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Offline Flex

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Youth Football Thread
« on: September 14, 2019, 12:36:33 AM »
Tiger Tanks GM: Sponsorship $$ towards youth development.
By Joel Bailey (Newsday).


DENIS LATIFF, general manager of Tiger Tanks Trinidad Unlimited, has explained that his company’s sponsorship monies go towards youth development.

Latiff wrote a post on his Facebook page yesterday, after his company was embroiled in controversy earlier this week, with Secondary Schools Football League (SSFL) Premier Division champions Naparima and St Benedict’s raising the ire of the league’s sponsors, notably SportsMax and Digicel, for donning the Tiger Tanks’ logo on their players’ shirts on Wednesday.

Latiff wrote, “Tiger have been involved, not only in schools football but, for some years, have sponsored the Fyzabad League, the La Brea League and donated trophies etcetera for others.”

He noted, “I have heard cries of student footballers who cannot afford a pair of boots, the meal they look forward to after a game, the distances they have to travel after a football game…income from television (we’re) good with that. Tiger was merely trying to assist teams where we can.”

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Offline Rastaman

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Re: Youth Football Thread
« Reply #1 on: September 16, 2019, 08:11:42 AM »
Yes but you must respect the League and its sponsors. It was discussed beforehand and you all decided to go against the rules.

Offline Tallman

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Tiger Tanks to invest $1.5M in U-20 football tourney
« Reply #2 on: November 16, 2021, 08:00:59 PM »
Tiger Tanks to invest $1.5M in U-20 football tourney
By Walter Alibey (T&T Guardian)


A $1.5-million-dollar Tiger Tanks-sponsored Under-20 Football Tournament is set to kick off in February next year and is expected to be used in the future for the preparation of national teams.

Dennis Latiff, Tiger Tanks' general manager revealed his plans on Tuesday but he made it clear that play will be subjected to the government's return-to-play orders regarding the COVID-19 pandemic. Latiff, an emerging sporting pride in the southland, said the tournament will be held for one month among 14 selected teams, 10 from Trinidad and the other four from the sister isle of Tobago, with the winner due to cash in on a $20, 000 first prize cheque and $10, 000 for the runner-up.

Latiff told Guardian Media Sports on Tuesday that the prize structure could change before the start of the tournament, as the quantity of potential sponsors increases. However, if all goes well with the tournament it will lead to a resulting Under-20 League to be held at a time to be decided, Latiff said.

Latiff's $1.5 million output will include monies for prizes, investment to have live matches and other games on television, payment of two uniforms each (home and away) for every team, insurance for all players, payment of officials (referees, linesmen, commissioners), sponsorship for a social media platform, sponsorship for marketing of the tournament, and a $1,500 incentive for the best defender, best midfielder, best forward, best coach, most goals and man of the match.

He said, invitations were sent to 24 teams from both the T&T Pro League and the T&T Super League, but FC Santa Rosa, a Super League contender has refused to accept, while three other teams La Horquetta Rangers, Cunupia FC and Point Fortin Civic FC are undecided about their participation.

" In the first instance, it is going to be a tournament and after we see how that takes off then it may turn into a league. It will be like the 10 teams here. The Tobago teams will play each other twice in a round-robin play-off, but in Trinidad, we're not too sure because we're looking at the times and so on, that we will get for the stadia, but most likely, it would be each one play one another over here. We haven't gotten permission as yet, everything is being planned and whenever the government says that we're able to play football, whatever guidelines that they have in place, we will put in place. So it's just preparation for when football opens. When that happens we will have everything there and ready to go. The only thing that will be put in place then will be the guidelines for COVID-19," Latiff explained.

He continued. "I want to help with this league to prepare national teams. I am not saying we're only picking national people from it, but I want to use this to prepare national teams. A lot more will come pretty soon with this league, we should be laying out things by Friday (November 19) of this week. It was supposed to be last Friday but there was a little setback, some people got sick and so on and I had to wait on them to finish something that they didn't finish."

He gave the assurance that all teams, coaches, officials, spectators and everyone who would be involved in the tournament will be required to be fully vaccinated in accordance with government's 'vaccinate to operate' mandate.

On November 5, the Minister of Health Terrance Deyalsingh blanked a proposal by the Ascension Football Tournament of T&T to have a League played in an all-vaccinated environment. That League was scheduled to incorporate teams from both the T&T Super League and T&T Pro League etc and was expected to be guided by some 30 rules and regulations to guard against the COVID-19 pandemic.
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Offline asylumseeker

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Re: Youth Football Thread
« Reply #3 on: November 17, 2021, 07:23:58 AM »
Seemingly no shortage of willing sponsors when it comes to tournaments, but not many raised hands regarding league play.

