‘Uncle Les’ to get big cricket send-off

West Indies’ biggest cricket fan Lester Armoogam will get a grand send-off on Thursday when his funeral service will be conducted at the National Cricket Centre (NCC) in Balmain Village, Couva. Armoogam who had grown immensely popular around the cricketing world as a supporter of the West Indies team died peacefully on Saturday at the SugiMed Nursing Home in San Fernando. He succumbed to a massive heart-attack at the age of 64. His daughter Reena told Newsday yesterday that the funeral service of he man who witnessed 132 Test matches, will take place at the National Cricket Centre (NCC), on Thursday at 11 am. He will then be buried at a site to be decided by the family. The funeral service is expected to be attended by prominent personalities in Trinidad and Tobago, as well as West Indian and Trinidad and Tobago cricketers.

West Indies middle order batsman Shivnarine Chanderpaul, is expected in Trinidad and Tobago today for the funeral. “He is trying to make all the necessary arrangements to get to Trinidad for the funeral before leaving to join the Guyana team for their next cricket match,” Reena said yesterday. Armoogam shared a very close relationship with Chanderpaul and was instrumental in his development as a top cricketer. The Trinidad and Tobago cricket team was originally scheduled to leave Guyana for Jamaica, but have changed plans and will return home for the funeral. Their sixth-round match starts on Friday in Alpart.