The 2017 FIFA/TTFA Grassroot Football Programme will kick off in the Central Football Association (CFA) region next weekend and the troubled area of Enterprise Chaguanas has been targeted, among others, where young budding players between the age groups 7-11 will be given an opportunity to showcase their talents.
The programme is an initiative of the world governing body for the sport- FIFA, as one of the country’s criteria for development and funding. Under president Shymdeo Gosine and his general secretary Clynt Taylor the programme will first roll into Green Park, Felicity in Chaguanas in search of the top boys and girls from 9:00am, where the basic fundamentals of the game will be taught and tested.
Former national youth player and Naparima College standout in the Secondary Schools Football League (SSFL) Ateba Mc Knight has been appointed technical director of youth development by the CFA, with particular responsibility to drive youth development. He will be at the centre as 75 players will be chosen from Felicity to move on to the next phase of the programme. Taylor said yesterday that from Felicity they will take the programme to the Harlem Recreation Ground in Caroni before stopping at the Africa Recreation Ground in Enterprise where the same amount of players will be chosen by coaches.
In spite of its reputation however, Enterprise has been a breeding ground for a number of top players in the past such as Ansil Elcock, Ahkeela Mollon, Clyde Leon and coach Nicholas Griffith who received an international award for his contribution to the sport of football. Taylor said he wants young players to know that there are many avenues inside and outside of sports that can be exploited for their development.
The programme will then move on to the Couva Recreation Ground and then to Tabaquite to complete the central areas. According to Taylor the CFA will later select an all star representative team, as will also be done in the other regional associations as the Southern FA, Northern FA, Eastern FA, Tobago FA and the Eastern Counties Football Union (ECFU).
Players who were not chosen among the 75 in their respective areas will continue be embraced in the CFA development programme which will also begin next weekend and will run continuously under Mc Knight.
The ex Naparima striker will also have the support of hard working Deputy Chaguanas Mayor Debideen Mannick who is a member of the CFA’s Development Committee among others. Interested persons contact Taylor at (ctaylor@cfatt.com) or 777-3676.