Head coach of the MVP Track Club Stephen Francis is among a number of sports personalities who were honoured in the National Honours and Awards list released by Governor General Sir Patrick Allen on Sunday, August 6.

Francis will be invested with the country’s fourth-highest honour, the Order of Jamaica (OJ), which is conferred on “Any Jamaican citizen of outstanding distinction or upon any distinguished citizen of a country other than Jamaica (Honorary Member)”.

He previously was awarded the Order of Distinction (OD) Commander Class.

He has now become a member of the Order, and styled “Honourable”. The motto of the Order is “For a covenant of the people”.

Francis has been the man behind the exploits of former 100m world record holder Asafa Powell and world and Olympic champion Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce, among other outstanding Jamaican athletes who have distinguished themselves on the international scene.

All other sports personalities will be invested with the Order of Distinction, which is the sixth-highest in order of precedence of the Orders of Societies of Honour, which were instituted by an Act of Parliament (The National Honours and Awards Act) in 1968. The motto of the Order is “Distinction Through Service”.

Ian Garfield Forbes will be invested with the Order of Distinction in the rank of Commander Class (CD) for service in the field of sports and youth mentorship.

Maurice Joseph Edward Wilson will also be invested with the Order of Distinction in the rank of Commander Class (CD) for his contribution to sports in Jamaica, and in particular track and field.

Christopher Henry Gayle will be awarded for his outstanding contribution and service to Jamaica and West Indies cricket for the past 20 years, where he holds the reputation of being one of the most feared batsmen in all formats of the game.

Jamaica and West Indies Women Captain Stafanie Roxann Taylor will be awarded for her sterling performance and contribution to Jamaica and West Indies cricket. Taylor was named the 2012 Cricketer of the Year in women’s cricket and was also named the top all-rounder.

John Brian Breeze is to be awarded for his contribution to sports, particularly in cricket, and nation building. He was very instrumental in the development of youth cricket in Jamaica, especially the Kingston Wharves Under-15 competition which is still being played. He is a member of the Lucas Cricket Club.

Simone Ann Marie Edwards will be awarded for her contribution to Jamaica’s women’s basketball. She played most of her basketball games in the USA in the Women’s Basketball Association. She also played and was the captain of the Jamaica national team.

Theodore Eccliston “Tappa” Whitmore is to be awarded for his contribution to sports, locally and internationally in football as a player and coach. He is currently the head coach of the Reggae Boyz team which earned a second-consecutive silver medal at the CONCACAF Gold Cup recently.

However, his most famous exploits came back in the 1998 World Cup in France, where he scored twice against Japan to lead Jamaica to a 2-1 scoreline, their only win of the campaign.

Former champion jockey George Joseph Hosang will be honoured for his contribution to the horse racing industry. He has won over 2,000 races in his dazzling career in Jamaica and Canada.

Hosang won many blue ribbon races during his stint in Jamaica, including the Jamaica Derby, and the Superstakes, among others.

Immediate Past President of the Jamaica Skeet Club (JSC) Khaleel Jameed Michael Azan will be awarded for his outstanding contribution to the Sporting Clays fraternity.

Finally, Lloyd Michael “Bunny” Pommells is to be awarded for his contribution to the Social Development Commission (SDC) and the Sports Development Foundation (SDF). He is also Chairman of the Institute of Sports (INSPORTS).

— Gerald Reid