Faisal Taj Takes Home Cosmos Cricketer Of The Year Award

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Cosmos brought the curtains down on their 2011 cricket season and ring in the Christmas holidays last Saturday when they celebrated their 29th anniversary awards. It was an awards ceremony that reflected the result of the perseverance of the members through the years as the colors of Cosmos along with the trophies decorated the evening.

After Cosmos cricket manager Nathan Henderson offered the invocation that started the night off on the right note it was over to the Master of Ceremony Dr. Sham Samaroo who lighted up the evening with some good humor and got the crowd into the spirit of the evening.

A customary feature of Cosmos presentation is the President’s message and Sham Ali delivered just that. He echoed the cosmos trademark that managed to scale the many hurdles and yielded success over the years, a trademark which gave the club its decorated history. He called on the senior members to lend selflessly to ensure that the foundation that was laid in the early years is protected and the integrity of the club is preserved. That the administrative tenants of the organization are respected and executed as it should be and that the members are held to a higher standard. He then sounded a caution to the youths “to leave the earrings at home for their mothers to wear and to hold firm to the finer qualities of sportsmanship, camaraderie and discipline.” He further stated, ‘Our presence here this evening after 29 years is a testament of a strong willed and determine club that has become impervious to and unflustered by the arrows that were aimed at Cosmos. And through it all we lifted five Metropolitan Cricket League premier championships. But more important than championships, we managed to maintain our hallmark of excellence as a disciplined club. We have covered quite some miles over the last 29 years as a cricket club playing a sport which on occasions has exhumed the very frailty of sportsmen, but in so many unwritten ways, it instinctively nourishes the mere existence of the cricketer.“

The awards ceremony got under way as Samaroo and Leonard Achaibar then teamed up and rolled out the 2011 season winners. Those awards that highlighted the evening were Faisal Taj for scoring the Most Runs and winning the Cosmos Cricketer of the year award. The Best Average and recipient of Cosmos College stipend went to Haraldo Marshall. Rasheem James featured for his five wicket haul while Ricky Kissoon and Ryan Persaud for an outstanding season. The initiative to recognize players who have served Cosmos diligently and with distinction over the years and honor them with a benefit season and the COSMOS GOLDEN CENTURION AWARD, and the Cosmos college stipend for one of their youths who is moving on to college are small measures with enormous rewards that gives meaning and purpose to a club the playing the sport on a part time basis for fun.

It was over to the Members and friends of Cosmos to add to the glamour of the evening. Lalta Persaud and Mohan Kissoon spoke avidly of the role which Cosmos has played in their lives over the years and of the many cherished memories of the thrills on the field and their commitment to the future development of the club. The Metropolitan Cricket League President Mascelles Bailey congratulated Cosmos for their service to the Metropolitan League for over two and one half decades, and to be able to maintain a quality club while so many others are falling away. Jeff James spoke of the camaraderie between Progressive and Cosmos and the high regard for each other as two very competitive teams.

Trevor Walke, a champion on the New York cricket scene for over four decades knew Cosmos from the inception; he spoke of the battles between ACS and Cosmos over the years and recognized that for Cosmos to last for 29 years is a remarkable achievement for a club. Zamin Amin and Feezo Sheriff reflected on the strong friendship that existed over the years both as team mates and rivals. Austin Hutchinson spoke of Ashmul Ali strong discipline and leadership in the early years, and urged that clubs should take a page out of Cosmos’s book. Trevor Walfal also recognized Ashmul as a stalwart in the Metropolitan League, and for holding Cosmos together over the years. Hugh Pitter reflected on the strong rivalry between Villagers and Cosmos and said that he was glad to see some past members came back home with Cosmos and told them to stay home. He then echoed the statement that has truly defined Cosmos unity as a club, he said that “the Cosmos Burgundy color runs deep in Cosmos blood.”

It was an evening full of fun and enjoyment as Cosmos new batch of youths received their awards. They owed a lot to Ricky Kissoon for assisting them throughout the season. Dixeth Palmer was recognized with the Cosmos 2011 benefit season. The menu, on the lighter side of things, had a strong batting line-up with Soft drinks and mango lassie just managed to make the final eleven. Johnny walker was completely left out of the line-up with a “broken leg” while rolling rocks and his friends were dropped so they patrolled beyond the boundary, so said Achaibar. When Haraldo Marshall gave the vote of thanks and pulled the curtains down on the 29th season for Cosmos, it was the close of a truly eventful and enjoyable season.