FORMER North East Stars football club owner Darryl Mahabir epitomised what the TT Pro League was truly about.
So says Brent Sancho, former club CEO and player, who paid tribute to the ex-businessman’s selfless contributions to domestic football and the people of Sangre Grande.
Mahabir died on Wednesday. He established North East Stars in 2000 and joined the TT Pro League two years later.
In 2003, his team won the TT Football Association (FA) Cup and proved to be a reckoning force with the capture of the TT Pro League title in 2004 and then once more in 2017. Sancho however, played for the Sangre Grande Boys in the 2008 season and helped the club climb from the bottom of the Pro League table to third place. He was then appointed club CEO by Mahabir at the end of the 2009 season.
Sancho, a former national senior team player, hailed Mahabir’s immense contribution to the sport and his community.
“What Darryl Mahabir did for the people and community of Sangre Grande I don’t think any politician, pastor or well-wisher, no one has ever done as much as that. His legacy is set in stone for the kind of contribution he has put forward.
“And I’m not just talking from an infrastructure or a North East perspective, I’m talking about touching lives, inspiring and helping so many. It’s a true testament to the man and what he’s done,” Sancho said.The 2006 World Cup defender said Mahabir played an important role in helping him transition his skills from player to administrator.
“I owe a lot to him personally as it relates to my push off the pitch. He’s the one that took me under his arms and did everything in his power to guide, offer advice like a brother, because he was always there and in constant communication. He was a great source of inspiration.
“Darryl really epitomised what the Pro League is about. He’s somebody who is a true driving force to the league. When you talk about the heart and soul of the Pro League you’re talking about Darryl Mahabir,” Sancho added.
W-Connection owner and ex-Pro League rival David John-Williams held in high regard Mahabir’s generosity to the club’s hometown of Sangre Grande. John-Williams, a former TTFA president, admired Mahabir’s passion and dedication to building his football club from the ground up and competing among the nation’s top pro teams.
“Darryl ‘Punjab’ Mabahir was very passionate about football and the Pro League. He was a rival owner yet he was a very good friend and colleague. It was very shocking and sad when I heard the news of his passing.
“He built, from scratch, his team North East Stars and made them into a league championship-winning team. He was never afraid to seek advice when he entered the Pro League as a new team.
“We will sorely miss him as a person and a friend. He was a good one,” said John-Williams.
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