At the RJRGLEANER Sports Foundation’s National Sportsman and Sportswoman of the Year Awards held on Friday, January 22, Jamaica FIFA referee and International Cricket Council umpire, Steve Bucknor, the only person in global sports to serve in both capacities, was presented with a Lifetime Achievement Award.
Three-time Olympian, Sprinter and current member of parliament, Vilma Charlton received the Chairman’s Award.
Twelve men and women, two for each decade since 1961, received Diamond Decade awards for a sportsman and sportswoman of each decade.
The Diamond Decade awardees were:
1961- 1970 George “Bunny” Grant and Monica Desouza
1971-1980 Donald Quarrie and Marilyn Neufville
1981-1990 Mike McCallum and Merlene Ottey
1991-2000 Courtney Walsh and Deon Hemmmings-McCatty
2001-2010 Usain Bolt and Veronica Campbell Brown
2011- 2020 Usain Bolt and Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce
Special Mentions for 2020
The foundation also highlighted meritorious performances by Jamaican athletes in specific areas in 2020. They included: Alia Atkinson, aquatics; Christopher Binnie, squash; Jermaine Blackwood, cricket and Elaine Thompson-Herah, athletics.
Certificates of Merit
Certificates of Merit recipients were Susan Harris-Henry for the paralympics; Grantley Reid, cricket; Dennis May, track & field; Dr Kevin Gwyn Jones, sports medicine; and Theodore “Tappa” Whitmore, football.
