Team TTO | Trinidad and Tobago Olympic Committee | teamtto.org

Trinidad and Tobago crashed out of the Regional Super50 competition following their 140-run loss to the Combined Campuses and Colleges (CCC) in the first semifinal of the tournament at Kensington Oval, Barbados, yesterday.

Another T&T batting collapse saw Denesh Ramdin’s men being skittled out for 92 in chase of CCC’s 232 for seven.

Anthony Alleyne slammed 99 to keep the CCC innings going while Nekoli Parris added 43.

Left-arm spinner Yannick Ottley was T&T’s best bowler, snatching three for 37 while off-spinner Sherwin Ganga and leg-spinner Imran Khan chipped in with two wickets each.

When T&T batted, they slipped to 29 for four in the tenth over and never recovered.

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America's Shawn Crawford, the 2004 Olympic 200m gold medallist, has been banned for two years for not complying with out-of-competition drugs testing.

The US Anti-Doping Agency (Usada) said the 35-year-old failed to provide details of his whereabouts for testing on three occasions within 18 months.

He will be stripped of any result he achieved from 17 November, 2012, the date of his third failure to comply.

Crawford won silver in the 200m and the 4x100m relay at the Beijing Olympics.

In 2003, he took part in a US television programme that saw him race against a zebra and a giraffe. He beat the giraffe but lost twice to the zebra  after demanding a rematch following a false start.

In 2004, Crawford won the Olympic 200m title, clocking a personal best of 19.79 seconds to defeat compatriots Bernard Williams and Justin Gatlin.

When Usain Bolt won the first of his Olympic 200m titles in Beijing in 2008, Crawford originally finished fourth, but was given the silver medal after Wallace Spearmon and Churandy Martina of Netherlands Antilles were disqualified for running out of their lanes.

Crawford later gave his medal to Martina, who would have been the first Olympic medallist from his country.

Crawford failed to qualify for London 2012 after finishing seventh in the US trials final.

Usada also confirmed that Crawford's ban would begin from 17 April, the date he received the sanction.

Shawn Crawford

Gold: 2004 Olympic 200m, 2001 World Indoor Championships 200m

Silver: 2008 Olympic 200m, 2004 Olympic 4x100m relay, 2004 World Indoor Championships 60m

Bronze: 2001 World Championships 200m

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SECOND vice-president of the TT Cricket Board (TTCB) Lalman Kowlessar feels there is a dire need for the structure of cricket to change in TT if the country is to do well in regional four-day tournaments.

The national youth selector who has been very critical of the TT players performances in the longer version said they are not to be blamed solely for their poor showing. He said while they could do a lot better especially the batsmen out in the middle, he feels the system has groomed them in a certain way.

“The club structure and the school structure all have to change. We are all geared for the limited over matches and that is why we are doing so well in the T20 matches and 50-over tournaments, but this is just fun cricket. The ultimate is four-day and test cricket, you can’t use 50 overs and T20 matches as a yard stick,” said Kowlessar.

He said the problem starts with the grass root and until it could be corrected, the results will be the same. “There are two tournaments for the U-19’s, one is a 50-overs and the other is a T20 so the boys are not being prepared properly for the longer version of the game. Then the cricket board has a two-day tournament for the same U-19 before they head back to their clubs to play in another two-day tournament. When the players hear a two day tournament they are playing it like 50 over matches and so they are not being prepared properly,” said the TTCB second vice-president.

The youth selector feels it is time for the return of the three day format of the game. “I think we should cut the number of teams playing in the premiership and just scrap the two-day tournament and make it three-days. We need to play cricket that will help the players prepare properly for the longer version of the game and not focus all the attention on the shorter version. While people are saying it will cost too much money, I think this is the way to go. If we want to get results, we have to spend money.” said Kowlessar.

TT suffered defeats in three of their four day matches this season, going down to the Windward Islands by 10 wickets and Jamaica by 93 runs, with both matches finishing inside three days. Their 10-wicket defeat at the hands of Barbados was the most embarrassing as they lost at home inside of two days. Nevertheless the twin island team has still qualified for the semifinal and will face Jamaica at home from April 25th.

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Amidst all the controversy, scandals and reports of financial mismanagement engulfing the Trinidad and Tobago Football Federation (TTFF) over the last two years, Raymond Tim Kee, the Federation’s president, is hoping for a clean slate once the dust settles.

On Sunday the Express published the first of a series of articles outlining many transactions involving T&T World Cup Germany 2006 sponsorship funds by and on behalf of Jack Warner in his former capacity as special adviser of the TTFF.

Yesterday’s subsequent Express article detailed the “money trail” from TTFF accounts through Germany LOC (Local Organising Committee) 2006 accounts, and stated that at least $100 million of $205 million is yet to be accounted for.

Tim Kee conceded that it has not been an easy time for the Federation in the wake of the many controversies, but said the shock of it all—beginning with the cash-for-votes scandal in May 2011 that led to the resignation of Warner from all football-related activities and Oliver Camps as TTFF president—seems to have worn off somewhat.
“I think [TTFF officials] were affected in the early stage of all the exposes that we have seen now. From my own observations, I think everybody understands to a great degree what has happened,” Tim Kee told the Express yesterday.

The TTFF head said that he has been in office less than six months, and is still not fully apprised of “what has went on” before he came into office in November, and added that he still needs to do “a lot of research” to “have a better appreciation” of the issues.

