By Samuel Peters
It was a night to remember; a night of perfect weather under starry skies when the legends came together to reminisce about the past glories of Sir Isaac Vivian Alexander Richards KNH OBE OOC
and Jim Allen MBE, as they were celebrated by their fans, supporters, well-wishers and comrades alike.
The 2023 Golden Jacket Awards was an evening of lengthy speeches, great laughter and splendid attire, as patrons came out in support of the event held at the Courtyard, Coolidge Cricket Grounds.
The event is the brainchild of the Leeward Islands Cricket Board (LICB).
Remarks were made by Minister of Sports, the Honourable Daryll Matthew, Cricket West Indies President Dr Kishore Shallow, LICB President Enoch Lewis and Guest Speaker Mr Desmond Haynes, who spoke eloquently about his experiences with Sir Vivian Richards on past cricket tours for the West Indies team.
He described Richards to be a ‘down to Earth and humble individual’, whom he had the greatest respect for. When his featured address was completed the biographies of both Sir Vivian Richards and Jim Allen were read by Mr Hugh Gore and Mr Owen Roach.
The first golden jacket was presented to the son of Jim Allen, Mr Williams, as his father was unable to attend due to unforeseen circumstances. The second was presented to the only living National Hero of Antigua and Barbuda, Sir Vivian Alexander Richards who seemed delighted to don the new jacket when he received it. He then proceeded to thank the audience for coming out to support the event and was gracious enough to take pictures with various groups, fans and supporters.
The visionary behind the event, Mr Enoch Lewis, congratulated both recipients on behalf of the LICB for their “journey from obscurity to the pinnacle of the cricketing world.”
The Golden Jacket Awards were established to recognise the significant contributions of cricketing legends while they are still alive. The first two legends to receive the Golden Jackets were Mr Elquemedo Willett and Sir Andy Roberts in the British Virgin Islands in 2022.
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