competitions and the 3×3 players also had the opportunity to enjoy pickup games in the neighbourhood.

“The enthusiasm of those new to the Games and their appreciation of the opportunity to compete was encouraging and will be recorded as an eye opening and memorable occasion.”

In advance of the track and field events, the Chef de Mission and Ashley Kelly, the Caribbean Region Athlete Representative for the Commonwealth Games Federation, hosted the team and delegation at a “team family” dinner.

The Premier Dr. The Honourable Natalio Wheatley paid a visit to the athletes in the Village on July 27. A week later, the Minister for Education, Culture, youth Affairs and Sports, Honourable Sharie de Castro visited the Village and was in attendance at the track and field and cycling events and also hosted a gathering for the diaspora ahead of McMaster’s 400m hurdles final.

“Birmingham 2022 has been a great experience for all of the athletes making their first appearance at a major Games,” said President Penn, President of the BVI Commonwealth Games Association. “It has given them an idea of what it means to compete on the world stage and to be against the top athletes from the participating countries. The hope is that this will fuel their fire and serve to set their targets beyond the local and regional meets they have excelled at so far and be on a trajectory to join our body of elite athletes who have secured top 10 rankings in the world.

“On behalf of the BVI Commonwealth Games Association, I thank the athletes, coaches and volunteers for their relentless efforts, commitment and dedication to representing the territory with pride at Birmingham 2022.”

The team was led by Chef de Mission Mark Chapman. The delegation included BVI Commonwealth Games President Ephraim Penn, Team Manager Ralston Henry and Coaches Adam Murrills (squash), Eric Matthias (throwing, 3×3 basketball), Lennox Graham, Joey Scott (track), and Paul Cullimore (cycling).

Birmingham 2022 took place July 28 – August 8 and was the 22nd edition of the Commonwealth Games with 11 days of sports comprising 286 sessions, covering 19 sports in which athletes from 72 nations competed for podium finishes. The next Commonwealth Games will take place in 2026 in Victoria, Australia.

Summary of events

Squash

Joe Chapman and Luca Reich in the Birmingham Men’s Singles. Photo credit: Nathan Clarke

Veteran player Joe Chapman was joined by Luca Reich who celebrated his 19th birthday with a Commonwealth Games debut, playing in Round of 64 in the Men’s Singles. While neither player advanced through to Round of 32, Chapman won his Plate Round of 32 match against Jules Snagg (St Vincent and the Grenadines) but lost to Julian Morrison (Jamaica) in the Plate quarter finals. The duo then competed in the Men’s Doubles and lost their match against Velvan Selthinkumar and Abhay Singh of India.

Basketball

BVI v Canada Birmingham 2022 PHOTO Thomas Jeppesen

For the first time in sporting history, the BVI was represented at a Commonwealth Games by basketball when a team of 4 players participated in the 3×3 event facing 3 major countries: Canada (6-22), England (5-21) and New Zealand (5 – 19). The team, comprising Joy Victor, Shauliqua Fahie, Mahkayla Pickering and Keithrece Smith, faced a baptism by fire and quickly learned the standard, speed and style of play employed by the more experienced players. By their final match, played against New Zealand, team BVI stuck to their new game strategy and succeeded in outplaying the clock to prevent their opponents from scoring the full 21 points (3×3 basketball uses half a court with 1 hoop, 2 teams of 3 + 1 sub. It’s a fast 10-minute game with a 12-second shot-clock. There’s no break after scoring, no half-time and no quarters. The first to 21 points before the time runs out wins the game. If the clock runs out before 21 points, the team with the highest sore wins).

Cycling

Darel Christopher Jr and Sam Talbot Birmingham 2022 Road Race Photo Credit Thomas Jeppesen

Darel Christopher Jr and Sam Talbot both competed in their first Commonwealth Games when they raced in the Time Trial and Road Race. Christopher Jr completed the TT – an event which is a race against the clock – in a time of 58:06.36 with a ranking of 41/54 and Talbot finished in a time of 56:06.67 for a 37/54 ranking. The Road Race was the second of the cycling events. The two cycled in a group of participants from the Caribbean and Africa and after completing 48km of the 160km course, in 3 laps, the group of 51 cyclists were pulled from the race in accordance with the race rules and regulations established for the safety of all riders.

