Sammy, Alfred, Spencer receive Independence Awards

West Indies head coach Daren Julius Garvey Sammy and athletes Julien Alfred and Levern Donaline Spencer have been presented with St. Lucia’s second-highest award, the St. Lucia Cross, as part of the country’s Independence Day honors.

Sammy, 41, was awarded for his distinguished service in the fields of sports (cricket) and youth development, while 23-year-old Alfred and 40-year-old Spencer were awarded for their distinguished service in the fields of sports (track and field and high jump, respectively).

Sammy is the current all-format head coach of the West Indies men’s team and is the only captain who won the T20 World Cup on two occasions, in 2012 and 2016.

He was also a member of the West Indies team that won the 2004 ICC Champions Trophy and, most recently, guided the St Lucia Kings to their first-ever Caribbean Premier League title.

In 2017, Sammy was appointed Officer of the Order of the British Empire (OBE) for their contribution to sports and for his part in bringing back international cricket to Pakistan; he received the highest civilian medal of Pakistan, Nishan-e-Pakistan, on March 23, 2020.

He was also awarded honorary Pakistani citizenship by the President of Pakistan, Arif Alvi.

In a brief social media post, Sammy said he was “humbled” to receive the award.

On the other hand, Alfred created history by winning St. Lucia’s first-ever Olympic medals at the 2024 Paris Olympics.

She won gold in the women’s 100 meters and silver in the 200 meters in last year’s Olympics and was also the 2024 World Indoor 60m champion,

In September 2024, St Lucia’s Parliament passed a Bill marking Sept. 27 as Julien Alfred Day.

Meanwhile, the now-retired Spencer is regarded as the country’s best-ever high jumper, a four-time Olympian who competed in eight World Championships.

Spencer was also a gold medallist at the Common-wealth Games and Pan-American Games.