Players traveled from across Europe to compete in JOIN’s 2026 Domino Tournament in Oslo. But amid the tiles, the food, the flags and the fierce competition, something larger was taking place: a community gathering around a tradition that keeps crossing borders.
The dominoes lie scattered across a wooden table, waiting to be turned.
All around the room, the colors of Jamaica appear again and again: black, green and gold flags strung along the walls and across the ceiling. In one corner they share the space with the red, white and blue of Norway. Tables fill the floor. Food is laid out along a buffet. Conversations carry on between rounds.
And then there is the trophy.
By the end of the night on Saturday, October 24, 2026, it belonged to Paul and Tyrone, champions of the JOIN Domino Tournament after a competition involving 12 teams. They beat Colin and Ian 3–0 in the grand final, while Denton and Lenroy took third place.
The scoreboard tells us who won. The photographs tell a bigger story.
Because this was not only about which pair could dominate the domino table. It was about everything that happens around that table: people gathering, eating, talking, competing and keeping connections alive.
According to the Jamaican Organisation in Norway (JOIN), players and supporters traveled from Germany, Sweden, England and Denmark for the event, and the organization described it as its most successful domino tournament in years. That alone makes the evening worth looking at as more than a sporting result. It is a small but revealing portrait of Jamaican community life in Norway, and of the cultural habits that keep people connected far from home.
Thirty-Five Minutes at the Table
The tournament was no casual game night. Held at Odvar Solbergs vei 22 in Oslo, it began at 6:50 p.m. with 12 teams divided into four groups of three. Every group-stage match ran for 35 minutes, with a food break from 7:30 to 8:30, semi-finals from 9:50 and the finals between 11:00 and 11:45.
The team list captures the spirit of the evening: Paul and Tyrone. Diann and Anders. Flap and Janne. Denton and Lenroy. Dianne and Mama Yvonne. Tuffy and Samoya. Colin and Ian. Yvonne and Petrina. Peter and Simon. Truck and Nevsta. Rocksy and Amira. Leo and Jamari.
Jamaicans, Norwegians, Danes, Germans and English players, side by side. Four groups. Twelve teams. One championship.
Paul and Tyrone came through Group A and Denton and Lenroy through Group B. Colin and Ian won Group C, and Truck and Nevsta took Group D.
The semi-finals were decisive. Paul and Tyrone beat Denton and Lenroy 3–0 on Table 1. On Table 2, Colin and Ian matched that score against Truck and Nevsta. That left two teams standing: Paul and Tyrone versus Colin and Ian.
The grand final ended 3–0. Paul and Tyrone were the 2026 champions. In the bronze match, Denton and Lenroy beat Truck and Nevsta 3–0 to finish third.
When a Game Becomes a Gathering Place
Dominoes do not need a stage. A table will do.
That simplicity may be the game’s greatest strength as a community activity. People sit across from one another. The tiles fill the space between them. A competition begins, but so does a gathering. Anyone who grew up in Jamaica knows the sound of tiles slapped down on a table at the gate, in the yard or at the corner shop. That sound traveled with us.
One photograph from the night says it best. Two guests sit across from each other at a wooden table, deep in conversation. Between them lies a pile of dominoes. Above them hang Jamaican and Norwegian flags.
It is hard to imagine a simpler picture of the evening. Jamaica and Norway. Heritage and home. A familiar game sitting comfortably between the two. And around that game, community.
A Taste of Community
The domino tables were not the only place people gathered. One side of the room became a buffet, a long table lined with dishes, where guests filled their plates between rounds.
Take away the results board and the trophy, and some of these scenes could be from a family celebration: plates being filled, people squeezing past one another, laughter, and black, green and gold overhead.
That matters. Diaspora communities are not sustained only by formal organizations or national celebrations. They are sustained by repeated chances to simply be together. Food is part of that. Music is part of that. Games are part of that. So is the simple act of creating a room where people recognize the culture they know, while living in another country.
JOIN’s tournament brought all of those things together under one roof.
Jamaica, Norway and the Space Between
The decorations were one of the clearest signatures of the night. Jamaican flags dominated most of the room. In one part of the venue, though, Jamaican and Norwegian flags hung side by side. It is a fitting image for a Jamaican organization at home in Norway.
Migration does not require one identity to erase another. Communities can create spaces where heritage and a new home live together. The tournament showed that without anyone needing to give a speech about identity. It simply happened.
Jamaica was present in the flags. Norway was present in the surroundings. Europe entered the story through the people who traveled to take part. And dominoes gave everyone a reason to come to the table.
A Tournament Without Borders
Perhaps the most significant part of the story is that this community does not stop at Norway’s borders. With players coming from Germany, Sweden, England and Denmark, the tournament became something larger than a local competition. The connections run across Europe.
JOIN says that will continue. Germany is expected to host one of the domino tournaments next year, while local competitions carry on in Norway. If that happens, the journey reverses: instead of players traveling to Norway, the community will gather somewhere else in Europe.
Different country. Different room. The same tiles.
Different country. Different room. The same tiles.
And Then Came the Trophy
The closing moments brought the celebration everyone had been waiting for. A gold trophy raised high, people gathered close, Jamaican flags still hanging in the background. A tournament that began with 12 teams had its winners.
For Paul and Tyrone, the result was emphatic. They won every group-stage match, took their semi-final 3–0, and then won the championship match by the same score.
Their names will go on the tournament record. But years from now, the scores may not be the only thing people remember. Someone will remember the food. Someone else will remember the trip to Oslo. Another will remember one particular game, one conversation, one opponent. And Paul and Tyrone will have a trophy to remember it by.
The Table Remains
Maybe that is why a domino tournament can tell us something surprisingly deep about life in the diaspora.
Culture is not preserved only in museums, ceremonies and history books. Sometimes it sits on a wooden table. Sometimes it arrives on a plate. Sometimes it hangs from a string of flags across the ceiling. And sometimes it is carried from one country to another by people who decide that distance should not mean disconnection.
On October 24, people from across Europe gathered around domino tables in Oslo. In the end, there had to be a winner. But the deeper achievement was much harder to score.
A community gathered. Connections were renewed. A tradition continued. And somewhere beyond Norway, another table is already waiting.
Results at a Glance: JOIN Domino Tournament 2026
| Date | Saturday, October 24, 2026 |
| Venue | Odvar Solbergs vei 22, Oslo |
| Format | 12 teams, 4 groups, semi-finals, final and bronze match |
| Champions | Paul & Tyrone |
| Runners-up | Colin & Ian |
| Third place | Denton & Lenroy |
| Grand final | Paul & Tyrone 3, Colin & Ian 0 |
| Semi-finals | Paul & Tyrone 3, Denton & Lenroy 0 Colin & Ian 3, Truck & Nevsta 0 |
| Bronze match | Denton & Lenroy 3, Truck & Nevsta 0 |
| Group winners | A: Paul & Tyrone · B: Denton & Lenroy · C: Colin & Ian · D: Truck & Nevsta |
Were you there, or do you play dominoes in your own corner of Europe? Share your story in the comments. And if JOIN brings the tournament to Germany next year, cbeharie.com will be there to tell the story.
THE BEHARIE LETTER · EVERY SUNDAY
Enjoyed this? Get one idea worth thinking about every Sunday.
Business, leadership, faith, culture and life between Jamaica and Norway. Free gift when you join: 20 Jamaican Phrases Every Visitor Should Know.
Prefer something daily? Try The Morning Three. No spam, unsubscribe any time.
Discover more from Colin Beharie
Subscribe to get the latest posts sent to your email.
