National honour for Bucknor in Jamaica
CMC | 17/10/07
Steve Bucknor
KINGSTON, Jamaica - Top international cricket umpire Steve Bucknor received the major honour of the Order of Jamaica at Jamaica's annual National Honours and Awards Ceremony on National Heroes' Day.
Bucknor was one of four conferred with the Order of Jamaica - Commander Class (CD), the island's fourth highest national award, for outstanding service in the field of sports.
Because of inclement weather, Monday's ceremony was staged at the National Indoor Sports Centre, not at the traditional Kings House.
The 61-year-old Bucknor, for many years regarded as the world's best cricket umpire, has stood in a world record 119 Test matches and officiated in an unprecedented fifth consecutive World Cup final match when Australia beat Sri Lanka to repeat as champions just under six months ago.
Bucknor was also an outstanding football referee - earning FIFA status - before embarking on his career as a cricket umpire.
Other sports personalities honoured included former Test cricketer - now commentator - Maurice Foster and Molly Rhone, the president of the world governing body for netball, IFNA, the International Federation of Netball Associations.
They were among the four honourees for the Order of Distinction - Commander Class (CD).
Foster, a former Jamaica captain, was part of the winning West Indies World Cup squad in 1975 and also served on the West Indies Cricket Board (WICB) for 12 years.
Rhone, IFNA president since 2003, headed the Jamaica Netball Association for 10 years and received the CD for her services - locally and internationally - to sports administration.
The Jamaica Olympic Association's Don Anderson, who was re-elected last weekend in Puerto Rico as Director of the Central American and Caribbean Sports Organisation, and Cricket World Cup (CWC) Local Organising Committee (LOC) head Robert Bryan were also given CD honours.
Several other sports personalities collected Order of Distinction awards - Officer Class, including multiple champion jockey Trevor Simpson.
Sabina Park cricket venue's Charles Joseph received the Badge of Honour for Meritorious Service for over 50 years of dedicated service as a groundsman at Sabina Park.
