January 30, 2013 at 5:54 p.m.
Janeiro deserves to be Athlete of the Year
Recman writes / Why are we even debating who should win?
Director of Youth and Sports Anthony Roberts, Judith Siddle-Simons and Debbie Jones-Hunter members of the sports award committee accepted nominations over the air.
As the phone calls came in and various individuals nominated I couldn’t help but think that any discussion regarding who should be chosen as the male athlete of the year could only be considered academic.
I believe Southampton Rangers skipper Janeiro Tucker stands head and shoulders above all other candidates for the award.
This I hasten to add, is not based on his performance in domestic cricket; although he had a good season, there were others who I believe outshone him.
Janeiro’s team mate Lionel Cann was outstanding, winning every local competition he played in.
George O’Brien was impressive in perhaps the two biggest games of the local cricket calendar Cup Match and the finals of the Eastern Counties.
But Janeiro played two match-winning innings which will in terms of Bermuda cricket forever hold great historical significance.
First, his magnificent 132 against the U.S. ensured that Bermuda defeated the Americans and for the first time in its history made it to the World Cup.
When he arrived at the wicket the score was 88 for four and, with master batsman Clay Smith sidelined through injury, the pressure was on him to produce the goods.
Tucker was equal to the challenge and scored so rapidly that one corporate lawyer at CD&P who was following the game over the Internet was certain that something was wrong with the service.
Second, his 123 against Canada in the Intercontinental Cup made over six hours, (unheard of for a Bermudian) allowed Bermuda to accumulate 311 runs in their second innings, overcome a first innings deficit and defeat the much fancied Canucks.
Victory over the Cayman Islands in the next match resulted in Bermuda winning for the first time the Americas Region of the Intercontinental Cup.
The Sports Award committee would also do well in recognizing the entire 2005 ICC Trophy Bermuda team that made it to the World Cup. This must rank as the greatest accomplishment by a Bermuda sports team ever. Their achievement stands as a beacon of hope in a society where young black men are often maligned in the media for the negative things they do. Further the team qualified when many of the leading figures in the cricket fraternity didn't feel they would do so. I can think of two former Bermuda captains who did not give them a chance.
To be frank they were not the most talented Bermuda squad to leave our shores but they were the most unified.
Perhaps there is a lesson to be learnt from this.
Finally the impact which former West Indies player and coach Mr. Gus Logie has had on the team should not be overlooked. All of the players have sung his praises and his ability to turn around what many perceived to be a bunch of no-hopers into a world cup team is an extraordinary achievement. He too deserves some recognition from the Sports awards committee.[[In-content Ad]]
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