Tim Kee is expected to leave Trinidad and Tobago tomorrow for Friday’s Extraordinary Congress of CONCACAF, which follows extensive audits completed by external auditors.

But the TTFF head was not sure whether issues related to what has been revealed in the audits will be discussed at the Congress. He is due, however, to meet with CONCACAF president Jeffrey Webb.

“Congresses such as that generally deal with adjustments and rules and certain types of activities. They would have got together and decided to change or adjust things,” he said.

“…I understand that there is a lot to come out about our situation vis-a-vis the finances and situation of the TTFF. I don’t know if [Webb is] going to use that forum to address it. I have two meetings to see him; I don’t know if that is what he wants (to discuss).”

As for the Federation, Tim Kee wants to put the organisation back on track, but acknowledged that matters pertaining to its finances and image need to be addressed before they can move on.

He said that “all sorts of things” are on his desk, including preparations for T&T’s upcoming CONCACAF Gold Cup in the US in July, and said he intends to put things in place to ensure better accountability.

“It’s a matter of wrapping (all these things) up, starting with a clean slate, and (to) start putting some initiatives in place,” he said.

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How Warner duped FIFA,Concacaf into believing they owned the $144m Centre of Excellence

Roy Hodgson has expressed his alarm at the number of foreign players in the Premier League.

With England’s qualification to next year’s World Cup in Brazil by no means assured, the national team’s manager claimed he was at a disadvantage compared to other foreign coaches when it came to selecting his squads.

“Quite a few of the games I go to do not have any English players,” he told Sky Sports News at an event organised by League Managers Association.

“So, one has to be very careful these days when talking about the Premier League and talking about the Englishness of it, because more than two thirds of the players in the league are not English.

“We have one of the lowest number of home-grown players to choose from in all the leagues, which, if you are national team manager, is not a great advantage, to be frank.”

His criticisms echo those of his assistant coach Gary Neville, who said last month that although foreign players had made Premier League football more attractive, the increasing level of imports was threatening to freeze out home-grown talent.

“In Spain you can have Cristiano Ronaldo at Real Madrid and Lionel Messi at Barcelona, and they still have 63 per cent of their players are Spanish.

“There’s a tipping point and I think we’ve gone beyond it in England. We’re maybe 20 per cent off. We need to give more chances to our own. We’re harming ourselves a little bit.

“We can’t go back to having no foreign players. This leagues is better for having foreign players and coaches.

“Players like Ryan Giggs, David Beckham and Paul Scholes would have stood out in any environment. But what about players like me? Players like my brother, Phil, or Nicky Butt?”

Hodgson’s predecessor as England coach, Fabio Capello, said that under his reign he wanted the percentage of English players starting Premier league matches to go from 34 per cent to nearer 40 per cent. His target was never achieved.

Meanwhile, Michael Carrick insists Sir Alex Ferguson has never told him to pull out of an England squad.

The Manchester United manager’s role in Rio Ferdinand’s controversial withdrawal from the squads for last month’s World Cup qualifiers with San Marino and Montenegro has come under scrutiny. It was claimed Ferguson put pressure on Ferdinand to pull out, believing it would jeopardise United’s hopes of reclaiming the Premier League title.

But Carrick said Ferguson had never pressurised members of the United squad to make themselves unavailable for international duty.

“I have never had anything from the manager saying pull yourself out or anything in that manner because it’s not in his nature,” Carrick said.

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After a season in which he helped Wales win the Six Nations and also secured a new club in France, Jamie Roberts has finally achieved his other career goal and qualified as a doctor.

It took eight years of study while performing at rugby union's top level with the Cardiff Blues and his country.

He received his final medical exam results on Monday, becoming Dr Roberts.

The 26-year-old, who studied at Cardiff University, said his gut reaction was one of relief.

The player joins a list of illustrious Welsh rugby internationals to have juggled their medical careers with sport - including JPR Williams, Jack Matthews and Gwyn Jones, who all played top-flight Welsh rugby.

Roberts will graduate in the summer before heading off to join Racing Metro in Paris.

"My nickname amongst team-mates has for some time been Doc, and I've always felt like a little bit of a fraud," he said.

"It's nice that I'll finally be able to call myself a doctor."

Roberts said he was now looking forward to a few lie-ins after lots of early mornings in the library before and after training.

"It's been tough but it's been worth every second to achieve one of my main goals in life," he added.

"I am very proud to have finally come to the end of my eight years at Cardiff University's School of Medicine.

"It's a been a long, hard road and I would like to say a huge thanks to the school of medicine for allowing me to undertake my studies, part-time.

"I pay tribute to the dean of medicine, Prof Paul Morgan, and all in the undergraduate office for allowing me to balance my studies and rugby and a special thanks to Dr Andrew Freedman for his personal support over the last four years."

Prof Morgan said: "The academic rigour and intensity of studying for a medical degree is challenging for most students - especially for someone juggling with a life as a professional rugby player.

"Jamie would be the first to admit it's been an extremely challenging time but nevertheless it is clear from my conversations with him that it has been an enjoyable experience.

"I am very proud of his academic and sporting successes and pleased to have played a role."

Cardiff vice-chancellor Prof Colin Riordan said: "Cardiff University is rightly proud of our medical students and their successes.

"Balancing the demands of top-class sport with the intensive study required for medicine is not easy, particularly in rugby's professional era.

"It is a tribute to Jamie that he has successfully completed that journey."

