In my humble opinion I cannot understand the logic of some of this government's actions. The latest actions has to do with awarding monies owed to some members of the 2006 Warriors. While the gesture is a noble one, it may also serve to absolve the one person or persons who should be accountable for the payment in the first place. The more honourable action may have been assisting the players to purge the GUI
Ty party or parties and to provide the new TTFA management team with funds that are badly needed to move forward. Hence today a thief or thieves are reaping the rewards and our current program is suffering. Why in TNT we appear to be hesitant in reeling in the so call " BIG Fishes" of corruptible actions?
What is the real intent of appearing to be do good ears to a few while an association is scrounging trying to serve the greater good? Meanwhile the sport has become a " political football" with balls being hung out to dry and squeezed by seemingly no support from those who could throw a life support to those players who give so much to represent TnT. Instead money has been squandered in programs that are less that sustainable and to bogus contractors in the name of sports- utter shame and rubbish to read of what is going on.
How could these players who received another government " buy out" ever hope to continue a battle against a TTFA without any funds to pay? It seems fruitless for the conditions. Of this payout- what incentives do the recipients have to continue their cas if they should win then to have to pay back the government. Ridiculous-
At the end of the day, the person or persons responsible for paying these players should be the one that should be brought to pay- not an organization without any decision making or one that had no role in the alleged misappropriation of funding back then. Could you imagine today's TTFA receiving 7. 2 million in funds?
Does this government's action seem laudable or one deserving of an applause?
Trinidad Express
Soca Warriors collect $7.5m
chequeS in hand: Prime Minister Kamla Persad-Bissessar presents a cheque to former Soca Warrior Brent Sancho yesterday at the Noor Hassanali Reception Lounge at the Parliament building. Displaying their cheques, from left, are: Avery John, David Atiba Charles, Stern John, Cyd Gray, Aurtis Whitley and Anthony Wolfe. —Photo: STEPHEN DOOBAY
Seven locally-based Soca Warriors were yesterday among the first members of the 2006 national senior men’s football team to receive a grant of TT$7.5 million promised to them by the Government.
The money presented to them by Prime Minister Kamla Persad-Bissessar represented a final payment owed to the players in a “bonus” battle with the Trinidad and Tobago Football Association (TTFA) . The players had taken legal action against the Association, claiming that bonus funds had been promised to them by then TTFA special adviser Jack Warner during the 2006 World Cup campaign when Trinidad and Tobago qualified for its first FIFA World Cup. The Prime Minister handed over the cheques to the players at the Parliament building, Port of Spain International Waterfront Centre. However, while the players are thankful for Government’s intervention, spokesman Brent Sancho said it no way stops their legal battle against the local football association. Among the former footballers to benefit from the payment are Sancho, David Atiba Charles, Cyd Gray, Cornell Glen, Shaka Hislop, Avery John, Stern John, Kenwyne Jones, Kelvin Jack, Aurtis Whitley, Collin Samuel, Evans Wise and Anthony Wolfe . “We signed an agreement that stating the money we got was a gift from the Government and in no way reduces our legal battle to recoup funds raised during the 2006 World Cup campaign,” Sancho said. “We are going to meet as a group within the next week but we already have a path we would like to pursue.” At the function, Persad-Bissessar outlined the conditions under which the funds were paid. “As you are aware, in July of this year, the Government gave its commitment to pay the sum of TT$7.5 million to the national football team. While the Government is under no legal obligation in this regard, we recognise that this payment is necessary to assist the players and to address the legitimate grievance and stress of our national football heroes,” she said. “This payment is without prejudice to any legal rights and remedies which the players might have against the Trinidad and Tobago Football Federation for the recovery of the balance of their judgment debt,” she added. “The players have now agreed to continue their legal action against the TTFA and to reimburse the Government should they recover any further monies pursuant to this judgment, and an agreement gives effect to this arrangement.” Sancho said their personal eight-year battle is over and they owed it to the nation to discover how an estimated $200 million in funds raised during the successful 2006 World Cup campaign was spent. Sancho said to date, the person or persons responsible for the loss or squander of such funds have never been made to account.