The Futsal Team Thread

[Tallman]

Was superintendent killed over food feud? Former national footballer created security risk.
By Mark Bassant (T&T Guardian)

The Fut­sal pro­gramme was in­tro­duced to the na­tion’s prison in April 2017 with the as­sis­tance of for­mer na­tion­al foot­baller Clay­ton Mor­ris. It seemed to be hav­ing a pos­i­tive im­pact in­side the jails. How­ev­er, the mur­der of Pris­ons Su­per­in­ten­dent Wayne Jack­son in Oc­to­ber 2018 ex­posed a dark side of the pro­gramme. Fol­low­ing in­ves­ti­ga­tions, Guardian Me­dia in­ter­viewed Pris­ons Com­mis­sion­er Ger­ald Wil­son who spoke frankly about Jack­son’s mur­der and the Fut­sal pro­gramme. Here is the first part of his in­ter­view with GML’s Lead Ed­i­tor of the In­ves­tiga­tive Desk Mark Bas­sant.

I want to take you back to the Fut­sal fi­nal in Ju­ly 2018 which was on a Sat­ur­day. Pris­ons of­fi­cers I spoke with said Mr Clay­ton Mor­ris had a meet­ing with Mr Jack­son and oth­er se­nior of­fi­cers pri­or to the fi­nal to de­cide on the menu which was buss up shut and cur­ry chick­en. How­ev­er, when the food ar­rived and two black Navar­ras pulled up out­side, the first pris­ons of­fi­cer raised a red flag and he called up­stairs. A pris­ons of­fi­cer then said let them through and they got to the sec­ond gate and then to the gym and where it was dis­cov­ered there was pack­aged food which al­so con­tained wild meat. Mr Jack­son said he could not al­low the wild meat in­side. Can you con­firm this was the case?

Wil­son: That is cor­rect what you have out­lined on the day of the in­ci­dent that is what I heard. I was on va­ca­tion but that is what I heard. The Com­mis­sion­er of Pris­ons has the pre­rog­a­tive to au­tho­rise or not au­tho­rise food to come in. Some of the pro­grammes, for in­stance, some of the small church­es come in at Christ­mas time and then we al­low them to bring food at the end of the ses­sion in the spir­it of Christ­mas but it must be from a cater­er who we would have as­sessed. It can­not be from Tom, Dick, and Har­ry for se­cu­ri­ty rea­sons. When it comes in, we search, we al­so search to en­sure noth­ing is il­lic­it in the items.

At the meet­ing with Clay­ton Mor­ris he was told it was a cater­er and the cater­er must not be as­so­ci­at­ed with an in­mate, it must be an in­de­pen­dent per­son vet­ted by us. My in­for­ma­tion is that it did not hap­pen! I think in Clay­ton Mor­ris’s case he did a fan­tas­tic job in terms of the Fut­sal. In terms of the re­la­tion­ship, this is where the out­ma­noeu­vring comes in, so I do not know who would have con­vinced him be­cause, but Clay­ton Mor­ris came from UTT, which was a UTT pro­gramme. They would send him out and he would do these pro­grammes. So I un­der­stand the day of the fi­nals they re­alise it had wild meat and they were like who au­tho­rise this and then Mr Jack­son said that he was not go­ing to take it. But I’ll tell you this my in­for­ma­tion is too that Mr Jack­son said the food is here al­ready, we will not take the wild­meat but we’ll take the oth­er things and search them and what have you.

Did you think Mr Jack­son’s de­nial of the food could have been a rea­son for his death?

Wil­son: Whether Mr Jack­son’s death was due to the de­nial of food I do not know but pri­or to that in­ci­dent with the Fut­sal and the fi­nals, there was an­oth­er is­sue with Mr Jack­son and some­thing else he de­cid­ed he did not want to en­ter­tain and it is sug­gest­ed that may have been the rea­son and not so much the fi­nal of the Fut­sal.

What was that?

Wil­son: That would have been the Eid cel­e­bra­tion and the same bring­ing of the food and things like that, so I un­der­stand that some per­sons were not too hap­py about the de­nial of that meal and in­for­ma­tion is a bit not so con­clu­sive in terms of what would have cre­at­ed the ag­i­ta­tion. I sus­pect it would have been some­thing. I mean no one would have gone at a Su­per­in­ten­dent at that lev­el un­less there was some­thing that cre­at­ed that prob­lem, so we look at Fut­sal on one end and the oth­er thing on the oth­er end. Which one it is I do not know. But I am say­ing that is an­oth­er thing you can look at too, which one was it that was bandied about, these per­sons want­ed the meal and he said no, and it cre­at­ed some hard feel­ings and that type of thing and then they had the Fut­sal thing where some of the food was turned away so, when you look at both of them you can prob­a­bly weigh it.

In a pre­vi­ous con­ver­sa­tion with now Act­ing Com­mis­sion­er of Pris­ons Dane Clarke he said there was an in­ter­nal in­ves­ti­ga­tion in­to all as­pects of Fut­sal as well as an on­go­ing po­lice in­ves­ti­ga­tion. Can you give us clar­i­ty on where this in­ves­ti­ga­tion has reached and why was the Fut­sal pro­gramme stopped?

Wil­son: My con­cern, when I got the in­for­ma­tion, would have been the food com­ing in and the fact there was a meet­ing held and how we could hold a meet­ing with Clay­ton Mor­ris. He would have been giv­en cer­tain in­struc­tions and in­for­ma­tion and then move con­trary to that that is one of the things I want­ed to be in­ves­ti­gat­ed. How­ev­er, the as­pect with Mr Jack­son and whether it was be­cause of that, that would be a po­lice in­ves­ti­ga­tion. But in­ter­nal­ly that both­ered me. Why would you have a meet­ing? You would have been told the yes’s and the no’s and then de­cide to do what you want.

Why would per­sons be able to bring those items if they were told dif­fer­ent­ly? So then re­mem­ber Mr Jack­son was a pop­u­lar Su­per­in­ten­dent and per­son and his death cre­at­ed some an­i­mos­i­ty among of­fi­cers, so in that re­gard, I de­cid­ed that be­cause Clay­ton Mor­ris would have been tar­get­ed as the per­son who would have al­lowed those per­sons to come in and prob­a­bly did not man­age the thing prop­er­ly and in or­der not to bring grief to of­fi­cers or con­tin­ued grief I de­cid­ed (1) we would in­ves­ti­gate to find out what would have caused that and (2) to cut the pro­gramme for a while so of­fi­cers will not see him and re­hash what hap­pened.

In ref­er­ence to the in­ter­nal in­ves­ti­ga­tion al­lud­ed to by Mr Clarke and Jack­son’s death, where has that reached since it has been more than a year and a half?

Wil­son: We suf­fer from clo­sure most times when of­fi­cers die. We keep ask­ing the ques­tion how and of­fi­cers re­main with anx­i­ety and dis­ap­point­ment and we do not ever get clo­sure. We are still guess­ing what caused it and who would have done it. It is not a nice feel­ing.

There was an­oth­er in­ci­dent in­volv­ing Mr Mor­ris and him bring­ing in a civil­ian with him in his ve­hi­cle dur­ing the Fut­sal pro­gram at the Max­i­mum Se­cu­ri­ty Prison. I un­der­stand pris­ons of­fi­cers were very con­cerned about this in­ci­dent?