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Britain's Sports Minister Hugh Robertson has backed the 2013 Virgin London Marathon to go ahead as planned this Sunday (April 21) to send a message that the city "won't be cowered" following the two fatal explosions at the Boston Marathon last night.

At least three people were killed and more than 100 injured by the blasts near the finish line of the race, which is the oldest annual marathon in the world having been run since 1897, in the Massachusetts capital.

There have been some suggestions that the London Marathon should now be abandoned amid fears that there could be a second attack at the event but the Sports Minister has unequivocally backed plans from organisers for the race to go ahead as planned.

"These are a balance of judgements but we are absolutely confident here that we can keep the event safe and secure," said Robertson.

"I think this is one of those incidents where the best way to show solidarity with Boston is to continue and send a very clear message to those responsible.

"The best way for us to react is to push ahead with the marathon on Sunday, to get people on the streets and to celebrate it as we always do in London - and to send a very clear message that we won't be cowered by this sort of behaviour.

"As the Minister responsible on a day-to-day basis at the London 2012 Olympics and Paralympics, we lived through this for the past year.

"I was privileged enough to see the Metropolitan Police, the armed forces, security services and our special forces working on this.

"I saw them close up and that gives you enormous confidence."

At least three people were killed and more than 100 injured by the blasts at the Boston Marathon

London Marathon chief executive Nick Bitel made it clear that security will be of primary importance for his team.

"One can't be complacent when it has happened," Bitel said here at the London Marathon headquarters.

"You need to then review those plans you have in place to see what else may be necessary."

St James' Palace has also confirmed that Prince Harry will still attend the event this year to make the presentations to the winners.

Home Secretary Theresa May has been briefed on the bombings by Scotland Yard Assistant Commissioner Cressida Dick and MI5 chief Sir Jonathan Evans.

There are currently no plans for a meeting of the Government's emergency committee COBRA, but high-level discussions were already planned and will go ahead because of the funeral of former Prime Minister Baroness Margaret Thatcher in London tomorrow.

The London Marathon first took place in 1981 and was completed by more than 37,000 people last year.

The route, which is lined by hundreds of thousands of spectators every year, starts in Blackheath and finishes near Buckingham Palace.

It passes some of the capital's most recognisable landmarks including Tower Bridge, Canary Wharf and Big Ben.

Particular focus this year will be on Britain's double London 2012 Olympic champion Mo Farah, who is set to run half of the marathon before doing the full event in 2014.

He is still scheduled to compete in the event while investigations continue in Boston to find the full facts behind the explosion and who was involved.

United States President Barack Obama has promised that any responsible individuals and groups "will feel the full weight of justice" once the investigations had taken place.

International Association of Athletics Federations (IAAF) President Lamine Diack has also condemned the attacks.

"This ghastly and cowardly attack strikes at the very core of the freest of human activities," said Diack, the most powerful figure in world athletics.

"Whether as a fun runner or elite competitor, road running exemplifies the honestly of basic human movement, strength and resilience.

"What makes this incident so vile and its planning so incomprehensible is that marathons the world over are about selfless acts of human generosity.

"Millions of dollars are raised for charity every year by participants in road races.

"The events themselves are administered by thousands of volunteers who freely give their time to operate everything from baggage trucks to water stations to finish lines.

"The streets are lined with countless millions of spectators who selflessly simply wish to applaud, encourage and embrace the best of human endeavour.

"There can be no excuse, no cause which can justify these explosions in Boston which so sicken us all."

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A letter has been sent to the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) by International Cycling Union (UCI) President Pat McQuaid claiming to prove Lance Armstrong did not test positive for the blood boosting drug erythropoietin (EPO) at the Tour of Switzerland, although at least two of his samples were "highly suspicious".

It has been widely alleged that Armstrong tested positive for EPO during the Tour of Switzerland in 2001 but, with the help of the UCI and McQuaid's predecessor, Hein Verbruggen, that it had been covered-up. 

The results from the laboratory in Lausanne are part of a five-page letter McQuaid sent last week to WADA director general David Howman, 3 Wire Sports reported. 

In the UCI letter, McQuaid claims the documents themselves "finally puts pay to the completely untrue allegations" of a positive 2001 test and "any subsequent cover-up by the UCI".

Tyler Hamilton and Floyd Landis, both former Armstrong team-mates, provided United States Anti-Doping Agency (USADA) with affidavits claiming he had arranged for the positive test during the Tour of Switzerland to be taken care of. 

Landis alleged Armstrong told him in 2002 he and team leader Johan Bruyneel "flew to the UCI headquarters and made a financial agreement to keep the positive test hidden".

A year after the alleged cover-up Armstrong donated offer $100,000 (£65,000/€76,000) to help the "development" of cycling, which Verbruggen and McQuaid have always denied was a bribe.

It is this which has dogged McQuaid and Verbruggen since the Armstrong controversy blew-up, leading to him being banned for life and stripped of his seven Tour de France titles. 

McQuaid asks Howman in his letter that the UCI would be "very grateful" if WADA or USADA would make a public statement "confirming the information in this letter," keeping in mind the "great damage" done to UCI's reputation "by these false and scurrilous allegations."

Armstrong was tested five times during the 2001 Tour of Switzerland - on June 19, 20, 26, 27 and 28, according to the letter, with three of them including EPO tests. 

"As you can see every analysis result for Lance Armstrong is reported by the lab as being negative," said UCI letter, according to 3 Wire Sports.

