A report by Orville Williams for The Antigua Observer.
Antigua and Barbuda’s solely dwelling Nationwide Hero, Sir Vivian Richards, has attributed the newest in a string of awards obtained throughout and after his illustrious profession to a ardour for representing his Caribbean roots.
On Sunday, Sir Viv – as he’s affectionally referred to as – obtained the Order of the Caribbean Neighborhood, Caricom’s highest award, for his contributions to regional growth by his sporting accomplishments and his social advocacy.
He was offered with the award by Chan Santokhi, President of the Republic of Suriname, throughout Caricom’s 43rd Convention of Heads of Authorities assembly in that nation.
The previous West Indies captain is likely one of the best batsmen within the historical past of cricket, scoring 8,540 runs in 121 Take a look at matches and 6,721 runs in 187 One Day Internationals, and in addition profitable the World Cup in 1975 and 1979.
He additionally received vital approval for emphasising that cricket is greater than a sport, calling it a socio-political automobile able to uniting the Caribbean area.
Through the peak of his profession, Sir Viv was witness to a number of atrocities affecting poor, Black individuals around the globe and made it some extent of his responsibility to battle for his or her rights – hitting out towards racism and white supremacy and inspiring Black consciousness.
Talking to Observer after receiving the award, the cricket legend famous that he’s delighted to be awarded for his efforts to have fun and uplift his individuals.
“It goes to indicate you that typically, in the event you persevere with the stuff you imagine in; the work that you just put in, the consciousness that you’ve got about – not simply perhaps your self, however your individuals, the individuals that you just symbolize – [you can achieve great success].
“Ever since I began off, I needed individuals who appear like me to really feel the identical, to really feel as robust as I’m and for them to [achieve success].
“Due to these items, to see the Caribbean neighborhood in itself, what we represented as a workforce – the West Indies Cricket workforce – and all of the successes we had collectively, this jogs my memory it’s that very same form of an surroundings that I’m representing right here once more, and to get an award from these of us is [amazing],” Sir Viv mentioned.
The Antigua Grammar Faculty alumnus was honoured alongside Dame Billie Miller – former Deputy Prime Minister of Barbados; Trinidadian calypsonian David Rudder; and former Secretary-Common of Caricom, Ambassador Irwin LaRocque.
Like Sir Viv, the opposite awardees performed a task in supporting the event of the Caribbean area by politics, leisure, and diplomacy.
One other factor they’ve in widespread is the perseverance to beat obstacles and keep the course with respect to their work and the specified success.
“I believe there are a few of us who need [things to be like] we work at this time; we wish [the rewards] at this time – we don’t take into consideration tomorrow. [But] it’s all concerning the work that you just put in, and in the event you put that work in, [trust that] you’re going to get it,” Sir Viv mentioned additional.
After becoming a member of up with the West Indies in 1974 and captaining the workforce for roughly seven years, Sir Viv retired as the one captain to have by no means misplaced a Take a look at collection, a feat that highlights his revered standing much more.
He instructed Observer too how vital it’s to embrace individuality and make use of tunnel imaginative and prescient in reaching probably the most success, referring to his success in cricket.
“What I did is I came upon what I needed to get entangled with early and put my ardour and all of the vitality that I had into that. That is all I’m asking of our youthful of us and anybody who’s on the lookout for [motivation] – try to be [yourself], as a result of being you’ll be able to take you locations; that’s what I did.
“There are lots of people who typically look down on sports activities and I can let you know, sports activities has taken me to the largest locations on earth, and I suppose if I used to be in another surroundings, I might not have reached that far,” Sir Viv mentioned.
Together with the Order of the Caribbean Neighborhood, Sir Isaac Vivian Alexander Richards was named Officer of the Most Glorious Order of the British Empire (OBE) for his companies to cricket again in 1994, Knight Commander of the Order of the Nation (KCN) by Antigua and Barbuda in 1999, and Knight of the Order of the Nationwide Hero (KNH) in 2006.
He has additionally been given a number of sport-specific honours, together with Antigua and Barbuda’s latest cricket stadium – the Sir Vivian Richards Cricket Grounds – being named after him in 2007.