Track and Field

British Virgin Islands’ Trevia Gumbs competes during the women’s shot put qualyfiying round athletics event at the Alexander Stadium, on day five of the Commonwealth Games in Birmingham, central England, on August 2, 2022. (Photo by Ben Stansall / AFP) (Photo by BEN STANSALL/AFP via Getty Images)

Nine athletes competed in track and field events, Rikkoi Brathwaite (100m), Adriano Gumbs (400m – non-advancing time of 48.87 in the heats), Djimon Gumbs (discus – non advancing distance of 32.32, shot put – 10th place with a distance of 17.18), Deya Erickson (100m hurdles – non-advancing time of 13.94 in the heats) and Beyonce Defreitas (200m) made their major Games debut as they joined veterans Kyron McMaster (400m hurdles), Eldred Henry (shot put), Tynelle Gumbs (hammer throw – non advancing distance of 46.90) and Trevia Gumbs (shot put – non advancing distance of 13.27)).

Brathwaite progressed to the semi-finals where he ran a non-advancing time of 10.31 placing 4th in his group. Defreitas also went through to the semi-finals and placed 15/24 with a time of 23.81.

Eldred Henry, competing in what is only his 3rd meet of the outdoor season placed 5th with a season’s best of 19.97.

BIRMINGHAM, ENGLAND – AUGUST 05: Beyonce Defreitas of Team British Virgin Islands reacts after competing in the Women’s 200m Semi-Finals on day eight of the Birmingham 2022 Commonwealth Games at Alexander Stadium on August 05, 2022 on the Birmingham, England. (Photo by Shaun Botterill/Getty Images)

Filed Under: Ashley Kelly, Athletics, Basketball, Birmingham 2022, BVI Commonwealth Games Association, Commonwealth Games, Cycling, Eldred Henry, Joe Chapman, Kyron McMaster, Squash, Uncategorized Tagged With: Birmingham 2022, BVI Commonwealth Games Association, Commonwealth Games, Kyron McMaster

Reich and Chapman open for Team BVI at Birmingham 2022. 3×3 Basketball to debut at Commonwealth Games

July 30, 2022 by Admin

Luca Reich and Joe Chapman opened the competition schedule for the BVI at the Birmingham 2022 Commonwealth Games on July 29. PHOTO CREDIT: Nathan Clarke

Squash player Luca Reich opened BVI’s competitions at Birmingham 2022 with his Commonwealth Games debut today, July 29, which also is his 19th birthday.

Reich pushed his game up a level as he fought for points against Emyr Evans representing Wales and came off the squash court at the University of Birmingham venue satisfied with winning some points against the PSA world ranked 93 player for a match result of 11-1, 11-3, 11-0 to Evans.

Later that same evening, Joe Chapman played his first match of the Birmingham 2022 Commonwealth Games competing against Abhay Singh of India.

Following 3 fast-paced games, where each player made use of all corners of the court, Chapman conceded the match to Singh in 3 games 11-5, 11-5, 11-5.

Chapman, who felt the two of them were well-matched, was satisfied with his performance in the preliminaries.

Both Reich and Chapman play again in the Plate Men’s Singles Round of 32 on Sunday, July 31.

The historic 3×3 basketball team will debut at Birmingham 2022 as the first basketball team to represent the territory at the Commonwealth Games in what will be tough matches against more experienced and established teams from large countries.

Joy Victor, Shauliqua Fahie, Keithrece Smith and Mahkayla Pickering are set to face Canada and England on Saturday, July 30 when they compete in Group B at 3:55pm (10:55am BVI time) and 9:35pm (4:35pm BVI time) respectively. Matches will be played at a temporary arena which has been constructed at the Smithfield site in the centre of Birmingham.

The players have been acclimating and have already met their Canadian opponents since their arrival at the Friendly Games.

