Following is a message from the Minister of Culture, Youth and Sport, Dr. Frank Anthony
The Ministry of Culture, Youth and Sport, on behalf of the Government and people of Guyana, wherever they might be is pleased, proud and privileged to congratulate Guyana and West Indies Test Batsman Shivnarine Chanderpaul on his being awarded the International Cricket Council (ICC) 2008 Cricketer of the Year prize.
This award is another appropriate recognition for Chanderpaul’s life’s work in International Cricket so far.
This is a still young Guyanese sportsman whose dogged determination for the highest standards of excellence in his chosen field of Sport has been paying all types of dividends recently. Truly a role model to all young Guyanese, Shivnarine epitomises what single minded dedication to discipline, training and team work can achieve.
To have triumphed from a field of distinguished current cricketers like Mahela Jayawardene, Dale Steyn and Graeme Smith, Chanderpaul’s top spot is all the more a prestigious accomplishment.
He is the ICC 2008 Cricketer of the Year – an overall Champion, not just a specific category of player.
His rise to cricket’s pinnacle from the most humble beginnings on the ball fields of Unity, symbolises what triumphs are available to the most vulnerable amongst us, if only opportunity is grasped and wedded to determination.
Chanderpaul is already a household name in the cricketing world. Guyana has been awarded another International distinction in his name and achievement. Certainly, he is now fit to be mentioned among the pantheon of West Indian Cricketing heroes, never sullying his on-field achievements with tantrums, unsportsmanlike acts or controversy. He says he has still more cricket in him. We have to readily agree. When we watch him return from hospitals to the middle we see a courageous Caribbean Sporting patriot and a Guyanese Cricketing Hero.
Congratulations to Shivnarine Chanderpaul – the 2008 International Cricketer of the Year.
Shiv must be awarded the Order of Excellence
Guyana’s highest award awaits?
Wait a minute! Not so fast!
For being the best batsman in the world, ahead of Ricky Ponting, Sachin Tendulkar, Rahul Dravid etc., all iconic figures, and every other batsman, irregardless of country of origin, in his infinite wisdom, President Bharat Jagdeo saw fit to award The Shiv with the lowly Golden Arrow of Achievement. This is # 3 on the totem pole and is restricted to 200 living Guyanese.
All Guyanese – Black, Brown, Portuguese, Mixed, Chinese, Amerindian should gently nudge the honourable President to rectify this egregious action by awarding The Shiv the # 1 Guyanese award – the Order of Excellence. At the moment the master batsman is Guyana’s best roving Ambassador.
Apparently the Guyana constitution, as amended, makes allowance for 25 Awards of Excellence (the top award) to be granted “to living Guyanese of distinction and eminence in the field of human endeavor of either national or international significance and importance”. Now I am not going to quibble as to who belongs there. Nor am I going to engage in revisionist history. But from the partial list I saw I could not tell who is/was # 1 in his/her profession. What I do know Chanderpaul is # 1. Not only in Guyana, not only in the West Indies, but in the entire world. Can anyone state with metaphysical certainty that Burnham, Ramphal, Rose, Chung, Reid, Shahabuddeen, Janet Jagan, Boysie Ramkarran, Chase were/are # 1?
President Jagdeo needs to rescind # 3 and institute #1. Pronto!
It’s a no-brainer, Mr. President. It’s of great consequence and patriotic pride and the right thing to do.
Shiv earned the distinction to be 1 of 25, not 1 of 200.
He did it the old-fashioned way…… he earned it.
It gets more complicated. The Shiv is not making it easier for the President. Last night in Dubai he won the cricketer of the year award.
C’mon Mr. President, be part of The Shiv’s truly historic year, not a hindrance.