Trinidad and Tobago’s historic qualification for the 2006 World Cup will give fans from this country the opportunity to sign on the Hyundai Goodwill football and the possibility of making T&T the country carrying the ball with at least more than half its population’s signatures when the tournament kicks off in June.
FIFA Vice President Jack Warner said it was his hope that close to 500,000 persons could sign the ball during its road show which will be run by Neal and Massy over the weeks leading up to the World Cup.
The main concept of the ball, which will be taken to Germany by each competing nation, is to give fans the chance to send its best wishes to the “Soca Warriors” and have a presence in Germany come June.
The first to sign on the big ball was Honourable President George Maxwell Richards and he was followed by Warner as well as world cricket batting star Brian Lara, hammer thrower Candace Scott, former 1974 World Cup members Gally Cummings and Selris Figaro, former 1966 World Cup members Sedley Joseph and Bobby Sookram, 1989 squad member Marvin Faustin, Olympic gold medalist Hasely Crawford, current Senior Team players Anthony Wolfe, Cyd Gray and Silvio Spann as well as other top dignitaries.
Also inscribing his name on the ball was Neal and Massy Holdings Limited Chief Executive Officer (CEO) Bernard Dulal-Whiteway, chairman Earl Boodasingh and of course Warner, who told the gathering that the ceremony is indicative of the legacy that his past friend and Neal and Massy representative Peter Stone has left. Stone, a staunch football supporter and friend of the TTFF passed away with Cancer last year.
“Everyone cannot be in Germany, but being a small country of around 1.3 million people, I don’t see any reason why we cannot get at least half to sign,” said Warner.
Code Neal and Massy transportation group chairman Earl Boodasingh explained the concept of the goodwill ball.
“The concept of the Hyundai Goodwill bal which was developed by Hyundai, will provide every fan in T&T with an opportunity to sign and send their best wishes to the Soca Warriors in Germany on the giant sixteen feet inflatable ball.All 32 signed balls bearing the national flag and colours of the qualifying country will be displayed in Germany at an event before the kick off of the tournament. Furthermore, at each game the signed balls from the two competing countries will be prominently displayed at the entrance to the Stadium,” Boodasingh said.
The ball will be taken to various parts of T&T over the next eight weeks to allow fans to sign.
Hyundai is an official partner with FIFA for the hosting of the 2006 World Cup and Neal and Massy has been the authorized dealer for Hyundai in T&T since 1992.
Boodasingh added that his organisation had a long standing association with Caledonia AIA through their “Adopt a player programme” and was also a contributor to the financial needs of the club’s former midfielder, Densill Theobald prior to his move to Scottish Premiership club Falkirk. He said that N&M was deepening its relationship through a sponsorship arrangement. “Now that the Soca Warriors have qualified for the World Cup Final, we are very excited to work with Caledonia.” The club will be called Neal and Massy Caledonia AIA for the 2006 season and this is one of the benefits coming out of T&T’s World Cup qualification and Theobald’s involvement with such an achievement.