The battle for supremacy in the 2026 Dasani Barbados Secondary School Athletic Championship, ignites on Wednesday at Harrison College as the island’s young athletes begin their quest for glory.
The opening salvo comes in the Shakira Shorey Field Event Championship, where power, precision and pride will be on full display from the very first throw and leap. Day one will feature action in the Junior Girls’ Shot Put, Under 17 Boys’ Javelin, Under 20 Girls’ Discuss, Under 20 Boys’ Long Jump, Junior Boys’ Shot Put, Under 17 Girls’ Javelin, Under 20 Boys’ Discuss and Under 20 Girls’ Long Jump.
Combermere enters the arena as the two-time defending boys’ champions, while The St Michael School returns to defend the girls’ crown they captured in 2025.
Technical Director Dorian Best expressed confidence ahead of the three-day showdown, revealing that final preparations have gone smoothly and all systems are set for championships.
“Today (Tuesday) is all about setting up the infrastructure at Harrison College, which is the facility that we’re going to be using for the field event championships. So currently we are erecting the tents, setting up the sectors and so forth, for the different field event areas,” Best told Barbados TODAY. “On the technical side of things, we are setting up the computers and finalising that stuff. All preparations are really in place for a grand opening tomorrow (Wednesday).”
Best also explained the decision to move from Queen’s College, which hosted last year’s event. “Harrison College gives us the opportunity to do all four field events that we want to do; shot put, javelin, discuss and long jump. Queen’s College does not have the long jump area, so it’s really a strategic decision moving back to Harrison College for us to complete more field events.”
The format will see three preliminary flights, with the top eight competitors advancing to an immediate final showdown.
Best believes athletes and coaches have now fully adjusted to the structure, which separates the field events from the track programme.
He is of the view that “it has been a positive change”.
Best added: “Yes, we would like one facility to do everything, but as I said at the launch, the ability now for our PE teachers and team managers to focus a lot of effort and preparation on these two events, has actually redounded to success and better distances and and so on from our athletes, so it has been a successful time for us at the field event competition.”
According to the technical director, the event is now receiving a lot more focus from the coaches, who are trying to grab every available point possible.
He revealed, however, that due to the limited space available at the venue, the field event championship will not be open to the general public. But fans have been assured that plans are well advanced for the track segments of this year’s event at the Usain Bolt Complex.
The Esther Maynard and Shane Brathwaite Zone will run from March 16 to17, with the Frank Blackman and Sada Williams Zone from March 19 to 20.
“Preparations for those are also going well. Remember too that we have a week’s break in between the field event championships and those zone championships. That gives us a little more preparation time and once the heavy load of the field event competition is finished, then we have some extra time to finish off the preparations, at the Usain Bolt Complex,” Best added.
