THE EDITOR: Many uncomplimentary things have been said of the TTFA and articles written by the same journalists in different newspapers. I sometimes wonder if we live in the same country.
Reference here is strictly to David John Williams (DJW), esteemed president of the vitriolic TTFA. All DJW has done in his four years as head is to provide the leadership so absent in our country by delivering – and not old talk and lacouray.
After inheriting an asset of $147,000 and millions of dollars in debt and unpaid bills after 100 years of the TTFA, he now has delivered assets to the TTFA of close to $120 million.
He has in the Couva Sports City brought on stream the only revenue-generating sports facility in the country. Go see the sports and entertainment centre, the hotel, the TTFA Home of Football.
In 100 years of football we never had a home. We were kicked out of premises a couple years ago with not even an orphanage to go to.
Due to his unrelenting voluntary efforts which entailed many sleepless nights and an abundance of abuse from certain individuals, he was finally able to get a financial audit done for FIFA, which previous administrations failed to produce for reasons best known to them.
Out of this piece of work came the resurrection of the good name of the T&T Football Association, which had been dragged through the mud in previous international scandals.
This audit cleared the way for FIFA to trust DJW with the flagship project of FIFA of designing and building the Home of Football. This project did not go to Jamaica or Mexico or the Bahamas.
When one considers that the Chinese did not do this but locals and in one year, we have to wonder why the verbal venom is directed towards DJW just for doing such a great job. This project is a dream come true for local football, for the future of this country.
One has to wonder if the petty North vs South nonsense is at play here as the journalists who persist in their pious design in the persecution campaign which they wage against him all come from the North and, as I understand, are friends of some of the previous administrators who once again seek to put the TTFA back in a dark hole. DJW is from Santa Flora and went to Naps.
We are all too happy to sing the praises of outsiders yet when people we know, we have taught, we meet in church, we play mas and party with, visit at Christmas and Divali and Eid etc, our own family, we go out of our way to destroy their work and trivialise their achievements. We insult them and get their friends in the media to wage a campaign against them.
DJW has done it. Whatever his methods, he has delivered a world class facility within budget and on time – and despite court injunctions and orchestrated frustrations and innuendoes about irregularities, all of which have been proven to be lies.
So the next time you see a negative article about David John Williams, think and ask your self why.
VAL RAMSINGH via e-mail.
SOURCE: T&T Newsday