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Grange hails Morgan for ‘remarkable’ Leicester achievement

Published:Sunday | September 4, 2016 | 8:12 PM
Shanna Salmon
Prime Minister Andrew Holness (second right) presents Reggae Boy central defender Wes Morgan (third left) with the Gold Medal of the City of Kingston, at a luncheon hosted by Minister of Sport Olivia ‘Babsy’ Grange (third right), at the Jamaica Pegasus Hotel yesterday. Looking on (from left) are Ruel Reid, education minister; Andrew Swaby, deputy mayor, Kingston; Derrick Smith, minister without portfolio in the Office of the Prime Minister; and Captain Horace Burrell, president, Jamaica Football Federation.

KINGSTON:

The Minister of Culture, Gender, Entertainment and Sport Olivia Grange has hailed the achievements of the captain of the English Premier League team Leicester City and Jamaican international Wes Morgan.

"Earlier this year, something remarkable happened. It was supposed to be impossible, yet it happened anyway," said Grange in reference to Morgan leading his club to winning the English Premier League title.

Leicester City defied odds of 5,000:1 to win the championship.

"At the centre of this impossible victory was one Wes Morgan of Jamaican roots," added Grange.

EXTRAORDINARY THINGS

Morgan played in every game in Leicester City's championship season and became the first black captain to lead a team to the English Premier League title.

Addressing a luncheon for the national team yesterday, at which Morgan was recognised for his achievements, Grange said the footballer had demonstrated how to defy the odds, and did extraordinary things when others had written off his team.

The deputy mayor of Kingston, Councillor Andrew Swaby, presented the Gold Medal of the City of Kingston to Morgan at the luncheon, which was hosted by the Ministry of Culture, Gender, Entertainment and Sport.

"It is really my pleasure to sit next to Wes Morgan and see that you chose to represent Jamaica rather than England - and it means a lot to us," admitted Grange.

Morgan expressed appreciation for the accolade and said he hoped his story would inspire others.