FORMER Sports Minister Manohar Ramsaran feels that the ongoing public battle between Minister of Sport Anil Roberts and the Managing Director of All Sport Promotions Anthony Harford is hurting football and the people of Trinidad and Tobago.
The Sports Ministry has been at loggerheads with the Trinidad and Tobago Football Federation ’s marketing arm being run by Harford, over allegations of misappropriated funds, which the company has denied.
The Tourism Development Sports Manager said it has to come to an end quickly. “This rumbling is doing no good for the sport of football, rather hurting it and the players as well as the football loving public.
If the Warriors are to play a match tomorrow there will not be a lot of support.
The people are a bit confused at this point and as a result they will not support the team,” said Ramsaran.
In addition he said the war of words is sending a bad image internationally.
“Football is supposed to be one of the sports that we have a good chance of using as a tourism product.
This ongoing saga will no doubt make it a bit more difficult for us to market and brand the football.”
Minister Roberts who gave the assurance that the Sports Ministry will be funding the team, made it clear however that they will not be placing any money into the hands of All Sport or the TTFF, rather to the management of the team.
On Friday Permanent Secretary in the ministry Ashwin Creed told Newsday that the money for the Warriors for their Caribbean Football Union (CFU) Qualifiers in St Kitts and Nevis has been approved and the cheque which should be available by today was being processed.
Creed, like Roberts, said the money would not be given to the sport’s governing body the TTFF, rather to the management of the team.
Despite not leaving with money that was promised to them the Warriors topped their group with three wins from as many matches to advance to the next round of qualifiers which will be held in TT next month.
-Kevin Sunich
Source: www.newsday.co.tt