Charlestown Nevis (September 4, 2006) Nevis’ Premier, the Hon Joseph Parry, while giving the feature address at a reception ceremony on Thursday August 31, admonished members of the Nevis Cricket Association that nothing came easy.
“My words to them are, nothing comes easy; nothing comes without sacrifice,” said Mr. Parry to the gathering at the Four Seasons Resort Ball Room. “The best players will tell you that they practice five times a day. Go home early, train hard, stay away from drugs, absolutely, stay away from drugs,” he added.The Nevisian Leader, who hosted the reception in honour of the members of the 20/20 Stanford Cricket Team, congratulated the team for their performance in the competition and for reaching the semi finals.
“Tonight is a great night for Nevis, because we are doing what we must do and what we need to do all the time,” Mr. Parry said. “We are giving recognition to our outstanding players. I want to say this, that we in Nevis are sometimes very mega when it comes to praise and honour and I am hoping that this is the start of a new attitude, a new approach to honouring people who deserve to be honoured and to honour them early.”
He noted that his Administration loved sports and that there would be a local council that would oversee all sporting activities on the island. Stuart Williams he said would be the National Coach while Elquemedo Willett would be the Coach in the schools for all the sports including cricket.
“You are going to have 100 percent support of the Nevis Island Administration. We are putting you in charge of the young people to bring them to a stage where they can go into the hands of the National Coach but remember you would be the one that will be shaping their lives. Derrick Parry will be working at a community level. He will be working with the councils at afternoons when the kids leave school and go home.”
Also giving brief remarks was Minister of Sports, the Hon Hensley Daniel who congratulated the players on their achievement during the 20/20 competition and emphasised on the importance of sports and cricket to Nevis. He also presented the players with trophies as a token of appreciation on behalf of the government and people of Nevis.
The function was witnessed by members of the Nevis Island Administration, past and present Administrators and Players of Cricket on Nevis including Mr. Freddie Clarke who was on the first Nevis Cricket Team of 1949, as well as cricket enthusiasts. The ceremony as chaired by Mr. Ashley Farrell.