Burke banned

National surfer Josh Burke has been banned by the Barbados Surfing Association (BSA).
In a decision confirmed by BSA president Paul “The Surfer” Bourne, Burke, “has been banned for the rest of this year, including the national team at the end of this month to El Salvador for the World Surf Games.”
Bourne stated the BSA decided on this position “because of his (Burke) actions which were leaving the contest (2023 Pan-American Surfing Games) early without speaking to anybody about it, whatsoever.”

It is also understood the young surfer, 26, who is a beneficiary of the Olympic Solidarity Programme and the Road to Paris Programme of the Barbados Olympic Association (BOA) will face sanctions, including funding cuts, from the BOA. (RW)