“It’s been an eye-opening but good experience for all the athletes who are new to competing at major Games,” said Mark Chapman, Chef de Mission for the Birmingham 2022 Commonwealth Games. “The team has come together and has settled quickly and smoothly into a routine at the Athletes’ Village, adapting to the time difference and making sure they get their practice sessions in. Everyone is looking forward to the arrival of the other athletes over the course of the weekend to compete the team.”

Track and field athletes, Kyron McMaster, the defending 400m hurdles Commonwealth Games champion, Eldred Henry (shot put), and Deya Erickson (100m hurdles) along with cyclists Darel Christopher Jr and Sam Talbot are due into Birmingham in the next two days.

“I have spent some time with the team, been to watch some of the squash and the basketball practice session, and have seen Ashley Kelly in action as the Athlete Representative for the Caribbean region of the Commonwealth Games Federation and can say that all our athletes are doing us proud with their ambassadorial behavior,” said Ephraim Penn, President of the BVI Commonwealth Games Association. “This is a great opportunity for our up and coming athletes to get their feet wet as part of the process of developing into serious competitors on the international stage and they all seem to be taking advantage of it. We look forward to watching and supporting them in their competitions.”

Track and field competitions start on August 2 and the cyclists compete in their first event – time trial – on August 4.

Birmingham 2022 is the 22nd edition of the Commonwealth Games with 11 days of sports comprising 286 sessions, covering 19 sports in which athletes from 72 nations will compete for championship titles.

Filed Under: Ashley Kelly, Athletics, Basketball, Birmingham 2022, BVI Commonwealth Games Association, Commonwealth Games, Cycling, Eldred Henry, Joe Chapman, Squash, Uncategorized Tagged With: Birmingham 2022, BVI Commonwealth Games Association, Commonwealth Games

Ephraim Penn elected as Caribbean Representative for Commonwealth Games Federation Sports Committee

September 6, 2019 by Admin

Representatives of the Caribbean Commonwealth Games Associations with the Hon. Espérance Nyirasafari, Minister of Sports and Culture, Government of the Republic of Rwanda, Dame Louise Martin, DBE, President, Commonwealth Games Federation, the Rt. Honourable Patricia Scotland, QC, Commonwealth Secretary General, and Fortuna Belrose, Caribbean Regional CGF Vice President.

Dame Louise Martin DBE (Scotland) was re-elected as the Commonwealth Games Federation (CGF) President for a second four-year term by acclamation by delegates from the 71 nations and territories of the Commonwealth attending the CGF General Assembly at the Kigali Convention Centre in Kigali, Rwanda, September 3 – 6. She became the first female to hold this office in the history of the Commonwealth Sports Movement when she was elected in 2015.

Ephraim Penn, President of the Virgin Islands (UK) Commonwealth Games Association (BVICGA) was elected to the position of CGF Sports Committee Caribbean Representative.

The quadrennial elections saw three CGF Vice-Presidents elected: Kereyn Smith (New Zealand) Chris Jenkins (Wales) and Bruce Robertson (Canada).

Three new Regional Vice-Presidents were also elected to the Executive Board: Americas with Judy Simons J.P (Bermuda), Asia with Chris Chan (Singapore) and Europe with Harry Murphy (Gibraltar).

The three other Regional Vice-Presidents were all re-elected: Africa with Miriam Moyo (Zambia), Caribbean with Fortuna Belrose (Saint Lucia) and Oceania with Hugh Graham (Cook Islands).

In addition to Penn’s election for the Caribbean, results for every position on the Sports Committee included Sani Ndanusa (Nigeria) for Africa, Linda Cuthbert (Canada) for the Americas, Lt. Gen. Syed Arif Hasan (Pakistan) for Asia, Helen Phillips (Wales) for Europe and Craig Phillips (Australia) for Oceania.

Ephraim Penn, Caribbean Representative, Commonwealth Games Federation Sports Committee with the Hon. Espérance Nyirasafari, Minister of Sports and Culture, Government of the Republic of Rwanda

“Being elected to represent the Caribbean is indeed a great honour and I acknowledge and respect the trust and confidence that is being placed in me to act in the best interests of the region,” said Penn. “I have been in seat as the BVICGA president for the past 11 years and have served in various roles on other sports related bodies and advisory committees locally and regionally since 2004. I have forged good and open relationships with my Caribbean counterparts as well as those representing countries across the world. I look forward to working with CGF Sports Committee on behalf of the Caribbean CGAs and am excited to be part of a team that will continue to move the Commonwealth Sports agenda forward.”