But two of the EPO tests carried the note "strong suspicion of the presence of EPO, the positivity criteria are not all met" as the percentage averaged 75.1, which was the Lausanne lab  as being "highly suspicious".

Glasgow 2014 has begun its volunteer interviews as it searches to find the 15,000 friendliest faces for the Commonwealth Games.

After receiving 50,811 online applications, about 25,000 people have been selected for interviews at the Volunteer Centre in Glasgow.

Invitations to attend an interview will be sent in phases so it could still be a number of months before the 15,000 successful applicants are given the chance to help deliver the Commonwealth Games next summer.

The 15,000 individuals chosen will receive full training in the lead-up to Glasgow 2014 across a range of general and specialist roles.

"I am absolutely delighted with the public response to our recruitment drive for volunteers and after more than 50,000 applications it was a tough process halving that number to select people for interview," said the Glasgow 2014 head of Games workforce Valerie Mitchell.

"We want the interview process to be as enjoyable as possible for people and have a number of special surprises for applicants on their interview day.

"The interviews are an informal opportunity for people to talk about themselves and why they want to be a part of the Games.

"Not everyone who is interviewed between now and December 2013 will be successful, but we will be stressing that there will be other opportunities to be involved in the Games in future.

"It is important to remember that those conducting the interviews are themselves volunteers and we are grateful to them for helping us find up to 15,000 friendly people who can proudly represent Glasgow and Scotland at Games time."

From now until December 2013, one thousand people per week will be interview by Glasgow 2014.

About 300 people have already been selected as volunteer front-runners who will conduct up to 150 interviews a day between them.

Sarah Cooper, a 22-year-old from Ayrshire, was among the first to be interviewed.

"I'm training to be a teacher and I think the impact it's going to have on the next generation is great, hopefully it will inspire them for the future," she said.

"The kids who don't really feel there's anything for them will hopefully get the same buzz from Glasgow 2014 as came from the London 2012 Olympics.

"I was keen to volunteer because I just wanted the experience, I'd seen the Olympics and you just want to get involved and be part of it.

"The buzz and the atmosphere will be fantastic next summer."

Glasgow 2014 is due to take place between July 23 and August 3, with 4,500 athletes from 71 Commonwealth nations and territories set to compete.

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Top local junior table-tennis players Arun Roopnarine and Aaron Wilson will depart tomorrow for a five-week training stint at the Werner Schlager Table Tennis Academy, in Vienna, Austria.

Fifteen-year-old Roopnarine, who attends Presentation College, Chaguanas, and Wilson, 14, a student at Belmont Boys Secondary, were part of the T&T squad which captured a record 12 medals (one gold, one silver and ten bronze) at the Caribbean Table Tennis Federation Cadet & Junior Championships which concluded at the Jean Pierre Complex, Mucurapo, a week ago.

The duo will be at the Austria camp from Tuesday until May 21 at the expense of the International Table Tennis Federation (ITTF) which includes training costs, entry fees, accommodation, meals and transport with the players covering their own travelling expenses from T&T.

At the conclusion of the camp, Wilson and Roopnarine, winners of bronze in the Junior Boys Doubles at the regional event in T&T will then compete in the Polish Open from May 22 to 26.

The opportunity for the local pair came via the ITTF “WFIM” (With The Future In Mind) programme which targets potential participants for the Junior Olympics in Nanjing, China, next year. The qualifying process is tough and the players must have high world-ranking points.

The ITTF also recommended Wilson and Roopnarine attend the Polish Junior Open which is a World Junior Circuit event.

The training for both T&T players with coaches Richard Prause, Dirk Wagner, Dimitri Levenko, Aya Umemura and will entail two sessions per day.

Practice is twice a day—from 9.30 am to noon and from 3.30 pm to 6 pm or from 6 pm to 8.30 pm, depending on the group they are in and where they will practise, all based on their table-tennis skills. Additionally, they have fitness at the gym and sometimes a table-tennis session will be replaced by a fitness session.

At the Caribbean Cadet and Junior Championships, Roopnarine and Wilson also helped the T&T Junior Boys team to a bronze medal along with Sarvesh Mungal and Andreus Pantin-Abraham.

In the Mixed Cadets Doubles, Wilson paired with senior national women’s champion, 14-year-old Brittany Joseph for bronze and also got bronze in the singles, while Roopnarine and Catherine Spicer got T&T’s lone gold medal, in Juniors Mixed Doubles.

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How Warner built his empire: a tangled web of TTFF cash transfers, gifts and undeclared sponsorships

It was a tale of treachery that caused a football tsunami the likes of which a vexed Austin Jack Warner had threatened to unleash on the House of FIFA (International Federation of Association Football) after his Zurich face-off with former close ally and FIFA president, Sepp Blatter.

Instead, it swept him away into a sea of much deeper corruption allegations and global law enforcement scrutiny.

Decades-old payments he had made from a CFU (Caribbean Football Union) bank account to an offshore company of another longstanding FIFA friend and confidant turned whistle-blower, Chuck Blazer, had caught the attention of United States authorities probing corruption in international football.

On March 27, Reuters reported that Warner’s son and business partner, Daryan, had turned “cooperating witness” to the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) and US tax authorities, the Internal Revenue Service (IRS), in connection with a US$500,000 payout made over 20 years.

Minister Warner has refused to address directly whether he is a person of interest or comment on his son’s role as a “cooperating witness” in an FBI football corruption investigation.

