Cricket Association Boss Says Shipwreck Deserves Knighthood

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By Neto Baptiste

As support continues to pour in for the knighting of popular community activist and sports administrator, Stanfield “Shipwreck” Joseph, President of the Antigua and Barbuda Cricket Association (ABCA), Leon Rodney, has lent his voice to the debate.

Rodney, who worked closely with Joseph during many cricket competitions, said his willingness to go above and beyond the call of duty for both country and community is what sets him apart from others.

“This thing goes way back in terms of the type of work Shipwreck put in from the days when he had the ‘sports train’ which was an old bus when he would go around and pick up all those youths and so forth, and especially when he formed Shipwreck International [football team]; so Shipwreck has been putting in the kind of work that a lot of us did not and so I support any accolade for Shipwreck,” he said.

Rodney joins others like former West Indies captain and one of four knighted cricketers here, Sir Vivian Richards, another former West Indies player and fast bowler, Kenneth Benjamin, and former national footballer and coach, Derrick Edwards, who have all publicly supported the nomination for Joseph’s knighting.

The cricket boss also had something to say to those publicly opposing the call for Joseph’s knighting.

“Sometimes I believe it’s where you come from. People look at you as being at a lower level, but if some people who served 40 years in office [political] and they are paid for that, Shipwreck who has donated 40 years of his time could also be deserving,” he said.

Joseph singlehandedly ran the Shipwreck Youth Development Football League at the King George V Grounds from the 80s to the early 2000s. He was also a liaison for many international cricket and football teams and officials while they were in Antigua on tour or official business.

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