PORT-OF-SPAIN, Trinidad, CMC- The acting president of the Trinidad and Tobago Football Federation (T&TFF), Lennox Watson, has rejected calls by the country’s sports minister Anil Roberts for the T&TFF to hold fresh general elections.
Roberts has announced that Government’s funding to the T&TFF will be withheld unless general elections are called. Watson has dismissed Roberts call saying the T&TFF would not allow any minister to direct its affairs.
“He (Roberts), is not the one to call elections in the T&TFF. This is not his business,” declared Watson.
“He cannot respond to our statements, so he has decided to get personal, but the federation will not allow any minister to direct our affairs. We will call the elections in due time”.
Roberts is unhappy with the accounting of TT 11 million dollars given by government to prepare the national team’s world cup campaign.
Meantime, manager of the Soca Warriors, William Wallace, has appealed to the government to deliver on its promise to fund the players participation in the Caribbean Cup qualifiers underway in St. Kitts.
Government had threatened to cut funding the national team as a result of the money dispute but changed its mind at the last minute.
“We are surviving as best we can…we are not dying, but there is a serious concern how we go forward in terms of the payments for personnel and things like laundry services. Stipends have to be paid and these things have to be paid in cash,” Wallace said.
“We have received absolutely no funding. There is a promise from the PS (Ministry of Sport Permanent Secretary Ashwin Creed) that we are going to get funding by the end of the week. If we get funding… we will be alright.”
