Within the last week, there has been great discussion—albeit by only a few sporting media practitioners—about the state of national footballer Akeem Adams. Not least because it would appear that most have forgotten about this ailing son of the soil who is in Hungary, still in a critical condition. Most of the media houses have found other political matters more appetising and some would add, more financially rewarding than to discuss a 22-year-old who has already lost a leg and is still too weak for a heart transplant to be worthy news. It is a damming indictment on the country we live in and all of us as a people. However, the Wired868 editor Lasana Liburd raised the question on the financial support needed for his mum, Ancilla Adams, and brother Akini, who are both in Hungary at the moment, and have to find funds for their everyday needs and life and it appears they both may be there until early 2014 at least.
So on i95.5fm, on Isports on Thursday, I had the opportunity, along with Liburd who was a guest on the sports programme, to speak with director of communications at the T&T Football Association (TTFA), Shaun Fuentes. Earlier on in the programme, I had asked members of the public who had purchased the Tribute to Akeem Adams T-shirts to speculate how many T-shirts were sold, and the numbers varied from 100 to 2,000, 3,500, 4,000, 6,000, 8,000 and even 15,000. The reason for that question was that a press release from the TTFA had stated on Thursday, that $50,000 was given by Native Spirit (the agent for the sale of the Tshirts) to the TTFA, as the funds from the sales of T-shirts. Incidentally the T-shirts were sold at TT$100 for one. If it was assumed that the $100 went directly to the “Heart of a Warrior Fund”, then that would mean only 500 T-shirts were sold, which, to most—including Liburd and I—seemed rather low.
However, on the night, Fuentes on i95.5fm revealed for the first time to the national public and audience, that actually only $25 TT from each T-shirt sale was allocated to the Fund, and that 2,000 sales were reported by Native Spirit. This is where I have a serious problem, not only because it was the first time that everyone was hearing this, but because it was not thought significant enough to be stated in the press release from the TTFA that very same day.
In this regard, I have to lay the blame fully with Raymond Tim Kee, the president of the TTFA, and now the new mayor of Port-of-Spain. It is this lack of care for the public, for the people of T&T that caused the previous administration of football in this country to suffer in terms of support. People will not spend their money on an event or for a cause, when there is doubt that it will reach the correct final destination. And even if we assume or presume that was not the intention of Tim Kee and his team, the facts are that is now the end result. There can be little doubt, that given a choice of only $25 going towards Adams or donating the funds into the bank account of his mother (Ancilla Dick, Royal Bank a/c# 100085172658914) most would have chosen the latter. Since the programme, both the TTFA and Native Spirit have attempted to deflect questions from Liburd towards one another, particularly after it was revealed on the Wired868 Web site that an initial TTFA press release stated “all proceeds from the sale of the T-shirts” would go towards Adams. This, of course we have now realised, is not true. It is a sin that needs to be quickly addressed and not dismissed in the hope that people will forget, because transparency and accountability in this country are far too often low on the priority of most sporting organisations.
Let us all please remember, this is a long term battle for Adams and his family and, therefore, we need to ensure that he does not disappear from our minds. Naturally, a progressive and caring sporting media would give us a daily update, but as we all know this is too much to ask in this country of the sporting media. However, I am hopeful that in the future, we can witness a much better investigative team in sports journalism that do not just print press releases, but rather ask pertinent questions. One should not just be interested in attending media functions or being invited to such, there is the need to properly represent the interest of the public. For the moment, we need to ensure that everyone still remembers the situation, and the fact that his Uncle, Ivan Dick could tell the nation on i95.5fm that same night, that as far as he knows and is aware—as he is in constant contact with the family in Hungary—there has been no financial support or contact from the Ministry of Sports or the Sports Company of T&T (SporTT).
Clearly and certainly, there is something wrong with this and both Ashwin Creed, the permanent secretary of the Ministry of Sports and also Sebastian Paddington, the chairman of SporTT need to account to themselves and the people of T&T on this matter and hopefully bring clarity and sufficient substance to a favourable outcome. As a nation, as a country, we need to learn to—by our actions— show care and love for those who have represented this country and have fallen on difficult times. Far too often we forget them and leave it to others to assist. And this is wrong. So we await Tim Kee and Native Spirit and of course proper sporting media practitioners to come forward and address the concerns over funding to Akeem Adams.