MINISTER OF Sport Dr Rupert Griffith yesterday continued his support of the annual Caribbean Welders Fishing Pond Football League, donating trophies and medals for the second year in a row.
The Member for Parliament for Toco/Sangre Grande made the presentation to Prakash Ramkissoon, president of the Fishing Pond Sports and Cultural Organisation at the MP’s office in Sangre Grande yesterday.
At the ceremony, Dr Griffith congratulated Ramkissoon for his yeoman’s service to football in the area and expressed his commitment to the league.
“I am happy to support my good friend Mr Ramkissoon. This man has been making an effort for over twenty-five years promoting football and other sports in the community which is a noble exercise. Anything I can do to help him to be effective and reach the young people of the village, I will make every effort to assist him,” he said.
Dr Griffith noted that the Fishing Pond Recreation Ground where the league is currently held is lacking proper facilities which he is hoping to address. “The current facility where he operates is lacking. What I have done is spoke to the Sport Company to pay a visit and look at the ground and see how well we can develop the ground to play football. All this is in keeping with the development of community sports,” he added.
The Sport Minister is requesting though that the league is expanded in the future to include all genders.
“What I would love to see him do is establish a female football league in Fishing Pond because our national women’s football team is doing good. We are in a home game just before we go to the World Cup and I am saying that because I feel we will beat Ecuador. I am extending an invitation for all football female players from the level of college and community to witness the Trinidad and Tobago team playing Ecuador on December 2,” he concluded.
The final of the Fishing Pond Football League will be held on Saturday at 3pm with the third/fourth play-off two hours earlier. The winner will take home $40,000 while the losing finalist receives $8,000. The third and fourth-place finishers get $5,000 and $4,000 respectively.