The Sports Committee typically meets biannually. Its key functions are to provide technical expertise and support to the Executive Board in relation to the development and management of all aspects of the Commonwealth Games and Commonwealth Youth Games sports programmes. The Committee also engages with International Sports Federations, future host cities and bidding cities.

Penn, who has an Executive Masters of Sports Management (MEMOS)from the University of Lyon, France along with a Masters in Economic Planning and Bachelors in public Affairs from Florida Atlantic University, Florida, was a member of the VI’s 1st Track & Field team at the 1975 Central American and Caribbean (CAC) Athletic Championship, Ponce, Puerto Rico and the 1976 Carifta Games, Nassau, Bahamas. He was a member of the national Softball team that competed in the 1987 Pan Am Games in Indianapolis, USA and which placed 4th – the highest team sport accomplishment at the Games for the VI – and a member of the national Softball team at the 1993 CAC Games, Ponce, Puerto Rico.

During his current tenure as president of the national Olympic Committee / Commonwealth Games Association since 2008, Penn established the Elite Athlete Programme in partnership with the Ministry of Sports and was instrumental in composing the National Sports Policy of the VI. He established the VI’s Anti-Doping Commission and is a current board member of the Regional Anti-Doping Organization of the Caribbean (RADO). He also serves as the chairman of the Long Term Athlete Development Steering Committee and is a member of the Panam Sports New Sports Commission. Following Hurricane Irma, Penn secured funding and support from Panam Sports for the rebuild of sports facilities in the VI.

Penn sat as president of the BVI Amateur Athletic Association (now known as the BVI Athletics Association) from 2006 – 2008 and led the executive which was responsible for the installation of the first MONDO Class 2 rubberized track in the VI.

In addition to the elections, the General Assembly saw the approval of a refreshed Transformation 2022 strategy and the continued evolution of the CGF’s Governance and Regulations.

Deliberations took place to further evolve the Commonwealth Games Sports Programme while the new CGF Brand and Logo was formally showcased for the very first time.

The General Assembly marked the ten-year anniversary of Rwanda joining the list of Commonwealth nations in 2009.

It was staged a year before the country hosts the Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting (CHOGM) in 2020 with Commonwealth Secretary General the Rt Hon Patricia Scotland QC in attendance where she delivered a formal address to the Assembly.

Rwanda itself is the newest member of the Commonwealth, and the second country (as well as Mozambique) in the Commonwealth without historic UK ties.

Filed Under: BVI Commonwealth Games Association, Commonwealth Games Tagged With: BVI Commonwealth Games Association, Commonwealth Games, Commonwealth Games Federation Sports Committee, Commonweatlh Games Federation, Ephraim Penn

Henry shatters BVI records for top Jr. College spots

April 16, 2014 by bvioc

By: Dean Greenaway

Eldred Henry, a British Virgin Islands 2013 Carifta Games Discus Throw and Shot Put bronze medalist shattered the territory’s Discus mark and improved his own standard in the Shot, during two competitions in Arizona over the weekend.

At the Mesa Classic Discus Throw Invitational on Friday, Henry, the Central Arizona College freshman demolished Eric Matthias’ 10-year old mark of 55.87m with a toss of 58.18m on his fourth attempt to place third overall.

Then at the Sun Angel Classic in Tempe on Saturday, on his last attempt, Henry released a 17.34m effort to win the Shot Put and improve his own National Record of 17.07m at the Willie Williams Classic on March 21. His marks also put him at the top of the National Jr. College Athletics Association rankings in both events.

“My plan was not only to break the record but to surpass it and qualify for the Commonwealth Games,” Henry said of his Discus Throw mark where he’s aiming to throw 60m and over 19m in the Shot. “My technique has gotten a lot better than before and I’m beginning to understand the concept of the technique which is allowing me to perform the way I am now.”

