DUE to the “Soca Warriors” abrupt exit from FIFA 2014 World Cup qualifying, Minister of Sport Anil Roberts revealed that citizens should have a right to voice their opinion and submit suggestions on what should be the next step for the national squad.
The Sports Minister explained that local football enthusiasts will have the opportunity to critique the current and future state of the “Soca Warriors” at an open seminar at the Cascadia Hotel, St Ann’s on November 28 from 9am - 3pm.
Roberts made the revelation at a press conference at the Ministry’s headquarters on Abercromby Street, Port-of-Spain, on Monday.
“The Minister of the Sport and Youth Affairs will be holding a national consultation on the way forward for football where any and every citizen of Trinidad and Tobago, anybody who has ideas on the way forward for football will be invited to present their ideas,” stated Roberts.
He reiterated the importance of the open forum and called on every interested football fan, coach, player to come out on November 28 and let their voices be heard.
“I would like to again invite everybody in the national community to put their documents together and send them in to the Ministry of Sport and Youth Affairs (MSYA), to Natasha Nunez, Communications Specialist.
We also ask that beforehand, you (presenters) prepare a brief or a synopsis of your points of view for that consultation, so that within two days (after) we will have all the information compiled.
We have a team that will analyse it and come forward with recommendations. On that day, anybody can come up to the mike, it will be an open mike but you will only have five minutes to deliver your ideas so we need to have them on paper as best as possible,” added Roberts.
The former swim coach made it clear that the Ministry would have no part to play with the administrative processes of the programme.
“The MSYA cannot dictate to the TTFF (Trinidad and Tobago Football Federation) who should remain as administrators and how they should administer their football.
We are facilitators, so we have made the decision about what we have control over, which is providing through the national sport policy, total participation in football. And that’s where we are going to go, to the young ones. We have to start to prepare the table for 2018, 2022, 2026 and onwards,” continued Roberts.
This is one of a few projects the Ministry of Sport will be undertaking to further the develop of local football on a wider scale. At the meeting, Roberts also revealed plans to rebuild TT football from the ground up, focussing on identifying talent among youth (Under-15) in communities and schools.
He also intends to nurture coaches at this level in order to increase the country’s chances of competing successfully in elite competition.