Cozier should get National Award says Minister Roopnarine

May 20, 2016 Sports

Name Media Centre after ‘Reds’ who turns 77 today

By Sean Devers
Iconic Barbadian Radio and TV commentator and Cricket Journalist Tony Cozier who died on May 11 in his home land at 75 will be cremated today in his homeland.
Cozier was the voice and face of West Indies Cricket for over 50 years and Education Minister with responsibly for Sports Dr Rupert Roopnarine, recommended a Guyana National Award be given to Cozier, a true citizen of the West Indies.
If that materializes it would be wonderful for the family of Cozier who not only made an outstanding contribution to Barbados but to cricket in the entire West Indies. The Media Centre at the Kensington Oval is named after him.
Minister Roopnarine, a former First-Class off-spinner, is no doubt aware of Joseph ‘Reds’ Perrier’s contribution to not only cricket but all sports. He should encourage Government to rename the Media Centre ‘the Reds Perriera’ Media Centre while he is still alive.
Reds, who hails from Pomeroon and celebrates his 77th birthday today, is known around the World as a Guyana’s best Radio cricket Commentator. He and Cozier were the only West Indian voices in India and Australia when the Caribbean team played Test matches there in the early days.
Reds, who was given the Arrowhead of Achievement (AA) National Award previously, has also commentated on almost every Sport and was one of the broadcasters calling the action in a world title boxing contest in Jamaica. Reds who moved to St Lucia in 1984, was an Administrator for National Sporting Associations, set up the Reds Perriera Foundation to raise funds for sporting Associations and Sportspersons and was the Director of Sports at the Organization of Eastern Caribbean States (OECS).
Minster Nicolette Henry, who is in charge of the Sports Ministry, should be aware that Reds severed from 1973-1978 as advisor to Minister of Sports Shirley Field-Ridley in the PNC Government or that the late Roy Fredericks was not only Guyana’s best opening batsman but was also the Minister of Sports in the Forbes Burnham Government. Fredericks is also the only person in the World to score a First-Class double century while severing as a Government Minister and a Member of Parliament when he made 217 against Jamaica at Bourda in 1983.
When Minister Henry attended the opening of the Aquatic Centre and was asked about the naming of the Stands, she shot down the idea saying that she did not want the spend the next five years defending the names.
Fredericks and Perriera were among the names suggested in addition to Clive Lloyd, the only West Indian to Captain West Indies in three consecutive World Cup finals; winning the first two in 1975 & ’79. He is also still the most successful West Indian Test Captain, while no other Guyanese Captain has more than his two Regional First-Class Titles in the 50 years Guyana has played as Independent nation.
Every other International cricket venue in the West Indies, except Guyana has names of their outstanding players on its stands.
Among the other names suggested were Rohan Kanhai, considered Guyana’s best batsman, Lance Gibbs (the first bowler to take 300 Test wickets and still the only West Indian spinner with over 300 wickets), Colin Croft (Guyana’s best fast bowler and only one with 100 Test wickets), Shiv Chanderpaul (Most First-Class and Test runs for Guyana, also most Test matches by a West Indian and most Test Centuries and only triple century in the last 50 years by a Guyanese), Ron Legall (Guyana’s best Book Scorer and longest serving statistician), Carl Hooper & Ramnaresh Sarwan (Along with Chanderpaul are Guyana’s best modern day batmen).
We will have to wait and see if any of the names suggested are attached to Guyana National Stadium at Providence.

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