We like to pride ourselves on how as a small country we achieve so much but I really have to differ here.
Play yuh fitball- That’s a copout breds. That’s just going to continue to sweep the problem under the rug and offer no solutions and policies to move TNT football forward.
You could argue that 2 foreign Caucasians lended a big hand into taking TNT to d World Cup and you also say a Chinese fella on this board was also instrumental in taking TNT to its first Youth World Cup in Portugal.
Ok now, let's narrow things down a bit here. No need to gasp. I feel some aren't following my point. I am NOT taking away from the notion that there are black players who deserve to be in the team. There should be room for everyone. If we continue down the cycle that we see the small mindedness is showing here. Open your scope see the bigger picture. This is NOT a Sat Maharaj post. This is asking for thinking from the outside the box approach.
Permit me to expand of where I am going with this minority discussion.
Emulating & feeling of connection
1 If you look at TNT football, over the past 25 years, who have been the footballers in TNT that black youth have had to look up to and tried to emulate. Let's see Yorke, Latapy, Leonson Lewis, Stern John, Clint Marcelle , KJ amongst others?
How about the other groups in TNT football? Do the other young youth have any one to see as someone they would want to emulate? If an Indian child cannot see another Indian child making the national team, then it means that they don't have the same connection as a black youth would have of Yorke or Latapy. (This is not to say as a black youth you would want to follow Yorke and Latapy behaviour outside the football pitch).
Public Funding & Corporate Funding
2 Why do we lack public and corporate funding? Well part of the problem is our football business model. Other minorities are not getting an opportunity, who football t-shirt you want people to buy? How many other people coming out to see people that they have any respect or can feel they want to aspire to be? Give Chinese people a reason to come out and see another Yao Ming. (Untapped Resource)
Here’s another example, as a Trini, why do people like watching Dutch Football ? Because its pretty, yes that’s one plausible reason but the other one is that people feel connected to Gullit, Rjkaard, Winter, Davids et al (All from we region and a mix of our culture).
Impact of Affirmative Action within the system.
3 I would say proportional representation would add a new shake up of ethnicities and help to improve football within all facets in the future. If we were to look at Affirmative Action in regards to employment and in Colleges & Universities, there have been many positives to come out of these programs and improve cultural understanding, communication and foster new relationships.
Another thing, in relation to CEO Dexter Skeene. Will he retire in that position? Is it ever contested? Probably he does the best job as a CEO to many. Well I would like the see the Honourable Minister of Sport Brent Sancho have a word with him about setting up a status quo across the board about FAIR representation .
Football is a business. If we aren't reading the demographics of our population and doing the correct metrics to evaluate why we continue to lack support, here's one of the main reasons why. Look at the entire infrastructure and the fraternity. Will we continue to go through the regurgitated cycle of mediocrity?
