One of Barbados’ best and most beloved basketball players has passed away.
Dwight Rouse, 66, who represented the country before switching gears to coaching died today, weeks before his birthday in July.
He fell ill last week and was hospitalised.
Rouse, who grew up in Dayrells Road, Christ Church, gravitated to basketball, lured by the dirt court next to his home.
“Being from that area it was natural for me to gravitate towards the game because it was basketball territory,” he said in an interview.
Standing 6’7” tall, he represented from 1978 and was captain of the men’s team when Barbados won the CARICOM Championships in 1994. He was also part of the unit which went to Argentina the following year for pre-Olympic qualifications and continued playing at the national level until 1996.
He was one of the country’s most beloved players, making the outdoor court at the YMCA his stomping ground as the premier defensive player, leading the Barbados Amateur Basketball Association’s Premier League competitions in blocks and rebounds throughout his career.
Rouse’s play for Senators for over three decades coincided with local basketball’s best days, with standing-room only nights at the YMCA on Pinfold Street. There were intense rivalries with local clubs Springfield, Royals, Hawks, Clapham Bulls and the Station Hill Cavaliers.
He stopped playing competitively in 2014.
Rouse, the father of one, worked at the National Sports Council for more than 25 years, honing the skills of successive generations of basketball talent. He coached both the men’s and women’s national basketball teams. (SAT/BA)