CONTRIBUTIONS OF SPORTS

• Sports
have played a significant role in the social and cultural development of
Caribbean society.

• Caribbean people value sports which are an integral part of their daily lives.

• Caribbean people play and enjoy sports such as:

✓ Cricket
✓ Basketball
✓ Rugby
✓ Boxing
✓ Track and field
✓ Swimming
✓ Football (soccer)
✓ Horse racing
✓ Crab races

• Several international sports which are not mainstream in the Caribbean such as
American football, polo, golf and hockey carry a Caribbean audience due to
globalization and the internet.

• Several regional and international sporting events are organized each year which
give Caribbean people an opportunity to participate and enjoy sports.

• Regional organizations that help with the development of sports in the Caribbean
include:

(a) West Indies Cricket Board – formed in the 1920s and has been a
member of the International Cricket Council since 1926
(b) Caribbean Football Union – Based in Trinidad and was established in
1978
(c) Caribbean Netball Association – Based in Barbados and was
established in 1985
(d) West Indies Rugby Union – based in Guyana and was established in
1975
 (e) Caribbean Association of National Olympic Committees – based in
Barbados
(f) Caribbean Regional Anti-Doping Organization – based in Barbados
and was established in 2005
(g) West Indies Players Association – based in Trinidad and Tobago and
was established in 2004

• Several educational institutions in the Caribbean have been created to focus on

sports based programmes such as :

(a) G.C. Foster College of PE and Sports – Jamaica

(b) University of the West Indies Sports and P.E. Centre – Trinidad and
Tobago and Jamaica
(c) University of Trinidad and Tobago Academy of Sports and Leisure –
Trinidad and Tobago
(d) Barbados Olympic Centre – Barbados
(e) University of Technology - Jamaica

Importance of Sports in the Caribbean

1. Sports bring people together and are a source of integration in the Caribbean. It
provides a sense of unity and creates a feeling of pride. Caribbean countries have
oftentimes grouped together to participate in sporting events which brings regional
pride. This has led to a Caribbean identity. Consider the impact of cricket which
has become a unifying link among the British Caribbean countries with the
creation of a common team that brings together 15 territories under the same
union.

Teams in the Caribbean that have brought regional pride includes:

o Reggae Boyz of Jamaica
o The Soca Warriors of Trinidad and Tobago

2. Sports create a reason for people together and, therefore, create a common goal
and interest. People can interact with hundreds of others in a festive atmosphere. In
Bermuda, for example, the most important holiday is a 2- day summer festival
called the Cup Match when the entire island participates in matches between the
cricket clubs.
3. Sports have been a historical means to break the ties of colonialism in the
Caribbean. Cricket in the 1920s was significant in creating a Caribbean identity.
The participation of Caribbean countries in the Olympics, Pan- American and
Central American Games have brought national pride to Caribbean countries
which were once living under the darkness of colonialism. These games put them
on equal footing with countries such as Spain, Britain, Germany and France which
were once their colonial rulers.

4. Sports have been an avenue for the socio-economic wellbeing of many

Caribbean people because it is a massive generator of wealth and income. People
of poor-socioeconomic backgrounds are able to improve their life chances through
sports. Many people have broken intergenerational poverty through participation in
sports in the Caribbean. The wealth generated from sports have also led to
international recognition for many athletes in the Caribbean, e.g., Usain Bolt, Brian
Lara, Shelly-Ann Frazer Pryce.

5. Sports have provided educational opportunities for Caribbean people. Students

are able to gain scholarships to regional and international schools across the world
through sports. This has enhanced their employment prospects and has improved
their life chances.

6. Sports have always been a keen way to enhance health and fitness. People
participate in sports for fun, but are not always mindful of its health benefits.
Children are kept active which fights against the early onset of diseases. This is
why Physical Education is usually emphasized in Caribbean schools.

7. Sports have enhanced tourism in the Caribbean. People travel from all over the
world to watch sports in the Caribbean. The 2007, International Cricket
Competition could be cited as an example when the entire Caribbean participated
in hosting several cricket matches. Hotels were booked all over the region.
Unfortunately, sports tourism is not well developed in the Caribbean because many
sporting events are small and lack sponsorship. Also several sporting
infrastructures in the Caribbean are lacking.
8. Enhancement of Caribbean cultures

o Several informal sporting events are based on cultural activities such as goat
racing, crab racing and cock fighting
o Bucco Goat Racing Festival in Trinidad and Tobago
o The Turf and Jockey Club Festival and Carnival in Nevis – revolve around horse
racing
o Donkey racing festival in Jamaica

CAPE PAST-PAPER QUESTIONS

CAPE 2003
“Sports have made a major contribution in the Caribbean.” To what extent do you
agree with this statement?
(30 marks)

CAPE 2006
To what extent do sports in the Caribbean provide educational opportunities for
Caribbean people as well as a route to Caribbean nationalism? (30 marks)

CAPE 2009
Discuss FOUR challenges faced by Caribbean governments in their efforts to use
sports to facilitate development. (20 marks)

• Lack of sufficient infrastructures

• Lack of sponsorship or investors
• Brain drains among good athletes who leave the Caribbean to seek better
opportunities
• Cost to participate in international sporting events
• Lack of experience coaches to enhance the sporting abilities of athletes
• Limited emphasis on sporting education in the Caribbean