Barbadians encouraged to get active

Minister of Youth, Sports and Community Empowerment Dwight Sutherland has made a plea to the youth of Barbados to find a better way to address their issues.

Sutherland was speaking at the opening of the third edition of Bajefit, which held their launch at the Ellerton playing field in St. George recently. He told those who want to do deviant behaviour to “forget it and get fit… forget it and come out and meet people”.

Bajefit is hosted by the National Sports Council and the Youth Development Programme, and encourages members of the community to come out in a safe, socially distanced environment to get active.

Sutherland said that he does not wish to see any idle, young people in Barbados.

“Get involved in a programme,” he urged, mentioning a few such as the Youth Achieving Results programme and First Job initiative.

“We have enough programmes that every single one can be involved – whether through sports, the youth or community empowerment.”

Director of the National Sports Council, Neil Murrell, said during his welcome remarks that it was an opportunity “not only for persons in Barbados to be physically fit and physically active, but what we want to do is have a new national consciousness in terms of physical activity, health and nutrition.

“We see this activity benefitting…all sportsmen and women in Barbados to be physically fit and physically active. [To achieve] a pure body and a pure mind through physical activity.”

The initiative is scheduled to run for nine weeks at various venues.

Murrell added, “It is nine weeks of hard work and you setting your goals and putting your health goal in place. If you stay consistent you will achieve your goals for the betterment of your body, the betterment of yourself and the betterment of all of Barbados.”