Mark “Venom” Griffith and Kim Holder dominates at 2024 Barbados Road Tennis Open

The 2024 Barbados Road Tennis Open (BRTO) took audience in the double crowning, as two exemplary champions, Mark “Venom” Griffith and Kim Holder, were entitled the winners.

The event, under the auspices of the Ministry of Youth, Sports, and Community Empowerment, ended in thrilling finals for both the categories. The games were held at the Wildey Gymnasium in St Michael, where an approximate 2,500 people attended the games.

Two-time BRTO champion, Mark Griffith consolidated his supremacy in the game by winning for the third time on the trot. In the men’s final, Mark Griffith outplayed Dario Hinds for three straight sets.

Hinds won the first set, but Griffith rebounded strongly, clobbering the three subsequent sets 21-4, 21-8, and 21-15. Griffith said he was nervous going into the final match.

“I was feeling a bit of pressure coming into the finals because I wanted to three-peat and had a bit of nerves. Dario taking the first game was a surprise, but I came into my own and gave him a sow in the second game”, he said.

For Griffith, victory was all the sweeter since he is the first to have successfully three-peated in this tournament. He therefore gave credit to his father who has been supportive all his life, saying mentorship and guidance are key aspects that need to be provided to the young people.

“I know there are a lot of youths out there who may be going astray, and they need someone to look up to, a father figure, a mentor, the person that could guide them on the right path. And my father has always been there for me,” Griffith remarked.

Meanwhile, the last match in the female category also saw equal dominance, as Kim Holder defeated Sheldene Walrond in straight sets. Holder’s experience especially was impressive as she handled the match with a scoreline of 21-9, 21-16 and 21-17.

The win was a huge fulfilment of wishes for Holder, and she did not forget to thank her family and supporters for their encouragement. In her celebration, Holder also demonstrated that the sport is a gruelling activity that involves bodily stress, by hinting that she may retire in the coming times.

“I don’t know how long I got in tennis, but I will keep playing as much as I can. As you get older, just playing on that physical level takes a toll,” Holder explained. She mentioned the challenges she faces and implied on a shift to coaching stating: “I started coaching in between because I just love to give back.”

Griffith and Holder each took home BDS $20,000, the runners-up a total of BDS $15,000; and the third-place holder won BDS $10,000.

The big cheques offered are a testament to the increased prestige of the BRTO, arguably one of the signature events on the Barbadian sporting calendar. The competition this year was, besides being about excellence in sport, also a reminder of the broader social context of sport.