Is T&T ready to host the women’s U-17 World Cup?
By Alvin Corneal (T&T Guardian)I wonder how many people in this country are aware that we are hosting the Fifa Women’s World Cup tournament in T&T from September 5-25? It will not surprise me if the majority does not know of this extremely important opportunity which was handed to our country, especially remembering that we were host to a similar competition only nine years ago. But unlike the previous occasion, this event has not been given the publicity which events of this magnitude have enjoyed when they are hosted elsewhere. Having attended at least 25 of these events across the world and experienced the level of marketing and advertising which was done by the host countries during that period, it is almost painful to understand why the same process was not utilised here. We have heard about the tournament through a couple press conferences, then the draw for the Championships, all of which was preceded by the employment of a Norwegian coach Even Pellerud, whose duty was to turn the quality of our football “water into wine,” and little snippets of TV adverts and newspaper clipping about the progress of our national team through the preparatory period. One member of the local organising committee, when asked about the reason for the absence of information which should have been shared with the public, the response was tantamount to the belief that it was sufficient.
Maybe we have viewed this event solely in the context of our national team being prepared to win three or four matches, as opposed to our country making an impression to the sporting world. This is an opportunity to show that we are capable of turning this huge international competition into the most impacting feature address made by the government and people of this country to the entire universe. A means by which to show off our maturity, our ability to organise, our country’s impressive economy, the friendliness of our people, added to the numerous reasons why members of the business sector and tourists from every corner of earth, can visit with us and participate in any way which suits their fancies.Because of the fact that we have taken responsibility to host this event, which was done more than two years ago, we must now understand that thousands of visitors will attend this tournament. They will be here, to not only support their own national U-17 women squads but to enjoy the ambience of an attractive city with its skyscrapers hanging over the heads of all as we hustle and bustle through the narrow, but comfortable streets to shop, to eat, to take pictures and most of all to understand the culture of this multi-racial society.
The fact that we boast of our seaside resorts, will take them to our beaches, especially on the sister isle of Tobago, the adventure and novelties of riding waves, eating coconuts, shark and bake, and getting a close up view of the underwater reefs of Buccoo. Some will wish to rent a car and drive through the country in search of our species of birds, our rainforest, our pitch lake, and so many other things for which we are famous. Those are some of the reasons why they visit the country. The football tournament is only the catalyst to expose our beautiful country to an unsuspecting, but inquisitive world. However, not a single billboard across the highways, the street corners, on the sides of our transport vehicles, on the “T” shirts with the tournament logo which should already be on sale at the sides of the major street corners, in the department stores, and especially at the airports. What of the memorabilia such as symbolic caps with the colours of the T&T flag with one of our innovative catch phrases for which we are famous. Where can the visitors find a road map which has the clarity needed to take them wherever they wish to go, including the stadia, the country’s areas of attraction, the major hotels, and even the use of clean toilets in each city, town and village?
What is probably the most essential responsibility undertaken by our government will be security, particularly when there will be approximately three hundred and fifty young ladies under seventeen who will spend three weeks in different parts of the country? I do not need to reiterate the absolute need for special attention to be paid to our guests, whose parents may or may not be with them, and knowing what has been an unusual and unacceptable type of behavior in recent times, we must treat this aspect of our commitment as priority. I am consoled by the recent announcement that our stadia will be ready, so we no longer have to worry about the venues for the matches. We are particularly weak in our maintenance habits, hence the reason why the stadium fields and overall facilities are not always in good shape. It is my sincere hope that everything will fall into place before the end of the month. Our government must take responsibility for each aspect of this auspicious event. We are proud to host it, but we must be even more proud to ensure that the professional management of the event will send the message to the world that we are a growing, matured society with visions of being first world sometime in the future.
