Re-booting with Ramesh.
T&T Guardian Reports.Ramesh Ramdhan is the quintessential sportsman. He is always upbeat and optimistic about scoring and he’s no different in his approach to Sunday’s TTFA elections.
Ramdhan is remarkably positive despite the mounting challenge, as he and several contenders accelerate their campaigns.
Ramdhan responds to concerns about the timing, following his recent journey in a very polarised political campaign. He says, “I am committed to country. I offered myself for national development at the constituency level and now I plan to do so through football.”
Ramdhan believes that he has a solid vision and a clear plan for independent sustainability of the sport and a return to glory days for T&T. His focus is on taking and keeping T&T in this and future World Cup finals.
When asked what drives him, he says “Football has been my life’s passion. Most of my greatest achievements and rewarding moments came from football. I’ve travelled the world and officiated in a World Cup Finals, something I couldn’t have imagined ever doing. My love for football is resolute.”
Ramdhan knows his vision requires a steady and predictable flow of income, and already he and his VP candidate, John Sabga have started discussions with international organisations.
They have mapped out a course of events and sponsorships aimed at generating critical funds needed to rebuild technical competence and support services for the game. Central to his initiatives will be a home for football and accessibility to the leadership. In the near term, Sabga has identified a minimum cash flow of $30 million to be secured through online sales of merchandise and memorabilia along with gate receipts from international games during the off-season.
“When TV rights and international games are included,” says Sabga, “The opportunities for financial independence are exponential.”
Sabga who comes from a lineage of business icons, has been in the hospitality business since 1988 and is respected for having brought the popular Trotters Restaurant and Sports Bar from near bankruptcy to significant profitability in just one year.
He sees football as a big business worldwide and “with the right governance and support T&T football can stand on its own… putting monies into the coffers of T&T, not taking out.”
Ramdhan believes Sabga’s business acumen is a big boon for T&T football, “It’s just what’s needed now.” He also sees the financing as inextricably linked to the rebranding of T&T football. “Rebuilding the brand is a key aspect of generating investment,” he states.
“The TTFA brand must be redefined through high levels of technical competency and consistency in how the game is played.” He contends that “Unless we do this, any gains achieved will be short-lived, because no business wants to associate with any organisation that may bring their brand into disrepute.” Ramdhan says, “We have to fix the plane while it’s flying, so we will immediately re-engineer and reposition the new TTFA as an organization that is rooted in honesty, integrity and transparency and one through which a comprehensive world-class training programme is deployed.”
Ramdhan believes that the results of administrative failure are poor governance, lack of accountability and transparency, poor support of the training and development agenda, lack of a proper health care programme for athletes and ultimate lack of direction. He believes that he and his team (which will include Stephen Hart as head coach), have the capability, expertise and the will to do it. “What’s more”, he says, “I am available full-time to give the presidency and the resuscitation of football in T&T my all.”
Unlike other candidates, Ramdhan has no vested interest in football. “I have no existing conflicts associated with ownership of a club and I’m not distracted by other responsibilities to local office that can compromise my delivery.” Ramdhan says he, unlike many, is “deeply in touch with the needs of football on the ground.”
Of importance, he points out, is that there is global pressure to get rid of corruption in the game. The TTFA has been fraught with allegations of corruption and in his estimation, those allegations persist even today. Ramdhan says, “It’s time to make a clean break with the past – new leadership, fresh faces, fresh philosophy.”
Ramdhan draws on commentary from the United Nations on the role of football in influencing the social, cultural and economic development of countries. That, he says, “demonstrates the power of football and it’s something we need to harness and deploy. We did it in 1989 and in 2006, two of the most unifying periods in our country’s history.
Nothing since, has brought about national unity and patriotism as those two periods. Yet still, our football, barring the recent success on the field, is in shambles—especially at the administrative level.” He cites his campaign slogan in demanding change—“It’s time to Reboot!”
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It's time to reboot Part II
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