More T&T footballers are expected to benefit from the staging of the TT Pro League. Chief executive officer (CEO) at the TT Pro League Dexter Skeene yesterday announced that a decision was taken for tighter restrictions on international players coming into the country to play professionally.
In addition pro league board members also decided that foreign players do not include footballers from the CARICOM region, which comprised of 15 member states; five associates and eight observers.
The members states are Antigua and Barbuda, Bahamas, Barbados, Belize, Dominica, Grenada, Guyana, Haiti, Jamaica, Montserrat, St Kitts/Nevis, St Lucia, St Vincent and the Grenadines and Suriname while the five associates nations are Anguilla, Bermuda, British Virgin Islands, Cayman Islands and the Turks and Caicos Islands. The eight observers are Aruba, Colombia, Curacao, Dominica Republic, Mexico, Puerto Rico, St Maarten and neighbouring Venezuela.
Skeene told the T&T Guardian the decision was taken to stay in line with the league’s policy which is to develop the human capital in the country.
“We want to make sure that T&T nationals can compete technically at the local and international levels and that they receive the opportunity to make a living through the TT pro league which is an industry designed for that purpose.
“Through the pro league locals must also get the opportunity to enhance their skills and thereby get a chance at playing for the national teams,” Skeene said.
Although each team can use five foreign players in a match at one time, clubs can recruit any number of foreigners they chose. This will also reduce the expenses spent on recruiting players and salaries.
Correspondence on these restrictions have already gone out to the clubs, Skeene said, with the league well in full flight. Some four clubs have opted not to seek foreign intake in their teams such as Police, Defence Force and leaders Central FC while others have added a number of regional players on their rosters such as—W Connection; Julianie Archibald of St Kitts, Dimitri Apai (Suriname) and Kurt Frederick (St Lucia) among others. Caledonia AIA; Ranaldo Bailey (Barbados), Anthony Whyte (Antigua), Eugine Kirwan (Antigua), Daniel Whyte (Antigua), Purnell Schultz (Guyana), Kennedy Isles (St Kitts), Sheridon Holder (Guyana) and others; San Juan Jabloteh; Damian Williams (Jamaica), Adrian Reid (Jamaica) and Fabian Reid of Jamaica among many others.
Meanwhile there has been no change in the criteria for teams entering the pro league and there is still no change to the minimum among that players will be paid in the pro league.
Skeene said teams interesting in entering the league still had to come up with a $250, 000 fee as well as show proof that they can pay players on a monthly basis.
In the league the lowest paid players can take home some $2, 500 while there is no ceiling for the amount the top players can receive.