Henry who’s turning 20 this year is relatively new to the sport and has moved from throwing the Jr. to the Sr. implements said the transition was a bit challenging because with the lighter weights, he was accustomed to seeing the Shot and Disc going further than with the heavier one. He pointed out that his first coach Omar Jones had him throwing the heavier implements as he was about to enter the senior ranks and that has made his adjustments easier.

Despite his inexperience Henry said he knows he has the potential to grow.

“I’m still making simple mistakes but working on correcting them,” he explained. “I would like to take out the school record which is 62m in the Discus and would have to train twice as hard as I’m doing now. If it doesn’t happen this year it’s going to happen next year.”

Henry—fourth and fifth respectively in last year’s Pan Am Jr. Championships Shot Put and Discus Throw—said the international experience has helped him prepare for events like the Commonwealth Games and NACAC U23 Championships during the summer.

“I’ve just begun competing in track a year ago and going and competing in front of thousands of people, isn’t something everybody can do,” he noted. “Once you can get that fear out the way you can relax and perform how you are supposed to. That has helped me out and because in college I have competitions almost every week is helping me to get rid of that fear of competition so its just a matter of how hard and how far you can throw on that day.”

Filed Under: Athletics Tagged With: 2013 Carifta Games Discus Throw and Shot Put, Commonwealth Games, Mesa Classic Discus Throw Invitational, NACAC U23 Championships, National Jr. College Athletics Association, Pan Am Jr. Championships Shot Put and Discus Throw, Sun Angel Classic, Willie Williams Classic

Glasgow 2014 Queen’s Baton Relay in the VI to debut at Noel Lloyd Positive Action Movement Park

March 18, 2014 by bvioc

The Glasgow 2014 Queen’s Baton Relay will be introduced to the Virgin Islands at 9.00am on Thursday, April 3. Mr. Steve Augustine will bring in the Glasgow 2014 Queen’s Baton at a public welcome ceremony at the Noel Lloyd Positive Action Movement Park. Mr. Augustine represented the VI in athletics at the XV Commonwealth Games Victoria 1994 and at the XVII Commonwealth Games Manchester 2002.

The Queen’s Baton Relay is a symbolic event that heralds the Commonwealth Games and takes place every four years. It has been run since the 1958 games in Cardiff, Wales. The baton bears the Queen’s ‘message to the athletes’. When the baton ends its journey through the Commonwealth, it is returned to Her Majesty the Queen in the stadium. The message is removed and read aloud by HM to officially declare the Games open.

His Excellency Governor Boyd McCleary, Premier Dr. D. Orlando Smith, and Honourable Myron Walwyn, Minister for Education, Culture and Sports, will play key roles in welcoming the Glasgow 2014 Queen’s Baton Relay to the territory. The occasion will incorporate Scottish bagpipes in recognition of the host country for the XX Commonwealth Games.

The ceremony will end when the Minister hands over the baton to the first baton bearers. They will represent the three sporting associations slated to participate in the XX Commonwealth Games. The members from the squash, swimming, and athletics associations will run from the Noel Lloyd Positive Action Movement Park to the Wickham’s Cay I roundabout. This will be the first leg of the series of symbolic relays through Tortola, Jost Van Dyke, and Virgin Gorda.

The BVI Olympic Committee, in its capacity as the local Commonwealth Games Association, is the host of the Glasgow 2014 Queen’s Baton Relay and encourages the public to participate in the relays.

“The baton relay routes are not too arduous,” said Ephraim Penn, president of the BVIOC. “Each leg is quite short and we have planned for the relay of the baton to pass through main communities and areas of historic significance. It’s a symbolic relay and we really want to see as many people join in either as runners or supporters.”

On Thursday, April 3, relays will pass through Road Town from 10:00am – 11.15am and will move to the First District. The Queen’s baton relay will then start at 11.45am from Capoon’s Bay, and run through Apple Bay and Carrot Bay. It will be driven to De Wedding from where the baton relay will be run through Cane Garden Bay. The relay route will end at the beach by the Methodist Church where swimmers from the BVI Swimming Association will escort the baton out to the Police launch for transportation to Jost Van Dyke.

