Tony Becca
ON MONDAY afternoon, Courtney Walsh, the great Jamaica and West Indies cricketer out of Melbourne and Excelsior, received yet another honour.
At a lovely little ceremony, Derrymore Road in Kingston became Courtney Walsh Drive and that may well be the most significant honour of all.
During his magnificent career, Walsh took a hat-trick in a Test match, broke Kapil Dev's world record of 434 wickets and became the first man to take 500 wickets in Test cricket before finishing as the world record holder with 519 wickets.
The great fast bowler was awarded two national honours - the Order of Distinction (Officer Class) and the Order of Jamaica - and he was presented with the Keys to the City, and made an Ambassador at Large.
For a number of reasons, however, this last one, up to now, may well be the most fitting, the most lasting and, if the idea behind them is not only to reward him for a job well done but also to inspire young Jamaicans, also the most important one.
Walsh was born on Molynes Road, just beyond the southern boundary at Melbourne where he fell in love with the game and where he learnt to play the game.
WILL LAST FOR GENERATIONS
Derrymore Road, the address of Melbourne, was on the northern side of Melbourne, and to rename Derrymore Road in his honour is fitting.
Unlike the other awards and titles which some may remember and some may not, which some may remember to use when addressing him and some may not, the name of a road, as they say, is in your face every day.
It is there for all to see day after day, it will appear in letters and on envelopes every day and, more importantly, it will last for generations after generations and probably forever.
Years from now, a little boy, or a little girl, from similar circumstances may look at the sign and he or she may not know who Courtney Walsh was.
When he or she asks who was the man, however, when he or she is told who was the man, the deeds of one who rose from humble beginnings, who had a talent, who had a dream, who developed that talent through hard work and dedication and became a giant, on and off the field, may inspire him or her to greatness - to make the best of whatever talent he or she may possess.
HONOURING SPORTS PERSONALITIES
Recently, Roosevelt Avenue by the National Stadium was renamed Herb McKenley Drive, at the lovely little ceremony, the Mayor of Kingston, Councillor Desmond McKenzie, said the KSAC was committed to honouring great Jamaican sportsmen and sportswomen, both the heralded and the unheralded, in a similar manner, and that there is more to come.
That is great, and remembering how great he is, what he has accomplished, and that he is the only man in the world to have umpired 100 Test matches, hopefully it will not be long before there is a Steve Bucknor Drive somewhere in Montego Bay, ideally in the vicinity of Cornwall College.
