Pro League clubs receive $4.8M from SporTT

TTFA president David John-Williams (third from right) shakes hands with SporTT director Hayden Mitchell, while Patrice Charles, director of physical education at the Ministry of Sport and 
Youth Affairs (left), Pro League chairman Richard Fakoory (second from right) and 
Pro League CEO Julia Baptiste look on.
TTFA president David John-Williams (third from right) shakes hands with SporTT director Hayden Mitchell, while Patrice Charles, director of physical education at the Ministry of Sport and Youth Affairs (left), Pro League chairman Richard Fakoory (second from right) and Pro League CEO Julia Baptiste look on.

W CONNECTION were the only club (excluding Defence Force and Police) not to receive any portion of the $4.8 million cheque given to the Pro League clubs, from the Sports Company of Trinidad and Tobago (SporTT) yesterday.

At a media conference at the National Aquatic Centre, Couva, SporTT distributed the cheque to the Pro League hierarchy, who then gave individual cheques to seven compliant clubs – North East Stars, San Juan Jabloteh, Club Sando, Morvant Caledonia United, St Ann’s Rangers, Central FC and Point Fortin Civic.

But Connection missed out as they still need to submit a final piece of document to SporTT to become compliant.

Point Fortin Civic only became compliant a few days ago as, according to chairman Garthon Craig, “I was out of the country. I was in Mexico and in Panama. We didn’t meet the deadline until I came back.”

In a media release last week from the Ministry of Sport and Youth Affairs, each compliant club will get $600,000 this year, $450,000 in 2019 and $337,500 in 2020.

Pro League CEO Julia Baptiste commented, “The League is glad that clubs would now have the opportunity to have the ability to pay their players and to start getting down to the business of football.

“We welcome that, at a time when the League is actually about to start,” she added.

The 2018 league season will kick off tomorrow, with a double-header at the Ato Boldon Stadium, Couva.

Asked when the League will receive any funding from SporTT, Baptiste replied, “We have not had any direct discussion with the Minister (Shamfa Cudjoe) or the Ministry in terms of funding the League.”

She added that sponsors are still being sought to replace Digicel, who ended their funding of the League last year.

Rangers owner Richard Fakoory, who is also the League’s chairman, pointed out, “I know, for my club, it will help with a lot of the outstanding bills that we have, and it will ease a lot.”

Each club will also have to submit a five-year business plan to show how they can become self-sustainable.

TT Football Association (TTFA) president David John-Williams expressed his gratitude to the Government for their monetary support and called on the clubs “to stay the course” during these tough economic times.

Comments

"Pro League clubs receive $4.8M from SporTT"

More in this section