Hooper honoured for golden treble
Stabroek News
April 16, 2002

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Guyana and West Indies cricket captain Carl Hooper was the toast of the cricket fraternity yesterday.

The first cricket Test match against India may ended on a disappointing rain ruined draw at Bourda but Hooper had good reason to be happy as he was rewarded for becoming the first player ever to achieve a golden treble in Tests and one day international competition.

Hooper became the first man to score 5000 runs, take 100 wickets and snare 100 catches in both forms of the game and was rewarded with a special gift from the Guyana Cricket Board yesterday at Le Meridien Pegasus hotel.

GCB president Chetram Singh presented a plaque to Hooper after public relations officer Terry Holder disclosed that Sir Garry Sobers and England's Ian Botham were the first two to achieve the feat in Tests while Sir Vivian Richards and Steve Waugh of Australia did likewise in one day internationals.

Later Le Meridien Pegasus general manager Jean Guillaumot announced that a suite in the hotel would be named the Carl Hooper Suite after similar honour was bestowed on Britain's Queen Elizabeth and ex United States President Jimmy Carter.

The laurels did not end their for the all-rounder who was also presented with a second plaque by students of his alma mater Christ Church Secondary school.

The West Indies captain then thanked everyone for the gestures afforded him and pointed out that he might not have achieved as much in cricket were it not for Christ Church. He made special mention of the school's cricket coordinator at the time "Mr Campbell" who managed the school team.

A special gift was also presented to former West Indies batting great sir Everton Weekes by the GCB while Cable and Wireless, sponsors of the current Test series handed over $127,680 to charitable organisation Women Reaching Out. The money was had through a pledge from Cable and Wireless to pay US$3 for every of 124 fours hit in the drawn match and US$100 for the three sixes struck.