SEEN as a pioneer of softball cricket in Toronto, Canada, the late Jainauth “Vish” Jadunauth was fittingly and fondly remembered at a Memorial Day celebration, held at Dean Park, Scarborough, on Sunday.

The celebration, organised by All Stars and Remax All Stars softball teams and which was attended by hundreds, featured a cricket match between the said teams which Jadunauth played prominent roles in and led the latter up to the time of his passing in February this year.

Among those paying glowing tributes to Jadunauth during the presentation ceremony were long-standing friends Kenny Girdharry and Albert Ramcharran, who were credited with being the founding members of the Ontario Softball Cricket League (OSCL) in 1996 and Shiv Misir, owner of Remax All Stars, which compete in the Ontario Masters Softball Cricket Clubs (OMSCC) Over-50 tournament.

According to Girdharry, the turn out at Sunday’s event was a massive testament to how many people Jadunauth associated with. He referred to the formation of the OSCL in 1996 and the several vacations spent abroad with himself, Jadunauh and Ramcharran.

Touching on Jadunauth’s executive skills, Girdharry said he was known to always stick to the rules. “Vish will continue to live in our hearts and we will cherish those memories.”

Ramcharran pointed out that himself and Jadunuath were friends for over 30 years and also became business partners. “He was even closer than my brothers and shared conversations every day,” an obviously emotional Ramcharran, holding back tears, declared.

Krishna Sarju, a close relative of Jadunauth, said it felt like only yesterday his dearly beloved cousin had passed away. He thanked those present for the support, while pointing out that “Vish still lives in our hearts and has been the missing link ever since he died.”

Jadunauth’s widow, Sandra, also thanked everyone for attending Sunday’s function, reminding them that her late husband was genuinely loved by many people. She boasted that he was a good organiser, executive and manager and his memories will live on forever.

Brother Pete said he had mixed emotions celebrating the life of his brother but it was an occasion to celebrate what he (Vish) loved.

Tokens of appreciation in the form of plaques were presented to Misir and Ravi Persaud in recognition of their sponsorship, commitment and dedication to softball cricket. In response, Misir said he was willing to make the memorial game an annual affair with sponsorship for the trophy coming from him.

On the game itself, Team Bharrat got the better of Team Vish, inflicting a six-wicket victory over their opponents. Led by a flambouyant 70 (retired) from Shiv Misir, Team Vish reached a challenging 150 for seven in their allotted 20 overs. Misir’s knock included two fours and seven sixes. Clifton Yakoob took two for 12.

Team Bharrat reached the target in 15 overs with consistent scores coming from Jerry Persaud (34), Marcel Arokium (33) and Charlie Yakoob (30 not out).

Just shy of his 61st birthday when he passed away, Jadunauth was a tower of strength in both hardball and softball administration. A founding member of the OSCL, he served in various executive positions, including Co-ordinator before exiting in 2019.

Jadunauth is also credited with being in the top echelons of the Scarborough Cricket Association for the past 20 years and was its Chief Financial Officer up until the time of his death, having served in that post for several terms.

Junior Co-ordinator of the Ontario Cricket Association (OCA), Jadunauth, was a qualified West Indies Cricket Umpires Association (WICUA)-trained umpire while also versed in the area of scoring.

He was also the treasurer of the Canada Cricket Umpires Association (CCUA), and officiated in matches throughout Ontario. (Frederick Halley)