Caribbean health groups stage sports events to bar sugary‑drink sponsorship during World Cup

The Diabetes Association of Trinidad and Tobago (DATT) organized the country’s first Human Foosball Tournament on 11 July, under the theme “Kick Big Soda Out of Sport”. The event, timed with the FIFA World Cup finals, aimed to raise awareness of the health risks of sugar‑sweetened beverages and ultra‑processed foods. DATT President Dr Andrew Dhanoo said the tournament “comes out of a grant… to show sugar‑sweetened beverages should have no place in sport”. Health Minister Dr Lackram Bodoe praised the participation of 22 secondary schools and linked the activation to broader school‑nutrition programmes.

In Barbados, youth advocates, medical students and members of the Childhood Obesity Prevention Coalition held a symbolic 5‑a‑side futsal match on 11 July. The match, part of the global “Kick Big Soda Out” campaign, highlighted that about 42 % of Barbadian children are overweight or obese. Players wore jerseys with messages such as “Excess Sugar” and “Blood Sugar Spike”, and advocates used placards to educate spectators on the link between sugary‑drink marketing, non‑communicable diseases and environmental harms. The Caribbean actions join a worldwide movement that, as of July 2026, has over 706 000 supporters and 104 organisations.