Wil­son: I had spo­ken to Clay­ton about it. I called him and I said I heard this tran­spired and I am to­tal­ly up­set about it I say be­cause the pro­gramme is not pop­u­lar you have to re­mem­ber I have a du­ty of care to of­fi­cer and in­mate so if of­fi­cers are ag­griev­ed about some­thing I have to un­der­stand where they com­ing from too and what you did there was ab­solute­ly wrong and even though you saw the per­son and you re­alise they walk­ing in and they late, let them go through the gate you can­not bring them in your ve­hi­cle.

I was re­al­ly was up­set, I told him the same way I en­dorse the pro­gramme is the same way I shut it down as fast as I en­dorse it.

Is it be­cause he cre­at­ed a se­cu­ri­ty risk?

Wil­son: Ex­act­ly and the of­fi­cers are right if they up­set about it they are quite right. I say I do not care who it is I called him and if you speak to him he will tell you I did that, I re­al­ly chas­tised him for it you know the pro­gramme not pop­u­lar among a lot of of­fi­cers they did not want it. They found a lot of these high-risk in­mates hav­ing it their way and there you are com­ing in now and say­ing you giv­ing some­body a lift. I say how could you do that and the rea­son we al­lowed him to come on the com­pound with his ve­hi­cle be­cause he brought in the balls and all the thing and we al­lowed him that and we would have searched him as any­body else.

Though Fut­sal has been stopped in­def­i­nite­ly, how would you sum up the pro­gramme’s per­for­mance in the pris­ons?

Wil­son: I thought it was a re­al­ly good pro­gramme and it cre­at­ed a bit of com­fort among those per­sons who were al­ways in fights and by the time they got to play, there was a lev­el of calm among those per­sons who were al­ways row­dy and use to fight. The pro­gramme I lat­er de­cid­ed to move to oth­er pris­ons then.

[Tallman]

Morris: I did not bring in any food
T&T Guardian

For­mer na­tion­al play­er Clay­ton Mor­ris, who had been co-or­di­nat­ing the Fut­sal pro­gramme in­side the pris­ons, de­nied that he was the one re­spon­si­ble for bring­ing the food, some of which was turned back by de­ceased Su­per­in­ten­dent Wayne Jack­son in Ju­ly 2018.

“One of the of­fi­cers es­cort­ed me in­to the jail and I brought in equip­ment, tro­phies, and drinks,” said Mor­ris

“I was not re­spon­si­ble for bring­ing any wild meat in­to the prison at all. In fact, I did not know any­thing about it. It was the cater­ers that brought in the food and then I got a call that there was wild meat. I told them I did not know any­thing about that.

“Some­thing came in and I got blamed for it. It was not what I had or­dered. They told me that some­thing came in, in a buck­et and I told them I did not know about that,” he in­sist­ed.

Mor­ris said in the past he had com­plied with all the rules and reg­u­la­tions set down by prison of­fi­cials.

“If any­thing is not sup­posed to go in by the gate then It will not get past the gate,” he said.

Ques­tioned about al­low­ing an in­mate’s wife in­to his ve­hi­cle and dri­ving on­to the com­pound Mor­ris said: “They have to do what they do. I re­al­ly don’t have any com­ment on that. I fol­lowed all the rules most of the time. “How could they say I breached the rules?”

Mor­ris said the wife of the in­mate was not al­lowed to go in­to the prison com­pound with him, but rather was sent back to en­ter the civil­ian en­trance and was sub­ject­ed to the rou­tine search.

How­ev­er, Pris­ons Com­mis­sion­er Ger­ald Wil­son, who had cause to call Mor­ris and cau­tion him af­ter this in­ci­dent, said that the fe­male vis­i­tor was in fact al­lowed to go through the same en­trance that Mor­ris was al­lowed in af­ter she was thor­ough­ly searched.

Wil­son ex­plained that Mor­ris was al­lowed to en­ter the MSP com­pound with his ve­hi­cle and he would nor­mal­ly be searched be­cause of the Fut­sal pro­gram. How­ev­er, civil­ians Wil­son ex­plained had to pass through the en­trance des­ig­nat­ed for civil­ians and be sub­ject­ed to a search.

[Flex]

Konstin appointed Head Coach of T&T Men’s Futsal Team.
TTFA Media.

The Trinidad and Tobago Football Association is pleased to announce Constantine Konstin as the Head coach of the National Men’s Futsal team.

Konstin, who is also a FIFA and CONCACAF Futsal coaching instructor, is the former head coach of the T&T U-18 Women Futsal team that participated at the Junior Olympics in Buenos Aires in 2018. He is also a former United States national team futsal player. He was also coach/player of the US Futsal team which participated in the 1987 Pacific Rim Cup and was on the US Futsal Federation board of directors between 1988-1990.

Paul Decle has been appointed as assistant coach along with the rest of the technical staff which is as follows:

Dunstan Williams (Assistant Coach/Goalkeeper Coach)
Marvin Driggs  (Trainer)
Brenton Bain (Physio)
Stephen Bernard (Equipment Manager)
Nigel Roberts (Manager)

T&T will join 19 other nations in the 2020 Concacaf Futsal Championship from May 1-10, in Guatemala City, Guatemala. This tournament will also serve as qualifiers for the 2020 FIFA Futsal World Cup in Lithuania.

The 10-day competition in Guatemala City will be played at the Domo Polideportivo and Teodoro Palacios Flores Gymnasium. Both venues have a long history within Futsal, after having hosted multiple international competitions, including the 2000 FIFA Futsal World Cup.

Konstin replaces former Strike Squad captain Clayton ‘JB’ Morris who served as Men’s National Futsal Team head coach for the 2016 World Cup qualifying cycle. At present, Morris is assistant coach of the Boys’ National Under-15 Team.

The 20 Concacaf Member Association set to participate in the competition are (in alphabetical order): Canada, Costa Rica, Cuba, Curacao, Dominican Republic, El Salvador, French Guiana, Guadeloupe, Guatemala, Haiti, Martinique, Mexico, Nicaragua, Panama, Puerto Rico, Saint Kitts and Nevis, Sint Maarten, Suriname, Trinidad and Tobago and USA.

[asylumseeker]

Reading that there is disquiet in a certain corner regarding the non-retention of Clayton Morris as futsal coach. The voice in opposition is crying out in the wilderness without a echo. The coaching change is supportable and it is not a repudiation of Morris' tenure. It was time to make that move. Although I might have looked elsewhere for expertise and retained Morris in the mix, that wasn't necessary.

That stated, the TTFA must treat with the FATT issue as it must with the Veterans association issue. Swiftly and sensibly.

Maybe free Clayton to make a statement on the matter?Otherwise, one retains the sense that the dissenter is fighting the fight on behalf of a conveniently muzzled Clayton.

At the end of the day, futsal and beach soccer offer shorter paths to giant steps than 11 v 11.  Let's see whether Konstin can make strides.

[Flex]

Brereton: ‘TTFA mamaguy Clayton’; Look Loy: ‘Konstin was best choice for Futsal’
By Lasana Liburd (Wired868).

Former Men’s National Futsal Team manager Ronald Brereton has criticised the Trinidad and Tobago Football Association (TTFA) technical committee for overlooking Clayton Morris for job of national head coach and accused the local football body of siding with the ‘illegitimate’ Futsal Association of Trinidad and Tobago (FATT).

However, technical committee chairman Keith Look Loy suggested Brereton is conflating two separate topics—the TTFA’s appointment of national Futsal coaches; and the operations of FATT—and insisted that Morris remains a national coach and is ‘satisfied’ with his current status.

Brereton’s ire was provoked on Wednesday when the TTFA formally appointed American Constantine Konstin, a former USA international Futsal player and Fifa and Concacaf Futsal instructor, as Trinidad and Tobago Men’s National Futsal Team head coach.

