The final contingent of foreign contracted female footballers for this year’s inaugural and highly successful Women’s Premier League departed the twin-island republic yesterday en route to their respective home countries in South America.
The remaining quota of players, which comprised of more Caribbean and European players, had accepted the invitation by Sport Company of Trinidad and Tobago (SporTT ), who partnered with their respective national federations to participate in TT ’s first ever professional WPL Tournament.
TBL ensured that their contracted players were able to experience TT both on and off the field by keeping them on local soil for an additional week after the tournament’s conclusion. Together, the sports marketing company and these South American women were able to do some community work with local youth and then visit the many sights and wonders of the sister-isle.
The players visited the Holy Faith Preparatory (St Bernadette’s) School, St Ann’s, last week and easily conquered the troublesome language barriers by hosting numerous games and fun activities with the youngsters who avidly took part. The foreigners also gave students of the school a quick lesson in Portuguese and introduced them to various team building activities.
The contingent later flew to Tobago to visit the Buccoo Reef and other tourist attractions.
On his organisation’s hosting of the visitors, TBL executive member Narada Wilson, revealed that the foreign players were pleased with the level of competition in TT and camaraderie shared among players/officials.
Asked about his organisation’s role in playing host, Wilson, who speaks Portuguese fluently, said: “We were responsible for bringing the South Americans. They wanted foreign players and we put forward a proposal to get them here. So all of them were under us.”