INTERNATIONAL Cricket Commentator Joseph ‘Reds’ Perreira last Friday received the Dolphin Award of Excellence from the Rose Hall Town Youth & Sports Club (RHTY&SC).

At a special ceremony held at the St Francis Training Centre, Perreira became the 33rd person to receive the award, which is given to friends of the club who have made outstanding contributions to the development of Guyana and have also been positive role models to youths.

Secretary/CEO of the RHTY&SC, Hilbert Foster, informed that Perreira has made tremendous contributions in the field of cricket, and as such his contribution could not have gone unnoticed.

“You are a hero to several generations of cricket lovers and you brought the world of cricket into our imagination long before television came into our homes. Your voice inspired thousands of young West Indians to follow their dreams. Most importantly, you were a role model to my generation and others and you played a huge role in promoting Guyana and West Indies cricket,” Foster said.

Perreira started his cricket commentary career in 1961 at the Rose Hall Canje ground at the First-Class level and broadcast his first Test match in 1971 when West Indies played India at the Bourda ground.

Up to his retirement two years ago, Perreira had done commentary in 147 Test matches, 200 One Day Internationals and over 350 First-class matches.

He also served as Sports Coordinator of the Organisation of Eastern Caribbean States (OECS) for over a decade, and was an Adviser to the late Minister of Sport, Shirley Field-Ridley in the 1970s

A humble Perreira said it was an honour to receive such a prestigious award from Guyana’s best.