The voice of local horse racing and veteran sports journalist Dave Lamy passed away on Friday at the age of 80.
Guardian Media Sports understands Lamy collapsed while at a supermarket before being taken to the St James Medical facility where he was pronounced dead.
Lamy enjoyed a flourishing career as a sports broadcaster.
In an immediate reaction to his death, former FIFA vice-president Jack Warner, whose friendship with Lamy dates back five decades, said, “He was one of the last remaining true journalists particularly in the field of sport. His reporting has always been par excellence and therefore his passing will leave a void in this country that cannot be easily filled. What I can say at this point, may his soul rest in peace.”
In referring to Lamy as one of a kind, Warner went further to say, “I must confess that the legacy that he has left is on the wane and one hopes that somehow, somewhere, someone can open either a Dave Lamy journalists' school or some kind of area where his knowledge can impart though he would have left and gone to other up and coming young sports journalists.”
While his voice became synonymous with local horse racing, Lamy was also passionate about football. However, horse racing is where he started his commentary career. He was the understudy to the legendary broadcaster Raffie Knowles, who was the main sports anchor for TTT and Radio 610 in the 1960s and 1970s. He was awarded the Alexander B. Chapman award last year by President Paula Mae Weekes for his lifelong service to sport.
Another long-time friend and veteran horse racing champion trainer Joe Hadeed also paid a glowing tribute to Lamy’s contribution both as a racing announcer and a sports journalist.
“Sports has lost an icon. His legacy is fairness. He listened to everybody. He listened to every side of the problem. He listened to the associations and the athletes. He tried his best to understand what every side was going through and he never took aside. He was always fair and balanced,” Hadeed told Guardian Media Sports on Friday.
SOURCE: T&T Guardian