The Caribbean has given global sport some of its greatest protagonists; Lara, Powell, Campbell-Brown, McCallum, Walsh, Bolt, Ottey, Juanterano, Sobers, Yorke, Richards, Whitmore, Quarrie readily spring to mind. The list is endless.
They’ve all been honoured multiple times by their respective countries but until now no Caribbean-wide annual awards ceremony existed.
Enter sports promoter Al Hamilton, MBE, who hosted the inaugural Caribbean Awards Sports Icons at the Pegasus Hotel in Kingston, Jamaica last Friday.
He had some of the great athletes of past and present in the ballroom, including Jimmy Adams, Mike McCallum, Aileen Bailey, Nesta Carter and Grace Jackson.
Former European and Commonwealth heavyweight boxing champ Derrick Williams was one of a big group of England-based people who made the long trip for the occasion.
Hamilton is a veteran of organising international sports awards nights; since 1980 his annual Commonwealth Sports Awards night has taken place in mostly London but also Ghana, Uganda, St Lucia, Jamaica and many other countries.
International cabaret star Stella Starr flew in from her home in Monte Carlo to perform.
Digicel were the night’s main sponsors and this event was backed by Jamaica’s Ministry of Sports who sent their special adviser Ali McNabb as its rep. He was a Jamaican national footballer and still plays a mean game of tennis now.
McNabb said: ‘When Al Hamilton came to us it was a go right from the very beginning. Jamaica’s noted for honouring its heroes and this is no different.
‘We feel that an event such as this can only foster greater relationships between the islands.
‘And even from a CARICOM standpoint, not just a sporting standpoint, it increases camaraderie.
‘We can become second cousins. Antigua, Barbados… all those countries are close together. Now we can be getting into their back yards and sharing coaching and training techniques and other information.
‘We can become that family which is a dream of our forefathers. And I think that’s going to happen soon.
‘The honouring of the sports icons and the moving of the event from territory to territory each year is going to help to foster that.’
The football honour was won by Lindy Delapenha, the 81-year-old veteran who was the first Jamaican to play in English professional football 60 years ago, for Portsmouth and Middlesbrough.
Another football recipient was Austin ‘Jack’ Warner the FIFA vice-president and CONCACAF president, one of the most powerful men in the sport. He got the administrator’s award.
Warner had been on business in Egypt, then New York, but he ensured he was there on the night, albeit arriving late when his 20 minute flight from Montego Bay was delayed for three hours.
Trinidadian Warner said: ‘I’m gratified for this award because in my country an award like this to me is non-existent. I always admire Jamaica how they give respect to their sports persons. They are second to none in the Caribbean.’
He added: ‘We in the Caribbean have some of the greatest sportsmen in the world. Jamaica has the fastest sprinters. An awards of this nature goes a long way to make our sportsmen feel they are fully appreciated.’
Warner was inspired by the first CSIA and added: ‘From what I have seen here to tonight, we will have to have an annual awards ceremony for the Caribbean Football Union too.
‘We need to honour our Caribbean footballer of the year, team of the year, referee and a coach. We must have a function like this. We must honour our footballers and officials in a meaningful way. As from next year the CFU will copy this.’
Is there a chance of CSIA being held in Trinidad in the near future?
‘If it is left to the Trinidad and Tobago government I cannot say because they don’t fully recognise and respect sport. It really depends on the business sector but with my help it is quite possible.’
The boxing award went to Jamaica’s McCallum, one of the greatest fighters of the modern era. He won world titles at three weights – light-middle, middle and light-heavy – and was avoided by all the best fighters of his day.
Las Vegas-based McCallum won his first world title in 1984, the WBA light-middle belt. He said: ‘It’s been a long time since I’ve been in Jamaica, maybe three years. But when I came off the plane, I thought I was in Miami, the place looks so good.
‘I know all those times I was fighting you were all fighting with me and I just want to say thanks.’
Other winners were Sir Garfield Sobers (cricket), Veronica Campbell-Brown (female track), Alberto Juantereno (male track), Jennifer Frank (netball). Special awards for excellence at the Beijing Olympics went to Usain Bolt and Shelly-Ann Fraser.
Hamilton is excited that at least five countries are now vying to stage the Caribbean Sports Icons Awards next year. One of them is the Bahamas.
Frederick Stirrup is the Associate Editor of the country’s oldest newspaper, the Nassau Guardian.
Stirrup is also president of the Pan American Boxing Association, secretary of the Bahamas Boxing Commission and honorary president of the Amateur Boxing Federation of the Bahamas and on top of all that he’s a sports consultant and successful author.
‘I think the awards night was a fantastic experience and just what we needed to be the catalyst to bring about a greater appreciation within the region for our stalwart heroes, men and women who have done so much in sport over the last 60 years,’ Stirrup said.
‘Generally there was a good response from everyone in attendance. There were people from all over, including Trinidad and the Bahamas.
‘This event was two-pronged because we had amateur boxing on the following night and hopefully, in the future we’ll have track and field, cricket and soccer events. We’re thinking of extending this to a five or six day week CASI week with various social and sporting activities.
‘It’s a natural evolvement because when you talk about Caribbean sport there are so many disciplines.
‘The likelihood is that it’s looking good for the Bahamas next year. I’m going to invite my friend Al Hamilton over there so that we can sit down and meet with two other colleagues and start to get the ball rolling for 2009.’
Hamilton himself was overwhelmed. He said: ‘For me it’s gratifying, I’m particularly pleased with the effort of President Warner because this is a man who actually cut short his last CONCACAF meeting in New York to be here.
‘Despite Air Jamaica being nearly three hours late he still preserved to come here tonight. For me, that shows the content of the man as a Caribbean entity.
‘Having said that, there were issues and turbulences. All my 27 years of skills of organising the Commonwealth Sports Awards came into putting this together.
‘It was like an old pugilist being in the ring. I had to feint and pretend I was beaten to pull it off. I cannot underplay and undermine the role that Carol Pyke (CSIA operations manager) played too.
‘I threw her in the deep end here and even though she is not well, I had to put pressure on her because if I had eased off there would be no show. Having said that, it’s mixed emotions. I’m happy and pleased that it happened but with a little bit more input from my main sponsors, Digicel, it could have been a lot better.
‘Apart from Digicel, I would like to props the Pegasus Hotel, the Jamaica Observer, Ackee Tree UK Pand Virgin Atlantic who flew me in.
‘Yes, Digicel, helped but instead of giving me a raft to paddle on the ocean they could have given me a boat. It just needed a little more commitment from their PR machinery that is already there. If they really believed in it, it could have been better.
‘Digicel sponsors Usain Bolt and if they had wanted him to be here he would have been here. It’s been a good evening, but it could have been better.’
Despite the Bolt no show there were still plenty of big names. Track stars Juliet Cuthbert and Sandra Palmer were also there and Aileen Bailey broke off her training in the US to attend.
Hamilton added: ‘Bahamas are not the only country in the frame. There are other countries interested in hosting CASI next year.
‘It’s about bringing the best of the Caribbean together and giving Caribbean people a chance to come and meet with them.
‘It’s exactly the same as what I’ve been doing with the Commonwealth Sports Awards in the UK where I am bringing icons together and letting Joe Public come and mingle with them.’
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