“Greatest Schoolboy athlete” Eric Phillips bestowed with A.A.

Mar 03, 2019 Sports

Gifted athlete, engineer and youth mentor, Eric Phillips, was among the list of individuals who received national awards last week from H.E. President

Eric Phillips with U.S. four star general and former statesman, Colin Powell.

David Granger.
The former Queen’s College (Q.C.) student received the fourth highest award in the Order of Service; the Golden Arrowhead of Achievement.
During his days at Q.C., Philips represented Guyana in an astonishing three sports. In 1967, he played for Guyana Under-17 football and cricket teams.
The football team included Lennox Arthur as Guyana clashed with Suriname in the first ever Inter-Guiana games which featured just two nations then.

(Standing from left) Coach Auguste Wooter, Donald Neblette, Julian Fernandes, Michael Pierre, Clyde Browne, Andre Field, Richard Clarke, David Woolford, Terry Camacho. (Stooping) Eric Phillips, Lennox Arthur, George Mitchell, Michael Hamphden, Kenny Dyer, Dennis Humphrey, George Pouder, Timmy Fung.

In the regional cricket competition that year, the Guyanese were runners up, and it was majorly to the exploits of then schoolboy Colin Croft who had a career defining tournament, that would later see him go on to represent Guyana seniors and then West Indies.
In 1970, Phillips won the Caribbean table tennis doubles championship with Garth Isaacs. Also on that 1970 table tennis team were Mike Baptiste and Bruce Edwards.
Academically, Phillips has certified himself with three degrees; Chemical engineering degree, Telecommunications and a MBA in Marketing and international Business.
Over the last five years he has thought eight different courses at the University of Guyana (U.G.).
Phillips, who was the only Caricom national to be selected as a White House fellow in 1990, is actively involved with youths in Guyana. Currently, he is a part of 11 local youth groups.
During an interview with Kaieteur Sport, Philips expressed gratitude to the President of the Cooperative Republic of Guyana for bestowing the award on him.