Bounty Killer, Usain Bolt, Sister Nancy And More Pay Respects To Pelé
Members of the Reggae and Dancehall community have been sending tributes following the passing of Brazilian football legend, Pelé, yesterday. Among the slew of music industry members paying respects were is Patra, Sister Nancy, Cham, Maxi Priest, Bounty Killer, Olivia Babsy Grange and Usain Bolt.
Patra, in describing the late 82-year-old as among her favorites, shared a video of Pelé and the late Argentinian football icon Diego Maradona, doing headers at a function.
“Amazing moments. 2 of my favs. RIP Pelé,” she captioned the post.
Patra’s former manager Olivia Babsy Grange, who is also Minister of Entertainment and Sports also issued a lengthy tribute expressing “deepest sympathy to Pelé’s family, the people of his homeland, Brazil, and to football fans here in Jamaica and all over the world”. The footballer she said, had been near and dear to Jamaican football fans.
“I join with the rest of the world in mourning the passing of Brazilian footballer extraordinaire, Edson Arantes do Nascimento, known fondly as Pele and to some, King Pelé,” the former Specs Shang executive stated of Pele who died yesterday, after a battle with cancer.
“I know that for many Jamaicans who have always been ardent supporters of Pelé’s Brazil, the thought of him not being around anymore is painful although he has been ill for some time… I say that Pelé is the greatest footballer of all time because no one at this point in time, alive or dead, has achieved what has. In fact, football’s governing body, FIFA, has labelled Pelé ‘the greatest’,” she added.
Sister Nancy also paid her respects following Pelé’s passing, noting: “Sleep well king”, as did sprint kingpin and now Dancehall producer Usain Bolt.
In paying tribute, Bolt shared a photo of himself with Pelé taken several years ago.
“A Sporting Legend… Rest in Peace King Pelé 🕊️,” he titled the post.
Bounty Killer also sent a tribute noting: “He lives a full one ☝🏿 rest well king @pele 👑,” as did his compatriot and former national junior footballer Cham, who noted: “Rest Well King @pele ❤️”.
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Reggae singer Maxi Priest also hailed Pelé as one of the greatest the world has ever seen.
“My condolences to the Nascimento family on the passing of the legend, Pelé aka Edson Arantes do Nascimento 🙏🏾❤️🙏🏾. We have been blessed with so many beautiful creative memories that has inspired so many people. The 🌎 has lost one of the Greatest Legends of all time. THE LEGEND OF FOOTBALL/SOCCER, WILL THERE EVER BE ANOTHER ? ⚽️⚽⚽👑👑👑 RIP King. You will never be forgotten,” he wrote.
Pelé began playing professional football for his club Santos, at age 15 and for the Brazil national team at 16.
During his international career, the football icon won three FIFA World Cups, the only player to do so.
His historic emergence at the 1958 World Cup at the age of 17, made him the youngest, and the first black global sporting star. During his heydays Pelé was, for a period, the highest-paid athlete in the world.
Pelé’s 1,279 goals in 1,363 games, including friendlies, has been recognised as a Guinness World Record.
Back in 1999, he was named Athlete of the Century by the International Olympic Committee. He was also included in Time Magazine’s 100 most important people of the 20th century.
In 2000, he was also voted World Player of the Century by the International Federation of Football History & Statistics (IFFHS) and was one of the two joint winners of the FIFA Player of the Century.
After retiring in 1977, Pele, who has been credited with dubbing football, “The Beautiful Game” became a worldwide ambassador for football.
In his home country, he was hailed as a national hero for his accomplishments in football and for his outspoken support of policies that improve the social conditions of the poor.
Prime Minister Andrew Holness, in his statements, described Pele’s passing as “the end of an epic football era”, noting that “fans are mourning the inspiring, giant three-time World Cup winner, who was loved, admired and idolized around the world”.
“Pelé’s impact on the sport of football is immeasurable. His skills and achievements on the pitch inspired countless young players and helped to popularize the sport around the world,” Holness said.
“He is a true legend of the game and will always be remembered as one of the greatest footballers of all time and his legacy will continue to inspire future generations of players,” the Prime Minister added.