Dominican sports icon, Thomas Kentish, is promoting humility as a desirable attribute among sportsmen in Dominica and has hinted that contribution to country should be their most important motivator.
Kentish who, for many years, represented Dominica in both cricket and football at national and regional levels, was, on June 24th, 2022, honoured by the Government of Dominica when the East Stand at the Windsor Park Sports Stadium was named after him.
At the ceremony, Minister of Sports, Culture and Community Development, Roselyn Paul, said the occasion did not simply represent the naming of a stand but also provided the opportunity to honor outstanding achievements to nation-building and to say thank you to highlight the contribution of yet another exemplary citizen “who is an inspiration to many of our young sportsmen/women in Dominica.”
In October 2009, the cabinet of the government of the Commonwealth of Dominica took a decision to name stands at the Windsor Park Sports Stadium after prominent Dominicans who have contributed to the development of sports on the island, particularly cricket and football.
“In keeping with a 2009 decision, cabinet once more decided to honor this previous commitment to the legacy of outstanding sports personalities. As such, the decision was taken to name the East Stand after another son of the soil who has given and is still giving extraordinary service to our nation in the field of sports, Mr. Thomas Zephaniah Kentish, popularly known TK,” Roselyn Paul stated.
Kentish has been part of the sporting landscape from 1973 to the present, serving sports for close to 50 years. From his youthful days onwards, he has participated in cricket at different age levels nationally and regionally as well as in the leadership position of captain.
“Following his playing days, he naturally gravitated to coaching an attribute which was spotted in him from his playing days as he was always seen tutoring, the younger team members and providing guidance on the field to his colleagues during the matches,” Paul continued. “He’s currently employed as a coach with the ministry of Sports, Culture and Community Development.”
According to the minister, through the naming of the East stand after Kentish, she is ensuring that his contributions to sports remains as part of Dominica’s sporting history for a lifetime and for generations to come.
Honoree, Thomas Kentish, thanked the government for naming the east stand after him.
He said that from the beginning of his career he has always been humble and simply wanted to make a contribution to and on behalf of his country.
“I came into sports not with this in my mind; that was my gift and my talent. I just came out and represent the country with everything I had, humbly, and at the end of the day, it could inspire other young players to be humble and to represent your country whether you play football or cricket,” the veteran sportsman remarked.
Kentish deems it a privilege that his name is besides famous sportsmen whose names are also on different stands such as Norbert Philip, Adam Sanford, Clem John, Kaleb Laurent and Billy Doctrove, who he said, were his mentors and he was glad that he followed their footsteps.
He noted that although there were a lot of times he played cricket and football and was not awarded, the most important thing was his contribution to Dominica and that’s why he says he will remain the same person he has always been.
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