March 28, 2024, 01:57:07 PM

Author Topic: Hannibal Najjar gives back to UWI  (Read 1597 times)

0 Members and 1 Guest are viewing this topic.

socafighter

  • Guest
Hannibal Najjar gives back to UWI
« on: February 24, 2014, 07:49:22 PM »
Najjar gives back to UWI
By Michelle Loubon
Story Created: Feb 24, 2014 at 8:30 PM ECT


UWI alumni: Former national football coach Hannibal Najjar, right, shares the moment with fellow alumni Dr Victor Coombs during the Distinguished Alumni Awards at the Teaching and Learning Complex, at UWI’s St Augustine Campus, on Thursday. —Photo: AYANNA KINSALE

Sir Edwin Carrington, Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary to Caricom,  challenged 25 outstanding University of the West Indies (UWI) alumni to donate their  funds and  resources to the tertiary  institution.  Occasion was the UWIAA Distinguished Alumni Awards ceremony at the Teaching and Learning Complex, at  St Augustine Campus, on Thursday.

At  the event’s cocktail reception, alumni Hannibal Najjar, former head coach and technical director of the Trinidad and Tobago Football Federation (TTFF)   took up Carrington’s  challenge and pledged $10,000. Another alumni   Dr Victor Coombs, former Chief Medical Officer at Petrotrin for 21 years,  followed suit and pledged $10,000.
Seizing the moment, Coombs said: “I happen  to be an alumni of three different universities.  The London and Massachusetts alumni respond in similar fashion. I have long felt UWI graduates should do a lot more. When the opportunity came, I stepped up to the plate.”   

In an interview with the Express, Hannibal, who read for his first degree an M Phil in Extension Management, at UWI, said: “When Carrington and Minnia spoke about the importance of giving back, I felt it was appropriate to do so. I immediately pledged $10,000.  UWI has given me so much. This country has given me so much. It was the least I could do.  I believe in the Biblical injunction: “God loves a cheerful giver.” We always like to receive something. But the cheerful giver understands the joy of the receiver and that is why we give. I believe if you give, give with a free spirit. I was glad to kickstart the giving on that special night. I believe in Mother Teresa’s (the Saint of the Gutters)  motto “The hunger for love is greater than the hunger for food.”

He added: “It was an honour to have been selected to receive an alumni award.  UWI gave me a good break in my life. I met Dr Bobb, a Guyanese lecturer and he helped me get my life on the right track. I am grateful to him. Prof Imbert has always been supportive and a dear friend to me.”
Apart from his UWI degree, Hannibal, 60,  pursued three other Masters’ degrees-an MA Sports Administration, Business Education and Communication. 

Before his tertiary education, Najjar attended Tranquillity Government Secondary, Woodbrook Secondary and St Mary’s College, Pembroke Street, Port of Spain.
Today, along with his spouse Annette, he straddles his time between Missouri, USA, and Trinidad.
 At Missouri, he works and lectures  as a management coach and sports coach/consultant at Adjunct Faculty, Lindenwood University. Before establishing ties abroad, Najjar worked with the Strike Squad during the glory days of local football.
 
His last coaching assignment was in 2002.  He succeeded Brazilian coach Simoes.  Dutch coach Leo Benhakker succeeded Najjar in  2004.
Najjar  said: “The players graduated from my supervision into the legendary Strike Squad. I worked with Dwight Yorke and Russell Latapy, Anthony Rougier, Philbert Jones, Leonson Lewis, Michael Morris, Clayton Morris and Dexter Francis.  It was the golden  days of the Strike Squad...Eighty-five per cent of the Strike Squad were under my tutelage.”
Sharing his sentiments on T&T football, Najjar said: “I have been to about 75 countries. Brazil is loaded with soccer talent. It has a football culture. Trinidad has an abundance of talent. But the skills and mentality need to be honed. We have a large number of coaching schools who are serving a good purpose.”

Sharing his sentiments on local youth, he said: “There needs to be more focus on the holistic development of  young people. They need to know where they are going. I agree with local songstress Ella Andall, we have a missing generation.” 
Although he is based abroad, Hannibal said: “I am a patriot. Even though I am not in the national spotlight like before, it does not say  I am not committed to my country’s development. I was in the panyard eating roti at 2 am on Friday night. A man without a country is a man without a soul. I hold onto that belief as much as I hold on to the red, white and black.”

socafighter

  • Guest
Re: Hannibal Najjar gives back to UWI
« Reply #1 on: February 24, 2014, 08:20:06 PM »


Wow , seeing Hannibal for the first time since 1969 , brings back a lot of memories .A young
man always with a football and tugs , you want to play he would say to me .

Hannibal brother (Labib) and I went to John Donaldson Technical Institute , the Najjars lived in
Woodbrook  at that time . They would later move to Federation Park .

