After its introduction recently in the African nation of Rwanda, Barbados’ indigenous sport of road tennis has now been showcased to representatives of European countries.
A group of 12 people, representing a variety of European Union member states in the working party on Latin America and the Caribbean in the Council of the European Union (COLAC), were last week in Barbados as part of a visit to the Caribbean.
On Monday, they played a match and were coached by national road tennis champions, Mark “Venom” Griffith and Sheldine Waldron.
Ambassador of the European Union in Barbados, Malgorzata Wasilewska, said along with the National Sports Council, they are very supportive of the sport.
“It is amazing to see our visiting colleagues get hooked on the game – we even played until dark,” Wasilewska said.
“They were very enthusiastic about the game and are dedicated to bring the sport back to their respective countries.”
The working party was in Barbados from last Sunday to Wednesday to meet with government ministers and to visit EU-sponsored projects in the island.
They were also joined by Minister for People Empowerment and Elder Affairs, Kirk Humphrey.
The group included counsellors of each EU member state responsible for relations with countries in the Caribbean and Latin America.
Representatives from Germany, Czech Republic, Finland, France, Ireland, Luxembourg, Slovenia, and Spain as well as a number of EU officials formed part of the mission, led by chairman of the working party, Tomas Reyes Ortega.
The aim of the visit was to give European countries the opportunity to explore and understand the complexity and the vulnerability of life in the Caribbean.
The visit further encouraged EU countries to identify areas for expertise sharing, as well as business investment opportunities between the Caribbean and Europe.
The delegation will also visit St Lucia and Trinidad and Tobago. (PR/NM)