The entrepreneurial enthusiasm seems to dry up at the door to the TTFA. Or be distracted by [personally] lucrative alternatives.

Tournaments make money circulate?

Offline Flex

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Re: Youth Football Thread
« Reply #4 on: January 04, 2022, 12:59:47 AM »
15 teams named for Tiger Tanks U-20 football tourney.
T&T Newsday Reports.


THE STEERING committee of the Tiger Tanks Under-20 Invitational football tournament has named 15 teams for the inaugural event slated to get underway, once contact sports is given the green light by the government.

The committee is chaired by Colin Wharfe and includes Richard Piper and Richard Clayton. According to Wharfe, the committee paid careful attention to several conditions before settling on the ten teams for Trinidad and five for Tobago.

"We took our time and carefully selected what we think is the best 15 teams at the U-20 level," Wharfe said. "We made sure they were TTFA (TT Football Association) compliant as this was one of the major conditions. Another condition that engaged our attention was whether or not these clubs had good youth programmes."

The tournament, which is the brainchild of the general manager of Tiger Tanks Denis Latiff, will see clubs like W Connection, Caledonia AIA, Central Football Club, Club Sando, Defence Force, Petit Valley/Diego Martin United, Police, Queen's Park, San Juan Jabloteh and Trendsetter Hawks Football Academy playing in Trinidad. They will be split into two groups of five each and play a round-robin first phase. The two winners of the respective groups will then meet to determine the Trinidad champions.

In Tobago, the five teams competing are Bethel United, FC Tobago Phoenix, St. Clair’s Coaching School, Stokely Vale and Youth Stars United. They will play each other twice in the league phase and the team with the most points will be crowned the Tobago winners.

The champions from Trinidad will then clash with the winners from Tobago to determine the national champions.

Teams selected for Tiger Tanks Under-20 –

TRINIDAD: Caledonia AIA, Central FC, Club Sando, Defence Force, Petit Valley/Diego Martin United, Police, Queen's Park, San Juan Jabloteh, Trendsetter Hawks Football Academy, W Connection.

TOBAGO: Bethel United, FC Tobago Phoenix, St. Clair’s Coaching School, Stokely Vale, Youth Stars United.

« Last Edit: January 04, 2022, 01:02:58 AM by Flex »
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Offline asylumseeker

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Re: Youth Football Thread
« Reply #5 on: January 04, 2022, 08:39:37 AM »
Does this mean there are consequential deficiencies in player development/"the structures" in southeast and southwest Trinidad?

Offline Tallman

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Re: Youth Football Thread
« Reply #6 on: Yesterday at 11:29:28 AM »
100 children, 55 adults ‘stranded’ on UK sports trip: Out in the cold
By Stephon Nicholas (T&T Newsday)


AFTER landing in rainy and frigid weather (four degrees Celsius) in England this week, Jaric Titans Sports Development Club administrators are scrambling to find accommodation for almost 100 children who were brought to compete in the Manchester International Easter Football Cup.

The event runs from March 29-31.

The young footballers are part of a large contingent from the Tobago-based club, which includes over 50 adults. A GoFundMe page was set up on March 26 and at 7 pm on March 27, had raised around £3,535 of the £60,000 needed to provide shelter while in Manchester.

The public was also asked to donate to the club’s Republic Bank account.

In a video posted on Facebook on March 27, Jaric Titans coach Brian Browne explained the predicament.

He said, “I’m here to make an appeal to you, the public, for assistance. We’ve been planning this trip to England for such a long time and at the last minute, some plans and some commitments that were made fell through.

“We did come to England because we didn’t want to disappoint the boys that were training and preparing. They were excited to come, so we didn’t want to disappoint them.”

Browne said the flights had already been booked and the club “took a leap of faith” by going to Manchester without having their accommodation sorted out.

He added, “We are struggling for the cost of accommodation, so we are appealing to the public for assistance – any kind of assistance. However large or small you can give, we will appreciate.

“We are here with close to 100, 100-plus children; it’s a substantial amount but whatever little you can give will go a long way.”

Newsday spoke to Browne via WhatsApp call on the afternoon of March 27 and he said there has been little change in the club’s circumstances since the post was made.

“People have been calling and contributing, but no major (change),” he said.

Asked what was the plan for accommodation before coming to England, Browne said, “The plan for accommodation was always to be at the...”

After pausing for a few seconds, he ended the conversation, saying he had a train to catch and asked that Newsday call him back by 9 pm (UK time). WhatsApp calls to his cellphone at that time did not go through.

Contacted on March 27, Sports Minister Shamfa Cudjoe-Lewis said the club did not apply for funding either through her as Tobago West MP or her ministry.

“I know certainly, no promises were made by me as a matter of fact, no request for funding was submitted to my ministry from Jaric Titans.