What comes to mind  was cycling to the Najjars home and on this day in driveway was this
Black Austin Princess Automobile , what a beauty . The father Afif came out and in his Lebanese twang asked me if I liked the car . He saw the look on my face I recon , I could only respond that, I would never be able to afford such a beauty .

As the name notes they were a limited collection and made for Princesses around the globe .I still wonder
today how Afif got that car . At the back of his home he had planted grapes , as I parked my
bicycle he handed me a handful .

Now to make a long story short , Afif was going to his large farm some where in the vicinity of Arima,
a chicken farm , yep about 10,000 white chickens roaming in various fenced off areas .

Come on he said to me as he loaded up his family in this car , Wrightson Road on to Beetham highway
etc as we passed cars, they all were staring at us . I don't remember where but some one had the
audacity to pass us near the Solo factory , oh my in Afif books that wasn't allowed .

Labib and Hannibal mother protested in arabic , to no avail , the race was on. Afif , his family and I in this Beautiful Austin Princess vs some car that sped by us.

Well we did pass that car . way past Arima just near Sangre Grande , maybe 10 to 15 miles away
from where we intended . Ohhhhhhh was Mrs Najjar angry .

My next recollection was about Hannibal and Labibs Uncle , oh my what a character , any one
remembers the Whore House on Wrightson Road,across approx from John Donaldson Technical Institute .
That story is for another day about the Najjar's , then we had the Sabga's  oh my , often I
wondered why I am still alive today, after getting into innocent trouble with these two families .lol

The memories of growing up on a beautiful rock in the Caribbean.

mr socafighter


 

socafighter

  • Guest
Re: Hannibal Najjar gives back to UWI
« Reply #2 on: February 27, 2014, 07:55:00 PM »


Hey what's going on...

Lets hear about hannibal and his coaching , I am sure some of you must have been coached
by him. Gotta be some interesting stories....

Offline Bakes

  • Promethean...
  • Hero Warrior
  • *****
  • Posts: 21980
    • View Profile
Re: Hannibal Najjar gives back to UWI
« Reply #3 on: February 27, 2014, 08:35:03 PM »
Good stuff Socafighter  :beermug:

socafighter

  • Guest
Re: Hannibal Najjar gives back to UWI
« Reply #4 on: March 01, 2014, 12:52:38 PM »
Good stuff Socafighter  :beermug:

Thanks ... :beermug:

Offline vb

  • Board Moderator
  • Hero Warrior
  • *
  • Posts: 8281
    • View Profile
    • http://www.caribsport01.homestead.com/caribsport.html
Re: Hannibal Najjar gives back to UWI
« Reply #5 on: March 01, 2014, 05:28:41 PM »
I getting old but was it HN who coached the U-16 team in 1983?

VB
VITAMIN V...KEEPS THE LADIES HEALTHY...:-)

socafighter

  • Guest
Re: Hannibal Najjar gives back to UWI
« Reply #6 on: March 03, 2014, 08:32:25 AM »
vb

Yep ...plus he had a few of the strike force under his wings at one time.

Offline amwood

  • Sr. Warrior
  • ****
  • Posts: 339
    • View Profile
Re: Hannibal Najjar gives back to UWI
« Reply #7 on: March 03, 2014, 02:48:19 PM »
I getting old but was it HN who coached the U-16 team in 1983?

VB

That might have been Mohammed Isa...HN took a youth team to Honduras which failed to qualify.

Offline vb

  • Board Moderator
  • Hero Warrior
  • *
  • Posts: 8281
    • View Profile
    • http://www.caribsport01.homestead.com/caribsport.html
Re: Hannibal Najjar gives back to UWI
« Reply #8 on: March 03, 2014, 04:32:38 PM »
I getting old but was it HN who coached the U-16 team in 1983?

VB

That might have been Mohammed Isa...HN took a youth team to Honduras which failed to qualify.

Nah I doh think it was Isa.

If I remember correctly it was HN for the U 16 team and Roderick Warner with the U 19 team one year later which had a bunch of the U 16s on it.

I could be wrong with HN but nobodyseem to be sure.

TM?

VB
VITAMIN V...KEEPS THE LADIES HEALTHY...:-)

Offline Flex

  • Administrator
  • Hero Warrior
  • *****
  • Posts: 18062
  • A Trini 4 Real.
    • View Profile
    • Soca Warriors Online
Re: Hannibal Najjar gives back to UWI
« Reply #9 on: March 03, 2014, 05:19:58 PM »
I getting old but was it HN who coached the U-16 team in 1983?

VB

T&T U-21 National Team (1983-84)

T&T Olympic Team (1984-85)

T&T U-17 National team (1985-86)

T&T U-20 National Team (1986-88)

Caribbean All-Star team (1989)

T&T Senior Team (2002-03, coached 6 games)


The real measure of a man's character is what he would do if he knew he would never be found out.

 

1]; } ?>