When did the $$$ to pay for the visa applications get to the TTFA or to the manager or responsible agent of the TTFA?
Your federation is a Incompetent! It should never be the players sole responsibility to secure travel visas/passports etc for tournaments, the federation should facilitate this through the proper channels. Normally, as part of accepting an invitation to represent his country, the federation requires that players submit identification, which in all cases would be a "valid" passport...one that does not expire any time in the next 6 months...if the player is unable to show such, the federation immediately starts the process of acquiring one. There is always an expedited process to get a passport, some places even have overnight services for additional fees.
How is it that a country such as Jamaica, with all its travel restrictions to North America and Europe seems to manage these situations in a professional manner?
This over-reliance on Government funding for day to day running of a sporting organization seems weird.
Not only this, but the people the TTFA hires also add to their incompetence.
What I do not understand is, the first thing that should be done is to make sure the players called are eligible to fly and if not, make sure steps are taken to have such. Because the TTFA knew about this tournament months before.
But now the TTFA operate in reverse, they spend the money to train the players and then when its time to travel they are left back peddling only to find out they wasted thousands of dollars on a player that is not eligible.
These are such simple things that we continue to get wrong all of the time.
Since the old TTFF who had some of the same people working for them and with the same problem (Muhammad, Vranes, Ross, Wallace, Cooper etc etc) not picking on anyone in particular, but how can we expect different with the same?
Find, the FA has no money, but why are we galavanting ourselves naming all these 40 provisional players making them feel they have a chance to play for T&T and not even calling them for a trial (A TRIAL) and then when things get bad, they are the ones we are looking for.
For example, I don't know if Vranes take it up on his own to not call the foreign players because he did not get the funds to do so?? but if he was given the chance and did not call them because he felt he could fly pass SVG and Puerto Rico, then I am totally disappointed in him for not at least trailing a few of them.
We cannot underestimate anyone because other countries are using what they have, we are still stuck in a big boy attitude with nothing to show for it.
Imagine, this Olympic team just won the Under 20 CARIBBEAN TITLE last year.
