Barbados to hold state funeral for cricket legend Sir Garfield Sobers on July 29

Barbados will hold a state funeral for National Hero and cricket legend Sir Garfield Sobers on July 29 at Kensington Oval, the government announced Tuesday.

Sobers, widely regarded as one of the greatest all-rounders in cricket history, died last Friday at the age of 89 at his home in Highgate Gardens.

Health and Wellness Minister Lisa Cummins said the ceremony will take place at 10 a.m. at the iconic cricket ground, which holds a special place in Sobers’ legacy.

“The State Funeral for the Right Excellent Sir Garry Sobers is going to be held at Kensington at 10:00 a.m. on July 29th,” Cummins said during a news conference. “This is the Mecca, this is where Sir Garry is best known, this is one of the iconic cricketing grounds, and so we will send him off in a thanksgiving ceremony that will take the format of a state funeral.”

Cummins said the ceremony will honour Sobers’ contributions not only to cricket but also to Barbados as a nation.

“We have to acknowledge that he is our own, he is a Barbadian first and foremost, he is loved by our people but he is also a family man,” she said.

A representative of the Sobers family, Lady Carol Jacobs, has been included in the planning committee to ensure the family’s wishes are reflected in the arrangements.

Since his death, tributes have poured in from across the cricketing world for the former West Indies captain, who is celebrated for his remarkable batting, bowling and fielding abilities.

Sobers became the first player to hit six sixes in an over in first-class cricket and captained the West Indies during one of the most successful periods in the team’s history. His influence on the sport has made him an enduring figure in Caribbean and international cricket.

The state funeral will be held at Kensington Oval, the historic Bridgetown venue where generations of Barbadians have celebrated some of cricket’s most memorable moments.