a very popular sport. Antigua has a national football team which entered World Cup qualification for the 1974 tournament and for 1986 and beyond. A professional team was formed in 2011, Antigua Barracuda FC, which played in the USL Pro, a lower professional league in the USA. The nation's team had a major achievement in 2012, getting out of its preliminary group for the 2014 World Cup, notably due to a victory over powerful Haiti. In its first game in the next CONCACAF group play on 8 June 2012 in Tampa, FL, Antigua and Barbuda, comprising 17 Barracuda players and 7 from the lower English professional leagues, scored a goal against the United States. However, the team lost 3:1 to the US. Daniel Bailey had become the first Antiguan to reach a world indoor final, where he won a bronze medal at the 2010 IAAF World Indoor Championships. He was also the first Antiguan to make a 100m final at the 2009 World Championships in Athletics, and the first Antiguan to run under 10 seconds over 100m. Brendan Christian won a gold medal in the 200m and bronze medal in the 100m at the 2007 Pan American Games. James Grayman won a bronze medal at the same games in the men's High Jump. Miguel Francis is the first Antiguan to run sub 20 seconds in the 200m. Heather Samuel won a bronze medal at the 1995 Pan American Games over 100m. 400m Hurdles Olympian Gold Medalist Rai Benjamin previously represented Antigua and Barbuda before representing the United States. His Silver medal run at the 2020 Olympic Games made him the second-fastest person in history over 400m Hurdles with a time of 46.17. Notable people Symbols The national bird is the frigate bird, and the national tree is the Bucida buceras (Whitewood tree). Clare Waight Keller included agave karatto to represent Antigua and Barbuda in Meghan Markle's wedding veil, which included the distinctive flora of each Commonwealth country. Despite being an introduced species, the European fallow deer (Dama dama) is the national animal. In 1992, the government ran a national competition to design a new national dress for the country; this was won by artist Heather Doram. See also Geology of Antigua and Barbuda Outline of Antigua and Barbuda Index of Antigua and Barbuda–related articles Transport in Antigua and Barbuda References Works cited Further reading Nicholson, Desmond V., Antigua, Barbuda, and