ALL of Trinidad and Tobago are being urged to give at least a dollar to their 'Warriors', the national football team, who will engage Bahrain in a two-match qualifying series on November 12 & 16 for a place in the 2006 World Cup.
The initiative, the brainchild of sports personality Anil Roberts, was launched yesterday at the Courts Marriott Hotel, Mucurapo.
There, it was announced that a Warriors Pride Appreciation Fund has been set up at RBTT branches throughout Trinidad and Tobago in aid of the national footballers. Trustees of the fund are Clive Pantin and Dr. Iva Gloudon and they have been delegated to issue the proceeds to the players.
Roberts, a swimming coach and talk show host, said that on hearing of incentives offered by Bahrain to their players to win the matches, he recognised the importance of making Trinidad and Tobago's footballers as comfortable as possible and hence, the initiative. He was quick to point out that the footballer alone will benefit from this fund.
"Any mount of money in the fund will be divided equally among the players whether they score a hat trick of carry water, " Roberts said.
Errol Fabien of Gayelle Television said that if every citizen of T&T gave just one dollar, it would amount to at least $1.3m, to share equally among the players on the national team. The money, he said, was not for the technical squad or the (football) Federation, but strictly for the national footballers. Fabien further launched the initiative with a pledge that Gayelle Television will donate $1,000 for every goal scored against Bahrain.
Bruce Aanensen, manager of the national team dug into his pockets and produced another $100 and FIFA vice-president Jack Austin Warner contributed a $10,000 cheque as well. Just back from Bahrain, Warner said it was moments such as this which made him proud to be a citizen of Trinidad and Tobago.
Gloudon said that as an ex-player and present administrator, she recognised that after big sporting events many national players were left alone to deal with their financial worries. He said that our players must be comfortable after the current qualifying campaign - win, lose or draw.
"You have to start putting something into this team so they will know we are behind them on the road to the World Cup," Gloudon said. Her fellow trustee, Pantin, further lauded the efforts stating that we must give the best that we can to the team because in the long run it's T&T who will benefit from their efforts.