It is not everyday that a person who has everything to do with the sprightly sport of Basketball gets to impact another sport entirely different to it altogether; yes, that game of cricket.
But then it is not everyday that lord almighty gets to send amid children of the earth a certain Glenn “Ghost” Phillip.
Moreover, it is not everyday that a minister from St Kitts & Nevis, whose youth and growing up years were all about Basketball got to impact the beating heart of the countless West Indian lives: great game of cricket.
For after all, god didn’t make another like Glenn “Ghost” Phillip. And now with the passing of one of the most widely noted and hugely regarded men in the sports domain in the Caribbean, it can be safely said that there won’t be another quite like him.
It can be said for certain that in these last few hours, the Sandy Point in St. Kitts & Nevis has turned dour, those in Gingerland are walking about quietly, gingerly, it can be said the Jolly Harbour in Antigua has begun to sport a sorry face, that the Carlisle Bay in Barbados and Scarborough in Trinidad appears to have been scarred.
For a great man has passed on, unarguably, toward the greater glory of god, perhaps to a state of deep rest albeit leaving behind countless stirred in the fathomable despair of his absence. Some vacuums can’t be filled.
Ask Shawn Richards, also from St Kitts & Nevis, who with the passing of Glenn “Ghost” Phillip, lost a dear friend and a comrade.
Doubt not for a second the amicable and always cheerful and insightful Vernon Springer, a pivotal figure associated with cricket in the Caribbean who has vowed to keep the legacy of the late gentleman alive!
But while all good things come to an end, it is important to reflect on what defined their acts and made them stand for good whilst they were here among us.
Mr. Springer, one of the most passionate and well-known voices from the region, evoked emotion when speaking exclusively to Caught At Point, he exclaimed: “He (Glenn “Ghost” Phillip) was one of the most admired and influential figures in the region of St. Kitts & Nevis. He was a man of passion and one on a mission, his aim was to take sport to the last mile of the town and his concerted efforts as an important minister in the island weren’t only restricted to basketball, but even underlined cricket.”
When I probed Mr. Springer to elaborate more, he said with usual candour and poise, “He was one of the most important driving forces behind getting St Kitts & Nevis team into the CPL; the planning, strategy and even the lights in parks here are his legacy. Moreover, he rallied behind me in giving me full support during my stint as a cricket administrator.”
Described as a real proper human being and a man for the people, the late Glenn “Ghost” Phillip, Mr. Springer continued, “Was not in politics to concern himself with self gains but to work towards the culture of nurturing sports in the island as its Sports Minister.”
Caught At Point also learnt from Mr. Springer that a lot many youngsters in the island of St. Kitts & Nevis looked upto the departed soul as their basketball coach and a proper mentor.
Not just that; during the days of the then government of Mr. Denzel Douglas, Glenn “Ghost” Phillip, was instrumental in introducing laptops to high school children and as a federal minister. And yet, he never turned a blind eye on cricket. He had a touch about him, a people’s touch in that he could speak with any youth. In terms of the CPL, his contribution was instrumental in getting matches to the island of St. Kitts & Nevis and then assisted in setting up the team: the St. Kitts & Nevis Patriots.”
“For me, I owe a debt of gratitude to him”, said Mr. Springer, remembering the fond times spent with a man who cared about people and not power.”
All of that said, what defined the departed soul was a strong sense of spirituality and sheer humility, which is why it won’t be wrong to say that, the great man has passed on to a safer place.
