Trinidad Guardian
By Gail Alexander After being overlooked for the national award, Fifa vice-president Jack Warner gets an up close and personal look at the Chaconia Gold medal presented to former national coach Leo Beenhakker yesterday, at the President’s House. Looking on are newly-appointed national coach, Wim Rijsbergen (right) and Minister of Sports and Youth Affairs Roger Boynes.
Photo: Karla Ramoo
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Former Soca Warriors coach Leo Beenhakker says he will always be available to T&T since this country has become an important part of his heart.
The usually solemn coach, who sometimes wore tense expressions during the Warriors’ recent World Cup performances, was all smiles yesterday, as he received the Chaconia Gold medal from President George Maxwell Richards.
Prime Minister Patrick Manning last month announced Beenhakker would receive the medal and $1 million in cash from the Government for his meritorious work with the national team and his contribution to T&T.
On hand at President’s House to witness the award of the medal were TTFF head Oliver Camps and other TTFF officials as well as Fifa vice-president and Warriors’ financial backer Jack Warner and his wife.
Warner went to the awards function straight from the launching of his book From Zero to Hero which took place earlier at Crowne Plaza. (See Page 71)
Beenhakker was subsequently presented with the $1m cheque by Sports Minister Roger Boynes at another function at The Queen’s Park Oval.
Dressed in a beige suite with a red tie for the President’s House function, Beenhakker, after receiving the medal from President Richards, said: “I am very honoured and very proud.”
He added: “This award means a lot to me as it is the most important part of recognising the effort we made with the players and staff members and in putting this beautiful country on the map of the world.
“It is my wish that this continues and that T&T can show for the next two years its ability and talent. I will always be available because T&T has been an important part of my heart.”
Beenhakker quipped to Richards that he had hoped to express some of his sentiments in Dutch since the President had once indicated he had studied in Holland.
But “Dutch is a language kind of like Japanese after happy hour,” he said, with a laugh and stuck to expressing his appreciation in English.
Richards said he was sure that Beenhakker was not leaving T&T for good or permanently.
“He will be with us from time to time in his new capacity as technical adviser of the team,” Richards added.
Beenhakker said there was little in the way of advice he could pass on to his successor since Wim Wijsbergen already has a wealth of experience and knowledge.
“I don’t have to give him any advice because he is well-prepared for the job. We’ve worked already several years together and he’s been totally involved in the situation in T&T and with the players, so he’ll go along the lines we were working at and I’m sure he’ll do a great job.”
Warner said he hoped the recent developments in football would encourage T&T to look at sports as being much more than it was viewed before and in terms of what it can to improve the youths and T&T’s culture.
Warner said: “If I had the money I would put up a billboard of the Soca Warriors in every village in T&T to inspire the youngsters. “As Prime Minister Patrick Manning has said, sports can do much more for T&T than any politician could do,” Warner added.
AP - PHOTO.
