Two New Directors Elected to the BOA’s Board

The Barbados Olympic Association (BOA) Inc. is pleased to announce the election of two new directors to its Board for the next three years - Olympic Bronze medallist Ambassador Obadele Thompson and General Secretary of the Athletics Association of Barbados Inc. Trevor Welch.

Thompson and Welch were elected on September 14, 2023, at the BOA’s Annual General Assembly at the Hilton Barbados Resort from a highly competitive field of seven nominees. The two will replace incumbents Craig Archer, a civil engineer and construction project manager, and Ytannia Wiggins, an educator, who had both been serving on the Board since 2017 and sought re-election. Other candidates included Allan Herbert, President of the Barbados Chess Federation; Nicholas Branker, a former national volleyball player; and Dominic Hill, a former hockey player, now coach.

The voting body, made up of 37 National Federations, was required to vote twice to determine the results since there was a tie in votes. Welch received 19 votes in the first ballot, Thompson and Hill 13 each, Wiggins 12, Archer 11, Herbert 3 and Branker 1. On the second ballot required to break the tie between Thompson and Hill, the former sprinter and the country’s lone Olympic medallist edged out Hill 20 -16.

President of the BOA, Sandra Osborne congratulated the new directors and expressed her confidence in their ability to contribute significantly to the team. She thanked the other candidates for participating in the election and encouraged them to explore other opportunities to support the BOA in its work.

The President also took the opportunity to thank Archer and Wiggins for their valuable contributions to the Board over the past six years. She acknowledged Archer's commitment to squash, both locally and internationally, and his long-standing service to the BOA, including as the chair of the Capital Works Commission. President Osborne added that they would continue to draw on his many skills. Additionally, she commended Wiggins for her service to the BOA and her role as a leader in Women in Sport.

Ms. Osborne added, “We recognise Craig and Ytannia for their service and assure them that we will continue to rely on their expertise in our many endeavours”.

During the General Assembly, three incumbents were returned unopposed to their posts - Vice President Cameron Burke, Secretary General Erskine Simmons and Treasurer Orson Simpson. They will each serve a three-year term.

At the meeting, President Osborne gave the National Federations an update on the BOA's progress throughout the year. According to her, the Association has been successful in achieving its strategic goals and objectives. Some notable accomplishments include providing more financial aid to athletes, launching an easy-to-use athlete reporting application, and winning a total of 13 medals over three Games. Treasurer Orson Simpson also mentioned that the BOA is in a strong financial position, with total assets and equity showing growth from the previous year.

Additionally, the General Manager of the BOA, Glyne Clarke, announced that a safeguarding policy was being implemented to promote safe sport and protect athletes and other vulnerable persons from harassment and abuse in sport.