World watches Caribbean refs
Ian Prescott iprescott@trinidadexpress.com
Thursday, August 2nd 2007
Getting ready: Referee Neil Brizan, centre, and fellow officials Stephen Brown of Jamaica, left, and Simon Baptiste will represent Caribbean match officials next month when they officiate in the FIFA Under-17 World Cup in South Korea.
The world will watch on, as three Caribbean referees take a significant step up in class, when they officiate at the FIFA Under-17 World Cup of football, which takes place across cities in South Korea from August 18 -September 9.
What makes the tournament even more special for the Caribbean referees, is the presence of the Trinidad and Tobago national under-17 team that will play preliminary matches in the city of Cheonan on August 20 (Ghana) and August 23 (Colombia), before ending their preliminary round on August 26 against Germany in the City of Changerwon.
Thirty-seven year-old Neil Brizan of Trinidad and Tobago heads the World Cup trio, which also includes Simon Baptiste, an assistant referee who is also from T&T, and Jamaican assistant referee Stephen Brown .
Brizan, who has been on the FIFA list of referees for five years, is a teacher from Enterprise Government Primary School and has been refereeing since 1994, and is a regular in the T&T Pro League. The married father of three children-two girls and a boys-has previously done international matches in Central America and throughout the Caribbean. But this is his first World Cup of any sort. He relishes the chance to be in South Korea.
"This is the biggest tournament thus far," Brizan admitted. "I am looking forward to it. I am the main referee. I have also included Mr Stephen Brown from Jamaica and Simon Baptiste as my colleagues, because FIFA has a policy where they are using trios now. These guys are well capable and we have a good understanding this far. We look forward to a great tournament in South Korea. "
Brizan admitted: "I am upbeat about it, but at the same time I know I represent millions of people.
"I represent not only people from Trinidad, but the Caribbean and CONCACAF by extension. I am not scared or anxious or anything, am just working hard and making sure that our fitness is at it's peak and our communication is where it should be. So, when we go out there they will not say we are from small countries, we will be officiating as if we are from big countries."
To ensure that all goes well, Brizan further requested of Osmond Downer, the Trinidad & Tobago Football Referees Association president, that Jamaican Brown be brought to Trinidad so that the officials can train as a trio. And for two weeks recently, the World Cup-bound team trained together, and also did three local matches, two in the T&T Pro League and another in the bmobile National Super League football combination.
"I spoke to Mr Downer and told him that I would like Mr Brown to come down here and train for two weeks. And since we are both teachers, it was easy to get him down since he is on vacation also. So, Mr Downer was able to liaise with the Jamaica Federation and we were able to get him down here for two weeks to train and do some games with us, so that we jell better during the tournament."
Brown, a 32 year-old physical education specialist at Withfield College, Jamaica , has worked with Brizan before both in his homeland and T&T. Having begun refereeing in 1999, Brown went onto the FIFA list of international referees in 2006. He has done a lot of under-17, under-20 and senior qualifiers, as well as worked in the Digicel Caribbean Cup Final this January in T&T.
"I have done several games here with Mr Brizan and back home in Jamaica," Brown said. "I am really honoured to be selected as part of the trio representing the Caribbean. The entire football fraternity, family, friends and Federation in Jamaica are very happy. But, I know I am representing the entire Caribbean as a whole."
Like Brown, central referee Simon Baptiste, 40, has a long relationship with Brizan, and the two have done many matches in the local football leagues. By day, he works at Trinidad Aggregate Products Limited, before taking up refereeing after work. Baptiste has been a referee since 1997 and been on the FIFA list since 2004, doing matches in Central America and all the Caribbean islands. Baptiste says he has received lots of support from family and friends and thinks this World Cup is more special because of the presence of the T&T U-17 team in the competition-the first from the Caribbean isle to qualify for the competition
"I have never been to a World Cup, and this is a very special occasion. Right now I am hoping this trio does well so that we can reach to the final and make T&T proud and this part of the world proud as a whole," Baptiste said.
