On March 21 I attended my first Sportsman and Sportswoman Awards ceremony hosted by the new organisers, First Citizens Bank. The evening was a gala one which I enjoyed, sitting in comfort at Queen's Hall, in the company of my wife.
The event caused me to wonder about football's chances of winning this award for a second time because it has been more than 30 years since I copped the title of Sportsman of the Year 1974 after my nomination as most valuable player in the Concacaf World Cup qualifying tournament in Haiti in which Mexico, Guatemala and Honduras competed. Trinidad and Tobago was also denied the opportunity of going to the World Cup finals in Germany then.
When I saw there were no nominees for football, I became even more concerned and couldn't help but ask Dave Lamy, a member of the FCB Sports Foundation panel, "Why weren't there any nominees for football, male and female?'' He answered, "Gally, there hasn't been any for the last two years.''
His answer made me realise the extent of the fragmentation of Trinidad and Tobago's football. I sat there wondering what magic can I pull out of my bag of tricks to bring this game back to where we were in 1989, so at least we can have a serious competitor for the beautiful new award displayed that night.
I couldn't believe, though, that during addresses delivered by Terry Young Sing, chairman of the FCB Sports Foundation and Roger Boynes, Minister of Sports and Youth Affairs, not a word or a good wish was mentioned in terms of the Trinidad and Tobago World Cup football team even though we are currently in contention for a place in the 2006 World Cup finals in Germany.
Thanks to Lystra Lewis's contribution to sports the FCB Sports Foundation panel decided to honour her by donating the Lystra Lewis Award for sportsmanship and luckily football won that night for the empathy displayed by young Matthew Ramirez of St Augustine Senior Comprehensive to his defeated opponent in an Intercol final.
The time is now for those people who say they really like this game and care about the future of football to come together and rescue this beautiful game so we could produce the high quality of players we had in days gone by. In the interim there could be a system where all the leagues nominate their player of the year and an independent panel could select a nominee for player of the year to the FCB Foundation. Football is the most popular sport in T&T and should have a nominee every year in this prestigious event.
I wish to congratulate Candice Scott and George Bovell III for their magnificent achievements, and the FCB Sports Foundation for maintaining the high standard of this award ceremony. Let us hope next year football's chances will be better.
Everald "Gally'' Cummings
Former national coach