Konstin will be supported by Paul Decle (assistant coach), Dunstan Williams (assistant coach/goalkeeper coach), Marvin Driggs (trainer), Brenton Bain (therapist), Stephen Bernard (equipment manager) and Nigel Roberts (manager).

Brereton noted that the TTFA had not included a single member of the last Futsal team that won bronze at the 2016 Caribbean Championship. On 13 December 2018, the entire Futsal coaching staff and players were awarded a settlement for more than a half million dollars by the High Court for unpaid salaries and stipends due from the local football body, which was then led by former TTFA president David John-Williams.

Brereton, who has worked with the National Futsal team since 2004, suggested that Morris was only given the post of Boys’ National Under-15 Team head coach to appease him.

“It is passing strange that, as a national coach, you win two gold medals in 2004 and 2008 (the team did not participate in 2012) and 2016 you get bronze, you apply for the post of head coach and they turn you down,” said Brereton. “The TTFA has to answer why. Is it that the TTFA has blacklisted us because of the court action?

“They mamaguy Clayton [Morris] as Under-15 assistant coach to take away the Futsal job. My position is Clayton Morris was unfairly treated by this present TTFA.

“[…] Clayton Morris is the only coach in Trinidad and Tobago that coaches Futsal—look at the programme he ran in prisons. So they ran a Futsal coaching course in Trinidad recently but are those fellahs actually coaching Futsal anywhere?!”

Brereton said that, although he could not speak on Morris’ behalf, he felt ‘saddened’ for the former Strike Squad captain and Trinidad and Tobago Hall of Famer.

“I really feel it for Clayton,” he said. “It is not to say he was unsuccessful or he was a bad coach. I don’t know what [the technical committee] said to him but I know he applied and was unsuccessful.”

Did Morris feel he was being unfairly treated? The UTT FC head coach declined comment to Wired868 and claimed that his code of conduct as National Under-15 coach does not permit him to discuss such matters with the media.

However, Look Loy said that, as far as he knew, Morris was fine and happy to work in the capacity decided upon by the technical committee. Further, he said Morris’ past successes did not guarantee continual employment for him or his staff.

“That is like saying Real Madrid can’t fire their coach when they win La Liga,” said Look Loy. “It was the opinion of the technical committee that the new staff is the one they should recommend to the board. Clayton [Morris] has had three tilts at the national job already. He is now on the eleven a side section [and] someone new is being given an opportunity, who is very qualified as a Fifa instructor and Concacaf instructor.

“[…] I have been in regular contact with Clayton and saw him up to yesterday [at the National Under-15 Team training session] and Clayton hasn’t mentioned it at all.”

Look Loy dismissed any inference that Morris’ new post as National Under-15 Team assistant coach was meant to offer a soft landing to the former Futsal head coach.

“It is not linked at all,” said Look Loy. “I had multiple conversations with Clayton and he was quite happy to work with a national youth team and had no demands or requirements about being head coach.

“His attitude—which I give him full credit for—was he was willing to work in any capacity in any job which he was required. I spoke to him just yesterday and he seemed quite happy.”

Much of Brereton’s angst comes from the strained relationship that he and Morris share with interim FATT president Geoffrey Edwards. In October 2015, then TTFA president Raymond Tim Kee appointed an interim Futsal Association headed by Morris and Edwards. However, Morris and Edwards soon fell out and, although Edwards continues to act as president and voted in two TTFA elections, the current Futsal executive members have never faced the polls themselves.

“How come the Futsal Association is allowed to get away without a formal election?” asked Brereton, who said he did not apply for a managerial post within the current set-up as he never saw that job advertised. “On what basis is the Trinidad and Tobago Football Association supporting Futsal? You bring a foreign coach from the United States of America: ent you have to house him, give him a travel allowance or car and pay him in US dollars? What is the cost implications of using a foreigner instead of a local coach?

“And then you are crying about how you are 60 million in debt. Is that making financial sense? Was this a decision of TTFA or the Futsal Association? And I maintain the Futsal Association is an illegal body.”

Look Loy tried to address each of Brereton’s concerns.

First, he was unaware of what advertisements might have been used for managerial positions within the National Futsal team. (The current Futsal team manager, Roberts, is also FATT’s general secretary and one of its two voting delegates.) He admitted that the FATT did indeed recommend Konstin for the top Futsal job but said the final decision was the technical committee’s.

“The Futsal association made recommendations but they still had to be vetted by the technical committee, which we did,” said Look Loy. “They wanted that person and we agreed he was a good choice. Clayton has never worked abroad and he never worked here, except for one stint with the Women’s Under-18 Team [at the 2018 Youth Olympics]. So it is difficult to compare the two.

“[Konstin] has done a lot within US Futsal circles, particularly within youth circles. We thought it would be a good move to bring someone with international experience to bear with the team.

“[…] And just for the information of people who believe he is getting a fantastic price. He is getting no more than [Angus] Eve or [Jason] Spence or other local youth coaches; and he is getting it in local currency too. So he is getting a local salary at a local level.

“The Futsal Association agreed to pay for his airfare and local accommodation… That wasn’t the only criteria we used [to appoint him] but we took that into consideration and we proceeded…”

Look Loy denied that the TTFA offered any surreptitious support to the Futsal Association.

“The National Futsal Team of Trinidad and Tobago belongs to the TTFA and not to the Futsal Association of Trinidad and Tobago,” he said. “People do not grasp that. Their legitimacy is a separate and distinct issue. So we have appointed a staff for the National Futsal Team, which is under the control of the TTFA.”

The Futsal Association, he said, is already operating well outside of its ‘interim’ term and that must end soon.

“The TTFA general secretary [Ramesh Ramdhan] has already written to the Futsal Association of Trinidad and Tobago pointing out to them that they were appointed by Raymond Tim Kee as an interim body in October 2015,” said Look Loy. “They went through four years without an election, they have no membership that we know of, and we have never seen any minutes from them.

“They are now in a fifth year. They have to prove that they are compliant. They most produce a constitution, proof of constitutionally approved meetings, minutes of said meetings with membership attending, and they have to prove they have held an election.

“If they cannot do that, the TTFA will step in. There are two issues here and they are two different issues that are not even related to each other.

“We are fully aware of the issues within Futsal—and I am might add that the same situation arises with Beach Football. These two situations will be addressed.”

Look Loy said the National Futsal Team will begin screening sessions by next weekend and Konstin is expected to be in the country by then. At present, the technical committee is waiting for the approval of training venues from the Sport Company.

The TTFA then hopes to provide Konstin and his troops with a short camp at the Costa Rica FA’s training centre, prior to their Concacaf competition in May, which will allow them to have four or five warm-up games.

Should finance permit, the TTFA will also bring in a specialist goalkeeper coach from Cuba to work with the team from April.

Otherwise, Look Loy reported that five outdoor national teams are training at present with two more set to join them soon.

The Men’s National Under-17 and Under-15 Teams started training on Saturday, headed by Angus Eve and Keith Jeffrey respectively. Due to a shortage of venues because of ongoing works at several national stadia, the Under-17s will operate primarily out of Mucurapo West Secondary with the Under-15s at El Dorado West Secondary.

The Men’s National Under-20 Team, headed by Derek King, should begin training on Wednesday at the Larry Gomes Stadium in Malabar.

The Women’s National Under-17 and Under-20 Teams begun training last month under the guidance of Richard Hood while Jason Spence will start the Women’s National Under-15 programme next Saturday at the Trinity College East ground.

