2nd Caribbean Awards Sports Icons A Success

Sports Administrator Mike Fennel from Jamaica, legendary boxer Emile Griffith from the Virgin Islands, Cricketer Sir Vivian Richards from Antigua, and Bahamian NBA Champion with the Los Angeles Lakers Mychal Thompson were among the winners at the 2nd annual Caribbean Awards Sports Icons (CASI) banquet held at Super Clubs Breezes in New Providence, Bahamas on Friday night.
Several hundred people filled the large dinning hall as regional sports icons were lauded and awarded for their past achievements.
The awards show is designed to honor top athletes from around the region  who have enhanced the Caribbean by rising above the disadvantages of their time, and are seen as world-class athletes going as far back as the 1940's.
Fennel beat out his fellow administrative nominees Gloria Ballentine from St. Vincent and the Grenadines, Anton Sealy for The Bahamas, Kathy Harper-Hall from Barbados and Richard Peterkin from St. Lucia; while Thompson was selected from among a very talented group of basketball players including Patrick Ewing (Jamaica), Olden Polynice (Haiti), Tim Duncan (Virgin Islands) and Rick Fox (Bahamas). 
Teofilo Stevenson (Cuba), Leslie Stewart (TnT), Elisha Obed (Bahamas), Andrew Lewis (Guyana) and Claude Noel (TnT) were the other nominees in the boxing category won by Griffith. 
Sir Vivian received more votes than the popular Brian Lara (TnT), Clive Lloyd (Guyana), Michael Holding (Jamaica) and Sir Everton Weakes (Barbados) to win top honours in the cricket division.    
Clyde Best (Bermuda) was named CASI for 2009 in the soccer division that also included Dwight Yorke (TnT), Leroy 'Uncle Lee' Archer (Bahamas) and Theodore Whitmore (Jamaica). 
Jamaican Hurdler Brigitte Foster-Hylton was on her way to The Bahamas for the event on Friday but encountered a travel issue. She was selected as the female track and field icon, beating out Merlene Ottey (Jamaica),

Debbie Ferguson-McKenzie (Bahamas), Shelly-Ann Frazier (Jamaica), Ana Fedelia Quirot (Cuba), and Tonique Williams-Darling (Bahamas).
The male track and field icon for 2009 is Cuban high jumper Javier Sotomayer. He was grouped with other heroic greats like Lennox Miller (Jamaica), Troy Kemp (Bahamas), Donald Quarrie (Jamaica), Asafa Powell (Jamaica), Usain Bolt (Jamaica), Wendell Motley (TnT), and Haseley Crawford (TnT).
Many of the winners were not there in person to receive their awards, but those who accepted the award on their behalf also showed a sense of pride and appreciation for what their brothers and sisters in the Caribbean have been able to accomplish against athletes from larger nations. 
While accepting the male track and field athlete award  for Sotomayor, Cuban Ambassador to The Bahamas Jose Luis Ponce said countries in the Caribbean are now striving to make larger countries in the world "tremble" when it comes to sports power and talent.  
He noted that Sotomayer set the high jump world record so high that no one else could reach it.
Receiving the female track and field athlete award on behalf of Foster-Hylton her MVP Track Club mate Bruce James said, "the success of the MVP Club that was started 10 years ago, and includes 2009 CASI nominees Usain Bolt and Shelly-Ann Fraser, is proof that Caribbean athletes, trainers, coaches, and managers can be the best in the world.” He said it was something they were determined to prove. He got a rousing round of applause.   
Bahamian Olympic sailing legend Sir Durward Knowles received the International Sailing Extraordinaire Award, while Bahamian track and field legend Thomas Augustus Robinson and the members of The Bahama's 2000 4x100m Sydney Olympics Golden Girls' team (Savetheda Fynes, Debbie Ferguson-McKenzie, Chandra Sturrup, Eldece Clarke-Lewis and Pauline Davis-Thompson) received Lifetime Achievement honors.
CASI Regional Director Bahamian Journalist Fred Sturrup who gave the keynote address at the first ceremony in Jamaica, said he is pleased to have had the awards banquet in The Bahamas.
"The nominees are men and women who excelled against great odds at the highest level, and I take great pride in highlighting my Caribbean brothers and sisters who endured hardships that most people cannot begin to understand," said Sturup.
"These men and women of the Caribbean forged ahead although facing opponents who had the benefits of advanced technology to prepare them selves for the big sports stage,"  added Sturrup.
He said, "The genius of CASI founder Al Hamilton has brought into being something that has been missing for decades; and entity that salutes Caribbean sports excellence." 
The Bahamas Minister of Sports Desmond Bannister described CASI 2009 as an "historic celebratory event that recognizes the great men and women in regional sports that have laid the frame work for generations to come. And the CASI event confirms their greatness."
Bannister said the "prestigious awards ceremony transcends the ordinary boundaries of our sister countries in the Caribbean uniting them as a singular body" when competing at world events.