THE Government has granted the Trinidad and Tobago Football Federation (T&TFF) just under half of the $13,993,000 it had requested to fund the campaign to get the national football team to the 2006 World Cup.
At yesterday's Cabinet briefing, Roger Boynes, the Minister of Sport and Youth Affairs, announced that after considering the request for funding which came two weeks ago, Government was prepared to meet some of what was asked for.
The T&TFF had requested $4.4m to cover the cost of securing a charter flight to Bahrain; $2,001,800 to cover the cost of accommodation, taxes and match fees for the upcoming two-leg play-offs against Bahrain; and another $7,591,200 to cover costs of the CONCACAF qualifiers in which Trinidad and Tobago earned a play-off berth after finishing fourth.
Two weeks ago, FIFA vice-president and T&TFF special adviser Jack Warner stated he had spent $17 million of his own money to fund the CONCACAF qualifiers and had chided the Government for its lack of involvement.
In response, Boynes met with Warner and T&TFF officials and agreed to take their request for assistance to Cabinet. Yesterday, he announced what assistance the Government was willing to give.
"The Government has agreed to grant further, and I repeat further assistance, to the Trinidad and Tobago Football Federation in the sum of $6 million in respect of the qualifying games up to the return match in Bahrain, including the cost with respect of team preparation, travel expenses, match fees, accommodation and administration costs to assist the Trinidad and Tobago national football team with its quest to qualify for the FIFA World Cup 2006."
Boynes also said his own efforts had rallied corporate sponsorship and that British Gas, the National Gas Company, Petrotrin, Eastern Credit Union and several companies in the Point Lisas Industrial Estate had agreed to come aboard.
Those firms, he said, have been directed to the T&TFF and the Local Organising Company (LOC) handling the World Cup qualifying campaign.
Boynes further added that CLICO and TSTT had agreed to assist in securing a charter to Bahrain.
"As the Minister of Sport and Youth Affairs, we reached out to corporate Trinidad and Tobago so that we can have all the stakeholders on board."
Boynes was quick to point out that the assistance given will cover the qualifiers against Bahrain on November 12 and 16 and indicated the Government was willing to consider further assistance to the team later on.
"When they do in fact qualify, we as a Government will again come to the table and adjudicate on the assistance for our national team as we prepare to compete against the best in the world."