In keeping with its commitment to the development of sports for all, the Ministry of Sports will provide financial assistance to the tune of $6.9 million over a period of three years, in support of football.
This was stated in the Administrative Report of the Ministry of Sports, in the move to assist in various sporting disciplines, which was started in 2004.
The report stated that Cabinet agreed to the establishment of the Football Development Programme, inclusive of the provision of financial assistance to the community football leagues.
The programme involves the participation of at least 115,000 stakeholders—from coaching schools to the professional league and national teams.
The Administrative Report added that the Semi-Professional League and the Trinidad and Tobago Football Federation and its affiliates are also beneficiaries of this programme.
It added that this injection of financial support will contribute to the holistic development of football in T&T and can not only take the country to the world stage but strengthen promotional efforts in respect of sport tourism.
Among the Ministry’s strategic objectives are: provision of facilities for the full participation of the nation in physical recreation, sport and youth development; promotion of specialised programmes targeted at high-risk youth groups; facilitation of the institutional development and capacity building of National Sport and Youth Organisations; implementation of a multi-sectoral approach to youth development.
In September 2004, Cabinet approval was granted for the establishment of a Limited Liability Company, wholly owned by the Government of T&T, pending the establishment of the Sports Commission. The company would be responsible for setting up of the Sports Commission of T&T, delivering specific sport programmes and managing and maintaining sports facilities formerly owned by Caroni (1975) Limited).
The Report continued that the ministry continued to conduct a range of programmes that encouraged mass participation in sport, high performance sports and empowered young people through training in technical vocational and social skills.
Meanwhile, officials of the Ministry of Sports and the Football Federation will meet tomorrow at 2 pm. Talks will be centred around the money needed to take T&T to Germany, if the national team gets past Bahrain in its playoff on November 12 (home) and 16 (away).