Tim Kee mum.
By Sean Taylor (Express).
President of the Trinidad and Tobago Football Association (TTFA) Raymond Tim Kee, doesn't want to respond to comments made on Monday that the TTFA has been unethical in their proceedings concerning the allocation of funds for the CONCACAF Gold Cup, as well as stipends owed to the national women's footballers, currently competing at the Pan American Games in Toronto, Canada.
He told the Express that instead of fuelling the fire sparked on Monday by the Minister of Sport, he prefers to continue the hard work behind the scenes that the TTFA, much-maligned in recent times, has been doing the past 18 months.
"I'm here to serve the country, and that is what I am willing to do," he said concerning the recent allegations. He said he had organised an independent review commission, which was ratified by all his executives, as well as FIFA.
"I have been busy with that, as well as the performance of the Gold Cup and Pan Am teams." Tim Kee said.
Despite the revelations of Sancho at a media conference on Monday, the TTFA president stands by the report his organisation released to the media on Sunday, regarding the Gold Cup finances. He indicated that it was only on the eve of the departure of the national teams for both the Gold Cup, and Pan American Games, that he received a call from his general secretary telling him that there was no funding available, which led to him making a formal request for an advance on Gold Cup funding.
Tim Kee added that everybody was aware of what happened with the old Trinidad and Tobago Football Federation (TTFF), and that his new organisation the Trinidad and Tobago Football Association (TTFA) is working hard at trying to not only make amends, but restore the image of the local football body.
Part of this new mandate was fulfilled when in a recent release the TTFA stated that they had their constitution revamped. "I'm elated about the new constitution because there are developments in it that will help the local game," he said. According to him, a lawyer from CONCACAF reviewed the constitution and said that a lot of the tenets stated could be used in other federations in the region.
The TTFA have also formed an independent reform commission in which Raoul John, Dinanath Ramnarine, Elton Prescott, Shelia Rampersad, Brian Lewis, as well as Shaka Hislop are actively involved. Part of the committee's responsibilities is to organise a workable business model, which they have attempted to acquire in the past 18 months. The idea, he said, was to create a financially independent organisation.
The organisation will also be launching its new website, which will not only cater to local players, but T&T nationals overseas as well. The site will be launched next week, and he said that new constitution will be readily available on it to the public.
The TTFA president remains unfazed by the recent back-and-forth between both his organisation and the Ministry of Sport. He instead prefers to focus on the positives occurring in the local game. "For the first time, Trinidad and Tobago have had both their men's and women's teams in the top 50 of the FIFA rankings," he concluded.