Following a relay through Great Harbour at 2.30pm, Queen’s baton will be transported to the BVI Spring Regatta at Nanny Cay Resort & Marina where the Tortola Sloop, Intrepid will receive the baton and conduct a sail-by in the company of Optimist sailors.

At 8.30am on Friday, April 4, the Premier will welcome the relay to Virgin Gorda at the Virgin Gorda Yacht Harbour. Relays will take place through the Valley, to the Baths and the Bregado Flax Educational Center. The baton will then return to Trellis Bay, Beef Island at 4.30pm. Relays will be cycled, run and walked through East End/Long Look to the HLSCC.

The Glasgow 2014 Queen’s Baton Relay will conclude its visit to the Virgin Islands at the HLSCC. There will be a cultural presentation featuring local and Scottish performers and a ‘Tasting under the Tent’ to showcase the cuisine of the VI and Scotland.

This is the third time that the relay will visit the VI. The first occasion was in August 2005. The VI will be the 54th country to be visited on the relay’s journey through 70 Commonwealth nations and Overseas Territories. The baton will arrive from Anguilla on April 2 and will depart for Jamaica on April 5.

The key stakeholders involved in organizing the Glasgow 2014 Queen’s Baton Relay events include the BVIOC, the Office of the Governor, the Office of the Premier, the Ministry of Education, Culture and Sports (to include the Departments of Culture, and Youth Affairs and Sports), the Royal Virgin Islands Police Force, the H. Lavity Stoutt Community College, and the BVI Tourist Board. The event is supported by the BVI Red Cross, Foxy’s Bar, the Jost Van Dykes Preservation Society, and Rotary Club of Tortola.

The Glasgow 2014 Queen’s Baton Relay is sponsored by the Ministry of Education, Culture, and Sports, the Ministry of Finance, CCT, BVI Bank Association, Roadtown Wholesale, San Bendetto, Powerade, and Harneys.

A detailed itinerary of the route can be found on www.bviolympics.org or can be requested from the BVIOC office. Contact Cleave Farrington on 542 1007.

Filed Under: BVI Olympic Committee Tagged With: Commonwealth Games, Queen's Baton Relay, Queen's Baton Relay Glasgow 2014

2014 Queen’s Baton Relay in the BVI April 2-5

March 6, 2014 by bvioc

The BVI Olympic Committee, in its capacity as the local Commonwealth Games Association, launched the one-month count down to the arrival of the Queen’s Baton Relay. The baton and traveling team will arrive into the Virgin Islands from Anguilla on Wednesday, April 2. Two full days of public events and relays will take place in the territory on April 3 and 4 before the Queen’s Baton Relay departs for Jamaica on the morning of Saturday, April 5.

The Queen’s Baton Relay is a special tradition of the Commonwealth Games which take place every four years. The ‘friendly Games’ unite the two billion citizens of the Commonwealth in a celebration of sport, diversity and peace. The XX Commonwealth Games will take place this summer in Glasgow, Scotland.

The baton, which was specially crafted in Scotland, holds Her Majesty the Queen’s message calling the athletes of the Commonwealth to the Games. It is on its journey through 70 Commonwealth nations and territories, travelling 190,000KM over 248 days. Its journey is being reported on BBC News outlets.

The official public welcome ceremony for the Glasgow 2014 Queen’s Baton Relay will take place from 9.00am – 10.00am at the Noel Lloyd Positive Action Movement Park on Thursday, April 3.

The baton will then start its first leg of the relay through the Virgin Islands from the Noel Lloyd Positive Action Movement Park. It will pass though communities in Tortola, Jost Van Dyke, and Virgin Gorda during the course of Thursday, April 3 and Friday, April 4.

The Premier will host a welcome ceremony in The Valley, Virgin Gorda at 8.30am on Friday, April 4.

The Queen’s Baton Relay is a unifying event organized by the Commonwealth Games Association inviting members of the Commonwealth and the Overseas Territories to showcase their country, culture, hospitality, communities, and sports. This year, there is a focus on youth through a partnership between the Commonwealth Games Association and UNICEF.