There is also a girls training programme in Tobago that is meant to augment the work of the Trinidad-based team.

“We have four Under-17 girls in Tobago who are training under Corbyn Cooper as part of a wider girls programme there,” said Look Loy. “We are doing what we can to ensure they have a fair chance as possible.”

Men’s National Senior Team head coach Terry Fenwick, according to Look Loy, will hand over his own training plans tomorrow.

At present, the TTFA has not stopped national coaches from operating at club level. Eve and Jeffrey, for instance, not only coach two national youth teams but are also involved in the running of Pro League teams Tiger Tanks Club Sando and San Juan Jabloteh respectively from their senior to youth set-ups.

Look Loy said that the technical committee will monitor all staffs to ensure there were no issues as a result.

“I personally made it clear that there is to be no clashing of schedules; and if there is a clash, then the national team comes first,” said Look Loy. “I made it clear to them all and it was agreed. We will monitor to make sure there is no conflict and, if there is, we will resolve it in the TTFA’s favour.”

[RichGFootball]

Futsal screening sessions for T&T national men's senior team in preparation for World Cup qualifiers in May 2020. The World Cup will be held in Lituania from 12th September to the 4th October.

Saturday 8th February
Southern Regional Indoor Sport Arena, Pleasantville
10am

Tuesday 11th and Thursday 13th February
Central Regional Indoor Sport Arena, Chaguanas
6pm

Saturday 15th February
Montgomery Recreational Courts, Montgomery
630pm

Sunday 16th February
Eastern Regional Indoor Sport Arena, Tacarigua
10am

North Zone venue and date TBD.

[Flex]

Dear Editor: TTFA committed injustice on Clayton in Futsal appointments
Wired868.

“[…] The TTFA, given that they had all this information prior to making the appointment of the FUTSAL technical staff, must explain to the FUTSAL community—and by extension, the people of this country—on what basis and by what authority, did they accept the recommendations of FATT, in the appointment of the FUTSAL technical staff.”

The following Letter to the Editor criticising the decision of the Trinidad and Tobago Football Association (TTFA) to appoint new staff to the Men’s National Futsal Team was submitted to Wired868 by former team manager Ronald Brereton:

In a Wired868 article last weekend, TTFA technical committee chairman Mr Keith Look Loy accused me of ‘conflating two separate topics—the TTFA’s appointment of National FUTSAL Coaches; and the operations of FATT’.

Mr Look Loy must not be allowed to play smart with foolishness.

Look Loy: “[FATT] went through four years without an election, they have no membership that we know of, and we have never seen any minutes from them. They are now in a fifth year. They have to prove that they are compliant. They most produce a constitution, proof of constitutionally approved meetings, minutes of said meetings with membership attending, and they have to prove they have held an election.”

Bear in mind that two words that were always present in the campaign of the victorious team at the last TTFA Elections were ‘transparency’ and ‘accountability’.

So the technical committee and the TTFA were well aware of these facts, as stated in the very words of Mr Look Loy.

Given all of the above, it is clear that FATT does not represent anybody; and most of all, FATT does not represent the views of the FUTSAL community in Trinidad and Tobago; but instead its own selfish agenda.

It follows therefore that the technical committee and the TTFA, given that they had all this information prior to making the appointment of the FUTSAL technical staff, must explain to the FUTSAL community—and by extension, the people of this country—on what basis and by what authority, did they accept the recommendations of FATT, in the appointment of the FUTSAL technical staff.

Further, on what basis and authority was FATT allowed to vote in not just one, but two TTFA elections.

Mr Look Loy claims that Clayton Morris is satisfied with his present status as a National Coach. Whereas I cannot speak for Mr Morris nor will I attempt to, I must ask Mr Look Loy: how would you feel if you were in Mr Morris’ position?

If for 16 years you were head coach of a successful national team that gave this country two gold medals and one bronze medal in that time, then to be un-ceremoniously removed without even the benefit of an ‘exit interview’.

We were put out of the team’s hotel in Guatemala in 2008 and put out again in Costa Rica in 2016—not one word of apology from the TTFA. Not one word of thanks to the outgoing technical staff for service rendered to the FUTSAL community and the people of Trinidad and Tobago.

I wonder if Mr Morris was not [mandated] to follow the TTFA’s Code of Conduct for national coaches, what his position on this would be.

So Mr Look Loy it is not two separate issues, it is one major issue, and we intend to hang it around your neck so that it can be displayed at all times on your chest.

In the words of the late comrade Bennett Berkley of the OWTU, this decision of the technical committee and the TTFA is an ‘unfairment’.

Injustice coated in the purest form of honey, coated in the strongest smelling cologne/perfume or fully immersed in faeces, remains injustice.

The decision of the Keith Look Loy-led technical committee and the TTFA regarding the appointment of a 2020 technical staff for the National Men’s FUTSAL Team reeks of injustice and ought to be rescinded or revisited in the least.

Editor’s Note: The two incidents when the National Futsal Team players and staff were expelled from their hotels for non-payment of accommodation fees occurred during the tenure of past presidents Oliver Camps and David John-Williams respectively.

[asylumseeker]

Are we to conclude that for the two week period after Morris was announced as a U-15 coach, Morris believed that he remained as futsal coach?

(Konstin was announced as futsal coach about two weeks after the various age group staff were made public).

[asylumseeker]

WATCH: The 2020 CONCACAF Futsal Championship Draw. The tournament will take place in Guatemala between May 1 and May 10, 2020.

<a href="https://www.youtube.com/v/q2jES617YZY" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" class="bbc_link bbc_flash_disabled new_win">https://www.youtube.com/v/q2jES617YZY</a>

Trinidad and Tobago is drawn with hosts Guatemala, Guadeloupe and a third opponent to be determined.

[Flex]

Futsal coach calls Squad for training ahead of Concacaf qualifiers
TTFA Media.

Men’s National Futsal Team head coach Constantine Konstin has called a pool of players to attend the next three training sessions as he continues preparations ahead of the CONCACAF Futsal Championship in Guatemala City in May.

The sessions are carded for Tuesday 10th, Thursday 12th and Saturday 14th March 2020 at the Ato Boldon Stadium outdoor area next to the Beach Soccer Pitch Each session begins at 6:30 pm and persons are required to be present thirty (30) mins prior to the start with a red and white jersey.

“What I noticed immediately is that there is a huge talent pool in this country with both women and men. I was amazed when I came out to see the Pro League games, looking and scouting for players, by the amount of amazing skillful players, explosive players, talented and athletic players that there are. So I feel confident that we can put a great team together and do our best to get to Lithuania in September,” Konstin told TTFA Media.

“I can tell you that with the quality of players you have there is no reason why Trinidad and Tobago shouldn’t be one of the top forty countries in the world. Iceland did it and they have a population of 300,000 and I know that they don’t have a talent that you have here. But they have a coaching education that is huge so that helps a lot. The talent is here and you just need to get out there and find the right people who want to be coaches

“We have put a pool together so our goal is to start training three days a week and then we’ll add sessions as we get closer to the tournament. We have to be patient as a lot of the players are also playing in the Pro League here. Right now the focus is the next set of training sessions at Ato Boldon.

“The beauty about soccer and futsal is that you play with a ball and with your feet but there are other aspects as in both soccer and futsal there has to be a high IQ and skill. In futsal you have to have more IQ and skill because you are playing in smaller, tight areas,” Konstin added.

