The Reds Perreira Sports Foundation (RPSF) will host another “Night of Nostalgia” on Friday at the Umana Yana in Kingston featuring four great sports personalities of yesteryear.
The evening’s programme will feature former Guyanese middle distance running great George DePeana, Ian McDonald, a popular columnist and poet who, in the prime of his youth represented Trinidad and Tobago and Guyana at lawn tennis, former Guyana and West Indies prolific middle order batsman Basil Butcher and inspirational former Trinidad and Tobago and West Indies wicketkeeper Deryck Murray.
Joseph “Reds” Perreria, founder of the RPSF disclosed: “It will be a December to remember as we reminisce with four of the Caribbean’s reputable sportsmen who made a significant contribution to the development of sport in the region.”
De Peana once ruled the roost at middle distance races in the Caribbean. He represented Guyana in several international events including the Olympics in 1960 as well the Commonwealth and Pan American Games with creditable performances and was a former national record holder in the 5000 metres.
McDonald, a Trinidadian by birth who has lived in Guyana since 1956, played at the Wimbledon lawn tennis championships in the 50’s and led Guyana to the prestigious Brandon Trophy in 1957 against Jamaica. He also competed for the West Indies in the Davis Cup against the United States. Mc Donald held the national men’s lawn tennis title for many years.
Butcher, a hard hitting middle order batsman who hails from Port Mourant in Berbice played 44 tests for the West Indies from 1958 to 1969. His highest test scoere was an unbeaten double century, 209 made against England. He also played 144 First Class matches during his career.
Murray who is the current President of the Trinidad and Tobago Cricket Board played 62 test matches and 26 One-Day Internationals (ODI) for the West Indies from 1963 to 1980. He represented the West Indies in the inaugural Prudential World Cup in England in 1975 and returned for the second World Cup in 1979 before retiring.
The Foundation hosted a Night of Nostalgia earlier this year at the Pegasus hotel that featured former West Indies fast bowlers Jamaican Michael Holding and Trinidadian Ian Bishop.
The Night of Nostalgia is made possible with the kind assistance of Caribbean Airlines Ltd., Cara Lodge and the Ministry of Culture, Youth and Sport, Perreira said.