Meanwhile, in Panama City, another Pandora’s Box revealing more of Warner’s dark football secrets is set to open at CONCACAF’s Congress later this week. This one, too, is said to contain all the makings of a football tsunami of corruption claims and is expected to attract even more law enforcement interest.

The IRS is already digging deep into this particular box of muddled finances which leads right back to the Warner-Blazer duet, according to persons familiar with the situation.

At home, Sunday Express investigations into Warner’s activities reveal that the once powerful football figure--who had a box seat on the world and access to heads of state, private jets and corporate CEOs—used his network of football and political connections to build a family business empire and personal fortune of about $200 million which from all accounts is a conservative estimate.

Some of this money came from cash transfers from the Trinidad and Tobago Football Federation (TTFF) to bank accounts held in the names of private Warner companies; so-called cash “gifts” in the tens of millions of dollars; rich World Cup TV broadcast deals run through a Cayman-registered company; World Cup tickets racket and vast flows of income from several sources, including the Dr Joao Havelange Centre of Excellence at Macoya, property rentals and miscellaneous fees from football bodies.

The Member of Parliament (MP) for Chaguanas West, who emerged as the top-ranked cabinet minister in two surveys and served at times as this country’s acting prime minister, has featured in repeated allegations of corruption over the years and up until the events of May 2011 remained an untouchable, protected in the main by his scandal-scarred football boss, Blatter, even from complaints emanating from within the FIFA oligarchy, according to FIFA board minutes seen by this reporter.

The one-time star Government Minister, badly damaged by the Mohamed bin Hammam cash-for-vote affair which was played out on his front lawn at a Port of Spain hotel, has vehemently denied all allegations of wrongdoing but has inexplicably refused to have his day in court—either at the FIFA Ethics Committee hearing or the International Court of Arbitration for Sports (CAS)—opting instead to quit the bright lights of world football and to stay on the offensive, threatening a tsunami on Blatter’s House of FIFA and indulging in personal attacks against his detractors.

Even now, in the face of serious questions about financial irregularities in all of the football bodies he presided over—CONCACAF, CFU, TTFF and LOC (Local Organising Committee) Germany 2006 Ltd—Warner, the Minister of National Security in the People's Partnership Government, has refused to address specific questions put to him by this newspaper and has complained instead of being the “most vilified” public official in the land.

Sunday Express investigations show that the former special adviser to TTFF transferred out tens of millions of dollars from the national football association’s bank accounts to a local organising company, LOC Germany 2006 Ltd, which was set up by his personal accountant, Kenny Rampersad.

Warner was both a director and chairman of LOC Germany, the corporate vehicle set up to collect money for transfer to TTFF’s road to Germany 2006 World Cup campaign. He was also the man calling the shots, according to TTFF’s top officials, Oliver Camps and Richard Groden.

The two Warner front men were also directors in the February 2004-incorporated entity along with Warner’s other son, Daryll, and his secretary of long standing, Patricia Modeste.

On February 21, 2004, 15 days after LOC Germany opened shop, TTFF special adviser Warner, dispatched a single page of correspondence to LOC Germany. In it, he gave himself via the newly-registered company the power and authority to negotiate all sponsorships, endorsements, match arrangements and other money-spinning opportunities associated with the Soca Warriors qualification for the 2006 World Cup.

Bank statements, payment vouchers and other financial records obtained by the Sunday Express show a reversal of roles between the national football association and its duly-appointed “negotiating agent”, LOC Germany, with the agent company stripping TTFF’s accounts of surplus cash instead of paying out World Cup sponsorship money it had collected to designated accounts.

Documents also reveal that, at times, LOC Germany withdrew funds before it even hit the account.

Financial records show at least TT$100 million of public and private sector funds have gone missing. Tens of millions of dollars in World Cup funds were being tapped from TTFF’s bank accounts by the Warner-run LOC Germany entity and by private corporations owned by him, specifically Jamad Ltd, JAW Ltd and Sportel Ltd.

Four sets of financial statements produced in just as many years by Warner’s accountant-in-chief Rampersad show significant omissions from the balance sheet. Public grants and other sponsorship money that should have gone into TTFF’s bank accounts, according to official government records, have simply disappeared.

By the state’s own calculations, a minimum of $205.6 million in public and private sector funds were paid to the national football association in support of the 2006 World Cup campaign.

The various Rampersad financial statements, however, paint a far more modest picture. They reflect many discrepancies, conflicting numbers and more than $100 million missing in World Cup income.

Michael Townley, the British lawyer pursuing the Soca Warriors’ claim that Warner and the national football association drastically understated the Warriors

2006 World Cup income, described the financial information provided by TTFF and its accountant as “works of fiction”.

In pleadings made to a case management conference (CMC) before Justice Devindra Rampersad, Townley told of a tangled tale of opaque and misleading financial records, of the deliberate and continued attempt to conceal tens of millions of dollars to deny the players what is contractually owed to them and of Warner’s effective control of LOC Germany.

Townley told the court about the hardship of extracting credible information from the TTFF and its “rogue" agent Jack Warner—even in the face of legal orders. Townley spoke of the rigged game the football association has played with the court and its disregard for the process of law.

Sponsorship information provided to Townley by the previous administration reveal that $205.6 million in State and private sector contributions were made to the TTFF in support of the Soca Warriors historic 2006 World Cup qualification.

The schedule of payments show that the Ministry of Sport and Youth Affairs provided just over $60.3 million, government state agencies $21.8 million and private sector corporations, including Atlantic LNG, Adidas, BHP Billiton and British Gas, $88.1 million.

