Hart: Babwah never told us that! Maurice, Ottley slam “very strange” resignations over Jan injuryBy Lasana Liburd (Wired868.com)
Trinidad and Tobago National Senior Team head coach Stephen Hart, goalkeeper coach Michael Maurice and fitness trainer Tobias Ottley have strongly denied accusations—published in the Trinidad Guardian newspaper—that the coach played Jan-Michael Williams against medical advice by team doctor Dr Terence Babwah in their 3-1 World Cup qualifying loss to Honduras on 15 November.
The issue was raised initially by radio host Andre Baptiste on the i95.5FM station on Saturday 19 November. According to the Guardian article, that was the very day that Babwah and physiotherapist Dave Isaacs handed in their resignations to the Trinidad and Tobago Football Association (TTFA).
Babwah confirmed his resignation but asked that all questions be directed to TTFA president David John-Williams.
“It is true that I resigned but anything more you will have to talk to John-Williams,” Babwah told Wired868.
John-Williams did not answer any questions on the issue while Isaacs could not be reached by phone. The TTFA subsequently released a press statement on both resignations.
The 32-year-old Williams, who has 75 full international caps, was knocked unconscious and concussed after just six minutes in San Pedro Sula when Honduras striker Alberth Ellis inadvertently smashed his knee into the temple of the Central FC custodian.
Guardian reporter Walter Alibey, who quoted an anonymous source, claimed that Babwah “strongly recommended” that Williams not play, since he was “medically unfit” due to “a severe shoulder injury” sustained against Costa Rica on 11 November which left him “unable to raise his left hand or dive on his left side.”
“There was hardly any movement in William’s left hand,” stated the Guardian’s source, “and he therefore it could not be extended it and furthermore, play in the game.”
The TTFA release today claimed that Babwah quit because “his professional integrity and that of the Team’s medical staff, had been compromised by decisions made leading up to the Honduras game.”
However, the claims about Williams’ pre-existing injury were vehemently denied by the coaching staff and the goalkeeper.
“[Babwah] never told me it was not safe to play Jan,” Hart told Wired868. “He never ever said that! He told me that Jan had an injury [while we were] in Trinidad. He said Jan hurt his shoulder and he was struggling with it.
“So I said let us see how it works out. We had a light training session in Trinidad but then we had two training sessions in Panama and Jan trained twice fully. He dived, he did everything.
“Before the game, Doc never came to me and said ‘I advise Jan-Michael Williams should not play’. Because he would then have had to [also] recommend that Jan not even train [in Honduras]. And Jan trained fully.”
The first point of contention was when Williams received the knock that worried Babwah. The article claimed it happened during the Costa Rica match. But, according to the goalkeeper, he actually hurt his shoulder in the warm-up before the game.
Despite some soreness, Williams still felt able to play and did so without incident. He was not at fault for either Costa Rica goal.
Read more:
http://wired868.com/2016/11/22/hart-babwah-never-told-us-that-maurice-ottley-slam-very-strange-resignations-over-jan-injury/