Claudia Gardner, Gleaner Writer

Horace 'Cement Kid' Samuels (left) receives his Bird of Paradise Award for his outstanding contribution to sports, from Dawn Skeete, chairperson of the Hanover Homecoming Foundation's New York group, at the ceremony at the Tryall Hotel in Hanover. - photo by Claudia Gardner

Sandy Bay, Hanover:

Former national defender, Horace 'Cement Kid' Samuels, was presented with the Hanover Homecoming Foundation's (HHF) Bird of Paradise Award for outstanding contribution to sports, during the foundation's awards ceremony at the Tryall Hotel in Hanover on Saturday night.

In a citation read by HHF awards committee chairperson Karen Grant, Samuels, who is also a former Rusea's High School footballer, was lauded as one of the parish's football legends and was praised for making an indelible mark on the national football landscape.

Leadership skills

"He placed Hanover into the annals of military history in his first month of service when, due to his impressive physical and leadership skills, he was made captain of the Jamaica Defence Force (JDF) football team. This former army sergeant marshalled the marching men of the JDF for more than a decade, where they conquered multiple titles and at the same time he represented Jamaica at thenational senior level against numerous Caribbean and South American teams," the citation said.

Samuels, a 17-year veteran of the JDF, captained the army's football team throughout his tenure there and led the marching-men to multiple championships and to the National Premier League in 1997, shortly before his retirement.

Samuels told The Gleaner he was extremely pleased at having received his first official recognition from one of the parish's leading civic organisations.

"It was a great feeling," an elated Samuels said. "Because I have been representing Jamaica and Hanover at the national and international levels and assisting in football activities and this is the first time I am receiving an award, so I really thank the Hanover Homecoming Foundation for recognising my work."

Samuels, who has his origins in Bigwell Lane in Lucea, is one of three brothers who have represented both Jamaica and Rusea's in football. Two of his younger brothers Sheridan 'Worm' Samuels, now a parish councillor and Denton 'Melwood' Samuels (deceased), both represented Jamaica's Under-23 and Under-20, respectively, in the past.