Women Warriors, coach receive their $$.
T&T Express Reports.The Trinidad and Tobago women’s senior football team, including the technical staff, were handed cheques to the value of $1.5 million yesterday at the Diplomatic Centre in St Ann’s, a promised one-off incentive payment for their performance at the CONCACAF World Women’s Championship (World Cup qualifying) tournament in the USA last month.
As she did with the male Soca Warriors last week, Prime Minister Kamla Persad-Bissessar once again presided over the distribution of cheques to the players and staff that included T&T captain Maylee Attin-Johnson and head coach, US native Randy Waldrum, who initially drummed up financial support when the TTFA’s mis-communication and administrative bungling saw part of the female team travel to the Texas with only US$500.
The cheque hand-over was the delivery of a promise the Government made prior to their third-place play-off match in the CONCACAF tournament earlier this month. The Women Soca Warriors lost that match but earned a play-off spot in a two-leg tie with Ecuador.
The Waldrum-coached squad drew the first leg 0-0 in Quito on November 8 and need a win in the decisive second leg playoff next Tuesday in Port of Spain to qualify for the Canada 2015 Women’s World Cup. Another goalless draw would mean extra time and possible penalties while Ecuador would advance on a draw with goals.
Persad-Bissessar reminded the girls of the emotion and unity of the Strike Squad 25 years prior and urged them to zero in on the task. “You are one step away from creating history. You can become the first women’s team from T&T and in fact the Caribbean to qualify for the Women’s World Cup final.
‘’That is tremendous pressure knowing that you are not only fulfilling your own hopes and dreams but the hopes and dreams of a country and an entire region resting on your shoulders. Let not that pressure weigh you down, let that pressure lift you up so that you can go there and do your very best on Tuesday,” the PM said.
She continued: “You will be on show to the world in the Hasely Crawford Stadium. You are on the verge of making it. the country will be behind you as you seek to create history....I say to you, you must remain focused, just try to stay focused and do you best.”
Minister of Sport Dr Rupert Griffith said the girls had shown total sacrifice to reach this stage through “blood sweat and tears”.
“You have done us proud as a nation and we are looking forward with great anticipation when we win and we take our next step in our World Cup journey,” Griffith said. Trinidad and Tobago Football Association (TTFA) general secretary Sheldon Phillips said the Government’s investment had paid off and looked forward to continued partnership with the Government after thanking the administration for their generosity.
Skipper Attin-Johnson expressed gratitude to the Government for their contribution and support. “Speaking for us, the team, we want to be appreciated and love and most importantly respected. We know we have inspired a lot of people and made a huge impact in the lives of people around the world....we know that the job is not finished. We haven’t accomplished our mission as yet....we will remain focussed.
‘’We will remain grounded in this game but I urge the people of T&T to come out and be the instrument in our orchestra. Come out and be the 12th warrior and be part of something magical, historical and epic. We will win come December 2,” she said.
RELATED NEWSWomen Warriors get $1.5 million.
T&T Guardian Reports.Don’t let pressure get to you, says Kamla.Prime Minister Kamla Persad-Bissessar yesterday urged the T&T Football Association (TTFA) to seek alternate revenue streams for the comfort of its player and for the development of football in this country.
Persad-Bissessar gave the feature address at a ceremony hosted at the Diplomatic Centre, St Ann’s, where her Government handed over $1.5 million in $50,000 cheques to individual members of the T&T’s “Women Soca Warriors” and their supporting management and coaching staff.
The ceremony was attended by high ranking officials from the Ministry of Sport, the Sport Company, and the TTFA, in similar style to a function held at the Office of the Prime Minister, where the TTFA, along with national senior men’s footballers and staff received cheques totalling $9.964 million to clear a backlog of match fees, bonuses and salaries.
However, yesterday’s function was held to recognise and reward the Women Warriors’ outstanding performance at the Concacaf Women’s Championship, held in the USA, last month, where they placed fourth to earn an intercontinental Fifa Women’s World Cup playoff spot against Ecuador.
The team already played the first leg in Quito, Ecuador, earlier this month and earned a hard-fought goalless draw and are now preparing for the second leg, which will be hosted at the Hasely Crawford Stadium, Port-of-Spain, on Tuesday.
In her address, Persad-Bissessar said she hoped “the TTFA can improve in its efforts to fund football,” before offering sentiments of encouragement to the footballers who are now five days away from the biggest match of their lives. “Don’t let the pressure get to you; Let it motivate you,” said Persad-Bissessar, who drew reference to the 1989 Strike Squad team, which narrowly lost out on qualification for the 1990 Fifa World Cup.
“Unlike them (Strike Squad), we need to win,” she said, reminding the team that a penalty shoot-out could go either way and that a draw would not suffice.
In response, captain of the team Maylee Attin Johnson thanked the Government for its acknowledgement of the team’s efforts, but added that “riches are not what matters. We do this for the love of the game,” Attin Johnson said.
“We know we have inspired and brought joy (to the nation), but the job is not done. (Regardless) we will be motivated… We will win come December 2!”
The players who were present were Attin Johnson, Tenisha Palmer, Ayanna Russell, Arin King, Khadisha Debesette, Lauryn Hutchinson, Patrice Superville, Khadidra Debesette, Mariah Shade, Dernelle Mascall, Tasha St Louis, Ahkeela Mollon and Kennya Cordner. The coaching and management staff members present were Vernetta Flanders, Michael Taylor, Lincoln Phillips, Peter Rampersad, Margaret Ottley and head coach Randy Waldrum.
Some US college-based players will be unable to receive their incentives because of National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) rules. An Sports Company of T&T (SporTT) official indicated that the special-interest company is seeking ways for players to benefit from the incentives through legal means.
Yesterday tickets for the match continued to be sold at a furious pace, with several outlets having to call for more, while the exclusive 12th man T-shirt, printed in support of the team, and available at The Fan Club outlets in Movietowne, Trincity Mall, and Gulf City Mall, also met with great support.
Women Warriors coach Randy Waldrum collects his cheque from Prime Minister Kamla Persad Bissessar at yesterday’s distribution ceremony at the Diplomatic Centre, St Ann’s. Team captain Maylee Attin Johnson, is next to the coach.