Players Called for Training

Non-Pro League / Unattached

Russell Alfred, Keston Guy, Dwayne Edwards, Omri Beard, Denrick Eve, Cyrano Glen,Kareem Perry, Jokiah Leacock, Kwesi Peterson, Shane Hospedales, Nicholas Alfred, Jayson Joseph, Andrew Tinto, Dejon Roper. Kern Cupid.

PRO LEAGUE CLUBS:

CUNUPIA FC - Kevon Woodley

POINT FORTIN CIVIC – Justin Sadoo

DEFENCE FORCE – Brent Sam, Adrian Welch, Curtis Gonsalves, Jelani Felix, Andre Marchan (GK), Reon Moore, Justin Garcia, Aaron Lester, Dylon King, Jerwyn Balthazar.

AC PORT OF SPAIN – Jean-Paul Rochford

W. CONNECTION - Jason Belfon, Mark Ramdeen, Rhondel Gibson

CLUB SANDO - Shaqkeem Joseph, Trevin Caesar, Kelvin Henry (GK), Darnell Hospedales, Anthony Charles

LA HORQUETTA RANGERS – Keron Cummings, Tyrone Charles, Jamal Creighton, Jabari St Hillaire (GK), Aikim Andrews, Kadeem Corbin, Ross Russell Jr

CENTRAL FC - Jameel Neptune, Sean Bonval, Noel Williams, Cleon John (GK)

POLICE FC - Theon Brown (GK)

[asylumseeker]

Ah like it! Sense, coach! Several of those names of the PL players make exceptional sense.  Boom!

[Cocorite]

Ah like it! Sense, coach! Several of those names of the PL players make exceptionalnatural  sense.  Boom!

Was wondering why this wasn't done from inception. Seemed natural to me 

[Trini _2026]

Ah like it! Sense, coach! Several of those names of the PL players make exceptional sense.  Boom!

Suppose  terry calls up  a few of these pro league players now then what ?

[asylumseeker]

Ah like it! Sense, coach! Several of those names of the PL players make exceptional sense.  Boom!

Suppose  terry calls up  a few of these pro league players now then what ?

I think that's sorted.

[Tallman]

WATCH: On the Sport with Geoffrey Edwards, President of the Futsal Association of Trinidad and Tobago

<a href="https://www.youtube.com/v/iEgvb553mgA" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" class="bbc_link bbc_flash_disabled new_win">https://www.youtube.com/v/iEgvb553mgA</a>

[Flex]

Venezuelans in Siparia organise futsal tournament.
By Grevic Alvarado (Newsday).

VENEZUELAN Futsal arrived in T&T and is about to open its first official championship in Siparia.

More than 16 teams are preparing to participate in the league organised by the Siparia Spurs Club.

Moisés Pérez Mcnishj, the main organiser of the tournament, said that the idea is to be able to start the first week of September.

"We aspired to start the championship with 12 teams, but many people have been joining the proposal and it has expanded to 16 clubs from Trinidad and Venezuela," said Pérez Mcnishj.

The first meeting with the teams will be on August 1, but they still have to confirm the place.

The championship will have as its main venues the Siparia Court, the Debe Gym and the Pleasantville Gym.

"The problem with the courts here is that most of them are made of asphalt and it is not recommended, so we are making contacts in other stadiums so that the tournament will spread throughout TT," said Moisés Pérez Mcnishj.

"In Venezuela, futsal is played professionally and our idea is to be able to create a professional league in T&T, so that the locals learn futsal techniques and tactics that are different from soccer," he said.

It is expected that several professional Venezuelan players, who have come to T&T due to the economic and social problems of their country, will participate in this tournament.

"Currently we have great futsal players here, many of them have been joining the teams because they want to play, that will guarantee a high-level league that Trinidadians would surely like," said Moisés Pérez Mcnishj.

For now, they will continue to organise and search for other venues to play the games when the tournament starts.

[Tallman]

Futsal development in the Republic of Trinidad and Tobago
futsalfocus.net

Today’s interview is with Geoffrey Edwards, the President of the Futsal Association of Trinidad & Tobago since 2014. Geoffrey is one of the youngest Sport Administrators in the southern-most Caribbean with over 15-years of international work experience in the Oil and Gas industry. He possesses an International Master in Management, Law, and Humanities of Sport (also known as the FIFA Master) which was completed in 2019. Presently, Geoffrey is Trinidad and Tobago’s Programme Coordinator for The International Centre for Sports Studies, known mostly by the initials CIES from the French Centre International d’Etude du Sport whilst driving the development of futsal and its awareness in his own country. One project, in particular, that is driving awareness is the Association’s weekly online show called Futsal868 Corner Talks. This talk show incorporates interviews with relevant discussion on a wide range of topics with many credible, experienced, and successful global sporting executives and athletes.

Geoffrey, thank you for agreeing to this interview and welcome to Futsal Focus!

FF: Can you give Futsal Focus readers an understanding of where Futsal was in terms of its development in T&T before becoming President of the Futsal Association of Trinidad & Tobago?

GE: The Futsal Association of Trinidad and Tobago (Futsal868) was ratified as a full-body member of the Trinidad and Tobago Football Association (TTFA) in February 2014. Prior to this, the sport of futsal was none existent administratively. On the field of play, the same adjective could be used as there were few competitions and no leagues. The only “meaningful” activity was the participation of the Men’s National Senior team in World Cup Qualifiers through the CONCACAF Championship. Participation in the latter tournament occurred only in 2004, 2008, and 2016.

FF: What has been the journey of the sport of futsal in Trinidad & Tobago since becoming a full-body member of the National Governing Body?

GE: The trajectory for the development of the sport of futsal in Trinidad and Tobago has been a steep upward climb. As one of the youngest members of the TTFA, there were many obstacles and ‘teething’ problems in our first four years of existence. Many individuals resisted our vision, which is to positively impact the national sporting landscape. However, we overcame and we are embracing the many lessons learned from each stepping stone. In September 2017, the Futsal868 hosted the instructor-led CONCACAF Futsal Coaching Course with twelve (12) participants, who received certifications upon completion. Our true defining moment was in 2018 when the Futsal868 was given the sole task to prepare a Girl’s Under 17 team to participate in the Buenos Aires Youth Olympics where Futsal was played for the first time at the Olympic Movement. With only two (2) months to prepare, we employed the bro-bono services of U.S. duo of Mr. Constantie Konstin and Mr. Otto Orf who performed “miracles” for a commendable showing on the international stage. Their service of love, the dedication of the Futsal868’s Executives, players, and their parents impacted us tremendously to grow…and we have.

FF: Since launching the Futsal868’s 5-year Strategic Plan in 2019, what has been achieved to date, and how have you adapted it since the Covid-19 pandemic?

GE: The Futsal868 5-year Strategic Plan was adopted democratically by the National Sporting Organisation’s Executives in March of 2019. The Plan has five (5) pillars which include Grassroot Development, Coaching Education, Female Inclusivity, and Brand Awareness Building. Since then, the Futsal868 has successfully executed the following activities based on the respective pillars:

1. Let’s Play Futsal Caravan – an interactive grassroots initiative that intends to take the growing sport of futsal to schools (primary and secondary) and communities throughout the country. To date, the Caravan has visited over 20 schools with an average of 7 schools per term.
2.The FIFA Futsal Coaching Course and Grassroots Festival was held in September 2019. It was facilitated by Graham Dell and supervised by Brent Rahim – FIFA Futsal & Beach Soccer Development Manager. The Grassroots Festival was well attended with thirty-three (33) coaches successfully completed the course along with over sixty (60) children.
3. The establishment of a Technical Department to oversee the long term athletic development of futsal players with a focus on ages 5 to 15 years old.

