$45M budget for Soca Warriors
WALTER ALIBEY (Newsday)
2006-04-05 02:26 (updated 2006-04-05 09:00)
GOVERNMENT has approved a massive $45 million budget which will assist the Soca Warriors in their preparation for the World Cup Finals in Germany from June 9 to July 9.
At a briefing at the Ministry of Sport and Youth Affairs, Abercromby Street, Port-of-Spain yesterday, Roger Boynes said the budget represented a deficit of $3.5 million which will be taken up by corporate Trinidad and Tobago.
The Trinidad and Tobago Football Federation had proposed a $79 million budget to Government to take the national footballers to the World Cup.
TTFF president Oliver Camps told the media yesterday he was happy with the government’s donation.
And Camps promised his Federation will do all in their power to ensure the Soca Warriors reach the second round.
Minister Boynes also said Government will also give the TTFF $18 million to jump start their youth development programme next week.
The approved budget included $16,169,069.70 to meet the cost of qualification bonuses to the players and technical staff between the period of September 2005 to December last year.
From that amount, the players will receive $10,659,719.70 while the staff will be given $5,509,350.00.
The national coaching and management staff including Dutchman Leo Beenhakker, assistants Whim Reisenburg and Anton Corneal also stand to benefit from $5,717,363.40 which government has designated towards payment of salaries and stipends.
Should the team advance to the second round of the World Cup the Soca Warriors’ coaching and management staff will receive an additional $6,463,800.00 which will represent bonuses.
From that figure, $2,116,800 will go towards the technical staff while $4,347,000 will be shared among the players.
The Soca Warriors will play three matches in the opening round against Sweden on June 11, England on June 15 and Paraguay on June 20.
Government is also offering an incentive of $15,372,000 to the Soca Warriors should they advance past the second round.
This amount also represents bonuses to the technical staff and players, which when broken down will show $6,678,000 to Beenhakker and his staff and $8,694,000 to be distributed among the players.
According to Boynes the projected revenue earned by the football federation is estimated to be $31,958,092.21 and will be used to offset the administrative and other costs incurred at approximately $33,093,567.50.
Government is also prepared to reimburse the sum of $745,225.54 which will represent customs duties and Value Added Tax which was incurred by the Football Federation between June 14 to November 9 last year, for the importation of gear, uniforms and tokens to prepare the TT team throughout the qualifying rounds of the World Cup.
Meanwhile, the Sport and Youth Affairs Minister made it clear that the budget will not represent what Government is planning to give to the Soca Warriors in honour of their qualification for the World Cup.
He said following discussions with the players in England recently through manager Bruce Anansen, they will be honoured after a meeting between Prime Minister Patrick Manning and captain Dwight Yorke.
Trinidad scraping together WC fundsWednesday April 5, 2006 1:16AM
PORT-OF-SPAIN, Trinidad (AP) -- Trinidad's Sports Minister Roger Boynes said Tuesday that the government can cover just over half of the small Caribbean nation's World Cup soccer budget of $13 million.
Boynes said the government will chip in $7.5 million to Trinidad's Soca Warriors' budget to cover the salaries of players and coaches.
"We're doing our part to ensure that the players can relax and focus on football," Boynes said.
Boynes said $2.5 million of the government's contribution is earmarked for bonuses for the team if it qualifies for the second round of the monthlong tournament to be held in Germany beginning June 9.
"I remain confident that the team has the capabilities to advance to the second round," Boynes said.
Boynes said the team will make up the rest of the nearly $6 million of the budget with funds from the Trinidad Football Federation and corporate donations.
The team has secured more than $500,000 in corporate sponsor money, he said.
Trinidad and Tobago, a twin-island nation of 1.3 million people is the smallest country to ever qualify for the quadrennial tournament. At the World Cup, it is grouped with England, Paraguay and Sweden.
