PORT OF SPAIN, Trinidad, CMC – Beloved Trinidad Guardian sports journalist and CMC Sports correspondent Nazrudeen Yacoob has died.

He passed away on Tuesday evening at Medical Associates in St Joseph at age 55, following a brief illness.

Yacoob became widely known during his 15-year tenure at the Guardian for his extensive coverage of regional youth cricket and domestic cricket, for which he won several awards.

“He was by far the most dedicated and accomplished local cricket reporter in the country,” Guardian Sports Editor Valentino Singh said. “He guarded the territory jealously and it will be impossible to fill his post.”

Yacoob also gave sterling service to CMC Sports, providing coverage of cricket at all levels in T&T, in addition to youth cricket throughout the region.

He also wrote extensively for CMC on horse racing from Santa Rosa Park during his near 15-year stint with the regional news agency.

However, CMC’s former Director of Sports Lance Whittaker remembered Yacoob as an amicable individual who was extremely persistent.

“Naz was a very sociable person. To be honest though, my most prominent thought of him had always been his extreme, even nagging persistence in getting his way,” Whittaker said.

“But instead of being irritating, his unique style of wit and friendliness definitely softened the approach and almost always made you smile. We had an unforgettable working relationship for over 10 years and I will really miss Naz.”

Yacoob’s last assignment for the Guardian and CMC Sports was last month’s TCL Group West Indies Under-19 Championship in St Lucia where he fell ill and was forced to return home prematurely.

He leaves to mourn his wife Betty and three children, Greg, Richard and Melissa.