Tony Becca - FROM THE BOUNDARY THE ELITE of sport are usually those who distinguish themselves in the arena.
Regardless of how well they do, those who perform outside the arena are seldom remembered much less serenaded.
Administrators, however, are important to sport, and so too are supporters.
Without administrators - those who work tirelessly in planning development and finding funding - there would be no growth. Without supporters - those who love sport passionately and are always present - there would be no 'atmosphere' in the arena and probably also no growth, and for their contribution, they too should be part of the elite group - particularly so those who distinguish themselves.
One such administrator was Roy Hylton, 'Mr. H', who died two Mondays ago, and one such supporter was Lester Armoogam, 'Uncle Les', who died on Saturday.
A member of the table tennis fraternity, Hylton devoted his life to the game, and like Joe Kelly and Baz Freckleton before him, and was a dedicated and loyal servant of the game.
As a player Hylton, who played in the Junior League, was not a Bunny McLean, a Fuarnado Roberts, a Leo Davis, a Glen Mitchell, a Dave Foster, an Orville Haslam, or a Stephen Hylton.
As an administrator, however, as one who formed a club - Hyltone Table Tennis Club, as one who served as Council member, organising secretary, first vice-president and president of the Jamaica Table Tennis Association, and as one who served as president of the Caribbean Table Tennis Federation, he made a great contribution to the development of the game.
FEW WORDS
A member of the cricket fraternity, 'Uncle Les' was a man of few words - so few, in fact, that regardless of the many times he was asked, he never did confirm if he ever did, even as a child, play the game.
He loved the game passionately, however, and although he was no Gary Sobers, no Rohan Kanhai, no Malcolm Marshall, and no Lance Gibbs, although he was not an administrator, he too served the game and especially so, West Indies cricket.
"I love the game, I love the boys, and I have to support them," he once said. While on one of his many tours, he was asked why he flies around the world watching the West Indies even though they were not doing well.
"As you know, I was there with them when they were winning, and I have to stick with them even though they are not winning. Win or lose, I am proud of them, and I want to be there when they start winning again."
That was 'Uncle Les', that was why he spent his money and his time following the West Indies team around the world, that was why, even when he was disappointed at an unexpected batting collapse, he always had something nice, something kind to say about the players and why he never failed to invite a few of them, particularly the young ones, to share a meal with him after a day's play.
GUIDING HAND
Jamaica's table tennis and the players have for some time now missed the guiding hand of Roy Hylton, the kind, fatherly advice of "Mr. H", and the West Indies team will miss the presence of 'Uncle Les' - their number one fan who, through thick and thin, was always with them.
In their own way, one as an administrator, one as a fan, Roy and Lester made a great contribution to the game they loved and for that and like the great players who have gone before, they should be ushered away with one big thank you.
