BRIDGETOWN, Barbados – The Caribbean Regional Badminton Confederation (CAREBACO) 2019 Tournament got underway today with a cadre of international and regional badminton players.
The tournament will run until August 29 at the Wildey Gymnasium of the Garfield Sobers Sports Complex.
“Given that 2020 is an Olympic year, many of the badminton athletes will be using this year’s CAREBACO Tournament to their advantage as a way to obtain Olympic qualifying points,” said chairman of the CAREBACO 2019 Local Organising Committee, Dionne Haynes.
She said it has attracted 70 international athletes from the Czech Republic, Germany, Panama, USA, Canada, Italy, Luxembourg, Wales, Poland, Finland, Iceland, Slovakia, Suriname, Haiti, Brazil, Ecuador, Mexico, Jamaica, England, Trinidad and Tobago, Guyana and Mongolia. Added to those from the host country, player participation will be “in the hundreds”. 
Haynes said it was a wonderful opportunity for everyone to witness badminton at a very high level, and “given the range of players, we expect some exciting matches”. She urged Barbadians to come out and support the local team.
The tournament comprises three segments. The Junior Tournament for the Under-19 players started at 10 a.m. today and continues through Sunday. The CAREBACO International will run from August 20 to 25, and this will be followed by the Under-11 to Under-17 Individual Tournament from August 26 to 29.
All matches start at 10 a.m. daily.
Haynes thanked the sponsors, including the Barbados Olympic Association, Divi Resort and Harrogate Natural Spring Water (distributed by Niven Distributors), the official water of the tournament. (PR/SAT)
