CFU Youth Cup to cost host over US$1M
Monday, August 13, 2007
Jack Warner has announced that it will cost TT$8 million to host this year's Caribbean Football Union (CFU) Under-15 Youth Cup, set to start this Saturday, the Trinidad Express reported.
Warner, who is the CFU president and head of CONCACAF, was speaking at Friday's launch of the tournament, which came into existence in 2005.
However, it wasn't the cost of hosting the tournament for the third consecutive year that caught the media, but rather Warner expressing his disappointment of support for such an important competition for the Caribbean.
"In the land of plenty, nobody has come forward. We have not been able to attract any sponsor. They like them when they succeed. When they are big...," Warner stated.
Since the inception of the CFU Youth Cup, the tournament alternates between Under-15 and Under-16 formats.
This serves as a precursor for Caribbean nations within CONCACAF preparing for FIFA Under-17 World Championship Qualifiers.
Last year's tournament was used as a qualifier for the CONCACAF Qualifiers final round, from which both Trinidad & Tobago and Haiti subsequently advanced to the 2007 FIFA Under-17 World Championships, which will be held in South Korea.
"If we didn't have this tournament, there would not be two Caribbean teams in the World Under-17 World Cup," Warner said.
Jamaica won the Caribbean segment of the inaugural tournament, but finished third overall behind champions, Canada and Guatemala, who were invited as guest teams.
The CFU Youth Cup was designed by the CFU as a requirement with a mandate of developing youth football in the Caribbean that would make the more competitive at the various international levels.
Nineteen Caribbean nations will take part in this year's tournament, with seven teams advancing to the quarter-final stage, where they will be joined by guest team, El Salvador.
Monday, August 13, 2007
Jack Warner has announced that it will cost TT$8 million to host this year's Caribbean Football Union (CFU) Under-15 Youth Cup, set to start this Saturday, the Trinidad Express reported.
Warner, who is the CFU president and head of CONCACAF, was speaking at Friday's launch of the tournament, which came into existence in 2005.
However, it wasn't the cost of hosting the tournament for the third consecutive year that caught the media, but rather Warner expressing his disappointment of support for such an important competition for the Caribbean.
"In the land of plenty, nobody has come forward. We have not been able to attract any sponsor. They like them when they succeed. When they are big...," Warner stated.
Since the inception of the CFU Youth Cup, the tournament alternates between Under-15 and Under-16 formats.
This serves as a precursor for Caribbean nations within CONCACAF preparing for FIFA Under-17 World Championship Qualifiers.
Last year's tournament was used as a qualifier for the CONCACAF Qualifiers final round, from which both Trinidad & Tobago and Haiti subsequently advanced to the 2007 FIFA Under-17 World Championships, which will be held in South Korea.
"If we didn't have this tournament, there would not be two Caribbean teams in the World Under-17 World Cup," Warner said.
Jamaica won the Caribbean segment of the inaugural tournament, but finished third overall behind champions, Canada and Guatemala, who were invited as guest teams.
The CFU Youth Cup was designed by the CFU as a requirement with a mandate of developing youth football in the Caribbean that would make the more competitive at the various international levels.
Nineteen Caribbean nations will take part in this year's tournament, with seven teams advancing to the quarter-final stage, where they will be joined by guest team, El Salvador.
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