“This is an occasion for all who reside in the BVI to come together in the spirit of friendship and unity,” said Ephraim Penn, president of the BVI Olympic Committee. “It’s the perfect opportunity to emphasize the Commonwealth Games message of friendly games and sports for all and to harness the current drive towards wellness and health for everyone and to encourage all to come out and take some exercise be it a gentle jog or a brisk walk.”

In an effort to reach out to the children of the territory, the Glasgow 2014 mascot named Clyde, after the river Clyde in Scotland, has been on a tour of some of the public schools earlier this year as part of a project undertaken in conjunction with Hertfordshire County Council

“The mascot was designed by a 12 year old girl and is based on the Thistle which is Scotland’s national emblem,” said Mark Chapman, Chef de Mission, XX Commonwealth Games. “We will be continuing to make presentations to schools on the Queen’s Baton Relay and the Glasgow 2014 Games during the next couple of weeks.”

As a key stakeholder involved in the planning process of the visit of the Queen’s Baton

Relay to the territory, the Ministry of Education, Culture, and Sports endorses the communitywide event:

“At the Ministry, we are doing our part to ensure active participation by our schools and that our youth organisations are at the forefront,” said the Honourable Minister Myron Walwyn. “As the Baton arrives [at] a time when our schools are on Easter break, I am urging all parents and guardians to allow your children to participate in activities scheduled for that day so that your child can witness and participate in this global ceremony.”

The public events and the relays are planned to pass through Road Town, Capoons Bay, Carrot Bay, Cane Garden Bay, Great Harbour, Jost Van Dyke, and the BVI Spring Regatta Village at Nanny Cay Marina on Thursday, April 3 and through The Valley, Virgin Gorda, East End/Long Look to include The Sticket, and culminate at the H. Lavity Stoutt Community College on Friday, April 4.

A cultural presentation by traditional musicians, dancers and performers to include Scottish reel dancing will form part of the official closing ceremony HLSCC when the baton is returned to the Queen’s Baton Relay traveling team and the Commonwealth Games Association. The evening will end with a cultural tastings under the tent with samplings of food and refreshments from the BVI and Scotland on sale.

The full itinerary of events, baton route and times will be publicized closer to the arrival date through broadcast, print, and online media, as well as via the BVIOC Facebook, Twitter and Instagram social media accounts.

Mr Rey O’Neil OBE, past president of the BVIOC and BVI Athletic Association and one of the territory’s sporting pioneers noted that Glasgow 2014 will be the seventh Commonwealth Games in which the Virgin Islands will participate, “Our first Commonwealth Games was at the Auckland 1990 games in New Zealand when one athlete went from the territory, Lindel Hodge. Lindel was the first batonbearer when the Queen’s Baton Relay first came to the territory in 2006.”

The Virgin Islands is expecting to send 8 athletes to represent the territory in Squash, Athletics, and Swimming at the Glasgow 2014 Commonwealth Games which take place from July 23 to August 3, 2014.

The last time the Queen’s Baton Relay toured the Commonwealth and Overseas Territories was in 2010 when the baton and traveling team visited the Virgin Islands in March of that year heralding the games in Delhi, India.

The key stakeholders involved in organizing the Glasgow 2014 Queen’s Baton Relay events include the BVIOC as the local Commonwealth Games Association and host of the Queen’s Baton Relay, the Office of the Governor, the Office of the Premier, the Ministry of Education, Culture and Sports (to include the Departments of Culture, and Youth Affairs and Sports), the Royal Virgin Islands Police Force, the H. Lavity Stoutt Community College, and the BVI Tourist Board.

Filed Under: BVI Olympic Committee Tagged With: BVI Olympic Committee, Commonwealth Games, Queen's Baton Relay

Successful Commonwealth Games database training held in BVI

February 19, 2014 by bvioc

From February 10^th to 12^th, 2014, the BVIOC hosted a three (3) day Commonwealth Games Planning workshop at the Training Division Conference Room. Thirteen (13) NOC’s/CGA’s delegates from the Caribbean and Canada attended the workshop to gain theoretical and practical education on how to organize, develop, and plan for regional, national and international sporting competitions. [Read more…]

Filed Under: Athletics Tagged With: Commonwealth Games