The government disclosure also cited a CHF 7 million (Swiss francs) or TT$35.2 million figure in relation to the qualification grant from FIFA.

But the first Rampersad account, dated October 5, 2006 and addressed to Warner in his capacity as president of CONCACAF (the body which represents football federations from North and Central America and the Caribbean), made no mention of the CHF 7 million FIFA grant or Atlantic LNG’s $3 million contribution.

The October statement gives a total sponsorship income of a mere $13 million.

Warner’s main man of business produced another set of accounts in November 2007 for an arbitration dispute headed to a London courtroom after the players rejected the 2006 financials and a settlement offer of just over $5,000 per player. Rampersad’s financials were addressed to Om Lalla, a key Warner attorney.

The FIFA grant appears in the 2007 accounts but the figure is trimmed by $1 million or TT$5 million. It also records for the first time a $600,000 grant from government but cuts the sponsorship income to $6.5m million. No explanation is given for these material adjustments.

In 2010, a court order forced the production of a financial statement for LOC Germany but this too contains significant omissions by Rampersad, who declares a total grant and sponsorship income of $54.5 million. More accounting games are played with the production of yet another set of court-ordered financial statements for TTFF in June 2011.

This one too has all the hallmarks of Rampersad, whose stock response to questions relating to the missing millions, built-in conflicts of interest, inflated expenses and understated income was: “I am not at liberty to discuss the affairs of my clients, past or present.”

He asked the Sunday Express to submit its questions in writing but up to press time there was no response.

The roster of sponsors named in the 2011 accounts show a $1.6 million grant from government and, for the first time in any of the Rampersad-produced accounts, a $250,000 contribution from British Gas.

Atlantic LNG did not make the roster of sponsors and the National Gas Company and BHP Billiton, which had fallen off the previous 2006 TTFF statement, made a return.

The contribution of State telecom giant TSTT tripled from $4 million in 2006 to $12.6 million in 2011.

Adidas, previously listed in 2006 with a $1.8 million contribution, went up to a wholesome $5.8 million in the 2011 filing.

There were other curious statements contained in the financials. Rampersad’s accounts, in talking about the FIFA CHF 6 million or TT$27.7 million grant, referred to the FIFA money being “Due to TTFF” although FIFA itself had written Warner as “president “of TTFF in November 2006 asking for banking instructions.

The November 15 letter, written by FIFA’s director of Finance, Markus Kattner, noted: “We kindly ask for your confirmation that we can transfer the balance to the official account of the Trinidad and Tobago Football Federation immediately. Please note that we will transfer the balance in USD as per the daily rate of the day of the transaction.”

Bank statements obtained through a court-ordered levy on the premises of the now insolvent national football association does not reflect substantial sponsorship funds, including the FIFA World Cup-Germany prize money.

Camps and Groden say their knowledge extends only to the three bank accounts disclosed to the court.

Neither had much to say to the Sunday Express. Camps declined comment, saying his memory was not as good as it used to be and Groden said only: “I prefer not to speak without a lawyer.”

The two football officials, in affidavits given to the court, have maintained that they knew nothing about the affairs of LOC Germany (although they were both listed as directors), and had no knowledge of anything outside of the information already provided to the court.

TTFF’s top officials told the court that Warner not only had exclusive control of LOC Germany but had possession of all of the football association’s financial records and company files.

Both men told the court it should look to Warner for an account of company records and other financial information since he was the man in charge and ultimately responsible for the affairs of the football association and its agent company, LOC Germany.

They have refused to go after Warner on the ground that he is a substantial creditor of the TTFF, but have provided no explanation about the circumstances leading to this creditor status.

Bank records for three of the association’s accounts show substantial payments in the tens of millions to Warner, his private companies, other family-owned businesses and LOC Germany.

Warner has denied that he had a “professional client/accountant relationship” with Rampersad in a statement filed in the CMC hearing, but conceded that Rampersad was the accountant of several football bodies with which he had been associated, including TTFF, CFU and CONCACAF.

He omitted to say that the accounting briefs were either given directly or recommended by him. He also failed to disclose that Rampersad made a string of cameo appearances as a corporate officer in several of his private corporations.

The Warner affidavit said he was prepared to provide TTFF with the “information or documentation” relevant to helping the players determine the quantum of income earned during the 2006 World Cup effort so that they could determine what they are truthfully owed, but later told the court via his attorney that he had already provided all of the information in his possession and had nothing more to add.

Sources with knowledge of the pay dispute say the players and the TTFF are unlikely to return to court and are close to reaching a settlement on the claim.

It’s one less tsunami for Jack Warner to worry about but it has washed up a lot of driftwood on his home shore.

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How does the KKR offspinner continue to bamboozle batsmen? Because he knows when to bowl what

It's hard to remain a mystery today, what with all the footage available for replays in slow-motion and every player painstakingly scrutinised. The action has shifted from the 22 yards to the editing table.

Yet Sunil Narine continues to beat technology and stay ahead of most analyses. Even though he has been scanned time and again, he manages to get the better of batsmen and fascinate spectators.

He's not the first mystery spinner; there have been quite a few who batsmen couldn't decipher immediately, if at all. Yet there's something about this lad from the West Indies, with a peculiar hairdo and an equally peculiar action that has enthralled aficionados worldwide.

