TWO-TIME former Arima mayor Elvin Hubert Edwards is backing the embattled Trinidad and Tobago Football Association (TTFA) executive and has generously given to its cause against the world governing body.
A gofundme account was set up last month with the goal of raising US$25,000 to fight FIFA’S installation of a normalisation committee to run football in T&T in place of the elected William Wallace administration which took up office just four months ago. Earlier this week, the fund had crossed the US$3,000 mark.
The former TTFA executive also formally launched an appeal to the Switzerland-based Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) which was also registered this week.
Former mayor Edwards has contributed one third of the money pledged so far. Of 28 contributors, the three pledging the most are Edwards and two of the parties actively involved in the matter - Wallace and Keith Look Loy. Wallace pledged US$500, while TTFA technical committee chairman Look Loy donated US$200 of his own funds. Edwards, who will be 70 on April 28, pledged US$1,000 to the cause, by far the greatest contribution.
Edwards admitted being a supporter of 2019 Trinidad & Tobago Super League champions FC Santa Rosa, owned by Super League president Look Loy.
“And not only Santa Rosa, but many other clubs, “ Edwards said. “People ask me for donations all the time, churches, and other organisations. Maybe I'm a little too generous at times, but I know why I do these things.”
Edwards’ latest motivation is his displeasure at how FIFA had treated the local association. FIFA listed as one of its reasons as protecting its development investment in Trinidad and Tobago from litigation owing to over US $7 million debt by the TTFA to creditors. FIFA funded the TTFA’s US$2.5m Home of Football, opened just a few months ago.
“I personally think the TTFA has been treated very badly by the manner in which it was done,” Edwards told the Express. “So I wanted to make a contribution towards fighting it.”
He added: “I saw something on Whatsapp asking for donations towards the plight of the TTFA and I supported it.”
Edwards served as Mayor of Arima for seven years and two terms between July 1996 – June 2003 before receiving a diplomatic posting in Canada from December 2003 – August 2010.
He attended Arima Boys’ Roman Catholic School, Arima Boys’ Government School and Holy Cross College. After going to university in Canada, he worked at a Canadian university and on his return to T&T, as an IT specialist at Royal Bank.
An avid sportsman, he played windball cricket and fete match football with Parkstars in Arima and represented Fulham Sports Club at age 17 in cricket and football. He was also invited to national trials in 1968 for both the Trinidad and Tobago senior cricket and football teams and represented T&T’s Under 25 cricket team against an Australian Under-19 team at Guaracara Park, Pointe-a-Pierre in January, 1970.
Past involvement in sport was a reason Edwards was sympathetic to the TTFA’s plight.
“Anybody having sports event to help the youths with and anything I think is worth it, I try to support however I can,” said the former Arima livewire, who has now retired from politics.
SOURCE: T&T Express