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28
Thu, Mar

Look Loy challenges TTFA’s secret operations.
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The secrecy that defined the operations of the T&T Football Association for many years has been called into question and shall be soon come to an end.

Keith Look Loy, president of the T&T Super League and a sitting TTFA Board director, vowed to fight tooth and nail to ensure there is accountability in the affairs of the sport, after a meeting of the Board of Directors last Thursday revealed a lethargic attitude driving the operations of the sport.

Look Loy, a former national player and coach who has served at all levels of the game, said he is ashamed of the current state of local football and predicted it will only get worse if Board members do not honour their responsibility by taking control of the operations of the TTFA.

“I was surprised to see the way things functioned in there. It’s like no one is accountable to anyone and people operate in secret. I have said it before, every TTFA employee and everyone sitting on TTFA committees are accountable to the Board,” said Look Loy.

Guardian Media Sports obtained a copy of the meeting’s agenda which showed Look Loy was successful in getting the support from board members for a number of initiatives including a review of the operations of the Technical Committee, headed by Sam Phillip. Look Loy pointed out that the members of the committee are considered weak in terms of their technical knowledge and experience.

The review showed there is need to recruit more suitable members to the committee and implement the institution of mandatory reporting to the said Committee by national coaches after tournaments/matches, and by other TTFA technicians on an established periodic basis.

Look Loy also received support for a review of TTFA’s Technical Staff members, and called for the technical director to conduct a performance assessment of all technical staff of both national teams and development programmes. He also called for a fair recruitment process of all coaches to be engaged by the TTFA.

The technical director was also asked to submit a comprehensive annual budget for all technical operations, i.e. national teams and development programmes, coaching education, etc and it is to be submitted to the Board in April. Upon Look Loy’s request, the technical director will provide the Board with a strategic technical development plan while the head of referees department will supply an overall plan and budget for the development of TTFA’s referee department, and the resolution of several issues affecting refereeing over the past years.

These include challenges faced in the recruitment process, compensation package, inconsistent training by referees, and the steady reduction in the number of FIFA referees in recent years.

A former Malick Secondary coach, Look Loy said the Board has failed in getting these basic policies introduced and promised that as a board member, he will fight hard to ensure the operations of the TTFA are accountable to its members and the public.

At Look Loy’s request, the meeting which was attended by David John-Williams (TTFA President), Ewing Davis (TTFA VP), Joanne Salazar (TTFA VP), Richard Quan Chan (SFA representative), Sherwyn Dyer (ECFU representative), Karanjabari Williams (NFA representative), Joseph Taylor (TTFRA representative), Sam Philip (TTPL representative), and Justin Latapy-George (General Secretary), was also scheduled to discuss other financial and technical matters, such as;

(1) The contribution of FIFA, TTFA and Government to Home of Football project and the overall project budget,

(2) The names of companies/parties that submitted construction/professional bids for construction,

(3) The TTFA body or personnel to select the contractor and sub-contractors, if any, now engaged on the project,

(4) The name of the project manager,

(5) The quantum, duration and terms of all project contracts,

(6) The current financial and construction status of the project, however, was unable to conclude its agenda and was adjourned until March.