As of March 2020, all activities related to the Strategic Plan were paused to the COVID-19 pandemic. Thus, in an effort to “consistently speak to our stakeholders during the new normal”, Futsal868 Corner Talks was created. This initiative is an online Meet-Up Series which is streamed via Futsal868 Facebook page and YouTube Channel where global sporting professionals shared and continue to share their experiences & perspectives on Futsal and social topics related to sports including racial inequality and social justice, mental health, and emotional intelligence, gender equality, and inclusion just to name a few.

To date, there has been twenty episodes with guests such as Mr. Michael Guco – Head of Futsal in the Philippines; Jamaican Ms. Grace Jackson, Olympic medalist – 200 m Silver at Seoul Olympics; Mr. Keith Tiozier – Commissioner of the US Professional Futsal League; Mr. Otto Orf – Assistant Coach of the US National Futsal Team; Yash Chugh – former Indian Futsal Player and Mr. Brian Lewis – President of the Trinidad & Tobago Olympic Committee. Additionally, there have been pivoting efforts include the creation of a 4-tier online coaching education programme, social media engagements and activations, traditional public relations activities, and continuous planning of on-flied activities including the launch of nation-wide futsal centers, tournaments, and leagues.

FF: Since launching Futsal 868 Corner Talks, you have spoken to various people. Can you discuss what you have learned from those within futsal that you can apply to your own plans and what have you learned from people outside of futsal that can also benefit your goals?

GE: As with any discussion involving subject matter experts, many lessons were learned that the Futsal868 has decided to incorporate as we move forward. These include (but not limited to):

a. Success is a slow and steady journey
b. Ensuring inclusivity at all levels of the Futsal868
c. The establishment of a Safeguarding and Child Protection Policy
d. The use of psychometric assessment of our athletes and coaches
e. The inclusion of discussions on mental health, emotional intelligence and racial equality and social justice issues in the sport with our players, parents/guardian, athletes, and coaches
f. Ensuring the proper creation of a long term athlete development plan
 
FF: What do you envisage for T&T’s national development in 5 years and how do you hope to be competing on the international stage?

GE: In 5 years, the Futsal868 envisions:

a. The hosting of successful national leagues for men and women
b. The successful national competitive and recreational tournaments for both genders and all ages
c. The establishment of regional futsal centres for kids
d. Local coaches receiving futsal licensed accreditation
e. The continued growth of the Let’s Play Futsal Caravan
f. Futsal be a more accepted sport and Futsal868 become a nationally recognized brand
g. Internationally, to be competing at the next FIFA Futsal World Cup, Youth Olympics, and youth tournaments

FF: What is your wish for futsal within the Caribbean region?

GE: Futsal is a great development and exciting sport that can be played in any country inclusive of the Caribbean Islands. The Futsal868 coins the sport “The T20 of Football” in reference to the shortened, fast-paced and entertaining version of the game of cricket that is extremely familiar to all within this region. There are many countries in the Caribbean that have experienced the sport with the consistency of play and development in each jurisdiction of varying degrees. Thus, it is my wish that Caribbean Sporting Administrators recognize the tremendous positive economic, social, and developmental value of futsal on their Island. Additionally, decision-makers who are interested in the sport can establish a Caribbean Futsal Committee or Task Force where sustainable ideas are generated and effectively executed for the positive benefit of the entire region.

[Flex]

Futsal Association willing to stay athletes-centered
By Joel Bailey (Newsday).

THE FUTSAL Association of T&T (FATT) is willing to stay athletes-centered, even though T&T has been handed a suspension, from international football and competitions, by the global governing body FIFA.

On Sep. 24, FIFA imposed a sanction on T&T due to the delay from the former TT Football Association (TTFA) executive, headed by William Wallace, to withdraw their legal matter from the local High Court.

Wallace and his United TTFA team are fighting FIFA’s decision to remove them from office, in March, and implement a normalisation committee, headed by Robert Hadad, due to mounting debts.

FATT issued a media release on Monday, saying, “We remain committed to the development of our nation’s athletes and enhancement of knowledge of the sport of futsal.

“Since our ratification as a full-body member of the TTFA in 2014, our communication message has been unequivocally

consistent – to be an organisation that is athlete-centered and athlete-focused.”

Touching on the matter between the TTFA and FIFA, the FATT media release said, “This impasse should not be about choosing sides but rather about prioritising our greatest stakeholders – our

athletes. It provides an opportune time to champion their cause as we circumnavigate through these uncertain and unsettling times.”

In a telephone interview, FATT president Geoffrey Edwards asked, “Has any stakeholder, any member of the TTFA, whether it’s been the ones who have always been in the media or those who have made few media appearances, spoken on behalf of the athletes?

“Even our social media has shown that we have always been athletes-centered. If we do not speak on behalf of athletes, then why do we exist? If any organisation can tell us how the athletes can be affected by their decisions, short, medium and long-term, then we will definitely be a part of that conversation.”

Asked about the feedback from the national futsal players regarding how they have been keeping active, despite the covid19 and TTFA situations, Edwards replied, “All national teams belong to the T&T Football Association and a part of the member association.

“I am also a part of the Whatsapp chat so, whenever the Zoom calls ended, the coach would send videos and, and maintain communication with the athletes themselves.”

[Tallman]

Futsal association hosts virtual coaching education series
By Jonathan Ramnanansingh (T&T Newsday)

The Futsal Association of T&T (FATT) has commenced the first installation of its virtual futsal coaching education series.

The opening series was held on October 10, 17 and 24. The inaugural cohort comprised 12 graduates, including two Barbadians studying sport management at the tertiary level.

According to a release issued by FATT, on Wednesday, the course was facilitated by an international futsal and football development company with experienced and highly qualified instructors.

The instructors included Spaniard Dr Daniel Berdejo del Fresno, head of performance at the Bay Area Futsal Club in San Francisco and Italian Sergio Gargelli, head coach of China’s futsal team.

This initiative follows the successful FIFA futsal coaching course and grassroots festival in September 2019.

The online certifiable course comprises four levels – basic, level one, level two and professional.

“The course is part of FATT’s 2024 strategic plan. The main target audience is physical education teachers and certified football coaches who are involved in youth development,” said Geoffrey Edwards, FATT’s president.

He continued, “Participants will be exposed to both theoretical and practical components which include the laws of the game, strategies and technical and tactical elements to be utilised when working with young persons.”

Edwards added, “The basic level introduces participants to the game of futsal; level one and level two focuses on coaching development for children six to 16 years old and 17 years and above, respectively; and the professional level gives in-depth coaching education for the proper development of a futsal professional.”

The basic level course continues on November 7, 14 and 21 and costs $400 per participant. Level one gets under way on November 28-29 and December 5, 6, 12 and 13. This course costs $750.

Registration can also be done by contacting 787-7678, 399-4406 or futsaltt@gmail.com.

[asylumseeker]

Recent matches - full.

Brazil
Corinthians v Carlos Barbosa, quarterfinal.

Leoas da Serra v Tabão Magnus, Supercopa final - women

Spain
Levante v Barcelona, league.

International friendly
Spain v Brazil

[Flex]

‘Ballpest’, Gonzales, De Silva, Woodley, JP Rochford among National Futsal team invitees.
By Lasana Liburd (Wired868).

Past and present Men’s National Senior Team players Keron ‘Ballpest’ Cummings, Curtis ‘Boyo’ Gonzales, Sean De Silva, Yohance Marshall, Trevin Caesar and John-Paul Rochford were among a host of familiar names included on a list of 40 invited trainees for the Men’s National Futsal Team, as Trinidad and Tobago resumes preparation for the 2021 Concacaf Futsal Championship.

