The National Olympic Academy of Barbados, the educational arm of the Barbados Olympic Association (BOA), launched a Primary Inter-School Sport and Art Competition at the BOA's headquarters in Wildey.

Dave Farmer, director of the Academy, told an audience of primary schoolchildren, students and teachers that he hoped the competition would promote the synergies between sport and art, as well as teaching them the Olympic values of excellence, friendship and respect.

"In keeping with the Olympic Charter our programmes are generally education in nature and attempt to reach out to all sectors of the sporting fraternity: athletes, coaches, administrators, managers, National Federations, Sports Associations and clubs," he said.

The National Olympic Academy of Barbados has launched a Primary Inter-School Sport and Art Competition at the Barbados Olympic Committee's headquarters in Wildey ©BOA 
The new competition was welcomed by Ivan Clarke, President of the Association of Public Primary Schools Principals in Barbados. 

"Olympic values are taught every day in the classroom and there must be full integration of sports within the primary school," he said. 

"We need to think of our coaches not as coaching, but teaching.

"The days of brawn in spors are out and we also must have brains as well.

"We need thinking individuals and we need for the children in the primary and the secondary schools to see how sports can be a profession.

"The Olympic Academy must, for this reason, be commended for this initative."

Winners are due to be submitted to the Academy by March 15 and the winners will be announced by the end of April.

Prizes will include art supplies and sports equipment, while individual winner will receive tablets and cash rewards.

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