In his debut IPL season, last year, Narine took 24 wickets and helped Kolkata Knight Riders win the trophy for the first time. But it isn't just his ability to take wickets that makes everyone sit up and take note, it's the way he spins around hapless batsmen.

One particular over that he bowled to his fellow West Indian, Andre Russell, in the opening match of this season's IPL comes to mind, because it looked like Russell had no idea which way the ball would turn after pitching. Each time almost, he played down one way when the ball was heading the other.

It's not too hard to decipher a doosra or a carrom ball from an offspinner while watching on TV, when the camera gives us the view from the back, but Narine's variations are hard to pick even for viewers sitting at home. So what chance did Russell have?

By bowling even his offspinners with a scrambled seam, Narine manages to keep the batsman guessing which one will head the other way. And since he bowls both his variations from the front of the hand (the doosra is usually bowled from the back of the hand), you have to look very closely at which way his fingers are turning at the point of release - not an easy job.

But it isn't just the variations or his ability to disguise them that make Narine a difficult bowler to bat against in T20. There are many bowlers who have more variations up their sleeve. All good legspinners have three deliveries (legspin, googly and a flipper), and most offspinners these days also possess more than a couple variations (offspin, doosra and a carrom ball), but it isn't about the quantity, it's about the quality of execution. Having different types of deliveries won't mean much unless you know when to use them.

In fact, Narine has only two variations in his bag - a regular offspinner and the one that goes away after pitching. But unlike other spinners, he is a master when it comes to using his subtle variations, and he rarely overdoes them.

In his first over in this year's IPL, he did not bowl a single away-going delivery. He realised that there was some turn and bounce on the Eden Gardens pitch, so he was better off bowling offbreaks. In fact, in the entire game, he didn't bowl a single away-going delivery to the well-set Mahela Jayawardene, having arranged a leg-side field for him. If Jayawardene had picked the variation, Narine would have run the risk of leaking runs. But against Russell, Narine strengthened the off-side field, with a slip as an attacking option, and bowled the other one repeatedly. His ability to judge the demands of the situation and then move from being smart and defensive to brave and aggressive sets him apart.

In addition to his game sense and variety, Narine's pace and his effective stock ball make it very tough to score off him. He bowls really flat and slightly quicker but without compromising on turn off the surface. If there's something in the pitch for the spinners, he really rips them across the right-handers and away from the left-handers.

The delivery that got David Warner in the first match was an example of his ability to turn the ball with bounce at reasonably high speed. His pace and flat trajectory take away the batsman's crucial attacking strategy - stepping down the track to play the lofted shot. There aren't many who can hit the long ball without coming out of the crease.

If you can't come down the track, you look to either slog-sweep towards cow corner or go deep into the crease to pull the slightly shorter deliveries. Narine's extra turn and bounce on pitches like the one at the Eden Gardens make both these shots tough to execute. The turn ensures the ball misses the bat's sweet spot. If that fails, the bounce ensures the ball's impact on the bat is higher than the batsman is comfortable with. Either way the batsman rarely gets the intended height or distance.

If batsmen look for five or six runs off a Narine over instead of going after him, he might not turn out to be such a prolific wicket-taker. Unfortunately for all IPL teams, Knight Riders' captain, Gautam Gambhir, brings Narine on either in the Powerplay or during the death overs. That forces batsmen to go after Narine and increases his chances of picking up wickets. I won't be surprised if he finishes as one of the top wicket-takers this season as well.

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TRINIDAD and Tobago received a welcome boost to their Champions League hopes yesterday with the news that they will not have go through the qualifying phase this time around.

The tournament bowls off from September 17-October 6 later this year in India. The “Red Force”, captained by Denesh Ramdin, have been placed in Group ‘B’ alongside Titans (South Africa), Brisbane Heat (Australia), 2013 Indian Premier League (IPL) runners-up and a qualifier.

Group “A” consists of Highveld Lions (South Africa), Perth Scorchers (Australia), 2013 IPL champions, IPL third-placed team and a Champions League qualifier.

Speaking to Newsday yesterday, Denesh Ramdin, captain of TT, was in a euphoric mood and believes a direct entry to the Champions League main draw will help facilitate a deep progress into the competition.

Last year, the national team were forced for the second year in a row to go through qualifiers but stumbled in their opening match and were knocked out. The team returned home winless as their second fixture was washed out.

“I’m happy we are in the main draw. We won’t have to play to get into the tournament this time. Last year we had to work twice as hard to get in and then one game and we were out. All our preparations went down the drain. It was an unfortunate tournament for us. Five months preparation and to get knocked out in two days was difficult for me and the players,” he explained.

Asked about TT’s chances of a fairytale run a la 2009 where a Daren Ganga-led team went to the final, Ramdin did not make any predictions but said he remains optimistic.

The local team may have to do without a number of their top players as there are six locals currently competing in the IPL including Sunil Narine, Kieron Pollard, Samuel Badree, Dwayne Bravo, Kevon Cooper and Ravi Rampaul.

And with four teams from IPL — three in the main draw and one having to qualify — in the Champions League, it is highly likely that this country may not be at full strength for the Champions League.

“It all depends on whose team qualifies. Whoever we have available, it is an opportunity for us and the younger ones to step up. Every tournament you go into, you go with the intention of going all the way. There will be teams from all around the world coming to play for the same prize so it will be exciting,” he declared.