The Trinidad and Tobago team will be guided by American Constantine Konstin who was ‘re-appointed’ as head coach by the Fifa-appointed normalisation committee, according to a release by the TTFA Media.

The Concacaf Championship will be staged in Guatemala from 30 April to 9 May and serves as the qualifying competition for the Fifa Futsal World Cup, which should kick off in Lithuania this September.

Rochford, a former National Under-17 Team captain, was one of several players who were part of coach Terry Fenwick’s recent training squad but missed out on selection for today’s international friendly against the United States in Orlando.

Other Futsal invitees who are part of the current pool of outdoor international players include: Point Fortin Civic midfielder Justin Sadoo and the Defence Force due of winger Reon Moore and goalkeeper Aaron Enil.

Team manager and Futsal Association vice-president Nigel Roberts said there has been communication with Fenwick regarding their use of outdoor players and, while they try to use guys outside of the current frame, they are happy to relinquish players to the Qatar 2022 World Cup campaign if necessary.

“We intend to have that communication to ensure a harmonious relationship between the National Futsal Team and the [outdoor] National Senior Team and youth teams regarding the use of players,” Roberts told Wired868.

Three such players who were not included among the call-ups, due to National Senior Team commitments in Orlando, are attackers Brent Sam and Sean Bonval and defender Justin Garcia.

Roberts explained that they also still have to formally apply for clearance for their Defence Force call-ups.

There were invitations to a host of Terminix La Horquetta Rangers players too, such as Aikim Andrews, Tyrone Charles, Jamal Creighton, Ross Russell Jr, Kadeem Corbin and Cummings. Kontin would hope for better luck than Fenwick did with getting the Pro League outfit to release its players.

National Futsal Team assistant coach Paul Decle said Konstin challenged his staff to get the best available players on the twin island republic, so as to mount a serious challenge for a World Cup place.

Some of the players caught the eye during screening sessions that were held nationwide—including in Tobago—while others were scouted at Pro League games.

Futsal is played with four players and a goalkeeper. The DNA of a futsal team, according to Decle, is physically strong, two-footed central players complemented by quick, tricky wingers. All players are expected to be technically sound with good movement off the ball.

The current training squad still includes a few members of former coach Clayton ‘JB’ Morris’ team which finished third in the 2016 Caribbean Futsal Tournament and competed in the subsequent Concacaf play-offs, such as Cyrano Glen, Kareem Perry, Keston Guy, Jameel Neptune and Noel Williams.

National Beach Soccer players Kevon ‘Showtime’ Woodley and Omri Baird were also asked to try out for the National Futsal Team. Woodley is also a Pro League striker with Cunupia United while Baird is a former Presentation College (San Fernando) attacker.

The National Futsal Team will have its first training session from 6.30pm on Tuesday 2nd February at the Ato Boldon Stadium in Couva, at the paved area at the entrance, next to the Beach Soccer pitch). Players are required to be present by 6pm and to have a red jersey and a white jersey.

(Invited Players)

Aaron Enil, Jabari St Hillaire, Kelvin Henry, Andre Marchan, Jokiah Leacock, Yohance Marshall, Justin Sadoo, Russell Alfred, Keston Guy, Devaughn Humphrey, Rhondel Gibson, Darnell Hospedales, Anthony Charles, Dwayne Edwards, Aikim Andrews, Kadeem Corbin, Ross Russell Jr, Jameel Neptune, Noel Williams, Denrick Eve, Kareem Perry, Kwesi Peterson, Shane Hospedales, Nicholas Alfred, Sean De Silva, Daniel Diaz, Adrian Welch, Curtis Gonzales, Jelani Felix, Reon Moore, Aaron Lester, John-Paul Rochford, Keron Cummings, Trevin Caesar, Tyrone Charles, Dylon King, Omri Baird, Cyrano Glen, Kevon Woodley, Jamal Creighton.

(Futsal Team Staff)

Constantine Konstin (head coach), Paul Decle (assistant coach), Dunstan Williams (goalkeeper coach), Nigel Roberts (manager), Stephen Bernard (equipment manager).

Editor’s note: The National Futsal Team is still to announce a physiotherapist/trainer to work the squad.

[Flex]

National Futsal Team begin training at International School
T&T Guardian Reports.

A week since United States-based head coach Constantine Konstin officially took up duties, the Men’s National Futsal team received some good news as the Trinidad and Tobago Football Association (TTFA) has secured the indoor facility at the International School of Port-of-Spain (ISPS) for training sessions in the build-up to the CONCACAF Futsal Championship in Guatemala.

Previously the team had been utilising the outdoor court at the TTFA Home of Football but Konstin believes the access to the facility in Westmoorings will be a definite boost to the preparations. And there is a good reason for this.

“We will be playing at the Domo Polideportivo and Teodoro Palacios Flores Gymnasiums in Guatemala. The floors at those facilities are the same floor as the International School of Port-of-Spain, so this is huge to be able to train on the same surface that we will be playing on in Guatemala,” Konstin told TTFA Media on Monday.

“It will allow us some good practice time which means the boys will get some familiarity with the surface. It’s excellent to be able to have this court available to the National Men’s Futsal team.”

Konstin has been working closely with his staff at training since arriving from the US and is looking to push on with an intense regime over the coming weeks.

“The first week back from a 14-day quarantine for me has been awesome. The players have been giving their all. The pool of players is represented by clubs like La Horquetta Rangers, Defence Force, Police and others. Our wonderful and hardworking staff has already screened over 350 players including those in Tobago,” he continued.

“I am extremely honoured to be given this position by the TTFA to prepare the team for the qualifiers. We are going to give it our best and the preparations will continue over the coming weeks with everyone focused and pulling together for a common goal. For us to get to the World Cup in Lithuania we must prepare our team in the best possible way to qualify out of the tournament in Guatemala,” Konstin added.

The TTFA also wishes to express its gratitude to the International School of Port of Spain for its hospitality in providing access to the facility to the Men’s National Futsal Team.

The 16-team CONCACAF group stage will take place between May 3-5. After round-robin play, the first and second-place finishers in each group will advance to the quarterfinals.

The quarterfinal matches will be played on May 7, with the four winners qualifying for the semifinals of this competition and earning a spot in the FIFA Futsal World Cup Lithuania 2021. The semifinals and final will take place on May 8 and 9, respectively.

The CONCACAF Futsal qualifiers were initially scheduled for May 2020, but due to the pandemic and the postponement of the FIFA Futsal World Cup, the tournament was rescheduled for 2021.

In February 2020, the participating teams were drawn into qualifying matchups and four groups of four teams. Following the rescheduling of the competition, the group stage T&T are in Group A alongside hosts Guatemala, Guadeloupe and Martinique.

The FIFA Futsal World Cup will be played from September 12 – October 6, 2021.

[asylumseeker]

Costa Rica will be playing a series of friendlies against well-regarded and highly ranked Venezuela. That action starts next Tuesday, barring any late developments.

Venezuela should provide stronger opposition than the opponents Costa Rica is expected to face during the group stage.

[asylumseeker]

WATCH: Q & A with Kareem Perry.

<a href="https://youtube.com/v//VAf_rQIr7Bs" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" class="bbc_link bbc_flash_disabled new_win">https://youtube.com/v//VAf_rQIr7Bs</a>

[maxg]

Newsday SPORTS
Venezuelan squad help TT prepare for Concacaf Futsal Championships
GREVIC ALVARADO 8 HRS AGO

VENEZUELAN team Mafas FC are serving as sparring partners of the TT men’s national futsal team, that is preparing for the for the Concacaf Futsal Championship.

