Stadium work forces off CFU U16 opener.
By: Shaun Fuentes.[/size]
The opening of the 2006 Caribbean Football Union Under 16 Youth Cup faces the possibility of being pushed back from August 14 due to the late unavailability of the Hasely Crawford Stadium.
Originally, an opening ceremony for the 28-nation tournament and an opening fixture between this country and Aruba was carded but CFU President Jack Warner learnt on Sunday from the Stadium officials that the venue was now unavailable despite the fact that the application for use on that day was made since January this year.
“I am mortified to discover that, as of yesterday, the playfield was not in the required state of readiness and worse, it will not achieve that condition in time for the opening event on August 14th, 2006,” a concerned Warner wrote in a letter to Roger Boynes, Minister of Sport on Monday.
“Quite apart from having to undertake the complex and time-consuming task of reshuffling our fixtures matrix at cripplingly short notice, Trinidad and Tobago is now faced with the ignominy of having to apologise to officials and teams of participating countries; conjuring up reasons why our flagship facility will not be available until the semi-final stage of competition.
“This situation is both unbelievable and unacceptable, rendered more so by coming on the heels of such noble and public promises on the part of your Ministry and the Government about partnering in the process of developing football, with a view to conquering the various challenges facing us en route to South Africa 2010.
“We are nonplussed by the schedule stadium management approved for re-grassing a 20-foot wide swath on the eastern side of the field, which simply cannot be fast-tracked. To the uninformed observer, that decision reeks of disdain for the Under-16 tournament, almost as if the Caribbean Youth Football Cup either didn't exist or had been postponed to later in the year. It is hardly the message we wish to send to our youth at large and, on the local level, several hopefuls for our next World Cup Team.”
While the CFU awaits a formal response, the tournament’s marketing committee is in the process of shifting the opening match to another venue, possible the Larry Gomes Stadium but without an opening ceremony which had already been specially choreographed to mark the appearance of the various nations including Mexico, Guatemala, Canada, Panama and El Salvador.