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Marabella’s Corey “Ako” Pascall, who was instrumental in the South squad’s runner-up finish at the recently-concluded Hoop of Life Community Basketball League, brought additional pride to his community when he was named the league’s top scorer with an impressive 211 points from 16 matches.

Pascall averaged 13.1 points per match.

However, it was La Romaine’s point guard Derrick Boxill, who produced the league’s best points average per match with 14. 9 from 14 fixtures. He scored 209 points with a high score of 40.

The top four teams (Laventille, Marabella, Caledonia and La Romaine), spotlighted six players who netted a combined total of 1,065 points between them, while showcasing some young talent in the likes of Caledonia forwards Wesley Vincent and Kyeon Joseph of Caledonia, La Romaine’s Kwasi Valentine, Shaquille Sylvester of Laventille and Kerron Lewis of Marabella.

The player who stood above the rest was Corey “Ako” Pascall—a player under six feet tall, who often worried his opponent’s defence en route to the final.

Pascall was in such form during the second phase of the competition that he had an all-time high of 66 points when Marabella took on Tobago’s Mason Hall at its home court, Bayshore, in January.

The match ended 145-35 in Marabella’s favour.

Another star was the untiring Steven “Lighter” Lewis, a favourite in the winning Laventille team, who showed his years of experience as a national forward. Lewis tallied 187 points to his credit as he celebrated with his winning team’s $1 million cheque in Marabella.

La Romaine’s Derrick Boxhill came in second on the leader board with 209 points, despite his team managing to take fourth place following its 73-60 defeat to Caledonia in front of their home crowd in the third place play-off.

Representing the teenagers in a big way were Caledonia’s talented pair Wesley Vincent and Kyeon Joseph, who topped many senior players for a tally of 154 and 149 points, respectively.

The community of Caledonia captured the lucrative third prize of TT$250,000 following its victory over La Romaine 73-60 in match two of the Big Four third place play-off. After losing the first match in La Romaine 89-77, Caledonia needed to win the second match of the series by 13 points at the Paradise Heights Basketball Court, Morvant.

And playing in front of its fans, host Caledonia got the perfect spark: six points from its captain Wilt Vincent and seven from Joseph as they jumped out to a 21-12 first quarter lead. In fact, Caledonia was so dominant that it took La Romaine 4:32 seconds before it managed its first basket.

Joseph top-scored in that encounter with 18 points and he was supported by the other youth, Vincent (Wesley), who netted 16 points.

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Pat McQuaid tonight secured Cycling Ireland's nomination to stand for a third term as President of the International Cycling Union (UCI), even though they want him to put in place a new rule which would limit the number of years any one person can hold the position.

Another change to the UCI constitution that Cycling Ireland wants to see is to cap the time that certain senior officials can serve it at 16 years,

If that proposal was in place now McQuad would have to step down this year, having already served eight years as the UCI's Road Commission chairman before being elected President in 2006, while his predecessor in the top role, Hein Verbruggen, who now holds an honorary position which still wields considerable influence, would have had to quit six years ago. 

McQuaid's position has been under threat ever since the Lance Armstrong scandal erupted with pressure group Change Cycling Now (CCN), led by Skins founder Jaimie Fuller, mounting a campaign to try to force him to resign. 

Fuller's request to address the Board of Cycling Ireland before the vote in Dublin tonight was turned down by the organisation's President Rory Wyley.

But McQuaid's position still appears to have come under considerable scrutiny from an organisation he himself was President of between 1996 and 1999.

He gave Cycling Ireland's Board a half-hour presentation before they spent four hours debating whether they should support him.

But Cycling Ireland did make a series of demands in return for supporting McQuaid, including introducing a rule which in future would mean a President can serve only two four-year terms and that he set-up an independent review of the system of internal controls and processes at the UCI, with the findings to be published and the recommendations implemented.

They also want a rule introduced that means no President, vice president or Management Committee member can serve the UCI for more than 16 years in total over their life time, in any capacity.

"The debate ranged from the whole USADA (United States Anti-Doping Agency) investigation, to back as far as 2006 when he was first elected President," Board member Anthony Moran told VeloNews.

"We put a number of proposals to Pat and he agreed to them.

"We eventually arrived at a decision that we should back him with these caveats, so let's see how it goes."

Nevertheless, the decision appears to clear the way for the 63-year-old McQuaid to continue as President of the UCI, a position which also carries with it membership of the International Olympic Committee (IOC).

The election is due to take place during the UCI Road World Championships in Florence between September 21 and 29.

So far no other candidate has declared that they would stand against McQuaid.

Brian Cookson, President of British Cycling, who some countries are trying to persuade to put himself forward, has declared that he supports McQuaid.

Greg LeMond, a three-time winner of the Tour de France and a leading member of CCN, has claimed that he would be willing to stand but would need the support of USA Cycling, which seems unlikely.

"I am delighted and honoured that the board of Cycling Ireland has endorsed my nomination as a candidate for the Presidency of the UCI in September 2013," said McQuaid.

"I put myself forward to serve another term as UCI President on my record of developing the sport throughout the world and on combating the scourge of doping in cycling.

"I engaged thoroughly with Board members on both subjects and I welcome their recognition of my achievements and their confidence in me as UCI President.

"The Board has requested that I raise certain concerns on governance issues with the UCI Management Committee and I have undertaken to do so.

"I have set an ambitious agenda to continue developing the sport and to ensure that it remains at the forefront of the fight against doping in sport.

"I look forward to presenting myself for election with the support of my National Federation and other federations worldwide."

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