St. Lucia Hosts Commonwealth Sports Awards - Lifetime Award for FIFA V.P. |
Contact:
John Emmanuel
Monday, October 29, 2001
- Vice President of football’s world governing body (FIFA) Austin
“Jack” Warner has commended organizers of the Commonwealth Sports Awards for
their efforts in recognizing and paying tribute to dozens of sports
personalities throughout the region.
Warner,
a Trinidad and Tobago national, received the Commonwealth Sports Foundation’s
Lifetime Award at a gala ceremony held at the Rex St. Lucian on the weekend. He
noted that in a world of declining values and negative criticism, much was being
accomplished by the award ceremony in bestowing honours on individuals who serve
as positive role models. The contribution of sport and sports personalities he
said had gone unrecognised.
“There are very few countries in the Commonwealth where their flags can be flown
on the field of war, possibly the last country is now in Afghanistan. Surely
though the flags of all the countries in the Commonwealth can be flown on the
field of sport and those flags can help to propel these countries forward and it
is in this regard I want to reiterate my thanks to the federation for having
persevered with this awards ceremony,” said Warner.
Now
into it’s 22nd year, the Commonwealth Sports Awards in addition to
focusing on youth achievements, presented awards in the categories of athletics,
boxing, cricket, football, and netball.
World test cricket record holder, Jamaican Courtney Walsh won the nomination for
Commonwealth Cricketer of the year. Other nominees were Australian Mark Waugh
and Shane Warne. The Commonwealth Footballer award went to Michael Owen of
Liverpool, England. Other contenders were England captain David Beckham and the
Nigerian national football team. The Athletics award went to the world 400-meter
champion Avard Moncur of the Bahamas. Special awards went to retired footballer Chris Ramsey, former professional at Brighton now a European qualified coach and to former World, Commonwealth and British Featherweight boxing champion Colin McMillan.
St.
Lucian young cricket all-rounder Darren Sammy, who has been short-listed to tour
New Zealand with the West Indies Youth cricket team for a limited overs-series
next year and St. Lucian high jump sensation and Sportswoman of the Year Leverne
Spencer picked up special awards.
Wimbledon and US Open tennis champion Venus Williams won the International Sports Personality category. The weekend ceremony marked the first time that the Commonwealth Sports Awards was held in an OECS country. Other previous venues have been England, Scotland, Uganda and Jamaica. The awards ceremony is the brainchild of former Jamaican Sports Journalist Al Hamilton. |
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