Both teams will meet in three friendly games at the International School, Port of Spain.

Last Saturday, the first game was held, in which Mafas FC took a 1-0 victory.

The next game will be on Wednesday at 6pm at the same location. This practice session is part of the preparation for the Concacaf Futsal Championship to be held in Guatemala from May 3-9.

Moisés Pérez Mcnish, president of Mafas FC, said his team has nine former Professional Indoor Soccer League of Venezuela players.

“Great Venezuelan athletes have come to TT in different sports, one of them is futsal, that is why our team is of a high level and can provide the TT national team with quality training,” said Mcnish.

Lombardo Maurera is the coach of the Venezuelan team and has in his coaching staff Edgary Moreno, Ewuard Castro, Nolan Garcia Jones, Gustavo Luvin, Bárbara Zacarías and Carlos Perales, all of whom have professional experience.

“For our players, it is a pride to be here as refugees and to be able to help promote futsal in TT, it is a dream come true for them to be able to do in this country what they do best, play futsal,” said Mcnish .

Mafas FC have been preparing for several months on the basketball court of the Siparia Sports Complex.

“The players live in Valencia, Río Claro, Arima, Port of Spain, Chaguanas, Freeport, San Fernando, Debe and Penal and every Sunday they train in Siparia at 8.30am, which shows their love and commitment to this sport,” he added. Mcnish, is also the president of the Triniven Futsal League, which is awaiting the lifting of the quarantine by covid19 to start its first championship.

[asylumseeker]

Precisely why some have suggested that expertise within the Venezuelan community should be interrogated and harnessed to our benefit. There's a unique opportunity to take the long view, build goodwill and secure the future.

[asylumseeker]

[Flex]

T&T to play Costa Rica in two Futsal friendlies.
TTFA Media.

Trinidad and Tobago’s Men’s Futsal team will face Costa Rica’s Men’s Futsal team in two friendly matches at the Scotiabank Arena in Alajuela on April 26th and 27th in the build-up to the 2021 CONCACAF Futsal Championship in Guatemala in May.

The Costa Rica Federation confirmed the two matches today.

T&T head coach Constantine Konstin welcomed the training camp which will include the two matches before the team arrives in Guatemala.

“These are welcomed training games for us because it is important that we have a chance to prepare against quality opposition. We are thankful to the TTFA and the Normalisation Committee as well as the Costa Rica Federation for putting these matches together.

“I also would like to mention their General Secretary Gustavo Araya and head coach Carlos Quiros for their proposed hospitality and their efforts to make these games a reality. We will go there with the intention to make the best of the opportunity,” Konstin told TTFA Media.

Alex Ramos, Costa Rica’s Futsal Team assistant coach, added, “Always the possibility of having important games is valuable for any national selection especially since it has been a typical year with a shortage of class A games to refine the idea, style and identity as such.

“Closing the preparation against a Caribbean rival is important, because they are teams that have historically complicated us due to their physical biotype and game characteristics. Now we are very eager to close the preparation at home, making the correct presentations that will generate confidence in the face of the tie, "he added.

Concacaf has meantime advised that due to the withdrawal of three (3) Member Associations including Guadeloupe and Martinique, the governing body is required to modify Groups A and C so every group has a minimum of 3 teams. According to the Concacaf Futsal Rankings, Concacaf has decided to move the lowest ranked team, Dominican Republic, to position 3 in Group A alongside T&T and Guatemala.

The 2021 Concacaf Futsal Championship will take place in Guatemala City, Guatemala, from May 3-9, 2021. The World Cup qualifying tournament will be played at the Domo Polideportivo and Teodoro Palacios Flores Gymnasium. Both venues have a long history of hosting top-level international Futsal competitions, including the 2000 FIFA Futsal World Cup. The FIFA Futsal World Cup Lithuania 2021 takes place September 12 – October 6, 2021. The four semi-finalists in the Concacaf championship will qualify for the World Cup.

Watch Futsal Update - T&T trio keep their eyes on the mission

[Flex]

Konstin trims Futsal squad to 14
By Ian Prescott (T&T Express).

Trinidad and Tobago’s men’s Futsal team coach Constantine Konstin has selected his final 14-man training squad as he winds up preparations for the next month’s CONCACAF Futsal Championship in Guatemala City.

Konstin, a former USA Futsal player, took over the reins as T&T coach in January. His squad includes noted T&T Pro League players Willis Plaza and Keron “Ball Pest” Cummings.

Also among those short-listed are the Defence Force’s Dylon King, Aaron Lester, Dwight Quintero, goalkeeper Andre Marchand and young prospects Che Benny and Mark Ramdeen.

Meanwhile, Club Sando proved to be worthy training opponents for the national Futsal team when they clashed last Thursday.

The practice match also served to give coach Konstin a final look at the players before he trimmed the provisional squad. The game ended 8-5 in favour of the national team.

The T&T Futsal team face their Costa Rica counterparts in two friendlies at the Scotiabank Arena in Alajuela, Costa Rica, on April 26 & 27 in the build up to the tournament.

The 2021 CONCACAF Futsal Championship serves as a World Cup qualifying tournament and will be staged at the Domo Polideportivo and Teodoro Palacios Flores Gymnasium in Guatemala from May 3-9. The four semi-finalists in the CONCACAF Championship will qualify for the 2021 FIFA Futsal World Cup in Lithuania, from September 12-October 6.

At the CONCACAF competition, T&T have been drawn in Group A alongside the hosts (Guatemala), Guadeloupe and Martinique. The top two teams in each of four preliminary groups advance to the quarter-finals phase.

T&T Team: (14)-  Andre Marchan (GK), Kern Caeser (GK); Willis Plaza, Dwight Quintero, Mark Ramdeen, Dylon King, Aaron Lester, Sean De Silva, Jameel Neptune, Keston George, Keron Cummings, Che Benny, Adrian Welch, Darius Olliviera.

(Invited Players)

Aaron Enil, Jabari St Hillaire, Kelvin Henry, Andre Marchan, Jokiah Leacock, Yohance Marshall, Justin Sadoo, Russell Alfred, Keston Guy, Devaughn Humphrey, Rhondel Gibson, Darnell Hospedales, Anthony Charles, Dwayne Edwards, Aikim Andrews, Kadeem Corbin, Ross Russell Jr, Jameel Neptune, Noel Williams, Denrick Eve, Kareem Perry, Kwesi Peterson, Shane Hospedales, Nicholas Alfred, Sean De Silva, Daniel Diaz, Adrian Welch, Curtis Gonzales, Jelani Felix, Reon Moore, Aaron Lester, John-Paul Rochford, Keron Cummings, Trevin Caesar, Tyrone Charles, Dylon King, Omri Baird, Cyrano Glen, Kevon Woodley, Jamal Creighton.

(Futsal Team Staff)

Constantine Konstin (head coach), Paul Decle (assistant coach), Dunstan Williams (goalkeeper coach), Nigel Roberts (manager), Stephen Bernard (equipment manager).

[asylumseeker]

T&T Team: (14)-  Andre Marchan (GK), Kern Caeser (GK); Willis Plaza, Dwight Quintero, Mark Ramdeen, Dylon King, Aaron Lester, Sean De Silva, Jameel Neptune, Keston George, Keron Cummings, Che Benny, Adrian Welch, Darius Olliviera.

So KC is free to join the NT for futsal but not club-released for 11v 11? Play yuhself Plaza: well-done.

Tidy squad.