“Interestingly, a couple years ago, when I first joined the ministry, I sponsored Jaric Titans. They were going somewhere in Europe to give youngsters the experience to play in a similar football initiative.”

She said the club applied for funding for the Manchester trip through the Sport and Culture Fund under the Office of the Prime Minister.

“They did not notify me, they didn’t ask for guidance, did not come to my constituency office...I couldn’t have provided any advice to them because I didn’t know.”

Cudjoe-Lewis said two weeks ago, after Sport and Culture Fund denied the application, she received a WhatsApp message from a former schoolmate, who is one of the parents of the young footballers, asking if she could reverse the decision.

She said she enquired about the application and was told that the club applied for $1.6 million to cover 89 children, which includes a three-year-old, and 55 adults.

“After examining the case, the Sport and Culture Fund was not convinced this was an initiative that would help in the development of the sport based on the way they sold the story. It somewhat looked like, I don’t know, something of a joyride, and they couldn’t explain why Sport and Culture Fund is being asked to fund everybody.”

Cudjoe-Lewis said she asked if funding for some of the children could be arranged, but the chairman said the Sports and Culture Fund had already met for the month and any disbursement of funds would not be in time anyway.

“There is no way I can overturn a Sport and Culture Fund decision,” Cudjoe-Lewis said.

She said Jaric Titans had decided not to approach her ministry as they intended to ask her for funding for a separate event in June.

“I know they went to the THA and I understand that the THA made some promises to them to fund them, to support them, and I wish them the very best in their endeavours, and I look forward to their application for the June event.”

Asked about her thoughts on taking almost 100 children to Europe without accommodation being secured, Cudjoe-Lewis replied, “That is a matter for Jaric Titans themselves and the parents who are involved in the initiative.”

She described Browne as an “outstanding and very responsible sporting person” who always acts from “the goodwill of his heart.”

She also had similar praise for the club.

“I know it’s based on developing children and the sport and giving the youngsters a new experience to help them grow. But they applied too late, or the way that they went about doing what they were doing was not done properly. We’re human, we make mistakes...

“Unfortunately, the whole idea of going out there with children without accommodation, I don’t think it’s the best idea. We have to look to the wisdom of the parents who are involved and the leadership of the Jaric Titans.”

In a brief interview with Newsday on March 27, Secretary of Sport Terrance Baynes said Jaric Titans approached the THA for funding for the trip “a few days ago.”

Asked to clarify if it was literally a few days ago, Baynes replied, “Not even a week.”

He said that based on the amount that was requested, a commitment was required from the THA Executive Council, but he could not say if that was approved.

Foreign Affairs Minister Dr Amery Browne told Newsday he was unaware of the situation but hoped the group would contact the High Commission in England for assistance.

He said he would try to get a contact for the group to see how he could help.

In September 2022, Progressive Democratic Patriots (PDP) leader Watson Duke slammed the former PDP-led THA and Chief Secretary Farley Augustine for “abandoning” 27 members of the Roxborough Folk Performers group who went to New York on a cultural tour.

In a Facebook video, Duke said the THA provided airline tickets but nothing else to cover accommodation, food and other expenses.

Augustine said the THA did not send the group to New York but still provided financial assistance to the tune of $400,417.50 to cover airfare and some expenses.

The public spat led to Duke resigning as THA Deputy Chief Secretary and Augustine and the remaining THA executive forming their own party.
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Offline Fyzoman

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Re: Youth Football Thread
« Reply #7 on: Yesterday at 02:44:10 PM »
I know none of the kids and adults will die on that England trip...and they'll be made tougher by the ordeal, but WTF people does really be doing man?!?!

So they basically board a flight to go England and be stranded, I reread the article and mulled over it a bit and I just can't nah....smfh.
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Offline soccerman

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Re: Youth Football Thread
« Reply #8 on: Yesterday at 02:57:41 PM »
100 kids??? That alone is a huge responsibility and logistical nightmare for a team in an international tournament. I find it hard to believe a team would travel to the UK (with that amount of people) without housing accommodations. With big tournaments here in the US hotels within a 20-30 mile radius are already booked up 2 months prior. We must be missing critical information here.

Offline Tallman

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Re: Youth Football Thread
« Reply #9 on: Today at 07:17:54 AM »
Still no $$ for UK stay – Tobago club hotel-hopping
By Andrew Gioannetti Walcott (T&T Newsday)


THE 150-plus strong contingent of children, parents, and officials of Tobago youth football club Jaric Titans have been temporarily accommodated at the Hilton Garden Inn, connected to Manchester’s legendary Old Trafford stadium.

