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The UWI offers condolences on the passing of Sir Everton Weekes

For Release Upon Receipt - July 2, 2020

UWI


The University of the West Indies (The UWI) community is saddened by news of the passing of our honorary graduate, the great sporting icon of Barbados, the West Indies and the world, Dr Sir Everton Weekes.

The UWI extends condolences to his family, friends and the cricketing community that loved and admired a genius and gentleman, who during his ten years of Test Cricket (1948 to 1958), was often officially recognised on the basis of his performance as the best batsman in the world. 

The University community celebrates his contribution to West Indian nation building at a critical moment in the decolonisation project of the region. The 1950s was a watershed in the struggle for regional democracy and political independence and with Sir Everton then ranked the best batsman in the world, certainly provided a sense of standards, personal leadership, and global respect for our region.

Sir Everton, together with the other ‘Ws’—Sir Frank Worrell and Sir Clyde Walcott—constituted the world’s best batting combination, a West Indian fortress that gave the team a shot at the global top spot in the clash with Australia in 1951.

The UWI honoured Sir Everton with the 2003 conferment of an honorary doctorate, and in the naming of the beautiful cricket ground at its Cave Hill campus, the ‘3Ws Oval’. He delighted in visiting the venue to watch the game, while serving as Patron of the Campus’ cricket team. The University extends condolences to his loved ones, and looks forward to welcoming him home.

 

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Photo Caption

A West Indian Immortal: Marking the 20th year of its tradition of The UWI Vice-Chancellor's XI Cricket Match, The University of the West Indies honoured Sir Everton Weekes as a West Indian "Immortal" at The UWI Cave Hill Campus’ 3Ws Oval in Barbados in February 2019. Vice-Chancellor, Professor Sir Hilary Beckles in recognising Sir Everton among the first to be honoured as Vice-Chancellor’s XI Immortals noted, “Legends evolve into Immortals.”

About The UWI

For over 70 years The University of the West Indies (The UWI) has provided service and leadership to the Caribbean region and wider world. The UWI has evolved from a university college of London in Jamaica with 33 medical students in 1948 to an internationally respected, regional university with near 50,000 students and five campuses: Mona in Jamaica, St. Augustine in Trinidad and Tobago, Cave Hill in Barbados, Five Islands in Antigua and Barbuda and an Open Campus. As part of its robust globalization agenda, The UWI has established partnering centres with universities in North America, Latin America, Asia, Africa and Europe including the State University of New York (SUNY)-UWI Center for Leadership and Sustainable Development; the Canada-Caribbean Institute with Brock University; the Strategic Alliance for Hemispheric Development with Universidad de los Andes (UNIANDES); The UWI-China Institute of Information Technology, the University of Lagos (UNILAG)-UWI Institute of African and Diaspora Studies; the Institute for Global African Affairs with the University of Johannesburg (UJ); The UWI-University of Havana Centre for Sustainable Development; The UWI-Coventry Institute for Industry-Academic Partnership with the University of Coventry and the Glasgow-Caribbean Centre for Development Research with the University of Glasgow.

The UWI offers over 800 certificate, diploma, undergraduate and postgraduate degree options in Food & Agriculture, Engineering, Humanities & Education, Law, Medical Sciences, Science & Technology, Social Sciences and Sport. 

As the region’s premier research academy, The UWI’s foremost objective is driving the growth and development of the regional economy. The world’s most reputable ranking agency, Times Higher Education, has ranked The UWI among the top 600 universities in the world for 2019 and 2020, and the 40 best universities in Latin America and the Caribbean for 2018 and 2019. The UWI has been the only Caribbean-based university to make the prestigious lists.  For more, visit www.uwi.edu.

(Please note that the proper name of the university is The University of the West Indies, inclusive of the “The”, hence The UWI.)

 

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