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Karl
Senior Member
USA
914 Posts |
 Posted - Nov 19 2003 : 5:53:28 PM
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Courtesy fleX site -
Jack Warner: T&T must wake up to sport.
Wed Nov 19 16:38:55 2003
Jack Warner: T&T must wake up to sport.
By: Shaun Fuentes.
FIFA Vice President Jack Warner has issued a stern warning to the Trinidad and Tobago footballing fraternity as he continues to witness the progress of other Caribbean nations in particular Jamaica while this country has declined rapidly with the latest blow being a drop to 71 in the FIFA World rankings released on Wednesday.
Warner, back from Jamaica where he accompanied FIFA President Jack Warner at the ground breaking ceremony for that country's National Training Facility, remains hopefully of a change of fortune for T&T's football but made it no secret that he is far from impressed with its current state.
"While in Jamaica, I saw a Federation that was miles and miles behind Trinidad and Tobago in terms of organization and on the pitch and now I see them way ahead," Warner told TTFF Media on Tuesday.
"Their awards ceremony to honour past greats was of course a function of an extremely high standard. I sat their and wondered if the TTFF can do something like that at this point in time. I saw the ground breaking ceremony for their training facility and a government giving the Jamaican Federation 26 acres of land for a goal project which their government gave them in less than six months and I realize that it took the TTFF more than two years to have not received a similar grant from the government of Trinidad and Tobago for a piece of land that is lying idle in Forest Reserve.
Warner even added that he felt the Jamaica Olympic team was capable of getting the better of T&T's Senior team, not because of a lack of talented players or the ability to succeed, but due to the fact that their teams has been engaged in a proper development programme.
"I have seen a Federation here playing two matches in one day both of which were properly organized and the quality of the football were absolutely super. Jamaica's Under 23 team is about two goals ahead of our senior team and Jamaica's senior team is an orbit where the T&T senior team will not be in some time to come.
"What has caused all of this?" Warner asked. He then followed with his own answers saying " This has come about because of the collective efforts of the Jamaican Government which continues to pump US$100,000 a month into the football, has given them land and understands the value of sport and more so football. It has come about because of the efforts of businesses like Wray and Nephew (sponsors of the national league). The fact that there players are willing to also go the extra mile. All of this puts Jamaica way ahead of the rest of the Caribbean and I as President of CONCACAF and more so as a Trinidadian, I am extremely concerned about what direction Trinidad and Tobago is going in and I am extremely pleased about what Jamaica is doing. I have told them that under their President Captain Horace Burrell, they have a lot to be thankful for," said Warner.
Jamaica is currently 47th on the world rankings and Warner recalled how they were no where to be seen some years ago.
"There was a time as Mr Blatter said, when Jamaica were somewhere below one hundred in the FIFA rankings and Trinidad and Tobago were in the fifties. Today Jamaica is in the top half and we continue to slide. We are even behind Cuba and you have to ask yourself why. If people believe that this happened overnight and this can only happen because of the weakness of the Federation or because of indifference, I have news for them as this has happened because of neglect by particularly the Government and the business sector. And this has happened because they believe that sports in Trinidad and Tobago is of course a by night event and a hobby.
"We must realize that sport is now a professional institution that must be nurtured over a period of time. As far as sport is concerned, we in Trinidad are still living in the stone age and the others are obviously living in the 21st century or aspiring to do so," said Warner.
The CONCACAF President mentioned the fact that Honduras is now paying Bora Mulitonovic a monthly salary of US$60,000 but yet T&T did not see the need to facilitate Simoes while he was here a couple years ago.
"I tried to pay our head coach US$30,000 a month for a year and I could not get a single sponsor or even the government to help me. Look at the rest of CONCACAF and you will realize that success does not come overnight and without a cost.
He added that if this country believes that help will come from "heaven" then " I have more news for you. We shall continue to go lower and lower until the country wakes up. They have waken up to kidnapping, they have waken up to crime and corruption and now I hope that soon they will awake to sport," ended Warner, who leaves here on Saturday for Abu Dhabi before traveling on to Frankfurt on December 1 for the 2006 World Cup qualification draw and a series of FIFA meetings. |
Karl |
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Warner on Jamaica's Football
