Alphonso Theodore Roberts - Early Years

Early Years

Born in Saint Vincent and the Grenadines on September 18, 1937, Roberts attended St. George's Anglican School and then St. Vincent Boy's Grammar School. While at the Grammar School, Roberts excelled in both soccer and cricket and, upon the recommendation of cricket great Sir Everton Weekes, he was awarded a scholarship to Queen's Royal College in Trinidad and Tobago. It was during this period that he was selected to play for the West Indies cricket team. Along with Sir Everton Weekes and the legendary Gary Sobers, he toured New Zealand with the West Indies team in 1955-56. He was only 18 years of age, one of the youngest ever to play international cricket.

Alfie Roberts’ interest in education and politics took precedence over sport and by 1961 he was no longer playing competitive cricket. Between 1958 and 1962, he worked as a civil servant for the government of St. Vincent before emigrating to Canada to attend Sir George Williams University (now Concordia University) in Montreal.

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