AS THE the excitement builds for the historic international friendly between Trinidad and Tobago and Argentina on June 4, the Ministry of Sports has provided the Warriors with a funding boost that will help them meet their objectives with this tour.
Through its implementation arm, the Sports Company of Trinidad and Tobago, the Ministry of Sports presented a cheque for just over TT$420,000 to the Trinidad and Tobago Football Association.
The funding is meant to cover the camp-related expenses for the national senior men’s team, who will face two-time World Cup winners Argentina and then Iran during their South American tour. Minister of Sports Anil Roberts said, “The Ministry is happy to continue its support of the national team in this way.
Playing against top quality opposition is good for any team and will redound to the benefit of the squad and the individual players. It’s also a fantastic opportunity for the fans to get a taste of the World Cup action, seeing our Warriors and sons of the soil in full flight against favourites Argentina ahead of their participation in the biggest football event in the world.”
The Ministry is demonstrating its commitment to local football and to the national team’s development by helping to make these outings comfortable for players and staff. It is hoped that the match practice will serve the players in good stead for future matches for club and country.
The Warriors are currently in training and will depart on June 1 for Argentina. The squad is due to return on June 5.
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TV6 News shows video of ‘Minister’ with ganja
By SEAN DOUGLAS (Newsday).
A balding man resembling a Cabinet Minister was last night shown in a video-clip on national television rolling a cigarette made of a substance resembling marijuana, partying in the company of a young woman, a video-cameraman and other friends. The presence of a key bearing a number (201) suggests the setting was a hotel room.
Rumours of such a video had surfaced a few months back and were even referred to in passing in a speech in Parliament by the said Minister.
Newsday last night tried to reach the relevant Minister whom the man in the video resembles, and also tried to get a comment from spokesman, Communications Minister, Vasant Bharath, but we were unsuccessful. TV6 News reported Prime Minister Kamla Persad-Bissessar as saying she was unable to comment until she sees the video which she requested the television station send to her.
In the video the man bends over a counter-top in front of a mirror and dabbles in a substance resembling marijuana. He has a continuous dialogue with friends, all discussing his technique of preparing a marijuana cigarette.
“Come, come all you go ahead. Let me deal with this here,” said the man.
“They call me the ‘two-pull man’,” he quips. “They does roll it — all my boys — but you see me, I could drink rum whole day and night but if I take two ‘pull’ (I) gone through.” He said he had at least 20 different friends who can roll such a cigarette.
He then seemingly scoffs at his own cigarette preparation technique, saying, “I’m old and inexperienced.” A woman argues that he is being too fastidious in his sorting of the herb before it is ready to be put into a cigarette paper, scoffing that he is preparing it “English” style, but he holds his ground, quipping, “Well right, I is ah English boy.”
TV6 News spoke to the Prime Minister.
“You are correct. There’s something very bad here,” she is reported as saying.
“Please tell me again. Kindly tell me again,” she asked the interviewer so as to seek details. “Very kindly send it to me,” she requested of the video.
In recent times Government Ministers have been the subject of personal scandals. Caroni Central MP Dr Glenn Ramadharsingh was fired as Minister of the People and Social Development for a row with an airline hostess who alleged he had touched her breast, a claim he denied.
Former tourism minister, Chandresh Sharma, the Fyzabad MP, resigned after a police investigation began into allegations he hit his former girlfriend at a shopping mall. Minister of Tobago Development, Dr Delmon Baker, was accused of inappropriate conduct by a man who was since arrested on fraud charges amid blackmail claims towards Baker.