File - Allan Brown

Local skittles lost one of its best-known players on Sunday when Allan Brown of Mystix Skittles Club was killed in a motor vehicle accident in Portmore.

Following his team's upset win over high-flying Cherry's Strikers at Eastern All-Stars Club, Windward Road, on Sunday evening, Brown had just dropped off some of his teammates when his motor vehicle was involved in an accident, which took his life.

Brown, who was in his late 40s, had been involved in local skittles for close to 30 years, playing for a number of clubs including Apex, Solitude, Track Price Plus and Dragon. He will best be remembered as the man who revolutionised local skittles in the early and mid '90s by securing big-money spon-sorship from Desnoes & Geddes and the Cigarette Company of Jamaica in his capacity as public relations officer for the Jamaica Skittles Association.

Brown, whose partner Jacinth 'Gigi' Kellier was president of the association at the time, was also instrumental in getting television coverage for skittles, which continues to this day.

Sam Allen, president of the Jamaica Skittles Federation, hailed Brown's contribution to skittles and said he will be sadly missed.

Former president Leslie 'Toothpick' Puranda, a teammate of Brown at Mystix (Hagley Park Road), described his former associate as "eloquent, a man of good ideas and a motivator".

Puranda added that Brown took local skittles to another level and he will long be remembered for his contribution.

- O.C.