FIFA vice-president Jack Warner gave assurances yesterday to a Fifa emergency committee meeting that there would be adequate security measures in place and the Under-17 World Championship could proceed as scheduled from today.
Following the devastating terrorist attacks in the United States on Tuesday, the Fifa emergency committee meeting, which included Warner, president Sepp Blatter and UEFA president Lennart Johansson, there were safety concerns expressed, with some members calling for the postponement of the tournament.
However, Warner, also chairman of the Local Organising Committee (LOC), said he got in contact with the Minister of National Security, Prime Minister Basdeo Panday, relaying to him the concerns of the committee.
Panday replied to Warner via a letter assuring him that “special security measures have been put in place to ensure the safety of all visiting delegations, officials, visitors and the general public” attending the Fifa U-17 World Championship.
That, according to Warner, convinced Fifa to hold their hand and let the event go ahead, making it “the only world tournament taking place in the world today,” he said.
State-of-the-art equipment
THERE will also be extra security on hand for Prisma, the host broadcaster for the event.
Keith Thomas, executive director of Prisma, said his company brought some US$8 million in television and electronic equipment to Trinidad and Tobago.
The state-of-the-art technology, Thomas explained, will be the same used for the 2002 Korea/Japan World Cup. He also disclosed that the equipment had been used in world-class events such as this month’s Goodwill Games in Brisbane, Australia and the World Athletic Championships in Edmonton, Canada in August.
The Prisma official also explained that he got a lot of help in installing the equipment from local technicians.
“Everything has been achieved with the locals. It really could not have been done without local assistance.”
Thomas added that shipping company Skyline Freight was efficient in delivering their equipment to Trinidad and Tobago, while a company called Standby Power built six “Sealand” containers into modern mobile units in a week. That he described as “a tremendous feat”.
TTT technicians also helped in the laying of seven kilometres of triax cable.
Cameras at every angle
THE Fifa U-17 World Championship will be covered from all angles.
According to Prisma’s Keith Thomas, seven cameras will be used at each of the five sites (Hasely Crawford, Mannie Ramjohn, Ato Boldon, Dwight Yorke and Larry Gomes stadiums) during the preliminary rounds, while that number will be increased to nine during the quarter-final and semi-final rounds.
For the final on Sunday September 30 at the Hasely Crawford Stadium, there will be 13 cameras in use and that includes three super slow-motion cameras.