The group arrived in the UK on Wednesday to participate in an Easter football tournament in the city.
Jaric Titans coach Brian Browne told Newsday the group was afforded temporary accommodation after intervention by the organisers of the tournament, EuroWorld Sports, who “spoke to the hotels.”

Despite his failure to secure funding and pay for accommodation, Browne, together with about 100 players and 55 adults, arrived in Manchester after taking what he described as a “leap of faith” on Wednesday morning, ahead of the tournament on Saturday and Sunday.

He said the itinerary remains unchanged and some of the players are scheduled to participate in a screening exercise by club giants Manchester City on Tuesday.

Browne said Jaric Titans did not pay the Hilton a deposit, nor has it raised enough funds yet to stay there or at any other suitable lodging until they depart on April 5.
However, he said the team will transfer from Hilton to a Holiday Inn hotel on Friday, thanks to EuroWorld Sports, who will foot the bill at least until the club can raise the funds.

EuroWorld Sports, Browne told Newsday, “is looking after all our stuff: ground transport, accommodation, and meals (breakfast and dinner),” which would have been part of the tournament’s hotel package.

The coach said he was unsure how many rooms were being occupied by the entire contingent, since the “ladies at the club are the ones who are looking after those things.”

On Friday, they are scheduled to transfer to the Holiday Inn, where they had originally intended to stay for the entire trip.

“Eurosport (sic) has been the one to negotiate on our behalf. (They) made some arrangement, I think in good faith, with the hotel (Hilton),” Browne said. “You know, something is going to be worked out and that’s how we’re here.”

He described EuroWorld’s intervention as a “humanitarian move” because “they (don’t) want us to obviously have nowhere to stay.”

Browne said the parents of children on the trip were asked to contribute $10,000, which would have  covered only airfare. Their return flight tickets have been paid for.

The club, however, is still seeking to raise funds by crowdfunding through the website GoFundMe. They have raised just £4,530 of the £60,000 target, with one anonymous donor making a whopping £1,000 contribution (about TT$8,500).

The description on the page, created by Browne’s friend Arlene Alexander-Price, said Jaric Titans had been making arrangements to take a “group of underprivileged young players to the Manchester Cup in England for more than a year.

“They received commitments from a number of persons and agencies who have now reneged or have not fulfilled their promise and the cup is this weekend,” the appeal read.

Browne told Newsday every parent who allowed their child to travel to the UK for the Manchester Easter Cup mini-football tournament knew that accommodation had not yet been paid for.

“Hundred per cent aware. Fully aware. We had a meeting the evening before we left.

“We wrote letters and applied to different agencies to get the funding and some commitments were made. I am not going to call names, because I do not want to implicate anybody. I understand how the public are.

“I don’t want to make anyone look worse and create anything negative. We understand that we would have to take some criticism and we will take it in stride. God is good!”

He said commitments made by an “agency” were broken, leading to the situation, but defended Sport Minister Shamfa Cudjoe, saying she was not at fault in the situation.

“I hearing people chastising (Cudjoe). But she has done nothing wrong throughout the whole process. We did apply for some funding and it was agreed upon that the government agency would help.”

Browne was also asked to respond to some public assertions that he made the bold move expecting the Tobago House of Assembly (THA) or any state agency to ultimately “bail the club out.”

He initially chose not to respond, but changed his mind, saying, “No, that was never the intention.”

There have also been complaints by some guardians that they paid but their children had not been taken on the trip. But Browne said that was because the payments were made late, causing logistical issues with flights.

“That’s an unfortunate situation, because we were booked on separate flights because of how late some people brought their money.

“Of course, it’s not a free trip and people have to pay and because of how late some brought in the cash, you know, we had to split the flights and...coming out of Tobago, it was super-complicated.

“And we know that we’re going to take some lash for it (but) our president has been working around the clock to try and get the other contingent to come up.

“But there’s another question to ask: now, with the current situation that we’re in up here, does it really make sense?”

Newsday also asked him to respond to public accusations of his perceived recklessness.

“Firstly,” he said, “we know that people will say (what they have to). Some will say positive things and encourage you, and some will say negative things to try and drag you down, that’s a given.

“Secondly, I did not leave without knowing where we would stay. We know where we were going to stay because we were liaising with (EuroWorld Sports).

"Our issue is getting the funds to pay for where we would stay. They already agreed that we can come, they’re going to house us, and then we worry about paying them.

“So that is why we have the GoFundMe to help us pay that bill.”

If the crowdfunding effort fails, Browne said he has spoken to people who will “step in, pull some strings and work things out.”

Foreign Affairs Minister Amery Browne was made aware of the situation on Thursday and asked the High Commission in London to look into the matter. Brian Browne said the High Commission has contacted them and is expected to discuss the situation further on Friday.
The Conquering Lion of Judah shall break every chain.

 

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